Author: Joy

Self-Storage-for-Business1We’ve found that while many are calling this a “challenging economy,” many businesses are making the best of the times.  So, if we all can put ourselves in the mindset that challenges are opportunities waiting to be unearthed, then here are three free PR tips for maximizing the times. 1)    Clean up and clear out.  Clutter is useless and takes up space that could be better used.  Having stacks of old things around is also unattractive.  Give your customers, your employees, and yourself more room to move around and a nice, organized space in which to work.  Be merciless about the clearing.  Donate items that you can no longer use to a nonprofit that might be able to use them.  Recycle what you can.  If there are things you absolutely cannot part with, organize them, label them, and put them in storage.  A cleaner, clearer workspace will make everyone feel better – your customers, your employees, and you, and it will symbolically provide the needed open space for useful, and perhaps moneymaking things and ideas.
30 October, 2009 /
We love Stuart Elliott's advertising articles in the New York Times.  This one we thought was particularly good, given the need to have smart marketing campaigns these days that effectively attract consumers and inspire them to buy your products or services.
21 September, 2009 /
kim-chee1For those of you who have gardens, there comes a time when everything is going off and you need to find something to do with all of it.  Give away some of it, yes, but also consider making things that use a lot garden harvest and that keep a long time.  Kim chee is one of those things. My kim chee recipe is a combination of several, namely, "The Korean Kitchen" by Copeland Marks wth Manjo Kim and Tyler Florence, who I've found has excellent tips on international dishes. A few notes about kim chee: according to "The Korean Kitchen," kim chee has seven components including a hot or sweet chili taste, saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, astringency, and any ingredient that will intensify or enhance flavor.  The great thing about kim chee is that the salt in it softens all kinds of greens, even ones that have gotten a little tough from late harvesting.  In my recipe, I use kale, bok choy, radicchio (Italian chicory), and chard, plus I add garlic chives and green onions, which I also grow.  My husband, who lived in Korea while he was in the Air Force, likes the bitter greens because he says it tastes more authentic than the pure cabbage kim chee that we buy in the store.
25 August, 2009 /
  Another easy, healthy entrée to make for any occasion, flexible enough to be a regular night's dinner or a dish for your next family gathering, is furikake salmon.  In addition to how quickly you can whip this up, it only takes six ingredients (including salt and pepper)!  Here's how you can create this dish at home:
20 August, 2009 /
Pono Market"Pack to Fly" is a term heard often in Kauai restaurants and stores, usually referring to the packaging of food being taken on an airplane.  Most times, this food will be presented as omiyage (o-mee-yah-gay), the Japanese tradition of gifts given to co-workers, family, and friends upon returning from a trip.  Omiyage has been adopted by Hawaii and Kauai locals and usually involves food.  Anyone can take on this custom by buying and giving locally-made favorites from the places that they visit.
27 July, 2009 /
One of the first meals my mom taught me to cook is a very easy, healthy roast chicken with vegetables.  When she first told me how to make it, I was amazed at how such little seasoning could turn chicken into a flavorful meal. And, there is no need to prepare an entrée and vegetable course when serving this dish as it combines the both!  Here's how to whip it up (adjust the portions to fit your needs).
20 July, 2009 /
In Hawaii, many backyard gardens grow the long squash that is green and can grow up to several feet in length.  Long squash is especially plentiful in the summer months.  Despite the heat of the season, my husband and 2-year-old son love to eat squash soup so much that they can devour it week after week.  I've even resorted to doubling my original recipe to keep up with them!  The best part about Squash Soup, above the rave reviews and nutritional value, is that it's super easy to make and a perfect one-pot meal.  So, I thought that some of you may be interested in the recipe and making it for your families.  Here it is:
17 July, 2009 /
shahrzad-tea1I've been making ice cream for several years now and it took awhile to get the basics down from the equipment to the technique and the ingredients.  Now that I've mastered chocolate, vanilla, and a few other popular flavors, I've been delving into some new ones.  One of them is unexpected and yet appears to be nearly addictive so I thought I'd share it with you.  It's Persian Black Tea Ice Cream.
16 July, 2009 /