Lilikoi Butter

This Christmas I made Lilikoi Butter for Christmas gifts.

We had a vine take over a Mac Nut tree on our upper lot.

You could see it just below the Bamboo Grove but getting to it was quite a feat.

It took some men with big knives to hack a path for me to get to it.

And then, as luck would have it, the pigs beat me to all the ripe ones.

So I made a Facebook plea.

My friend, Cory, came to the rescue- boy, did she ever have a bounty!

I filled a big bag and STILL she had an overload left.

My mentor from Church, Merry Ann (born on Christmas), helped me make the butter.

It is sooooo delicious!

Labor of Love Minestrone...

Here you go, True! This one's for you!

Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 lb ripe plum tomatoes, chopped into chunks
2 zucchini, chopped into cubes
2 yellow squash, chopped into cubes
3 new potatoes, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5 cups chicken stock
4 tbsp shredded fresh Basil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt & freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
Once you start having contractions, go to the farmer's market (or nearest equivalent) and begin shopping for the freshest yummiest looking veggis. Go home and chop, chop, chop- stay on your feet!
Throw everything into your crockpot, except for the Parmesan cheese.
Leave the Parmesan in the fridge until you come home.
Set your crock pot to lowest setting.
Go to the hospital.
Give birth to beautiful child.
Return home and enjoy your hearty soup with the grated Parmesan on top & some crusty French bread to sponge up every last drop.
Then sleep, sleep, sleep... every two hours ;)

The most heavenly pumpkin bread of all time...

One of my Art College Mentors used to bring her wonderful pumpkin bread mini loaves to the Westmont Art Center in the Fall and it would be such a lovely breakfast- I have carried on the tradition of making this bread every 1st of October (along with my old college roommate Julia). This recipe creates an army supply that usually lasts most of the month with plenty to spare. perfect paired with hot chai tea on a crisp Autumn morning.

Priscilla Fossek's Pumpkin Bread

6 cups cooked pumpkin, mashed
9 cups sugar (evaporated cane juice is healthier... we think)
3 cups oil
12 eggs
9 teaspoons cinnamon
5 teaspoons nutmeg
2 cups water
11 cups flour
6 teaspoons baking soda
4.5 teaspoons salt

here is where I personally alter the original recipe... the original calls for
3 cups chopped nuts
but I prefer
2 cups dried cherries
1 cups chopped up dark Dove chocolates

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
In a large bowl mix sugar, oil, eggs, water, and pumpkin. Gradually add dry ingredients to this mixture.
Add nuts and 1 cup of raisins (notice she didn't list those raisins in the ingredients... afterthougt?)
Or ignore Priscilla & make it a Star special by adding CHERRIES & CHOCOLATE!
Bake in an assortment of cake and bread pans at 350 degrees until toothepick comes out clean.
The times will vary depending on the size of the pan.

Yeah & if that doesn't drive you nuts, I have personally averaged For mini bread loaves to be around 25-30 minutes. Mini muffins are more like 15-18 minutes.

Happy Baking!

PS if there was another recipe you wanted leave a comment and ask me cuz I forgot what other recipes you asked for- sorry!

Eating from the Land

Turnips, watermelon radishes, sno peas, tomatoes & green bean stir fry from our kitchen garden.
Fish fresh from the sea.
These are the things that make our lads big and strong!

(have you ever seen a 4 yr old with muscles liek these?)

Garden in Bloom

I am loving all these flowers!

Gotta go pick coconuts

Matt needs coconuts for his lobster trap. Odd really, but evidently lobsters love coconuts.

We're going to use coconuts to lure them into the old bird cage turned lobster trap that Matt has constructed. I forgot to get a picture of it but hopefully I will remember tonight (and hopefully there will be lobsters in it as well!)

One can only hope- season ends tomorrow so if they don't catch any, no lobster for months!

Journey & his Breakfasts

Journey is a unique specimen of Boy.

His early morning cravings are very specific and the most unusual I have ever encountered.

He always knows precisely what it is he wants and there is never a rhyme or reason to it.

Here you see him on Thursday morning eating hummus and vegetables, kalamata olives, & feta cheese... one of my favorites for sure but I was almost certain this was "girl food" and couldn't believe that in the early morning, he should request this.

On Friday morning he was rummaging through the pantry and came out with a can of Chef-Boy-ar-dee. Never having had this before, he was all the same, quite sure that nothing else would suffice.

Saturday morning he refused waffles, cereal, and toast with jam... instead demanding pizza.

Sunday morning he asked for cookies and milk - the most unhealthy request he has yet made & more surprisingly his father gave it to him without question.

This morning he wanted bbq sesame fish & a slice of lemon/blueberry coffee cake.

I am almost scared to see what he'll ask for tomorrow.

My lovely boys working in our garden!

When I am in my kitchen...

I have this great view from my kitchen window:

My view from the kitchen window

Isn't it the best view anyone could ask for?

First Fruits

What's that on your face, kid? ...only the first fruits from our new veggi garden! Everyone loves eating fresh stuff from the backyard- even the pickiest kids.

If you have them pick it: they WILL eat it.

(I mean admit the logic- it is the only way boogies could possibly have appeal)

We made soft tacos with our very own...

LETTUCE!!!

Granted, it really was too young to be picking, but...

Fresh Baby greens just sounded so good!

A New Dragonfruit

I was at the Farmer's Market on Saturday and I discovered a new fruit I had never seen before.

It is a Yellow Dragonfruit but the skin is really different from usual Dragonfruit. It is thick and kind of lke a cherimoya but more succulent. It's weird!

He claimed it was better and sweeter than the othe kind & since the other kind is my FAVORITE, I decided I had to try it.

I still like the fushia Dragonfruit better - this kind made me kids act funny.

(yeah, I am blaming the fruit!)

The Coffee Lover's Dream come true- a son who makes coffee!

First, the eco-friendly family that we are, he knows that it would be truly sinful to discard such valuable nutrients as linger in the filter tray from yesterday's brew. So he very dutifully trudges out into the garden to empty yesterday's grinds into the compost pile.
Shaking out every last speck, he returns to the kitchen via the backdoor.

Empites out any lingering drips from yesterday's coffee into the kitchen sink.

Rinses the coffee pot.

Re-fills the coffee pot.

Scoots the stool from the kitchen sink...

into position in front of the coffee maker. Shortness is no obstacle for this little barista! He's a man with a plan!

He pours the water into the chamber of the coffee maker.

Tries very carefully not to spill it.

Replaces the chamber lid.

Very proud to be brewing for mommy, only the very best 100% Kona Peaberry!

He pours the beans into the coffee grinder.

OOps! A spill! No matter- he has it covered! This boy even cleans up after himself (all men take note!)

It is fun to help the grinder out with his own personal sound effects.

He excitedly declares "It's ready mommy!"

Gets out a filter from the drawer.

Puts the filter in the tray- this kid knows what he's doing!

Dash of cinnamon- that's my boy! (I learned this tasty trick from my friend Dina D-Argo)

He puts the tray in place.

And his absolute, FAVORITE part is switching on the button!

"Now we have to wait Mommy" he instructs me.

Even though we know water won't boil if you watch it- he can't resist attentively eyeing each drip of the perkolat'n machine.

"It smells good Mommy!"

I'm the luckiest Mommy on the planet!

Now... I'm thinking its about time we teach him to scrub the toilets ;)