Please enjoy this video on how to make gingerbread cookies! It's a great family activity!
Happy Holidays,
Cari
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Friday, December 13, 2013
Hot Chocolate and Gingerbread!
Finally, my favorite time of year! The holiday season makes me think of spending time with family, eating lots of delicious food, driving by Christmas lights, and being merry with hot chocolate and gingerbread cookies!
My family had our annual gingerbread cookie making the other night at my parents house. Gingerbread cookie making is a great way to create unique and amazing sweets together as a family. Everyone of all ages can enjoy each step of the process; baking, decorating, and eating. However some family members only participate and enjoy in the eating process. :-)
The gingerbread cookies were a success! The homemade frosting added a sweet flavor to the chewy cookie taste. My favorite part were the chocolate chips and m&ms which gave the cookie nice chocolate flavor! Who doesn't love chocolate!
Please stay tuned for my next video on gingerbread cookie making coming soon. Also, if you didn't have chance yet, please check out my Deeds of Wisdom: Thanksgiving videos! This was a great project because all my family members helped to make a dish for Thanksgiving dinner, which we ended of filming. Hopefully it will give you some ideas for your next holiday party or get together!
Happy Holidays!
Cari
My family had our annual gingerbread cookie making the other night at my parents house. Gingerbread cookie making is a great way to create unique and amazing sweets together as a family. Everyone of all ages can enjoy each step of the process; baking, decorating, and eating. However some family members only participate and enjoy in the eating process. :-)
The gingerbread cookies were a success! The homemade frosting added a sweet flavor to the chewy cookie taste. My favorite part were the chocolate chips and m&ms which gave the cookie nice chocolate flavor! Who doesn't love chocolate!
Please stay tuned for my next video on gingerbread cookie making coming soon. Also, if you didn't have chance yet, please check out my Deeds of Wisdom: Thanksgiving videos! This was a great project because all my family members helped to make a dish for Thanksgiving dinner, which we ended of filming. Hopefully it will give you some ideas for your next holiday party or get together!
Happy Holidays!
Cari
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
Pizza, Pizza!
A couple of weeks ago, I suddenly became inspired to try and make my own pizza dough. I've always loved the idea of eating fresh pizza crust straight from the oven. However, I never attempted to try it out till last week! To prepare, I researched the process by watching "how to" videos, Giada De Laurentis on Food Network, and reading different recipes.
I found a recipe online that seemed easy and suitable. I've come to learn that making pizza dough is actually very simple. The only challenging part is making sure their is enough time allotted for the dough to rise. My first attempt of making pizza dough came out fairly well. However I didn't have a rolling pin to help roll out the dough. It was difficult to spread the dough out evenly and in a circle with my fingers.
"Dough to Dine" shows my second attempt at dough making. This time, I prepared pizza for my family of ten! There was more dough to kneed, however I was fortunate to be able to use my mom's rolling pin! After rolling out six balls of dough, each family member added marinara sauce and toppings to their pizza. I would suggest putting the dough on a cookie sheet or a pizza stone before adding any toppings.
Some of my favorite toppings to add on a pizza are tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil, garlic, spinach, and chicken, unlike my husband who is a complete meat eater. Pizza making with family is a great way for each family member to create that "special pizza" made just for them. Also, it makes for a lively and fun time in the kitchen!
Click here to view the full video of "Dough to Dine!" Thank you for watching!
I found a recipe online that seemed easy and suitable. I've come to learn that making pizza dough is actually very simple. The only challenging part is making sure their is enough time allotted for the dough to rise. My first attempt of making pizza dough came out fairly well. However I didn't have a rolling pin to help roll out the dough. It was difficult to spread the dough out evenly and in a circle with my fingers.
"Dough to Dine" shows my second attempt at dough making. This time, I prepared pizza for my family of ten! There was more dough to kneed, however I was fortunate to be able to use my mom's rolling pin! After rolling out six balls of dough, each family member added marinara sauce and toppings to their pizza. I would suggest putting the dough on a cookie sheet or a pizza stone before adding any toppings.
