Delivery!

I got fresh vegetables delivered, hooray!

What to make?

Kale Salad to the rescue:

SUMMER KALE & BEAN SALAD WITH FETA, OLIVES & BASIL:

(1) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

(1) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

(2-3) cups packed green curly kale, minced

(1/3) cup kalamata olives, pitted & minced finely (about 20)

(1/2) cup cubed feta cheese

(1) clove garlic, minced

1/4) cup finely minced red onion

(4) tbsp olive oil

(2-3) tbsp balsamic vinegar

(1) tsp salt (or to taste)

black pepper to taste

(1) pint cherry tomatoes

fresh basil leaves (1 stalk or about 6-8 leaves)

Combine the drained and rinsed beans, chopped kale, olives, feta, garlic & red onion (if using) and toss gently together. Stir in the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt & pepper and adjust to taste. Mix all gently to incorporate the dressing. Halve the cherry tomatoes and toss them in just at the end, reserving a few to leave on top for color. Just before serving, tear a generous amount of fresh basil leaves and scatter over the top.

Pastel de Tres Leches en Fiji

Tolu Sucu Keke or Pastel de Tres Leches Fiji Style

Ingredients
1 cup normal flour plus extra for flouring the baking dish
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter (about 115 grams), melted and cooled
1 cup Fiji sugar
5 eggs

Tres Leches milk mixture to pour over the cooled cake
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (12 fluid ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1/3 cup Fiji Rum Co. rum (optional)

Whipped Cream topping
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch (23 x 20 x 3 cm) baking pan.

Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.

Beat egg whites in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high until stiff peaks form; gradually beat in sugar until mixture is glossy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, combining each yolk before adding the next; beat in the melted butter and vanilla extract. Reduce mixer speed to medium and add the flour/baking powder mixture, about 1 tablespoon at a time, to the bowl, beating continuously. Pour batter into prepared baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Pierce cake several times with a fork.

Combine the coconut milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk. Pour over the top of the cooled cake, refrigerate overnight or at least one hour to allow the tres leches to absorb into the cake.

Just before serving, whip the whipping cream, the remaining 1 cup of the sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla together until thick. Cut in squares and top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream and some sliced seasonal fruit.

Tonight's Dinner Plan. And get this: I found everything on my shopping list!

Greek Dinner

Starters: spanakopita, chicken kebabs with tzatziki sauce

Mains: Lamb Kofte, greek lemon potatoes, chickpea salad

Greek Lemon Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 kg potatoes, peeled and quartered      1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil                 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

12 garlic cloves, sliced     1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray; set aside.

In a large bowl, toss potatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and black pepper. Transfer potatoes in single layer onto baking sheet.Roast 30 minutes.

While potatoes are roasting, make the dressing by whisking extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, dill, and lemon peel in small bowl. Pour two tablespoons of the mixture into another small bowl and add garlic.

Divide garlic mixture between baking sheets with potatoes and toss to coat; reverse baking sheets and roast until potatoes are tender and brown around edges, about 15 minutes longer.

In a large bowl, toss roasted potatoes with enough of remaining dressing to coat and serve.

Spanakopita Triangles

Prep Time: 30 Minutes  Cook Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes

Ready In: 1 Hour 35 Minutes       Servings: 12

INGREDIENTS:

55 ml vegetable oil                          1 large onion, chopped

1 Kg fresh spinach                            4 g chopped fresh dill

8 g all-purpose flour                        125 g feta cheese, crumbled

2 eggs, lightly beaten                     salt and pepper to taste

3/4 package phyllo dough            165 g butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

1.            Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.            Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Slowly cook and stir onions until softened. Mix in spinach, once wilted, add dill and flour. Cook approximately 10 minutes, or until most of the moisture has been absorbed. Remove from heat. Mix in feta cheese, eggs, salt and pepper.

3.            Separate one sheet of phyllo from the stack and evenly brush with a light coating of butter. Place another sheet of phyllo over the butter and press the two sheets together. Cut the layered phyllo dough into long strips about 3 inches wide. Keep the remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.

4.            Lay out one strip of phyllo at a time on your work surface with one of the narrow ends close to you. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling 1 inch from the end closest to you. Fold the bottom right corner over the filling to the left edge to form a triangle. Fold the triangle up, bringing the point at the bottom left up to rest along the left edge. Turn the lower left corner over to touch the right edge. Continue turning the triangle over in this manner until you reach the end of the phyllo. Repeat with the remaining filling and phyllo dough.

