Great Words of Advice

We find inspiration in the strangest places...

I was planning on just relaxing this weekend; cooking and cleaning and reading. Instead, I 'got' to spend a long day stocking at the Hickham commissary. I'm rather burned out and grumpy so I web surfed looking for inspiration. I found it in the following words of advice taken from Stitches in Life blog.

Great Words of Advice

1) Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
2) Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
3) Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
4) When you say, ‘I love you,’ mean it.
5) When you say, ‘I’m sorry,’ look the person in the eye
6) Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
7) Believe in love at first sight.
8) Never laugh at anyone’s dream. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much.
9) Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only way to live life completely.
10) In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
11) Don’t judge people by their relatives.
12) Talk slowly but think quickly
13) When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, ‘Why do you want to know?’
14) Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
15) Say ‘bless you’ when you hear someone sneeze.
16) When you lose, don’t lose the lesson !
17) Remember the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.
18) Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship…
19) When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
20) Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
21) Spend some time alone.

Feels Like Being a Kid Again

Today, work at the survey shop was tough.  I think they put me on the "everyone hates me" list.  I had a LARGE number of irate people swearing at me and hanging up. I haven't been sworn at so much since I was a young teenager living at home. It was hard to stay unfazed by it even though I know it wasn't personal.  I just don't like being sworn at - it's not what I consider a good time.

There WERE moments where I considered saying, "Sir, if you can be this abusive to a complete stranger, your family must suffer a hundred times more."  Or "I'm sorry sir, you seem to have a speech impediment - I'm having difficulty understanding what you are saying." Or even, "Gee, are you related to my father?".  Toward the end of my shift, after I felt worn down by the abuse I DID think, "F you and the horse you rode in on!" but I certainly never said any such thing!

I realize that these people are frustrated by all the calls generated by our company.  I also realize that we are intruding on them.  I wish there was a way to make the process pleasant for both of us. I am simply doing my job. In spite of all the reasons we give them to be irritated, it doesn't give them license to abuse us. It's along the lines of a former boyfriend who said, "I wouldn't get angry if people didn't make me angry" as justification for his explosive rages.

No one MAKES us anything; not angry, not frustrated, not irritated, not anything.  We do that to ourselves.

I realize that I allowed myself to become worn down by the swearing and abusive words. In the past I protected myself from that type of abuse by avoiding contact with my parents.  It allowed me to distance myself from the people that felt abuse was their right to dish out. Now, at work, I can't simply hang up or leave the situation. So, I have to just buck up and get through this time.

I'm REALLY looking forward to working elsewhere.

On the Job Training

I learn something new every day at the survey shop. Most of it is learned via the "Get it Wrong First" method.  That's where you make a mistake that you don't know you made and then are told how to do it the correct way. There's a lot of that going on at the shop.

Today I learned the difference between a Refusal and a Hard Refusal.  A (simple) refusal is when the person at the other end of the line either hangs up when contacted or says that they don't want to participate.  A hard refusal is when the other person swears at you or makes threats and THEN hangs up. I certainly hope management pulls the phone numbers of the hard refusals so we don't continue calling them, but you never know...

I also learned that I am only scheduled for eighteen hours of work next week even though this is supposed to be a full-time job.  Apparently there's not enough work for the number of people they hired.  Seems that due to the large turnover rate, they have to hire too many people in order to have enough interviewers. (That was the other thing I learned yesterday - my title is Interviewer.) I just have to hang on long enough for the substitute teaching job to come through.

I DID get my fingerprints taken, finally, for substitute teaching.  I still have to take them my certified copy of college transcripts, but aside from that, I should be good to go very soon.  It would be nice to make enough money from just one job to live on.

Hopefully, one day soon I'll get out of poverty.

Management Does NOT Like Change

Today was my first full day of work doing surveys. It wasn't as bad as I feared. I had more than my minimum quota for the day. Yea for me, since I'm still considered a newbie.

I was evaluated on one of my calls and was told to not be so nice because it might cause people to chat. ?????Not be so nice????? That's a first!

I discovered how to get through all the screens without having to use the mouse. I was so proud of me. I timed myself; I could get through all the screens after a typical call (an answering machine) in ten seconds when I used my new method. Regular time using the mouse was thirty seconds. I thought this was a great way to be more efficient. My neighbor watched me zip through the screens and asked how to do it, so I showed her.