Some of my favorite toppings to add on a pizza are tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil, garlic, spinach, and chicken, unlike my husband who is a complete meat eater. Pizza making with family is a great way for each family member to create that "special pizza" made just for them. Also, it makes for a lively and fun time in the kitchen!
Click here to view the full video of "Dough to Dine!" Thank you for watching!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Sustainability + Healthy Lifestyle
Local produce, farmers markets, eating organic, and having a backyard garden are gaining popularity where I live. I notice many people bring their own bags to the grocery market, the growing organic food sections, and more articles popping up in the news about eating healthy.
My grandpa is a backyard garden veteran, growing vegetables and fruits out of his home since he was young. When my grandparents lived in Hilo, I remember visiting them in the summer. My cousins and I would run through his anthurium plants past the vegetables, sometimes help pick tangerines, and earn 5 cents for every slug we speared. As far as I can remember, he always grew his own lettuce, tomatoes, green onions and radishes to name a few. Being a kid, I only cared about running around the plants, climbing down their gulch, and playing slip and slide on their driveway. I didn't truly appreciate the importance and value of growing and eating from their own backyard.
Now as we fast forward 15 years and I look back on these experiences, I finally understand the importance of sustainability and the value of growing your own produce. About 6 years ago, my grandparent moved to my parents house on Oahu. It was an adjustment for them as they had to make new friends, join different activities, and most of all, live with their children all over again. However, one thing that grandpa kept consistent is raising a backyard garden. He currently grows asparagus, soy beans, bush beans, tomatoes, herbs, flowers, radish, bok choy, and lettuce. These vegetables are a great addition to family dinners, get togethers, and everyday cooking.
In January, I was able to document his plant process as he prepared, planted, and grew bush beans. It was a great learning experience for me. I am inspired to one day start small and grow a small garden where I live. Having a backyard garden is a great way to help our environment and truly eat organic.
Thank you grandpa for your inspiring deeds. We all need a green thumb like you. :-)
Please watch as grandpa shows us how he prepares, plants, and harvests bush beans.
My grandpa is a backyard garden veteran, growing vegetables and fruits out of his home since he was young. When my grandparents lived in Hilo, I remember visiting them in the summer. My cousins and I would run through his anthurium plants past the vegetables, sometimes help pick tangerines, and earn 5 cents for every slug we speared. As far as I can remember, he always grew his own lettuce, tomatoes, green onions and radishes to name a few. Being a kid, I only cared about running around the plants, climbing down their gulch, and playing slip and slide on their driveway. I didn't truly appreciate the importance and value of growing and eating from their own backyard.
Now as we fast forward 15 years and I look back on these experiences, I finally understand the importance of sustainability and the value of growing your own produce. About 6 years ago, my grandparent moved to my parents house on Oahu. It was an adjustment for them as they had to make new friends, join different activities, and most of all, live with their children all over again. However, one thing that grandpa kept consistent is raising a backyard garden. He currently grows asparagus, soy beans, bush beans, tomatoes, herbs, flowers, radish, bok choy, and lettuce. These vegetables are a great addition to family dinners, get togethers, and everyday cooking.
In January, I was able to document his plant process as he prepared, planted, and grew bush beans. It was a great learning experience for me. I am inspired to one day start small and grow a small garden where I live. Having a backyard garden is a great way to help our environment and truly eat organic.
Thank you grandpa for your inspiring deeds. We all need a green thumb like you. :-)
Please watch as grandpa shows us how he prepares, plants, and harvests bush beans.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Nabe Tonight!
Dinnertime with the family is always a fun experience. We enjoy getting together for meals and good company. I would say that we eat together at least once or twice a week. Most recently, we enjoyed eating nabe at Kathy's house! Nabe is a hot pot meal where everyone sits around a pot of boiling water and cooks meat and vegetables together while eating and talking.
My sister Kathy and her husband Kyle lived in Japan for three years while doing the JET (Japanese Exchange Teaching) program. Through their experiences of living in Japan, they brought the "nabe style" tradition and cooking back to our family. Kathy even bought a special nabe pot which she flew home as well!
