Nani took off for travel to Japan with three friends, one of whom was born in Japan so the language will not be a problem. It’s been over 50 years since my visit to the land of the rising sun as a Boy Scout. The lights of Tokyo, Mt. Fuji and the deer in Nara, stand out in my mind and I am thrilled Nani jumped at this opportunity.
A couple of things to take from this adventure. First, the journey will be much easier as she has a companion that speaks Japanese fluently. To draw the comparison to what we do, we speak financial markets and planning. We ask a lot of questions so we understand what is important to you and we try to explain our thoughts so you can understand. Sometimes we look for a story, sometimes we draw pictures and sometimes we repeat lessons for clarity sake. We want you to feel comfortable as you travel down the financial future road.
Second, there are lots of options to get to your goals. Months ago I bought Nani a book on travel in Japan with all the various sites with direction and commentary. Of course, she is travelling with three friend so everyone has a different list of what they want to see. Nani wanted to see Disney Tokyo but the group opted for other more Japanese adventures like Sumo wrestling. After taking your goals and risk preference, we make recommendations that we believe will get you to your goal best. A neighbor might choose differently or have other ideas but our ideas take our professional opinion.
Third, I have an itinerary, but I don’t imagine they will stick strictly to the set meanderings. I know weather will play a big part of their day trip to Mt. Fuji. As you may remember we have three stages to our planning. The final stage is achieve, which will involve course adjustments. For example, given interest rate changes and market fluctuation we are talking more about Certificate of Deposit than we have in the past. We have been finding 3-6 month CDs with 5%+ interest guaranteed with principal protection. Twelve months ago, we would not have considered this investment. Stuff happens and we can adjust.
Thoughts from our resident Chef
Autumn is here, and with the last rays of summer fading, we pull our summer plants, amend and till our gardens and plant the end of fall and winter crops. This has been a productive tilling quarter indeed. We have amended our Harvest Financial soil and updated our Portfolio allocations. We have planted some fun client giving projects along the holidays, make sure to call in to Lidia and ask about the Salvation Army Angels, the Cookie Decorating Class, and check out our new educational piece with Dr. Jeremey Siegel, on October 12th at 11 a.m. PST.
With the pulling of summer plants, we are left with a final harvest. This year our gardens finished with a heaping pile of basil and with great amounts of basil comes great amounts of pesto. The beauty of a great pesto is in its simplicity. Three to five ingredients total and you have one of the most balanced and bright sauces ever known. Whether in food or investing, simplicity is key. In an Employer Sponsored Plan, like a Simple IRA or 401k, your options are relatively limited, but can achieve great results, like we said, using three to maybe five ‘ingredients’ or investments we can capture balance and achieve results similar to a twenty ingredient recipe or allocation.
To showcase that vibrancy and balance, we make ‘Mandilli de saea’, or ‘silk-handkerchief’ pasta. Great to make with your kids and the beauty is that you are going for a rough shape versus a perfect shape.
Simple Basil Pesto
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, raw
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cups basil leaves, picked
Salt and pepper to taste
2 ice cubes
Instructions:
- In a Blender add all ingredients and blend until smooth, roughly 30 seconds.
- If too thick use 1 more ice cube to thin out.
Pasta Dough
Ingredients:
4 Whole eggs
4 Egg Yolks
2 Cups AP Flour
2 Cups Semolina Flour
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 Tbsp Salt
Instructions:
- Combine flours and salt.
- Create a well, by dumping the flour in a pile and using a bowl or your hand push the pile into the form of a ring.
- Add eggs and Olive oil to the center and begin combining the flour and eggs together using a fork.
- Once the mixture in the center is thick, begin kneading the dough with your hands. Folding the dough into itself repeatedly for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Wrap in Plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature and rest for 30 minutes.
- Cut dough ball into quarters and work with one quarter at a time. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into very thin sheets.
- Cut into 4x4 inch squares without wasting too much time trimming the edges.
- Boil 3 to 4 sheets for 30 seconds or until tender, drain, then place into a bowl with a large dollop of pesto and mix to coat.
- Plate and top with grated Parmesan or other hard cheese.
- Mangia, eat and enjoy!