Travel

  1. Sunshine & Seafood

    June 18, 2012 by The Squishy Monster

    New Smyrna certainly had its small town charm, touristy appeal, and fried seafood galore.  I wasn’t able to make it to Disney World this time around but I’m certain when I finally go, it’ll be epic (do you think a Squishy Monster could be a Disney Mascot? lol).

    One of my friends got proposed to in this way.  Kudos to him for not only spelling out “will you marry me,” but spelling out her name Anastastia as well, all while hunched over, trying to make all the words large, even and deep enough.

    Flowers I picked for myself.  (FYI, I prefer to receive Chocolates) =D

    There are a few things I find amusing about this snap shot.  First, I used to watch Bob Ross all the time when I was bored.  He was accidentally funny all the time and there was something so soothing about watching him work.  I can understand his passion for his art so well because it’s the passion I have for food.  Second, there’s a completely uninspired restaurant next door, simply called “China.”  It seems that exercising even the slightest measurement of thought was too difficult in order to come up with a better name, lol.  Third, there’s a motorcycle rushing past and the 2 women didn’t even flinch, as if it’s that commonplace.  Geez, where I live, you can’t even skateboard without getting a citation.

    Mm, YUM!  I think I could eat 3 dz in one sitting all by myself =D

    Pretty much the worst thing ever.  Negligible, briny (and oily) shrimp, nearly drowning in a thick muddied mess of “aioli” (really, just soured mayo glopped on haphazardly on a stale bun) with wilted ice berg and soggy tomatoes.  Yucky, not yummy.

    Unimpressive spread of Swordfish Tacos.

    After bouts of mediocre dining at several self-proclaimed “bests!”, I settled down with some homemade whole wheat penne with pesto and goat cheese with simple, grilled free-range chicken.  Satisfying, inexpensive, and quick.

    I hope that everyone was able to spend Father’s Day with their Superman.

    I’m currently putting finishing touches on the video I’ll be posting tomorrow ;)

    As Bob Ross would say “… I’d like to wish you happy (eating) painting, and God bless my friend.”

    XOXO

    Your Squishy Monster ^.^

    Categories: Life Travel | 14 Comments

  2. O Canada

    June 14, 2012 by The Squishy Monster

    Ever have one of those days when you think that it’s way earlier than it really is?  Right now, it feels like it’s 11, not 2 am.  So, thinking that it was 11, I was all like “alright, I’ve done everything I need to today and get to fit in a blog, I’m a superstar.”  No.  Not really.  It’s 2 am and 3 people have reminded me that I promised to post the rest of my pics up.  So without further ado, here’s what the rest of my trip looked like (and the video is currently being edited so should be posted shortly).

    This is what the road ahead of us looked like.  Eerily beautiful in Virginia.

    Niagara Falls.  Natural beauty surrounded by a shocking amount of poverty :/

    My little birdie friend enjoying the view just as much as me.

    “…he said to be cool but he’s already coolest.”  The coolest pup in Buffalo.

    Well, congrats Jeannie…and thanks for the slush puppie and corn dog, lol (oh West Virgina)

    China Town.  I feel like a walk down this street every week would provide me with endless blogging material.

    The CN Tower.  Not only am I a superstar, I’m also a giant (duh).

    The last two places I’ve been to, I’ve just happened to run into a wedding.  Poopoo!  I can’t wait for my special day so some random girl can blog about it too :)

    Toronto Harbour.  One day, I’ll live by the sea and swim with the mermaids.

    Casa Loma (there’s a very sweet story about a young boy who carried a white stone a very long way to help build it, only to be told that all white stones were being excluded.  It has a happy ending and is still the only white stone that is featured).

    The view from the 51st story of 180 Panorama

    I feel that a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt would’ve been most appropriate, no?

    I’m still looking for that person to roll around in the grass with me.

