Photo Postcard

Ten Things I Love About Maui

Ten Things I Love About Maui:

• Tradewinds: They blow the air so clean! This is always soothing and refreshing to my spirit.

• Clouds: Maui has the most amazing clouds.

They move quickly taking on magnificent shapes in the sky and by mid afternoon daily there are always clouds heading up Haleakala! (Our mountain)

• The Lifestyle: Maui is rural, it's country it's about the ocean and fishing and all the activities of the sea.

• The food: Surrounded by the sea in the most isolated group of islands in the world is special enough but Maui feels like a hot spot in the universe for gourmet Pacific Rim Cuisine. Chefs abound. We have the freshest fish and fresh vegetables and herbs are grown year round in the rich volcanic soil and cool air of the mountain.

• The People are so kind!

Wherever I go from the Post Office to the grocery store people take the time to be genuinely kind. It is very comforting to be treated this way wherever I go on Maui.

• Hana is a touch of old Hawaii. I worked as a nurse for two and a half years in Hana by the sea. I felt a true sense of belonging here because of the friendliness of the people. Within two weeks people were calling me by my first name at Hasegawa's store.

• The Beauty is found wherever you go on Maui!

Just look up into the sky or out to sea or into a deep valley at Iao in the West Maui Mountains. Long stretches of land with no houses calm the nerves and green sugar cane goes on for miles and miles.

• Tropical plants and flowers are amazing. I love growing my own bananas, papayas and lilikoi (passion-fruit) vines. Everything is so available at The Maui Swap Meet and open markets on Maui.

• Maui is small but yet it feels spacious. There is room to breathe. The small town feeling makes it comfortable and the proximity of everything makes life simple.

• Maui has some of the most beautiful beaches. There is so much variety from white sand to black sand and the red sand beach.

 • Elegant Resorts: One can visit the most elegant resorts minutes away then return to the down to earth lifestyle of Maui having experienced the best of both worlds in Hawaii.

Just some of the things I love about Maui

Everyday I love it more, the relaxed feeling I remember when I first fell in love with Maui back in 1973 is still here with me. Though life speeded up and the island has changed, when I sit still and feel the breeze, let my cares go, and take in the amazing energy that is Maui I thank God for allowing me to live in such a beautiful place!

Aloha friends,

~ Marilyn

The Artful Hawaiigirl

If you haven't visited lately make a plan to come to Maui.

Those of you who live here, Aloha fellow islanders.

http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/

Inspiring You To Make Dreams Come True...

Happy New Year 2010 Makena Beach and Golf Resort Hakone Japanese Restaurant Maluaka Beach

     I've decided to jump back in to the world of blogging! It's now or never. It's already mid January and I've been so busy re-organizing my life that this seemed to be slipping away. Not so fast. I've been studying many fabulous blogs to learn and get inspiration.

Problogger says to just do it! Jump right in when you have Bloggers Block.
Be consistent. Do it everyday.
NotQuiteNigella is a perfect example. Her cooking blog of Australia is a work of art and she consistently amazes with dazzling photography of her food and restaurant reviews. Her witty personality and love of beauty combines with a passion for food that is so classy.
Kailani of An Island Life is also unrelenting with her daily reviews of restaurants on Oahu, books, music, toys, iPhone Apps, contests, links and giveaways! Where do they get the energy? See her January Photo Contest!
Liza of A Maui Blog makes it look so easy!
Deeba of Passionate About Baking also creates a work of art almost daily.
   I determined that like any teacher or successful business person, they have a plan laid out for the year. They have a vision. Problogger says to brand yourself you must have a Theme. You can start by creating quality content that sizzles. Make it irresistable. What do people want to see? Ask questions!
Run contests! Do giveaways.
  I noticed that many of the blogs feature a regular event weekly like Aloha Friday, Wordless Wednesday and NotQuiteNigella's Wallpaper Wednesdays featuring her gorgeous photos as backgrounds for you to download if you please. I can only imagine these incredibly talented people sketching out their plans, then writing, editing photos, collecting data to fill in every day of the year.
  While on my own discovery I know what I love most and have a passion for is cooking, photography and designing t-shirts! I love putting it up for the world to see! I love Maui and everything about this place. I have a desire to teach what I know and feel that those of us with talent should not let it go unshared. I also know that everyone has some form of creativity within them and I want to inspire that in others. This enhances our lives greatly and I have witnessed the joy that comes to my friends and students when they paint their first T-shirt in the watercolor style. They are transformed. They can't believe they had it in them. I love to see the spark that lights in their eyes when they realize the potential to create beautiful works of art.
  My theme here at The Artful Hawaiigirl is "Making Every Day a Work of Art."
Like the bloggers that I follow and wish to emulate it is my goal to show the world that there is beauty in everyday life. I also just want to share this gorgeous place I live called Maui.
  SO, I started out the New Year with a bang! We had arrived back from California December 8th, 2009. The day before had snowed nearly a foot in the mountains and we had to use chains to get out of there.

We arrived back on Maui to coolness and mild, wonderful temps. My mother-in-law could take off her coat and wear slippers again for the first time in 45 days. She went to stay with her daughters for the holidays and I immediately got to work on My Holiday Boutique Party for  December 16th, my birthday. On such short notice it was mostly a family and friends kind of get together but was fabulous. There were no Christmas Trees left on Maui so my husband topped a Norfolk Pine from his mother's house in Halii Maile. It was the most gorgeous tree I ever had. I prepared great food and my fabulous lilikoi-fresh squeezed orange juice punch which my sister-in-law and I enjoyed with a little Gold Tequila spiked in ours.
  Christmas was quiet and beautiful as I like it. I'm still playing my James Taylor Christmas tunes on my iPhone. (Baby it's Cold outside)
As New Years rolled in my honey and I always like to take the time to reflect on the year past and this year was quite amazing! (Worldwide) All our lives have been so affected. I vow that this is the year our dreams will soar!
  We decided to call the Maui Prince (now called Makena Beach and Golf Resort) to see if there were Cama Aina Rates and they gave us a special deal. We were so happy we booked three nights. We had an ocean view room with a view of Makena! It is a fabulous place to spend New Year's Eve and awaken on the first day of the year in Hawaii.

  On New Years Eve we decided to have sushi at Hakone and the sushi bar was excellent. Our sushi chef Ivan has worked at Hakone for twenty-five years. He created special works of art for us like "The Mermaid Roll", "Turtle Roll" and a "Christmas Wreath roll". Gorgeous and delicious. I'm so glad we took photos outside and inside the restaurant because the name is changing this month to "Zen-Zen"... I follow @MakenaBeach on twitter now and on Facebook to get all the latest updates. We love it there and look forward to going again soon.

