Tastes and Smell of Hawaii you can do at home like me on Monday night

So, I am trying to eat more vegeatable and fruits and fish in my diet. I bought a head of cabbage, some black beans, non-fat sour cream and some halibut. I am going to make the salsa below and put this all in some soft, warm tortillas for dinner.
Pineapple Salsa for Fish or Pork or Sandwiches or?
2 c. Pineapple (You can use fresh or canned crushed
2 Tbsp. Minced onion
2 Tbsp. Chopped jalapeno (I go easy on this)
1/4 c. Minced cilantro
1/4 c. Lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

More of Maui, My Birthday Surprise, Island Sites and being Happy

So, I am posting photos of Maui because I didn't get photos taken of both Prescott and Phoenix like I had planned. Once I went to the hospital that was it and when I had some time after teaching in Prescott, I went to bed. Now I know why. :0)
But I did have loads of Maui photos where I was only the day before I went to Arizona so I thought I would show you more of what it was like.
My birthday was a few days before the Maui trip and really we didn't do anything here except I did have a nice meal alone with each of my children which was lovely.
Once we were in Maui, Mal and Tina made cupcakes and we had a celebration there. A surprise like this is seldom and so good for the heart. I went to bed that night so thankful for so many gifts that God has given me.

This darling little girl is named "Lucy Latte." Tina my friend knew I love lattes and that my screen name is Lattegirl. So she bought this for me for my birthday. She was a challenge to get home but now she sits on my mantel with other pink and red and mercury glass things. I love her!

This little bag is a bag in a bag for when I travel. Lightweight and polka dotted. Along with this darling bag was a pair of wonderful RED dice earrings that I haven't gotten a photo of yet but since they are so fun, you will be seeing them here on my ears.

Molly gavce me this heavy plastic glass and it was perfect timing. When I came home from being in the hospital, I kept it full of cold water and it was big enough that I didn't have to race back and forth to the sink. Inside the cup was a Starbucks card. This is really fun since it says Hawaii with a bird on it. :0)

Napkins from my birthday party. Lots of laughter and love. It is so nice to have nice friends.

Below is cute ideas for body positions from a restaurant sign.

We all know there are many body types. I took two photos of beautiful women. The one below is of a King's wife (one of many but his favorite). I thought this was lovely. Below her is a French style maniquin. Note the difference in almost everything. Including the weight of these lovely ladies.

I have seen these manuquins in two places-Hawaii and France. Isn't think funny? No where else. Both Oahua and maui have these in their shops.

I loved these beautiful plants that had builts in complementary colors! So beautiful.


No matter where I am, I am always drawn to these signs about trouble....must be my strict grade school teaching.


With all of the places in the island to eat, Maui Taco seemed to call us. We ate there about four or five times. Simple but good food. The best Pineapple Salsa in the world and someone said that if you google "aui Pineapple Salsa" the recipe comes up. Yum.

Back from Phoenix, Surgery and Nice Cousins and Friends

Phew! What an experience this last week has been! The week started out well in Prescott Arizona and the classes were lots of fun with really imaginative girls who were great to be with! Visited the most darling quilt shop downtown Prescott and spent lots of cash....
Packed my things into my rented car and drove to my Uncle Phil and Aunt Cora's house. Got there in time for lunch and I didn't feel hungry. We talked old times and then dinner time came and I felt tired but my back was hurting (again). About 2am I knew I was in worse pain than I thought and I thought it was heart related. Because my relatives don't drive any longer I didn't want to wake them so I packed everything up and using my GPS drove to a hospital an hour away. My gas light went on and I had to pump gas while having the dry heaves and a chip delivery man gave me a nasty look. I figured out later that at 2:30 in the morning, my hair a mess and me pumping gas with the dry heaves probably looked like I was drunk or something. Who else would this happen to?
Anyway, I made it to the hospital and spent all week there while they did loads of tests. The fourth day, they did a gall bladder surgery for a badly infected gall bladder with four stones over 2 centemeters,I have no idea what size that is.
And I have a spot on my liver which they took a biopsy of. I still have not heard what that means. I stayed two more days, went back and slept at my Aunt and Uncles house. I was MOST lucky that my cousin Mary Eleanor (my age) is an RN and came up every day to the hospital as my advocate and when I went to fly home, she took all of my luggage and handed it in so I would not have to lift anything. She is wonderful. Got to see other cousins who also helped in different ways and friends Curt and Joan Pintler while in the hospital also. I commented that it was lovely to get sick in a city where I had family. And lovely family. My hope now is that I can go back to Phoenix soon and visit my cousin Patty who is dear and funny and fighting cancer (her daughter is the RN).
I decided that photos of the trip would be fun to show....no photos once I got into the hospital though....
Sorry this sounds so long and drawn out. I love my family who were most worried and friends who wrote on facebook etc. It is nice to feel loved when you also feel so vulnerable. When you are alone in a city with no family, it is wonderful to count on letters (emails) from friends who send prayers and positive thoughts...and those who bawled me out for driving myself to the hospital as well. :0) lIFE IS GOOD AND IT IS GOOD TO HAVE GOOD HEALTH.