    Dundas Square after Eaton Centre

    I actually produced some head shots with my friend today.  I will be sharing those post-edit ;)

    Update: I will be traveling to Florida this weekend to visit my Auntie.  I am going to try my darndest to get to Disney World.  I’m pretty certain I’d go weeee the entire time ;)

    Sweet dreams!

    XOXO

    Your Squishy Monster

    Categories: Life Travel | 7 Comments

  3. O Canada

    June 12, 2012 by The Squishy Monster

    Just like any vacation or every weekend, it’s over way too quickly.  Before you know it, here you are.  The important documents you left laying behind are still sitting there, waiting to be reanimated.  The bottle of lotion you set down before you left is still waiting on you to use and everything is as you left it in an eery and forlorn way.  Days ago, I was visiting Castles and enraptured by the breeze from the Toronto Harbour tickling my hair.  Now, the hum of the AC is what keeps me company, lol, so take a glance back with me on my sporadic adventure to Toronto.

    The Food:

    They had an “Ontario Bleu Cheese” Ice Cream that tasted like sweet and salty Cheesecake–yum!

    Halo-Halo from the Filipino Festival.  It always reminds me of Patbingsu.

    One of my favorite drinks ever and they don’t even have it at home :(   Fresh Musk Melon with Lychee Jellies.

    Early Bird in Buffalo, NY.

    Korean Bulgogi-Squid-Kimchi Stir Fry at a restaurant called Yummy in Korea Town.

    Best damn $1.50 spent.  Doubles from a non-descript West Indian food stand.  It’s curried Chick Peas, wrapped in fried dough, drizzled over with lots of spiced Mango Chutney.  Again, another thing I can’t get at home :(

    A French-Canadian love affair in a dish, smothered with Cheese and Gravy: Poutine

    Lunch with a view in Kensington.

    Fresh Mochi from a Cake Shoppe in China Town.

    Gee whiz.  But fortunately, I stumbled upon a Pie Shop serving up delish Frozen Watermelons spiked with Agave and Lime.  YUM!  (Watermelon is my favorite fruit).

    If I had an extra $100 to spare, this would’ve come home with me, pronto!

    Supermodel pastries.

    The People:

    I don’t know if it’s just me, but whenever I venture out, the homeless population is one of the most striking things to impact me.  With over 2 million people living in a city where over 100 different languages are spoken, it makes sense that there’s a greater number of people in need of help than my much smaller city.

    I saw this Mission everyday I was in Toronto.  It’s something the Universe obviously wanted to show me.

    What I don’t think some people get is that a lot of those who are homeless are deeply inflicted with Mental/Psychological problems.  Some are hard to diagnose and in some cases, it becomes so detrimental to the person dealing with their illness that it becomes debilitating and then, easier for them to fall through the cracks.

    and some are so frank, that you have to at least appreciate them for their honesty.  The sign reads “in desperate need of sharing a joint with someone.”  I once gave a man some money (I usually only give food, but that day was a busy exception) and he locked eyes with me and expressed his sincere gratitude.  It was a rather cold night, the Men’s Shelter was filled to capacity and he told me that the money would be going towards alcohol to help keep him warm that night.  Obviously, it’s not the most virtuous way to spend money, but it’s honest and it facilitates the need for a person to stay warm.  Whenever it gets very, very cold out, I always worry about those that have to spend the night out in it.  It’s something we take for granted (shelter from the elements) but it’s something that some people don’t even have.

    Do you ever wonder how it must feel to be invisible?  It must be doubly hard for a woman, and especially a women who creates art…art to be looked at and appreciated.  Creating beauty with your hands and to be completely and utterly invisible.  Does it make you fade away bit by bit, everyday?

    This guy may or may not have been homeless.  He sat there, for what seemed like an eternity shutting out the world around him out.  Before I could approach him, he walked away and I carried this image with me in my head for the entire day, wondering what he was shutting out.

    Stop.  I just looked at the time and scrolling back, I realize that this post is getting way too long.  I think I’ll have to save the rest for tomorrow.

