Growing Your Own

I went on the Hawaii Aquaponics Farm tour last Saturday with my friend, Linda, and grandson, Isaiah, and I'm just now getting to a post on it. Aside from personal and or commercial use, this looks to be a tremendous opportunity for implementing grow-your-own fish and veggies instead of monetary aid in various Third World countries, and even here in poor areas. Any money could go toward start-up costs. A friend came into our office last week with news that a large warehouse had been donated for Community development use in a very beleaguered neighborhood of New Jersey. This could happen, ideally, even in such urban settings.

Simply put, there is a tank with fish, growing them for sale and for fertilizer. The water from that tank then drops down into a bed tank(s) with floating vegetable rafts made of styrofoam. Pesticides are not needed and water consumption is lower than for traditional farming. Sounds great. Linda and Isaiah are going to take the class, starting next week. Then on to bigger things. This system can be scaled up or down, depending on the size needed. For home use only or for a commercial or community project.

I like the idea of keeping my lettuce from drying out so fast here without watering continually and fertilized at the same time. Not to mention having a source of naturally grown protein. At the farm they were raising tilapia and prawns. There were also mosquito fish in the water of the vegetable beds. We didn't get any bites while there.

More Guavas Than You Could Shake a Stick at

Guavas on my mind. They're everywhere in abundance this year in Hawaii, and I'm trying to utilize as many as possible, thereby avoiding the guilt of having tons go to waste on the ground. So far have made: jam, wine, catsup, BBQ sauce, cakes (2 kinds, attempting to find the perfect recipe). And in the process of which I discovered some great cooking blogs. One being Sonia Tastes Hawaii, and another, Evil Jungle Prince. He had a tempting-looking recipe for Guava Cobbler with Coconut Crust, that I really need to try. In fact it will be Sunday.

Tonight though, we're (in the Royal sense) doing a version of candied yams (in order to get it down before Thanksgiving). Yes, Guava Candied Yams, which I will be improvising, based loosely upon Camotitos Potosinos (Sweet Potatoes and Guavas in Syrup) from the Texas Monthly site. To use them for Thanksgiving I'll have to freeze some I suppose.

The yams and guavas simmering in a brown sugar syrup

Guava Candied Yams

1 cup brown sugar
1 teas. cinnamon
2 allspice leaves (or powdered 1/2 teas.)
1/2 teas. cloves
2 lbs. yams, rinsed, peeled and cut into 2-3 in. pieces
1 lb. fresh guavas, cut in quarters, seeds scooped out (this would work also with figs or apples)
juice of 1 orange or passion fruit (I used the passion fruit) & 1 tab. orange or lemon peel (without pith)

Place the brown sugar, juice and 1 cup water in a 2-quart pan with lid, and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally til the sugar is dissolved.

Add the spices & peel. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer, covered 10 min.

Add the yams, and turn them a few times to coat. Continue simmering, covered for 20 min.

Stir in the guavas and simmer an additional 20 min. (uncover the last 10 min. - though, next time I may try raising the heat and going for more of a caramelized effect by quickly reducing down the syrup) Note: If using canned guava, just heat through on low heat, uncovered, for 10 min.

I served this with some leg of lamb and a small salad of cucumbers and arugula in a yogurt dressing. It was quite good if I do say so.

Go Operation Christmas Child!

We had our stint at the fair, Kealani and I, manning the Operation Christmas Child booth. Helping anyway. They had quite a few volunteers so she got time off with Grandpa to go on some rides and eat cotton candy (yuck). But, maybe that's where she got all her energy, outdoing everyone with handing out balloons, tattoos and informative leaflets.

Yes, it's time once again to begin collecting items for these shoe boxes, which will be sent all over the globe to needy children. Click on the name above to find out good ideas for filling your box(es) and for a great video and information on the project. For the inspiring story of a young boy who gave up his Christmas to give one to others, click here.

Just an Easy Recipe

Cauliflower in Bearnaise Sauce

This was absolutely good. I had to stop eating, get my camera and take a quick picture (though it didn't come out as clear as I'd like) so I could post it for you. And, why it's so easy ........

