Aloha, I'm Donna, known everywhere on the Internet as "Champuru." I'm a Christian, blissfully wedded to my perfect match (the yang to my yin) of 15 years and a stay-at-home mom to my miracle baby, born in October 2008. Living life in Hawaii, less than 5 miles from my hometown, seeking balance in her pursuit of family, faith, recreation, and rest. Read more on the About page.
crispy chicken with green beans and tofu combination plate
Phuket Thai restaurant (Mililani, Hawaii)
My neighbor and dear friend Jan and I went out for lunch today at Phuket Thai in the Mililani Town Center. Having been out for Thai food on only a few occasions, I am not familiar with the dishes. Jan’s keen eye spotted this dish on the Specials board and suggested that we try it. We ordered it “medium” spiciness and found that it was flavored just right. In other words, it didn’t incinerate the taste buds right off my tongue. It was perfect, as it allowed for the flavors to come through without being overpowered by the spiciness, as can often be the case.
sticky rice with vanilla ice cream dessert
To top it all off, we ordered the sticky rice with vanilla ice cream dessert. The creamy and sweet flavor is delightful after a spicy meal and would quickly extinguish any flames still burning in your mouth. The sticky rice lends an almost tapioca-like texture to the ice cream which makes it an interesting and delicious dessert.
Phuket Thai
Mililani Town Center
95-1249 Meheula Parkway, #A6, Mililani, Hawaii
Phone: 808.623.6228
Open Daily 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
On the date of the official release, my copy of Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon came in the mail today. I can’t wait to start reading it!
Did you order your copy yet?
Cindy Pon is also giving away some great prizes on her blog for helping spread the word about the release of Silver Phoenix. Go to her site for details on how to enter for your chance to win an original framed Chinese brush painting by Cindy or if a $100 gift card to your favorite book seller. You don’t even need to have your own blog to be eligible. So, check it out!
Never before have I been so excited about the release of a book. Cindy Pon’s debut novel, Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia will be released on April 28, 2009. I pre-ordered my copy on Amazon.com and according to the shipment confirmation, it’s due to arrive on April 29.
Aside from the compelling storyline (check out the trailer), I am especially thrilled about the publication of this book because Cindy Pon is an online acquaintance of mine. We’ve been following each other’s online journals since the early days — even before “blogging” became a buzzword. I’ve been reading with interest about her dreams of becoming a published author and seeing it come to fruition right before my eyes. It’s inspiring to see someone set a goal, work hard, and achieve it.
Cindy’s warm personality and witty writing style has made her one of my very favorite bloggers. I will soon be adding her to my list of favorite authors!
on the day of her first betrothal meeting–and rejection–ai ling discovers a power welling deep within her. she can reach into other people’s spirits, hear their thoughts, see their dreams…and that’s just the beginning.
ai ling has been marked by the immortals; her destiny lies in the emperor’s palace, where a terrible evil has lived, stealing souls, for centuries. she must conquer this enemy and rescue her captive father, while mythical demons track her every step. and then she meets chen yong, a young man with a quest of his own, whose fate is intertwined with hers. here is a heart-stopping, breathtaking tale for fans of action, fantasy, and romance–of anything with the making of legend.
Check out the trailer below. It will make you want to order your copy of Silver Phoenix immediately. I promise.
Baby Champuru turned six months on April 4, 2009, which means I have less than six months to plan her first birthday party.
First birthday parties are a big deal in Hawaii. Some locals may spend thousands of dollars on their “baby luau,” pulling out all the stops with entertainment, kiddie rides, clowns, face painters, balloon artists, jumpers, party favors, centerpieces, and of course, the food. Those are the folks that probably had a gala wedding, too, dropping well over five-digits for the event. That’s just not us.
Now that we’re a single income family in an uncertain economy, it’s even more prudent to watch our finances. Having a “baby luau” is almost expected, and for a child as long-anticipated as Baby Champuru, it’s only appropriate to celebrate. However, we’re going to do it without breaking the bank.
We’re having the party at the community recreational center. Nice, comfortable and convenient facilities but capacity is only 68. Paring down my guest list to fit that will be a challenge. I want to invite everyone, but that’s just not possible. Not without breaking the fire code, that is.
Next, the food. I decided to go with Ige’s Halawa. I enjoy their food — good, local-style food and their shoyu pork and andagi satisfies my Okinawan palate! It’s also very affordable. A definite plus. I called and placed my catering order today. I’ll likely buy a cake and a few sushi and appetizer platters from Costco as well.
With the essentials all set, now I have to decide on the extras: entertainment (my iPod?), favors, centerpieces, activities, games, prizes…? That’s where I need help. I have about five months to think about it, but if you have suggestions, please share!
I recently did an entry on Kabocha (Japanese Winter Squash), sharing my simple simmered kabocha recipe. Kabocha is one of my favorite vegetables and I was eager to introduce it to my baby. As much as possible, I’m trying to make her babyfood with organic ingredients. I was pleased to find organic kabocha at Star Market (Mililani, Hawaii).
Be aware that the kabocha, like many other squashes, is very hard to cut. Make sure you use a sharp knife and cut it on a stable surface to prevent injury. (I don’t want to hear about how you lost a finger trying to cut your kabocha!)
Here’s what the kabocha looks like cut it in half.
Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds and stringy bits.
Then, using a vegetable peeler, peel off skin completely. When preparing the kabocha for adults, it is preferable to leave the skin on as it gives it a nice texture and holds everything together when simmered. However, for babyfood, peeling is essential.
After the skin is peeled, cut the kabocha into 1″ cubes.
Steam the squash to cook. I used my Beaba Babycook machine to prepare the babyfood. In the machine, it took approximately 15 minutes to cook.
When cooked, the kabocha should be very tender. I test it by piercing it with a chopstick.
Puree the kabocha in a food processor, adding water to achieve the desired consistency.
When complete, I pour the babyfood into Baby Cubes (BPA-free!) and covered ice trays to freeze. The covered ice trays are especially handy, as you can freeze the food, then store them in ziploc bags and they don’t take up as much space in your freezer.
My baby’s reaction to kabocha babyfood was instant love. The natural sweetness of the kabocha makes it very palatable for babies and it has become one of her staples. I’ve been adding a couple of baby spoonfuls of sweet peas to her kabocha and she eats it without a fuss. Thumbs up for the kabocha babyfood ~ Baby Champuru approved!
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