Cooking with Banana Leafs

There is nothing I love better than a good fresh banana , we grow our own , the banana trees after they have fruit will die , but they will send up a couple more little trees to grow and produce .The banana tree will  fruit once a year, BUT you can use the leafs for lots of purposes  year round , we use them just like tin foil, and they will add a great flavor to anything that you cook with them. Below is a post from the web site About .com , I thought you might like to read , thanks Darlene for the great article.

Cook with Banana Leaf


By Darlene Schmidt, About.com Guide

Banana Leaf Boats - great for cooking and serving!

Banana leaves serve many purposes in Asian cooking, from adding flavor to foods cooked inside them, to simply being used as a colorful and exotic background for serving-plates and party platters. Banana leaves are beautiful, fun to use, and easy to cook with! Find out how to buy banana leaves, how to cook with them, how to decorate your platters with them, and how to store extra banana leaves for use next time.

1.Buying Banana Leaves

Banana leaves are very inexpensive to buy - roughly $3.00-4.00 for a large pack. Buy banana leaves fresh or frozen in large, flat plastic bags at your local Asian supermarket (check the freezer if you can't find them on the shelf or in the produce section).

2.Cooking with Banana Leaves

Banana leaves can be used for baking anything "wrapped" - in the same way you would use tin foil or parchment paper. However, note that banana leaves are porous (unlike tin foil), so some of the "sauce" or juices from your food item may seep through. It's therefore a good idea to place your banana leaf "packets" in a glass casserole dish, or a tray that has "sides" on it, so that the juices don't drip to the bottom of your oven.

3.Banana Leaves for Grilling/Barbecuing:

You can also use banana leaf as a kind of "mat" for barbecuing fragile fillets of fish, smaller shrimp, or vegetables that have a danger of falling through the grill. Simply lay a piece of banana leaf on your grill, then cook your food items on top of it (as you would with tin foil). The banana leaf will turn bright green at first, then brown as you cook. It will give a nice hint of flavor to your food that is very pleasant.

4.Banana Leaves for Serving:

Banana leaf also makes a beautiful background on which to serve various Asian dishes - excellent for party platters or finger foods. They can also be made into Banana Leaf Boats as pictured above - great for serving salads, rice, fish, and other dishes. Or, simply cut a banana leaf (rinse well with hot water and pat dry) and use it to line a platter, serving plate or bowl. Banana leaf dresses up the dish, adding an exotic touch to any Thai or Asian recipe.

5.Eating on Banana Leaf!

This is perhaps the "funnest" part of using banana leaves in cooking - eating off of them! Any dish that has been cooked in banana leaf can also be served in/on it - in fact, this makes the dish even more beautiful to serve and to eat. It also makes for a wonderful conversation-starter at dinner parties!

6.Storing Banana Leaves:

Usually you will have leftover leaves after you've finished making your recipe or serving your food, as they are sold in large packs. To keep the rest for use later, simply wrap up in plastic (a plastic bag will do, secured with elastic), and keep in the freezer. Banana leaves only require about 30 minutes to thaw, so this is a convenient way to keep them fresh. If using within a week, store them (wrapped in plastic) in the refrigerator


Here are a few pictures of banana leafs and their uses . These picture are gleamed from the net and I saw no copyrights attached ----  so enjoy

HERE COMES " THE PEDDLER TRUCK"

Never before have I lived in a place where folks sold so many things in front of their homes ,shops, the side of the roads, also a lot of them take their wears on the road, and drive up and down the streets and by-ways peddling their wears.I love it and many times it saves me a trip to the market . It brings back childhood memories when my Uncle Oren use to take

his produce and put in the back of his pick-up and take it to sell in the Big City of Union S.C., and in the streets and at the market place, and us kids would ride along with him, and go door to door and tell the people that the produce man was here , and we got to eat all the apples we wanted, what a side benefit that was for us kids that normally only got apples at Christmas in our stockings or when we could grab one off the neighbors tree on the way home from school. I remember those days well. I remember that later my Uncle Oren was the Watkins man and he sold all kinds of house wears and supplies. I remember my Mother buying from him plates and stuff and I can really remember the vanilla flavoring he sold , was in a big brown bottle , wow how these memories popped into my head ,when the peddler man came by . Do you have memories of the peddlers coming thru your neighborhoods , or do you still have a few that pass your way???
I took a few pictures of the Peddler Man and his truck  , hope you enjoy the pictures .Ciejay is picking out some plants and potting soil and I think see's getting a few new orchids .

