feeding my ohana
  • HOME
  • FOUR LEGS
  • FEATHERS
  • GILLS
  • PLANTS
  • SUGAR
  • BLOG
    • Eating on O'ahu
    • Plate Lunch 101
    • Sweet Nothings
    • Greenhouse
  • CONTACT

What's Cooking This Week for Halloween

10/30/2013

2 Comments

 
We will not be having chocolate for dinner. But dessert is pretty close on its heels.
PictureNo. This is Not My House.
Meatless Monday
Simplest Spaghetti Sauce.The husband made this in a wok this time and it was a successful cross between spaghetti and pan-fried noodles. Unconventional, but it worked.

Minimally Meaty Tuesday
Chicken and Bok Choy stir fry. Just a little oyster sauce. Thirty minutes, start to finish, including making the rice.

Wednesday
Ma Po Tofu. Another 30 minutes start to finish.

Happy Halloween Thursday
Braised Kabocha and My Mom's Miso Soup. Just because it's funny to have pumpkin on Halloween. And we shall have no dead flesh for Halloween either. And hopefully some leftover Snickers, Hi-Chew, Three Musketeers and Milky Ways.

Friday
Okonomiyaki, with char siu.

Extras from the Trader Joe's run
1) Simply almonds, cashews and chocolate trail mix with unsalted pistachios mixed in
2) Coconut cashews. Good with milk and granola or mixed in with work-oatmeal.
3) Maple pecan granola.

Happy Halloween to all!

2 Comments

Halloween Candy--Polling Here

10/27/2013

4 Comments

 
Picture
Li-hing candy does not pass go.
We hold a Very Serious Annual Discussion to determine what Halloween candy to give out to the neighborhood trick or treaters. 

First of all, we are traditionalists and give out candy. We long ago gave up on the idea of finding a suitable yet satisfactory alternative. More on that a little later.

Secondly, the family stipulates that we have to give out Good Candy and not Weird Candy. 

Thus, no matter how much I lobby, li-hing rock candy is out.
After some ruminating in the candy point-of-purchase at Safeway, these were also nixed for cause.
The No-Go List
1. Milk Duds. Who wants to eat something called "Dud"?
2. Twizzlers. Red Vine pretender.
3. Junior Mints. These aren't even good--who buys them in real life?
4. Mr. Goodbar. Peanut allergies. In all its seriousness.
5. Werther's Original Caramel. Old people food.
6. SweeTarts. Chalk.
7. Airheads. Bad Hi Chew molar extractors.
8. Nerds. Looks too much like crazy aquarium rocks.
9. Blow Pops. I nixed this one because it's a badly named product on so many levels.
10. Dum Dums. Who wants the free candy they give you after your flu shots?!
The "Hmm, Interesting" List
I heard a Trader Joe's radio ad promoting frozen turkey meatballs for Halloween trick-or-treaters ("because canned tomato sauce is so last year." This got me thinking about the unusual items my my children have received by well-meaning or perhaps ill-prepared households. Here are some of the all-time oddballs:

1. 1 walnut, in shell
2. a bag of prunes, and not the individual snack size either!
3. a full 12-oz can of pop
4. a toothbrush, with mini-floss and toothpaste, but to be fair, this was from a dentist
5. State quarters. Of all the non-candy, this was the best alternative, cost-effective yet satisfying.
6. loose change. This one, not so much, but the very young children were pretty excited with 17 cents in coin.
This is what we've settled on: The multipack of Twix, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way and Snickers, a separate bag of Kit Kat Mini thrown in, and Hi Chews. Yup it's the American Asian candy bowl.
Picture
Snickers, Milky Way, Twix. With a KitKat Add-in.
Picture
Hi Chew is very popular in the household.
What are you doing for Halloween? What are your candy preferences? Talk to me Junior Mint lovers!
4 Comments

What Really Is Cooking This Week

10/22/2013

0 Comments

 
This week, we aim for homey-food, even with one eating out day, and this is only because no one in the household can resist discount days at Curry House. 

Here's what is cooking at home this week. No fancy-shmancy restaurants this week.

Meatless Monday
Almost Alfredo Pasta with arugula and sun-dried tomatoes. This was a bit leftovers roulette using leftover packets of Parmesan and Gruyere cheese from quiche last week.
PictureKaiware spaghetti from Curry House
Discount Tuesday
Taking advantage of 20% off coupon from Curry House, and one of us extended to meatless Tuesday. Our local Curry House is also next door to Kee Wah Bakery so I had to get some sponge cake and taro buns.

Wednesday
From Scratch Pork Loin made into sandwiches. With the rest of the arugula from Monday.

Thursday
Mediterranean Lamb Stir Fry, while string beans and red peppers are still in season.

Fish on Friday
Furikake Salmon, My Very Own Namasu and Rice. All-purpose Japanese dinner. Or breakfast.