  New Years Day turned out to be gorgeous despite the VOG (Volcano originated gases) coming from the Big Island of Hawaii.

The moon was still out at sunrise on New Years Day!

As the day proceeded the color got more beautiful every minute.

We opted for room service on our beautiful lanai.

Our ice chest was also filled with yogurts and juices, beer and wine and we brought apple- bananas, lilikoi and a variety of snacks from home. My honey knows how to pack so we were prepared. 

           

Look at these gorgeous mountain views!

That's the Kai Kanani which we cruised on our last morning to Molokini.

You can see Molokini in the distance. It was my first time out to the crater on a snorkel cruise after living here since 1996. I finally made it out there.

Magnificent journey!

Maluaka Beach is a dream come true. We had gotten married here in 2005.

My honey did a little body surfing.

Then it was back to the pool and off to shower and relax before getting ready for another beautiful evening!

It's a cute pool and there are two plus a couple jacuzzis.

I had a massage in one of the cabanas.

First Sunset of the New Year!

There was still a bit of Christmas magic in the air in the Molokini Bar and Grille. We had a to die-for Lobster bisque and shared an entree of sword fish with a lemon caper sauce which was divine. I had my one glass of champagne that I missed on New Year's Eve because I'd had Sake at Hakone! Haha.

                  

The last night of our stay we returned to Hakone for the amazing Japanese Buffet.

 

What a way to start out the New Year full of hope and happiness and Faith that God has provided so much beauty for us to enjoy. We are pursuing our dreams with all our hearts and enjoying the fruits of our labor!

Thank you for visiting my blog and please return for more of this journey on Maui. I hope you have a prosperous, blessed year and that we all overcome the obstacles that are put before us with an attitude that we can do it!

Aloha and Love,

Marilyn

The Artful Hawaiigirl

   

In Case You Were Wondering...

The Artful Hawaiigirl is back!

 

It has been a month since I've posted

a word here so I'm starting with a visual

of what I have been up to. You might say

I took a Blog vacation. There have been

many stories in my head but blog block

had cast a spell on me. Not for long...

I left Maui in mid-October just as the

leaves were turning in California.

 Halloween came and went as I baked

festive cookies for the occasion!

 
Friends visited me in the mountains
of California to hike, cook breakfast,
share stories and I taught some how
to paint on tees in the watercolor
style.

 

With my mother-in-law in tow we
journeyed through the mountains
awed by the beauty of pine trees,
sage brush, fall color and astonished
at how cold it gets here at 5,800 ft.
above sea level.

My hubby primed and painted the
front of my house with the welcome
approval of my mom and sis.
 We visited local antique stores and
thrift shops to find treasures like
dishes by Mikasa and a Minnie Mouse
hat for Pam.

I have filled orders for t-shirts and
designed a special shirt for Cindy
Papale who wrote My Empty Cup
Runneth Over. We will be marketing
"Cindy's Butterflies and Roses"
together.

There was a fabulous high school reunion
near Universal City which was a pot luck
Christmas Ornament Exchange. So Fun!
Memories were made and I photographed
everything.

Every night and day my Mother-in-law
can only say "So cold!" And with good
reason. Last night the thermometer
dipped to 27 degrees. We run a little
water to keep the pipes from freezing.
 But it is cozy inside our big beautiful
home and it is so wonderful to be with
my family after one year never leaving
Maui.
 Now preparing for Thanksgiving in California,
I have baked pies, banana breads, cookies,
home-made pizza, made stews, chicken soups,
roasted red pepper soup that was divine and
was too pre-occupied to photograph it all while
I am taking care of 5 family members.
Some of you will say big deal but for me
it gets a bit overwhelming.

 

Yesterday I was Queen for a day!
My mom made breakfast, lunch and dinner
and said I wasn't to do any housework.
Meanwhile I was busy writing an appeal
for a referral that she was denied for a
medical specialist for the third time in
three years. So I am becoming a patient
advocate.
  It's busy here in the mountains though
we rarely leave the house. There is much
to be done. Lists to make, check them
twice, dreams to dream, beautiful fires
in the fireplace, books to read and review,
packages to be sent and friends to catch
up with. Haven't tweeted lately except
when I get down the hill to cell phone
service available from my iPhone. Then
I just post my pics to twitpic.
  So, I miss you all and will get back
to you soon with a month full of stories.

Have you thought about your life lately?
Are you thankful? What are you thankful for?

Aloha friends,

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

I'll be posting all the preparation of our Thanksgiving dinner starting the night before with my Portuguese Vinha De Alhos (Vinga-Doyzh) Turkey, American style turkey on Thanksgiving Day, (with stuffing, of course), Pumpkin pie cheesecake, stuffing with apples, walnuts, sausage, sage and raisins, gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, apple pie with crumb topping in other words

The Works!

Can't wait!

Then it's back to Maui just in time for the Christmas season.

Aloha
The Artful Hawaiigirl

http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/






 

The Winner is Liza of A Maui Blog

Aloha friends,
  On October 15th I announced on Twitter and Facebook the winner of the contest. I asked for comments answering the question "What would you to inspire people during this economy?" ... Liza of A Maui Blog and Liza's Eyeview answered so beautifully. Some of you responded via e-mail and I received some wonderful letters. Thank you to those who answered the best they could. This is a relatively new blog started in July and I look forward to many more contests in the future. I received many orders for my hand-painted T-shirts and I really appreciate that. If you are still interested right now, I am offering free shipping with any orders placed before October 31, 2009 (Halloween) :) Payments can be made through paypal even if you don't have a paypal account. I will generate an e-mail invoice for you and they will instruct you how to proceed! It's great. So comment or link to my e-mail at http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/ at the bottom of the page and I will get back to you right away.

Thanks everyone for your support!

The Artful Hawaiigirl is about to start painting!

I have over 5o new hepburn tops and

Corset Tops to paint.

Got to get to work....

Remember to follow your passion

even if it is just a few minutes each day.

I will post the ten way to make money

using your creativity tomorrow!

Aloha,

Marilyn

(The Artful Hawaiigirl)

 

How will you inspire others during this economy? PRIZES!!!

One More day to post a comment to win all the prizes from Amaryllis of Hawaii.

Your choice of a hand-painted design just for you!

Scoop neck Bella Tee by Marilyn Jansen Design

Cotton Lycra Corset Tops

Beautiful Hepburn tops

Your choice of designs

Taro Leaves

Maui Kitty

Maui Kitty on denim  (only available in small at this time)

Sleeveless Cotton-lycra corset top

(I'm painting 25 of these over the next 2 weeks)

Beautiful Soft Wave design

Don't forget I have Ti-leaf design for Men!

