Queenly Things

Hang Loose, Brudda

The sign on the wall at the gas station says, "You fill. We fill. All the same price. Just relax." A full service vacation, you betcha.

Wake up, roll out of bed and straight into the pool.

I brought somethings to keep me honest. I finished this hat. Jenny, my hostess loved it so much that I gave it to her. I'm working on more.

Some ladies went to the beach, some stayed at the pool. We ventured into Waimea and grocery shopped then back home to fix din-din.
Wine and nibbles while dinner is being prepared kitchen-side.

Rachel and Anna put together some terrific chicken fajitas. We ate on the lanai with bird choirs heralding the setting sun. So easy to mellow out here.

Even the natives aren't at all restless.

Goodnight ,sun.

A Little Grass Shack

After a fairly long day of not-so-fun but oh-so funny travel, (let's just say that Mrs.Piggle Wiggle should pay a visit to the Delta employees), we made it to Kona. Our friend jenny came to meet us and whisked us off to an early dinner, well if you live on Hawaiian time it was early. It was fashionably late for us Nor Cal girls who hadn't eaten a gosh darn thing all day lone except for a "snack pack".

We made up for lost time with gusto. I had macadamia-crusted mahi mahi with plum sauce on a bed of bok choy. Mahalo! We sat near water's edge and enjoyed the beautiful breeze and not-too-warm temperatures.

The sun sets early in the tropics so by the time we got to the "shack"  it was dark. But this isn't a bad view, huh? The entrance from the drive leads to this slice of heaven.

Here is the infinity pool by daylight. Yawn - cliche but true - just another day in paradise.

When I finish my Kona coffee here on the lanai, I'll try to lift my camera up and get a few more shots of the island for you. Are we having fun yet? Amen, sisters.

Oh We're Goin' to a Hukilau

Huki-huki-huki-huki-huki-hukilau 

Everybody loves the hukilau 

Where the laulau is the kaukau at the l`au 

I'm off today on my trip. But don't worry my little wahinis. You're in my pocket. Where I go you go.

News at eleven.

A- Lo Ha.

Get Back Wonky Cap

Can you imagine just how therapeutic it can be simply ripping pieces of fabric to shreds? Even with the risk of black lung disease from all the random cotton fibers, the sheer wantonness of it is peculiarly restorative.

Not that I harbor any aggressions or hostilities, ya know, but somehow the releasing of um, er, let's say - energy- by making mincemeat of a piece of gingham just has no equal.

 

When my girls were very little I used to make bread every day. Having homemade bread is very nice. But kneading and thwomping and pounding on the dough every morning made me an ever so much more patient mommy.

The lady across the way has a punching bag in her garage. Every afternoon I hear the thwaddle-thwaddle-thwaddle of that leather balloon being pummeled to within an inch.

 

You better get back wonky cap

How can you stop when your feet say go?

 

So anyway, all this tension busting leaves me with scads of fabric strips. Whatcha gonna do?

So I got me a crochet hook and went to town.

Livin' in the city just ain't where it's at

Jump back!!

P.S. - the spacing is all typepad all the time!!!

PB & V

Next time you see Elvis hanging around tell him I'm making toritos. I'm pretty sure the King would swing his hips around and around after sipping this little concoction. It's like a fluffer nutter sandwich in a glass. Typical to Vera Cruz, Mexico where it's sold by the bottle, it's really easy to make and store in the fridge for a tipple now and again. I know you won't be able to help falling in love with toritos.

I can read your suspicious minds. Peanut butter? In a drink? Well, you could switch it out for mangoes or even berries, but peanut toritos are my favorite. 

Toritos de Cacahuate

makes 2 1/2 quarts to serve 8-10 people

2 12-oz. cans evaporated milk

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup peanut butter ( not hunka-hunka burning love  but creamy)

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup vodka

Place in a blender in batches and when it's all shook up you can pour it into bottles. It will keep in the fridge for over a month.

Love me tender,
Love me sweet,

Just don't spill on my blue suede shoes.

This is how we shake rattle and roll around here. Don't be rubberneckin' baby, just come on over and enjoy.

 

Starting Now

You'll be swell! You'll be great!
Gonna have the whole world on the plate!
Starting here, starting now,
honey, everything's coming up roses!

Clear the decks! Clear the tracks!
You've got nothing to do but relax.
Blow a kiss. Take a bow.
Honey, everything's coming up roses!

I'm back to getting things made. Yay!!!  

Have you guys played Patchworkz? I'm up to level 74. That might be some small piece of the whole non-productive part of my summer so far. Maybe. 

But it's Monday and I'm feeling crafty. That streak of light you just saw is me getting to work. 

Putting the Blah in Blogging

These are some of the dirty dogs that are keeping me from blogging. Just look at that tripe!!!

Artery-clogging, fat-padding minions of a devilish egg sort.

Projects that are taking far too long for this simpleton...

the results of which are not making my heart sing...

nor is the mind-numbing repetition making my fingers fly at a furious pace.

Add to all that, sweltering heat and no tropical breezes to dry the sweat from my brow and a back that went out as I was putting away a little bowl in a high cupboard and has only JUST come back to where it belongs...

Well, add it all together and you have, ladies, the recipe for the bloggity blah-blahs. These are the dirty scoundrels keeping me from you. I'm fighting them with all I've got but it's a tough battle my friends. Keep the home fires burning, fly the flags high. I'll be out of the trenches soon.

Var Sa God

We grew up in the Jello Generation, J-E-L-L-O. If we got any dessert at all, my mom being the first health-nut on the planet, we got Jello. Sometimes she'd jazz it up and mix some Dream Whip into it - whoo-hoo, but sometimes she go us one better and make Danish Dessert instead. We lurved Danish Dessert but it was a bigger commitment for our working mom seeing as how you had to cook it on the stove, stirring constantly for quite some while.

"I don't know why I don't just make this from scratch," she'd say. "It doesn't take that much more time." 

But she never did and I always wondered. So the other day, faced with quarts of fresh raspberries I decided to go for it and make me some of that homemade Danish Dessert.

Danish Dessert - Homemade

1 quart berries, washed and hulled

1/2 cup sugar 

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 cup water

Whirl the fruit in food processor or blender until pureed. If you don't want seeds, push through sieve.

Using a wooden spoon, stir together sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Gradually stir in water and puree until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils. Let boil 1 minute. It will go from opaque to sort of translucent.

Spoon into bowl or dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. 

The jewels of summer in a bowl. Var sa god - Dig in!!

A Yankee Doodle Dandy

Hurray for the red,

white,

and blue.

Have a great celebration.

No Rest For the Wicked

I'll admit it. I haven't been quite so bloggish lately. It's not that I don't love you. Oh, my no. I love you all oodles but I it seem as though summer is just another word for getting loads of crap done.

There's been some crafting, of course, but also a lot of organizing. I have carried umpteen bags of junk downstairs to the garage. Might I gloat a little and tell you that there is EXTRA SPACE in many cupboards and drawers?!!!

Oh, and there was an Evanovich in there somewhere and some other assorted mysteries that needed reading plus a few new cookbooks to go through. And, okay, right, there were some naps, yes.

But all in all, I have been pretty busy. I hope you'll forgive me for not visiting as often, but you should see my closets!!!