    I’ll see y’all tomorrow and will be sure to post a video after that ;)

    Blessed,

    Your Squishy Monster

     

     

    Categories: Life Travel | 20 Comments

  4. Weekend Trip + Gratitude

    February 28, 2012 by The Squishy Monster

    I touched briefly on my bouts with depression awhile ago and I got an overwhelming response from you guys.  So many messages poured in with people dealing with similar issues.  Depression and anxiety is something that I’ve struggled with most of my life and it’s something that goes beyond “feeling a little down, sometimes.”  It’s something that is so extremely intrusive and bleeds into every nook and cranny of life that sometimes, you feel suffocated.  The experience varies depending on the person but for me, my rational mind realizes how irrational it is but feeling it is a somewhat of a different monster (and not of the cute Squishy variety either).  Simultaneously, I often times find myself being angry (if that’s even the right word) that I can feel this way when I logically and rationally know that I am so blessed to be alive and well.  They say that God works in mysterious ways.  Yesterday was another one of those rough days.  As I lay tossing and turning in bed, baby brother calls me (we’re 3 hours ahead here).  I didn’t mention anything about my day and somehow, the phone call morphed into a 3 hour conversation.  We discussed blessings of all things.  How Blessed are we to have the love and affection of our loved ones?  How Blessed are we that we’re able bodied, that yes, we’re in the Great Recession but we have food on the table and heat on cold nights but sometimes we get so wrapped up in ourselves that we stress out about the trivial matters of HOA or bill discrepancies when there are little children that don’t have enough food or natural disasters that devastate entire nations?  We cried, we laughed (or rather, I cried a lot and Daniel told me lots of jokes to make me LOL).  Again, it’s bittersweet bc that was probably one of the last few times I’ll be able to talk to him (at least for that long) since he’ll be leaving for the Netherlands very soon…but perhaps, this is a Blessing in disguise as well!! =D

    I spent the weekend in Atlanta visiting with my Uncle.

    Pretty lights hung in his Foyer.

    Lunch: Cod Fritters, Pan Fried Dumplings, Spinach Side Dish, California Rolls, Mapo Tofu, Tangsooyook (Fried/Battered Nuggets in slightly Sweet & Thick Sauce–it’s on my list of videos to do), Spicy Squid Salad with Squid, Cucumber, Carrots, Daikon, Jalapenos, and Kimchi (of course)! =D

    Entrance to the Korean Bakery–yum!!


    Oh geez, this makes me want to go back just for this!

    Gorgeous Cream Sponge Cakes studded with Fat Berries (what I really wanted to get–but somehow, I just couldn’t justify eating an entire cake by myself, lol).

    What I ended up getting.  The package reads “Green Bean Bread” but all of the ingredients for whatever Pastry you buy are as follows: Flour, Sugar, Eggs, Vitamins/Minerals.  I addressed this from my last visit to a Chinese Bake Shop and called their bluff as well.  There’s just no way that those are the only ingredients that happen to go into every single Pastry so I choose to ignore this and tear away greedily at my soft yeasty bun enveloping fluffy sweetened cream.  omg.  could my mouth water anymore right now?  I am also very fond of the Honey Castilla/Cheese Cakes at Korean Bakeries too.  They’re so light and billowy with a somehow creamy mouth feel.  The best thing about Korean Pastries are that they’re super tender, never too tooth achingly sweet and almost always have a surprise tucked right in the middle.  In Korea, I remember walking up and down hilly rural pavement to walk to the local Bakery to purchase a freshly baked loaf of White Bread–still warm that it steamed the package it came in.  Soooo buttery soft and delicious is this loaf that it can be eaten naked and still rank higher than most Western breads (imho).  Smeared with thick Peanut Butter or drizzled with Honey and it’s unstoppable!  I hope that y’all can try it one day–soon (especially if you’re lucky enough to live near an actual Korean Bakery and eat one fresh and not pre-frozen as most come in mass Asian Markets/Chains).

