I started off good. This was part of the makings of a LOVO that Junia put together for all the kids before they left. Specifically, this was little flour cakes wrapped in leaves by Ju.
Here some kids are making palusami – taro leaves with coconut cream, with and without corned beef.
I think this is the very hot rocks that became the base of the oven.
I know this is the oven all covered with sand.
A few hours later, this is the steam coming out of the sand. The lovo is ready.
The the boys are carefully uncovering the food. As much sand is moved to the side as possible and then the coverings of banana leaves and coconut leaves are removed.
Big arms of tapioca (cassava) line the outsides, and here we see foil packets of palusami.
Under the palusami are bigger foil packets of whole roast chickens.
This was my last picture of the lovo. I know now I really should have gotten pictures of the food on the platters, happy eaters and all that … but all I could think of was eating. Oops! Anyway, this is the most typical week in the whole year for lovo meals – because Christmas celebrations to Fijians is that the whole family gets together and EATS. Yum yum.
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HAPPY HARVEST
Yesterday, Junia came up with a pineapple he was really happy with.
Here are 3 varieties of pineapple. Lying down – left to right – are the New Pineapple, the Ripley Queen pineapple, and the Hawaiian pineapple. I bought the Hawaiian one at the market, not knowing ours were ripe. The Ripley Queen, is what Junia says is what we have growing here.
Here they are, standing. Ju thinks the New Pineapple is a cross between the Ripley and the Hawaiian.
This was the FIRST one of the new ones. Austin got the planting material from agriculture a year ago or so.
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CURIOSITY OF THE WEEK
A sprouting house.
Just figure this one out!
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Happy New Year to you all!
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