I'm looking forward to some creativity cooking and extras this weekend too, including
Furikake Chex Mix so I can lay off the potato chips and bring some snacks into work.
Sticky Rice with Mangoes, just because
I also saw a 'recipe' for sweet potato chips that I may try with Okinawan sweet potatoes.

There's no place like home! Especially the kitchen.

0 Comments

What Was Not Cooking Last Week

10/20/2013

0 Comments

 
With a full-time job comes a rare week when eating out gets stacked up. While nice to sample various restaurants and there were lots of doggie bags this week, there's no place like home! I've included the Urban Spoon ratings if you decide to check these out. Just try not to go in the same week.

Meatless Monday
Quiche was the only home cooked meal this week. Good thing we made 2.

Safeway Tuesday
Fried Chicken, a loaf of bread and a bag of salad. Sometimes dinner just has to come in a bag. I tried hard to not to include the side order of mom-guilt.

Work Dinner Wednesday
PictureIf you like meat. Or chicken hearts.
If you a serious carnivore, Pampas could be the place for you. Beef 5 ways, pork, chicken, 2 kinds of lamb, 2 varieties of sausage, 2 types of chicken, turkey, and chicken hearts!) is a little overstimulating. Take your Lipitor if you go for it with the meat. 

I really liked the lamb with garlic and mint and the grilled pineapple is FAB, but much prefer their 'sidebar,' which you can also order on its own. Calamari with peppers is a good appetizer that you can pair with the sidebar for a full and decidedly less meaty meal.

Pampas on Urbanspoon
What Hawaii People Want to Eat on Thursday
Picture
Here is an example of how similarly Hawaii people can think about food. On the same night, my in-laws and my sister were taken to dinner at the Olive Garden, one in CA and one in Texas. Go figure.

This was the first time our family has eaten at the Olive Garden. To clarify, you cannot just drink water and eat free bread sticks and salad. To get the 'free' bread and salad, one must order an entree.

Olive Garden on Urbanspoon
Group Dinner Friday
PictureHeirloom panzanella
Another work group dinner. This time Lark Creek Blue in Santana Row. Many of my co-workers had either the beef or salmon and were quite satisfied. 

I opted for meatless Friday with a very nice panzanella heirloom tomato salad and a side of macaroni and cheese.

Lark Creek Blue on Urbanspoon
After eating like that what have I been eating this weekend? 

Chazuke, yogurt with nuts and raspberries (aka squirrel food), salad, Ramune popsicles (a discovery from Japan) tea and lots of water!
0 Comments

Recycling Croissants

10/14/2013

1 Comment

 
PictureOne piece eaten on Sunday morning
So my husband has a co-dependent relationship with Costco, and simply cannot resist buying humongous croissants in large quantities. 

However, the last few inevitably get flat, chewy, squishy and not very croissant-ish. They get gross.

The husband is also loathe to waste food. So after one too many squishy croissants, he recycles them into a bread pudding.

The husband is a genius.


PictureGone by Sunday 4pm
Made on Sunday morning. 

Gone by Sunday afternoon.

Fast-tracked to Feeding My Ohana. 

Click here for the recipe he used. It was based on a Martha Stewart recipe, but  sugar and croissants were the only carryovers.

Make it this weekend. Or start it in the morning and then make it for dessert during the week!


1 Comment

Postcards from Israel

10/9/2013

2 Comments

 
The best way to understand and appreciate Israel is to go there. However, this is no easy task. For starters, it takes 24 hours to get there from the West Coast of the US, approximately 19 of which are spent in an airplane. I was lucky enough to spend a day walking the Old City of Jerusalem. Old and historic are gross understatements, and no matter what you believe, you feel the spirituality of the place. It has mana.
Picture
The most sacred sites of three major religions are squashed together inside the walled portion of the old city of Jerusalem (see photo above). If you look carefully at the Western Wall, you can see that it is sectioned off to a men's side and a women's side, as dictated by Jewish custom.
Picture
Falafel with french fries
Everything I ate in Israel was ono. Even the bite of Jersusalem grill mix I tasted before I found out what it was. 

And what's not to love about a place that offers to put french fries and hot sauce into your falafel?
Picture
Israeli pasta with artichoke hearts and olives
Picture
Picture
The open market. I counted 9 kinds of olives in a single stand. Beautiful fruit and vegetables too.
Picture
Narrow streets inside the Old City. They were meticulously clean. It is very expensive to live within the Old City, and I'm not quite sure what you do if you have a car.
Picture
The right side of doorways has a mezuzah, a case that contains a blessing, usually a verse from the Torah. Some mezuzah are very fancy, and some are very simple. It reminds me of the omamori that we keep above our doorways.
Picture
It is tradition to write a wish on a piece of paper, fold it up and push it into the Western Wall. You touch the wall, say a prayer and stuff your paper into a space.

To do this, you have to wait in line (on the women's side), get pushed up to the Wall, and then moosh your way back out.

Even with the mosh pit, it was still a very powerful experience. Women wept, touched their hands and foreheads to the wall in prayer, or just took in a quiet moment.

