Making do with Scraps

When I was teaching high school at Waiakea, my gifted and talented students read The Color Purple in tandem with the novel, The Scarlet Letter.  The class which was wholly female came up with some amazing insights and discussion.  The comment I remember most is when one of the girls said, "In both books, the female protagonists made beautiful things out of scraps."  Indeed, what a revelation.

In our lives, we throw away too much.  I am guilty of throwing away scrap fabric when I could be saving it to make patchwork quilts or such.  "I just don't have time for that kind of stuff," I rationalize to myself.

This past weekend, we made laulaus which are pieces of meat wrapped in taro leaves and then steamed.  When we cut the beef and the pork, we deboned the meat and cut it into chunks for the laulaus.  I kept the bones and the next day, I prepared a soup for the workers.  I added onions, carrots, potatoes, pasta, seasoning, and a large can of spaghetti sauce.  The soup served the workers and the leftovers have been the basis for five meals so far.

The bones were given to the dogs to enjoy which they relished.

One of my hula sisters commented on how she remembered her popo (Chinese grandmother) would make such a soup for the family using bones as the basis for the broth.  Making use of our resources.  Cooks know that using soup bones are the best for a flavorful stock.  If there is bone marrow which is not sucked up by a knowing eater, it adds to the creaminess of the soup.

Poverty Soup

Beef, pork, chicken, or turkey bones with some meat left on the bones
1 round onion
2-3 stalks of celery.  Use the leaves also.
2-3 carrots
2-3 potatoes
1/2 c uncooked pasta like macaroni
1 can spaghetti sauce
1-2 bay leaves
Seasoning - salt, coarse black pepper, Worcestershire sauce.  Red pepper flakes are optional for a little zing.

Braise the bones with the onion and celery.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the onion is translucent.
Add enough water to cover the bones.  Simmer until the meat falls off the bones - 2-3 hours.
Remove the bones and skim the fat off of the soup.
Add in the spaghetti sauce and bay leaves.  Simmer for half an hour and then add in the carrots, potatoes and macaroni.
Correct the seasoning and add 2-3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce.

You can enrich the soup by adding leftovers in the refrigerator such as vegetables, etc.

Enjoy the good life and create something wonderful with scraps.

Welcoming Kids into Your Family

     Just finished reading the novel, Secret Daughter, by Shilpi Somaya Gowda.  The story takes place in India and the United States and centers on two mothers...a birth mother and an adoptive mother.  Both mothers seem saddened by the birth of a beautiful daughter.  The Indian mother regretted having to give her daughter up for adoption to insure that her daughter would live.  The American mother is saddled by her inability to have children and the many failed pregnancies.

     As a mom of two adopted kids from Korea, I can say that we have been made rich by the experience.  Our kids, a brother and sister, came to us as older kids, aged 10 and 6.  They persevered in a land where the language was new and made their way.  Our house was filled with activity and energy.  Swimming, soccer, camping, picnics, household chores, Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts, cooking for a large family...all sources of stress, positive stress.

     When I told my mom that we were going to adopt these kids, she scolded me for paying big money for "throwaway children."  Yes, the amount we paid could have bought an economy compact car in those days but what a wealth of happiness we have gained through the years.  Rather than investing in material things, pets, or transient pleasures, we invested in human lives.  Our kids are now adults and making their way in the world.  How much more happy can parents be? 

   

Work is Good, Play is Evil?

     Retirement provides people with action choices on how to best use their time.  For some, the choices may include travel, more time to engage in athletic or recreational activities, opportunity to learn new things or develop more skills.

     But what about the person who only knows work as a way to spend the day?  What if satisfaction is gained from seeing a yard mowed, completing a task, or planning for new work assignment?  How does this person handle the retirement years especially when health and an aging body complicate matters?  Sitting in front of the TV for hours on end is not the answer.  And one can only take so many naps during the day. 

     The answer is to FIGHT to develop a more balanced lifestyle.  No longer should physical activity or athletic pursuits be considered a luxury.  Rather, new physical and mental pursuits should be considered as a prescription for a healthy life.  My older sister was one of those really smart people who got involved with computers in the early 60s.  She was a physicist and worked with an aeronautic firm and did some projects for NASA.  Upon her retirement, she continued her sedentary life and her only exercise was playing video games.  In her later years, she became wheelchair bound.  For a smart person, she was not very wise about taking care of her health.

