The Chocolate Haupia Pie Did Not Go Over Well

I am so disappointed.  My first chocolate haupia pie was kind of a fail.  Kind of because it looked right and tasted right, but apparently I should have shared with those who have acquired the taste for such a pie.  Mr. Sweeth Tooth did not like it.  Something about the consistency.  Granted, the chocolate pie was a not as light as I would have liked, but I didn't feel like it was that bad. 

Insert sad face here.

The recipe came from Hawaii's Best Local Desserts.  It was an easy recipe, the hardest part was finding frozen coconut milk.  In fact, I could not find the frozen stuff easily, so I bought the canned version.  To confirm, I sent a text to my friend who I figured would know, and of course she knew (she writes the myfoodaffair blog).  When she make haupia, she uses canned coconut milk, and finds it more flavorful. 

By the way, haupia is a coconut dessert from Hawaii.  It's kind of like jello.

Here's the recipe, hope it goes over better for you than it did for me.  By the way, I added my notes directly in the text below (I'm being lazy), and made the copy bold.

Chocolate Haupia Pie
adapted from Hawaii's Best Local Desserts

• 1 frozen prepared pie crust (9-inch)
• 1 can frozen coconut milk, (12-oz), thawed (canned coconut milk is okay)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• semi-sweet chocolate (7-oz)
• 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Shaved chocolate for garnish

Bake pie crust at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.  Cool.

To make the haupia, whisk coconut milk, milk, and 1 cup sugar in a sauce pan.  In a separate bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water.  Bring the coconut milk mixture to a boil.  Reduce to simmer and whisk in cornstarch mixture until thickened.  I don't think you have to use the entire cornstarch mixture, but I could be wrong (maybe someone can comment on this for me).

Microwave chocolate pieces for 1 minute, or until melted (I go for soft and then stir so it doesn't get too hot).  Pour half the haupia into a bowl.  Mix the remaining haupia with melted choclate and pour on bottom of pie crust.  Spread out evenly.  Layer white haupia on top.  Spread evenly.  Cool the pie in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.  Whip heavy whipping cream with 1/4 sugar until stiff peaks form.  Garnish the pie with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.  Chill for 1 hour.

Two Baby Blankets - Divided Squares Pattern

Both of these blankets were knitted using a pattern called divided boxes. Unfortunately, I do not remember where I found the pattern. It is an easy pattern to follow.

The pattern is done in multiples of five stitches, and I add on additional stitches for the border. I like to make my border in seed stitch. Here is the pattern itself:

Row 1: (Right side) Knit across
Row 2: (K1, P4) across
Rows 3 and 4: (K3, P2) across
Row 5: (K1, P4) across
Rows 6 and 7: Knit across
Repeat Rows 2-7 for pattern


This one was done using a single strand of Bernat Softee Baby in Funny Prints.


This blanket is for one of the two little girls born to my friends this November (there were actually four babies born in November for whom I need blankets). I used two strands of yarn, one is Bernat Softee Baby in Baby Pink Marl, and the other is Red Heart Hunny Yarn in Pink Blush. Two strands are used because the Red Heart yarn is not very stretchy, and I do not care for how it lies on its own. As the Hunny yarn has been discontinued, this is the last of my stash, so lucky Baby A.

I think I have already talked about why I use Softee Baby so much, but in case I have not, it is because the yarn can be washed and dried.

Oh, and if you are wondering about the photo in the background of the picture featuring the pink blanket–it is of the Golden Gate Bridge, and was taken by my sister, Mindy, of Mindy Metivier Photography.

USC Baby Blanket and 30 Day Song Challenge

Super random, I know. It is just that life has been busy, and so I am behind.


The blanket is for my friends and their new son, who is obviously USC's lastest little fan. The yarn is Vanna's Choice in cranberry by Lion Brand, and the pattern is from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies.

As for "the 30 Day Song Challenge," well, I got that from my friend of the hippofairy blog. Basically, you are supposed to post a different song each day. The "rules" are below. And I will say now that I will struggle with picking just one song.

