accessorizing
Recipe: passion fruit mochi
Before I forget, I wanted to share my composite of the eclipse so you could get a feel for the whole progression. It’s kinda cool and especially great to show and explain to kids, big and small.
starting at 6:31 pm (MDT) and ending 8:13pm (MDT)
Last month, I got a super sweet email from Viva Singer, a reader who told me that her office in Montreal loves to check out the recipes on use real butter and that everyone at work thinks Kaweah is adorable. As a thanks for sharing recipes, she wanted to send me a dog collar for Kaweah, because that’s what her business, Hot Dogs All Dressed, makes – beautiful, hand-crafted collars for dogs and cats. I said it wasn’t necessary to send Kaweah anything because she’s such a hillbilly dog, but that I’d love to donate one to a dog at my local shelter and perhaps arrange for a giveaway on the blog.
what viva sent me: the waterproof hydro (red with daisies) and the leather (black with hearts)
Viva mailed two durable, quality collars for Kaweah to model and said if she really liked one, she could keep one and give the other to a shelter pup. Kaweah is as fashion-ignorant as I am. She would only want a collar if it were made of meat, cheese, apples, peanut butter, well… food. But we took her for a walk wearing the nice black leather collar studded with shiny red hearts. She looked so hip!
love
i… i… i wanna go swimming
Once we arrived at the lake, it was obvious that Kaweah intended to go for a dip. I had anticipated this (she’s a lab, of course she’s going to want to go swimming) and brought the hydro collar along.
jeremy fastens the hydro collar while kaweah patiently waits
so pretty!
she fetched sticks
and she kept going back
These are lovely collars that can be custom-made to order and Viva was kind enough to offer me five dog or cat collars to give away to five of my readers. I, in turn, will ask each winner to name a local animal shelter to which I shall donate $20. Hot Dogs All Dressed works a good bit with their local rescues, so they thought this was a terrific idea. Kaweah agrees.
The Rules:
1) To enter, please leave a comment sharing why you love your pet by 11:59pm (MDT), Friday, June 1, 2012.
2) One entry per person (multiple entries will be disqualified).
3) Anyone can enter, but the animal shelter selected to receive a donation must be in the US or Canada.
4) Winners will be selected at random (by Kaweah) and announced next week.
5) Good luck!
Full disclosure: Hot Dogs All Dressed donated seven collars to me to donate and give away with no obligation and no compensation. All opinions expressed here are my own.
not too shabby!
I had blogged a chocolate mochi cake in April, but during my search for a recipe, I came across another recipe that caught my fancy. It was for a guava mochi and the recipe was even more simple than the chocolate mochi cake! A footnote at the bottom stated you could substitute passion fruit juice for the guava juice to make passion fruit or liliko’i mochi. So, you know where this is going…
four cups of passion fruit pulp, glutinous rice flour, and sugar
the cause of much unnecessary controversy
Now, this needs to be said, because some gluten-free people completely freak out when they see glutinous rice flour and assume it has gluten in it: GLUTINOUS RICE FLOUR CONTAINS NO GLUTEN. It’s an unfortunate naming convention to describe how damn sticky this stuff gets. Glutinous rice is sticky rice.
The passion fruit juice isn’t something that I come by easily around here. Most of the time I have to make it from frozen passion fruit concentrate that I find in California and hoard in my freezer. But I happened to have four cups of real passion fruit pulp in my freezer which I ran through my food mill to end up with about 2.5 cups of precious liquid gold.
keep at it and squeeze every drop out
the power of the sun in a pyrex glass
I’ve had liliko’i mochi from the Hilo Farmer’s Market before, and I remember that it was chewy, sweet, and a little tart. I probably should have diluted the passion fruit juice with some water and perhaps a little sugar, but I didn’t. I mixed straight juice in with the rice flour and the sugar, poured it into a baking pan, and baked it.
pouring passion fruit juice
mix until smooth
pour batter into a greased pan
This is sticky stuff. The edges came out a little crisped and browned – hard and verrrrry chewy. I trimmed the edges off to nibble on later because I didn’t want to give that away to friends (tough to chew).
baked
trimming the edges
When you slice the mochi, it’s advisable to clean the sharp knife off periodically or else it just sticks to everything and mashes the mochi rather than making a clean and desirable cut. I cut mine into tiny squares because they were intensely passion fruity. They were on the tart side, like make-your-salivary-glands-go-nuts tart. So perhaps next time if I ever get my hands on more passion fruit pulp, I will try to dilute with water and a little sugar until it tastes like a real juice. Then dust the pieces in cornstarch or potato starch – anything to keep them from sticking to the rest of the world.
slicing squares
set on wax paper or else they’ll stick to more things
dust in cornstarch
My pure passion fruit purée made for very intense nuggets of bouncy mochi sunshine (it’s the word that one must associate with passion fruit). The texture was just right, a good solid chewiness that broke down easily between my teeth. The flavor, while strong, was nice and tart and sweet such that a little bite-size piece was more than enough to satisfy.
sunshine in a bite
Passion Fruit Mochi
[print recipe]
from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups (8.25 oz or 240 g) mochiko (glutinous rice flour)
2 cups passion fruit juice
1 cup cornstarch
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9- x 9-inch baking pan. Combine the sugar, glutinous rice flour, and passion fruit juice and mix until smooth. Pour batter into the baking pan and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut mochi into pieces and dust with cornstarch to prevent sticking.
May 29th, 2012 at 12:59 am
1. I had no idea you could make mochi at home. Awesome.
2. Spike or Peanut would love a fancy new collar. :) Our animal shelter of choice is the Humane Society of S. Arizona, where we got Peanut. It’s not local to us now, but I think they’re more in need of donations because it’s a smaller town.
3. I love my boys because they are great napping buddies (among other things)!
May 29th, 2012 at 1:09 am
Oh how I would love to be able to get some passion fruit here… Would you believe that I have never eaten passion fruit? Also, my doggie would love a collar like that. He is a great partner for playing, for exercising, he taught me a lot (can’t compare with my first dog who taught me how to be a better person, but still…) and thanks to him I have a reason to get out of bed every morning :-)
May 29th, 2012 at 3:16 am
I actually only have fish since I’m quite allergic to pet dander so I didn’t know if I could enter or not. But I do enjoy how relaxing fish watching is, and how they all seem to have their distinct personalities despite just being fish. Anyway, if it is possible to enter and having fish doesn’t disqualify me, and on the off chance that I do end up winning, please donate the collar to Hukari Animal Shelter (http://www.hoodriveradoptadog.org/). I’ve long admired their Adopt-a-Dog program and it would be amazing they could reap the benefits of this giveaway.
