July 2008 Olivia Birthday Party
We sent out Olivia's Party Invitations to a birthday luau a few weeks ago. If you didn't get a card - don't fret - we only invited local family (and the grandparents too of course). We made the best of the semi-finished backyard with some luau-themed decorations (e.g. tiki torches and the like). The kids were all provided with grass skirts, a flower (or a shell) lei, and the opportunity to get a tattoo on their forearm or calf. Olivia welcome her birthday guests in a new pink dress (with matching silk flower hair clip) and her new "pretty" shoes. Here are some pictures of the principal party guests:

From left to right: Eliana (age 4), Berkeley (age 5 yrs and 360 days), Nathan (age 2), Isabella (age 4), Emily (age 3), Hinckley (age 1 month), and the birthday girl Olivia (age 2). Not shown: Jenna, Ebey, and Andrew (oops).

We invited the wife of our home teacher, Kamaile, to teach the kids a simple Hawaiian song. I can't remember much of the song now, and the kids can't either... except for the part that went "poo poo". Heh. Here is Kamaile teaching the kids the song and the accompanying hand movements:

After the song we served a luau feast headlined with Kalua Pork and Teriyaki Beef. There was also plenty of fresh fruit to munch on. I wish I had taken a picture of the spread now. Suffice it to say, the food was deluxe and there was plenty to go around.

After dinner, we sang to the birthday girl and served the cake:

We served the cake with three luau-themed flavors of homemade ice cream... Coconut Macadamia Ice Cream with Chocolate Chunks, Pineapple Ice Cream, and Mango Ice Cream. The coconut ice cream was a big hit and I must say that it was exceptional, one of the best flavors Kristy and I have created. The pineapple was also very good. However, the mango flopped (and it was the hardest to make!). I don't think my mangoes were ripe enough as the flavor was very weak. Ah well.

Immediately following the cake and ice cream, Olivia opened up her birthday presents:

Pictured below are two of her gifts... a new umbrella and a new "sofa" (her word) for the attic playhouse.

But, by far, her favorite gift was a sing along cassette recorder that the Thurmonds bought for her. Just take a look at the pictures:

It was a great party! I wish some of my own family was there to enjoy it (maybe next year *wink wink*).

Coconut Macadamia Ice Cream with Chocolate Chunks
A few years ago I bought an ice cream recipe book that contains predominantly custard-style recipes called The Ultimate Ice Cream Book. This recipe is based on the "Coconut Ice Cream" recipe in that book (found on page 50). My own variation adds the macadamia nuts and chocolate chunk pieces. Enjoy!

½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
1 cup half-and-half
1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup macadamia nuts (or more if desired)
½ cup chopped chocolate bars (or more if desired)

Toast coconut in a broiler oven until golden brown. Beat sugar into eggs until thickened, add cornstarch and salt and set aside. Combine half-and-half with coconut milk and bring to boil over medium heat. Slowly beat hot liquid into the egg mixture and then transfer back to pan over low heat. Stir constantly until slightly thickened (be careful to not heat too quickly or the eggs will scramble). Remove from heat and pour hot custard through a stainer into a large bowl. Add toasted coconut, cream, and vanilla and mix to combine. Refrigerate until cold.

Transfer to ice cream maker. The White Mountain ice cream maker we own will freeze the ice cream in about 25 minutes (ymmv). Remove frozen ice cream from ice cream maker, add macadamia nut pieces and chocolate chunks and mix in my hand. Serve immediately or transfer to freezer to harden completely.

Book Review: The Ultimate Ice Cream Book by Bruce Weinstein
Several years ago, I purchased The Ultimate Ice Cream Book by Bruce Weinstein. I bought it with several other ice cream books (specifically the Ben & Jerry's one and the one published by Williams Sonoma). The Ultimate Ice Cream book is a good reference and has many obscure recipes for ice cream flavors that you won't find in many other books (like recipes for Lavendar, Rhubarb, or Red Bean Ice Creams... the latter of which I had almost every day in Taiwan during the hot and humid Taiwan summers). Most of the recipes in the book are "custard-style", meaning that you must create a thin custard out of the ingredients (with the exception of the cream) before the ice cream mixture is transferred to the ice cream maker. If there is one weakness in the book, it is probably the chocolate ice cream recipes... but I prefer non-chocolate ice cream anyway, so I'm not complaining too loudly.

Summary: A book well worth the minimal $12 price tag. Go get it.

Teriyaki Beef

About 4 lbs of tri-tip beef steak
1 cup Hawaiian "Huli-Huli" sauce

Combine steak and Huli-Huli sauce in a leak-proof ziploc bag and marinate for 24 hours. Grill on an open flame until medium-rare. Cut into bite-size strips (or chunks) and serve over white rice.

Kalua Pork
Dig a pit in the middle of your backyard lawn. Then build a fire in the pit... no, not really. Just get your crockpot out 24hrs in advance of serving this.

1 pork roast (about 5 lbs)
2 tbs Hawaiian sea salt
1 tbs liquid smoke flavoring

Combine ingredients in crock pot about 18-24 hours before serving. Turn crockpot on low and simmer until pork is tender. Pull pork apart with two forks and serve over steamed white rice.

(Note: QFC sells Hawaiian sea salt; it is mixed with purified Hawaiian Alae Red Clay.)

Olivia's 2-Year Measurements
Olivia had her 2-Year Well Check today. She brought back a "Report Card" with her weight and height. She officially weighs in at 24 lbs (25th percentile for her age) and measures 34" in height (70th percentile for her age).

By comparison, Eliana at 2 years old also measured 34" in height but weighed in at a 27 lbs (70th percentile). Eliana was a chunky baby though and has thinned out considerably now.

Olivia Turns 2
Olivia turns 2 today. The tradition around here is that the birthday girl (or boy as the case may be) gets to pick the menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I asked Olivia what she wanted and she said "No-nuts" (doughnuts). I drove her down to KK and let her pick out a doughnut - a plain glazed doughnut with brightly colored sprinkles. When we returned home, we put a couple of candles in her doughnut and sang to her. She was thrilled.

(Update Fri Aug 8 11:16:11 PDT 2008 // corrected spelling)