Nisei Ski Club

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

These healthy carrot cake muffins are easy to make with oatmeal, lots of fresh carrots, and a handful of other simple and healthy ingredients. Feel free to top them with a lightened-up cream cheese drizzle too!

I made them without the cream cheese drizzle.

Bon Appetite – Julia Child and Karen Soo share the same birthday.

Ingredients

HEALTHY CARROT MUFFIN INGREDIENTS:

• 2 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats*
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (or your preferred kind of milk)
• 1 cup (5 ounces) shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or any mild-flavored oil)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup optional add-ins (chopped pecans or walnuts, raisins, shredded coconut, or chocolate chips*)
• coarse turbinado sugar (optional)

CREAM CHEESE DRIZZLE INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup low-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 to 3 teaspoons almond milk (or your preferred kind of milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Prep oven and muffin pan. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking liners, or lightly grease with cooking spray.  Set aside.
2. Purée oats. Purée the oats in a blender or food processor until they reach a flour-like consistency. Add in the baking soda, cinnamon, sea salt, ginger, nutmeg, and pulse a few more times until the mixture is evenly combined. Set aside.
3. Mix the ingredients. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, shredded carrots, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla extract until evenly combined.  Fold the oatmeal mixture in with the wet ingredient mixture, along with any optional add-ins, and stir until the mixture is just combined.  (Try to avoid over-mixing.)
4. Prep the baking cups. Portion the batter evenly into prepared baking cups.  Then sprinkle a generous pinch of turbinado sugar on top of each cup of muffin batter, if you would like.
5. Bake. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire cooling rack until the muffins cool to room temperature.
6. Make the cream cheese drizzle. While the muffins bake, whisk together the cream cheese drizzle ingredients in a small mixing bowl until smooth. If the drizzle seems too thin, add in a few extra tablespoons of powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add in a tiny extra splash of milk.
7. Serve. Once the muffins have cooled to room temperature, use a fork or a piping bag to top each muffin with your desired amount of cream cheese drizzle. Serve immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate the muffins for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

NOTES

Oat flour: Alternately, you can sub in in 220 grams (7.75 ounces) oat flour.  And as always, be sure to use certified gluten-free ingredients if making this recipe gluten-free.

Optional add-ins: Feel free to add 2/3 of extra add-ins total to this recipe, such as chopped nuts (I’d recommend chopped pecans or walnuts), raisins (or dried cranberries or cherries), shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened), chocolate chips (semisweet or white) — or a combination of any of these.

Prep time: The prep time listed above does not include the amount of time needed to let these muffins cool, which can vary between about 30-60 minutes. That said, if you’re in a hurry, you can always eat the muffins right away without the cream cheese drizzle, or spread the cream cheese frosting on with a knife as a spread.

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center was illuminated by more than 50,000 multicolored lights on Wednesday, kicking off a Midtown Manhattan holiday tradition that dates back to the 1930s.

This year, the window displays at Saks Fifth Ave explored Christian Dior’s first visit to the United States and New York, in 1947, a trip that ignited his fascination with the city.

The collaboration was the first time that Saks had partnered with a luxury fashion house for its holiday display.

In the displays, with the theme of “Dior’s Carousel of Dreams at Saks,” miniature figurines of Mr. Dior, who died in 1957, were placed in various scenes of the windows along Fifth Avenue.

On behalf of the NSC board, I would like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year in 2024.

Enjoy the pics..

TURN UP THE VOLUME – Darn tourist talking behind me…

Wishing you health, peace and happiness to you and your family.,, And the rest of the World.

See you in 2024 , Nisei Ski Club Officers and Board Members.

by Karen Soo, Trip Director

Here are some ski / snow related movies that were recommended by our Nisei Ski Club Members.

