Hula-versary
This is a special post. Hey I know its been a while since the last post but today is special. On this Second Sunday of January, 2019 my cupkeiki celebrates 3 years of dancing traditional hula with our amazing and wonderful halau here in Fort Collins.
The first class we attended, back in 2016, was a truly cold day and she was 4ish. We didn’t have a pa’u (skirt) we didn’t know what to expect. We showed up and the kumu from Boulder who was with her two keiki let us borrow one of hers. After that day, we were committed. And here we are three years later. I love watching my kolohe girl dance. I love how she loves hula. I love the effort she puts in and the community we have found through this. Sunday’s are one of our most look forward to days.
So in honor of her hard work and dedication, for this art she truly loves I’d like to share a few photos from the last three years in the studio.
Hau’oli la ho‘omana‘o keiki. Mai iloko mai.
(Happy anniversary child. That which is within matters.)
Aloha.
Creamy Beef with Lasagna Noodles
My kolohe girl calls this “A Pan of Delicious” so kid tested and approved! Using lasagna noodles somehow elevates the whole dish into something kid dreams are made of.
If you’re curious how this could be modified to a vegan friendly meal, at the end of this post I’ve made my tried and true suggestions!
Serves 3-4 people
Ingredients:
8-9 Lasagna Noodles, cooked al dente
1lb. ground beef*
1/2 yellow onion, diced small
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. Your Favorite Italian Seasoning
2 Heaping tablespoons all purpose flour
2 Cups Beef Stock ( I used 2 Cups water and 1 heaping Tbs Beef Base mixed together) **
1 15oz can Tomato Sauce
3/4C. Heavy Cream ***
6 Ounces Cheddar Cheese, shredded ****
1 Tablespoon Olive or Canola oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
1.In a large pot of oiled and salted water cook pasta to al dente (about 9 minutes), drain well, cut into strips
2. In a large hot skillet, add oil and onion and cook until onion is soft. Add beef and cook until done. Drain grease, lower temperature to medium and add garlic, Italian Seasoning and Flour to beef and mix until golden in color. Slowly add beef broth, mixing well so there are no clumps in the mixture, then add the tomato sauce and cheese. Mix until cheese is completely melted. Don’t worry if the cheese starts to separate a little due to the acid of the tomato sauce. Once cheese is fully incorporated, add cream and salt and pepper to taste. Lastly, add your lasagna noodles to the whole thing and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Then serve. This could be served with a crusty bread to sop up the sauce once all the noodles are gone. You could also add Parmesan to the top or parsley or both! I cut the noodles into strips from one curly side to the other and not the length of the noodle.
If you want to make this Vegan, it would be very simple and seeing how I almost daily cook a vegan and non vegan meal let me share with you how I would do this.
Referring to the asterisks in the ingredients, make these modifications:
*Use 1 C or 2C depending on how “Beefy” you’d like it, of Beyond Meat Meat Crumbles (I really like this brand in particular and can’t really vouch for others)
**Beef Stock to be replaced with the Seasoned Vegetable Base from Better than Bullion, I love this because it has tomato in it which gives a richer and more robust flavor
***Heavy Cream to be replaced with 1C Cashew Cream-from cashews not cashew milk!
Cashew Cream can be made by soaking 1C unsalted cashews in 2C water for 8 hours, draining and rinsing then blending with an immersion blender in a glass measuring cup with 1/2C water and a pinch of salt. Blend in cup until very smooth and creamy, scrape down sides of cup to make sure everything is well mixed.
****Cheddar Cheese to be replaced with Daiya Brand Cheddar Style Shreds
Chocolate Haupia Bars
My first known encounter with a Ted’s Bakery Pie was on my first visit to Hawaii. It was brought home as a leftover dessert from a meeting my hanai mom Kay (I’ve mentioned her before) had. It was heavenly. Truly it was. My last memory of Ted’s was when I was hapai (pregnant) and all I wanted was chocolate haupia pie. It was a sort of cloudy day, I was on lunch break, my SO came and met me for lunch as we sat on the beach and I proceeded to devour a pie. Again, heavenly. Guilt free. I’m pretty sure my kolohe girl was enjoying it too, how could she not have been?
Ok, so over the last 6 years living back here in Colorado, I’ve had chocolate haupia pie twice. Both times coming from Windsor’s best restaurant, Okole Maluna. For anyone who doesn’t know that term, it mean Bottoms Up.