This might be the Hwaiian Rice Recipe we ALL LOVED

aBOVE IS mEL IN AN APRON SHE MADE FOR ME IN HER LOVELY PLACE IN mAUI. I love the color combination and will wear it when I make the rice we ate. I think this recipe is darn close. Hope you enjoy it also.


I just spent too much time trying to find a recipe like the one we had in Maui. It was fabulous. So good to be served on the mainland with a simple piece of meat or fish. I think this is close. If you try it which I will when I am back home, please let me know.
Ingredients:Servings:
4 4 4Servings Size
DELICIOUS RICE DISH

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup broccoli stem (peeled, finely diced approx 1 1/4 lb. broccoli)
3/4 cup shredded carrot
3/4 cup diced red bell pepper
3/4 cup corn kernel (fresh or frozen)
4 scallions, thinly sliced (both white and green parts)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 cups cooked brown rice, chilled
3/4 cup diced Canadian bacon (4 oz)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)-but this was so delightful
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
Change Measurements: US | Metric

Directions:
1 Heat all but 1 tsp of the oil in a large non-stick skillet or stir-fry pan over medium heat.
2 Add the broccoli stems, carrots and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften, 3-5 minutes.
Add corn and scallions and cook Add the scallion, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the raw garlic aroma subsides, about 1 minute. 5 Add the cold rice and Canadian bacon or pork and cook, stirring until heated through 3- 5 minutes.
Make a 3 inch well in the center of the rice mixture.
Add the remaining 1 tsp of oil, then the eggs, and cook, stirring until the eggs are almost fully scrambled.
Stir the eggs into the rice mixture. Add the cilantro.
Stir in the soy sauce and serve.

Maui IS heaven on earth when you have good sewing friends to share it with

So, last fall four of us girls were talking about the beauty of Hawaii and what a nice place it would be to sew and create! And before we knew it, we planned a trip to Maui where my friend Mel owns one of the most beautiful places with a fabulous view and a great place to sew. Such fun and excitment-my heart was beating the whole time. We ate, sewed, laughed, drew, created, tasted, smelled and listened (fabulous Hawiian music). A shot in the arm for everyone. Tina started a blog while there called "Quilt Silly" and it should be a great one as she is hilarious and so sweet. Molly and Mel worked on a Witch swap (15 witches pieced) and got them done...I still have to do mine and when I see what they went through, I am kind of afraid. What? I always tell people there is nothing to be afraid of-but you know how those swap blocks have to be perfect and match the sizes...
It was lovely to share things about our Mothers and our families and how we view life etc. This is what quilting and sewing and crafting friendships offer us. This is why I like to teach for I am a quilter and love being with quilters.
Tomorrow I get on the plane early to go to Prescott for two days of workshops and then to see my sweet Aunt and Uncle and my cousins Patty and Mary Eleanor.
I will try to add some more photos tonight...I have lots.


This is a view out Mel's window....can you imagine? It is so beautiful on Maui...and we had the perfect place to sew and enjoy the breezes, the smells and the beauty.

SO many images that are pretty and beg to be in a happy quilt!

These pancakes were yummy- Tina and I shared a plate of them and couldn't eat them all. We both agreed the rice was the best we had ever eaten...I am going to try to make it here. Will share the recipe when I figure it out.

This is a photo of the best rice I ever ate in my life!

This was an outdoor craft fare- there were lots of quilt things on the island to buy but most had machine stitching quite thick around the flowers and I thought it took away from the beauty. We did see some hand appliqued quilts there that were quite wonderful. I did a pillow once and that was the end of my Hawaiian quilt days. So much quilting and work-I gave it away.

Here is Mel with shaved ice-you choose three flavors to have them add and it is hard to choose


The chickens and roosters are so wonderful in Maui and the colors of their feathers shine in the sun and they just beg to be in a quilt! Or maybe a stew.

The floavors of the island of Maui are quite wonderful-so many different tastes..and the colors of the food! Wow. I enjoyed the fruits, the pork and pinapple things, the nuts, the salads are wonderful too-anything fresh was my favorite! We ate alot of Maui taco's while there and they were good too. Probably the best meal to me was a breakfast of macadamia nut and pinapple pancakes and a brown rice dish that had prchuguise sausage, eggs, onions, garlic and herbs...it was fabulous-we split it 4 ways because it was so huge.

Plaid to Meet You from Mary Lou Too

I never tire of fun story quilts whether large or smallish. This quilt was so much fun and the colors were wonderful to work with. once I added one angel I knew I needed to add two more. I did three kids (two girls and a boy) just like what I had with my children....this is a neighborhood I would love to live in. Happy and Inventive! If you are in the box and haven't done a quilt like this, you are missing out. I encourage you to do something original and fun and you!

There is nothing that delights me more than creativity, plaids, other great fabric (like my new line), angels and kids...this quilt has it all including great color and whimsy just like Julie's below. Come and join us at John C.Campbell and you won't believe what you can do! Honestly I could just be in some kind of room the rest of my life making quilts like these....so much fun!







I love these shoes.....bought four pair of them for my birthday in four different colors...this brand is just right for the road and they were closing them out.

I am leaving today for Maui for a week. I am going to do something wild with paint on muslin and also do something with words out of Hawaiian fabrics...should be fun!