Blossoms Floral Depot: A wonderland of Valentine’s Day specialties

SHOWING your special someone how much you love and care for them has never been made easier than stepping into the Blossom’s Floral Depot for a wide choice of ideal Valentine’s Day gifts.

Blossoms Floral Depot office manager Carlyn DLG. Hofschneider said  Valentine’s has always been their busiest week but this is one time of the year where individual preferences are being given top priority.

“Each person has different preferences in how they want flowers to be arranged, or what flowers they want to order. Come to us and let our florists meet your specific needs,” Hofschneider said.

“Tell us what you would like in your arrangements and we will take care of everything from there,” she added.

Blossoms Floral Depot offers fresh or silk arrangements, new Valentine’s containers, red roses, cards, stuffed animals, balloons, heart candies and chocolates in heart-shaped boxes.

“Despite the hard economic times, it is encouraging to know that people really find money to buy gifts for their loved-ones,” Hofschneider said.

Orders had been pouring in for flowers, bouquets, floral arrangements and baskets, and chocolates since last week.

Hofschneider said topping the list of favorites are roses.

“We had been getting a lot of orders for the dozen and half a dozen roses,” she said.

Fresh roses come straight from California. Hofschneider said most of the clients who ordered flowers and gift baskets for their loved ones wanted the gifts delivered before work starts on Monday.

“It’s always exciting especially for women to receive flowers and chocolates at work, but these times, it goes the same for men, too,” Hofschneider said.

Even if you’re on a tight budget, you can still make someone special by picking out a single, long-stemmed rose which you can hand personally to your loved one for as affordable as $6.

For orders above $60, Blossoms Floral Depot will deliver for free to anywhere in the island. You can splurge on a dozen tastefully arranged roses for only $85 and Blossoms Floral Depot will deliver it for you.

Hofschneider said last year, they ordered over 3,000 stems of fresh roses but had to place another order before Valentine’s Day because supplies ran out fast.

“We are urging you all to come and place your orders now before our supplies ran out,” she said.

Valentine’s Day baskets range from $18 and up, stuffed toys start from $5, chocolate boxes from $8 to $18.

If you don’t have an idea what floral arrangement or what gift to give to your loved-one, just visit Blossoms Floral Depot and they can help you out.

To give a chance for those who have not ordered or picked up their Valentine’s Day gifts yet, Blossoms Floral Depot will be extending their hours of operation on Feb. 12 and 13 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and even on Feb. 14.

Hofschneider said  they also accept phone-in orders. Floral arrangements are available at all Shell gas stations.

Blossoms Floral Depot is located at the J.E.T. Building near J’s Restaurant in Gualo Rai. For reservations or inquiries call 235-2276/7372 or fax 235-7371. (published HERE)

Beyond skin deep

HAVING a natural flawless skin is the envy of many and not many are blessed with it, but for individuals who are not as lucky, don’t lose hope to acquire soft and smooth skin because you can do it here without having to spend thousands of dollars for off-island treatments.

Dr. DeLinda D. Wills, a U.S. board certified general surgeon who opened her own aesthetic clinic last year, said  going for a skin assessment is the first thing to do.

When you come in for skin consultation, your skin condition will be assessed because every person differs from each other. “Treatments that will work for one person may not work for another,” Wills said.

Maintenance

Soon after you get your skin assessment and treatment, Wills said that maintenance is the next thing to do.

Maintenance, she said, is not just an ordinary 11-letter word but it entails lots of patience and dedication which will eventually pay off if you are committed enough to it.

“When you start to see even a small wrinkle anywhere on your face, spend a few dollars and have it fixed immediately. Do not wait until you retire and the problem becomes too big to deal with and you will need a complete overhaul,” Wills said.

“If you want to save in the future, go for skin maintenance now. What little you may have spent now adds up to big savings in the future,” she added.

When you see for example the starter pack that Wills will prescribe for her patients to maintain a fresher and youthful looking skin, you will be astounded and confused.

Wills said maintaining your beauty regimen may be hard at first but you will soon get the hang of it.

With so many bottles containing different ointments and creams and oils, each one carrying different instructions and dosage, cleaning your face is an impossible task, especially if you have a full day at work and the last thing you would want to do is to crawl into bed and sleep.

Wills said getting into the beauty routine will become a habit very soon that “you can’t or won’t leave home without your beauty kit.”

Maintenance care for the skin and face is not only for women, Wills said. She said that men too are beginning to see the importance of having and maintaining fresher and smoother look using customized treatments.