I tried to show my method to the floor manager. Wrong! She was horrified and insisted I use the mouse. I asked to talk with the hiring manager since he told me there was no way to be able to get through the screens using only the keyboard. Deep breath. All managers are horrified that anyone would use a method other than the one they used.

NOT!

WTF? Isn't it a GOOD thing to be able to get through more calls? Apparently not if the method is not in their training manual. And for the record, I was never TRAINED how to do anything. I was simply set in front of a computer and told to go through the screens on one survey and just start taking live calls when I thought I was ready. My "training" lasted 13 minutes.

Sooooo, did I go back to using the mouse? NO. My scores are up. My speed is up. My success rate is up. I'm completing more surveys. They seem to be 'not noticing' my aberrant behavior. That works for me.

I'll continue 'training' anyone that asks how I do what I do, as long as it's not anyone in management.

I KNOW I have authority issues, but why in the world is something new considered so bad especially if it improves productivity? And why the heck is using the mouse so danged important? What in the world is wrong with management?

Bananas! Black Bottom Bars, Doughnuts and Whoopie Pies recipes

I purchased another case of bananas. Whodda thought five dollars could buy so much fun?
Today's banana recipe lineup includes a not-very-sweet black bottom banana bars, banana doughnuts, and banana whoopie pies.

Black Bottom Banana Bars

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup baking cocoa

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined. Blend in bananas. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide batter in half. Add cocoa to 1/2 of mix; spread into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Spoon remaining batter on top and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the bars test done. Cool. Freezes well.
Makes: 2-1/2 to 3 dozen

Top layer swirled with bottom

Bottom chocolate layer

I love making doughnuts. I like mixing the dough, rolling it out and cutting out the pieces with my spiffy doughnut cutter. I love slipping the dough into the hot oil and watching it turn golden. I love the way the holes puff up and become little golden balls. I like looking at the end results and feeling so dang accomplished. And I love having my family think I'm a super mom. Too bad the only thing healthy about doughnuts is what it does for my morale.

This recipe made 20 doughnuts plus holes.

2 doughnuts were eaten before I could even take the photo!

Banana Doughnuts Recipe

5 cups sifted flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup mashed bananas (about 2 bananas)
1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Fat for deep frying

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt and nutmeg.
Beat shortening until creamy.
Add sugar gradually and continue beating until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and beat well.
Add combined bananas, milk and vanilla to creamed mixture and blend.
Add flour mixture and mix until smooth.
Turn a small amount of dough onto, a lightly floured board.
Knead very lightly.
Roll dough out to 3/8-inch thickness.
Cut with a floured 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter.
Heat fat to 375°F. or until a 1-inch cube of bread will turn golden brown in about 40 seconds.
Slip doughnuts, a couple at a time into the hot fat.
Fry about 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
Drain on absorbent paper.


What's not to like about Whoopie Pies? When Oldest Daughter was a teenager, a young male friend called her Smiley Pies, the other name for Whoopie Pies. Now, Whoopie Pies make me smile as I think of my children when they were little kids.

These little cookies are super rich and decadent.  I was rather sloppy about putting in the filling and the photo definitely shows it, but dang, these little pies are really yummy! They are disappearing fast over here!

Banana Whoopie Pies

Makes about 3 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mashed banana (from 1 large ripe banana)
1/2 cup sour cream
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Combine banana and sour cream in another bowl.
2. Beat butter and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed, until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, beating until incorporated. Add banana mixture in 2 additions, alternating with flour mixture.

The dough flattens out while baking

3. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip. Pipe batter into 1 1/4-inch rounds on baking sheets, spacing rounds 1 1/2 inches apart.
4. Bake until edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Slide parchment, with cookies, onto wire racks. Let cool. (Unfilled cookies can be stored for up to 1 day.)
5. Beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
6. Pipe or spoon 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture onto the flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve immediately.

End of the First Week of Work

Well, it's technically only been a half week, but you know what I meant...

Doing phone surveys is a test of self control.
You control your feelings: rejection is not personal.
You control your impulses: you only THINK, "No sir, I'm not calling to torment and bedevil you, that's your wife's job."
You control your body: "This chair is SOOOO uncomfortable that I'm killing the nerve endings in my rear!"
You control your thoughts: "My brain is turning to jelly with each nanosecond I spend listening to answering machine messages and fax tones."
You channel your imagination: "Where can I find another job that will pay me at least this amount AND allow me to enjoy what I'm doing?"
You control your desires: "I'm staying in this chair and doing my job no matter how much I want to run screaming out of the room."