    Pillowy Pastries + Mounds of Gratitude

    Love Always,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.^

    p.s, here’s my latest video!

    The Squishy Monster playing Summer Dreams

    Categories: Life Travel | 3 Comments

  5. Exploring Boone

    January 19, 2012 by The Squishy Monster

    I get a call from Baby Brother at 3 am, poor baby’s been sick with a nasty stomach flu :(

    So this morning, I stitched together a last minute trip up to see him at school.  I was happy to see that he looked muuuch better than the version of him that was dry heaving & dehydrated.  Since he was feeling much better, I seized the opportunity to spend the entire day with him.  Here’s what our day looked like:

    Deceptively beautiful…low of 21 with angry winds that kick up to assault your face…the drive around campus revealed unrecognizable bundled up figures hobbling against the wind with pink noses exposed—you don’t know whether to laugh or to feel great sympathy for these brave kids that have to withstand this day to day –there was still snow and ice remnants everywhere–(and I was told today was a mild one)!

    The King St. Strip…has such a nice old school homey feel, huh?

    Which is where Obama came recently to speak to the Towns People.

    We bought lots o’ Rock Candy (to reminisce about Grade School) =D

    This is also where Lamb Chop lives!!  I know you know her!!!!

    We had lunch at the Hob Knob Farm Cafe…my Tomato Gouda Bisque

    Shepard’s Pie…the cutest thing about this joint?  On every table are different Animal Salt & Pepper Shakers [[wants]]!!

    Blueberry Scone from Stick Boy Bakery—definitely not the best thing I’ve put in my mouth

    Later, we had Dinner at the Red Onion Cafe but left my phone in the car.

    My baby Brother’s are two of my most faaaaavorite people in the entire World.  Any time I’m able to spend with them is precious.  Just being present within a cramped dorm where you have to share bathroom space with bunches of people made me realize just how long ago it’s been since I was in school.  Almost a decade ago.  That seems like forever ago.  (Though, I must have blocked out the “toughing it out” parts).  For the most part, I can only faintly recall the fun times that were had and cannot conceive now how I could’ve ever shared a single toilet or shower head with so many people.  It sure does stink in the Boys Dorms, lol.

    Stinky or not, if you’re reading this, I’m glad you’re feeling better!!!  I love you very much =D

    Categories: Life Travel | No Comments

  6. Demystifying

    January 17, 2012 by The Squishy Monster

    I asked around the other day if anyone knew what Kava was.  The generous consensus was no.  In truth, it’s a humble Plant, having been revered forever by the people of the Islands for its Sedative properties.  When obtaining mainstream Kava often times, it’s packaged in its dried processed form–the dried root of the Kava Plant.  The OG’s will sometimes chew it directly– fresh, unfiltered and unflavored for increased stimulation.  It has an “intoxicating” effect and helps to soothe and relax.  It plays an integral role in the Tongan Culture and can lay the platform for one to begin Courtship or may be utilized for celebratory purposes (or as I directly experienced in Hawaii, for Funerals… (though in most recent years, it’s taken on massive popularity around the world and even in Tonga, it’s shed a lot of its use steeped in Tradition and is drunk more often and applied to many more social circumstances).  Traditionally, it is prepared by a beautiful young virgin aka a “touʻa.  Men are typically the only ones to drink Kava and these sessions can last up to 10 hours (sheesh)!  It’s a beige-sandy color, smells earthy, tastes muddy and when steeped, takes on a cloudy, milky color.

    Whenever I’ve prepared it, I’ve always been told to use one heaping tablespoon per cup of cold (filtered) water.  Some people believe that heat destroys its potency and traditionally, Tongan Kava is served cold in halved coconut shells immediately.  You can steep and massage the “pulp” for 5-15-30 minutes.  I usually do mine for about 15-20 minutes.