Our nabe pot was filled with delicious food which included; cabbage, shiitake and enoki mushrooms, gyoza, bean sprouts, cold tofu, mochi slices, udon noodles, and thinly sliced beef and fish. Kathy filled the nabe pot with boiling water and added in a miso soup base and chopped green onion. The cabbage, bean sprouts, and mushrooms were first to be added into our nabe pot. Then slowly, the tofu, udon noodles, and gyoza were added in as well. The thinly sliced pieces of beef and fish entered the pot as we ate, simply because we didn't want it to overcook. Since the slices of meat are so thin, it doesn't take more than a few seconds to brown. Normally when eating at a nabe restaurant, the noodles are served last. However by that time, I'm always full and can't really enjoy the noodles. At Kathy's, we cooked the udon together with the rest of the food which was delicious!
On our table, we also had a bowl of rice and ponzu sauce. Since Kathy filled the nabe pot with a miso sauce, adding ponzu sauce was optional for many. Ponzu sauce is also known as lemon shoyu(soy) sauce. Everyone enjoyed picking the veggies and meat out of the nabe pot and balancing the taste with a bowl of rice.
Cooking nabe keeps everyone on their toes and is an active way to eat and experience delicious Japanese food!
Please look out for "Nabe Tonight!" coming soon!
For previous videos, please check out www.youtube.com/Caritaira
Thank you for reading!
Cari
My sister Kathy and her husband Kyle lived in Japan for three years while doing the JET (Japanese Exchange Teaching) program. Through their experiences of living in Japan, they brought the "nabe style" tradition and cooking back to our family. Kathy even bought a special nabe pot which she flew home as well!
Our nabe pot was filled with delicious food which included; cabbage, shiitake and enoki mushrooms, gyoza, bean sprouts, cold tofu, mochi slices, udon noodles, and thinly sliced beef and fish. Kathy filled the nabe pot with boiling water and added in a miso soup base and chopped green onion. The cabbage, bean sprouts, and mushrooms were first to be added into our nabe pot. Then slowly, the tofu, udon noodles, and gyoza were added in as well. The thinly sliced pieces of beef and fish entered the pot as we ate, simply because we didn't want it to overcook. Since the slices of meat are so thin, it doesn't take more than a few seconds to brown. Normally when eating at a nabe restaurant, the noodles are served last. However by that time, I'm always full and can't really enjoy the noodles. At Kathy's, we cooked the udon together with the rest of the food which was delicious!
On our table, we also had a bowl of rice and ponzu sauce. Since Kathy filled the nabe pot with a miso sauce, adding ponzu sauce was optional for many. Ponzu sauce is also known as lemon shoyu(soy) sauce. Everyone enjoyed picking the veggies and meat out of the nabe pot and balancing the taste with a bowl of rice.
Cooking nabe keeps everyone on their toes and is an active way to eat and experience delicious Japanese food!
Please look out for "Nabe Tonight!" coming soon!
For previous videos, please check out www.youtube.com/Caritaira
Thank you for reading!
Cari
Monday, February 4, 2013
Gau (Kau) + Chinatown
Since Chinese New Year is coming up, my husband's family and I spent time with Popo learning how to make gau. Popo in Chinese means grandmother and gau is a rice flour and brown sugar mochi dish that is made during the new year. I was excited to watch Popo make gau because I've never seen it made before. This year, Chinese New Year begins on February 10, 2013. We are celebrating the year of the Snake!
Gau making started at noon at Popo's house. Chase and I arrived first, so I was able to interview her and talk with her about how she learned to make gau and some of the memories she had. I can't believe she's been making gau for over 60 years!
When the rest of the family arrived, we began. We were all excited because this was the first time everyone in Chase's family got to learn how to make gau as well. The gau process started by cutting eight ti-leaves off popo's ti-leaf plant. After the ti-leaves were washed and dried, Popo showed us how to lightly oil both sides of each ti-leaf. She cut off the tips of the ti-leaves and used the ti-leaves to line the pan. Popo showed us how to trim the ti-leaves and re-secure the lining by repositioning the stronger ti-leaves in the back of the other leaves. Then, we began making the gau batter.
Popo pre-boiled and cooled the brown sugar the night before. She added one pound of brown sugar and two cups of water to a pot and brought it to a boil. After the sugar turned into liquid, she turned the heat off and cooled the sugar.