One of the best rejections I got today was growled along these lines: "Eh, you call dis numbah again, I going..." then he hung up. For your edification: If you want to be removed from a survey company's database you have to SAY, "Remove my number from your list." Otherwise, the company will just call you back another day. So that "gentleman" will continue to receive phone calls from our company no matter how much it irritates him.

Yesterday I got a call from the school district and I now have an appointment to get fingerprinted on Thursday, the 28th at 2:30. This glacier is moving.  One day I'll be able to substitute teach.

I am now going to be doing stocking at Hickham commissary. I'll have more lines to do. That will hopefully translate into more money.

So things are looking up.

This weekend Butterfly is off at YMCA camp. Yea! Hurray! I get the bed all to myself. I dearly love this kid but she kicks me every night and totally destroys the bed. She is such a tumultuous sleeper. This weekend she can destroy a bed somewhere else and I can stretch out knowing I won't get kicked. Life is good!

So, I have a free weekend (no main job on weekends and I decided to allow things to pile up a little at the commissary) and have no money to go do something fun. I guess I'll cook all weekend and stick everything in the freezer to tide us over during the coming week. That'll work.

I'm going to sleep in tomorrow morning. What a glorious idea!

I've Got a Job!!!

Craigslist came through for me - I've gotten employed! I'll be doing phone surveys for a marketing company on Fort Street Mall. The remainder of this week I'll just be working from 8 a.m. to noon but I'll begin full-time starting Monday. The pay is a little above minimum but that's way more than I'm earning as a stocker. If I do well during these first few weeks I can be put on the more exacting health surveys that pay $10 per hour.

There's no affordable parking on Fort Street Mall so I'll be taking the bus into town and back. When I find another part-time evening job I'll need to have my car available, but for now I'll just cope with public transportation.

Funny how the mind works: I don't start work until tomorrow morning, but I'm already figuring out how I can manage finances so I can begin to pay people back. It's going to be a while before I become debt-free again but I'm determined to get there as fast as possible.

The real question is this: Now that I have employment, should I stay in Hawaii and pay off my debts or do I earn enough to move everything back to the mainland and get another job there to pay off my debts? Both have merits. I'd love to be close to my grown children and grandchildren AND I want to stay here.

Hmmm, I've gotta think about this.

In the meantime; thank you to all of you who have prayed for our well-being and have wished decent employment for me. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I wish all of you good fortune, prosperity, health and love!

Chicken Cacciatore with Portobellos recipe

I have been feeling pretty down over the last many days. Not finding a job has really gotten to me. After a year and a half in this situation, you'd think I'd be used to it but I'm not finding any comfort in the sameness of it all.

Today I asked for help. I'm one of the proudest people you'll meet, so this was a "leave your dignity at the door" kind of deal. If I could have come up with any other way to pay my bills I would have done it. Instead I went to plead. I was told that I needed to 'try harder' and 'work harder'. I'm sure that was supposed to make me buck up and get motivated, but instead I just feel demoralized. I don't know how to try any harder than I'm doing now.

Yes, I'm getting aid to help pay the utility bills so they won't be disconnected.

I feel awful. So I cook. I find cooking the cheapest form of anti-depressant I can find. So far, there aren't any negative side-effects. I'm not gaining weight and Butterfly and Renter seem to enjoy my efforts.

Tonight's chicken cacciatore turned out luscious. The aroma from the sauce was drool inspiring. After dinner, as I put the leftovers away, I spooned up some sauce with mushrooms and tomatoes and just drank it down. It was sooo very good! I'm going to thicken the leftover sauce to make a gravy to pour over the leftover chicken for another dinner in a few days.

Everything except the mushrooms are items I normally keep in the pantry, freezer, or fridge. I used sake instead of red wine because that was what I had on hand for cooking. I considered using cranberry juice but didn't have that in the cupboard either. The sake in the sauce was delicious. I left out the sage because I didn't have any fresh stuff.  It was delicious anyway.

I hope you like this recipe as much as I do.

Chicken Cacciatore with Portobellos

8 bone in chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 ounces portobello mushroom caps (about 3 medium), wiped clean and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes , drained
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 piece Parmesan cheese rind (2 inches, about 1 ounce), optional
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage leaves

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add four chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook, not moving them until skin is crisp and well browned, about 5 minutes; using tongs, flip chicken and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer browned chicken to large plate; brown remaining chicken thighs, transfer to plate, and set aside.