Not to advertise or anything. I'm sure other brands would be as delicious? Maybe.

All you need to do is wash, trim, cut up and steam some cauliflower. While it's steaming (just til barely tender) follow the directions for the sauce and put water on for your pasta (or maybe do that first). I added about 1/2 cup of grated sharp cheddar to the sauce. Then, add the steamed cauliflower to the sauce and sprinkle with some toasted macadamia nuts. A little arugula or a nice salad on the side. Oh boy.

Chocolate Date Truffles

Today, having just finished a new adaptation of my homemade chocolates, I thought they were worth posting an approximate recipe with photos. I didn't measure anything but the cacao nibs, though can guesstimate for you:

Chocolate Date Truffles

2 1/2 Cups roasted, husked cacao nibs - grind fine
1/2 Cup toasted almonds*, chopped roughly
1 Cup dates, seeded and chopped/mushed
1 Tablespoon lecithin
1/2 Cup honey

*We've been harvesting more macadamia nuts, so next time I'll use toasted mac nuts in these.


Notice the chaff flying here - I'm grinding the cacao nibs in my Sumeet Asia Kitchen Machine, which was kindly recommended by John Scharffen Berger of Scharffen Berger Chocolate Makers, whom I met at a Kona Chocolate Festival several years ago. Ahh what sweet memories that. I had the best ever mole there, inspired by a recipe of Frida Kahlo's .

This machine doesn't obtain that professional, super smooth, chocolate finish, but is fine enough for me and my truffles. Hey, we're not a commercial kitchen here. The chaff was flying about.


Now you mix in the ground cacao (cocoa at this point) with the date mixture, till well blended.


The final step, rolling them into nice little truffle balls and wrapping in cling film. Then refrigerate in a container. They will keep nicely.

The uplifting thought for the day: God didn't have to give us chocolate, along with everything else he provided, but he did. Thank you Lord!

Decadent Day

Don't expect any lofty thoughts here.

I have to confess, I had a totally unredeemable, practically sinful, frivolous day yesterday. A chocolates with spirits pairing class/occasion (a class implies learning something semi-useful). Beautiful, tasty chocolates made by local chocolatier, Melanie Boudar of Sweet Paradise. And, wine pairings, courtesy of Volcano Winery, after which we moved on to Ms. Boudar's B and B for other spirit pairings.

My friend, Linda, and I started off with a light lunch (we split an order) of Cajun Mahimahi, which was excellent, at the Volcano Golf Club Restaurant. Then, met up with our group at Volcano Winery for the fun taste testing of wines and chocolates - it is important to know which go best with which. Oh yeah.

These are Oriental inspired confections with sesame seeds on top, a ginger infusion and hints of chili pepper.

Ok. Enough already. I think you get the picture(s).
One uplifting, thing - God has given us an amazing array of flavors that we can enjoy, combine and experiment with. Thank you Lord!

Lychees and Kedgeree

Lychees, it's summer and that's the good news. I'm sitting here writing with a bag of frozen lima beans in the back of my pants, trying to get some relief from an incredible lower back displacement. Tomorrow is chiropractor appointment #2, so I'm asking for prayer. Also a recipe for something wonderful to do with unfrozen lima beans. Maybe just steamed with some butter?

Which reminds me, last week, for the Fourth of July we had potato salad, among other things. I boiled too many potatoes and had a full container of extra. What popped into my head is the real mystery. I don't believe in akashic records so it's probably even spelled wrong, but maybe the ancient Celts in my DNA were speaking to me? (a joke folks, just a joke) Anyway, the word kedgeree came to me, mash those potatoes up and add that slice of smoked salmon from the freezer, with sauteed onions in butter. Now I looked it up, so I do know that kedgeree is from India. And there's supposed to be rice with boiled eggs. But hey, this is my version, and there were a lot of Scotch, Irish and English over there for a time, if I'm not mistaken. I added some minced dill and basil as well, salt, pepper, more melted butter and dumped it all into a nice ceramic pot, topped with grated cheddar and baked at 350 C for about 30 minutes. We all liked it a lot. That last piece is now gone.