Exposure to the relentlessly blazing sun outside everyday is “murder to the skin,” but this can be stopped by preventive measures, Wills said.

Come to Aulelei Medical Clinic, located at Suite 315 of Marianas Business Plaza in Susupe for a skin assessment and come out with a complete regimen kit designed to combat the harsh elements of nature like excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays that harms your skin.

Whatever skin problems and conditions you have — acne, oily or dry skin, hyperpigmentation, melasma, and rosacea and more, Wills guarantees skin assessment and treatment.

Aside from skin assessments, professional skin treatments or physician directed skincare, Wills also accepts Botox cosmetic and Juvederm consultation, Botox cosmetic, and Juvederm dermal filler featuring product lines from PCA skin and Obagi Medical.

“My final word is — I insist on maintenance, maintenance, and maintenance and I cannot stress that word enough,” Wills said.

For appointments or for more information, visit www.auleleimedical.com, e-mail drwills@auleleimedical.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 235-7314. (published HERE)

That's entertainment

A member of the Project Impact dance group impresses street market shoppers and vendors as he somersaults during a group performance in Garapan.

One sweet potato, two sweet potato...

ROTA — The covers were lifted and the hungry and excited crowd gathered in anticipation, picking up plates and forks as they fell in line to sample over 30 mouth-watering products derived from one of the Pacific’s most stable root crop —  the sweet potato,  known here as kamuti.

The first annual sweet potato festival on Rota was in progress and guests had a grand time forking food into their plates and sampling the delights laid out on the table. From simple grilled sweet potato to the most complicated pies, tarts, cakes, fritters and other colorful and appetizing desserts to casseroles blended with herbs and spices, salads — everything was gone in a few minutes, and one could already hear the rave reviews of the guests.

Sweet potatoes can be eaten raw, grilled, baked, mashed, boiled, candied, steamed, or processed, and you still get the vitamins and other benefits.

Sweet potatoes grow in various colors and sizes, an abundant resource that Rota is blessed with, and a resource that the island wants to tap into to create a product brand and to spur the economy at the same time.

NMC-CREES Dr. Dilip Nadwani and Anthony Tudela in their research paper titled “Sweet Potato in the CNMI” said sweet potato has been a staple food for the Pacific Islanders for several centuries and is the most widely produced crop in the CNMI, mainly on Rota. Over 50 percent of the commercially produced sweet potatoes on Rota are shipped to Guam while the rest are for Saipan.

Nadwani and Tudela said  “the sweet potato is very important to a healthy nutrition based on its high contents of fibrous starches, potassium, iron, calcium and several vitamins.”

This versatile root crop which can be harvested from three to five months is fast finding its place in household tables all year round as the interest in healthy and natural foods increase.

Benefits of sweet potatoes

The U.S. Department of Agriculture enumerates the benefits of sweet potatoes, including being an “antidiabetic” food.

USDA researches showed that sweet potatoes contain proteins with high content of carotenes and vitamin C, making it a valuable food for boosting antioxidants in the body.

Sweet potatoes are also excellent source of carotenes, particularly the darker varieties, and offer a very good source of vitamins B6 and C, manganese, copper, biotin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B2, and dietary fiber.

With the abundance of sweet potato in the CNMI, and with a hundred and one variations that you can do to come up with delectable recipes, the choice is yours. You can add sweet potatoes to your diet not only on special holidays but throughout the year.

(This article was first published at the Marianas Variety)

Rota opens first NMI Chamorro Village Cultural Center

Marianas Variety
March 22, 2011

ROTA — Artwork and other items depicting the island’s culture and traditions now have a permanent place where they will be showcased and preserved for posterity.

The Rota Chamorro Village Cultural Center at the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs resident office in Songsong was officially opened on Saturday morning.

Rota Mayor Melchor A. Mendiola, Sen. Juan Ayuyu, Rota-Ind., and cultural experts were among those who participated in the occasion.

Father Delfin Tumaca blessed the building prior to the ceremonial ribbon-cutting after which the public got a glimpse of items depicting Rota’s culture and traditions in the form of photographs, sketches and drawings, wood and stone carvings, wood husking, woven products, shells and beadwork, handmade jewelry, tools, decorations and ornaments as well as preparation of traditional medicines.