May 29th, 2012 at 4:58 am
Your eclipse composite photo is amazing! I missed it, so I loved your last post on it and that picture makes me happy too. I like the sound of this mochi as well – never tried it!
May 29th, 2012 at 5:03 am
I lovr my dog, Jack, because he is a kind, gentle soul. He’s sneaky smart and loves his girlfriend & neighbor dog, Lucy, like no other. He certainly keeps us entertained!
May 29th, 2012 at 5:51 am
I love the composite! Thank you!
May 29th, 2012 at 7:10 am
I love how you portrayed the eclipse. We didn’t get to see it here (in Louisiana), so I appreciate seeing the stages of it! Way cool!
I love my dog, because she just makes me laugh and smile after a long day at the office. She’s an amazing dog. :-)
May 29th, 2012 at 7:31 am
My dog Hunter is my best friend. :) I nominate Longmont Humane Society.
May 29th, 2012 at 8:10 am
Mochi! Love love love. :)
My dog Low Rider is a corgi mix and is such a goof. Falls over while sitting. Good thing he’s so cute. ;)
May 29th, 2012 at 8:11 am
Oh! Forgot to mention my fantastic local rescue shelter Stray Rescue in St. Louis, MO. That’s where we got Low Rider!
May 29th, 2012 at 8:15 am
Your reciepes and photos are always the best.
I love my dog Gir because he’s my partner in crime. He’s been a part of my adventure since I first became an undergrad, to a move across the province and he’s always been there to be the best snuggle buddy. Without Gir the world would suck a little more. I nominate the NCGL (Northwest Canadian Greyhound League) because they state in their mandate that they help all sighthounds and sighthound crosses they can and because they’re one of the smaller more awesome sighthound/greyhound groups in Alberta/BC. Gir is a sighthound cross and he’s happy that groups like this one don’t mind the lurcher/longdog mixes.
May 29th, 2012 at 8:16 am
I love my pet(s) – all of them (there are two kittens and one pup, plus two foster dogs) – because they see the good in every single day. They’re the most optimistic “KIDS” I know :)
My two fosters are part of Peace, Love and Animals (a no-kill rescue in rural Tanner, AL – http://www.peaceloveandanimals.org). If I do happen to win, I would love for the donation to go to that shelter :)
Thank you, and bless you for bringing attention to the shelter babies!
Melissa
May 29th, 2012 at 8:38 am
Our dog is the sweetest, most gentle animal I know. She loves to have slumber parties with my 6 and 8 year old daughters. Our local animal shelter is Almost Home.
May 29th, 2012 at 8:50 am
I love my dog Digby because he has taught me to be more patient, makes me laugh, and gives me loving company with everything I do! My shelter of choice would be the Old Dog Haven near Seattle, which gives hospice and foster care to dogs who have found themselves suddenly homeless in their later years.
May 29th, 2012 at 9:47 am
I love our Bear cat because he found us. He just walked out of the woods, 2lbs, starving, and worm ridden. Now he runs the apartment and is a snuggle monster. I nominate the Humane Society of Huron Valley. They have some great programs there including providing people with free pet food so less pets are given up because people can no longer afford to feed them.
May 29th, 2012 at 9:52 am
what a great giveaway. I volunteer & foster with the south east German shorthaired pointer rescue, so i would nominate them! Segsprescue.org
May 29th, 2012 at 10:17 am
We have a black lab-ish big dog and a black furry cat, both of whom fulfill the stereotype. The dog is so sweet and dumb and enthusiastic, and the cat is always scheming for trouble and ridiculously cuddly at night until she perks up and tries to bite your nose. What’s not to love?! We got them both from the shelter and they are perfect. Our local shelter (the original home of kitty) is Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter in Bozeman, MT.
May 29th, 2012 at 11:27 am
Thank you for hosting and your generosity! I have a german shepherd/husky/pit mix who is part person. She keeps me grounded and is nice to snuggle with, like Kaweah, she loves to swim! Im from Hawaii and our local shelter is the Oahu SPCA. Thanks again!
May 29th, 2012 at 12:47 pm
My pup is part of how my husband and I fell in love, and she made me laugh every day during a tough time. She loves playing and walking (she’s a lab mix!), but, probably because of all the health issues she’s had, she’s a cuddler too :) I’d ask that the donation go to Pet Rescue by Judy, the organization that saved my pup’s liter after hurricane damage left the animal shelter without heat during a record-setting winter.
May 29th, 2012 at 1:58 pm
I love mochi! Mine always came out really sticky, yours look great.
May 29th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
That mochi looks wonderful. Gotta give it a try. And by the way, in Hawaii, we love those chewy edges, it’s the stuff people fight over. Oh, and to make mochi easier to cut? Use a plastic knife.
May 29th, 2012 at 2:17 pm
I love my dog because she cuddles with me any time I want. and she makes the funniest noises at random times. if I won, I would like to send a donation to the Austin Humane Society, where we adopted her from!
May 29th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
I love my dog Hunter because he is really great with my son, even though Hunter was here first, and because his yellow eyes are enough to keep us safe if anyone wanted to mess with us! We love to go visit the animals at the Canon City Humane Society and they could certainly use some assistance.
May 29th, 2012 at 3:22 pm
What a gorgeous animal! I just got a new puppy border collie! I love him!
Love your blog! Really, all the photos are so nice to look at :)
May 29th, 2012 at 4:00 pm
I love my cat Willy. I found him 4 years ago laying in the road bleeding after trying to take on a car. A rescue followed and he is 100%. While the accident didn’t injure him in any way that required surgery I think his brain got bounced pretty hard because he’s pretty silly. He loves to go outside on a harness and lay in the grass. My neighbors think I’m crazy.