Sauteing the vegetables

2. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Add onion, mushrooms, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; sauté over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until moisture evaporates and vegetables begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, remove and discard skin from browned chicken thighs. Add garlic to pot and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add wine, scraping pot bottom with wooden spoon to loosen brown bits. Stir in stock, tomatoes, thyme, cheese rind (if using), 1/2 teaspoon salt (omit salt if using cheese rind), and pepper to taste. Submerge chicken pieces in liquid and bring to boil; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 45 minutes, turning chicken pieces with tongs halfway through cooking. Discard cheese rind, stir in sage, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, and serve.

From Cook's Illustrated Magazine

Is the Universe Trying to Tell Me Something?

I'm still trying to get employed since today is actually the last day of my drop dead date for giving up.

I called the manager in charge of cashiers at the commissary to see if I could get an edge in there.  I was told that I needed to apply online (I already have) and that I would be called by someone on the mainland if they thought I was qualified. --major sigh--

I called the school district to see where my application was in the processing line.  I was told that it would be either a few days or a few weeks before they got to it then I'll be called for fingerprinting.  I asked how long it would be between fingerprinting and working and was told several days to several months depending on whether the system was on line or if there were problems with my application.

I then called the high school asking if they could get my application bumped up in line.  After being told that they'd look into it and call me back - there's no call back.  --another sigh--

Why am I not getting employed? Am I NOT supposed to be in Hawaii?

Back to craigslist. (BTW, I am advertising my Ginger Banana Chutney for sale on craigslist.  Perhaps I can sell some of the stuff I've made.) I now have an interview with an employment agency for a clerical position and call center rep on Monday and an interview for a phone operator position on Tuesday.

So why am I still looking for employment when I said I would give up and go to Utah? Because Second Daughter won't be moving into a 3-bedroom apartment until the end of the semester in December.  I can still find some kind of employment, right?

Okay, I have a little more time.  I don't have to give up yet...

I Didn't Get the Job

I received the call late this afternoon thanking me for my application but they'd received several highly qualified applicants for the job and they'd decided on one of the other applicants.  This was for the position of Receptionist at the YMCA.

I guess it's a sign of the economic downturn that so many over-qualified people applied for a job that pays $7.95 per hour. I KNOW I am way over-qualified for a receptionist position so that just tells me that someone even MORE over-qualified than I got this job.

SO...tomorrow I start packing to leave for Utah.  I don't know how in the world I'll come up with the money for the move but it will come about.

Let's see, sell my car, sell my books, sell everything I can. Perhaps I'll come up with enough to get us back.

I'll either have to put Odin down or find a home for an ailing dog.    This is so much sadder than I thought possible.

Well, I tried...

The Second Interview

This morning witnessed my second interview for the Honolulu job.  Driving in, I was surprised that there was so little traffic, but I suppose most of the rush hour commuters were already at work by 8:30, so I cruised in early by 35 minutes.  It was nice to have plenty of time to compose myself and make sure my hair was brushed and my skirt straight before I walked up for presentation.

The interview committee was made up of 4 dynamic women.  They were obviously enthused about their jobs and wanted to know how well I'd fit into the company.  They talked about the lack of politics and the team spirit there.  I was thrilled to hear about a workplace where people actually worked together rather than competed with each other.

The interview lasted about 20 minutes.  I THINK I did well.  I was told that they'd make their decision and I'd hear the results tomorrow morning.

This is it.  If I get the job we get to stay in Hawaii.  I'll have to get another part-time job in the evenings to make up the rest of the income I need to pay all my bills each month AND pay back the money I owe, but I should be able to cross-train for other, better-paying positions within the company and eventually not have to have two jobs to make ends meet.

If I DON'T get this job we'll have to move back to Utah to live with Second Daughter and Son-in-Law.

I REALLY want to stay in Hawaii.  This job is important.  Cross your fingers for me. Please.

Job Interviews

Today's interview went well.  Well enough that I've been asked to return for a second interview on Wednesday.  This job was described as an entry level job that will give me the opportunity to move up in the organization.  If I get this job, I'll be able to cross-train with the IT department.  I'll be able to update my skills at the same time I receive hands on experience (something I haven't had for several years now.) That training will allow me to eventually get a full-time IT job that will pay me MUCH more than the receptionist position for which I'm interviewing.

So many "ifs".

Let's just hope that my charming personality plus my solid qualifications will be enough to land this job.

Please cross your fingers for me.