In their messages, Mayor Mendiola, Rota Municipal Council secretary Prudencio Manglona, Inetnon Amoy yan Kutturan Natibu/Mwiischil Safey mey Kkoor Aramasal Faluw or IAKN/MSKF president Isidoro T. Cabrera, IAKN/MSKF project director Manny F. Borja and recording artist Barrie C. Toves said they were very happy with the opening of the cultural center, the first in the CNMI.

It  was funded by a grant from the U.S. Administration for Native Americans.

The IAKN/MSKF, a non-profit organization, was chartered in 2007 to advocate and support traditional healing and cultural programs of the indigenous Chamorros and Carolinians, to help protect habitats of medicinal plants, to document cultural traditions in the vernacular languages, to publish educational materials, and to produce non-print materials including DVDs, CDs, and television programming.

In September last year, IAKN/MSKF received a grant to establish village cultural centers on Rota, Saipan and Tinian.

Hard Rock joins Japan relief drive

Marianas Variety

March 22, 2011

SAIPAN’S Hard Rock Café  has placed a donation box on its counter to help raise funds for the earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan.

Hard Rock Café Saipan operations manager Rey Perez said he will seek the support of residents until the end of the month.

“We are knocking on the doors of our fellowmen to help the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Your contributions, no matter how little, will go a long way in helping them rebuild their lives,” Perez said.

At the end of the month, Perez said Hard Rock Café will turn over the donations to the local Red Cross.

“As of now, we only accept monetary donations,” he said.

Hard Rock Café Saipan is  one of the branches around the world that have joined “ALL IS ONE — Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Movement.”

Hard Rock International has launched several initiatives in conjunction with the Red Cross to support relief efforts in  Japan.

Among the initiatives Hard Rock is conducting is the global “CRANK IT UP” Program which encourages diners and customers to round off their bills to the nearest dollar amount so the remainder will be donated to help the relief efforts in Japan.

Each Hard Rock Café outlet is also conducting a donation box drive and proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross.

Hard Rock Café will also tap various resources, including social media such as Facebook and Twitter, to deliver messages to supporters on how they can donate.

You can help by dropping your donations at the Hard Rock Café donation box in Garapan. For more information, call 233-7625.

Sweet success for Rota’s sweet potato festival

Marianas Variety
March 21, 2011

ROTA — Locals and tourists got the chance to try over 30 delicious varieties of this island’s main root crop during its first annual Sweet Potato Festival over the weekend.

The downpour did not hinder the crowd from heading to the stalls at the Metkaon Luta Ground in Sinapalo on Thursday evening where over 20 participants conducted  demonstrations on the different ways of cooking sweet potatoes. They also displayed ready-to-eat sweet potato products for sampling.

“We have the best sweet potatoes and we have industrious farmers on island. With this combination, we can market our sweet potatoes and make them  a brand of Rota,” Mayor Melchor A. Mendiola said in his message.

“Sweet potato is something that we already have, resources that is within our means to help us spur the economy so let’s tap into the abundance of this product toward progress,” he added.

Overall event chairwoman Julie Calvo of the Rota Department of Cultural Community Affairs said they hope to help  farmers in promoting sweet potatoes not only to the neighboring islands but to other parts of the world.

Calvo said some of the participants who did not register just brought their finished products for the food sampling on Thursday night.

On March 15-16, farmers attended workshops conducted by speakers from Northern Marianas College-Cooperative Research and Extension Education Services, the University of Guam and other experts. The workshops were held at As Paris Restaurant in Songsong.

Among the categories submitted for sampling and demonstration on Thursday were sweet potato salad, ice cup, cookies, alaguan, saibok kamuti or sweet potato with coconut cream, titiyas kamuti or tortillas, pancake, crunch, sweet fritters potato, tarts, sweet potato shrimp tempura, sweet potato porridge, bread, bunelos kamuti, sweet potato with coconut milk, pies, chips, cheese cake, barbeque, twists, sweet potato leaves salad, baked sweet potatoes and more variations.

The theme was “Eat healthy, Eat Kamuti, Our Tradition, Our Pride, Our Economy.”

Mendiola commended the organizers for holding a successful event.

“We hope to do this every year and encourage the residents to continue cultivating the sweet potato to help the island move toward progress,” he said.

The festival was also coordinated by the Women in Action, a group headed by the mayor’s wife, Estrella Mendiola.  The four-day event, which culminated with the start of the San Isidro fiesta celebration in Sinapalo on Friday evening, was attended by guests from Guam, Saipan, Tinian and other islands.