Local Snacks
While I had my camera at the grocery store, I took some pictures of snack foods that you probably won’t see on the mainland, unless you shop at an Asian food store.
Archive for Food
High Cost of Hawai’i
When we were moving, everyone (everyone!) asked about the high cost of living here. Coming from California, I honestly didn’t notice a huge difference for most things (bread, milk, and electricity being the main exceptions). I suppose if I’d moved from another state, that might have been different.
Recently though - the last six months? - I’ve noticed a huge increase in the price of our food at the grocery store. The high cost of fuel is really hitting our pocketbooks when we shop for items that have been shipped in (most everything). I have absolutely no idea how these increases compare to mainland increases. For fun, I took my camera to the grocery store and snapped some pictures of random items. How do these compare to where you live?
Crazy, yes?
I’ll add more pictures under the cut for the truly curious.
The Food of Literature
How many times have you read a book set in a different land or in days gone by and wondered at the foods that were mentioned? Turkish Delight? Who really has ever actually tried that?
This is what makes ‘Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer‘ utterly brilliant! A cookbook filled with recipes for the treats we read about in children’s literature. You KNOW this book would get a workout in my family, with my little chef. What a great way to bring a story to life! Author Jane Brocket is in the UK, and that’s where the book will be published. I suppose we can hope that it’s such a hit that North American audiences will have a shot at it, too.
Curious about Spam Musubi?
I’ve mentioned it before, but if you want to see it - and how it’s made - head on over to The Tasty Island, where you’ll find step by steps and a comparison of several brands of canned meats.
Fudge!
I have the best recipe in the world for fudge. Seriously. You know those fudge booths at the fair where they charge one million dollars for a half pound? Hubby insists on breaking our bank every time he has the opportunity, then proceeds to say, “yours is better.” My kids concur. I was gifted with the recipe eons ago, and now in the holiday spirit I share with you.
Andrea’s Fudge
- 3 Cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 Cup butter
- 4-1/2 Cups sugar
- 1- 7 oz. jar marshmallow cream
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 2 Tblsp. vanilla
- 1-2 Cups chopped nuts (macadamia nuts are *excellent*)
Put chocolate chips, butter, and marshmallow cream in a large bowl. Set aside. In heavy dutch oven, bring milk and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Continue stirring frequently for exactly 8 minutes. Pour hot mixture over ingredients in bowl. Stir until well mixed, then beat with an electric mixer until fudge begins to hold its shape. Beat in vanilla. Stir in nuts. Pour fudge into a buttered 13″ x 9″ pan and refrigerate until solid.
Notes from me:
- I use a 13″ x 9″ plus an 8″ x 8″ pan - using only the one makes a really deep fudge; too deep for me.
- When I grease the pans, I place a piece of waxed paper in the pans so that the edges extend out of the pan on two sides. When the fudge is ready to cut, use the wax paper to lift the slab out of the pan and flip it onto a cutting board for easy cutting.
Enjoy!
Going Organic?
Head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom and enter to win $300 worth of Horizon Organics coupons. I couldn’t pass this one up; I strive to go organic when I can, but boy it hits me right in the wallet.
Must Have Thanksgiving Dish?
I polled the kids last night before heading out to do my Thanksgiving Day shopping this morning; I wanted to make sure I didn’t skip anything that was crucial to their Thanksgiving meal. Wanna know what they consider to be a “must have” side dish? Cranberry sauce. Jellied. Out of the can.
For me? Stuffing. Absolutely. I make it with sausage and giblets (the only good use for a giblet, IMO) and sometimes nuts.
What about you? What’s your must have Thanksgiving side dish?
*Excellent* Granola Bar Recipe
I’ve been obsessed with finding a good granola bar recipe and finally I have success. The Vermont Granola Bars at Cookie Madness are fabulous! I helped E make them today and they are almost gone - the boys loved them.
Real Food
My previous post about viral spray for meats makes a very good case for a book that I’ve been wanting to read, Nina Planck’s Real Food: What to Eat and Why. I flipped through it at Borders the other day and it looks very interesting.