Hawaiian Ingenuity

These are all Limited editions so be the LUCKY ONE to win one of these designs.

How will You inspire others during this economy? Make your comment here and on your own blog if you have one with a mention and link back to http://artfulhawaiigirl.blogspot.com/  or just comment here!

Winner also gets a lilikoi jelly, and a set of Amaryllis of Hawaii Books see http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/

and a one hour design session with The Artful Hawaiigirl. ♥

http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/

Aloha is a gift that must be shared! I look forward to sharing my love of Hawaii with you.

-Marilyn (The Artful Hawaiigirl)

Brave, yes!

Inato lang Filipino Cuisine and More: APPLE BUTTER FRENCH VANILLA ICE CREAM WANTON NAPOLEONS (OCT. DARING COOKS CHALLENGE PART 2

My friend Tagaluto makes wonderful Filipino Food! Inato lang Filipino Cuisine and More: APPLE BUTTER FRENCH VANILLA ICE CREAM WANTON NAPOLEONS (OCT. DARING COOKS CHALLENGE PART 2

4 more days to Win A Bunch of Prizes from Amaryllis of Hawaii

Win all these Prizes from Amaryllis.
You could win all these items below:

A set of my books

Silk-screened t-shirt of your choice (I have over 14 designs)

   

          Men's Tank ti-leaves on front           Hawaiian Ingenuity on back

              Hand-Painted tee designed just for you!

One Lilikoi "Passionfruit" Jelly made by The Artful Hawaiigirl on Maui.

Beautifully gift packaged.


A One hour design session with Marilyn.


In this session I will give you a choice of either learning a recipe with me, an hour of t-shirt design in Illustrator, or How to paint on tees in the Watercolor style. This could be in person if you live on Maui or via Skype if you live elsewhere.

The total package is valued at $350.00

I am reviewing the entries
and will choose a winner by October 15th, 2009.
Winner will be announced and prizes awarded that day!

So hurry if you want to enter.

What would you do to inspire people during this economy?
I love Hawaii and I'd love to share my inspiration with you!

Marilyn

The Artful Hawaiigirl
http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/

Kula Country Farms

   My mother-in-law and I were out for a drive upcountry the other day. We call it "holo-holo" which means to just go all around. Sometimes we get in the car and go with the wind. It is such a nice feeling and since it is a small island we don't use too much gas. I thought we would go past The Kula Hardware Nursery towards Keokea in search of that vegetable stand at the side of the road we had heard about.

We were driving on the Lower Road when suddenly I said "Oh look, a Pumpkin Patch!" Then I saw the signs for parking at the Pumpkin Patch. As it turned out this was the place I was looking for. It is called Kula Country Farms.

   The farm is owned by the Monden family and it has been open about two years here in Kula, Maui. Upon arrival I was so amazed at the beautiful farm. It was more than a vegetable stand. It was a working farm/garden. Chickens and a big beautiful rooster were running about. There were gorgeous pumpkins everywhere displayed among hay stacks.

If you look closely you can see Taro, artichoke plants, cosmos, spearmint, and strawberry plants at the top of the hill garden. Everything is tended by the Monden family and their workers. I met Teena and her daughter Tess. They were helping people pick out their pumpkins and herding the chickens back from the Kula Highway by throwing some corn out for the birds. The baby goat is so tame, and the setting so charming.  Who could resist taking photos of this picturesque place.

Tess and Teena Monden with their baby goat at Kula Country Farms really look the part of beautiful country Maui girls, don't they? We wandered into the produce stand where they were selling local produce including squashes, tomatoes, lettuces, herbs, papayas, bananas, Napa cabbages and fresh tuberose stems.

They have their own product line also. Pictured here is the Kula Country strawberry syrup.

Look at these gorgeous sweet vine-ripened tomatoes. I bought some of these and some butterleaf lettuce, corn, asparagus, strawberries and a huge bouquet of tuberose stems. (They were only 50 cents per stem, so I bought ten stems.)

What a great place! I look forward to visiting again up the Kula Highway.

Take the Kula Highway 37 above Pukalani, about 7.8 miles (just a short distance past Rice Memorial Park) and you will see the pumpkin patch on the right. Park and enjoy the view. It is fabulous.

Aloha friends,

And don't forget just a few more days to win the prizes. Make a comment about how you would inspire people during this economy. The best comment wins all the prizes. See http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/ for more samples of my designs you will be able to choose from. You can look at pages from my books also. Amaryllis, Amaryllis How Does Your Garden Grow? "Organically, of Course" is a great book for beginning gardeners and experienced planters too.

I'll give you some ideas: I feel the best thing one can do during this economy is to stay close to God and family. Know in your heart that it is going to be alright. Start each day with a smile on your face and faith that if you persist that you will harvest the fruits of your labor. Do something everyday to pursue your dreams. Even if you are in a line of work that you don't love, find something to love about it while you pursue your passion daily. If you are out of work there are many ways to make money if you have a creative mind.

Next post I will give you ten ideas on how to make money in this economy!

Aloha,

Marilyn

The Artful Hawaiigirl

Lemon Meringue Pie Maui Day

It was a beautiful day to bake a pie on Maui. I had prepared my dough a day ago and it was chilling in the fridge. I found the big beautiful Meyer's lemons which Not Quite Nigella had suggested because of their amazing sweetness, and the light seemed right for photographing today. Actually, there were intermittent clouds and a possibility of showers which was a perfect day to stay indoors and play with flour.

I have been making my own pie crusts for years ever since a lady taught me on the Big Island of Hawaii. She called it the Perfect Pie Crust recipe and I have elaborated on it ever since. I know it by heart though which makes it so easy. I start with 2 cups of all-purpose flour. I sift that with a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of sugar, then add 2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. of shortening.

(I use Crisco and butter) for flakiness and butter flavor. I just scoop out my cold butter into the measuring cup and add Crisco to make the additional amount. 2/3 cup plus 2 TBSP. of shortening.

I begin crumbling the flour and butter between my thumbs and fingers to distribute the shortening. I add one egg yolk for golden color and the sugar makes it brown slightly and taste sweet. Patee Brisee is a sweet pastry dough. Now I add 6-10 TBSP. of ice water to make the dough the right consistency for a perfect pie crust. If it gets a little too wet add more flour until it feel just right. Mold it into a ball and refrigerate for about an hour in a ziploc bag.

So now I was ready today to roll out my dough. Start with a lightly floured surface so your dough doesn't stick and always flour your rolling pin between passes.