Day 01 - Your Favorite Song
Barnacled Warship by Johnny Flynn

30 Day Song Challenges Rules
day 01 - your favorite song
day 02 - your least favorite song
day 03 - a song that makes you happy
day 04 - a song that makes you sad
day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone
day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere
day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event
day 08 - a song that you know all the words to
day 09 - a song that you can dance to
day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep
day 11 - a song from your favorite band
day 12 - a song from a band you hate
day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure
day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love
day 15 - a song that describes you
day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate
day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio
day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio
day 19 - a song from your favorite album
day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry
day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy
day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad
day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding
day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral
day 25 - a song that makes you laugh
day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument
day 27 - a song that you wish you could play
day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty
day 29 - a song from your childhood
day 30 - your favorite song at this time last year

Neil Gaiman Came to Town

Twice I have thought, "He is really cool." The first time while watching It Might Get Loud as Jimmy Page played his guitar. The second time tonight, during Neil Gaiman's appearance at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.

Yes, a cool, smart, English writer dude. He is brilliant. His body of work includes comic books, children's books, adult books, scripts, and more. And then there is Neil himself. This is the second time I have sat in one of his audiences, and between these appearances and his online persona, I think he is a genuinely nice guy. One who I would enjoy having conversation with over a beer.

What I appreciate most is his connection to his fans. If you follow Neil Gaiman on Twitter, you will see how he answers his fans, shares their news and just appreciates them. Today he signed about 800 books for fans who pre-purchased the tenth anniversary edition of American Gods. Which is much more than I can say for another author who stamped books for an appearance.

If you ever need book recommendations, Mr. Gaiman's are great. Thanks to him I found my way to Robin McKinley (Sunshine is a new favorite), Gene Wolfe, Diana Wynne Jones, and Robert Holdstock.

About the event. It was wonderful. Once it got started. The show should have started at 8:00 p.m., but at the appointed hour we were still standing in a line that wrapped around the Saban, along Hamilton Drive. My guess is that the long wait occurred because all tickets were will call, as well as signed books to be picked up inside. Thankfully the show did not start until most of the audience was seated, somewhere around 9:00 p.m.

Patton Oswalt was the moderator/interviewer. Funny, funny guy. I saw him do something similar at Comic-Con two years ago, but this was better. Like us audience members, Mr. Oswalt is a big fan, and that went a long way. The evening included a hilarious book reading by Neil himself, Mr. Oswalt and Zelda Williams, as well as some extra tidbits on what the lot of us might soon expect. The future's looking good for American Gods Two; a musical set in 1920s Paris; non-fiction work; a children's book called Chu's Day; and American Gods, the TV show. One of the best things about the night besides Neil Gaiman? The fact that there were about 1,500 people in the Saban Theatre to see an author.


I highly encourage you to go see Neil Gaiman is he is ever in your town for an appearance. He does not disappoint. Plus, your vocabulary may grow.

Heart Hat and Blanket Square

Here are two knitting projects I recently completed. The first is a newborn beanie in red, with a duplicate stitched pink heart. I used Stitch Nation Bamboo Ewe yarn.


And here is a purple blanket square, made with Sensations Angel Hair yarn.

Both items may soon appear in photos by Mindy Metivier Photography.

Mindy Metivier Photography Casting Call for Newborns

My sister, Mindy, just went to Texas for a photo-mentoring session, and she learned some new baby posing and soothing techniques. So that she can put these new lessons to practice, she is offering free photo sessions for five to twelve-day old newborns.

Visit the Mindy Metivier Photography website for more details and photos from her mentoring session.

Hooked on TV Recaps

I blame my minor addiction to reading TV recaps on my [former] co-worker, Mrs. G.

It started last summer. We realized that we both religiously watched Mad Men, and probably could be classified as Maddicts. Every week, we puzzled over Don's behavior, the fate of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, and guessed at the show's next move. At one point Mrs. G. told me about these TV recaps she reads on the Entertainment Weekly website. And then she had to go and send me the link.

Now I have yet another website to visit on a regular basis.