     Keeping busy is another way to keep engaged with life.  Mental stimulation is important.  Reading, writing, doing problem solving activities also help.  It is amazing how letter writing can be a way to reach out to others.  Getting your thoughts down on paper can help to clarify what you REALLY want to say.  Keeping a prayer journal can help to articulate current situations and define what is of value.  Reading a prayer journal later will demonstrate how prayers can be answered and problems resolved.  Recording honest feelings on paper can help to stop the circular stream of consciousness which can torment us when we are troubled.  Write anything and everything until your mind is empty.  Then go back and survey the scope of what was written.  You will be surprised by what you learn about what you were thinking, whether consciously  or unconsciously.

     Another way of keeping engaged is to associate with people.  Choose whom you will associate with wisely.  Don't linger with people who are Drama Kings or Queens, nor people who are Emotional Vampires.  There is a limit to how much one can help others.  If some people continue to sap emotional energy, it is time to move on.  Look for people who resonate with a positive outlook on life.  They don't have to have the same interests.  In fact, it is fun to associate with people who are so different as it shakes one's thinking and perception.  Look for people who are action oriented.  Talk is cheap but if nothing gets done, talk becomes unnecessary noise.

      Don't be afraid to do something different and out of the ordinary.  Listen to music that your grandchildren love.  Eat food that you have never eaten before.  Talk to a stranger.  Go to a parade.  Read a book on a subject that you want to learn about.  Don't be afraid of making a fool of yourself.  The experience might give you some good laughs.  Whatever you choose to do, go all out.  No half-way, weak attempts.  One hundred percent commitment that the new experience will teach you something valuable.

     Finally, take time to count your blessings.  Rather than focusing on what you don't have, can't do, or missed out on, be grateful for the little and major things that you have, have experienced, and can look forward to in the future.  Gratitude will help to put your life into perspective.

Picky Palate Choices

An unusual thing happened after I had a knee replacement surgery. I noticed that my palate really changed. I was more sensitive to salt and seasonings. I found that things I loved before became unlovable. While I might have yearned to eat something delicious, when I did eat it, I found that the taste experience did not meet my mental sensations.


Thus, I found that there are a few things that are worthy of eating if you have a picky palate.
* Miyo's Restaurant - Waiakea Village - Sashimi with salad greens and a great Oriental dressing. The salad is a feast for the eyes as well as the mouth. The sashimi is fresh and delicious

* Sombat's Restaurant - Keonelehua Highway - Lunch Special Salad $7. The plate is heaped with fresh vegetables. This is also a salad that is a feast for the eyes. The peanut butter dressing
is a good complement to the greens

* Sack N Save, or Foodland Deli - Fried chicken wings $1.29 each. Crispy and crunchy delights.

* Kalbi Express - Waiakea Kai Shopping Center's Food Court - Bibim Pap. A huge plate with a layer of rice topped with various vegetables, barbeque meat, and a fried egg. Ask for the kochujang
sauce to mix in. Usually, the sauce is placed in and everything is mixed up and eaten with a large spoon. The plate is large and can easily feed two people.

* Seoul Station - Across from the Edith Kanakaole Stadium - Spicy rice cakes. Mochi like tubes are cooked in a spicy red pepper sauce with thin fishcake wafers. It is a side dish
but really yummy. It is spicy, hot, and yummy.

* Cafe Pesto - Kamehameha Avenue - Salmon Pizette. Salmon, cheese on a pizza crust. Nice, simple, and delicious. Great with a cold beer.

* Lava Rock Cafe - Volcano - The quarter pounder cheese burger with a green salad. The lilikoi salad dressing is just the perfect complement. If you order the Big O burger, hope that you
have a huge appetite!!

* Lucy's Taqueria - Keawe Street - Consider ordering the keiki/kupuna menu items which include a small drink and range between $5-$9. The portions are huge so the keiki/kupuna items are
just right for the small eater. You have to order at the counter and when done eating, bus your own table.