First cut this dough in 1/2 before you start rolling it out. This recipe is for a two crust pie.

It is so nice to make your own pie crusts, especially during the holidays. Nothing can compare to a homemade perfect buttery flaky pie crust. Those cardboard storebought types are just not the same.

 Roll it out to about a 1/4 inch thickness and then lift it up off the surface by sliding a spatula all the way around under the dough.

Place it into the pie dish and finish the edges how you like them. It depends what type of pie I'm making as to how I create my edges. This time I kept it plain and simple because I knew I'd be piling it high with the meringue.

This requires a pre-baked pie shell, so I first pricked the bottom with a knife to vent it and weighted it with some ceramic weights I have. (Actually these are cookie dough molds which worked fine.) They say to use dried beans otherwise. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Take out and lower heat to 325 degrees.

 The Meyer's lemons were incredibly juicey and fragrant. The recipe called for 1/2 cup lemon juice, or 2 lemons.

To make the lemon curd, first I whisked the 1 cup of sugar, 8 large egg yolks, 1/8 tsp. of salt and 1/4 cup of cornstarch in a pan. I gradually added 1 1/2 cups of water and heated on low-medium until the mixture was thickened, as  instructed. I nearly scorched it by raising the heat too fast. I removed it from the heat and added the lemon juice, 2 TBSP. of melted butter and 1 TBSP. lemon zest.

The lemon curd filling is spread into the pre-baked pie shell then the meringue is piled high on top.

I let it cool down while I prepared the meringue which consists of 8 egg whites, 2 TBSP.cornstarch, 2/3 cup of water, 1 tsp. cream of tartar and 1 cup of sugar.

Not Quite Nigella said to first mix the 2 TBSP. of cornstarch and 2/3 cup of water in a saucepan until it thickens then cool. It thickened very quickly to a satiny mixture. Then beat the egg whites in a large bowl. (I used my Kitchen Aid mixer) Thank God I have one because egg whites take quite a while to whip into peaks. The 1 cup of sugar, 1 tsp. of cream of tartar are added to the egg whites while beating and the satiny cooled cornstarch mixture is added a tablespoon at a time to the egg whites until they are glossy and peak perfectly.  

Look how perfect it came out. I piled it high like Not Quite Nigella and I so thoroughly enjoyed creating this pie. It goes back into the oven at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes or until areas are turning slightly golden brown.

It should be completely cooled before cutting but of course I couldn't wait so this is what the first piece looked like.

Later this evening a well chilled piece came out perfectly piled high and set on top of the lemony mixture.

Voila! My Maui lemon meringue pie. Awesome, delicious lemon meringue pie!

You have to try this. It really is quite easy. I just had to get organized and some days that is easier said than done.

Aloha,

until tomorrow friends.

The Artful Hawaiigirl

http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/

Up-Country Maui Day!

Tall grasses swaying in the wind.

Breezes that blow softly on my skin.

Quietness that calms me

Birds to cheer me

Words that soothe

Thoughts to uplift when friends are feeling down

I pray for their happiness

when I am unable to console

God is the one

Who brings me joy!

I discovered gardening when I was 25 years old. I was taking care of my sister Pamela Jansen who had been in a major car accident in 1978. We lived at our parents small home in the San Fernando Valley of California. Pamela had been in a coma for over 5 1/2 weeks and when she awoke there were years of recovery. Life became very precious to me when I nearly lost my sister. I was still searching for my happiness at that time, but found great joy in planting and designing my first garden.

Now, over thirty years later, I am still planting and discovering something new all the time. I wrote a book about my love for planting organically called Amaryllis, Amaryllis How Does Your Garden Grow? "Organically, Of Course!"

I write about all my favorite plants, how to compost, how to plant bulbs, native plants, roses, and designing your first garden.

Up-Country Maui is an amazing place to garden. Cool nights and sunny days nearly year round are perfect for planting. The famous sweet Maui Onions are grown Up-Country Maui on the slopes of Haleakala. Many flowers flourish on the mountain. The Giant Proteas originally from Africa are right at home on Maui. Even many of my favorite plants from the mainland love it up here, like my heavenly blue morning glories above and my favorite dahlias below.

My lilikoi vines are full of passionfruit!

I love to plant Basil and all kinds of herbs to use in my cooking. I have Thai Basil, Italian Basil, cinnamon basil sometimes, sage, rosemary, oregano, dill, varieties of thyme, and Hawaiian hot chile peppers that have re-seeded themselves.

This was taken before the lilikoi had ripened, but now they are falling off the vine daily. So I'm making lots of lilikoi "passion-fruit" jelly!

Beautiful Native ferns.

Just a short post today, but a reminder to do something that you love. This will help you find your passion in life and bring great joy to yourself and others.

- Marilyn

The Artful Hawaiigirl

Aloha!

 www.amaryllisofhawaii.com

Chicken Parmesan By The Artful Hawaiigirl

Want something easy and beautiful to add to your repertoire? Try this Chicken Parmesan recipe. It's fast and easy and delightful any night of the week.

I know this picture isn't pretty, but I wanted to show you how I actually tenderize the boneless chicken breasts. I didn't have a meat tenderizer, so my friend had told me a trick about using the potato masher as a smasher!

You simply slice the boneless chicken breasts into manageable pieces and hammer away at them, flipping them to hammer some more. They flatten out nicely and become thin beautiful flat chicken pieces ready to be seasoned and browned in olive oil, butter and garlic.

I season the poultry with salt and pepper, some sweet basil and sprinkle lots of crushed minced garlic into the olive oil butter mixture. The filets are browned in the butter and olive oil on both sides for about five minutes on each side.

 I move them to a deep baking dish and prepare to layer the cheeses and marinara sauce for baking at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes until all the cheeses and sauce are bubbling, the meat is cooked through but still moist.

First I grate fresh Parmesan generously over the browned chicken breasts.

Then I ladle my marinara sauce (see my marinara post yesterday) over the Parmesan and finally I grate lots of Mozzarella on top.

I bake this at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes like I said, until it's all bubbling and everythings melted.  I test a piece of the chicken to make sure that it is cooked through perfectly. Don't overcook. You don't want dry chicken.

It's piping hot and you want to take a bite, but wait you have to let it sit a minute or you'll burn your mouth! So assemle the green salad add a few garbanzos, and Voila. Dinner is ready. It is absolutely delicious.

I had given a little sample portion to my sister-in-law wrapped in foil. She said at first she thought it was going to be too garlicky, but then she and her son were fighting for the last bite. YUM!

So try it! You see how easy cooking can be. It's as easy as one-two-three.