Both Dan and Judy will be on the Jackson Hole trip in 2024

Dan Lew recommends – K2: The Impossible Descent

On July 22, 2018, a Polish ski mountaineer clicked into his bindings at an altitude of 8,611m to make history. Follow Andrzej Bargiel’s expedition from Poland to Pakistan, as he descends K2 on skis.

https://www.redbull.com/int-en/films/k2-the-impossible-descent

Judy Bracken recommends –Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche

This gripping documentary revisits the 1982 massive, deadly avalanche at Alpine Meadows in Lake Tahoe and the frantic search-and-rescue operation that followed. This is streaming on NETFLIX

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt13033424/?ref_=ttvi_tt

by Armand Gutierrez, President

November is coming in crisp and cool and Tahoe resorts are beginning to get some snowfall. Remember two years ago when Palisades Tahoe actually opened before Halloween with a rare early snowfall? Well, this year it’s back to the usual November opening dates. And this month the main attraction is also Thanksgiving. Yup, this is when we all gather around the feasting table and forget about diets, counting calories, and enjoy a bountiful meal with family. And on the subject of feasting, we certainly did that at the NSC 65^th Anniversary Dinner on Saturday, 28 October. China Stix kept bringing out entrées and more entrées throughout the evening.

For those of you that dream about skiing in November, and before Thanksgiving, here are some important resort opening dates:

• Northstar – 17 November
• Heavenly – 17 November
• Alpine/Palisades – 22 November
• Jackson Hole – 24 November
• Kirkwood – 1 December

The Latest from NSCF/OnTheSnow

The National Ski Council Federation (NSCF) issues a monthly newsletter on ski-related items within the ski industry, and OnTheSnow also offered a few items. Here are some of the highlights:

• Lift prices are going skyward. Expect to see $300 (no, that’s not a typo) window prices, and here are some expected prices for the Tahoe area:
  • $259 – Heavenly
  • $269 – Northstar
  • $279 – Palisades
  • Do you feel the burn in your back pocket?
• Resorts are transitioning to cashless systems.
  • Vail went cashless in late 2022
  • Use of reverse ATMs.
  • Kids use smart phones to pay for everything, now it’s time for us adults to get on that bandwagon.
• Resort Upgrades (this is the good news)
  • Remember that 15-person cylinder that went to the top of Lone Peak at Big Sky? Well, rejoice, it’s been replaced by a 75-person capacity tram
  • Sun Valley has two new lifts.
  • Not an upgrade, but Palisades will be introducing a new parking reservation system. The majority of the parking inventory will be dedicated to free reservations, paid parking reservations are available for those of you that have the money, and want to arrive late in order to secure a parking spot.

Upcoming Events Get your calendars out and mark these dates down for planned events for the remainder of the year.

November 4  – NSC Pickleball Event – Tina Woo reports that she has people signed up for this latest craze happening across the states, and there’s room for more. See the flyer for details.

November 11 – NSC Bowling Event – Following Tina’s Pickleball Ball there’s Jeff Honda’s Bowling Event the week after. This should be a fun experience because it’s unknown who is good and who is not good at rolling a 13-16lb. ball down a wooden floor just to hit a bunch of wooden pins. Come and join us for an exciting morning and then lunch afterwards and hear the bragging on who had the best scores. See the flyer and an Evite for details.

2024 NSC Jackson Hole – 27 January to 3 February

The Jackson Hole trip is fully booked with 46 signups and a few extras going along on their own arrangements. Since there were only 21 signups for air we will be taking Alaska Airlines, and all remaining Alaska and United Air seats have been released. If you have an Ikon Pass then you will need to make reservations for the week we are there, and you can login in to your account at ikonpass.com and make reservations. And yes, that is a current picture at the summit of the Teton Lift.  The upper mountain has already received 36” of snow.

QotM: If you’re not criticized, you’re not doing enough.

by Jeff Honda, Board Member

by Jeanne Katsuro, Vice President

It was so much fun to see old and new Nisei Ski Club members!

Seven past Presidents were present who served as presidents during the years listed below.

        Jeanne Katsuro       1986 ~1987

        Curtis Otaguro       1988 ~ 1989

        David Tom             1993 ~ 1994

        Doug Higashi         1999 ~ 2000

        Judy Hom               2003 ~ 2004

        Armand Gutierrez   2005 ~ 2006

        Curtis Otaguro        2007 ~ 2008     

        Joel Hayashida        2008 ~ 2010     2 years

        Armand Gutierrez   2011 ~ 2023    12 years

Our current and past President Armand Gutierrez is the GLUE that has kept our club together all these years!  We need to give him a standing ovation!

