Entries Tagged as 'pineapple'

Hawaiian Thanksgiving with Billy and Ging Ging

November 28th, 2011 · 4 Comments


Billy & Dallas


Dallas

Two Hawaiian guys, slippers, Hawaiian t-shirts, hibachi, kalbi. Yep, looks like a Hawaiian-themed Thanksgiving!


Hawaiian-Themed Thanksgiving Dinner

For the holiday we went to visit Billy and Ging Ging in the East Bay. We’d originally planned on skipping all the traditional Thanksgiving food and just ordering Hawaiian platters from L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, but whattaya know? L&L is closed on Thanksgiving. So we ended up making Thanksgiving dinner, but still tried for Hawaiian style instead of the American classics.


Hawaiian-Themed Thanksgiving Dinner

Dallas and Billy took care of the meats: Kalbi Korean short ribs and chicken katsu. Ging and I made the rest. Mostly Ging, ok at least under her supervision. We made a chinese salad with ramen crunchies, a warmed spinach/cranberry/pecan salad, tofu, mac salad (with and without wahoo/ono), mashed sweet potato, and fresh pineapple with li hing powder. For dessert we made haupia and a pumpkin mochi.


Damien & Matt

Matt and Amy joined us for dinner. Made made lemon meringue pie and they brought a couple bottles of wine as well.


Damien & Billy


Matt, Amy, Billy


Ging Ging, Damien, Dallas, Rachelle

Amy wasn’t sure what Billy and Ging meant when they said we were having Hawaiian foods for Thanksgiving but when we told her the menu she told us she was looking forward to all of that more than turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes!


Matt’s beautiful lemon meringue pie.


Lemon meringue pie, haupia, pumpkin mochi.

Ging and I prepared dessert plates for everyone. Each got a slice of Matt’s lemon meringue pie, a piece of haupia topped with chocolate pudding and freshly-whipped cream (kind of like haupia pie with no crust), and a piece of pumpkin mochi. The mochi didn’t really stand up to the sweetness of the pie or haupia, but when we ate it the next day on it’s own it was much better. The lemon mirengue pie was so delicious. I ate it for breakfast the next day too! And the haupia reminded me of Hawaii. I made it the night before. It was simple with a mix that Ging had from Lihue.


Ging (talking to her family & rubbing baby #2 due in April!), Matt, Amy, Billy, Damien, Dallas

After dinner and after Damien went to bed we watched a couple of movies: Super 8 and 50/50. I saw 50/50 in the theater and really liked it. I thought Super 8 was pretty good too.

I love turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and pecan pie, but this was a good alternative dinner and I was glad we did it! Also, remind us to tell you the story about how Billy and Ging don’t have a TV but borrowed one (+Direct TV). And then Dallas and Billy had to configure it so we could watch the football games on Thanksgiving. Craziness!

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Hawaiian Bridal Luncheon

December 1st, 2010 · 1 Comment


With my mom.


With my mom and dad. My dad gave me these flowers!


Festive Hawaiian Table


With Cousin Dawn


Cousin Kelly, Kelly’s daughter Margo, Mom, Mom’s friend Maureen


Cousin Kelly’s daughter Margo


Cousin Marla, Marla’s daughters Mya and Ella, Cousin Kelly and Kelly’s daughter Katie, Aunt Connie


With my niece Jessica and Cousin Kelly’s other daughters, Tessa and Charlotte


Aunt Connie and Charlotte


Mom & Cousin Dawn. I don’t know what they’re pointing at.


Aunt Connie, Mom & Cousin Dawn. I don’t know what they’re pointing at.


Ella


Aunt Deb, Cousin Erica and Erica’s daughter Ella


With Aunt Deb, Cousin Erica and Erica’s daughter Ella


Aunt Sue and My Mom’s Cousin Jane


Jane’s Daughter Jessica and Jessica’s Daughter, Abigail


With my sister-in-law Amanda


Cousins Skyonna and Katrina. I babysat for Katrina very regularly from her birth on!


Cousin Sky. I kept thinking she was older, but she is only 14!


Me!


Me and my mom.


Time for gifts.


Ella, My Niece Jessica, Abi


My Aunt Sue wrote a poem for me inside this card.


Ella helping out. Or something.


Jessica & Abi


Ella & Jessica.


Cousin Marla, her daughter Mya, Kelly’s daughter Kate, Aunt Connie, Cousin Kelly


Cousin Kelly & Aunt Sue made these coasters for us using our engagement photos.


Margo with a lei!


Everyone was so generous with the presents!


My mom gave us this sculpture that looks like two pieces but really is one.


Ella & Tessa helping out.


Maureen gave us these personalized towels.


Abi and Ella helping out.


Abi and Ella helping out.


My cousin Erica and her daughter Ella.