(Just like Painting on tees) For more cooking of mine you can check out my cookbook at http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/ and I'll see you tomorrow with my Meyer's lemon meringue pie. (Not Quite Nigella's recipe) The dough is in my fridge chilling overnight.

Aloha friends,

So tell me what do you think of my Chicken Parmesan?

Awesome Marinara is so easy!

I love to make my own Marinara. Beautiful tomatoes, fresh garlic and big mushrooms with lots of herbs and spices give it a lot of body and flavor.

The ingredients are simple. Minced garlic, slivered onions, Extra Virgin Olive oil, butter, sliced mushrooms, tomatoe sauce stewed tomatoes or canned whole tomatoes, tomatoe paste, sweet Italian basil, and my other favorite herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, or keep it simple and use Italian seasoning, (a combo of all of the above).

First I crush the garlic and mince it and add it to Two TBSP. of extra virgin oilive oil and two TBSP. of butter. Add it while the oil is not too hot so as not to burn the garlic. Simmer a couple minutes while you sliver the onions.

Then slice the mushrooms. I like my mushrooms big and plump.

Add the onions to the pan with the garlic and saute until translucent, then add the mushrooms and saute a couple minutes longer.

Start adding the tomato sauce 16 oz. (2 small cans or 1 large can) and the stewed tomatoes, then about 3 TBSP. tomato paste. This is used as a thickener, so you may need to add about a 1/2 cup of water to achieve the consistency that you like. I always add some water.

Here I've tossed in my Sweet Italian basil and about a TBSP. of Italian Seasoning. I stir it in and let everything simmer for about an hour on low heat. Cover the pan to contain the splatters and stir occasionally so as not to burn.

At this time I like to taste it and add a touch of sugar, maybe a couple teaspoons, salt & pepper too. Usually I add fresh torn basil, but my garden was lacking so I added fresh spinach to give it some color.

Prepare your pasta water by filling a large pot with water, add a pinch of salt and some olive oil so the spaghetti doesn't stick together. Bring it to a rolling boil and add your pasta. Cook it al dente (according to the package directions) and drain immediately after you test a strand that you have cooled. Al dente is just so the teeth can bite into it. (Perfect!)Spaghetti cooks for ten minutes.

Fresh pastas cook in a couple minutes so get to know your different pastas.

After draining the pasta I put it back into the pot and let the heat cook off any remaining water so it will be perfect, (not watery). Then it is ready to serve on a platter or individual servings with lots of delicious Marinara on top. Fresh grated Parmesan or Romano finishes it off along with a crisp green salad.

I love a nice red wine with Italian food such as a Cabernet or a Merlot.

Once you learn how to make your own sauce you will love how it comes together and you'll feel so earthy crushing your own herbs and spices and filling your kitchen with the aromas of great cooking.

This sauce can be used for Chicken Parmesan also. I made that the next day.

Coming soon at The Artful Hawaiigirl 

Chicken Parmesan and fresh garlic bread.

Here's the Marinara recipe in my cookbook.

Amaryllis of Hawaii Loves To Cook

"Recipes For Life"

Click on the image to see the full size layout!

So enjoy!

Aloha,

Marilyn

The Maui Tweetup

Liza @AMauiBlog puts it all together. She's wearing my Taro Leaves Design!

So pretty in red.This was my first TweetUP and it was very exciting to meet so many people.We met at The Queen Ka`ahumanu Shopping Center Food Court on Maui. A great location to meet. I love our mall. It is the only open air yet covered mall I know. So refreshing and a view of the Harbor and West Maui Mountains too. We were next to the Japanese Edo Restaurant. Everyone shared businesscards and I gave out some of my books and t-shirts.

Here I am with @lamourwedding (Geanelli)

@Peterliu47 signing in and @ucsmiles.

This nice lady Yuki Lei Sugimura puts together events such as The Ulupalakua Thing! @ucsmiles (Cindy) was raised on Molokai.

@jalove (jamie) and Chris Norberg, Web Designer

We all introduced ourselves and @djsmooks arrived last. He is the one with the "Get Some " T-shirt. Everyone had an interesting background. Then I learned that Judi Riley author of "When I Am Quiet On Maui" and "When I Am Quiet On Oahu" arrived after most of us had gone. So, Liza said a total of 17 of us had made this #MauiTweetup.

This couple Cindy and Kris @MauiByPhoto were celebrating their anniversary.

Geanelli is a wedding consultant here on Maui by appointment only.

Her company is L'Amour Wedding.

Her husband Richard Lewis was also present.

There was Dan O'Brien video marketing specialist of Mesh Media LLC. and the Maui Visitor Channel.

and TwMedia.Net

It was a great Tweetup! I met @raatz too!

This was really great and inspiring networking.

Aloha,

Marilyn

The Artful Hawaiigirl

Art Sale Today at UpCountry Fine Arts

Art Sale today Saturday September 19, 2009 at Up-Country Fine Arts!

In case you didn't know, there is a beautiful little fine art store conveniently located in Makawao town. I love to stop by for paints and paper often when I am doing my business at the Makawao Post Office or library.

The owners Peter and Pamela Neswald are extremely knowledgable about all their products and are very generous with that knowledge.

Pam and Peter also love to paint and you can sometimes catch Peter playing guitar outside the store or doing a demo on canvas. Peter is also a scientist.

I love these golden paints and products. The pigments are incredible. I use them for painting on tees in the watercolor style with the fabric painting medium added to the acrylics. A little bit of golden goes a long way for me.

They carry all the high quality paints, canvases and brushes and you'll be surprised to find 25-50% off everything in the store today as they celebrate their second anniversary of being open in Makawao.

For so many artists and students, it is a great place to get stocked up on supplies. Students up-country at Seabury Hall will enjoy these discounts today.

Some of Pam's Surfer girl art.

So stop by today for some great deals on canvases, paints and brushes in Makawao Town at Up-Country Fine Arts and meet Pam! :)

Wild Alaskan Basil-Mayo Salmon Yum!

Savory sweet succulent wild Alaskan salmon is so delicious! We prepare it often at home. Once on a visit to Seattle I learned to bake salmon with mayonnaise to keep it delicious and moist. We had also wrapped it tight in foil.

I have elaborated on this for many years by adding either a chiffonade of fresh basil which I grow or dried basil which is always available.

As you can see in my ingredients, I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil, (evoo) and Balsamic Vinegar which carmelizes to a sweet wonderful flavor and makes it luscious with the mayonnaise sealing in the herbs and bread crumbs on top to give it a nice texture.