Mango Season is Here in Thailand

More mango's are eaten fresh all over the world than any other fruit
I thought that was quite a statement, but after going on line and checking different web sites about mango's , I now firmly believe it to be a somewhat true statement

This is mango season in Thailand and almost everyone I know has a tree or two in their yard . We wait for the winter season to end so that the trees will flower and then watch, with amazement and anticipation as we see the fruit develop from a little pea size, to a full grown ,baseball size, ripe fruit ,to be relished and enjoyed . I say relished and enjoyed because since moving to Thailand I have come to love the flavor and smell and taste of this fruit. It starts to get ripe about the middle of March here in our village and around the area , tho some parts of Thailand have Mango's growing all the time and you can really enjoy them year round , But they do get pricey when out of season in our local area. I really don't care how pricey they get I have to have my Mango Fix as many days a week as possible . We here in Wang Pho are in the middle of our Mango season now and the folks that eat theirs green and in green salads and with sugar,chili peppers crushed, and a touch of salt have already raided the trees and what they couldn't reach or left on the trees are for us folks who like ours ripe and juicy. We have 4 mango trees (3 different varieties ) in our yard and get lots from them , and the neighbor has about 50 trees that they sell the green mango, every year to folks from Bangkok and they tell us to eat all we want once they have moved on. They have a couple of different varieties that I don't have , one being a mango called black gold and the fruit inside the green peel is as golden as can be and the taste is to kill for . The season here in Wang Pho starts in mid March and will run till April end, with a few varieties that hang on till May or mid May , we have a tree with a mango called a Gaull that will last clear up till mid June , they are a last resort mango for me as they are not as sweet as most . But they are better than no mango at all . And as my Mother use to say "beggars can't be choosy."
I only knew of the great taste of the mango and never really thought of the health benefits , till I did this research , and now I know that they are not only good to eat -- but they are Good for you and your body and can promote good health
The follow information was Googled and gleamed from the net and as far as I know is not copyrighted , so I am going to copy and paste for your reading enjoyment and enlightenment . I hope you enjoy the read .
I know I always say it, BUT!!!!!! this is just another reason why we're "Retired in Thailand and Loving It."

Mango trees are evergreens that will grow to 60 feet tall.

The mango originated in Southeast Asia where it has been grown for over 4,000 years. Over the years mango groves have spread to many parts of the tropical and sub-tropical world, where the climate allows the mango to grow best. Mango trees are evergreens that will grow to 60 feet tall. The mango tree will fruit 4 to 6 years after planting. Mango trees require hot, dry periods to set and produce a good crop. Most of the mango's sold in the United States are imported from Mexico, Haiti, the Caribbean and South America. Today there are over 1,000 different varieties of mango's throughout the world.

A comfort food. Mango's really can make you feel better! Beyond being delicious and rich in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants, mango's contain an enzyme with stomach soothing properties similar to papain found in papayas. These comforting enzymes act as a digestive aid and can be held partially responsible for that feeling of contentment we experience during and after our daily mango ritual. Yes, it is quite natural to crave those mango's!

Mango, both in its green and ripe form is a very good tenderizing agent due to these same enzymes, therefore ideal to include in any marinade (see Mango Marinade under Sauces category in our Recipe Guide). In India they use a sour mango powder containing ground up green mango's called Amchur, both as a seasoning and tenderizing aid.

We all know the importance of fiber in our diets. If you are eating your mango-a-day, irregularity is not a problem for you and so we'll spare the gruesome details regarding constipation, piles and spastic colon. Research has shown that dietary fiber has a protective effect against degenerative diseases, especially with regards to the heart; may help prevent certain types of cancer, as well as lowering blood cholesterol levels. An average sized mango can contain up to 40% of your daily fiber requirement. For those of you who are physically active, whether working out or constantly on the go, mango's are also a great way to replenish that lost potassium. Deliciously rich in anti-oxidants, potassium and fiber - the mango is the perfect fruit! Truly 'the king of fruit'

Taking care of the Isuzu (now 10 years old )

With the very hot weather , the long rainy season and the high humidity during this time , it's very important that you pay close attention to the maintainace of your vehicles, so that they don't let you down or break down on a road trip, or the carport (another story for another time ).


After spending two days  long at the Isuzu shop I've got the maintaince and prevention work I wanted do to the truck . the following list is the things I had them do and replace , should do it for a while . Dad always told me to take car of my vehicle and they would not let me down when I needed them , I've tried to follow his advice .

Oil change and filter , fuel filter , auto trans filter and oil, rear end oil or grease , packed wheel bearings , new brake pads , new steering rod end , water pump , thermostat and housing , radiator hose bracket on engine , fan belts,power steering belt, a/c belts , gas for a/c , every rubber hose on the whole engine , flush radiator and refilled with new coolant. rebalanced tires and front end alignment replace dented hub cap , I think that's about it , maybe a few other small things I can't remember , oh ya aim the headlights for the road at night .checked timing chain and it was good to go.

 I think I got all the stuff I could think of , sure I forgot something but as I remember it's easy to make an appointment . Parts are about the same as America, but the labor is a lot less so it makes it affordable to take good care of your vehicles

 It is 10 years old and I think it still looks at least a 9  inside and out

A look at some of the stuff I replaced, lots of other stuff  cleaned and maintained.