    The thing you’ll notice right away is the numbing sensation of your tongue and the back of your throat.  I like to take Kava especially when I’m sick with a sore throat.  It’s fantastic! (it contains properties that act as local topical anesthetic).  The faster your mouth goes numb, the stronger the prepared Kava is.  (Some people use up to 5 tablespoons of the stuff per cup).  I’ve known people to get violently ill so I wouldn’t recommend using that much, unless you’ve experienced Kava before.  Personally, I feel its effects within 20 min or so and it only lasts for about 1-2 hours for me then I’m back to pre-Kava mode.  Everyone will be effected differently by it. Just as with most things of this nature, you should be self aware and pace yourself, especially if it’s your first time.  I have absolutely no idea how it interacts with medication but I do know that too much = vomiting all night + sleeping the entire next day away, on the other hand, some people swear by it and refer to it as the ultimate natural Ambien.  Personally, I don’t notice a drastic change in my sleeping pattern at all.  Some people don’t mind the natural taste of Kava.  I find it to have a unique and pungent smell and have a strong taste.  The way I flavor it in the video really does make it take on the taste of Chocolate Milk a bit (and the Coffee helps to intensify the melted Chocolate).

    Coconut Milk, Tropical Nectar’s, Spiced Syrups (Gingerbread, Pumpkin, Chai), Nutty Extracts—would all blend really nicely in this to make the whole experience much more fun and enjoyable.  Play around with it and have fun (just pleeeease don’t give it to your kids).  I worked as a Barista one Summer and this man would come in and buy his kid a double Latte :(

    I’m not sure how long Kava lasts.  Everyone I’ve asked (family, sales person, etc have told me different things) but I do know that drinking it after being prepared immediately is best but if you must, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 1 week, no more.
    You want to look for pure and aged Kava ROOT Powder (4-5 years)
    *the brand I purchased was strictly out of convenience–didn’t have much time to shop around* but a quick online search will bring you to the right source.

    How to Make Kava

    Kava, a Tongan Drink
     
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    Prep time

    Cook time

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    Author:
    Serves: 1 Gallon

    Ingredients
    • 16 heaping tablespoons of pure Kava Root Powder
    • 16 cups of cold, filtered Water
    • Fortified Cheesecloth, Nylon, Silk Screen, Tea Bag
    For the Chocolate Syrup
    • 1 c Water
    • 1 c Sugar
    • 1 c Chocolate Chips
    • 1 tb Instant Coffee

    Instructions
    1. Spoon your powder into your Cheesecloth/Nylon/etc
    2. Dunk it in your Water and begin to massage it
    3. Continue to moisten and massage until your achieve a beige, milky color
    4. To make the Chocolate Sauce, melt all of your ingredients together.
    5. Allow it to cool
    6. Stir it into your Kava drink

     

    Categories: Drinks Drinks Ethnic Foods Ethnic Foods Fusion Fusion Travel Videos | No Comments

  7. Things I just don’t see at Home

    January 15, 2012 by The Squishy Monster

    Incredible Landscape like this in your backyard:

    Trees that look like Grandmother Willow:
    Or, like this:
    “Real” Princes and Royal Courts:
    Strange & Beautiful Things:
    Stuff from History Books:

    Moments of Bliss you get a peek into even if you weren’t invited, lol:

    ….and the two Faces of a never-ceases-to-amaze-you–Island:

    Categories: Life Travel | 2 Comments

  8. One Door Closes,

    January 15, 2012 by The Squishy Monster

    Another Door Opens

    Such is the cycle of life, no?

    It seems like I’ve lost a lot of people in my life that just moved past me.  Just within 2011-2012, I’ve lost both a Grandmother & Great Aunt.  My Grandmother was a rather enigmatic force to me.  I remember going to Korea as a child and absorbing the deep lines of her face, her kind and crinkled eyes that paired with her never moving lips.  The lady never spoke.  I think this is why it was so difficult to ever get to know her.  I felt like a big kid with little shoes when we lost her.  I didn’t really know how to feel.  Then, when we lost our Auntie (whom I’d never even met), it was even stranger for me.

