Plant of the month for January 2024: elephant bush
On a recent visit to a friend in Kohala Ranch, we talked about installing some fire-resistant plant species. A friend of hers had recommended elephant bush (Portulacaria afra), known in the Afrikaans language as spekboom in its native South Africa. Her friend, Bernard Moret, had written about his experience with this plant for the Kohala Ranch Report and gave me permission use his story here.
Quick Fix: Greek Black Eyed Pea Casserole
Black eyed peas are a staple of South American and Caribbean cooking. I was interested to learn that they’re also used in Greek dishes. They’re called in Greek mavromatika fasolia.
Let’s Talk Food: New Year’s resolution
Happy New Year! As we welcome 2024, we always try to make a new year’s resolution or two, hoping for a better year to come.
Forget lasagna, this creamy manicotti is your new favorite baked pasta
Manicotti, a large, ridged, tubed pasta, is typically stuffed with either a ricotta or meat filling, covered in red sauce and more cheese and baked until bubbly.
The readers speak: The worst food they have ever eaten
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the worst foods I and a lot of my Facebook friends — many of whom I have actually met — have ever eaten.
Classic French chicken dish embraces garlic — 40 cloves of it
It’s easy to see why a recipe that starts with 40 cloves of garlic might appear suspect. Most recipes that include garlic call for somewhere between two and six cloves, so 40 would seem like an insane amount. Trust me, it’s not.
Tropical Gardening: Master Gardeners help make Hawaii green and clean
Hawaii’s Master Gardeners are helping islanders improve the environment by sharing what they have learned in horticultural classes through the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. By spreading gardening information with interested members of the community, everyone benefits.
Volcano Watch: New Year’s Eve 1974: Kilauea’s most recent Southwest Rift Zone eruption
Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, with a majority of its eruptions occurring at its summit or one of its two rift zones, the East Rift Zone and Southwest Rift Zone. The Southwest Rift Zone hasn’t erupted since New Year’s Eve 1974, almost exactly 49 years ago.
Fire pits + hot tubs + outdoor kitchens
Whether you live in a year-round warm weather climate or a place that enjoys all four seasons, there are ways to spruce up your home that may help your family to enjoy their exterior space just as much as their interior one.
Try a tagine, the ultimate one-pot meal
Tagine, a North African stew, is distinguished by the conical, earthenware pot in which it is cooked. The heavy cone-shaped lid helps trap steam so moisture trickles back down into the stew.
Salty ice cream, aged fish, Hanwoo beef: A food editor’s 16 best dishes of the year
Every year around this time, Google Trends releases its top searched recipes of the year. In 2023, there was a surprise: TikTok trends dominated the list as usual (lasagna soup, cottage cheese), but there was also a dish that will never again make an appearance on the list. It was Coronation Quiche, a cheesy, vegetarian number that celebrated Britain’s newly crowned King Charles.
Let’s Talk Food: Happenings around the island
Hawaii Community College EDvance:
Tropical Gardening: The shortest day has passed so Merry Christmas
For centuries even before we celebrated Dec. 25 as the day Jesus was born, earlier cultures celebrated the passing of the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. The days will now get longer even though it is technically the beginning of winter and will last until the beginning of spring. Spring officially occurs when the sun reaches the equator as it appears to move northward. Of course what is actually happening is that the Earth is tilting toward the South Pole and will continue to do so until June 21. Then it is officially summer. Since we are roughly at latitude 19 degrees north, the sun will appear to move northward for a short time and then move toward the south until Dec. 21. Many plants respond to day length, including plants that form bulbs.
5 soup recipes are a warmup to the holidays
As the winter solstice approaches and the days are darkest, we crave warm and cozy. As we flit from office holiday potlucks to last-minute happy hours with friends, we crave sustenance. And as we’re wrapping up another year filled with shopping, parties, family and, let’s face it, a fair amount of stress, we crave comfort.
Make it a Traylor Christmas with these cookie recipes from Taylor Swift and Donna Kelce
As Swifties try to imagine what the upcoming holidays will look like for the families of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, we’re got visions of cookie baking dancing in our heads.
Let’s Talk Food: Fruitcakes for the holidays
When we think of the holidays, we used to think of fruitcakes. I remember my husband got fruitcake mailed to him from Arkansas every year, which was given to my mother, who loved them! Growing up, I would try a bite and spit out all the candied fruits as I thought they were yucky!
Tropical Gardening: More about living Christmas gifts and their care
If you have already found those special living gifts for your loved ones, then here are some tips to keep them healthy.
Trend spotting at High Point Market
This week we cover some of the trends we spotted at the famed High Point Furniture Market in North Carolina, including my personal favorite – upholstery to the floor!
Volcano Watch: Sniffing out stealthy gas escape between Kilauea’s eruptions
Kilauea has erupted three times in 2023 — January–March, June, and September — and has also experienced significant intrusive activity to the southwest of the summit since the beginning of October.
A slow cooker is the help you need for this year’s holiday dinner
Some of the best and most comforting dishes take a long time to cook. With time more precious than ever during the holiday season, meals can add an extra level of pressure. But smart hosts know that a make-ahead plan, with a slow-cooker assist, can be the key to a memorable, relaxing meal.