May 29th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
It’s SO cool you were able to capture the full eclipse – in Oakland we were just shy of the full!
I would nominate the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society in Maine, because my best friend and her partner just recently adopted a greyhound to keep their other pup company.
Thank you, thank you!
May 29th, 2012 at 5:11 pm
I love my dog Chas because he doesn’t judge me when I reach for the carton of ice cream, he’s the most persistent alarm clock I have ever had, and the cutest guard dachshund one can ask for. :P
May 29th, 2012 at 6:06 pm
These mochi look so tasty – I’ve only ever made glutinous rice balls at home (boiled in water), but this will be up next!
May 29th, 2012 at 6:37 pm
I love love love your moon pictures – thank you for sharing them. And I love dogs too! They love you despite your weaknesses.
May 29th, 2012 at 7:27 pm
My dog Ben is a curious, goofy, loving ball of energy. He reminds me not to take life too seriously, and he encourages me to find new adventures for both of us.
I’d like a donation to Columbia Second Chance, a great animal rescue organization in the heartland. (www.columbiasecondchance.org)
May 29th, 2012 at 8:42 pm
i made your chocolate mochi cake, which was a total hit!
love our pup monty since it’s like a ticker tape parade every time he sees us – whether it’s been 5 minutes or 5 hours. best part is that he gives us lots and lots of hugs :)
donations would be great to our local spca in oakland, ca
May 29th, 2012 at 8:45 pm
Love your blog! My dog makes my life better every day with her joyful presence and general exuberance about life. I truly cannot imagine my life without her in it.
My shelter nomination is the Humane Society of Boulder Valley; everyone there is fantastic and they provide such a service to the community!
May 29th, 2012 at 11:51 pm
I love all four of my dogs, especially sweet Fuji because she is the most adorable, patient, and loyal of the bunch. I am so glad she found me (she showed up at my workplace and I finally caught her after three days of trying). I can’t imagine my life without her.
Those moon pictures are amazing and I will definitely try the mochi recipe.
May 30th, 2012 at 12:18 am
I don’t have a pet of my own (apartment rules), but I have Rowdy, a black Lab mix grandpuppy! Okay, she’s 5, so she’s not still a puppy, but at heart she will always be. She makes sure that her younger friend, yellow Lab Honey, obeys the rules and always acts ladylike! She is my daughter’s daughter, and the love of her life. She always gets excited when her mom asks her if she wants to go see grandma. That makes me smile. Rowdy was a rescue from a local shelter. If I win, I know she would look lovely in either one of the collars, and I would like the donation to go to the Helen Woodward Animal Center, which is well-respected in San Diego County. They have an extensive equine center, with one of only three post-surgical Recovery Pools in the country. Thanks for the chance to win!
May 30th, 2012 at 12:21 am
Passionfruit Mochi looks delicious! My brother keeps warning me that making mochi can be time consuming so maybe I’ll do this on one of my vacation days, just in case he’s right =)
I have six dogs and two cats and love all of them a little crazily. But the one I always talk about is my husband’s and my first dog together, Woodsie. When my father passed away, my husband had to deploy on the day of his funeral and Woodsie became my lifeline to the world. People give me strange looks when I say it, but I really think he saved my sanity and our marriage when things became really tough. We only had a few short years with him, but I appreciate that I had any time at all with my sweet pup.
My shelter nomination is Boxers N Birds All Breed Animal Rescue Inc. in Oceanside, CA.
May 30th, 2012 at 6:27 am
Absolutely love your blog! My cat Calypso watches me very intently whenever I cook, just hoping I’m whipping up big batches of delicious yogurt for just for her. She devours the stuff. We get along hopelessly well, the two of us (I love yogurt too!). She was the kitten that made me, a loyal “dog person”, turn. Abandoned at only a few months of age on my husband’s old family farm she was found near starving, very sick and literally pounding at the window meowing for help. She loves people, and when I visited my in-laws that fall they strategically placed the adorable, soft ball of love into my lap and just waited. How could I have resisted?! Impossible. Nothing made me happier than to take care of my new blanket buddy, lap warmer and fellow yogurt fiend. My husband and I both find joy in caring for any animals, and I know his favorite shelter is New Life Animal Shelter in Marathon, WI. We have both our cats wear collars and are microchipped because I’m pretty sure we’d be lost without them. A spiffy collar like the ones Kaweah has would sure look good on Caly!
May 30th, 2012 at 7:29 am
We are the proud parents of two, black, mini poodles. I could just imagine Winnie looking so chic in a designer collar and Westley looking suave in his new collar.
The Edmonton Humane Society would be a most worthy recipient of your donation. Thanks! and wish me and them good luck!
May 30th, 2012 at 7:39 am
I have a 4 year old Newfoundland named Murphy, he is my goofy newfie. He’s my constant shadow. Never under foot, just not far away. I may move the places I sit, when I look at my feet he’s there, I never hear him get up and move he always looks sound asleep. He’ll lay his head on my lap and look up at me, I’ll tell him about my day. No matter how good or how bad he’s always there and I know he loves me unconditionally. The feeling is mutual …. priceless.
We have a no kill shelter here in Oklahoma that is always full to capacity. Anything will help.
May 30th, 2012 at 8:49 am
When I was in fifth grade, I volunteered at an animal shelter. Towards the end of the school year, an old cat came to the shelter and he was 23 years old. His owner did not want him, because the cat had run away. He had been gone for several years. Since this cat, later named Watson, has a microchip, the shelter was able to find all of his information. He was going to be euthanized unless someone adopted him. So my mom and I did. He is now 26 years old. He is sweet and the the king of the rest of our pets. I love to pet him and talk to him, as well as read to him, which I like to do with my pets. His favorite thing is to find a sunny spot either in the house or outside, and sleep. He snores when he is asleep, and he also drools. He is getting really old, and he can’t clean his back. I love him so much, and I know that he feels the same about me.
We have two shelters in Eugene, OR, one of them is a pound, which is the one that I worked at. The pound is always crowded and the cages are really full. Anything helps and it is always important to give back to pets. They deserve it.
