Chocolate: there’s good news and bad news

6 02 2023

First the bad news. Did you know that chocolate is bad for dogs? I had heard that, but I didn’t realize how bad! One recent morning we got up to find an empty wrapper from a chocolate bar on the coffee table. We had eaten 3 ozs. of it for dessert the night before. “7 ounces” was printed on the wrapper, so I calculated that 4 ozs. was gone. And, our dog JJ was still in bed looking lethargic. JJ had injested the 70% dark chocolate candy!

I immediately phoned our VCA Animal Hospital, that wasn’t opened yet, and was referred to Poison Control that charged $95 to answer the phone. After answering some questions, I was given a case number to present to the vet, 25 minutes away, when I got there. All of this was done in the car while Pete drove to save time during the 7:30 a.m. rush hour traffic.

Long story short, JJ could have died if he wasn’t attended to quickly. As it was, he had a seizure. The vet induced vomiting seven times, and all the chocolate came out. They gave the dog an I.V., and JJ was under observation at the vet for the whole day. Pete brought JJ home with Rx and special food, and thankfully our beloved dog is back to his jaunty self. Whew!


And now for the good news! Hallmark has adapted my niece Lizzie Shane’s novel “Sweeter Than Chocolate” for a movie that will air again this Thursday and Saturday. Her parents came from Alaska to Hawai’i to view it last Saturday with other family members on her Uncle Karl’s large screen TV. So much fun! Lizzie even sent some samples!

Until next time, be well.

~Rebekah


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Farm Fair at Kualoa Ranch

9 07 2022


The Hawaii State Farm Fair down the highway at Kualoa Ranch goes on for one more day on Sunday. We ran out of energy earlier than in previous years, but not before scouring the plant booth for herbs, and the produce booth for bananas, tomatoes, and a pineapple.

We stood in a long line for fresh lemonade in a quart size Mason jar. We made the rounds in the agriculture exhibit tent. And we admired the 4-H farm animals.

Our grandkids are off island this summer, so we skipped the kiddie rides and the ponies. Finally, we headed home before any appetite lured us to the plate lunch line; tacos seemed popular.

If you are on Oahu, you might consider taking in this rural experience.

Be well.

~Rebekah


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Categories : Food, Hawaiian, Travel

Punahou class reunion sweetness

14 06 2022

The Class of ’67 gathered for its 55th reunion this past weekend from Thursday through Sunday. Scheduled events included informational talks, a dinner for ourselves plus one guest each, the Alumni Luau for all alumni under a huge tent on Middle Field, and a potluck picnic at the beach at Bellows AFB. My contribution to the potluck was several home-baked mountain apple pies, my specialty.

My family was disappointed, thinking that there was no pie at home to enjoy. I surprised him with two pies that I baked this morning to freeze and enjoy later. That’s done!

Be well.

~Rebekah


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Categories : About me, Food, Friends & Family

Morning gather

27 04 2022

I can’t help it. Every morning for years I have gathered kou flowers, and when the calamansi is bearing I pick those, too. I string the flowers into lei, and I make marmalade from the citrus. Today’s lei is for a friend who is leaving the Islands to work in Arizona. His last concert for a while that he will conduct here—the University of Hawaii Nā Wai Chamber Choir—is tonight. I will put up a couple jars of marmalade for later gift giving.

Be well. Your friend,

Rebekah


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Who doesn’t tire of flowers?

12 04 2022

 

Kou
Lilikoʻi

I am lucky. Brilliant orange and purple blossoms from our kou tree and passion fruit lilikoʻi vine greet me every morning with the promise of flower lei for dearest friends, and fruit to eat and juice. The lei will dry nicely to a burnt orange and resemble  paper, lasting a while. I will use the lilikoʻi juice in dessert and beverage recipes.

Gratefully yours,

Rebekah


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Categories : About me, Food, Hawaiian

Stepping out again

18 02 2022

With pandemic numbers decreasing, I ventured out of my bubble yesterday to socialize by attending two in-person gatherings —a belated birthday lunch with my friends Lori and Yo, and a meeting of the Koʻolauloa Hawaiian Civic Club.
Lori, a foodie and of a former restaurant conglomerate, knows the chef at Artizen and treated Yo and me with gift cards she wanted to use. I first met Lori at a Reiki workshop long ago where, I think, she took on the role of sous chef for the meals. I honestly don’t recall how I met Yo, perhaps through Lori, but we both spent our childhood in Wahiawa.

Me, Lori, and Yo

 

In the evening I attended the Koʻolauloa Hawaiian Civic Club dinner meeting. It was very interesting with several guest speakers informing via Zoom on a large video screen.

Guest speaker on Zoom

Approximately a dozen club members were very polite, donning face masks except when eating and sitting five- or six-feet apart, although I am pretty sure we were all vaccinated. For a special treat, Jolene and Haleaha taught us how to fashion roses out of ti leaves.

Ti leaf rose

 

 

Some members of the Koʻolauloa Hawaiian Civic Club who braved an in-person meeting and removed their face masks only for this image. I am not in the picture because I’m the photographer.


Someone doled out thoughtful parting gifts of COVID-19 Antigen Home Tests and hand sanitizer. I love my Hawaiian civic club.

Be well. Love,

Rebekah


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ʻInamona my way

15 09 2021

The Pukui-Elbert Hawaiian dictionary defines ʻinamona as “n., Relish made of the cooked kernel of candlenut (kukui) mashed with salt (perhaps a contraction of ʻīnaʻi momona, sweet garnish).“

I read several recipes and how-to’s before coming up with my method. The process is tedious and no wonder that it is expensive to buy, if you can find it, and why Islanders revere it at luaus and pāʻina.

Fast forward from gathering the fruit that has fallen from the tree to the ground, tossing out bad ones in a float test, peeling off two layers of tough skin, and drying the nuts with their hard shells still on. This step takes days in a dehydrator; I used my closed conventional oven with only the oven light on.

When after many days the kukui nuts looked brittle, I cracked them open one at a time using small tongs to hold the nut and a hammer. Practice makes perfect. Ha!

Next is digging out the nut meat with a paring knife carefully so as not to injure. Tedious, but I wanted every last bit. The yield went into a large mixing bowl, and I chopped it all up with an ulu knife.

Chopping up raw nut meat. You could also pulse  in a food processor.

I roasted the ’inamona-to-be in a wide frying pan on top of the range on medium-low until golden. Stir constantly to avoid burning, while picking out any remaining pieces of hard shell.

Use a wide frying pan
Stir constantly to avoid burning
Look for this golden color

Turn out into another container to cool. When cooled, add salt a little at a time to taste, then store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Voila, ʻinamona! There is a Hawaiian food condiment. Just an IMPORTANT WORD OF CAUTION: ʻInamona is a laxative, so eat it sparingly!

Be well.

~ Rebekah


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