For our halau’s hula-ween party I decided I’d had enough not having chocolate haupia pie in my life more frequently. I set out to bring haupia to Fort Collins and to this party. Determination however also led to the realization that I had to be able to serve a dessert that could sit out for a few hours without getting “soggy”.
I decided first to be cut was the whipped cream on top, so if you do make this recipe and you’re wondering why it isn’t included in the recipe list, that’s why, and you should totally add it to your bars, as long as they are not going to be sitting out for very long.
Ok, second, this isn’t pie. There is no pie crust in this recipe. Because I decided against the soggy bottom problem that could arise. In place of a pie crust is shortbread. It’s delicious this way.
So lets get down to the nitty gritty. The point at which you learn how to get your chocolate haupia fix in a slightly stiffer bar form. This is going to be broken up into roughly three parts, because first you have to make the shortbread, let it cool and then make the layers of pudding. It’s all worth is and it isn’t as time consuming as one might think.
Ingredients:
Shortbread:
1/2 C. granulated sugar
1C. Butter
2.5C. All Purpose Flour
2 Tbs. Milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9×13 pan with parchement paper * I highly recommend this so that after everything is assembled it can be easily removed from the pan and cut*
In a medium bowl cream sugar and butter, add the flour and mix, stir in the milk mix until mixture look like crumbs. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake approx. 20 minutes or until golden. Remove pan from oven and allow to cool.
For the Pudding Layers:
Chocolate Layer:
1 Can Coconut Milk or Cream
1/2 C. Granulated Sugar
1 C. Chocolate Chips or chunks, dark, or semi-sweet
1/3 C. Arrowroot Powder
1C. Water, cold
Coconut Layer:
1 Can Coconut Milk or Cream
1/2 C. Granulated Sugar
2tsp. Coconut Extract (optional-I did not use but you could for more coconut flavor)
1/3C. Arrowroot Powder
1C. Water, cold
For Chocolate Layer: start by creating a slurry from the arrowroot and water by dissolving the powder in COLD water in a small ramekin. Set aside. In a saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk or cream and sugar. Warm over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer, add the chocolate and mix until smooth. At this point you’re going to have to work diligently for a few minutes. Add the arrowroot slurry to the pan and whisk whisk whisk until it starts to thicken into a pudding consistency. Pay close attention to this part because it will become easy to burn. Once a thick pudding consistency is achieved, quickly spread the chocolate layer over the shortbread and allow to cool. You will find that it won’t take long for it to “set-up”. Repeat this process for the coconut layer, once you have achieved a thick pudding of coconut milk, gently spread across the chocolate layer and allow to cool then place in the refrigerator to cool completely. Once cooled, gently pull entire dessert from pan and cut into squares.
If serving right away, garnish with whipped cream.
Choconanas!
A current after school snack favorite!
Ingredients:
1 banana sliced
1/4 C. Dark Chocolate Chunks
1tsp. Coconut Oil
1Tbs. Almond Butter
Honey, if desired, to taste
Pink Sea Salt, if desired
Directions:
Heat chocolate, oil and almond butter in microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir until mixture is smooth. Add honey to taste. Drizzle over banana slices. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.
About a Boy
15 years with this amazing man of mine.
MmmmMochi
Butter Mochi or as it is becoming affectionately called in my house, gum cake.
I highly recommend for this recipe, Blue Star Mochiko. It’s sweet rice flour from Koda Farms. You can find it in some Asian Markets, sometimes you have to special request it (that’s why I love my local Rams Bazaar!!) *Friends, you cannot, cannot cannot use regular rice flour. If you decide I might be crazy or talking nonsense and do try it, you’re on your own with how it turns out.*
Ingredients:
2C. Mochiko Flour
1C. Sugar
1tsp. Baking Powder
1/4C. Butter, melted
1 tsp. Vanilla
2C. Whole Milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8x8inch baking pan. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl separate from wet. Incorporate wet ingredients into dry ingredients, working in batches, using a balloon whisk, until fully mixed.
Bake for 1 hour, or until Golden on top, the sides pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.
This is best consumed within a day of baking. This may result in larger hips or waistlines, or something. I suggest sharing your Butter Mochi with friends or loved ones to avoid unwanted food gains, or the guilty feelings that come from eating an entire pan to yourself. Or not.
Enjoy!
Vegan Cornbread
Prepare, deliciously, for fall.