The thing about these TV recaps is that they are so cleverly written. And the recappers catch so many things I miss—I can't even begin to tell you about the level of detail that is caught and discussed after an episode of Mad Men. Truth be told, I am not a simultaneous TV watcher and analyzer, so I immensely appreciate that someone else does this and writes about it. The other thing (and this is the biggest "thing" for me) is that reading these recaps allows me to enjoy just a little bit more of my favorite shows.

I am enabled by TV recaps. Enabled to obsess further over characters like Eric Northman and Damon Salvatore. Enabled to dig out more hilarity from shows like The Big Bang Theory. Enabled to think that maybe my TV watching habits aren't that bad if I read some analysis afterward.

Happy Birthday

Can't say that I remember when this happened, but my sister, Mindy, was born on this day, 30-something years ago.

Happy birthday, Min! Did you have your spaghetti dinner?

In my family, you get to pick your birthday dinner, and it's been many years since Mindy's had anything else but my mom's spaghetti. If I was at home, I would make her some cupcakes. Next time, next time. Hope you enjoy your annual subscription renewal to National Geographic Traveler, and a new addition to your photo props inventory (obviously, it's not a secret).

How Today is About Football and My Sister

I'm a little distracted by the BCS Championship, so about all I can manage right now is to talk about two things: 1) the BCS; and 2) Mindy Metivier Photography gift certificates.

The BCS. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I always want to watch the national championship. This year especially (for reasons unknown even to me), I wanted someone to take down the SEC. Maybe it's because I have lived in California since 1996, or maybe it's because I've been brainwashed by all my Trojan and Bruin friends and I cheer for the Pac-10 when my Bows aren't in it (they're never in it). Whatever. I was pulling for the Ducks.

So much so, that the neighbors probably think I'm nuts.

Yes, I yell at the TV.

Well, the yelling is over. The Ducks lost. Ugh.

Silver lining. Silver lining.

Oops, sorry, it's something I've been hearing a lot lately.

So today's silver lining is that soon you will be able to buy gift certificates to Mindy Metivier Photography. How is it silver-lining? Well, even though Oregon lost the BCS today, it is also the same day that my sister announced that she will soon have gift certificates available for purchase. That's good for her, so by extension, I'm thinking it's good for me.

Silver lining. Right.

The Last Baby Blanket of 2010

Here's a blanket, made by special-request! It was a little weird making a blanket with two different football teams (this was for a two-team household), but that is mostly because I struggled with matching the fabric. It seems to have turned out okay though.


An up-close view so you can see the hand-quilting I did, and so you can see my team, the Colts.


This is just so you can see a bench that has appeared in photo shoots by Mindy Metivier Photography. By the way, this blanket was made in California and Hawaii.

My First Bunny Hat

I finally made a bunny hat! It was made using Dark Horse FA-30 Hot Pink Yarn. This was my first go-around with this brand of yarn, which is 50% Nylon and 50% Acrylic.

The Dark Horse Fantasy yarn line is quite soft, which make it quite nice; but it's also quite slippery.

The ears aren't perfect, but I don't think that rabbit's have perfectly symmetrical ears in real-life...hopefully my sister doesn't mind. We'll see how they do in a photo shoot.

Baby Pods (Formerly Known as Cocoons)

In case you are interested in seeing what my baby pods (a.k.a. "cocoons") look like with a baby in them, visit my sister's blog to see them in a photo shoot. You can see more of them if you view the slide show!

Hopefully these will begin making an appearance on my very own Etsy page sometime in the near future. If I only I could find the time to build up inventory!

For now, just check out Mindy Metivier Photography online.

Sewing Questions Not Yet Answered

A little over a year ago, I blogged about the struggles I had with using using double fold bias tape to make a square neckline. Included were some tutorial-type photos because I could not find step-by-step instructions on the internet.

You have no idea how pleased I have been to see that it's been helpful for other sewers.

Sorry, I just had to say that because I appreciate all the comments people have left for me. Which leads me to today's post.

