Shootz! Foraging For Holiday Eats And Other Treats For The Eyes

Carolers, therapy dogs, martial artists and the arrival of winter swells on the North Shore.

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Reading time: 5 minutes.

Carolers, therapy dogs, martial artists and the arrival of winter swells on the North Shore.

A crowd watches Konko Mission of Wahiawa Head Rev. Yasuhiro Yano turn the mochi between strikes from Nick Furusho during a mochitsuki (mochi pounding) demonstration Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i in Honolulu. The Rev. Edna Matsuoka says trust is recognized during a mochitsuki. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
A crowd watches Konko Mission of Wahiawa Head Rev. Yasuhiro Yano turn the mochi between strikes from Nick Furusho’s kine (wooden mallet) during a mochitsuki (mochi pounding) demonstration Saturday at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
A Konko Mission of Wahiawa volunteer demonstrates how to wrap anko (sweet, red-bean paste) in fresh mochi during a mochitsuki (mochi pounding) demonstration Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i in Honolulu. Mochi can be eaten plain, toasted and dipped in shoyu, or sweetened with anko, fresh strawberries or other fruit, peanut butter or Nutella. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
A volunteer demonstrates how to wrap anko (sweet, red-bean paste) in fresh mochi during the mochitsuki demonstration. Mochi can be eaten plain, toasted and dipped in shoyu, or sweetened with anko, fresh strawberries or other fruit, peanut butter or Nutella or added like a dumpling to a traditional, good-luck soup called ozoni. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Kenshikan Kendo Club’s Kevin Kamita practices Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i in Honolulu. The dojo at JCCH hosts various budo (martial arts) classes every day of the week. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Kenshikan Kendo Club’s Kevin Kamita practices Saturday at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i in Honolulu. The dojo hosts various budo (martial arts) classes every day. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Sensei Garrett Matsumoto demonstrates a move for Kenshikan Kendo Club practice Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i in Honolulu. The dojo at JCCH hosts various budo (martial arts) classes every day of the week. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Sensei Garrett Matsumoto demonstrates a move at the Kenshikan Kendo Club practice. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Dr. Nat Bletter, right, explains the medicinal benefits of the aloe plant’s gel during his Urban Foraging in Honolulu's Jungles Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Honolulu. The flowering aloe rises above the more commonly known leaves containing the soothing gel. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Nat Bletter, right, explains the medicinal benefits of the aloe plant’s gel during his Urban Foraging in Honolulu’s Jungles tour Sunday. The flowering aloe rises above the more commonly known leaves containing the soothing gel. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Dr. Nat Bletter opens a Haole Koa pod during his Urban Foraging in Honolulu's Jungles Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Honolulu. The flavor was like garlic edamame. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Bletter opens a koa haole pod. It tastes like garlic edamame. “You can eat anything once,” Bletter jokes. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Abby Austin of Honolulu munches on a nettle leafed goosefoot plant during Dr. Nat Bletter’s Urban Foraging in Honolulu's Jungles Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Honolulu. This goosefoot plant was a dried out so it had a crunchier texture and a salty, nutty flavor. The goosefoot is a salt-tolerant, invasive plant. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Abby Austin of Honolulu munches on a nettleleaved goosefoot plant during Bletter’s tour. It was a bit dry, giving it a crunchy texture and a salty, nutty flavor. The goosefoot is a salt-tolerant, invasive plant. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Dr. Nat Bletter created a salad with greens found during an Urban Foraging in Honolulu's Jungles tour Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Honolulu. The colorful leaves are bougainvillea flowers roasted before the class. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Bletter created a salad with greens found on his foraging tour and added colorful bougainvillea flowers roasted with olive oil. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
The sun sets as Dr. Nat Bletter, right, serves up a salad with greens found during his Urban Foraging in Honolulu's Jungles class Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Honolulu. A hallmark of Dr. Bletter’s class is to only harvests invasive or overly abundant endemic plants. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
The sun sets as Bletter, right, serves up a salad with greens found during his tour. Participants harvest only invasive or overly abundant endemic plants. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
One of the participants in the Hawaiʻi Kai Festival of Lights Boat parade makes its way past other vessels Saturday. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Karol’s Karolers are seen through a door as they perform Christmas carols at the Ewa Beach Public and School Library crowd Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Ewa Beach. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
The sound of Karol’s Karolers, a Honolulu-based chamber choir, extends into the hallway as members sing at the ʻEwa Beach Public and School Library on Monday evening. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Karol’s Karolers perform Christmas carols to a small, intimate Ewa Beach Public and School Library crowd Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Ewa Beach. They are Brittani Alexander, from left, Deanna Patacsil, Marissa Katz, Kate Langley, Jason Nomura, Niko Sumbillo, Mitchell Moriwaki, Michal Nowicki and Karol Nowicki. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Karol’s Karolers performers at the library include, from left, Brittani Alexander, Deanna Patacsil, Marissa Katz, Kate Langley, Jason Nomura, Niko Sumbillo, Mitchell Moriwaki, Michal Nowicki and Karol Nowicki. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Karol’s Karolers sing a Czech holiday classic “Všichni věrní křesťané” by Jan Trajan Turnovský at the Ewa Beach Public and School Library crowd Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Ewa Beach. Along with Christmas carols in English, the group expands the audience’s ear with holiday songs from around the world. This song was first performed in 1575. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Karol’s Karolers sing a Czech holiday classic, “Všichni věrní křesťané,” by Jan Trajan Turnovský. Along with Christmas carols in English, the group expands the audience’s ear with holiday songs from around the world. This song was first performed in 1575. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Isaiah DeCosta, 10, reads to K9 TheraPets dog Hachi Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, at the Ewa Beach Public and School Library in Ewa Beach. The library hosts this event every third Wednesday morning for an hour beginning at 10:30. Young readers can practice reading aloud to pups of different sizes. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Isaiah DeCosta, 10, reads to K9 TheraPets of Hawaii dog Hachi on Wednesday at the ʻEwa Beach Public and School Library. The library hosts this hour-long event every third Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Children can practice reading aloud to pups of different sizes. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
K9 TheraPets therapy dog Rex, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, waits for a keiki to read to him Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, at the Ewa Beach Public and School Library in Ewa Beach. The library hosts this event every third Wednesday morning for an hour beginning at 10:30. Young readers can practice reading aloud to pups of different sizes. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Rex, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, sports festive Christmas attire as he waits for a keiki to read to him. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
K9 TheraPets therapy-dog Star seeks belly scratches as Diana Gonsalves, 3, tries to read to her Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, at the Ewa Beach Public and School Library in Ewa Beach. The library hosts this event every third Wednesday morning for an hour beginning at 10:30. Young readers can practice reading aloud to pups of different sizes. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Diana Gonsalves, 3, is excited to scratch therapy dog Star’s belly. Keiki signed up at each dog’s station to read to them. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Like a giant Christmas ribbon, workers Wednesday remove temporary lines on South King Street in front of the Frank Fasi Municipal Building in Honolulu. (Ben Angarone/Civil Beat/2024)
Like a giant Christmas ribbon, workers remove temporary lines on South King Street in front of the Frank Fasi Municipal Building in Honolulu on Wednesday. (Ben Angarone/Civil Beat/2024)
The last full moon of the year, called the “Cold” Moon, rises in the Saturday night sky. It’s also the full moon that rises and sets in the northernmost point of its yearly cycle. This image was captured in the early evening hours by stacking four sharp images that were captured within 2 seconds of each other in stacking software to reveal added depth in the final frame. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Various Agency Personnel gather at the scene of a Cessna Kamaka Air plane crash in between Aolele Street and at 3129 Ualena Street on Tuesday 12.17.24. Two pilots, believed to be on a training flight, lost control of their aircraft and it turned violently to the left and entered a rapid descent crashing into a state owned building at that address. Emergency personnel were quick to respond but unfortunately neither pilot survived. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Rescue workers gather at the scene of a Kamaka Air plane crash near Honolulu International Airport on Tuesday. Two pilots, believed to be on a training flight, were killed. Their Cessna crashed into a vacant state-owned building. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
Lucita Ani-Nihoa listens to her daughter’s best friend Mae Nani Knight at Theresa Cachuela’s grave Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, at the Mililani Memorial Park and Mortuary in Mililani. The mother and best friend of Theresa invited Civil Beat to visit her gravesite almost one year after she was killed by her estranged husband Jason Cachuela despite a temporary restraining order. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Early Sunday sunlight illuminates Lucita Ani-Nihoa at her daughter’s grave Sunday at the Mililani Memorial Park and Mortuary. The mother of Theresa Cachuela continues to fight domestic violence in memory of her daughter and for other victims. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Lucita Ani-Nihoa, left, hugs Mae Nani Knight at Theresa Cachuela’s grave Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, at the Mililani Memorial Park and Mortuary in Mililani. The mother and best friend of Theresa invited Civil Beat to visit her gravesite almost one year after she was killed by her estranged husband Jason Cachuela despite a temporary restraining order. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Ani-Nihoa hugs Mae Nani Knight at Theresa Cachuela’s grave almost one year after she was killed by her estranged husband, Jason Cachuela, despite a temporary restraining order. Knight was Cachuela’s best friend. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Lahainaluna High School student leaders Karisa Bayudan, left, and Mobi Adovas enjoy a light moment with U.S. Department of Education Sec. Miguel Cardona during his West Maui tour Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Lahaina. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Lahainaluna High School student leaders Karisa Bayudan, left, and Mobi Adovas enjoy a light moment with U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona during his recent West Maui tour. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
U.S. Department of Education Sec. Miguel Cardona chats with Nathan Pallett, the coordinator of the Agriculture Learning Center Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Lahaina. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
Cardona learns about Lahainaluna High School’s Agriculture Learning Center with coordinator Nathan Pallett. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
A North Shore swell arrives at Waimea Bay, bringing 25-foot face-height waves Thursday. The Eddie Aikau Big Wave International surf contest, which requires 40-foot wave heights, is on for Sunday. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)
A lifeguard monitors the action at Waimea Bay on Thursday. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)

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