We welcome 3 brand new Members   Philip Toy, Arlene Tom and Mark Tsukuda

We welcome back 6 returning Members – Dean Santo, Lydia Santo, Debra Fong., Dorise Yee~Ouye, Tony Moy and Celeste Rogers

Nisei Ski Club is growing and coming back STRONG!

A big thank you to Bill Lee for all the fantastic photography of all the attendees!

A big thank you to Randy Hirai for our new NSC 65^th Anniversary graphic logo!

Nisei Ski Club continues to make changes to make our club a Strong SOCIAL CLUB as well as a Ski Club!

Check out Bill Lee ‘s Pictures:

Nisei Ski Club 65th Anniversary Dinner

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

Tender and chewy, this big-batch dessert — as comforting as cake and as fun as bar cookies — is always a hit at parties. Mochiko, sweet rice flour, not only gives it its distinctive marshmallow-like softness, but it also lends a natural sweetness. This version of butter mochi uses only coconut milk for its richness and subtle nutty taste, but you can substitute equivalent amounts of whole milk, evaporated milk or a combination of those liquids. Butter mochi develops a crackly top that stays crunchy the day it’s baked, making it a delicious dessert to eat without adornment. But, if you’d like more crunch, you can sprinkle dried shredded coconut evenly over the top before baking, or, for a tangy, colorful top, you can coat it with the passion fruit glaze below.

Bon Appetite – Julia Child and Karen Soo share the same birthday.

Ingredients

Yield1 (9-by-13-inch) cake

FOR THE MOCHI

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing the pan
• 3 cups mochiko (sweet rice flour), like Blue Star brand
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 (13.5-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk (scant 3½ cups)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE PASSION FRUIT GLAZE (OPTIONAL)

• 1½ packed cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 to 4 tablespoons passion fruit pulp or purée (see Tip)
• Pink or red food coloring (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the mochi: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch cake pan, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.

• Whisk the mochiko, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Prepare the batter in a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or whisk: Whisk the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and thick. Continue whisking while pouring in the coconut milk, then the butter and vanilla. Continue whisking while gradually adding the mochiko mixture. Whisk until the batter is completely smooth. Pour into the prepared pan, then tap it against the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.

• Bake until golden brown and crackly, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1½ hours. When you press the center, it should bounce back but not indent at all. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Use the parchment paper to slide the cooled mochi out of the pan.

• The mochi is delicious plain, but you can add a glaze if you’d like: Mix the confectioners’ sugar with 2 tablespoons passion fruit pulp until smooth. It should be thick but drippy. If needed, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons pulp. If you’d like to create an ombré or sunset effect, scrape some into another bowl or multiple bowls and tint with food coloring. Spread the glaze evenly over the mochi, in stripes if you’d like, and let stand until set.

• Cut the mochi into squares or bars. Serve immediately, or keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

TIP

You can buy pure passion fruit purée from specialty markets and some grocery stores in the frozen fruit section. If you can’t find the fruit or purée, you can substitute passion fruit juice or nectar, but it will be much sweeter. To prepare passion fruit pulp from fresh fruit, halve 2 fruits and scrape the pulp into a small microwave-safe bowl or saucepan. Warm by microwaving for 15 seconds or heating on low until loose and runny. Press through a sieve to extract the pulp from the seeds

If you want to go the easy route – Just use this easy mix here.                                                            

by Karen Soo, Newsletter Editor

One of the best ways you can help Maui and its affected residents is by simply donating what you can to trusted donation funds. While so many have already donated, the amount of funds that will be necessary to help rebuild what was lost, and assist those who are hurting, is truly staggering. We recommend giving to established funds and organizations, such as the Maui Strong Fund, the Maui Humane Society and Red Cross Hawaiʻi, which are all directly involved in the recovery of Maui.