ALOHA from Connecticut!

So Robert decided to throw a "getting through the dark ages party" which isn't as self-explanatory as he believes it is. I thought it was going to be a party where everybody dressed up like they did in the Middle Ages in Europe and eat roasted chicken with our hands, all the while cheering on jousters. But apparently it's really a party to make you feel happy while getting through the dark ages of winter. Get it? Christmas is over, spring is yet to come, and now it is just cold and depressing. So for some undepressing fun, Robert threw a luau! Yep, a luau, in the house, in the middle of winter, in Connecticut. And it was awesome! We cranked the heat up so the house was as hot as a summer's day (Thank goodness we don't have to pay for heat.) We invited our friends, and Robert got all the decorations, did all the planning, and even did ALL the cooking. After all, he was throwing the party. I did all the baking, he he he. The girls and I wore our Hawaiian dresses, and Robert wore his Hawaiin shirt, and it really did feel like a hot summer night in Hawai'i. Then came the food. First was the snacks, and unexpected big hit of the night. . . Kim chee dip. Yep, that's right. Dip made from kim chee, which is Korean spicy, fermented cabbage. And for anyone familiar with the smell and taste of the kim cheese, it is hard to imagine it as a dip for chips. But Robert made it all the same, kim chee mixed with cream cheese, and it was a hit. I have to admit, it was pretty good. I could probably eat a whole batch by myself, as long as I'm not competing with Jean, who practically did eat the whole batch by herself :-P. It's the pink in the bowl at the bottom. Doesn't look like much, but you've gotta taste to know how surprisingly good it is. There was also plenty of pineapple, cause what's a luau without pineapples? As well as watermelon, and mango bread (where my baking comes into play). For the main course, Robert served chicken and pork lau lau. Lau lau: meat and fish wrapped in or covered with leaves and steamed or roasted and traditionaly served at a luau. Robert's version included pork and mahi, or chicken and mahi, seasoned with Hawaiin red sea salt, wrapped in banana leaves, and "baked" over tea spices. He also served his version of Kalua Pork, which was really Chinese roasted pork that we got from the Chinese grocery store because let's face it, it's waaaaay to cold to be digging an imu outside. And besides, I think roasting a whole pig would've been a little bit of an overkill, don't you think? Along with that was rice, and the cutest and tastiest spamburgers you've ever seen. Ahhh spam, what's a Hawaiin meal without spam? And spam coupled with slightly sweet Hawaiin Bread makes for rather tasty little sandwiches. In fact, I could go for one right now. And for dessert, pina colada cupcakes with a beach/tiki theme. The result was pretty much blue mouths for everyone :-) All in all, I think it was a fun time had by all. And by the end of the night, I was finally able to get Gabrielle to say ALOHA!