In my house there is one vegan. And even though there’s just one, I plan vegan meals so that she can be a part of family dinner. I’ve been doing this for a few years now. Some days I ask myself “why?”, other days I like the challenge. Basically, I like doing nice things for people. *This can backfire on me*
Back to cornbread. Last night we had smoked pulled pork, I made BBQ jackfruit in place for her. Coleslaw using Just Mayo, quick pickled green beans and cornbread. Two pans of cornbread, one with milk and eggs and one without.
In searching for a good vegan cornbread recipe, I found dozens full of ingredients, some I didn’t want-like applesauce. So I decided to simply convert my recipe to vegan. It worked out fantastic! I love Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer. I’ve tried flax eggs and they just don’t do it for me in baked goods. I’m not sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill, I just find it my duty to share the brands that do or don’t work, and this for me, has been a winner every time.
Here’s the Recipe for a small pan of cornbread meant to serve about 2:
*I don’t keep track of nutritional analysis*:
Ingredients:
1/2 C. Cornmeal
1/2C. All Purpose Flour
1Tbs. Baking Powder
1/8C. Sugar
1/4tsp salt
1/2C. Almond Milk, or favorite Nut/Flax/Hemp Milk
1 Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer Egg
2Tbs + 2tsp Canola oil, or favorite oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F
Prepare 8×8 inch pan with cooking spray
Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl
Pour ingredients into prepared pan and bake at 400F for 20-25 min or until Golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Enjoy!
Flamingos
Today is my niece’s last day of summer break. Currently, it’s raining out. There was a plan to go hang out by the river, but honestly who wants to do that when it’s cloudy, thundering and rainy?
Me, I do!! Anyone else?? Just kidding, that sounds cold and mosquito-y.
It was a rough early morning, with one up at 3:30am then again at 4:30am and then the other at 5:00am. Who are these kids?!?
So when 9:30 rolled around and both were up and ready to play, they wanted to craft. So we crafted some flamingos, and let me tell you; 7 year olds have some expectations about the way a project should go.
I’m a “roll with it when it comes to kids and crafts” kind of gal. These girls were like, “what’s wrong with your glue, you didn’t cut this exactly like the other, this is way bigger than the picture, can you do this for me… Hold up tiny women, just enjoy the craft with your seriously caffeine deprived mama/aunty, ya *winky face emoji*
I have loved getting to spend time with my niece and cupkeiki this summer though. They’re fun, funny, fiesty, fierce, the best of friends and so patient with one another. It’s like their related and have known each other since birth, almost.
A hui ho summer break.
Life
*Warning: I’m about to post a sad picture*
This morning was one of those awkward parenting moments. My cupkeiki discovered the squirrel baby in the photo above, in the grass, wriggling. My sensitive hearing picked up the tiny squeaks as the ants traversed across biting at it…the circle of life right there before her eyes, her first exposure to the end of a being.
She called me over, at first sort of grossed out. Together we observed it and then the hard part- for me at least, “there’s nothing we can do for it, it’s too little and is already struggling.”
She looked up at me and I saw the look. The, I understand but it’s sad, look. I scooped it onto a newspaper and took a moment to break down the features for her with a small stick. In my head I heard Sir David Attenborough’s voice narrating what I wanted to say. Gently, I removed the ants from it’s body. It squiremed at every touch. The eyes were still not developed but clearly able to be seen under it’s pink skin. The fingers still somewhat webbed, tiny nails exposed and it’s tail wrapped softly along it’s legs. There was the umbilical cord, fresh and dirty. The lungs barely moving. I explained that even humans are this size at an early stage. I talked about how she was seeing the web of life before her, something barely living, the beginning of death and being consumed by other creatures, life feeding life. She asked questions, thoughtful and slow. We’ve discussed that everything dies. That aside from jellyfish, there’s a timeline, but until you witness the end of something you don’t quite get the fullness of what life is-even now she probably doesn’t but maybe she has a tiny grasp on it.
And then we walked it to the dumpster, and as I laid the newspaper in the bin, my cupkeiki watched, silent and somber.
We walked back to the house and I confirmed she understood we couldn’t do anything. She went inside and reemerged with a piece of paper and a pen and drew a tree on one side and the baby squirrel on the other side, a circle drawn around it.
She said she was a little sad and to be honest I was actually a little sad for her.
As Sir David Attenborough said:
“The whole of science, and one is tempted to think the whole of the life of any thinking man, is trying to come to terms with the relationship between yourself and the natural world. Why are you here, and how do you fit in, and what it’s all about.”
My CupKeiki 