$30 Off!!

I'm baaaaaaack!!   I just had to tell you that Wendell went to Costco today and found out that the security lights he got are now $30 off!  The sale starts today and ends on May 23, 2021.

Luckily, because Costco is DA BOMB DIGGITY, they refunded him $90 for the three lights that he bought a couple of weeks ago.  

And as an update for your info, we're still really liking the system.

Okay, I Lied

How long has it been?  3 days since my last post?  I'm such a liar.  🤥

But I had to share with you this place that Wendell went to by the Fisherman's Wharf-ish area.  At the end of Ward on Ala Moana Boulevard.

They have $5 bento!  I haven't tried any that he bought yet so I can't vouch for ono-ness, but they sure look good.

Salmon

Hamburger Steak

Combination

Cajun Snapper (I think it's snapper.  I already asked Wendell twice and I no like ask him again.)

Okay, now I'll be back in a month. 

Edit:  Ono!!!

Break Time

I feel like it's time for me to take a break from blogging.  Hopefully I'll be back in maybe a month or so.  See ya!

Watercolor Techniques

 I share two cool techniques in this video!

Security System

A few cars in our cul-de-sac got broken into, Wendell's included, so now we have three of these devices set up around our house.  

Not only does it record any movement, but at night you'll be blasted with bright floodlights if you come near.  There's also a speaker so we can yell at the thief.

The brand is called Feit Electric. Wendell got it at Costco for $130 for each unit.  He chose this system because there is no monthly fee, and it's wired so he doesn't have to worry about replacing batteries.  You can monitor the cameras via any device that you download the app onto.  If you choose, you can be notified whenever the system detects any movement.  Wendell and Landon use their phones and I have it on my iPad.

We're liking it a lot so far. 

Wendell's Korean Tofu Soup

Wendell made this the other day, and it totally hit the spot.  He got the recipe from a site called Jan's Food Steps.

Ingredients

• 2 pkg silken tofu
• 200g sliced beef
• 1 cup kimchi, chopped into smaller pieces
• 1.5 tsp red chili pepper flakes or gochugaru
• 3 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2.5 cups unsalted chicken broth 
• 1 scallion, finely sliced for garnish
• kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a pot over medium heat, add beef, kimchi, garlic, red chili pepper flakes and sesame oil. Stir-fry until beef is almost cooked and kimchi has softened, about 3-5 minutes.

2. Add the broth and bring it to boil. Let the soup boil for about 5 minutes while skimming off the scum.

3. Add in the silken tofu in big chunks. I just cut the tube-shaped package in half and squeeze the tofu into the pot. Let it cook for another 3-4 minutes or until tofu is warmed through. Add kosher salt and black pepper to taste.

4. Just before serving, sprinkle the chopped scallion on top of the soup (if using).

Flashback

 This is from 10 years ago . . .  Kona modeling a headband that I made.

Dd's Chile Verde

Chile Verde

 

3 #s pork butt, fat trimmed, cubed

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp lemon pepper

1/4 tsp ground oregano

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 c Salsa Verde, recipe follows

½ c fresh cilantro, chopped

½ tsp ground cumin

2 (4 oz.) cans chopped green chiles, minced

1 large yellow onion, chopped

Salsa Verde:

3 c water

12 tomatillos, husks removed

4 cloves garlic 

2 jalapenos, stemmed 

1 serrano pepper, stemmed 

1 small yellow onion, chopped 

1/4 c fresh cilantro, finely chopped 

1 tsp salt

 

Salsa:  In a saucepan over high heat add water, tomatillos, garlic, jalapenos and serrano peppers. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 30 minutes. Strain out pulp and reserve ¾ cup of liquid.  In a food processor, blend pulp with remaining onions, cilantro, salt and reserved liquid.

 

In a mixing bowl toss pork with salt, pepper and lemon pepper. 

In a large skillet over medium heat; brown pork. Add garlic; cook, stirring 10 minutes. Add the Salsa Verde, cilantro, cumin, green chiles and onions. Cook, stirring 5 minutes. Turn heat down to low; simmer 3 hours. Serve with tortillas, Mexican rice, refried beans, fresh cilantro.

Making Greeting Cards

This is what I did with the embossed stamped images!   You knew it, right?  I enjoyed making this video.  I hope you enjoy watching it.  

Wendell's Kabocha Pork Stir Fry

Wendell followed the recipe from Just One Cookbook for this dish. I liked it a lot!

 

Ingredients

• ½ lb ground pork
• ¼ kabocha (squash/pumpkin), (about ½ lb or 227g)
• 1 clove garlic, (sliced)
• 1 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc)
• 1 tsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)

For Pork Seasoning

• ½ tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sake
• 1 tsp potato starch/cornstarch

For Stir-Frying Seasoning

• 1 Tbsp sake
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp oyster sauce

Instructions

• Gather all the ingredients. Cut the garlic into thin slices and combine the stir-frying seasoning in a bowl.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the pork seasoning together. Add the ground pork and mix well.
• With a spoon, remove the seeds from the kabocha and cut it into thin slices.
• In a microwave-safe container, put kabocha slices and 1 Tbsp water. Place a paper towel on top and microwave for 1-2 minutes (depending on your microwave) just to cook halfway as we will be stir-frying them. Do not overcook them because they get too fragile to stir fry. 
• In a large frying pan, heat oil on medium heat and cook garlic until fragrant.
• Add the marinated meat and cook until no longer pink.
• Add gochujang and mix well together.
• Add kabocha slices and continue to stir-fry.
• When Kabocha is fully cooked, add the stir fry seasoning and shake the pan to mix all together. Serve immediately.
  
  

Embossing Powder

Guess who gave me these.  You're right!  Honolulu Aunty!  Thank you, Aunty.

