The Perfect Gift!!!!

Ok guys, let's be honest here...

If you've been following my blog for a while, it is a good chance you know about MY BOOK.  If you are new to the blog, you aren't missing much because sadly, I don't really do much advertising of this book; although I know I should because it is just that awesome!

Haha...but seriously I am super proud of it!  It is my first ever published work and I did it all myself though an online self-publishing website.  It took me about a year to finish; mostly because I procrastinated and wanted everything perfect, including testing all the recipes and taking pictures of each one!

So now, for the holidays there is a huge discount!  Usually just $10, it is now on sale at Amazon for just $6.82.  It is a soft-cover small book with delicious Medieval recipes that have been modified to be made in today's kitchen quickly and easily.  I also included a fun short story with each recipe for your kids to read (for kids at heart too!).  A bonus here is that the recipes are easy enough for your kids to help out with as well as for those of us who are not as handy in the kitchen as we'd like to be.

Perfect as a stocking-stuffer or as a gift for that person you have no clue what to get (we all have someone like that).

I'm trying to spread the world about healthy, fun cooking to share in the joys of the kitchen for the holidays.  Restaurants are fun, but there is something about sharing the process of making a meal, especially around the holidays, that just proclaims love and happiness.

In peace and love,
Luana ola!

On being Thankful.

I don't know about you, but this time of year always warms my heart.  There is something about the changing weather, warm beverages, and knowing that you will be spending time with those you love that brings out a certain glow in people.  Have you ever noticed it?

People seem to smile more, they laugh easier, and seem to be all together more cheery.

Although I have not written a post in almost a month now, (my apologies...) due to being on the verge of being completely overwhelmed, something inside me has kept me sane and level headed.  Now, let it be known that my wonderful boyfriend helped a lot by reminding me to make lists and take it one step at a time, but I also believe that the warmth of this season (i.e. being thankful) has helped it along as well.

So, here's what being thankful is to me:

• that warm-fuzzy feeling
• hugging a loved-one
• hand-writing a letter or giving them a call
• sharing a home-prepared meal 
• giving for the sake of giving, without expecting something in return

Let me know what being thankful is to you in the comments below, so we can all share in the warmth of this holiday season together!

Luana ola!

p.s. starting December 1st, I will be posing more nutrition information (for your benefit as well as a study mechanism for myself!...a friend gave me that idea...you know who you are :)

Happy Halloween!! Cooking for 75 people!

I hope you all had a magical and safe Halloween last night!

I spent my evening in a class called RecipeBox.  Every Thursday night, my classmates and I put together a dinner event for the community.  The 3-course meal is $10 and the meal is planned, cooked, and served to the guests by my classmates and myself.

Last night was my partner (Marina) and my night and to celebrate, her boyfriend as well as my boyfriend and family came (in addition to about 40 more people!)

To keep with the theme of Halloween, we made a pumpkin soup with boba (black tapioca aka spider eggs), falafel zombie eyes with black rice tabbouleh and carrot fingers, and a sinister pear upside-down cake with chocolate drizzle.  It was all vegan too!  Thanks Marina for going vegan for this meal with me!

It was a lot of work, stress, and a big undertaking but we pulled it off and got some great feedback.

 Below is our registration table!  Do you think they planned to both wear hats??

 Some of our front of the house!

 Here's our entire crew, you guys did great!!

 And we definitely couldn't have pulled it off without the help of our teachers, who guided the way.  Thanks Chef Rhonda and Prof Ann!

If you couldn't tell, we had a great night of good food and hectic fun.  I hope your Halloween was spooktacular as well!

Luana ola!