May 30th, 2012 at 8:53 am
We have a brand new 17-week-old miniature poodle – Troi Poodlemalu (you dot the ‘i’ with a heart, ’cause it’s more girly). She’s named after my husband’s biggest passion – Pittsburgh Steelers football. What a hoot this little lady is!! We enjoy her wickedly funny sense of humor and her daily “zoomie zoomie!” around the yard.
Central Missouri Humane Society is our local shelter, and even though they were the winners of the Zoo Too makeover a few years ago, which improved the environment for all of the potential adoptees, donations are still necessary to keep things running. We have a significant student population which tends to keep animals flowing both in and out of the shelter. Thanks to you and to Viva for your generosity!!
May 30th, 2012 at 8:54 am
Haha I am always amused by the gluten-free confusion over glutinous rice flour… second only to the confusion over buckwheat :-) I keep wanting to try mochi and this may just put me over the edge to do it.
There is a fantastic small, no-kill shelter near where I live called pets without parents. We got our most recent little kitten there.
May 30th, 2012 at 9:12 am
Mmm! The mochis look so yummy. I love pasion fruit juice with anything!
My yorkie Nina is an absolute sweetie and she loves to sleep all day snuggled next to us. The rescue I would like to support is a place called Little Paws in Rogers, AR!
May 30th, 2012 at 9:40 am
I nominate the Boulder Humane Society on behalf of my black cat Cyrus. I adopted Cyrus from the Boulder Humane Society 7 years ago and he has been my personal assistant ever since. Cyrus prefers not to wear collars (they cramp his kitty style), and therefore nothing would make me happier for the collar and/or money to be donated to the humane society.
May 30th, 2012 at 9:44 am
I don’t really know what mochi is, but your photos of the bright yellow treat make me want to eat it! It looks and sounds delicious.
My beagle mix Ginger was named Miss Blueberry Muffin when we adopted her. You could say I have a thing for baking, so I should have known right there it was fate. She’s come such a long way since then, conquering hardwood floors, stairs, and even learning to sleep on the couch. Ginger has the most gentle, forgiving, sweet personality of any dog I’ve know. She loves every person and animal she meets, even the neighbor’s cat who hated her. Ginger likes to sit right next to my feet every morning while I dry my hair, does this adorable squeak every time she yawns and she let me dress her up as a chicken once http://flic.kr/p/79NzWx. I mean, really, what’s not to love about this dog :)
The rescue I support is the Charlottesville-Abemarle SPCA in Virginia. They’re a no-kill shelter that does amazing work rescuing animals other places would give up on, as well as 7000+ free spay/neuter surgeries a year. If it weren’t for them we wouldn’t have Ginger and I can’t thank them enough for that.
May 30th, 2012 at 11:27 am
What a great idea! I love my cats (all 3 of them) because they are so different, but offer unconditional love. When I was grieving a recent loss, I had separate cuddle time with all three of them. It also amazes me how much noise 3-9lb cats can make while chasing each other around the house.
I love the Oregon Humane Society, as well – that’s where I got the first two, and I was volunteering there while feeding stray cats when I brought in Little Cat to find a forever home. It turned out that my house was her forever home, and its been amazing watching her blossom from a terrified feral cat into a lap cat.
May 30th, 2012 at 11:49 am
I think I’d start to sound like Hallmark if I listed all the reasons I love the four legged children I have. I have three cats and a dog, and they each have fantastic personalities with their own little quirks. They are all loyal, loving, adorable, etc., but what makes me happiest is that they are all FUNNY. They make me laugh all the time and that’s pretty rare in life.
May 30th, 2012 at 1:30 pm
[…] seen many wonderful images of the annular eclipse already. Here are links to photographs by Jennifer Yu, Lewis Kemper, William Neill, and Eric Leslie. I’d love to see more, so if you captured some […]
May 30th, 2012 at 1:45 pm
Jen- I’m jealous of the passion fruit concentrate you’re hoarding.
I love my Lhasa Apso, Sophie, because although she has an attitude problem, she is a freaking awesome snuggler. I love my Yellow Lab, LuLu, because she is the biggest hearted, scaredy cat of a dog on the planet. I would love to have the donation go to the Denver Dumb Friends League, where we found our pup LuLu.
May 30th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
Wow, you can make mocha! I never imagined it was possible.
I indeed love my boxer-pit mix Lola. She is the greatest little fink.
May 30th, 2012 at 9:41 pm
I love my yellow English Labrador, Kona, because he always ran to the bathroom to “help” me during the joys of my morning sickness phase… And always got there before my husband did :).
I nominate the Glendale Humane Society, a no kill facility in southern California. They do a fantastic job with providing education to prospective owners and training to their animals.
May 30th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
I have to share a little love on the behalf of my sister’s new puppy Max. My little sister is autistic and has struggled with extreme social anxiety her entire life. Max is a rescue dog from the Okeechobee Humane Society, but has surpassed everyone’s expectations and is now a fully trained service dog. She takes him everywhere and they are the happiest pair!
May 30th, 2012 at 10:08 pm
We love our 13 year old yellow lab Samantha because she is such an unconditional lover, so sweet, such a good girl, and a proud therapy dog alum who used to visit patients at the hospital. She would love a new collar to show off. We love the Boulder Humane Society!
May 30th, 2012 at 10:33 pm
Do cats count?
I love my one eyed rescue cat because he is the best cat anyone could ask for. He came from the local SPCA here in Victoria, BC. By the way, I love your blog. Your baklava and larabar recipes are to die for.
Thank you!
May 31st, 2012 at 2:30 am
oh cool
please can i enter
I dont know of a shelter in America but I have a rhodesian ridgeback who would look swell in one of those collars
hugs
Betty Bake
May 31st, 2012 at 4:51 am
I love our Bernese Mountain Dog, Laila, because she is the sweetest, fluffiest, most lovable dog anyone could ever have asked for. She considers herself entirely equal to all of her human family and doesn’t quite understand why she doesn’t get to sit at the dinner table with us, but she is perfectly happy to keep us all company anyway. She will do anything for blueberries or peanut butter or cheese, and when I make homemade blueberry frozen yogurt, she sits next to the counter and practices looking perfect until I give in and let her lick the bowl (it turns her white chin purple!). And in the summer, she wakes me up with a flying leap on top of me and licks me until I get up and put on hiking clothes so we can get out while it’s still cool. She’s our Laila Bear and “love” might not quite cover it…
May 31st, 2012 at 6:54 am
I love Barley, our 9 year old Golden Retriever, because when I look into his eyes, I can see the unconditional love he has for me and I know that there is a God – to have created this wonderful creature! On my worst days, I know I can count on Barley to ignore my problems and show me that life is all about remembering to play, and love, and eat! I love him so much. He has taken a special place in my heart that will forever be, only for him.