Livable Wage

I have a job interview in the morning. The wage scale for this particular job is $7.95 to $9.95 per hour. I just calculated how much I need to earn per hour in order to pay my bills. If I don't have a roommate I need to earn $15/hr. If I DO have a roommate, I need to earn $11/hr. Not good.

Most jobs advertised pay less than $8/hr.

So my dilemma is, do I take a job for less than I need to earn and then find another part-time job to make up the difference, or do I call it quits and move to Utah to live with my daughter and son-in-law?

This is harder than I thought.

Bananas! 3 Banana Chutney recipes

My hanai Big Sister loves chutney. She asked if it was possible to make banana chutney, since she was acquainted with my overload of bananas, and was it possible to make some for her? Well, of course it's possible to make banana chutney! So, being my normal over-achieving self, I made three types.

I'd never eaten chutney prior to making these. I'm amazed at how utterly yummy they are!

I water-bath canned all of the results so they would last at least a year. Just in case Big Sister couldn't consume them all, she could at least store them in the back of her kitchen cupboard. I can just see her drinking coffee and eating toast spread with banana chutney as she chats with her Yorkie, Verna. "I'm so sorry Verna, but this isn't good for you so Mommy needs to eat it all. (listen to her wicked laugh!)

Ginger-Banana Chutney Recipe
This is a fabulous, thick chutney. I like this recipe best of all.

Ingredients:

Ginger-Banana Chutney

1 lb onions, chopped
6 ripe bananas, mashed
¾ lb pitted dates, chopped
1 ½ cups cider vinegar
¼ lb crystallized ginger, minced
½ lb raisins, chopped
2 cups fresh or unsweetened canned pineapple juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons curry powder

The mixture before cooking

Directions:
Makes about 4 1/2 pints.
Place the onions, bananas, dates, and vinegar in a nonreactive saucepan.
Stir them to mix well and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir to make sure they are well combined.
Continue to cook until the chutney has a jam-like consistency.
Remove from the heat and place in sterilized jars. Process in a water bath for 15 min.

If you read this blog entry yesterday you'll realize that I've changed the recipe and photos for the following chutney.  I thought the original recipe made for a very vinegary, barbecue sauce-like concoction.  In this rendition I added bell pepper, another cup of raisins, and cayenne pepper.  I deleted the red chiles.  Even with the changes, I think this chutney is too vinegary.  Perhaps cutting the amount down from 3 cups to 2 1/2 cups might make the recipe more palatable. However, this chutney tastes pretty good with salty tortilla chips or mixed with cream cheese and eaten with crackers.

South African Banana Chutney

South African Banana Chutney

15 large bananas
3 cups brown vinegar
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups seedless raisins
1/2 large green pepper, chopped small
1 medium onion, minced
1 teaspoon cayenne 
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon salt

Peel and slice the bananas into ¼ inch  rounds

In the pot, right before cooking

Combine all the ingredients and simmer in a stainless steel or enamel saucepan for 2 hours, until the mixture reaches the desired consistency.

South African chutney before bottling

Bottle and seal while the Banana Chutney mixture is still hot.


The next recipe produces a spicy hot chutney. It's probably too spicy for Big Sister unless she mixes it with cream cheese. I just ate the last little bit of this recipe that didn't fit into the pint jars. It was soooooo good mixed with cream cheese and spread on crackers. Not spicy at all when mixed this way. It. Is.Yum!

Spicy Banana Chutney looks like... all the other chutney

Spicy Banana Chutney

Ingredients
1/4 cup raisins
3 tablespoons tortuga gold rum (or any golden rum )
16 apple finger bananas ripe , or you can use 8 large bananas
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion sliced
1 tablespoon tortuga hell-fire -hot pepper sauce ( or any fire pepper sauce)
OR 1/4 tsp of minced seeded scotch bonnet peppers.
3 tablepoons grated fresh ginger
1 cup cider vinegar
1 3/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons salt

Before cooking

Combine the raisins and rum and stir well. Let the raisins soak for 2 hours to absorb the rum.

In a large pot or dutch oven, combine all ingredients and stir well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until thick.

Place in pint jars and process in a water bath for 15 min, or store in a sealed container in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
note: If you can use finger bananas it does make a difference in the taste.

After cooking before bottling

The Trials of Job Hunting

If life is a bowl of cherries, poverty is the pits!

I just got back from a job interview. I had filled out the application, printed out a copy of my resume, gussied myself up, and hied over to the business office. This position was supposed to pay $15.50 per hour so I was excited by the thought of a job that pays more than the $2 - $3 per hour that I'm currently making at the commissary.