Ella drawing.


Abi and her drawing.


Chocolate macadamia nut brownies.


With Aunt Sue and mom.


With all of my mom’s sisters: Alice, Sue, Wanda & Connie


With all of my mom’s sisters: Alice, Sue, Wanda & Connie


Jane’s Husband Gene and my dad


My Aunt Ali


Tessa trying to see how many leis she can wear!


Cousin Skyonna


Charlotte


Charlotte


Margo


Jessica


Sister-in-Law Amanda and Niece Jessica


Dad


Mike came to pick up Katrina. They are engaged too!


Jessica being crazy!


With my Uncle Dave

Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, my mom hosted a Hawaiian-themed bridal luncheon for me. My parents really went all out on this one with the food and drinks. We had

  • Salted Macademia Nuts
  • Chocolate-Covered Macademia Nuts
  • Taro Chips
  • Fresh Coconut Pieces
  • Fresh Pineapple Chunks
  • Fruit Salad
  • Lettuce Salad w/ Toasted Macademia Nuts, Toasted Coconut, Pineapple, Bacon and a homemade Pineapple Vinaigrette
  • Macaroni Salad
  • Sweet & Sour Meatballs
  • Kalua Pig on Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
  • Teriyaki Chicken and Pineapple Skewers
  • Pistachio Pudding Salad
  • Orange Dreamsicle Puff
  • White Chocolate Macademia Nut Brownies
  • Hawaiian Party Punch (with or without Skyy Pineapple Vodka)

Amanda, Stephanie and Jessica were in charge of decorations and party supplies. They did such a great job with wall hangings, garland, plates, napkins, utensils, drink umbrellas and stir sticks, leis… so much fun Hawaiian/tropical party things.

Since my brother lives and hour and a half from us here in Chicago and my parents live about two or two and a half hours from my brother, many times we meet there and do things around the Milwaukee area. Or even just hang out at my brother’s house because it’s kind of a central location. This is great, but also means that I don’t see a ton of my family that lives farther away, farther north. It was so great to see so many of my aunts and cousins. I was so happy that many of them were able to make it to the party.

I did not want anyone to feel obligated to bring gifts, I just wanted to see everyone, but my family was so generous and brought gifts anyway. My aunt Sue even wrote a poem for Dallas and I. And she and my cousin Kelly handmade coasters for us with our engagement photos on them! And we received so many great things for the kitchen and bathroom. And new luggage. And a beautiful Kenyan wedding sculpture. And I could go on and on. A big thank you to everyone for being so generous!

Thanks so much to my parents, Amanda, and my nieces for planning everything. And to all of my aunts and cousins for coming out and making it a great day. We will be thinking of everyone while we are away in Hawaii and you will be there with us in spirit, I know!

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Bacon Wrapped Pineapple

August 19th, 2010 · 2 Comments

You heard me!

Bacon.

Wrapped.

Pineapple.

Oh, and they’re also dredged in brown sugar before they’re baked. These little things are like crack! This is my crack recipe of the year. Last year it was the Crack Onion Dip. This year, Crack Bacon Wrapped Pineapple. I made them for our Lost finale party and they were a big hit. And? SIMPLE to make. Try them for your next party.

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites
From: Tasty Kitchen

1 pound Bacon
1 can Chunked Pineapple (large Chunks)
½ cups Brown Sugar

Set your oven to 375F.

Cut the pound of bacon in half. Put the brown sugar in a shallow bowl. Take a half a slice of bacon and dredge it through the brown sugar. Put a chunk of pineapple on one end of the bacon slice and roll up. Secure with a toothpick.

I put a cookie cooling rack into a foil-lined jelly roll pan. Lay the bacon pineapple bundles onto the rack.

Bake for at least 25 minutes, or until the bacon looks brown and crispy. Sometimes I pop them under the broiler for the last few minutes just to get them really crisp. But watch out – the sugar will burn!

Try to wait for them to cool slighty – only because the tasty goodness will burn your lips if it’s too hot! Enjoy.

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Tropical Burgers & Lost

May 30th, 2008 · No Comments


Tropical Burger, Roscoe Village, Chicago

Last night we had a few people over to watch the Lost season finale. We grilled out and had these tropical burgers with a slice of grilled pineapple, grilled onion, tomato, and lettuce. I don’t know why my bun was upside down.

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Thai Classic Restaurant

May 26th, 2008 · No Comments


Orchid Chicken – sliced chicken breast stir-fired in our chili sauce with onion , mushroom, bell pepper, pineapple , green onion and cashew nut :: Thai Classic Restaurant, Wrigleyville, Chicago

Thai Classic Restaurant is another new restaurant we tried after going to Chicago Comics. I thought it was ok. The pineapple used to serve my meal was fun, but I don’t remember the food being terribly outstanding.

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