Retire in Style with Lolita

There are some places you wish to go back to once more and such is Hawaii. Our first visit to the beautiful islands of Hawaii was on a cruise on board the Pride of Aloha in 2007. I always had this longing to go back, stay a few days, leisurely explore and enjoy the sights and sounds of the islands. In four weeks we will be back and this time we will stay two weeks in the island of Oahu. I first heard of Hawaii when I was growing up in the Philippines. I must be about 10 or 11 years old when I first heard of relatives of my father leaving for Oahu, Hawaii. They were from the Ilocos Norte and they were going to work in the sugar cane plantations. I learned through the years that many Filipino workers migrated to Hawaii to work and eventually settled there. The Hawaiian Islands: Please click picture to enlarge. Today Filipinos make up the second largest racial group in Hawaii. They are mostly in Oahu. Please click picture to enlarge. Hawaii, here we come !

I have a recipe binder of favourite recipes and proven winners with family and friends. The oldest recipe in this binder is from the McCalls Great American recipe collection published in 1973 . Quick Cherry Dessert. I have served this in several gatherings in the past and have shared it with many chefs whom I worked with during my years as hospital Dietitian. It has been included in many menus that I developed for several health care facilities. Instead of Cherry pie filling we sometimes substitute with Blueberry pie filling. Very easy recipe and always a winner. Here is the original recipe card Please click picture to enlarge. This evening I baked this recipe. I cooked some blueberry sauce to use instead of cherry pie filling. We have a stash of frozen blueberries. We pick blueberries from local farms and put aside lots in the freezer for year round use. The other modification I did in this recipe is to reduce the sugar to just 1 cup. This is also great for breakfast or snack se...

I Have been blessed to have traveled and experienced 6 of the places listed here. The Great Wall of China, Grand Canyon, Ephesus, Venice, Pompeii, and the Parthenon. Next year Petra in Jordan will be added to my list. I will never see all these 28 places but where I have been were all spectacular experiences of a lifetime. I am grateful. Portals into the Past Walk the timeless streets and byways of ancient cities on three continents – Mesa Verde – Pompeii – Tikal – Petra Feats of Engineering The world's surviving architectural wonders hewed from stone and mortar beckon as ever – Pyramids of Giza – Taj Mahal – Easter Island – The Great Wall A Matter of Timing Choosing the right year, month or even moment can make all the difference – Aurora Borealis – Serengeti – Iguazu Falls – Machu Picchu Triumphs of Vision Come face to face with history's finest works of art and design – The Louvre – Zen Garden of Kyoto – Uffizi Gallery – Fallingwater Scale New Hei...

Hot summer day. Fritata comes to mind for a dish that will not keep me long in the kitchen. Diced potatoes, zucchini blossoms, cheddar cheese and eggs. Just salt and pepper added to beaten eggs. Delish ! Please click on pictures to enlarge :)

Time flies fast indeed ! Please click picture to enlarge.

Canada is the birth place of my children and grandchildren. I came to Canada in 1971 and became a citizen in 1976. We belong to a multicultural nation. While we continue to cherish and celebrate our Filipino heritage, we are also very grateful, happy and at peace in this beautiful country we call home. An excerpt from the Government of Canada website on immigration: Canadian Multiculturalism: An Inclusive Citizenship In 1971, Canada was the first country in the world to adopt multiculturalism as an official policy. By so doing, Canada affirmed the value and dignity of all Canadian citizens regardless of their racial or ethnic origins, their language, or their religious affiliation. The 1971 Multiculturalism Policy of Canada also confirmed the rights of Aboriginal peoples and the status of Canada’s two official languages. Canadian multiculturalism is fundamental to our belief that all citizens are equal. Multiculturalism ensures that all citizens can keep their identities, can ta...

Dream Weaver is my four year old Hosta. Love the foliage and the white flowers. I gathered some first thing this morning and they look pretty in my red vase. Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers, plant your own garden and decorate your own soul.

I planted two Bleeding hearts plants a little later this Spring. One plant was past bloom time when I got it but the smaller one was a complete surprise. It continues to bloom, a few flowers now but a joy to see. Please press picture to enlarge.

Our new rock star has arrived !

I love hats. I was browsing around nearby mall when I spotted this Fedora hat with pink flowers.