5.            Place filled phyllo dough triangles on a large baking sheet and brush with the remaining butter. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Tzatziki Sauce

450 g greek yogurt

 2 cucumbers - peeled, seeded and finely diced

 30 ml olive oil

 1 Tbsp lemon juice

 salt and pepper to taste

 4 g finely chopped fresh dill

 3 cloves garlic, finely crushed

In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill and garlic. Blend thoroughly, chill for one hour before serving.

Lamb Kofte Kebabs

250 g lamb mince

250 g beef mince

¼ cup breadcrumbs

1 small onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 Tbsp dill, chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb and beef mixture, breadcrumbs, half the shallot, a pinch of garlic (save the rest for the vegetables), the remaining dill and remaining mint; season with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into 4 equal, oblong patties and insert a wooden skewer lengthwise into the center of each.

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium until hot. Add the kebabs and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. (Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil to help the kebabs cook faster.) Transfer the cooked kebabs to a plate, leaving any drippings in the pan. Set the cooked kebabs aside in a warm place.

Garnish with the cucumber-yogurt sauce and lemon wedges. Enjoy!

Chickpea Salad

2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained

2 cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced

4 roma tomatoes, diced

0.5 red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup black olives, drained and chopped

30 g crumbled feta cheese

60 ml extra virgin olive oil

60 ml balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, garlic, olives, cheese, salad dressing, lemon juice, garlic salt and pepper. Toss together and refrigerate 2 hours before serving. Toss feta in before serving. Serve chilled.

Souvenirs from Fiji

What do you give to a centenarian? And what do you give to the extended family members who are coming to the celebration/family reunion? In this hyperconnected world where anything can be purchased online, how do you give something that is truly authentic and one of a kind? Ok, well, maybe I have that one covered ONE time, but how do I keep that sentiment and find enough gifts for my extended family without going broke?

Here are my people/categories of gift that I need to buy for:

• Grandma
• Mom
• Dad
• Sisters & almost sister-in-law
• Brother & brothers in law
• housewarming gifts
• Aunts
• Uncles
• Cousins
• People I'm related to, and could probably tell you how if I really thought about it
• Friends I'm seeing on my layover, friends I'm staying with when I get there, friends I run into that I don't have any idea to expect. 

Here's what I got: 

• Pure Fiji gift packs. I love these products. I wish they had an unscented version, but although the strong fragrances slow me down, they don't stop me. My feet get all kinds of beat up wearing flip flops all the time and the sugar scrub totally revitalizes and rehydrates them. The coconut oil, lotions, and body butter are just icing on that cake.  
  
• Pure Fiji mosquito repellent. I'm going to an outdoor family reunion... in Texas .... in the summer. The repellent is Fiji patio tested and mom-approved, pretty sure it will hold up to a summer reunion.   
• hand printed sulus in a variety of colors and weights and designs. Pics will have to get posted later. I chose these because they're 2 meters of beautiful fabric. They can be used for their traditional purpose as a loose skirt, but they also make great table cloths and scarves or can be sewn into dresses or pillows or all kinds of other neat things. It's a good thing I'm coming back to Fiji because some of these sulus are so beautiful that I don't want to let them go! 
• Individual packets of kava and bilos - This sort of walks the line between keychains and a truly useful gift. I get small packets of kava made up at the market, they're all individually wrapped and I give them with a coconut cup or bilo. They cost me about $1.50 per gift, and are very much a part of Fijian life here. That said, I know that many of the people I give them to are probably never going to open their kava and try it. Isa! 
  
• Nature Fiji Mareqete Viti calendars - I started by attending NFMV events, somehow or another I found myself volunteering at their events. I have truly taken a deep drink of the kool-aid. That said, the calendars that NFMV publishes are simply awesome. Click the link to see for yourself! 
• Fijian Pearl necklace
• Salusalu
• Pacific Dialogue greeting cards

So. That's my list. What would you give? 

Driving on the left side of the road, oh my!

This is one post that I wish I had actually written as I was learning to drive on the left hand side of the road.

For those who are joining us late I grew up in Texas. I think I was around 12 when on an occasional basis my dad started letting us drive down one block under his close supervision from the passenger seat. Then when I turned 15 I got a learner's permit and he started having me drive everywhere, again closely supervised from his spot in the passenger's seat. When I turned 16 I got my first driver's license.

And then I stopped driving. I lived in Europe and biked everywhere. I went to college and biked everywhere. I got a job and biked to work everyday.

Then I got a job that required me to drive about a thousand miles a week - that's about 1,600 km metric. Luckily - and I do say luckily with sincerity - I got a ticket a few months after I started that job. I chose to go to a defensive driving class. The instructor taught a class called "Grin and Take It" He was a professional stand up comedian that had been in a huge pileup years before. Think Jon Stewart for driver's school. He covered all the requisite topics with an incredible amount of humor - so much humor that 15+ years later I still remember tons of what he said.