First I cut up the salmon in to individual portions about two & 1/2 inches wide. Then I sprinkle with salt and pepper and crushed fresh garlic flakes. I also use dried garlic-parsely flakes and sometimes leave out the fresh garlic.

I drizzle with the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the Balsamic vinegar now, and spread some tablespoons of mayo on and this time I have added huge mushroom slices which I decided to dot with butter, garlic and then drizzle with more olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Oooh, yes this turned out wonderful.

Last but not least I sprinkle on Italian Bread crumbs to give more delicious flavor and texture.

I bake at 400 degrees for about twenty minutes or until the salmon is perfect. 

This time I served with big slices of fresh Hawaiian mango.

Steamed white rice, broccoli, asparagus or any green salad is wonderful with my basil mayo baked salmon.

Here's my cookbook layout for Basil Mayo Salmon Filets Dinner for two!

Click on it for the large view.

Hope you try it soon and make it one of your recipes for life! It's so easy.

See http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/ to purchase my cookbook Amaryllis of Hawaii Loves to Cook "Recipes For Life" .

Above all have fun. Life is so short we must live with a passion, that's what I do. And remember to smile :)

Aloha,

Marilyn

♥

A Trip to Iao Valley

One of the most beautiful places on Maui is Iao Valley. Tucked away in the West Maui Mountains is the Iao needle, which is a lava formation that appears to be a splash of molten lava covered in vegetation today. Of course the needle shape is more than likely due to erosion from wind and waters but I always imagine the lava boiling and suddenly taking a permanent shape.

Iao Valley is a wonderful getaway for a quick lunch because it is located just above Wailuku Town on Maui. Minutes from the center of commerce on Maui is a touch of old Hawaii to take us back in time and beauty.

About half way up the valley is a little park with reproductions from different cultures on Maui. Here we decided to have lunch next to the Korean building.

I wanted to go inside but my husband said no we eat in the picnic pavillions. I guess he thought that might be disrespectful. I thought it was so unique and beautiful. It looks like a Tea House to me.

My mother-in-law Catherine is Portuguese. Though she has been born and raised on Maui, she still loves a visit to Iao Valley. She would always take the children and grandchildren for picture taking in the beautiful valley.

One of her daughters had been married in Iao Valley. It is definitely a magical place. It is a natural rain forest in the middle of our island. There are trails in the back of the valley for amazing hikes.

Here is the Portuguese oven used to bake the wonderful Portuguese Sweet bread we love here in the islands of Hawai`i.

After a picture taking session we take a short walk through the park and come upon the Hawaiian Hale (house) reproduction surrounded by Coconut palms. There is a small Taro Patch.

It is shady, quiet and a lovely place to enjoy a picnic lunch. We proceed back to our vehicle so we can get to the back of the valley to see the Needle. It happens to be an extraordinary day with blue, blue skies and great puffy cumulus clouds.

Under the Ulu Tree. (Breadfruit tree). We love breadfruit here. I learned how to prepare it many years ago from an old Japanese man in Paia. I describe it in my cookbook. Amaryllis of Hawaii Loves To Cook "Recipes For Life"

The Iao stream was running low today, but at certain times a year the possibility of flash flooding is eminent so always proceed with caution. Be aware!

This gorgeous day was perfect for photos even though it was mid day. I usually never use this type of light for my images. (Too bright)

Here we are finally at the needle! Yay!

The famous Iao Needle. Isn't it beautiful?

Well, it's back to town to take care of business like stopping by the accountant's office, having some keys made, a short side trip to browse through "Finder's Keepers", a 10,000 square foot show room full of antique Chinese furniture and modern reproductions. I love to wander in occasionally to see if anything captures me.

Aloha for now, friends.

Remember to take time to enjoy the beauty wherever you are.

And visit me often here and at http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/

Check out my links too for videos about Hawaii and other awesome blogs I'm following!

How 'Bout Some Enchiladas!

Don't these look yummy? Enchiladas are very easy to make. It is an excellent cost effective dish too. It's cheesy, rich, creamy, spicy as you like it, and utterly fabulous when home-made.

First I like to get all my ingredients prepared. I chop an onion, tomatoes, and cilantro for later.

The corn tortillas must be limped before dipping into the enchilada sauce, so I use about a 1/4 inch of vegetable oil in the pan and heat it up til it bubbles. 

I have my grated cheddar or jack or even feta ready to go.

This time I used flaked crab (codfish flakes) but often I use just cheese, beans, onions and enchilada sauce. Shredded chicken or pork would be delicious also.

I have heated my can of green chile verde enchilada sauce and also added a crushed clove of garlic, 2 TBSP. of butter and some tomatoes to enrich the sauce. My friend and I had once tried as many enchiladas in Sun Valley, California and North Hollywood as we could in our quest to find the best enchilada. I determined that the best sauce had the addition of butter and garlic with a little hot sauce.

So, you limp the tortillas in the hot oil just for a few seconds in order to soften them up and get rid of the raw corn texture. Flip them for another few seconds and take right out to drain and pat out the oil with paper towels.

Now the tortillas are dipped into the warm enchilada sauce and then laid into the baking dish ready to be layered with ingredients.

Here I have started with a tbsp. of beans (pork & beans) can you imagine? It's what I had on hand & worked fine. Sometimes I use black beans, vegetarian refried beans, or simply refried pinto beans. My friends used to pressure cook pinto beans on a daily basis as a staple for their vegetarian diet.

Then I sprinkle the crab, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, cheese, some hot sauce few drops, and roll them up. I continue until the pan is filled then top with more sauce and cheese.

This batch was lacking extra sauce because I only used one 12 oz. can of green enchilada sauce. Two would have been better.

Baked at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes or until bubbly. They come out tender, easy to cut with a fork, and delightful.

Garnish with fresh lime wedges and cilantro. ENJOY!

My mother-in-law had never eaten enchiladas but she really liked them. I'm a California girl originally, so we learn all these Mexican dishes by heart.

I love to cook and give my family new things to try. Hope you try to make enchiladas sometime. You can use them as a side dish to a big salad and also serve sliced mangos or pineapple.

Nice summer dish.

Aloha folks! Thanks for reading. See http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/ for my cookbook and all my Amaryllis of Hawaii series.

Heliconia

The Artful Hawaiigirl: A visit to Lahaina, Maui

The Artful Hawaiigirl: A visit to Lahaina, Maui
When on Maui enjoy the ride!

A visit to Lahaina, Maui

    On Sunday, we decided to take our first trip to Lahaina in over one year.

We live up-country on Maui and rarely travel out of our five mile radius, except on weekends to get to the beach in Kihei or Wailea. I also love the pond (Baby Beach) on our North Shore.

