Missing You - Yellow

I'm not much into blogging events. They all look fun and interesting, but I have my own agenda of what I want to bake. But when I saw there was a blogging for cancer event, LiveSTRONG with a Taste of Yellow, I started pondering what I could contribute. Barbara, at Winos and Foodies started this event last year. There were 149 participants. This year I expect there to be a much larger number as so many people have been touched by cancer.

My family was hit by cancer in 2000. My in-laws had been visiting for Christmas and my father-in-law was complaining that his knee ached constantly. After returning home he went to the doctor to see what was going on. My mother-in-law called with the bombshell - kidney cancer.

Kidney cancer is one of the silent, sneaky cancers. By the time it is diagnosed, it's almost always fatal. Only 9% of those diagnosed after the cancer has already spread survive 5 years. My father-in-law was determined to be in that 9%, his cancer having already spread to his knee. He fought valiantly for just over a year, have a knee replacement, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and kidney removal.

Just 14 months after his diagnosis he left behind the respirator, the IV's, and the pain and went to be with Jesus.

We still miss him. His quirky sense of humor, his love of gadgets, and his stories he loved to tell and retell. He shared a love of technology with my husband who convinced him to buy his first Mac. Now when my husband sees a cool new product release (like the iPhone), he'll say, "My Dad would have been so excited about this." Or when we see a goofy, funny story in the news we wish we could send it to him, as it would have made him laugh a lot.

My father-in-law was born in Hawaii. Even though he moved to the mainland when he was 16, he always held Hawaii close in his heart. So, when I thought about what yellow foods meant something to my father-in-law, I thought Hawaii. He had taken his wife and boys to a real luau on the beach hosted by a native Hawaiian lady for her 90th birthday party. There was 4 days of feasting and celebrating, and there was a whole pig roasted in a sand pit.



To commemorate a life that was about celebration, fun, and making the most of the moments, I made Teriyaki Pork Kabobs. Nothing elaborate, but something easy to throw together and enjoy with friends. I think my father-in-law would have enjoyed them.

There's not a special recipe for these. I just marinated pork loin cubes in teriyaki sauce (use your favorite), then threaded them on skewers alternating between meat and fruits. I used pineapple, mango, and yellow bell peppers for a taste of Hawaii.