Shoyu Hot Dogs

Shoyu Hot Dogs is one of those foods that I remember having frequently as a kid.  Since we had hot dogs on hand, I decided to make some.

I honestly had no idea how to make them, so yes I had to google a recipe.

I found a very simple one that called for 1 T vegetable oil, 8 hot dogs (I sliced diagonally), 1/4 c shoyu, and 3 T brown sugar.  I also added 1/2 c sliced onions (because I love onions!).

After cooking the hot dogs in the oil on med-high for about 3-5 minutes, stir in the shoyu and sugar, and simmer for another 5-7 minutes.

It was quick and delish!

You can see the original recipe here on What's Cooking America.

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Chocolate-Dipped Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies

I looked through an old 1975 cookbook - Favorite Island Cookery, to make something for dinner.  Of course, I ended up choosing a dessert recipe instead.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies was the recipe, and I decided to make them even more special by dipping the cookies in chocolate.

It was a super easy recipe - cream together 1/2 c butter, 1/2 c brown sugar, 1/2 c sugar, then mix in 1 egg, 1 c chunky peanut butter, 1/2 t salt, and 1/2 t baking soda.

Then add in 1 1/2 c flour and 1 t vanilla.  Mix well, then drop by two-tablespoonfuls of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Flatten dough with fork,  Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 7 minutes.

Let cool completely.

In a microwave-safe bowl, take 1 c of chocolate chips and 2 T peanut butter, and melt on high for 1 minute.  Stir until smooth, and dip cookies. 

I got lazy and drizzled the remaining chocolate on the rest of the cookies (they still looked and tasted good!).

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HAWAI‘I AG FOUNDATION CONNECTS FARMERS AND COMMUNITY THROUGH COVID-19

Local farmers face business challenges while community safety measures grow increasingly stringent, and Hawai‘i’s agricultural industry is fighting to survive in market conditions that change on a daily basis. The Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation (HAF) is asking the community to support its Disaster Relief Fund to assist local agricultural-based businesses that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.

Farmers across the state are feeling the effects of tighter regulations and other changes along the food supply chain with the closure of many restaurants and hotels. With this Disaster Relief Fund, HAF is committed to directly assisting Hawai‘i farmers and the agricultural industry. HAF is accepting community donations at HawaiiAgFoundation.org. For a $50+ donation, HAF will be giving away a “Keep Calm and Kalo On” tank top from Ho‘opulapula Haraguchi Rice Mill & Taro Farm in Hanalei, Kaua‘i to the first 25 donors.

“We’re all navigating uncharted territory together,” said Dean Okimoto, Chairman of the HAF Board. “With regulations and market conditions changing quickly on a daily basis, we need to act fast and come together to support local agriculture and the people who provide us with fresh food grown here so that we can feed our families.”

HAF is also relaunching Local Inside as another channel to directly support the community. As the shelves in the grocery stores go empty, many community members are looking to other options for fresh produce. Formerly a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, Local Inside will now serve as an online platform to connect farmers with the community and vice versa by offering up-to-date information on where to find fresh local products from our farmers, ranchers and fisherman across the state.

A week ago, HAF repositioned its Localicious Hawaii campaign that supports restaurants buying local to a new Food-A-Go-Go campaign to support all restaurants offering takeout, delivery and curbside pickup as COVID-19 safety measures have forced restaurants to close all dining-in operations. So far, the campaign has generated a database of over 800 restaurants and 48,000 visits to the site since last week’s launch. The goal of Food-A-Go-Go is to create broad public awareness of the need to support restaurants which have been severely impacted as social distancing becomes the new normal during the stay-at-home order.

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Jan Tetsutani Free Live Painting Workshops

A friend of mine posted about @jantetsutaniart's Free Live Painting Workshops, and I thought it would be fun for my youngest son.

We actually didn't catch the live workshop, but we did watch the video on Ko Olina Resort's Facebook page.

We didn't have all the right paints, or even canvas, but we made do with whatever paint we found around the house, and plain old card stock.

Watching the replay on Facebook was good, because my son could pause at any time.

He had a lot of fun painting!

Follow @jantetsutaniart on Instagram to find out when the next live workshop will be!

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JTRDD Cafe at the New Waikiki Food Hall

This smoothie cafe is located in the new Waikiki Food Hall at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center. One of 8 tenants, JTRRD serves up the most instagram-able smoothies.  The new eateries are currently closed due to COVID-19 state guidelines, but add them to your list to check out once we can all go out safely again.

I had a feeling these beauties would be only skin deep, but I'm so glad I was wrong.  We tried the yellow art smoothie and a green juice smoothie and both were very tasty. For the art smoothie, you just pick a juice color and leave the rest to JTRRD in turning it into a work of art.  At $12 it’s not a regular treat for us, but we are glad to have tried it.

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Anna Miller's Freshly Baked Pies

I recently won a free pie courtesy of Anna Miller's.  Although we are currently required to shelter in place, there are exceptions for essential activities, and fortunately, making food-runs is considered an essential activity.

I took a quick drive over the H-3 to pick up my pie at Anna Miller's on Sunday afternoon. It was quite a sad sight to see the parking lot and restaurant empty, since Anna Miller's is normally crowded on weekends. As usual, the employees greeted me with a warm smile and thanked me for stopping by.

I was planning to give half of this pie to my mom who is sheltering in place by herself at home, so I selected one of her favorite pies - the classic apple pie.

Thank you Anna Miller's for continuing to stay open during time of uncertainty - there's nothing more comforting than freshly baked apple pie!

Don't forget - Anna Miller's offers more than just pie. They have a special menu of breakfast and lunch items available for take-out. Call (808) 487-2421 to place your order and receive 10% off your meal (Military and Senior Club members get 20% off!).

ANNA MILLER'S

98-115 KAONOHI STREET

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Hawaii's Best Hawaiian Mochiko Chicken Mix

Mochiko Chicken is a local favorite here in Hawaii, and it's fairly easy to make.  You can make the marinade from scratch, or you can take a short cut by using Hawaii's Best Hawaiian Mochiko Chicken Mix (available at stores in Hawaii or online).

All you need to add to the mix are two eggs, and 1/4 cup of water. That's it! 

Add cubed chicken thighs (uncooked) to the marinade, and refrigerate for 20 minutes, then fry. I prefer to cut the chicken into small cubes (no larger than one inch) so that the chicken cooks quicker and all the way through. 

Each bag makes up to 2 1/2 lbs of chicken. Refrigerate the leftovers for snacking on the next day!

Hawaii's Best also makes other mixes, including their signature haupia and butter mochi mixes.

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