  The reason for our journey was to see a friend who is moving to the mainland. I decided to photograph from the moving vehicle as we proceeded down the mountain.

As you can see it is a pretty rugged landscape as we approach Lahaina. 

I love to see the terrain change on the dry side of our islands.

As we get closer to Olowalu market I remember how I would always stop for a manapua, and can of iced Hawaiian coffee and a cone sushi here.

  We reach Lahaina and park at the end of town so we can walk under the Banyan tree to see all the artists presenting their work.

  I see my friend Veena who loves to buy my hand-painted shirts, selling her beautiful glass jewelry. We take a few photos then she whisks me off to meet her friends of The Lahaina Art Society. She insists that I should join. I can't sell T-shirts, but I can sell paintings. So, I thank her and consider this for the future. Then it's off to my friend Joanna's to see her beautiful place before she moves off to the mainland.

   Let's talk about plants. I'm not going to name them here but as you can see this property that Joanna's step dad had built and maintained for the last ten years along with Joanna, her mother Rosina and a full time female gardener who tends the plants 5 day a week for 6 hours a day, is a work of art.   

 Each Pole cottage is open to the air and they are all connected via a series of pathways which are tiled creatively. Focal points of gardens with sculptures, or benches, bricks and stones line each little plant garden.

A real Italian Fountain.

Asian Beauty.

A touch of Tao.

A fish fountain.

Foxtail fern.

Heliconia.

Joanna gave me some gardenias that were in her vase. She said "These are for you."

Thanks for a lovely day.

I realized what a short distance it is to Lahaina.

And a beautiful drive home!

Thanks, Joanna for being my friend!

   Joanna has been coming to Ben Franklin Crafts to paint on tees in the watercolor style for over three years with me. It has been a wonderful experience getting to know Joanna and her 85 year old mother Rosina who loves to paint on tees too! I will miss her.

If you'd like to come paint with me at Ben Franklin Crafts, call 808 877-3337 to see the schedule and sign up for a class.

Also check out http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/ for scheduling, supplies and the map.

Time for a Fashion Show!

Aloha Friends,

Today I'm going to share with you many of the designs and styles I have been developing over the last year. Hope you enjoy my line of  Hawaiian Designs Made on Maui. This is actually a previous post, so I hope you enjoy! Call me at 808 280-1621 with any questions. So, what do you think?

These are some of my latest designs on Maui!

Chantelle in Red V-Neck Taro leaves Design

Orchid Hibiscus on Chantelle

Kiana in Maui Kitty T-shirt

Maui Kitty for women.

My Body Mind Soul Spirit Design

Hawaiian Quilt on Denise. 

Maikai in Ti-leaf surfer shirt

My Men's Ti-leaf Tank design

My hand-painted designs

Cotton-Lycra Corset tops

Available at www.amaryllisofhawaii.com

Maui Apple Banana Nut Bread

Today it was all about bananas.
   Our apple banana trees have been putting out plenty of bunches so before they go, I had to bake lots of beautiful apple banana nut breads. In Hawaii we have many varieties of bananas. The Williams bananas are longer like the kind we are familiar with in the mainland. Our apple bananas are short and have a unique sweet fresh taste. They are not as creamy as the ice cream bananas that are more like a custard.

The different thing about apple bananas is when the skin is turning black and you think they are pau (finished), they are still beautiful inside, not bruised at all. (Most of the time.)

These bananas appear bruised but once peeled you can see they are really nice still. Most recipes only call for a few bananas, but my recipe came from an old Maui Ladies Home Cookbook which called for 6-7 ripe bananas. Today I doubled my recipe and because apple bananas are small I used about 15 bananas.

 I sifted together
5 cups all purpose unbleached white flour
4 tsp. of baking soda
2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. cinnamon

Then I cream 4 sticks of butter with
3 cups of sugar and add 3 tsp. of vanilla.
I also add 1/2 cup of honey!

On the side in another bowl I crush my bananas with a beater blade.

I also add 8 large eggs that have been lightly beaten to the butter and sugar mixture.

I combine my wet and dry ingredients adding the bananas and mixing with a large spoon until everything is blended. Then I have my walnuts (2 cups) which I have crushed by using the thick measuring cup to pound them inside a larger bowl. You can cut them, chop them or use the food processor but this is how I have done it for years, so I like it that way.

Incorporate the nuts and add 1 cup of craisins to the batter too. Lightly oil the pans even though they are a non-stick. I do.

This batch made 8 small loaves and one very huge long banana bread equivalent to two normal  loaves, I'd say.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake these small loaves for only 30 minutes or until the bamboo skewer comes out clean. They cook fast.

This apple banana bread took one hour and 15 minutes to bake completely.

Wait a few minutes to cool then slip them out of the pan. I love those non-stick Martha Stewart mini-loaf pans. I have to get another one so I can do double batches. 

So here's  what it looks like inside. It was moist but I added a little butter and my banana bread was divine.

My mother-in-law Catherine helped me by holding my book. I showed her my step by step banana bread recipe, then we stepped outside while they baked to enjoy another Maui day on the lanai just reading, listening to the birds, and very windy trades blowing as the banana bread was baking.

I want to share some beautiful plant and flower photos that I took yesterday in my yard and in Catherine's old yard.

Catherine's heliconia.

Our apple banana tree has about five new stalks on it right now so there's much more to come.

Pink Plumeria

Puakenekene

 Stephanotis vine

   And last but not least beautiful Maui. Our north shore is an awesome spot to watch the wind surfers and take in the most gorgeous views of West Maui and Molokai in the distance.

Aloha,

Marilyn

Don't forget to vist http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/ for my latest designs on tees and all my books.

Thai Coconut-Lemongrass Soup

    Ever get a craving for something hot and spicy, rich and delicious too? If you love Thai food you will want to make this in your own home.

   I learned this exotic but easy Thai Coconut Lemongrass preparation from a friend.

I had stopped by their home for a moment and the aromatics were incredible!

  The coconut soup was being ladled into bowls and I was gifted with a take out container of this soup to try on my break later. It's a heavenly, rich, heady concoction and I had to know how to make it!

My friend gave me the recipe from their Thai cookbook and I changed it to what is available.

In my book below I mention the recipe here:

    I start the day before by cooking a whole chicken in boiling water brought down to a simmer for about and hour and a half. To season that broth I always start with garlic, onion, celery and carrots chopped up and added to the water with the chicken. I add my salt and pepper during the second seasoning when I remove the bones to the side.

  This time I added a few star anise to the broth as well as a few cloves like I do in Vietnamese Pho. When the wonderful chicken broth is ready, I serve some, then bring down the heat with ice cubes to chill it for the next day.