We added one pound of rice flour to a bowl and slowly mixed in the liquid brown sugar to make sure lumps did not form. After all the rice flour was mixed into the batter, we added in three tablespoons of oil, three tablespoons of honey, and one tablespoon of whiskey. Popo explained that the whiskey will help to keep the mold from forming. After all the ingredients were mixed in, the batter was poured into the pan lined with leaves. The gau was placed into a pot to steam for two and a half hours.
During this time, my husband's family and I visited Chinatown for their New Years parade and festivities. Popo stayed home to watch the gau as it steamed. Chinatown was filled with good food, lion dances, and craft fair items for sale. Since it was a nice day, this was definitely a popular event to attend! There were so many people walking around trying all different sorts of foods and eagerly waiting for the parade to begin. To cool off, we decided to drink delicious bubble teas! Chase and I shared a strawberry bubble tea and Shelby, Chase's sister got lychee! I also tried my first Jin Dui. Jin Dui is a fried rice cake pastry coated with sesame seeds on the outside and hollow on the inside. Black or red bean paste are commonly found inside however I had mine with coconut! Jin Dui reminded me of fried mochi. It was delicious. Even though we were having fun in Chinatown, it was time for us to get back to the gau.
By the time we got back to Popo's house, the gau was ready to remove from the pot. We stuck in a chopstick to check. We knew it was ready because chopstick came out clear with little sticky residue. After the gau was removed from the pot, we added a date in the middle of the gau and sprinkled sesame seeds evenly around. We also added two lycee's for good luck!
Gau is made to celebrate the new year and is traditionally eaten on Chinese New Year. However, we couldn't wait! After dinner, we did a quick taste test and the chewy mochi texture was sweet, warm and yummy! I've never eaten gau so fresh before today.
Thank you to Popo and the Lees for this fun experience.
Kung Hee Fat Choy!
Look out for Deeds of Wisdom: Episode 5 on Wednesday!
Please check out previous videos at www.youtube.com/user/caritaira
Cari
Gau making started at noon at Popo's house. Chase and I arrived first, so I was able to interview her and talk with her about how she learned to make gau and some of the memories she had. I can't believe she's been making gau for over 60 years!
When the rest of the family arrived, we began. We were all excited because this was the first time everyone in Chase's family got to learn how to make gau as well. The gau process started by cutting eight ti-leaves off popo's ti-leaf plant. After the ti-leaves were washed and dried, Popo showed us how to lightly oil both sides of each ti-leaf. She cut off the tips of the ti-leaves and used the ti-leaves to line the pan. Popo showed us how to trim the ti-leaves and re-secure the lining by repositioning the stronger ti-leaves in the back of the other leaves. Then, we began making the gau batter.
Popo pre-boiled and cooled the brown sugar the night before. She added one pound of brown sugar and two cups of water to a pot and brought it to a boil. After the sugar turned into liquid, she turned the heat off and cooled the sugar.
We added one pound of rice flour to a bowl and slowly mixed in the liquid brown sugar to make sure lumps did not form. After all the rice flour was mixed into the batter, we added in three tablespoons of oil, three tablespoons of honey, and one tablespoon of whiskey. Popo explained that the whiskey will help to keep the mold from forming. After all the ingredients were mixed in, the batter was poured into the pan lined with leaves. The gau was placed into a pot to steam for two and a half hours.
During this time, my husband's family and I visited Chinatown for their New Years parade and festivities. Popo stayed home to watch the gau as it steamed. Chinatown was filled with good food, lion dances, and craft fair items for sale. Since it was a nice day, this was definitely a popular event to attend! There were so many people walking around trying all different sorts of foods and eagerly waiting for the parade to begin. To cool off, we decided to drink delicious bubble teas! Chase and I shared a strawberry bubble tea and Shelby, Chase's sister got lychee! I also tried my first Jin Dui. Jin Dui is a fried rice cake pastry coated with sesame seeds on the outside and hollow on the inside. Black or red bean paste are commonly found inside however I had mine with coconut! Jin Dui reminded me of fried mochi. It was delicious. Even though we were having fun in Chinatown, it was time for us to get back to the gau.