What's wrong with this picture?

What's missing is substance and sustainability. Also missing in much of Christian education. You might ask what the optimum method might be for teaching Christian core values and passing on the truth of God's Word to students. At one time in America (harking back to our Independence Day) and at present in some countries, it would be taught. Facts, information to be learned, understood and processed, hopefully into lives and action. Instead, we're getting a ton of current theories, speculative "ear-tickling", and melt-in-your-mouth emergent drivel.

On an intriguing blog I happened upon today, Baglady, this quote from her father's story of life as a new immigrant to America, highlighted for me the problem with most "Christian" colleges and Universities.

"Here in America, the professors often put students in small groups so that they can debate amongst themselves and students are encouraged to have different opinions. Additionally, on the written exams students do not necessarily have to agree with a professor’s opinion in essay questions. As long as you have a great idea and great supporting points you could still score quite well."

All very well for many subjects, however I believe Biblical Studies, mathematics, and some of the sciences should be excluded from this method. They have something in common: that understanding and applying is the important thing, not questioning. Though this is almost heresy in some circles. What good does it do to question and disagree that 5x5=25? Not a lot. And the same should be said of God's Word.

Of course, much has been learned in the sciences by questioning and testing the various theories and coming up with new ones, and testing those. I'm not talking theories here. And, I don't mean questioning in the sense that Nicodemus asked Jesus, "How can this be?" He didn't understand and was asking the Teacher to explain, with a heart to learn.

We, some of us, presume to question as Satan did, "Did God really say...?" and then to disagree with what he does say - "You will not surely die...", beginning, as the Tempter did, in Genesis, along with the majority of scientists in our time. Did God really create in six days? No, of course not. However, not being reproducible and involving the supernatural, it should be considered outside the field of science anyway. We can look at the fossils and say, as does Ken Ham, "millions of dead things, laid down in rock layers all over the earth." Yes, the flood explains that. Or, DNA research says we all came from one woman. Yes, Genesis says so, it must be true. DNA research changes, scientific study evolves and changes from year to year. Scripture does not change "a jot or tittle", the least stroke of a pen.

Interestingly, a few verses later, Jesus continues: "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." And, we know that their "righteousness" included questioning (in a wrong sense) and re-interpreting and layering on their own opinions, endlessly - a large set of oral teachings by the elders - a religious elite. Later, they broke with their own scriptures and allowed them, the Mishnah, to be written down, cementing in place the already sad corruption of Jesus' day. And, they still prefer their own "traditions" to the Word of God.

My point being, the same thing is done today by theologians and professors in our "Christian" seminaries, colleges and Universities, with few exceptions. Genesis is only the beginning of it, and I'm sure Satan is well pleased with them. His method of operation has not changed - question and pick apart Scripture. Students come out passing along misinformation, doubting their faith, or deserting it altogether. Not strengthened properly to do battle in our culture. And, it is a culture war.

Clementine the Yeasty Girl

Clementine, 200-year-old French sourdough starter.

This (name changed to protect the original) girl's been around for quite awhile, though she's just joined our household. Another mouth to feed. Only once a week though, if we keep her in the refrigerator.

Of course, when I first followed? the recipe for a loaf of sourdough bread I used 2 cups of starter, instead of 1 like the directions called for. Figured if one is good, then 2 will be better? Right?? Later, when the final proofing didn't rise as high as I would have hoped, the thought occurred to me that rising power comes from the yeasts eating available flour. Less flour plus more yeast = less food for everybody. Deep thoughts. And, this Scripture popped into my head to batten things down, just in case I didn't get it: "Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?" 1 Corinthians 5:6

On the bright side, the bread tasted great, especially while still warm. A moist, chewy texture with crunchy crust, melted butter, oh yeah. Also, it went very nicely at lunch today with a bowl of my (left-over) Cold Kefir Cucumber Soup, posted on the yummy food blog, Nami-Nami.

For me, it's a parable of following God's directions - his recipe for a blessed life. Going off on your own, thinking you have a better idea than your Creator, doesn't produce optimum results. Gotta keep checking that manual.