They, of course, forgot to mention that they wanted me to bring a copy of my birth certificate to verify my social security information. My birth certificate is in JAPANESE, so, unless the good folks in the Maryland home office can translate kanji, there's not much chance of verifying squat. But that's not all; they changed the job description on me.

I thought I was applying for a Homemaker position to help with homemaking chores for folks that have had back surgery, or multiple sclerosis, or car accidents, or other things that prevent them from doing their vacuuming, scrubbing, laundry, cooking and shopping. At least that was what I was told the job entailed when I first inquired. I can do homemaking chores with my eyes closed. Nope, now I'm told that it's mainly doing respite work for parents that have special needs kids. AND I have to pay $60 to take a CPR/first aid class so I can receive a CPR certificate. WTF? They don't pay for the class, I have to pay for the class in order to maybe get work with them.

I politely told them that I don't have $60 to pay for this class. I was told to let them know when I've taken the class and then they'll let me know if they have any work for me.

So I drove home and sat in my car and cried. I'm so frustrated.

BUT, I have another interview on Monday with the YMCA for the position of receptionist. This job pays $7.95 to $9.95, depending on experience (or some subjective thing or another). I was asked if I could use computers. I replied that I have an IT degree and was told that they cross-train their receptionists to work with other departments, such as their IT department. So, I'll make the hour trip to headquarters on Monday morning to try again.

Other positions that I've applied for this week: part time contract specialist, system admin/help desk, admin/bookkeeper, personal assistant (I was told that I was "frankly over-qualified" for this one), call center customer service rep, business manager, and variations on these. I've only heard back from one.

OH! The window laminate guy called to ask for my email address so he could give it to the employment agency that he works with. He promised that I'd be hearing from them today. If I fill out the application that they will send and email it back to them, I can make an interview for early next week and start working, perhaps by Wednesday. Crossing my fingers!

I just want a job. One that will pay the rent, utilities, gas for the car, and food. I'd really like one that will pay those PLUS give me enough to begin to pay back my loans with some to save each paycheck. Surely that isn't too much to ask, is it?

Well, it's off to slave wages at the commissary. Have a good night, folks.

Bananas! Hot and Spicy Banana Catsup recipe

My bananas are getting VERY ripe. I needed to use large amounts of them in order to get through this crate of fruit as fast as possible.

This recipe for banana catsup uses 8 bananas for one batch, so it seemed ideal for using up a lot of fruit rapidly.

Now, before you say eeuuuwwww about the idea of bananas in catsup, you need to know that catsup has been made out of all kinds of fruits and nuts. The only defining thing about catsup is vinegar and this recipe uses a lot of vinegar. AND tastes really good, too!

Hot Spicy Banana Catsup
Family Circle, 12/3/85
Yield: 7 Cups

Ingredients
1 cup seedless raisins, dark or light
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
3 large cloves garlic
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 2/3 cups distilled white or cider
8 large bananas (approximately 3#)
4 cups water (up to 6)
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup light corn syrup
4 teaspoons ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup dark rum, OR apple juice OR apple cider (optional)

Preparation
Combine raisins, onion, garlic and tomato paste, and 2/3 cup vinegar in container of food processor or electric blender. Whirl until smooth puree. Pour into large heavy or dutch oven.

This is what the sauce looks like before cooking

Peel bananas. Cut into chunks. Add 1 cup vinegar. Puree in food processor or blender. Add to mixture in saucepan. Add remaining 1 cup vinegar, 4 cups water, brown sugar, salt and cayenne; stir to blend. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Lower heat to medium-low. Cook, uncovered, stirring often, for 1-1/4 hours. If mixture becomes too thick and threatens to stick, add enough water to just moisten.

After 1-1/4 hours, add corn syrup, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and cloves. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, 15 minutes. Remove from heat. To test for thickness: Spoon catsup on chilled saucer. Chill in refrigerator. A fingertip should leave a track when drawn through catsup. If catsup has jellied, thin with little extra vinegar and water, equal amounts of each. Let catsup cool slightly.
Working in batches, puree in food processor or blender. Or, push through fine-mesh sieve. Return puree to rinsed-out saucepan. Taste for hotness, adding more cayenne, if you wish. (The flavor will become more pronounced after catsup has mellowed, so be cautious about adding more.)