A once-in-a-lifetime for this Hawaii girl.


Peace out, really.

2 Comments

What's Cooking This Week--Better Than It Looks

10/1/2013

0 Comments

 
PictureNot so pretty, but a good balanced taste
Like the pond scum drink from awhile back, green curry is one of those things tastes so much better than it looks. And this is how we start October.

Meatless Monday
Green Curry with Tofu. Let's just say green curry doesn't photograph very well, even with A Lot of Filtering (see left). And tofu does it no favors. However, this was a Very Tasty Dinner. Green curry paste, a squinch of fish paste and a can of coconut milk. Plus nuts and dried cranberries. Yum.

Tuesday
Tonkatsu, namasu, shredded cabbage and rice. Everything about this makes for a happy weekday dinner.

Ad-Hoc Wednesday
No recipe needed for dinner. A sturdy meal of pasta with turkey sausage and arugula. Seasoned with white wine, chicken stock, pepper flakes and parmesan cheese.

Picture
Thursday
Sloppy Joes from Scratch, with ground chicken instead of hamburger.

Fish on Friday
Misoyaki Butterfish and Edamame Rice. A lovely way to end the week. This seems to be an Ohana favorite and photographs much, much better.

Happy October!

0 Comments

    about

    I love to eat, so I had to learn to cook. This is my personal reference and I use it daily. Looking forward, when I turn a profit, 95% of net profit will go to programs to feed the hungry.

    Picture
    Subscribe

    Picture

    categories

    All
    About
    Anis Bakery
    Apple Pie
    Apples
    Asparagus
    Bacon
    Bakery
    Beef
    Big Island Delights
    Biscotti
    Bon Chon
    Boys Day
    Breakfast
    Broccoli
    Brownies
    Brunch
    Bubble Tea
    Cake
    Cake Pops
    Cereal
    Cheese
    Chex
    Chicken
    Childrens Day
    Chocolate
    Christmas
    Cobbler
    Coconut
    Coffee
    Comfort Food
    Cookbooks
    Cooking
    Cow
    Cranberries
    Crepes
    Dessert
    Easter
    Eating Amsterdam
    Eating Atlanta
    Eating Boston
    Eating Israel
    Eating Japan
    Eating Kona
    Eating Las Vegas
    Eating Los Angeles
    Eating Nuremberg
    Eating Oahu
    Eating Portland
    Eating Rhode Island
    Eating San Antonio
    Eating San Francisco
    Eating San Jose
    Eating Santa Barbara
    Eating Taipei
    Eating Vancouver
    Eating Vietnam
    Eggplant
    Eggs
    Eggs Leftovers
    Family
    Faq
    Favorites
    Feat
    Feathers
    Fire Extinguisher
    Fish
    Fish Tacos
    Four Legs
    Four Legs
    Fried Rice
    Furikake
    Garden
    Gardening
    Gills
    Gnocchi
    Grandma
    Gravy
    Greenhouse
    Guest Post
    Hapa
    Hawaii
    Home Plates
    How To
    Hui Ilima0bbc421ed6
    Huli Suesa2da64f96f
    Imahara Produce
    Japanese
    Japantown
    July 4th
    Kabocha
    Kale
    Kamaboko
    Korean Fried Chicken
    Lamb
    Lambs
    Leftovers
    Lemon
    Leonards
    Li Hing
    Lihing44e626efbc
    Liliha Bakery
    Local Fruit
    Luau
    Malasada
    Mangoes
    Maple
    Mariposa
    Misoyaki
    Mochi
    Mothers Day
    Muffins
    Mushrooms
    Nachos
    News
    New Years
    Noodles
    Oahu
    Obon
    Ogo
    Okinawan Sweet Potatoes
    Okonomiyaki
    Onion
    Pasta
    Pear
    Pecan Pie
    Pie
    Pineapple
    Plants
    Plate Lunch
    Poke
    Pork
    Pork Chops
    Potatoes
    Quinoa
    Rainbows
    Reindeer Cupcakes
    Restaurants
    Rice
    Salmon
    Sashimi
    Scones
    Second Harvest Food Bank
    Shave Ice
    Shokudo
    Shopping List
    Shrimp
    Soba
    Somen
    Soup
    Spaghetti
    Spam
    Stuffing
    Sugar
    Sun Tea
    Sushi
    Takeout
    Tex Drive Inn
    Thanksgiving
    Tofu
    Tomatoes
    Touring Barcelona
    Touring Big Island
    Touring Boston
    Touring Israel
    Touring Japan
    Touring Maui
    Touring Nuremberg
    Touring Philadelphia
    Touring Portland
    Touring San Antonio
    Touring San Jose
    Touring Taipei
    Touring Tennessee
    Touring Vietnam
    Traditions
    Turkey
    Weekly Menu
    Weekly Menu
    What Not To Eat
    Whipped Cream

    archives

    April 2019
    July 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.