Part 1-Such is life

Darrian in his rash guard. He can't wait until surfs up

I almost feel bad just posting these. Most people are waiting for summer to take a vacation, maybe even to a tropical island, and I live on one. I feel like a spoiled lady. For Spring Break I spent my time at the beach reading. I have read 2 complete books, part of a third, and at least 10 magazines. Oh poor me. Next week it will be back to business. I can't wait for summer break.

Part 2

Happy Birthday Brandon

My son Brandon turned 15 on March 21. We didn't have a big party, but his friend spent the night and they had a great time. Here he is having his cake and also going over the hurtle at his first track meet. This is late because the kids are keeping me very busy for Spring Break. Today I have to bring my van into the shop because the front end is making a weird vibration noise upon turning. Hopefully it will be fixed by Monday. Luckily church is in walking distance because I don't want to miss the Easter trilogy they put on every year starting this week. Next week is the last week of Spring Break so my life will return to normal sometime in April.

Spring Break

The schools are out once again for spring break and that means 2 weeks off for the kids. We will frequent the water park and that should keep them pretty busy. Today we have a good friend coming for a visit. We met Mr. Jack when they were stationed in Hawaii and we lived across the field from them. His sub will be coming in to Pearl Harb0r sometime today and then he will give us a call. It should be a fun visit.

My daughter leaves for a youth group convention on the Big Island on Monday. This should keep the teens busy. They are all very excited.

The bad news is my Jacuzzi pump broke and it will be about $400. to fix it so I have emptied it and winterized it until I can buy the new pump. We are concentrating all our money on sending my daughter to Bali for a mission. She belongs to a youth group called Surfing the Nations and every year this group takes the teen missionaries to Bali and they do an awesome work. The also have other mission trips, but this is the one she would like to go on. So for now I am putting our efforts into this. It's kind of funny though that these are missionaries who surf, and my daughter does not, although they are wanting to teach her. This group has evolved and become so big that you don't have to be a surfer to belong to it. Saturday night the Surfing the Nations van pulled up to drop my daughter off and there were 6 surf boards on a surf rack strapped on the top. I didn't even know they had surf racks for cars and vans. Anyway this group has many chapters and she belongs to the Honolulu one.

Tonight I am making a chili recipe that I got off allrecipes.com a few years ago and have loved it ever since. I will let you all know how it comes out.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Apr/20/il/il01a.html
Cool article on Surfing the Nations

going green and all that

I am basically trying to do what I can for the environment thanks to Julie and her suggestions it has been pretty easy. One thing I changed is I have basically given up meat. I am not a vegetarian because I would still eat meat, but mostly what I am now cooking for dinner is meatless. Since I love to cook this has been kind of fun. I have been finding all types of new recipes. For instance this week we will be having crab and swiss quiche, mushroom, green pepper and onion pizza, chili potato burritos and Barb's talapia recipe found here. I do still make meals with meat about once a week because who can give up Rocco's mama's meatballs (recipe as follows)? Last night I even made Barbs recipe for Italian style nachos, and I will tell you, these were so good they could make a vegetarian turn into a meat eater, but for the most part I am cooking meatless. I will keep you all posted on how it goes. Of course hubby has been great about this since he goes to the chow hall every day and piles on the meat for lunch and breakfast, so I am sure he will survive it, but in the event they all declare mutiny I will let you know. Unless, of course, I am tied up and locked in a closet.

Rocco's mama's meatballs
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, halved
8 oz ground beef8 oz ground pork
8 oz ground veal, or another 8 oz ground beef
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/8 cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh italian flat leaf parsley finely chopped
1/4 cup grated parmigiana reggiano cheese
1/2 to 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cups marinara sauce
12 oz desired shaped pasta
grated parmigiana reggiano cheese

1. In food processor combine chicken broth, onion and garlic. Process until pureed. In a large bowl combine onion mixture, ground beef, ground pork, ground veal, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, 1/4 cup parmigiana reggiano cheese crushed pepper, and 1 tsp salt. I skipped the veal and did the extra 8 oz of ground beef. Using about 1/4 cup mixture per meatball, form 12 meatballs. I made mine orange sized, but you can do any size you like.

2. In large skillet cook meatballs in oil over medium heat about 10 minutes or until browned turning occasionally. I baked mine on a cookie sheet in the over and 400 for about 25 minutes. I am too lazy to stand there and turn the meatballs.

3. In a 4 to 6 quart dutch oven bring marinara sauce to a boil. Drop meatballs in sauce one at a time. Stir gently. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Cook pasta according to package directions. Serve meatballs and sauce over hot pasta and serve with cheese. Enjoy. And don't forget to think about Rocco when cooking mama's meatballs.

Who says it doesn't snow in Hawaii?

Yum, Yum Yumm-o or shall I say Rocco!

Does anyone remember the reality show The Restaurant featuring Rocco DiSpirito? I do. I especially remember Rocco and how yumm-o he is. While looking through the magazine section of my PX, military lingo for Post Exchange, I saw a magazine called Simply Perfect Italian and in it was an article about Rocco. Of course I had to have it and upon reading it I discovered the recipe for Rocco's Mama's Marinara and Meatballs. If you ever saw Rocco's mama's meatballs she made on the show, you'd know why I had to have this recipe. Apparently these meatballs are a restaurant favorite, so thanks to Rocco and Mama we are going to have this for supper tonight. I will let you know how it turns out. I can say that from just mixing the ingredients for the meatballs I can already tell they will be a hit. Bon Appetit!

Winter in Honolulu

Jr. on the cliffhanger
Damian on the cliffhanger
Me and Jr. coming out of the Lava tube
Damian pushing me and Darrian
in the wave pool.