My animal shelter recommendation, should I win a waterproof hydro collar, is http://www.lunahouse.org.
Thanks!
May 31st, 2012 at 9:00 am
I love my pet because he always knows when I am upset and comforts me!
May 31st, 2012 at 9:36 am
I love our dog (some bizarre Chihuahua & Shepherd mix) because her ears are bigger than her head, and when she looks at you she tends to have one ear up and one ear down.
May 31st, 2012 at 10:16 am
My 12-year-old rescued black Lab-Springer-Shepherd mix was originally my sister’s. He moved to Chile with my sister and her husband when he was a year old. But he couldn’t bear to be alone, and barked whenever they left, which annoyed the neighbors. So they asked if they could send him back home before they were evicted. And I said, “Yes, please!”
I love him because he’s gentle and always up for a walk or a trip to the dog park. And loves peanut butter sandwiches. And canned sweet potatoes. And kids. And will go into a kennel if I ask, even though he hates them after his trips to and from South America. So I hardly ever ask.
And because, when I inherited my late grandparents’ 12-year-old cat, he allowed the cat to live, and even boss him around for a couple of months, and now snuggles up next to said cat at bedtime. And he no longer has separation anxiety, with the cat for company.
He still has enough puppy in him that I can almost convince myself he’ll be with me forever.
May 31st, 2012 at 10:22 am
What a nice giveaway!
You know how I love my pups; they are such a happy presence in my house and so unconditionally loving. And they get me out and about to see the world, too!
May 31st, 2012 at 11:28 am
I love my dog because nobody is ever as happy as he is to see me come home every day. Also, he has a giant head and is crazy adorable!
May 31st, 2012 at 11:39 am
I love my pup because of his unconditional love and his ability to make me smile even when I’m having the worst day possible. Also, gotta love a cocker spaniel’s wiggling butt!
May 31st, 2012 at 11:48 am
I love Bailey, my 5 year old Mini Eskie! He’s just such such a floofball and is perfect for cuddling when I’m having a bad day! I would love to support the Seattle Humane Society if I get picked :)
May 31st, 2012 at 11:55 am
oh there are just so many things that i love about my pups – i guess right now it would be that they have stayed w/ me through the years through thick and thin and 2-legged beings have not – including very recently escaping from a 20+ yr marriage that had become abusive w/ basically nothing but a few clothes and the pups. they are my buds….
my local shelter is the carroll county humane society.
May 31st, 2012 at 12:49 pm
I have a Chinese Crested Powder Puff named Moose who is just the sweetest dog on the planet. We almost lost him 2 years ago to an auto immune diease. He spent a week in a hospital and then a half year recovering. It was the worst time of our lives. We just love our pooch so much. He’s happy and healthy again. Through it all he remained the most lovable dog you could imagine. We love our Moose.
May 31st, 2012 at 1:15 pm
I love our big black cat, Buddha, because he is a goof with (c)attitude. If I win please donate to Friends of Abandoned Pets, PO Box 67052, Ottawa, K2A 4E4 where our first big black cat, Charlie, came from. I shall give the collar to my sister’s lab.
May 31st, 2012 at 1:22 pm
Hi Jen,
I was thinking about how you said the mochi was so tart and flavorful, then I saw the recipe was from the Honolulu Star Bulletin. I think most people in Hawaii associate Passion Fruit juice with the Hawaiian Sun or Aloha Maid brands, which are juice drinks that are mixed with water and sugar and other ingredients. Perhaps these were the intended “juices” called for in the recipe, which could be why the real passion fruit juice you used was so strong.
Anyway, the mochi looks beautiful and I bet it’s great. Probably a lot tastier than using the juices I’m talking about :)
May 31st, 2012 at 1:36 pm
Our Ruthie is a chocolate lab, and she is our gentle giant. She is the sweetest, most patient dog I have ever known. She has always been loving and loyal. We now have a 10 month old baby and we are more and more impressed with Ruthie every day because she is so gentle and patient with the baby. And I think she has come to love him more than she loves us :-)
Our shelter is Grayslake Save-a-Pet.
Thanks for sharing your lovely photography and your wonderful recipes!!
May 31st, 2012 at 5:45 pm
I *may* have one of this brand of collars for my Ridgeback, Lola. It is black with strawberries on it (so cute) but has seen better days. I just love it how she greets me when I come home. I even love it how miffed she gets when I leave in the morning. We went hiking-camping over the long weekend, and I took her out of the tent for a pee at dawn… she was just hopping and jumping all over the place with excitement to be there, even though she is getting to be an older dog now.
Shelter: http://bfla.bestfriends.org/
May 31st, 2012 at 5:47 pm
Also, I have found the Trader Joe’s brand of Mochi to have too thick and gluey a coating of rice dough, but these ones look good: almost like Turkish Delight!
May 31st, 2012 at 6:27 pm
I love my dog. His name is Bolt. I got him when I was six. He is almost a year old now. He is great because he is an extra friend. He will even eat the parts of dinner that I don’t want to eat. He is a black lab, humane society mix with maybe a bit of boxer. My mom and I are going to make this recipe if we can find passion fruit at the grocery store.
May 31st, 2012 at 7:22 pm
Your Spicy Tuna Roll Burger looks fantastic!
I absolutely adore my furry grey kitty, Raffi. I always know I can come home to a spunky friend, ready for some hide & seek, and (if I’m lucky enough to get her tired out) a cuddle. Raff and I would love a donation to The Tree House Humane Society in Chicago, a fantastic no-kill shelter in the Uptown Neighborhood!