 Now I prepare my green chile paste.

I used about 8 jalapenos, lots of fresh ginger (about 4 oz..), 3 lemongrass stalks, 6 cloves garlic,

3 TBSP. vegetable oil, 2 TBSP. sugar, 3 TBSP. fish sauce, zest of three limes and

squeeze the fresh limes into the paste.  (I did not have my kefir lime leaves.)

  I used to have a tree but we lost it.

So this substitution was fine.

   As you see I chopped up my ginger and lemongrass and carefully cut in half and seeded my chiles.Then I pop it all into the food processor for a grind. In the past I had ground it much finer in a small grinder but this rough chop (pulsed for a couple minutes) was fine.

   I add about 3 TBSP. of the green chile paste to 2 TBSP. hot vegetable oil to get the aromatics going. It smells incredible. Don't inhale those chiles, though.

  Also be very careful not to touch your eyes or face. If necessary you can wear gloves to handle the chiles. I just use caution and the pointy sharp blade of a steak knife to get out the seeds.

   Once you get the aromatics going get your tofu and shrimp into the pot to brown in that green chile paste for a couple of minutes.

    My favorite shrimps are the tail on deveined ones in the 21-25 count. (big ones).

This time I had some small ones. (too small.) Cube the tofu before adding to the pot.

Next add 4-6 cups of the chicken broth prepared earlier. I added some of the white meat also.

  

  Next I add two cans of unsweetened coconut milk.

  

   I am ready to taste!

MMMmmmm  woooh, this is sooo ONO! I added more chile paste than usual so on a

scale of 1-5 based on hotness, I guess this one is a 4. But it's ok for my husband and I. We

like it spicy. I won't let my mother-in-law try this one. Not for the sensitive ones.

   Garnish with bean sprouts, mint, or thai basil.

   I also slivered a few green onion pieces for color.

Hope you try this one. You will love it.

Aloha and thanks for reading. Pad Thai is another favorite I will prepare soon. I do that

even at the cabins at Wai`anapanapa on one burner sometimes. It's really easy too!

Feel free to ask me any questions by leaving a comment.  Here's some beautiful pictures of Wai`anapanapa State Park in Hana, Maui, Hawaii. This is one of my very favorite places on Maui. It is wild and beautiful and really Hawaiian.

              The Black Sand Beach Waianapanapa

       The view from Cabin five.

That's all!

Thanks for stopping by,
Marilyn

See http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/ for my books and Hawaiian Designs Made on Maui.

The Artful Hawaiigirl: Mango Jam

The Artful Hawaiigirl: Mango Jam
Step by step How to make my Maui Mango Jam. To die for dakine Jam!

Lilikoi Jelly

Jelly is easy to make too! It just takes one more step.

First I wash and dry all my jars.

(in the dishwasher)

I place the lids and rings into a pot of

nearly boiling water.

I cut up my fruit.

Today it was lilikoi. ("Passionfruit")

I always use lemons to keep the color bright.

Lemons also give a wonderful tanginess.

I used about 4 lemons for this batch.

I cut about twenty lilikoi in half.

I put them into my stainless steel pot.

Then I add water to cover them.

I bring it to a rolling boil

then turn it down to a medium boil for 15 minutes.

The lilikois are cooked now and the pulp

falls out making a beautiful golden yellow juice.

Sometimes it takes twenty minutes to achieve

the desired color.

I remove the skins using tongs

then strain the juice into a glass bowl.

To this juice I also add the juice of 4 lemons.

Then I squeeze the pulp out of about ten more

fresh cut lilikoi and add to the bowl.

The uncooked lilikoi give an amazing

fresh taste to the mixture.

Now I'm ready to measure exact amounts of juice

to go back into the pot and make jelly!

This batch had 8 cups of juice

including the lemons

that were squeezed into the mixture.

Now I add 8 tsp. of the calcium phospate water.

(1 tsp. per each cup of juice.)

This is the Pomona Pectin I mentioned in my Mango Jam post.

The calcium water keeps in the fridge for months.

Next I prepare my sugar pectin mixture.

I add 8 tsp. Pomona Pectin to my sugar.

(1 tsp. per each cup juice.)

I love the Pomona Pectin because

It makes all my jams and jellies

gel perfectly everytime

regardless of how much sugar.

This time I added 5 cups of sugar.

I stir the powdered pectin into the sugar

so it will dissolve easier into the juice.

Now I add the sugar/ pectin mixture to the juice

stirring as I add to dissolve it quickly,

before the juice comes to a boil.

 

As it comes to a rolling boil I prepare to skim

off all the foam into a cup.

It only needs to boil for 2 1/2 minutes.

If I let it boil too long 

I might deactivate the Pomona Pectin.

(The old -fashioned way I used to make jelly

was to bring equal amounts of juice

 and sugar to a rolling boil for 15 minutes.)

The new way is much nicer and

comes out perfect every time.

Once it gels I turn off the heat

and remove to the side.

I ladle into my jars

Then I must clean the rims with a paper towel

to make sure the seal will be tight.

Leave about a 1/2 inch space.

Now remove and dry the lids

which have been sitting

in the nearly boiling water until now.

Place the rubber seal top on jelly

and the rings on finger tight.

Now continue by placing all the jars into

the deep water bath to sterilize.

Cover the jars with at least 2 inches of water.

Then boil for a minimum of 5 minutes.

As I said in Mango Jam,

it takes about 15 minutes to bring

this large amount of water

to a boil, so put on the lid

to speed it up.

I usually boil for ten minutes

then turn off the heat

and relax,

You're done.

(For now)

You can lift out with tongs and place on a towel

to rest while they set.

The jelly may take overnite to set.

The hot liquid must cool.

Don't worry.

It always works with the Pomona Pectin.

After many batches I am happy to say

that I really have this down.

Everyone loves my jelly.

Now I have made several variations

which you may want to try.

Lilikoi-Orange-Guava

Lilikoi-Mango

Lilikoi-Tangerine-Guava

So That's it!

You can make a beautiful label.

I like to hand punch pretty scalloped edged

labels which I have printed then

punch holes and put grommets

to tie rustic raffia bands.

Some people place circles of fabric

over the tops of jars and tie with ribbon.

Next project!

Aloha,

Thanks for joining me while I prepared

Lilikoi Jelly.

Amaryllis of Hawaii Loves To Cook

"Recipes For Life"

available at http://www.amaryllisofhawaii.com/

and bookstores and restaurants

throughout the state of Hawaii

plus Ben Franklin Crafts

in the Queen Ka`ahumanu

Shoping Center on Maui.