"Time and Physics are working against you, so you always have to drive defensively."

But I digress.

Driving on the right side of the road is different from driving on the left side of the road, but it's not a mirror reverse. In some ways I think that would have been easier, but no, some things stay in the same spot.

And this is the spot that I really wish I'd written this portion as I was becoming accustomed to driving on the left hand side of the road. I don't have the muscle memory that I had back in October about what goes where. Now when I get in the car, it feels right to drive on the left.

And I'm headed back to the US soon!  

Design Your Own Sulu Jaba

"You need a sulu jaba for next Friday"

That doesn't sound like it should be terrifying or stressful, but it was! We were recently arrived in Suva and my husband's office was welcoming him with a traditional ceremony. I love parties, but I didn't have the right clothes.... and didn't know how to get them.

One of my husband's coworkers took me to a couple of fabric stores and we chose a fabric that was neither too thick nor too thin. The print wasn't too dark or too light. And then the coworker had to go back to work. Before she left we tried to find a tailor, but none of them could finish my sulu jaba in time for the event.

*deep breath*

I had the name of a woman in the flea market and I found her stall only to find she couldn't finish within the week. She gave me the name of another seamstress who also was booked. I felt like Mary and Joseph going from one inn to another only to be turned away. Finally I came to the last aisle and the last stall and found a seamstress that could sew the sulu jaba in a week's time, just in time for my deadline.

And it was ok. The fabric was comfortable and I felt fine.

but

but

the sulu jabas that I saw on the women in town were so beautiful! In passing I would hear others comment on the Samoan print or how traditionally Fijian another sulu jaba was. Everything looked tropical to me, I wanted to know how they could tell the fabrics apart, I wanted a sulu jaba that felt designed, and not just sewn!

A few months went by and I started to meet people. I also started to put together activities, and one of them was a Sulu Jaba Design excursion. This is what I sent out:

Sulu Jaba Excursion. $30 + cost of material, price includes a custom made sulu jaba made from the material you choose (material is purchased separately). The April meeting of the American Women's Association is scheduled for Thursday, April 30 at noon in the US Embassy. What better way to welcome our new US Ambassador Judith Cefkin to her post in Fiji than with a friendly Bula Vinaka from the women of AWA in our festive bula wear? A Sulu Jaba is the traditional Fijian two piece outfit. It consists of a fitted tunic over an ankle length skirt in matching or coordinating fabric. The most traditional sulu jabas are made of 100% cotton and have a knee length top over the ankle length wrap skirt. Modern interpretations are limited only by your imagination and the skill of your tailor. This month's activity has two parts: first we'll visit a fabric shop guided by a local designer. At the fabric shop we'll learn about different natural and synthetic fibers and how they affect the weight and drape of a material. We'll also learn about Pacific Island design motifs and how the repeat of the pattern affects your buying decisions. Our guide will help you select a sulu jaba design that fits your personal sense of style and help you select a fabric that will work well with your chosen pattern. Your sulu jaba will be ready in 7 days, you'll arrange for a fitting and pickup date during your initial visit. Your fee of $30 includes your trip to the fabric store, design consultation, and the sewing of your sulu jaba. Material is purchased separately. You can also bring 4.5 meters of your own fabric to have your sulu sewn. Please note that the $30 cost does not include the cost of the fabric. If you're interested, please respond by email with your name and your cell phone number. If there is still space available you will receive a confirmation email with details about how to prepare for your visit and our meeting point. Space is very limited, so please RSVP quickly if you plan to join us for this outing.

First we met at a local fabric shop to choose a fabric:

Rosie Semisi, a local designer, met us at the store and taught us about the different prints. She also helped us visualize how these prints would look once made into a sulu jaba.

Then Rosie custom designed sulu jabas:

We met for fittings

Picked up the finished sulu jabas

And then we wore them to the US Embassy in April 

This definitely turned out better than my first sulu jaba design adventure.

Purple. Or when you love something that's all you see.

Soon after we moved to Tennessee I was standing in line at the campus snack bar. I realized the woman in front of me was dressed in purple from head to toe. She had on a purple top, purple pants, purple socks, purple shoes, and purple shoe laces.

I piped up and complimented her on her outfit. She responded that purple was her favorite color and she loved to wear it. I then asked, "Where did you find purple socks and shoelaces?"

The lady in purple smiled and said, "Honey, when you love something, that's all you see!"

That afternoon when I got home I looked in my closet and realized it was full of red clothing. Apparently I'd been unconsciously choosing red for years. At that point I gave up trying to squelch it and happily bought red purses, shoes, shirts, skirts, you name it. Funnily enough, it wasn't hard at all. Just as she'd told me, when you love something, that's all you see.