The following two comments were left for me in October:

I am a 13 yo. seamstress, and I like to sew jumpers. I made one, (with a square neckline), and it turned out fine. Then, I made another with the same pattern, (I made the pattern) , and I ended up with funny wrinkles at the corners. Where did I go wrong? The first time I used cotton/denim, and the next I used 100% cotton material... Any tips?? Thanks!
October 21, 2010 11:04 AM

How do you do corners without getting scrunchy? also- how do you thread and use a serger? Could you write a post about that? Thank you!!
October 21, 2010 8:23 PM

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond, but I've been a bit busy lately, and I also haven't really been able to come up with what I think is a suitable answer to either question.

In answer to the "funny wrinkles" and "corners without getting scrunchy" questions—I have another question. Do you have any photos of these wrinkles and scrunches? It would help me if you could send me photos (please reference the blog in your subject line). I don't think it was the material you were using since both are made out of cotton. My guess is that you somehow pinched the fabric under the bias tape, or that fabric was pinched at the "v" part.

And now we've arrived at how to thread a serger.

How did you know that it's been more than a decade since I've actually used a serger? We had a serger at my grandma's house, and I remember failing miserably at trying to re-thread it. The first place I learned to use a serger was in Mrs. Iki's sewing class, and we never changed the thread without just tying the two colors together and letting the machine stitch until the new color was threaded all the way through. The best I can do is share with you two Google finds:

• Diane Bossom's Serger Place Serging Guidelines—this one has a lot of tips and has an improvement on the method I used in Mrs. Iki's class
.

• eHow.com has a video, but I can't make any comments on how informative it is.

Thanks for asking the questions. I do wish I could give you better answers, but send me some photos and I'll see if any of my resources can provide more help. And you know, my photographer of a sister was actually the one who was better with a sewing machine. Yes, that's right before there was Mindy Metivier Photography, there was a seamstress who made a lot of clothes.

I've Been Knitting

Here's a bunch of stuff I recently finished for my sister. Most of the pieces are cocoons, and hopefully they work for her photo shoots, and the babies are snug. There is one blanket square mixed in.


A cocoon in pumpkin.


A cocoon in yellow.


A cocoon in fig. In person, the yarn looks a little darker than it does in this photo.


The blanket square. This one is already in Hawaii. The other pieces will soon be on their way.

My Kind of Hallowe'en

For some reason that I don't quite get, people love Halloween. I have never really been into it, and don't really enjoy the dressing up part. It might be because it's always so cold and Halloween costumes for women tend to leave little to the imagination, but I think it's also because my costume ideas tend to just become a a big pile of FAIL.

This year I was sort of saved from Halloween because my mom was visiting. Even though she left on Halloween, and left me time for some fun, I am just too tired. Plus I didn't have time to even think about a costume.

So, for Halloween, I put on my The Graveyard Book t-shirt and I wrote a short review on Charlaine Harris' Club Dead. Lame? Yes. But it's better than nothing. After all, Neil Gaiman wrote The Graveyard Book, and he recently proposed that we should all give each other scary books for Halloween; and Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series is about vampires.

Oh, and thinking it would be scary, we watched Let the Right One In to start off the Halloween weekend. It was not scary at all, but it was a good foreign film, and a very interesting portrayal of a vampire.

Who am I kidding? My Halloween "celebration" was less than half-hearted. At any rate, Happy Halloween! There's still time to go out and find a scary book to give. I recommend Mr. Gaiman's Coraline. The Other Mother is spooky-ooky no matter how old you are.

Mindy Metivier Photography

My sister posted her first blog last week, and I neglected to mention it. I blame it on a hectic work schedule (we were in week-before-event-mode) and a throw quilt project that I had to finish in time for a September 25 wedding. Excuses, excuses, I know.

At any rate, the Mindy Metivier blog is running, so please check it out. She is posting some of her work, as well as telling you a little bit about herself. What I like best is that her blog is so Mindy. From her "!!!" (she is enthusiastic and dedicated) to her post about her prior life as a teacher, you truly get to know my sister.

She is doing what I think we all want to do &mdash work that we love. And Mindy undoubtedly loves babies, kids and photography.

Baked Manapua

One of the things I miss about home is the food, and that includes manapua. Of course I can find manapua here in the mainland, but usually only at Dim Sum (and then it's called char siu bao).

