The Catholic History of Pretzels & My Favorite Soft Pretzel Recipe

My mind was blow years ago when I found out about the Catholic roots of Tempura and its connection to Ember Days (SEE THE ARTICLE HERE) I was equally surprised to learn of the Catholic history of Pretzels. Read about the history of pretzels over at the National Catholic Register here


I really like eating soft pretzels and I learned that they are not very difficult to make! Here is my favorite Soft Pretzel recipe that uses very few ingredients and only takes around 40 minutes or so to make

Soft Pretzels – 400F 15min -  Let dissolve &whisk -  1.5 C warm water, 2.25t yeast, 1t salt, 1T brown sugar, 1T melted butter. THEN slowly + 4C flour in mixer until not sticky. THEN shape dough (12 pieces) and soak each in (9 C boiling water & .5 C of baking soda) for 20 sec. THEN sprinkle salt. Coat with melted butter & parmesan after bake.

image via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Pretzels by Mercury Jane -

Lenten Recipe: Black Bean Ginger Steamed Fish

One of the huge blessings of living on a pacific island is the access we have to some tasty seafood! Learning how to catch, clean, and cook fish are some of the expected skills of many Hawaiian families. 

During Lent I like to catch my own fish and use some of my favorite fish recipes to make dinner for the family. My two favorite kind of fish to eat are akule and aweoweo. So ono! 

Here is one of my favorite ways to prepare the two aforementioned fish or really any other kind of fish as well

Black Bean Ginger Steamed Fish - Steam 15min: Clean fish, cut slits and stuff with black bean sauce, ginger, green onion. THEN + ginger, cilantro, green onion. THEN pour hot oil over fish. THEN pour 2/1 (shoyu/water) over fish. Serve w/rice

Spring Break Adventures In Waimano!

There is no doubt that the beautiful beaches of Hawaii attract millions of visitors a year. However the mountains of Hawaii are equally as amazing and provide amazing adventures for our 'ohana. Here is a picture of my kids having a blast at Waimano Falls  on the back slopes of the Ko'olau mountain range. Hū ka nani! 


The Road Less Traveled - E.P.I.C Lenten Missions 2019

This week Friday (3/22/2019) we begin our EPIC Ministry Lenten Mission Series at several parishes here on Oahu as well as on Kauai. This Friday's mission will be at the Cathedral Basilica starting at 6pm. 

We will reflect on the right mindset to have during Lent and will also take a look at the biblical foundations of Lent, Sacrifice, Fasting, and Redemptive Suffering. We will also share some practical tips to make your Lent transformative and your Easter glorious! Come join us if you are able!

Catholic Virtual at St. Michael School

We are working on an EXCITING NEW PROJECT at St. Michael School in Waialua. We are looking at starting a high school! We are currently exploring the option of partnering with Catholic Virtual, a program of Virtual Schools of Excellence, to establish an on-site, quality Catholic high school option in the North Shore. We have an information night scheduled for April 2nd at 7pm. Please visit our website for more details and please share this with anyone in North Shore or surrounding areas that might be interested! www.stmichaelschoolhi.com