I first saw a Passion Flower at a friend's garden when I was living and working in Bermuda. I was quite intrigued at the symbolism given this beautiful flower. "Passiflora is Latin for "passion flower," a name that Spanish missionaries, working in South America in the 16th century, gave the plant. Some missionaries used the flower's elaborate structure to teach about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The corona on the top of the flower symbolized the crown of thorns, while the five anthers represented the five wounds. The protruding styles represented the three nails, while the petals and sepals represented the apostles. The dark spots on the underside of the leaves symbolized the silver that Judas was paid to betray Jesus."

Love and romance played a major part in my life experiences. I learned to care, to give, to receive, to grow, to mature, and become who I am today. There were moments of joy and laughter. And there were tears and heart break. I have learned to accept, to forgive and move on. No grudges, no regrets. There are so many greetings and quotes and poems on this subject. My favourite is from Alfred Tennyson: “It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all”. Memories of love and romance will keep me warm in the Autumn and Winter of my life.

Here is one of my favourite soups on a cold and rainy day like today. This recipe is similar to Chicken noodle vegetable soup except I use Bean thread vermicelli. Filipinos call this Chicken Sotanghon soup. Here is the recipe I used. Chicken Sotanghon Soup Recipe Ingredients ◾2 lbs chicken, cleaned ◾4 ounces sotanghon (vermicelli noodles) ◾1 medium onion, minced ◾4 cloves garlic, minced ◾1/2 cup carrots, julienned ◾5 cups water ◾2 tablespoons toasted garlic (optional) ◾2 to 3 tablespoons Patis (fish sauce) ◾3/4 cup cabbage, shredded ◾1 teaspoon ground black pepper ◾1 piece chicken bouillon Cooking Procedure 1.Simmer chicken till tender. 2.Save the water used to tenderize the chicken for later use (as chicken stock). 3.Separate the chicken meat from the bone then tear the meat into small pieces. Set aside. 4.Soak sotanghon noodles in water for 6 minutes 5.In a cooking pot, pour-in cooking oil then sauté garlic and onion. 6.Put-in the chicken, fish sauce and g...

"Ride," Pleasure said: "Walk," Joy replied. ~W.H. Davies Beautiful sunny day today. Blue skies. 10 Celsius (50 F ). Went out for a walk at nearby Alouette River Dyke Trail. It was a slow walk. Enjoyed the crisp fresh air. Golden Ears mountain still with specks of snow. Please click the pictures to enlarge. I have walked the dyke trails in Spring, Summer and early Fall. Never get tired of the scenery. It is a popular destination for families, walkers, hikers and cyclists. Come walk with me... the best is yet to be.

Pan de sal or Pandesal is a popular Filipino bread. It is a favourite choice for breakfast. I like Pandesal anytime of day. Plain or with filling. My family are big consumers of pandesal. Here is another way of serving Pandesal for breakfast. Pandesal French Toast. So easy to prepare. Just beat some eggs, dash of salt... some add a little milk and some cinnamon or vanilla. I make mine with just beaten eggs. I am not putting the amounts of ingredients I use. There are many blogs available with recipes for this. Dip the Pandesal halves and fry both sides in margarine or butter on medium heat. I like mine with a drizzle of fruit syrup. A slice of cheese and a fruit. Tea or coffee as you please. Pandesal French Toast is best served warm. Enjoy and have a great day! Please click pictures to enlarge.

A popular dish among Filipinos is Tortang Talong with or without ground beef. I have a craving for this dish and so I made some for dinner tonight. I usually make this without meat but tonight I decided to try with sautéed ground beef. We got three large sized Chinese eggplants. Smaller eggplants would be preferable but none available today. I broiled them 15 minutes on each side. While waiting for the eggplants to cool I sautéed a pound of ground beef in garlic and onions. Seasoned with kosher salt, Worcestershire sauce and a teaspoon of kitchen bouquet. When cooled the eggplants were peeled gently, flattened with fork and dipped in beaten eggs. For these large eggplants I used 7 eggs and a dash of kosher salt. Put some oil in the non-stick pan and put on medium heat. Lay down one eggplant and spoon a generous amount of cooked ground beef on top. Cook till egg on sides of eggplant is set. Next pour some egg on top of ground beef. Turn gently and cook till golden brown...

I hope and pray for peace and stability in our lives. May there be more laughter than tears. Happy New Year !

We bought 3 large (1 1/2 lbs each) fresh lobsters from Thrifty`s. They are from Nova Scotia. (one daughter does not eat seafoods, she had Roast beef). Preparing and eating lobsters (and crabs ) with friends or family is fun. This is one meal where being a little messy is definitely acceptable. For sides my daughters made Broccoli salad and Sweet potato casserole. Please click pictures to enlarge.