May 31st, 2012 at 7:44 pm
I love my dog, Yogi, because he’s such a good snuggler. He loves to drape his head across a lap or a leg, usually with the happiest look you’ve ever seen. I also love watching him run – he leaps like a gazelle, using his two front feet, then the back feet. It’s the most amazing thing to watch and he goes FAST. He’s Yogi the Wonder Dog :-)
May 31st, 2012 at 7:59 pm
Hannah, my yellow lab, rescued me. She thought I was rescuing her. Little did she know…
My choice would be the Timberline Veterinary Hospital (www.TimberlineVeternaryHospital.com), in memory of Dr. Richard Singleton.
….
I love the pics of Miss K., sporting those collars. That doggie is precious!
Oh, I liked the other photo’s too, and I really appreciated seeing the progression/digression. You are a master and you rule my universe in all things photo related. :)
May 31st, 2012 at 8:12 pm
As I struggle through Middle School, I have a hard time finding people to talk to and share my thoughts with. If I share my thoughts or feelings to other kids at my school, I risk having those thoughts and feelings spread accross the school, revealing secrets or hidden things that I did not want so many people to know about. If I share things with my horse, however, he will not tell them to others. He will not gallop around the pasture shouting out my secrets, but rather he will keep them to himself. This wonderful horse of mine, Chunky, will listen to everything I say. He will not roll his eyes or tell me to shut up, he will just listen. Chunky will always be my best friend, the one I can count on to put a smile on my face or provide a sympathetic look when one is needed. I can cry into his fur, whisper in his ear, or hug his furry neck, and he will never, not once, give me the feeling that he wants me to leave. Chunky is my life, and I am glad to have him as a friend. After all, is dog really Man’s best friend, or is the horse? Of course, I agree with the latter option. (:
Green Hill Humane Society is one of two local shelters here in Oregon. Green Hill is an incredible facility which does many wonderful things for the good of the animals. LCAS, Lane County Animal Shelter, is also a local shelter. This shelter is often full to the brim, and often must resort to euthanization. Chunky and I would love a donation to go to either of these shelters, they can always use some help!
May 31st, 2012 at 8:45 pm
I love my 3 gals – cos they are so sweet and they make me laugh. Hannah, my youngest, has the sweetest face that you can’t help hugging and kissing her each time you see her. I think she is the most kissed and hugged dog in the world ! LOL
Will be trying out your mochi recipe. Love anything passion fruit and mochi !
Thank you for the giveaway
May 31st, 2012 at 10:27 pm
I have three dogs but, I will talk about Molly because she is the oldest. Molly is 12 now. She has been through four kids, four houses, and two new dog additions. She has protected us, ran with us, grown with us, and snuggled into us every day of those 12 years. She is a black lab/rottie mix and we are so thankful she has been with us for this long. Thank you for the chance!
May 31st, 2012 at 11:01 pm
I love my dogs because they are loyal, steadfast and true. Kouga is a certified therapy dog and we are working with our newly adopted dog, Artie. Nursing home residents, sick children and veterans love to get visits from our gentle dog. Thank you for the chance to win and it would be great to donate the collar to Illinois Alaskan Malamute Rescue where we adopted Kouga.
June 1st, 2012 at 3:18 am
My Westie Bobo (aka Beau Boo Radley) Is a pound puppy. He found us shortly after our Scottie Raz (also a pound puppy) died in a freak accident. I was terribly distraught about Raz. About a month after his death, a friend who worked at the SPCA Animal shelter said she had just neutered a 2yo West Highland Terrier that morning and he was in deplorable condition but seemed like a sweet dog. I decided to take a look. Although the grey, dirty, unbelievably smelly, shivering litte guy was distracted and not very interested in me, I brought him home anyway. I just couldn’t leave him there. Now, he’s a bright white, happy, playful, curious ball of fun that follows me everywhere. I can’t imagine my life without Bobo. For years, from horses, to dogs, to cats — every member of my animal family has been adopted or rescued. It’s the only way to go.
My pick for an animal shelter would be the Animal Friends Adoption Center in Hamilton, Ohio — because they are a no-kill shelter group of dedicated volunteers who work on a shoestring to whom I donate regularly.
June 1st, 2012 at 5:15 am
Why do I love my dog Moose? Because he was the 4th dog to come into my household. He was found 41/2 years ago on the street in the middle of winter by a friend of mine while she was out or a run.. The last thing I needed was another dog. But when I went to get him and take him to the clinic I work at to see if he was microchipped i was not prepared for the reaction I got. His eyes were so beautiful!! It was love at first sight for both of us. You could see the hearts fly!!
After a week of calling all the local shelters, vet clinics and putting up posters, I realized someone had just dumped this 5 month old pup. In the meantime, I found a home for him and he went away…..two days later I received a call that the family realized they needed something else that required less work..a cat. Can they bringback the dog.nI did a happy dance and knew that this was it. He came back, his name is Moose, and he is the canine love of my life!! (as I said he was the 4th dog added to our household and subsequently my two older dogs passed away the following year 6 months apart….luckily I had Moose).
June 1st, 2012 at 6:01 am
I have yet to try this sweet Jen. The dog collars are sweet.
June 1st, 2012 at 7:13 am
What beautiful collars. I love my rescued Puggle because he is so love worthy. We support the Humane Society of Hamilton County, IN.
June 1st, 2012 at 8:59 am
As cheesy as this may sound, Daisy the family dachshund is amazing. We adopted her from the Inland Valley Humane Society in Pomona, CA a year ago and we absolutely love her because her quirkiness brings endless hours of laughter and love.
So, naturally, the shelter I choose is the Inland Valley Humane Society for giving us such a great pup and for taking such good care of the animals without homes!
June 1st, 2012 at 10:59 am
Oh My Henry and my baby gills, Lulu! They are the bestest friends anyone could ask for, Henry is sooooo damn Handsome and the sweet LBG (little baby gills, aka Lulu) what else can I say without going on and on and on and on……..I nominate Seattle Animal Shelter. They gave us our Henry, and will have a piece of my heart forever. Love URB!!!!
June 1st, 2012 at 11:18 am
My three dogs are a huge part of my family. They are always there for me and always seem to know when I need comforting. They listen to me without interrupting me, make me laugh daily, cheer me up when I’ve had a bad day, and show me unconditional love. They are my inspiration for helping as many other animals as possible. I love them!
