I wanted to make a dessert for a party celebrating a dear friend’s advancement to the rank of United States Coast Guard Chief. She is a native of Guam, so I scoured blogs for traditional Chamorro fare and took parts from several recipes to create this sweet treat.
Apparently, Latiya (pronounced “Lat-tee-zah”) is the dessert of choice served at all Chamorro gatherings. It has just a few ingredients, is fairly easy to make, and requires no baking. The secret is in getting the custard-like filling to the right consistency but not overcooking.
To my utmost delight, it was deemed perfect by not only the Chamorro father, aunt, uncles, cousin and friends, but most importantly by the honoree, as well as delicious by those of us Americans having it for the first time. I shared my extensive research and we had a fun banter about the use of eggs (I didn’t), amount of vanilla (I used 1/2 teaspoon instead a full teaspoon), layering of the pound cake versus leaving space for the custard between slices, and the appropriate amount of cinnamon sprinkled on top. What it all comes down to is the cook’s preference … and in a Chamorro kitchen, the cook is always right!
And the absolute most important ingredient in food at a Chamorro gathering? Love in heaping portions. I put plenty of that in this recipe for Chief Isa Mariano!
Note: “Chamorro” is the term for the indigenous natives of the Mariana Islands, including Guam. “Guamanian” is the term used for those strictly from the island of Guam, not the neighboring islands.
Merry awoke just as the first red bursts of dawn streaked through the shutters and across her white bedspread. It reminded her of blood splatter and she watched the gory hue turn to a bruise of blue and purple and finally the pure, clean brightness of a new day, disappearing into the covers. She felt a shift in the universe and tears pricked her eyes.
This has become my go-to picnic recipe, stolen from a marina friend who brought them to a dock party! Incredibly easy and a definite crowd pleaser, they are a mini-meal unto themselves. They can be made a day in advance and require no utensils. I put the skewers in a plastic container with a lid and it’s ready to grab from the fridge and go.
When a man gets to a certain age, it is time for him to set out on his own, or at least that is what he tried to tell himself as he readied his boat for the journey. He had been sailing these seas with his father since the day he could walk, he knew them better than he knew the land. Of course, where he was going, he would eventually leave his home waters, and that is where the test of his strength and abilities would come in. 
This quick sweet uses two ingredients and takes all of 5 active minutes, plus 10 of baking and another hour for cooling. Of course you can find these at a huge discount at our 
I’d awoken with a sore throat and a fever, so mother made me stay home. Daddy went to work and my sister left without me to walk the short distance to school with the kids from the block. I spent the morning on the couch bundled up in blankets, engrossed in one of the “Little House on the Prairie” books and sipping ginger ale through a straw from a nearby TV tray. Mother went about her daily housewife routine of making beds, starting a load of laundry, arranging the front window drape pleats, and raking the shag carpet.
It was spring of 1982 and I was months from high school graduation. On the horizon was a summer serving as crew on a 101 ft schooner and the beginning of college in the fall. It was also a dull and dreary day sitting in the teeny boatyard office of the marine electrician where I worked as an assistant after school.
Elizabeth frowned at her monthly planner entry for August 15th. The heart with the number “5” inside was drawn before the new year, when things were still good. She planned on serving him with divorce papers soon and wanted to keep things amiable until then. A present was just the thing.
To be honest, hubby and I aren’t fans of chicken breast. We prefer thighs which are juicier due to the higher fat content. But every now and then I feel like doing something fancy with chicken and opt for breasts especially when stuffing. Using olives marinated in olive oil kept these moist and flavorful.
The Littletown League of Women Voters mayoral candidate debate had just begun when the fire alarm was sounded. After 30 minutes and an “all clear” from the Fire Chief, the crowd filed back inside. It was apparently a faulty alarm but they had dragged in the hefty fire hose as a precaution and it now lay smack dab down the middle of Uncle Joe’s All-You-Can-Eat Seafood Buffet. It would remain until the investigation was complete in an hour or so, and the debate needed to get underway and wrap-up before the restaurant opened for the Early Bird Special crowd.
