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

Mouth full. No yelling

11/13/2016

0 Comments

 
PictureVote for cookies.
​Not gonna lie. This past week was brutal. It was not our country's finest hour, by a long shot.

My creative outlet was cooking. My co-workers/testers approved the cookies. More importantly, the husband liked them. The best compliment was, "It tastes like maple syrup and pumpkin pancakes."

That is the comfort response I was going for.

Make these for Thanksgiving and find the joy in the small moments of life. They are there. Plus if mouths are full, there can be no arguing.


​Click here for recipe.

0 Comments

Why I Need Two Pans of Stuffing

11/28/2013

0 Comments

 
PictureCornbread Happiness
Because one just isn't enough. 

Prep started on Sunday with getting the knives sharpened. Then chopping on Monday.

SoCal Buddhist Cornbread made on Tuesday, specifically for stuffing.

The go-to stuffing is cornbread stuffing with dried fruits. I like sleeping in A Lot More than braving Black Friday chaos, so I have this stuffing for apres-Thanksgiving breakfast too.


Picture
This year, I'm trying a 'retro' recipe.

Bacon, green onion bread, onions, celery, mushrooms, golden raisins, apples, spinach and macadamia nuts, based on a Sam Choy recipe from the original "My Favorite Things" selfie cookbook.

Picture
This one has a smokier taste than the cornbread stuffing, mostly because of the bacon. The sweet salty balance is apple/thyme/bacon.

The other items are for color and texture, I think. My relatives, I'm quite sure, will let me know what they think of this one.

Click here for the recipe.

Happy Thanksgiving | Happy Hanukkah to all!

0 Comments

What's Cooking This Week--Not Turkey, Yet

11/25/2013

0 Comments

 
PictureSkipping meat this time.
My favorite holiday approaches and I can't wait! However, teenagers still need to be fed, so here's what's cooking for this short week.

Meatless Monday, Buy a Turkey and Start Chopping!
Yakisoba with veggies. A teeny bit of pork makes this very much richer, but it's still good sans animal. Would not recommend adding tofu in this case.

Turkey Saga, Day 1
If you haven't already done so, best to pick up a turkey today. We have been getting fresh Diestel turkeys for years now. It was recommended that we get a hen (girl) rather than a tom (boy). There is no difference in price, and I've not a clue why, but we went with what the Turkey Whisperer told us. 

While I love the citrus brine, The husband is trying out a new brine with allspice, cloves, onion, garlic, brown beer ale. I guess the relatives now know they are human guinea pigs once again.

I am also trying out a new old stuffing, based on a Sam Choy recipe. Macadamia nuts, apples, raisins and either bacon or pork sausage. Plus our more traditional cornbread stuffing. Again, the relatives will surely weigh in here too.

Tuesday
Korean chicken soup. It's getting cold for California, so we need soup and a little kim chee to keep us warm.

Wednesday
Gyros. We've been on a Mediterranean kick lately.


Happy Thanksgiving to all!

0 Comments

What's Wrong with this Picture?!

11/2/2013

0 Comments

 
PictureDecorations at Santana Row. Too early!
Holidays make me happy.

So why am I grousing about this lovely photo of a bedecked Gothic-esque structure in the bright sunlight?

Because I took this picture TODAY.  

2 days after Halloween and 52 days before Christmas.

The Jack-o-lanterns haven't even had time to get gross and squishy. Don't get me wrong, I adore Christmas, but every holiday should have its time.

Plus, Thanksgiving is food for the body and soul. No presents, fireworks, or egg-hunting.

Just time to be with our ohana and to be thankful.

Don't let Thanksgiving be reduced to the meal before Black Friday. #SaveThanksgiving




0 Comments

Un-Thanksgiving Dinners for Pre-Thanksgiving Days

11/19/2012

2 Comments

 
A couple of quick meals before the big gig on Thursday. Our Thanksgiving is pretty traditional, so in the days leading up to the big day, it will be quick stir-fry, a good spicy soup and a leftovers purge. Here's what's cooking this week and our Thanksgiving prep schedule.
MONDAY
Spicy Thai Basil Chicken with snap peas, orange peppers and jasmine rice. Ad-hoc stir-fry
Picture
THANKSGIVING PREP
1) Shopping: Pick up turkey, onions, celery, green onion bread, fresh cranberries, dried cranberries and pecans.