    I know I’m a bit obsessed with Food but so often, Food is able to magically weave in and out of the spaces unseen and bind people together like some quietly powerful force.  I always try to reaaaally chew and taste my Food.  Biting, Chewing, Tasting, Swallowing is all wound up together in such a pleasurable experience for me.

    Being in Hawaii was surreal.  After all, the whirlwind events that took place from booking the ticket to actually being there to help with arrangements happened in just about one breath.  The fact that the moment I stepped foot on this Island, delicious and earthy aromas swirled around with a warm and balmy kiss, tempered the fact that we were here for a Funeral.

    I live on the corner of Ordinary Suburbia and Gingerbread Houses.  In Hawaii, it was almost as if even the Trees were offering you sweet and delicious gifts of Fruit.  I have to pay 3 times as much for Organic produce here and on the Island, Fruit bearing Trees are heavy and generous.  It was an automatic welcome (bc of course, I associate Food with Love, LOL).

    Breadfruit

    Sugarcane (and my toes, lol)

    Noni Fruit

    IDK what this is but I wanted to share anyways =D

    one of my faaavorites: Lychee!!! aaaand:

    Papaya!!!

    and Coconuts, of course (these were what I wanted to sneak back with me the most but I figured after like 5, I wouldn’t have enough room for any of my clothes)

    Then, there are the Flowers (so beautiful you wanna eat them too)!!

    Girls in Pink Dresses & Pink Flowers
    (these are just some of MY favorite things)

    Love, Your Squishy Monster =D

    Categories: Life Travel | No Comments

  9. Grubbin’ in another City

    January 14, 2012 by The Squishy Monster

    I’ve never been one to have a waning appetite due to any number of circumstantial reasons.  Even when I’m sick, more often than not, I want to eat to provide a mere comfort to the massive discomfort of being sick in the first place.

    Needless to say, I ate my way through the trip.  I must have brought back at least 10 lbs as a souvenier!

    I still didn’t get why I had to pay for a Coconut when it seemed like they were everywhere, lol

    A version of ‘otai using Mango (will do a video on this too) =D

    Fresh Cooked Octopus caught by a Family Friend…YUUUUM!!
    He’d apparently caught it in Knee deep water Spear Fishing =0

    OYSTERS!  …have I told you lately that I love you!!??

    and of course, the plate wouldn’t be complete without a Mayo-based Salad

    The oh so famous Shrimp Truck…apologies for the bad pic, I was SUPER hungry.  Now to be completely honest, it was definitely delish but most definitely not something you cannot recreate at home.  I love Seafood…I LOVE Shrimp, I love Butter, I love Garlic, and of course I love Rice.  You can combine these things for this experience at home without the hefty price of nearly $1/Shrimp!  I also tried the Hot & Spicy and those were my favorite.  I will definitely be recreating this at home for myself with a bulkier Shrimp ratio to Rice =D

    This was good.  Not-omg-induce-a-food-asm.  Like I said, I love Shrimp and I love Rice.  However, the Coconut Shrimp were too deeply fried and batter-rific.  Super duper crunchy with a tender little Shrimp concealed behind the bulky Coconut Coat.  I was hoping for light and crispy, subtly sweet with a substantial sweet and meaty portion of Shrimp meat, tenderly wrapped inside.  Nope.  And again, for more than $1/Shrimp, this was like a bad first blind date.  Definitely not memorable, sexy, or exciting.

    Those cutie rock star hands belong to Mone <3
    Y’all know I can’t resist a big fat sloppy Burger!  Hand cut fries?  Check.  Thick juicy Burger with LOTS o Cheese?  Check.  This def. did not disappoint.
    Now, I must end this due to the fact that I’m sitting here salivating over this picture.  Wish me luck on the quest to find a fat and cheesey Burger today.
    Love & Beefy Kisses
    –Your Squishy Monster =D

    Categories: Life Travel | No Comments

  10. An Island State of Mind

    January 13, 2012 by The Squishy Monster

    still on it.

