Brrr, VOG, and Thanksgiving
By theprofessionalhobo ~ November 24th, 2007. Filed under: Hawaii.
We woke up this morning shivering. It was so cold! When we checked the thermometer, we were actually a little embarrassed to be dressed in long johns and kvetching about the cold, since it was 20 degrees (Celsius) out!
How quickly we acclimatize…
And then when we turned on the radio, we heard that the VOG rating is higher today than normal. We had noticed that it looked particularly hazy out, but figured it just had something to do with the clouds.
VOG though, stands for Volcano Off-Gasses, and explained the haze in the air. I don’t think they’re particularly harmful, especially if you compare it to the typical haze contents we’re used to in the cities. But VOG ratings are just another something new to get used to!
The ensuing forecast on the radio predicted a weekend with temperatures in the 70s, which is a littler cooler than normal for us. Guess we’ll have to bundle up!
Thanksgiving is the biggest holiday in the USA, and we weren’t sure what to expect from it out here. But Rick & Iris hosted a lovely dinner for us, which we all contributed to in one way or another. Instead of turkey, we had a lentil loaf (which looked like meat loaf), and instead of potatoes, we had Breadfruit (which looks, smells, and even tastes like potatoes). A really yummy spicy curry gravy (meatless of course) was also served, along with salads and lots of dressings and spices to accompany the meal as each person wished.
And for dessert – chocolate banana cake!
We don’t actually have an oven here, so the lentil loaf and cake were a treat, cooked in a rocket stove with a dutch oven. Needless to say when Rick & Iris fire up the rocket stove again for one of their huge personal batches of beans and rice, we will be taking advantage of the fire and dutch oven to do a little baking of our own!
Stay tuned for posts on more of the foods we are enjoying out here, both fresh off the trees, and creatively prepared by yours truly.
Aloha!
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