I hadn't used embossing powders in awhile, but I did want to make another video and share more songs from the Kalapana CD.  So, an embossing powder tutorial seemed like as good a topic as any. 

So, here it is.  As before, enjoy the music!

Dd's Sausage, White Bean and Cabbage Soup

SAUSAGE, WHITE BEAN AND CABBAGE SOUP

 

2 TB olive oil

8 oz. smoked sausage, sliced, quartered

½ medium onion, chopped

1 small carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 tsp. turmeric

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, smashed

½ large tomato, chopped

4 c. chicken stock

15 oz. can white chili beans

1 medium red potato, chopped

¼ head cabbage, 2-inch pieces

2-4 dashes tabasco

 

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat brown sausage in oil. Add onion, carrot, celery, turmeric, salt and pepper. 

Stir well to combine; cook 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato, stock and beans.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in potatoes, cabbage and tabasco. Simmer until potatoes are cooked through, about 10 minutes. 

Serves 3-4. 

Kalapana

I've been digging through my old CDs to see if I can find music to use in videos.  This Kalapana CD used to be my favorite.  I'm so happy that I still have it.  

I made a video so that I could share some of the songs.  It's called "Making a Watercolor Palette".  It's a bit boring, but hopefully the music will make up for it.  I was able to use five songs. 

I'm also working on a second video to include more of the songs.  Stay tuned! 

Wendell's Garlic and Ginger Green Beans

Here's another dish that Wendell made following an Onolicious Hawaii recipe.  It was really onolicious!

Ingredients

• ½ pound green beans 
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 2-inch knob of ginger, minced
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

Instructions

1. Prepare the green beans. Wash and trim (cut off the ends) of the green beans.
2. Over medium-high heat, add a bit of oil to a saucepan and stir fry the beans for 2 minutes.
3. Then add the ginger and garlic. Stir fry for another 1 minute.
4. Pour in the chicken broth and soy sauce.
5. Place a lid on the pan and let steam for 1 minute. Remove the lid. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil. 
6. Stir and slide the green beans onto a serving plate. Eat with rice.
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I Love This Cow

 

Pentel Brush Pen

For today's video I decided to demonstrate my Pentel brush pen.  It has a pointy flexible tip and is refillable.  I like that the ink is waterproof.  It's selling right now on Amazon for $9.95 and comes with two ink cartridges. 

Dd's Picadillo (Mexican Hamburger Stew)

 

PICADILLO (MEXICAN HAMBURGER STEW)

 

2 tsp. olive oil

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded, chopped

¼ green bell pepper, diced

1 large Roma tomato, quartered

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp. paprika

1-2 tsp. chipotle chile powder, as desired

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 TB flour, as needed

3 c. beef broth

1 medium potato, peeled, cubed

*1/2 c. fresh cilantro stems and leaves, minced

Garnish: fresh cilantro, chopped avocado, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, sour cream,

               favorite hot sauce

 

In a large pot over medium heat, brown ground beef until no longer pink. Add onions, jalapeño, bell pepper, tomato and garlic.

Saute until onions are translucent. Add seasonings. Stir in flour; stirring well to combine. Add additional flour as desired (you want consistency to be more of a thick stew, although it is delicious like a soup as well). Stir in broth. Bring to a boil; reduce to simmer 10 minutes. Add potatoes and cilantro (don’t skimp on this, it may seem like a lot, but it adds so much flavor to the stew, stems especially); cook 10 minutes until potatoes are cooked through. 

Note: I had ½ can of leftover chili beans, so I added it at this point (glad I did).  Check for seasoning. Serve over rice. Garnish as desired. Serves 2.

Watercolor Tutorials

Thought I'd try something different. 

I followed this tutorial:

This Chris Petri one was fun.

Here's the tutorial.

Pastels

I inherited a nice big set of pastels from Honolulu Aunty, and I decided to try them out yesterday.  Thank you, Aunty!

Wendell's Vietnamese Pork and Egg

 Wendell found this recipe at Kathy Y.L. Chan's site Onolicious Hawaii.  It was super ono.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces. (Can also use pork belly or a mix of both cuts)
• 3 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 8 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 2 cups coconut water
• 5 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

Instructions

1. Make the caramel syrup: In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, rice vinegar, and 1 tablespoon water. Stir till the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. 
2. Continue to cook without stirring till the mixture turns a deep golden color, about 4 minutes (pick up the saucepan and swirl it around if some spots turn darker than others). Turn off the heat, but keep the saucepan on the stove. Let it caramelize for 1 more minute. 
3. Remove from the stove, add 3 tablespoons of water and stir to dissolve/mix the caramel. Set aside.
4. Brown the pork: In a large saucepan, brown all sides of the pork over medium-high heat. 
5. Once browned, add the onions, garlic, black peppercorns, fish sauce, coconut water, and caramel syrup (prepared in Step 1-3). Stir and then bring to a boil. 
6. Skim any scum that floats to the top. Turn the heat to low and place the lid on the saucepan. Let simmer for 2 hours. 
7. Remove the lid and let cook for another 30 minutes on low heat.
8. To remove excess fat from the sauce, take out all the pork pieces and place them in a bowl (cover the bowl so that the pork doesn't dry out). Let the sauce in the saucepan cool, and then refrigerate till the fat hardens. Spoon off and discard the fat. 
9. Add the pork back in to the saucepan. Slide in the eggs. Turn the heat to medium and cook for another 30 minutes. Add chili peppers if you'd like. 
10. Eat hot, with lots of rice!
    
    

Watercolor Pancakes

I tried a different tripod setup AGAIN.  This time I have it on the top above my painting, so it's actually filming upside down.  You can kinda see the legs, but this way I don't have to worry about getting tangled up in them and makes it a whole lot easier and less annoying.

Minions

 Here's my minion collection.