Needless to say, I was pretty excited to see this recipe for baked manapua on the My Food Affair blog. It seemed manageable enough, so I tried it out tonight. Oh my goodness was it yummy. This is the first Chinese food I have made that actually tastes right.

As far as the recipe goes, I had a little bit of a hard time with the dough since it was so sticky. It probably should have been mixed more in the bowl...guess I am too used to using a food processor to make pizza dough. And then I had a little bit of a hard time with stuffing the char siu filling into the dough and making nice little bao. Tip for anyone else trying to make this recipe: don't worry too much about making the manapua perfect because the dough smooths out a bit when you let it rise for 30 minutes before putting it in the oven.

I did not know what is in an egg wash, so I checked the internet and found several examples. I used an egg wash of one egg yolk and one teaspoon of water; a mixture that I found on The Pie Maven blog. Finally, I was concerned about making the char siu tough/dry since it's already been cooked but the five minute saute was perfect and the filling turned out just fine.

I'm not posting this recipe, but you can find it on the My Food Affair blog.

Car Watch 2010 and Two Better Bits of News

First, an update on Car Watch 2010: It has been one business day since I sent faxed my letter to the car company's corporate office, as well as since I spoke to someone in the Consumer Affairs department. There has been no response on either front. The person I spoke to in the Western Region Consumer Affairs department gave me no timeline of when I could expect to hear from them. However, the person I spoke to via the 1-800 number said I should hear back from someone in one to two business days. Business day one is down, so that leaves them with one left. The dealership did call me back with a new quote for the parts and labor for my crankshaft. It's not the restitution I seek, but it's better than the initial quote.

And now for the two bits of better news.

My sister launched her website! That's right, Mindy Metivier Photography is on the World Wide Web, where you can see her work online, read a little bit about her, and hopefully book a session. She will soon be launching a blog as well.

Finally, August 24 has arrived! In other words, it's the release date for Suzanne Collins' Mockingjay. My copy from Barnes and Noble arrived right on time, and I have put Ender in Exile on hold so that I could read the final installment of the Hunger Games trilogy. If you will excuse me, Mockingjay calls.

Blueberry Mint Lemonade

My non-alcoholic drink of choice is usually an Arnold Palmer, but about a month ago I had my first blueberry mint lemonade. It was an incredibly refreshing drink to have on a warm day.

Last night I finally remembered to look for a recipe online, and I found one on The Cooking Photographer blog. I blame my memory lapse on the cooler-than-usual-temperatures for May and June. It took the warm humidity of this weekend for me to remember that I needed to figure out how to make a blueberry mint lemonade at home.

The Cooking Photographer's recipe is delicious, and she also points out that this makes a tasty mojito.

Blueberry Mint Lemonade
by The Cooking Photographer

Simple syrup (recipe follows)
1 1/2 C fresh lemon juice (or lime)*
1 lemon sliced (or lime)
1/2 C frozen blueberries
20 small or 10 large mint leaves
5 1/2 to 6 1/2 C water to taste

Combine all ingredients together in a pitcher and stir. Chill until ready to serve.

Simple Syrup
1 1/2 C sugar
1 1/2 C water

Bring the sugar and water to a boil. Boil until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside.

*I didn't have enough lemons for the lemon juice, so I added two limes.

I Do Love Books

Moving to the Bay Area truly has reunited me with books. Commuting on the Bart for over an hour each way was the initial spark, and it got me back in the library; then there was Twilight. I think the last time I read with such voracity over such an extended period of time was high school.

Reading all these books has also made me interested in seeing authors in person, talking about their books. I got this chance at Comic-Con last summer when I saw Neil Gaiman on the Coraline Panel. And now Melissa Marr (and several other author friends) are coming to San Francisco on September 18 for the Smart Chicks Kick It tour. Unfortunately, it looks like Cassandra Clare's three appearances don't include the City. At any rate, I must go!

The only problem is that this right smack in the middle of football season, and I do love my college football. Luckily, USC is at Minnesota and UCLA is playing Houston, so I don't think I have anything to worry about.