2) Inventory salt, spices, chicken stock, corn syrup, corn meal, flour and Bisquick. 

3) Prep Homemade Pork Sausage instead of Jimmy Dean this year for Cornbread Stuffing

4) Cube green onion bread for Portuguese Sausage Stuffing so that it dries out by Wednesday.
TUESDAY
Korean Chicken Soup with Kim Chee
Picture
   
1) Check on turkey. Make sure it's well-chilled.

2) Chop and store onions, celery and shrooms for stuffing and gravy. 

3) Shopping: Pick up avocadoes, cilantro, jalapenos, red onions, mushrooms (white, crimini, and shiitake), cheese, creme fraiche, vermouth and munchies.

4) Make cornbread. Cube and let it dry out overnight.

5) Don't panic yet.
WEDNESDAY
Leftovers to clear out space in the fridge.
Stay tuned to see how far behind we might be on Wednesday. 

Eat Well. Be Well.
1) Brine turkey. We use a hefty bag.

2) Make stuffing 1 and stuffing 2, mushroom/onion gravy, cranberry sauce and pie crust

3) Clean house. Scratch that. Holler at the teenagers to clean the house (and the toilets).

4) Make a last-minute stop at the grocery store, with the full expectation that I'll have to go again on Thursday.
2 Comments

Portuguese Sausage Poppers: More Ideas for Thanksgiving

11/15/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Portuguese Sausage Poppers
I'm still meandering through the West Kauai Plantation Heritage Cookbook and besides yesterday's dog soup, found a ridiculously simple recipe for little puffs of biscuits. 

Five ingredients: Portuguese sausage, cheddar cheese, parsley, Biquick and non-fat milk.

It's so foolproof that even I have made it successfully without supervision from baker Husband. Two batches over the weekend, sending one with the kids on their sleepovers and the other as my personal contribution to a dinner party, where the hostess told me to hurry up and post the recipe.

Making it next week as an appetizer for Thanksgiving and if there are any leftovers, they will play nicely with eggs for breakfast. 

Click here for the recipe. Start to finish is about 40 minutes, even faster if the sausage cools quickly.

Eat Well. Be Well.

0 Comments

Kabocha: A New Idea for Thanksgiving

11/9/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture
If Matisse cut kabocha...
This is a good snack-ey way to eat kabocha. It is similar to roasted sweet potatoes but it not as starchy.

Seed and cut the kabocha so they look like cantaloupe. Best to have a very sharp chef's knife and a lot of leverage. Cutting is definitely the most hazardous part. 

Because I'm short, I did it on the floor so I could get more leverage. If you have a household pet, it's best to keep Muffin or Spot out of harm's way when you start cutting on the floor.

Picture
The end product can be finger food or a side dish. We've even eaten the leftovers cold from the fridge, but they taste best when they are warm with a little bit of the sticky-crispy-chewy-sweet-shoyu caramelized sheen to them.

And remember, green skin on is best. Because my mom says so, it tastes good, and I'm thinking it's physically impossible to skin a kabocha anyway.

Click here for the recipe. And while we will definitely have my Aunty's famous candied yams at Thanksgiving, roasted kabocha would be a good complement.

Eat Well. Be Well. 

2 Comments

Leftovers Rule! Turkey Shepherd's Pie

12/1/2011

0 Comments

 
Shepherd's Pie is ideal for leftovers roulette, and when you use the Thanksgiving leftovers instead of the more traditional ground beef or lamb and canned peas and carrots, it's that much better. I found a skeleton recipe from PGEW (Poor Girl Eats Well) for our post-Thanksgiving Shepherd's Pie. This is a knock-it-together kind of dinner, so here's what I used:

1 onion, chopped
The rest of the leftover baby carrots (about half a bag), chopped
4 stalks of celery, also chopped
1/2 carton of leftover chicken broth (vegetable would work also)
A few handfuls of eftover turkey, chopped
About 1 cup of the leftover Make-ahead Mushroom (+ Onion) Gravy
Thyme
Marjoram
Poultry seasoning
The rest of the mashed potatoes, maybe 3 potatoes worth
Milk
Grated sharp cheddar cheese
Chop vegetables and turkey so that they are all approximately the same size. Toss the onions into a large pan with the rest of the chicken broth and cook over medium heat. Add carrots and celery. Add chopped turkey, thyme, marjoram and poultry seasoning to taste. Toss in the rest of the gravy and stir. Let the mixture reduce slightly, but it shouldn't be dry. Pour into a 9 x 13 pan. 

I then microwaved the mashed potatoes. Add milk to re-hydrate. NOTE: This may not be necessary, but our mashies got a little overcooked the first time, so some help was needed. Toss in a little bit of grated cheese.

Spread mashed potatoes over the turkey/vegetable mix. Lightly sprinkle grated cheese over the potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly and the edges are turning brown.

Turned out well, emptied out 3 Tupperwares, and the kids had seconds and requested it for lunch the next day, so this is a good sign.

Eat Well. Be Well.
0 Comments

What's Cooking This Week--Thanksgiving Reviewed and Recycled

11/28/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
Turkey plate #1
Controlling the leftovers is one of the benefits of hosting Thanksgiving. This week is all about creative and tried-and-true ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers.

First of all, my relatives want to know what the no-leftover Thanksgiving winners were (not that we're competing or anything). So here it is: honey-walnut prawns, sashimi, spam musubi, inari sushi, steamed green beans, pumpkin mini-muffins, sauteed American peas and Chinese chicken salad.

Most requested take-home leftovers: salted version of Thanksgiving turkey, sweet potatoes, pecan pie and full-cream pumpkin pie.

And lucky us, now we have a fridge full of Tupperware leftovers. Leftovers roulette is one of my favorite activities and it's even better with Thanksgiving leftovers. Along with plain old turkey sandwiches, here's what's cooking this week.

Sunday
My Daddy's Fried Rice using the leftover ham, carrots, onions and the spare green beans we had 'just in case' Husband also made pear sour cream coffee cake to take advantage of in-season pears.

Monday
Mom is requesting (Aunty) Marie Callender's. They don't have these in Hawaii.

Tuesday
I'm going to attempt a turkey shepherd's pie, with onions, mushrooms, celery and the rest of the mashed potatoes. I may even throw in the rest of the gravy and some stuffing.

Wednesday
Leftover ham, cranberry sauce, green salad and sweet potato fluff. Simple and satisfying.

Thursday
Teddy Bear Turkey Soup with more turkey and the last of the carrots, celery and onions.

Friday
BBQ Turkey Pizza

What were your Thanksgiving winners?  Eat Well. Be Well.
0 Comments

Giving Thanks | Thanks for Giving

11/24/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
Thanks for giving.In the midst of all of our own Thanksgiving preparations, thank you for all who have contributed. Our 'little' virtual Food Drive is now up to $640. 

Watch for matching funds to be added over the weekend.

This has been a particularly busy week: a heavy consulting schedule, visiting relatives, Thanksgiving food shopping and the usual "getting stuff done" The progress of Feeding My Ohana Virtual Food Drive has been the most deeply satisfying item the past few weeks.

Mahalo. Your generosity is humbling. In the midst of everything going on in our lives (see below), you took the time to support programs to feed the hungry. This is what Feeding My Ohana is all about. (see right).
Picture
Chopping completed. Cornbread baked. All the 'stuffs' for stuffing and gravy.
Eat Well. Be Well. Happy Thanksgiving.
0 Comments
<<Previous

    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 Oahu
    Eating Rhode Island
    Eating San Francisco
    Eating San Jose
    Eating Santa Barbara
    Eating Vancouver
    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 San Jose
    Touring Tennessee
    Traditions
    Turkey
    Weekly Menu
    Weekly Menu
    What Not To Eat
    Whipped Cream

    archives

    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.