Hawaiian Themed Dinner

Yesterday around noon, my friend Adriana told me she had received an apron as a souvenir from some family members who had traveled to Hawaii.  She then said that she wanted to do a Hawaiian themed meal, so that she had a good reason to wear her new tropical print apron.



By 4:30 we had thrown together an impromptu "Hawaiian" meal!

Our menu featured a pork roast, seasoned with fresh herbs; a freshly made salsa that included fresh mango, pineapple, tomatoes, peppers of assorted colors, freshly picked herbs and some seasonings, garnished with fresh picked mint; rice noodles cooked with sausage, cabbage and coconut milk and a tropical inspired mixed drink that included tequila and orange liquer, garnished fresh strawberries and pineapple.

DELICIOUS!

Fresh From the Garden - Cabbage

While at my Aunt & Uncle's house last week, I got to bring home some super fresh goodies from the garden.  One of those items being Cabbage.

Often when I incorporate cabbage into a meal, the cabbage tends to be part of the main course, but two nights ago when I decided to cook up one of these beautiful, crunchy heads, I was going to be serving it to children, and I wasn't sure if they liked cabbage or not.  So I wanted to make it a side dish.  I decided to bake some fish and instead of making fresh coleslaw, I went with a cooked cabbage side.

I cooked the cabbage with an onion and some pork sausage, then added some softened Asian rice noodles to round out the side, so that it provided not just veggies but also some grains/carbohydrates.  The result was a unanimous success!

As the 3-year old put it, "Cabbage is good!"  Yay!  Anytime I can get a 3-year old to say those words about any vegetable, I consider it a job well done.  :)  Rachael

Fresh From the Garden - Turnips

Those of you who know me, know that not only do I have a fondness for plants and gardening, I also LOVE to cook!  This past week, while visiting family in South Eastern Georgia, I was fortunate enough to receive some fresh picked veggies from my uncle's garden.

One of the items I received was some turnips.  I know a lot of people do not like turnips and the truth is, if they are not cooked correctly, I don't particularly like them either.

However, if they ARE cooked correctly they can be delicious!  And being the fantastic cook that I am, they were delicious!  I even fed them to 3 children who had never had turnips before and they all loved them and ate seconds!

Smashed turnips & potatoes with onion and bacon....a HUGE hit!

Vintage - Cowrie Shell Necklace

This is a beautiful vintage Cowrie Shell Necklace.  It is quite heavy and features a double row of Cowrie Shells, with a round, red bead nestled between each set of shells.  It also has a very cool pendant made from 23 Cowrie Shells, with a larger red bead in the center.  The pendant is part of the necklace and cannot be removed.

The necklace is a 15" chain, with the pendant adding an additional 3" in length.  For a total hang length of 18".

Price: $35 (shipping included within the United States) (Additional shipping fees required if being sent outside the United States)

To purchase or for more information, please text me at: 616.308.6922.  Be sure to mention the item that you are interested in and the best time for me to call you to make arrangements for payment and shipping.