Orange eggs and mangoes.

So on my last post, I mentioned the start of mango season on Saipan. Now, the mangoes are overflowing that I don't know what to do with them. Even the people we were giving the ripe mangoes to were saying they didn't want them anymore because they didn't know what to do with them.

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Going to the Thursday night street market is a treat for me. I usually get fresh coconut juice and some yummy apigigi (coconut dessert). I also enjoy walking around to see what each vendor has to offer. At the street market, vendors display the food and drinks that they have for sell.

One particular food item caught my eye. Can you guess what it is???

It's a deep fried boiled egg! Now I like fried food and I like boiled eggs, but that is one thing I was not dying to get a taste of. Talk about making something healthy so unhealthy.

I love you like a mango

Mango season has begun around the island, but all the mangoes are still young and not fully ripe. At this stage is when the mango is perfect to become what is known to our local islanders as "koko". For those of you who don't know what koko is, it's basically something pickled. On Saipan, we call almost anything that is pickled, "koko".

Today was the first time I made some mango koko. I was quite nervous as one wrong move in the mixture could mean starting the entire process all over again. But I was confident after verifying the ingredients with my mom. THANKS MOM!

The process begins with a bunch of mangoes that I had to wash and skin. I tried to use a potato peeler to skin the mangoes, but using a smaller, sharp knife worked best for me.

Then the mangoes were cut in half and then sliced. One mango usually makes 4-6 peices, depending on the size of the mango. After the mangoes are all sliced, they're quickly washed and the water is drained so that there is no excess water.

A few light sprinkles of salt is added together with some diced fresh garlic (about 4 big cloves). This is mixed in well and then about 4 table spoons of vinegar is added. I also added a dash of TLC while mixing everything together. That always makes a difference when I make anything :)

Most people add local hot pepper and a little bit of food coloring at this point, but Floyd asked to make this without hot pepper or food coloring so we kept it natural. Everything is then placed into a container, preferably one with a cover that seals well. Thankfully we saved this container and we were able to make just the right amount of koko to fit into it.

And how would you like that drink?

Some people tell me I drink more milk than coffee. What do I mean? Well, I like my coffee with almost 25% of my cup of coffee filled with milk (not creamer). That's the perfect cup of coffee for me. On occasion, I'll want a hint of hazelnut or chocolate flavor in my coffee, but nothing I'd go crazy over. I'm not one of your crazy Starbucks addicts, although I have to admit they do carry some yummy stuff in those coffee shops!

I'm not a real (alcoholic) drinker. I'm not even an average drinker. But when I do feel like drinking, I love drinking strawberry daiquiris and margaritas! Blended. I had a margarita one night and was just appalled when it came in a plastic cup! What the heck?! I'm sorry, but I wanted mine in a margarita glass...the way it should be served. Some people may think that's just being straight-up super anal, but some beverages just taste better in a certain type of cup or glass.

BOTTOMS UP!

Let the races begin...

Today I started my day at 5:30am. I was assisting at PIC's aid station, located not too far from PIC. There was less than 20 volunteers, but we were all there on time, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!

We passed out fruit, water and Gatorade. After I left, all I could hear replaying in my head was people yelling out: "water...Gatorade..."

The Winter Festival of Runs started out this weekend. The first runs of all runs was the Saipan Marathon. This year, they had a total of about 600 runners for this morning's marathon! WOW!!! Next weekend is the Xterra Saipan Championship and the weekend after that is the Tagaman Triathlon. Just thinking about all of that makes me tired.

Nardo helps out a runner by handing out some Gatorade...

This morning I saw a wide range of runners. Some serious runners, some happy runners, some tired runners....but when I saw Minnie Mouse running towards our aid station, I couldn't help but snap a shot!

Food challange: Flour Titiyas

I was in the mood to cook last weekend so I made some of my Auntie Jean's famous flour titiyas. The last time I made these things was when I was attending college in Las Vegas. To my surprise, it turned out pretty good, considering it has been over a decade since I made it!

Coming from a family of cooks, I realized that my titiyas wasn't perfect, but it also wasn't a disaster. The taste was there, a bit too sweet for my taste so I figured I'll cut the sugar content down the next time I make tityas. It also lacked the "fluff" in it and I felt it was too flat. Floyd said it was perfect and my BFF Kiki said it was super good.

Sometimes I don't know how to take a compliment.

Missing you hurts

I miss the intellectual conversations we had.
I miss the casual talks we had.

I miss your spunky attitude.
I miss your words of wisdom.

I miss your random calls to me.
Just to let me know you're there.

I miss the impromptu invites for lunch at home.
I miss your cooking.

I miss you calling me, "your favorite daughter".
I miss you telling me you loved me.

I miss that extra push you always gave me, when I was about to give up.
I miss you telling me how proud you were of me.

I miss seeing you at home.
I miss seeing you at family gatherings.

I miss you asking me to help you out.
I miss scolding you and giving you advice.

I miss the trust you had in me.
I miss the love you gave to me.

I miss you so very much, it hurts!!!
I sometimes think the pain of missing you will never go away.

A Cool Weekend

I learned how to play a new game on Friday night. It's called Bananagrams. It's almost like scrabble, but with a twist to it. My nephew, Sly, taught me and after a couple of games, I was hooked! I can't wait to play our next game...

On Saturday, PIC held it's 2nd annual Duck Race. It was my first duck race to attend and it was actually pretty fun. It was nice to see many people from the community, including our guests watch the colorful ducks floating in PIC's lazy river. I could feel everyones excitement as they cheered on, hoping their duck would pass the finish line first.

Unfortunately, none of my ducks won. But I was happy to know that PIC received a lot of support for a good cause. All the proceeds raised will go towards the Marianas March Against Cancer (MMAC), which is held in May each year.

The race started at 6:15pm so Floyd & I enjoyed happy hour at PIC's Seaside Grill. I ordered their yummy poke. It was so good!

Sunday I spent most of my day just lounging in the house. I caught up on some sleep (thanks to the rainy, cool weather) and watched some TV. Sometimes I like staying home and just hibernate.

Monday was Martin Luther King day and it was a holiday for me. It was also my Uncle Lo's 1st death anniversary. As I was getting ready for mass, I couldn't help but remember how I felt this time last year. It was sad and it was still sad today, but I thank the Lord that my uncle is resting in peace and is now watching over us.

I also watched the movie, the Book of Eli. My review.....it was alright. It wasn't the greatest, but it did teach a valuable lesson: we sometimes forget that we have more than what we really need.