By the time we got back to Popo's house, the gau was ready to remove from the pot. We stuck in a chopstick to check. We knew it was ready because chopstick came out clear with little sticky residue. After the gau was removed from the pot, we added a date in the middle of the gau and sprinkled sesame seeds evenly around. We also added two lycee's for good luck!
Gau is made to celebrate the new year and is traditionally eaten on Chinese New Year. However, we couldn't wait! After dinner, we did a quick taste test and the chewy mochi texture was sweet, warm and yummy! I've never eaten gau so fresh before today.
Thank you to Popo and the Lees for this fun experience.
Kung Hee Fat Choy!
Look out for Deeds of Wisdom: Episode 5 on Wednesday!
Please check out previous videos at www.youtube.com/user/caritaira
Cari
Friday, February 1, 2013
A Ballet Beginner
Two weeks ago I decided to start taking ballet classes. This was a big decision for me considering I've thought about it for months but never fully looked into in. I've always felt that I should have more dance experience and training.
Throughout college, I was fortunate to take classes in ballet and jazz which was a lot of fun! However since then, I haven't done much to expand my learning in that area. Finally after five years of graduating from college, I was ready to dive into the world of dance!
My good friend Kristen and I went to our first ballet class two Saturdays ago. When we got there, we saw many busy moms helping their little girls get dressed, with their pink tutus and polished bun hair. Thankfully when taking adult classes, they don't require students to wear pink tutus or have our hair in buns. We comfortalby wore leggings and an excersise top and tied our hair in neat pony tails. I was very nervous to find out what other kinds of adults went to these types of classes. What if they were very experienced dancers? What if we were really old compared to the other dancers? What if? But oddly, our first class consisted of Kristen and I, who are very beginner ballet dancers, and another young woman around our age who never danced before. It was a nice way to begin our ballet training.
Our teacher is a gracious and patient young woman. We learned first, second, third, and fourth position along with plie, demi plie, and releve. Balance, focus, and discipline are definitely put to the challenge during an hour of ballet. I really love that ballet works your inner core muscles. I think that having a strong body helps us to stay healthy and happy. Dancing in general is a gerat way to get your body moving and feeling good.
For 2013, one of my goals is to be more confident in my dance ability and movement. Wish me luck!
And thank you for checking out my blog.
Let's all have an active year!
Throughout college, I was fortunate to take classes in ballet and jazz which was a lot of fun! However since then, I haven't done much to expand my learning in that area. Finally after five years of graduating from college, I was ready to dive into the world of dance!
My good friend Kristen and I went to our first ballet class two Saturdays ago. When we got there, we saw many busy moms helping their little girls get dressed, with their pink tutus and polished bun hair. Thankfully when taking adult classes, they don't require students to wear pink tutus or have our hair in buns. We comfortalby wore leggings and an excersise top and tied our hair in neat pony tails. I was very nervous to find out what other kinds of adults went to these types of classes. What if they were very experienced dancers? What if we were really old compared to the other dancers? What if? But oddly, our first class consisted of Kristen and I, who are very beginner ballet dancers, and another young woman around our age who never danced before. It was a nice way to begin our ballet training.
Our teacher is a gracious and patient young woman. We learned first, second, third, and fourth position along with plie, demi plie, and releve. Balance, focus, and discipline are definitely put to the challenge during an hour of ballet. I really love that ballet works your inner core muscles. I think that having a strong body helps us to stay healthy and happy. Dancing in general is a gerat way to get your body moving and feeling good.
For 2013, one of my goals is to be more confident in my dance ability and movement. Wish me luck!
And thank you for checking out my blog.
Let's all have an active year!
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
Wow Lau Lau!
Lau lau making was a great experience!
Uncle Owen invited my family to lau lau making earlier in the week. My mom and grandma went to the commissary to pick up 9.5 lb of pork butt and about 150 taro leaves. Sixty ti-leaves were picked from my parents backyard. With this amount, they were able to make approximately thirty lau laus.
On Friday night, my husband Chase and I went to my parents house to help prepare the lau laus. Before Chase and I arrived, my mom had already deveined all the ti-leaves so each could bend and move easily.