Meanwhile, wash half-pint or pint or other canning jars or bottles, and lids and bands in hot soapy water. Rinse. Leave jars in hot water. Place lids and bands in saucepan of simmering water.

Return catsup to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add rum; stir to combine.

Ladle boiling catsup into hot, clean canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and threads clean with clean, damp cloth. Cover jars with hot lids; screw on bands firmly

Process jars in boiling water bath for 15 minutes (water should cover jars by 1-2 inches). Remove jars from boiling water to wire racks to cool. Test for seals. Label, date and store in cool, dark place for up to one year.

Catsup is ready to serve after ripening for 2 weeks.

Corn Chowder and Cheese Biscuits recipes

I got my paycheck for the last two weeks: $93. That's ninety-three dollars for two weeks of work. It doesn't matter how hard I work as a stocker - it depends on how much product is delivered and the loads have been light for the last few weeks. I can't live on that small amount of money! It's not enough to pay even one utility bill!

So, I've decided to get very serious, again, about finding another job. I stopped looking for work because I THOUGHT I had upcoming jobs. It doesn't matter that I've recently been hired for two jobs. The window laminate job guy isn't calling me. I found out through the grapevine that the job has already started but he hasn't called me to work even though HE HIRED ME. We supposedly were waiting for the insurance to kick in but that was just a red herring. So, no work for me.

I was hired to work as a substitute at the high school but can't work until the district reviews my application and allows me to get fingerprinted. The district said that they are still working on LAST YEAR'S applications. Who knows when they'll get to this year's, or more specifically, to mine. So, again, no work for me.

I've gone back to Craigslist to apply for work. My new goal is to apply for at least 10 jobs each day. I started a spreadsheet to track this latest round of job applications. Today I've applied for 9 jobs so tomorrow I'll need to apply for 11.

If I don't get work this month, I'll have to give up the idea of staying in Hawaii. I can't afford to pay my rent, utilities, gas for the car, AND food,too. And with this last paycheck I can't afford utilities either.

If I can't land a job in the next two weeks, I'll start making plans to move back to Utah to live with my Second Daughter and her husband and baby. I NEVER thought I'd EVER be in this position...

This evening needed a quick dinner so I made Corn Chowder and Cheese Biscuits. They are both easy, quick, and tasty. Butterfly loves the chowder. That means it won't last long.

Corn Chowder
A delicious corn chowder with bacon.
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup diced bacon
4 medium potatoes, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
¼ green pepper, chopped
2 cups water
2 (12 ounces each) cans cream-style corn
2 teaspoons salt
pepper to taste
2 cups half-and-half or light cream, scalded
Tabasco Sweet and Spicy, to taste

Preparation:
Sauté bacon until browned and crisp; add chopped potatoes, onions, carrot and green pepper. Add water, corn, and seasonings; cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in half-and-half and Tabasco; heat through but do not boil. Serves 4.

Cheddar Biscuits

INGREDIENTS
3 cups flour
¼ cup white cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter, chilled and cubed
1 ½ cups buttermilk
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded
4 scallions, thinly sliced

PREPARATION
Preheat oven at 400°F. Place flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and butter in food processor bowl with cutting blade. Pulse the food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to large mixing bowl. Fold in buttermilk, cheese and scallions. Knead together very gently until just combined. Roll out on floured surface to about 3/4” thick and cut into 2-inch round biscuits. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes about 40 biscuits.

Bananas! Pudding, Snack Cake, and Cookies recipes

I purchased a crate of ripe bananas from the commissary for $5. I was thrilled with this bargain! Little did I realize how many bananas this box really held!

After I hauled the box home I started looking up banana recipes. There are a zillion recipes for banana bread but I wanted something more exciting than that. Let's see, there's pudding, muffins, cake, cream pie, smoothies, frozen pops, ice cream, fruit pie, won tons, and there must be more that I haven't thought of yet.

I started the cooking with fresh banana pudding.

Fresh Banana Pudding

makes 4 (1/2-cup) servings
2 very ripe, brown bananas, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 small vanilla pod, split open OR 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh whole milk
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, add banana slices, vanilla pod or extract, and whole milk. Heat milk until you see steam or vapors rising up from the milk. Do not stir. Remove from heat and set aside. Allow the mixture to steep for 45 minutes to 1-hour.

Strain milk into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Discard banana and vanilla pod. If the milk doesn't quite measure 2 cups, add enough cream or whole milk to top it off. Pour flavored milk back into the 2-quart pan. Beat in 2 egg yolks. Slowly heat it up over medium heat. Stir constantly until hot, but not simmering. This takes up to 5 minutes.