If I win, please donate to Friends for Life No Kill Shelter in Houston, TX. Thank you!
June 1st, 2012 at 11:42 am
Our little one Kuma is my first pup, as my parents weren’t keen on the idea of a dog when I was a kid. We really lucked out with Kuma – he’s sweet and eager to please, and even though he’s in the throes of adolescence he’s still willing to listen to us and do what we ask… which is a lot since we are tough Asian parents! ;) I love Kuma for so many reasons that I can’t hope to fit them all here, so let’s just say that he’s definitely living up to his name… the big teddybear that he is.
I’ll ask for the Seattle Humane Society, which is where we got Kuma.
Lastly, I just wanted to thank you for the always great recipes. I’ve used quite a few of them already and they’ve always turned out wonderful!
June 1st, 2012 at 1:05 pm
I love my Sydney because she is my walking companion, she talks to me with her beautiful brown eyes, she loves me unconditionally, she has a way of making me feel at peace when I have a bad day, she loves to give kisses and get them, she helps me understand what love really mean.
June 1st, 2012 at 5:33 pm
I love my dog because she’s a big (literally and figuratively) goof ball. She makes me smile every day – no mate how crummy my day is, if I’m sick or everything else is going wrong – or if everyone else makes me wish the day was just over already . . . She’s always happy and funny and up for so much (quite often more than I’d like)! And she’s a great alarm clock!!
She also makes a great swimming buddy so I’m super interested in those Hydro collars :)
(Love your photos of the eclipse. We weren’t able to see it here.)
I’d want money to go to the SE Volusia Humane Society.
June 1st, 2012 at 5:45 pm
I’ll change the shelter to Greyhound Pets of America – Daytona Beach. With the track here we have a ton of Greyhounds up for adoption all the time (and the Humane Society doesn’t seem to have their site up, at the moment). Hope that works :)
June 1st, 2012 at 6:30 pm
We love our puppy Eva because she has grown into such a wonderful loving pit bull. We rescued her from a shelter in Puyallup, Wa that drives down to L.A. a couple times a year to rescue animals from the high kill shelters down there. She was roughly 3 1/2 months old when we adopted her with not much known about her history other than the horrible conditions she was kept in at the shelter in L.A. We adopted her at a pet expo because she just stood out amongst all the other dogs there, there was something different about her. She had a bad case of mange with scabs all over her body, no hair and had not developed pads on her feet and none of the volunteers on the bus from L.A. even wanted to hold her it was so bad but regardless her calm demeanor with all the people around and her amazing eyes drew us in. Over the past 11 months that we have had her, her hair has grown back and she is the most well behaved dog I have ever owned, she’s an absolute sweet heart. We’ve done several training classes with her and she responds to every command she’s been taught under any circumstance. She greets us excitedly every time we get home and has plenty of kisses to offer (especially for my husband who is a chef and probably smells amazing to her every day), she absolutely loves our nieces and nephews or all kids for that matter and even better she polices the cats from scratching our dining room chairs or carpet by running up to them and nudging them with her nose or putting her paw on them. The cats still haven’t grown 100% comfortable with her either so they always hiss or swat at her, she thinks they’re playing. She always wants to cuddle in bed even though she’s too big at 60lbs and likes to curl into a ball in between my husbands legs at night. She also thinks she’s still a lap sized dog when we’re sitting on the couch but has recently discovered that she can fit perfectly in our other office chair when just one of us are in the office.
Our rescue/shelter is Sunny Sky’s Animal Rescue. Their bus that they use to transport the animals from L.A. caught on fire last October and has been replaced but it definitely set them back, thankfully no animals were being transported on the bus at the time. I’m sure they would be extremely grateful for any sized donation they received.
June 1st, 2012 at 6:51 pm
I have two rescue English Setters, Monty and Morrie. Monty is 12 1/2 and has been deaf since birth. He is truly an amazing boy and no one would ever guess that he can’t hear! He goes off leash on walks, swims at the Cherry Creek State Park dog park and loves the freedom there! He has learned to stay close and always knows where we are. Morrie is our most recent rescue. He is a sweet, eager to please boy who has big brown lovey dovey eyes and wants nothing more than to snuggle! Our boys are members of our family and we wouldn’t have it any other way. What joy they bring to our lives!
June 1st, 2012 at 7:43 pm
I got Hana from the Boulder Humane Society, Colorado about 5 years ago. I saw her on their website listed as a Siberian Husky. When I came to the shelter, I discovered she only had three legs, one rear leg had been recently amputated but there wasn’t any information about her injury. We met and took a short walk; she was still learning how to get around I think. She seemed very sweet and I put a hold on her, but two families were ahead of me. I returned to the shelter every day to visit her, keeping my fingers crossed that the other families would not adopt her first. Hurray! She came home with me and now the three of us (including my husband) are a pack. Last year I went through surgery and chemotherapy for cancer, and she was even more loving and attentive. On the days I stayed in bed, she hung out with me, even though she was probably really bored! My pack help me get through that time! Even though I named her Hana for the Japanese word for “flower” or “nose” (because she’s sweet but can be very nosy too), I recently learned that Hana means “piece of heaven” in Hawaiian. She really is that to us. I love her, and she loves us! BTW, I found our about “use real butter” through Dr. H, and my sister made your chocolate mocha cake (she found your website via her daughter). small world!
June 1st, 2012 at 8:10 pm
We love our puppy Eva because she has grown into such a wonderful loving pit bull. We rescued her from a shelter in Puyallup, Wa that drives down to L.A. a couple times a year to rescue animals from the high kill shelters down there. She was roughly 3 1/2 months old when we adopted her with not much known about her history other than the horrible conditions she was kept in at the shelter in L.A. We adopted her at a pet expo because she just stood out amongst all the other dogs there, there was something different about her. She had a bad case of mange with scabs all over her body, no hair and had not developed pads on her feet and none of the volunteers on the bus from L.A. even wanted to hold her it was so bad but regardless her calm demeanor with all the people around and her amazing eyes drew us in. Over the past 11 months that we have had her, her hair has grown back and she is the most well behaved dog I have ever owned, she’s an absolute sweet heart. We’ve done several training classes with her and she responds to every command she’s been taught under any circumstance. She greets us excitedly every time we get home and has plenty of kisses to offer (especially for my husband who is a chef and probably smells amazing to her every day), she absolutely loves our nieces and nephews or all kids for that matter and even better she polices the cats from scratching our dining room chairs or carpet by running up to them and nudging them with her nose or putting her paw on them. The cats still haven’t grown 100% comfortable with her either so they always hiss or swat at her, she thinks they’re playing. She always wants to cuddle in bed even though she’s too big at 60lbs and likes to curl into a ball in between my husbands legs at night. She also thinks she’s still a lap sized dog when we’re sitting on the couch but has recently discovered that she can fit perfectly in our other office chair when just one of us are in the office.