Then, grandma and mom began washing all the taro leaves. However, because raw taro leaves contain a natural ingredient called calcium oxilate, it can sometimes make your hands itch. Grandma and mom both began to get itchy hands and washed their hands with soap immediately. My dad had to finish washing the leaves. While the leaves were being washed, grandpa began cutting the pork into four ounce portions. To make sure the portions were accurate, we used a scale to weigh the meat.
Grandma and grandpa salted each piece of pork by massaging the Hawaiian salt into the pork. Grandpa said "No make manini! Put plenty!"
After the leaves and meat was prepared, grandma and grandpa showed us how to put together the lau lau. They layered three taro leaves on each other and wrapped a one piece of pork in the middle. After the pork was tightly wrapped in the taro leaves, they cross wrapped two ti leaves and tied the lau lau with string. Finally, I gave it a try! I had a hard time keeping the ti-leaf tight and in place while tying the string. Phew, after two hours, we were done. The lau lau was packed and ready to steam!
On Saturday, grandma and grandpa headed to uncle Owen's house at 8:30. There was slight miscommunication because grandma and grandpa thought they were supposed to wrap their lau lau ahead of time. However, uncle Owen thought they were going to prepare and wrap the lau lau Saturday morning. In good spirits, grandma and grandpa graciously helped uncle Owen and family wrap their lau lau as well.
Their lau lau looked delicious! They made a specialty lau lau filled with fresh salmon, shiitake mushroom, onion,carrots and mayonnaise!
After all the lau lau was prepared, we finally put them in a stainless steel steamer, which grandpa built! The lau lau sat in the steamer for five hours before they were ready to eat!
Making lau lau was a great experience! Thank you to the Taira and Tamamoto families for making this happen!
Stay tuned for Deeds of Wisdom:Lau Lau! (Episode 4)
Check out www.youtube.com/user/caritaira for earlier videos!
Cari
Uncle Owen invited my family to lau lau making earlier in the week. My mom and grandma went to the commissary to pick up 9.5 lb of pork butt and about 150 taro leaves. Sixty ti-leaves were picked from my parents backyard. With this amount, they were able to make approximately thirty lau laus.
On Friday night, my husband Chase and I went to my parents house to help prepare the lau laus. Before Chase and I arrived, my mom had already deveined all the ti-leaves so each could bend and move easily.
Then, grandma and mom began washing all the taro leaves. However, because raw taro leaves contain a natural ingredient called calcium oxilate, it can sometimes make your hands itch. Grandma and mom both began to get itchy hands and washed their hands with soap immediately. My dad had to finish washing the leaves. While the leaves were being washed, grandpa began cutting the pork into four ounce portions. To make sure the portions were accurate, we used a scale to weigh the meat.
Grandma and grandpa salted each piece of pork by massaging the Hawaiian salt into the pork. Grandpa said "No make manini! Put plenty!"
After the leaves and meat was prepared, grandma and grandpa showed us how to put together the lau lau. They layered three taro leaves on each other and wrapped a one piece of pork in the middle. After the pork was tightly wrapped in the taro leaves, they cross wrapped two ti leaves and tied the lau lau with string. Finally, I gave it a try! I had a hard time keeping the ti-leaf tight and in place while tying the string. Phew, after two hours, we were done. The lau lau was packed and ready to steam!
On Saturday, grandma and grandpa headed to uncle Owen's house at 8:30. There was slight miscommunication because grandma and grandpa thought they were supposed to wrap their lau lau ahead of time. However, uncle Owen thought they were going to prepare and wrap the lau lau Saturday morning. In good spirits, grandma and grandpa graciously helped uncle Owen and family wrap their lau lau as well.
Their lau lau looked delicious! They made a specialty lau lau filled with fresh salmon, shiitake mushroom, onion,carrots and mayonnaise!
After all the lau lau was prepared, we finally put them in a stainless steel steamer, which grandpa built! The lau lau sat in the steamer for five hours before they were ready to eat!
Making lau lau was a great experience! Thank you to the Taira and Tamamoto families for making this happen!
Stay tuned for Deeds of Wisdom:Lau Lau! (Episode 4)
Check out www.youtube.com/user/caritaira for earlier videos!
Cari
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