Coating the back of the spoon

Sift sugar, cornstarch and salt together. Gradually whisk dry ingredients into milk mixture. Keep stirring until the mixture begins to thicken, 2 to 4 minutes maybe. Check thickness using a wooden spoon. Does the pudding adhere to the back of the spoon? If no, keep stirring. If yes, keep reading. As soon as you see it thickening, remove it from the heat. Once it starts to thicken, it gets thicker rather quickly.

Remove pan from heat. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon at a time until melted.

Pour pudding into a serving bowl or individual cups. Cover with plastic wrap, allow the plastic to come in contact with the pudding. This prevents a skin from forming on the top. Chill in icebox for 1 1/2 to 2-hours.

If you're feeling impatient. This fresh banana pudding tastes great warm, too. Try it for yourself and see.

This is what you use when you haven't got any glass dishes to display the pudding.  It tastes wonderful even in such plebian ware.

Banana Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
This cake is only about two inches tall, but it's very tasty.
Yield 1 - 8x8 cake

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed bananas
1 egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x8 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, combine bananas, egg, melted butter and milk.
4. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture until blended. Be careful not to over mix.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Pour batter into 8x8 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. (It will have some melted chocolate, but no crumbs.)


Frosted Banana Cookies

These are the best banana cookies I've ever eaten! The frosting makes them decadent. This is so yummy!

Ingredients
½ cup butter, softened
¼ cup solid Crisco shortening
¾ cup brown sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon banana flavoring (can omit and increase vanilla to 1 tsp)
2 large ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

The fastest way to mash a banana

1 heaping tablespoon sour cream
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour

Frosting:
6 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ cup whole milk or half and half
4 tablespoons butter
powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For cookies, cream together butter, shortening and sugar. Add egg, flavorings, bananas and sour cream; beat well. Add dry ingredients; mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until bottoms are just lightly browned. Cool and frost.

For frosting, combine brown sugar, milk and butter in saucepan; bring to a rolling boil. Remove pan from heat; beat in enough powdered sugar to make frosting spreadable; beat in vanilla. As this frosting cools, it will become difficult to spread. If this happens, reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds, or add a bit more milk to thin it. I like to frost the cookies while the frosting - and the cookies - are still just a bit warm, so that it drapes over the cookie and coats it nicely.

Geekdom

Oldest daughter sent a link to this fabulous song called The Nerd Anthem. Ooooohhhhh, this is sooooo me!!!!!

We are working on the third generation of female geekdom from me to Oldest Daughter to Only Granddaughter (who is now 6). I'm so very proud!!!!



It was odd growing up as a misfit (isn't it always?). Taking all college-prep classes in high school (okay, I cheated and took chorus as my only "get an easy A" class and that was ONLY because I loved to sing!) made me a target for the "let's beat up the weird hapa-haole girl" crowd. Fortunately, the ability to get people laughing got me out of injury on four separate occasions, so I never actually got beaten up, but they sure were close calls!

College put me in heavy male to female ratio classes. I got to experience dance partners that spent the entire dance talking about themselves without ever asking about me. Boys that asked me what I was majoring in (microbiology) who then made fun of my major (what? you aren't majoring in home ec?) were supremely annoying and all too common. The topper was the advisor that assured me that I'd never marry and have kids if I became a doctor. And I believed him (okay, I wasn't as smart as I should have been and it took many years before I grew a backbone). The Dark Ages was a really strange time to be female and smart.

BUT, I got to teach microbiology and chemistry to my kids. (Yep, I got married and had kids. I just didn't become a doctor.) I made up weird games to "increase their IQs". We had a gazillion Legos and Lego electronics long before they were mass marketed. I taught the kids to read before they went to school. We had the first CD player in the neighborhood. And the very first Mac in the area. The kids grew up with technology. Gosh it was fun to teach the kids to love science. And reading. And learning for its own sake. Geekdom for certain.

I got to program one of the first entertainment CD-ROMs in existence for the very first Sound Blaster card. That's such fun to remember. I was phone interviewed for the very first new technology director position at Microsoft. I didn't get the job but I WAS in the running. That's fun to remember, too.

So what if I felt like an alien associating with almost all women and most men? I STILL feel like an alien most of the time. That's life. As I get older, I'm finding myself at the lower end of the geek spectrum. At least there are more of us girl geeks. AND it's becoming almost acceptable.