Our rescue/shelter is Sunny Sky’s Animal Rescue, mostly because they do not discriminate against certain breeds like many do and shame on the ones that do. Their bus that they use to transport the animals from L.A. caught on fire last October and has been replaced but it definitely set them back, thankfully no animals were being transported on the bus at the time. I’m sure they would be extremely grateful for any sized donation they received.
June 1st, 2012 at 9:03 pm
Ozzie and Simba are my stress reliever. After a long day of dealing with peoples’ crisis and being their support; I’m grateful to come home to two lovely tail-wagging dogs that love me no matter what.
With them, I leave work outside the door.
June 4th, 2012 at 3:05 am
Hi, I really like your blog and this passionfruit mochi, will try to see if I can get the ingredients to make it! :)
I realised I am a little late for the giveaway… But maybe you can still consider me if you have more collars to give away? I have no dog myself but my sister has a Japanese spitz and she loves the dog. And because I LOVE my little sister and I’m sure she’d be delighted to have such a cute collar for her dog so I thought I’d write in here. :) *cross my fingers!*
June 9th, 2012 at 9:18 pm
A big Thank You for all of your wonderfully inspired and creative blog posts. My husband and I have an amazing tabby, Sophie, who is the most dog-like cat I’ve met. Not only is she what makes home truly home for us, but she is shockingly attached to her collar: when I first put it on her I expected she would balk at the idea of such feline containment but, in fact, she got incredibly upset when we took it off! We’re fairly certain she likes the attention the bell gets her. She can always make herself the center of attention when she wants to!
June 10th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
Kaiulani – yes, I think you are absolutely right. I probably need to dilute the actual passion fruit juice for the recipe. That said, the really tart and intensely flavored mochi squares are still pretty good :)
June 21st, 2012 at 9:26 am
Thank you for this recipe! I made the lilikoi mochi last night, and let it cool overnight. How did you get it out of the pan in one piece? Mine is a huge sticky mess; I had to dig it out, bit by bit. I used one cup juice and one cup water. I love it, but it was too much trouble to cut.
June 28th, 2012 at 11:01 am
sharilyn – it was really tricky and sticky, but i managed with a lot of thin metal spatulas. Someone had suggested cutting it with a plastic knife? That’s how the locals do it anyway. Perhaps yours needed to cook longer? I noticed my edges were nice and firm compared to the center pieces.
August 16th, 2012 at 11:37 pm
Very nice pictures. Thanks for all useful tips (particularly about the food) because my dog would really like to try something new, just like his owner.
September 30th, 2012 at 11:33 pm
I’ve made this four times already, and each time was a big goopy mess. The first time, I baked for one hour… the second time, an extra ten minutes… the third time, another extra ten minutes… and this morning I baked it for an hour and a half. It started to burn on the bottom and top, but it was still a big sticky blob that I had to scrape out of the pan bit by bit. I’ve never done a microwave mochi before, but maybe I should try that instead? I also wondered about adding a teensy bit of baking powder, but I do prefer chewy to cakey mochi, so I didn’t.
My husband thinks I’m nuts, wasting good lilikoi juice, but for some reason, I really want to make this. I do love the taste of it… this time, I used a full 2 cups of undiluted juice… I prefer it that way. Anyway, we’ve got lilikoi growing wild in our yard… much more than I know what to do with. I’ll get it right! :)
September 30th, 2012 at 11:58 pm
sharilyn – Oh no!! :( That is terrible! The only things I can think of are 1) get a thermometer to verify your oven’s true temperature 2) try the microwave version? Actually, I microwave to make strawberry daifuku mochi, so yeah, try nuking some and see if that works? xoxo
October 31st, 2012 at 6:09 pm
Try lining pan with parchment paper. You will get perfect results every time.
November 13th, 2012 at 7:54 am
I got a microwave bundt pan…. turned out great! Thanks so much for the recipe… it’s my favorite snack right now :)
November 22nd, 2012 at 7:33 pm
I gave my hand at this and man, I have no skills in the kitchen. For example, I tried to make frozen banana ice cream and put salt instead of cinnamon (or sugar) and yuck! This time around, I should have thought about this as well as measuring the actual Lilikoi! Going to cook it soon but have no idea how it’ll turn out…
Well, guess I’ll have to try again because it looks yummy!
Out of curiosity though, how did you separate the seed and juice of the Passion Fruit?
November 23rd, 2012 at 7:55 am
Tori – in the third recipe photo, I’m pushing the liliko’i pulp through a food mill. It does a great job of separating the seeds from the pulp, but it takes a little time. Totally worth it!
July 31st, 2013 at 8:22 pm
I live in Florida, and I grow my own passion fruit plant/vine. I never do anything with this other than juicing. I’ll give this a try since I love mochi. I have some extra yellow passion fruit plant for trade. palengke97@gmail.com
October 15th, 2013 at 4:19 am
[…] Lilikoi Mochi (scroll all the way to the bottom for the recipe) […]
October 15th, 2017 at 2:53 am
This was a HORRIBLE recipe & made me waste 2 cups of lilikoi juice! I followed the recipe exactly & it came out to be one big, glutenous mess! Don’t waste your time or supplies. AWFUL!
November 1st, 2018 at 4:05 pm
Hey I’m sorry but this recipe was an epic fail. 1 hour is too long, it burned severely on the edges and top. Not to mention the bottom as well. The middle was runny too. I’m sorry but I have to agree with everyone that tried this and it came out nothing but a undercooked runny middle. wont waste lilikoi juice like this again