    Not that I typically go to bed before 1 anyways.  I left Hawaii at 5 pm Wednesday and arrived home the next day at 11 am and lemme tell ya, traveling while sick is the worst way to travel.  Anna Farris’ clumsy onscreen hijinks and the rubbery chicken that the airline served provided weak distractions to the flu I’d apparently suffered through before the trip that lay latent until the tail end of it.  It came back with a vengeance too!  Despite this + the funeral +  my ear not popping until the 3rd day of touching land + only spending merely one day at the beach, I still managed to experience the natural wonders of Hawaii.

    We stayed in Rural Hauula where it took over an hour just to reach town and spent the week exploring Haleiwa, North Shore/Sunset, Pearl City, Downtown Honolulu, Laie, and Kahuku.  As in most cases, whenever I’m out of town, I like to revolve the trip around food.  I have to say that the local food is incredibly rich.  I, by no means restrict myself when it comes to the matters of food and eating it but after 3 days straight of eating spoonfuls of Margarine, Mayonnaise, tearing into Sweet Breads, or crunching into thickly battered and fried Foods, your stomach tends to disagree with you.

    see?  lol

    The first full night there, I ate Galbi at a spot down the street you could walk to.  Its menu proudly boasted all the goodies that Korean Cuisine has to offer but any true old school Korean will tell you that they’re not grubbing on Galbi on the daily.  My first meal back on the Mainland?  I made a direct bee line to Mama’s Soybean Sprout and Kelp Soup, Grilled Tofu, and Bachelor Radish Kimchi.

    fyi: the white mass tucked behind the fish jeon?  the almost mandatory Mac Salad that comes with nearly everything on the Island.
    This place was great.  Each entree was around $9.  It’s run by this tiny little Korean lady who works the register AND cooks all by herself.  The only downside here was that she was all out of Kimchi :(

    The entire weekend was spent preparing for the Funeral and Wake.  15 pairs of hands worked diligently and churned out meals for nearly 1,000 people who arrived to show their respects.  Just as I find personal comfort in food in both high times and in low, Traditional Tongan fare was just one means of binding together strength during a time of great mourning.
    Menu:
    -Lu Sipi: Mutton Flaps dusted with Seasoned Salt on a bed of Onions, with a generous heaping spoonful of Mayo (yes, Mayo) –all wrapped up in Taro Leaves then set to steam over a fire.
    - Talo (Taro) baked
    -Puaka (whole roasted Pig)
    -Beef Curry

    Taro Leaves you must pluck the stems from, by hand in order to prepare them for wrapping (we went through nearly 150 lbs of these)!!

    Layering the Lu Sipi

    Steaming them in groups in a heated Barrel.

    Most days, Breakfast looked like this:

    Thick slice of Soft & Sweet Tongan Bread spread with gorgeous New Zealand sweet Cream Butter.  Yum!
    This bread was purchased from the local “bakery” family owned and run–sadly, it doesn’t withstand the heat the next day, so I made it into Bread Pudding for next morning’s breakfast =D

    Snacks almost always came in Sugar form:

    $.99 Taro Pies from…Mcdonalds.  Yup.  Ya heard right.

    Papaya, Lychee, and Musk Melon Shaved Ice
    or

    Mango, Coconut, or Passion Fruit Shaved Ice (or you can be a fattie like me and have both)!  LOL

    and ya gotta enjoy a Mint Chocolate Cone next to a Waterfall!! =D

    Categories: Life Travel | No Comments

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    Welcome to The Squishy Monster!

    Here, I'll share the stories of my on going love affair with food as well as step-by-step tutorials/cooking videos featuring original recipes. I'm a firm believer that despite our differences, our one commonality as humans? Food.
    I'm 100% Southern & 100% Korean. My name is Angela and my friends call me The Squishy Monster.

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