Things I have learned. If it is not tasty, don't feel compelled to eat it all. Check around to see what other people are eating before making a selection. Read the whole menu before deciding
on the tidbit you are going to eat. It's not quantity but the quality of the food that matters.

Bon Appetit!

Chicken wing lovers gnaw

      After my knee replacement surgery, I did not want to eat.  Now this is very unusual for me.  In the first place, I could not stand up long enough to prep the food and cook it.  My husband, dear that he is, is not a cook.  So, I languished around feeling yucky until the thought of chicken wings came into my head.

     Yes, chicken wings...deepfried so that the tips are totally crunchable.  I asked my husband to bring home two chicken wings from SackNSave supermarket.  Cost $1.19 each for less than an ounce of meat but crunchy and delicious nonetheless.

    I couldn't get the thought of chicken wings out of my mind.  I again asked my husband to bring home chicken wings.  This time, he went to Verna's Drive Inn and got me a chicken wing plate lunch with two scoops of rice, macaroni salad, and six pieces of chicken wings.  Not sure of the price but must have been at least $5-$6.  The rice and mac salad were not really necessary.  The wings while nicely seasoned lacked the crunchiness of  the SackNSave version.  Made the plate lunch last three meals.

     Finally got chicken wings out of my mind when I purchased six chicken wings from the Foodland Supermarket in Kea'au.  I admit the gorged on four wings on the first day and then rationed out the last two over two days.  While it was good, it was not as crunchy as the SackNSave variety.  The good thing is that I am not yearning for chicken wings any more.  Got it out of my system by eating my fill of those delectable tidbits.

      Now I am thinking about the hearty beef noodle soup from Sky Garden Restaurant at the 'Imiloa Center.  Wonder if they are open for lunch every day.  This is what happens when one has too much time on his or her hands!! 

Bean Soup Elevated

I think that I make a wicked bean soup with Portuguese sausage. I learned yesterday that the soup is called posole in Portuguese. I even sell bean soup bags with my recipe. It is ironic how my friends and family keep buying me bean soup mixes to "broaden my approach" to soup making. Well, last night, I broke down and opened one of those commercial bean soup mixes. Since I did not have the optional ham hocks suggested, I found smoked meat, cut it into bite sized pieces and put it into the soup. I let the beans simmer merrily for an hour and found that the soup was bland even with the seasoning that was included in the mix. So, I put some glugs of Worcestershire sauce and sprinkled red pepper flakes. Let the mixture simmer merrily for an hour. Tasted it...something is missing. Sprinkled in some Hawaiian salt to taste. Ahhhh...good. The beans were not mushy but just the right texture. The smoked meat was tender. The gravy was great with a slight kick at the end...just a gentle kick. We had the soup with some homemade whole wheat bread. Now if we had some rice, the meal would be akin to the Louisiana favorite of red beans and rice. Still the queen of bean soups!!

Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language

Although I am Chinese, I have very few words in my vocabulary from my childhood. Ah Po (grandmother), Ah Kung (grandfather), and Paisan (annual memorial service) are pretty much all I remember. We can then add in the names of Chinese foods, and words we have learned from the Chinese Kung Fu movies made in Hong Kong and I think that perhaps I have about 100 words. It was therefore very interesting to read Deborah Fallow's book, Dreaming in Chinese. She shares her experiences as an American living in China (Shanghai) and she learns the language, learns the culture, and lives the Chinese lifestyle. The neatest story is about the word shi pronounced "sure." A Chinese scholar, Chao Yuen Ren, designed an early version of Romanized Chinese. He wrote a story about a lion-eating poet using 92 characters which are pronounced in the same way shi. The poet named SHI loves to eat lions (shi shi) and goes to the market (shi) to buy ten (shi) of them. He takes them home to eat (shi) but discovers that they are made (shi) of stone (shi). Ahhhhhh....clever indeed. Get the book with a copy of the story on page 42 with the 92 Chinese characters all pronounced shi. I agree that when you live in a country and learn the language, insights into the culture become so clear. What to say, when to say, how to say, and what never to say...become communication markers. This is an interesting book. I wish that it was an audio book so that I could hear the Chinese words sounded out with the various intonations and especially, I want to hear the story about the Lion Eating Poet.