Hawaiian Cuisine

Today’s post isn’t necessarily following the Adventures of a Navy Wife.. (sort-of).  I thought I’d share some learned knowledge of Hawaiian Cuisine and cooking thus far. ~Fresh fruit and veggies are amazing here; they give California a run for it’s $$.  Of course some of the most common fruits you will see are pineapple, papaya,  and dragon fruit.   I’ve enjoyed having fresh avocados; the green onions are the longest I have ever seen and the cilantro is sold with it’s roots still attached!

I’ve previously discussed POKE.  It’s on every menu, at every BBQ, and seen on every beach.  Luckily, I LOVE LOVE sushi.. So I also love Poke.  Think of RAW fish..no rice.. In chunks.  I recently tried some Blue Marlin Poke.  Who knew you could eat raw Blue Marlin?

Blue Marlin Poke and Ocean Salad

Ahi Poke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Li Hing Powder is very popular.  Li hing mui is basically a salty dried plum powder. It was made popular in Hawaii by Yee Sheong, who in early 1900, had began importing Li hing mui and various other preserved fruits from China to Hawaii. The Li Hing Mui craze was started by Yee and flourished with the company he founded, Yick Lung.  It has a strong, distinctive flavor, and is often said to be an acquired taste, as it has a combination of sweet, sour, and salty taste. It has also been described as tart, and even tangy.   It is actually very yummy on pineapple and papaya.  Warning: it will dye your fingers, plates, etc.. so be careful not to drop it on clothing.

Li Hing on Fresh Papaya

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh fish and shell fish are abundant at the grocery store.  Actually, they sell fish and meats that I’m honestly scared to try (imagine strange parts of pigs).  I have always loved Tuna.. So thus far, I have cooked Ahi tuna, Mahi, Moonfish, tilapia, and shrimp.  Tuna and Mahi are VERY fresh and popular.  Opah or moonfish is actually a light and colorful fish.  I really enjoyed it =)

Baked Ahi Tuna

Moonfish with a honey-mustard glaze

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obviously, Kaulua pork is everywhere.  We recently had some amazing pork at my husband’s XO’s daughter’s high school graduation party.  Being from the South… and living in Memphis.. I love my BBQ.. But this gives it a good competition.  Kālua is a traditional Hawaiian cooking method that utilizes an imu, a type of underground oven.  The word kālua, which literally means “to cook in an underground oven”, may also be used to describe the food cooked in this manner, such as kālua pig or kālua turkey, which are commonly served at luau feasts. The first known use of the kalua method was in the early 1900s by two girls, Princess Danielle Kealoha and Stephanie Ikaika. Traditionally, a fire using koa wood is built in a sand or dirt pit called the imu. The pit is usually about 6 feet (1.8 m) long, 4 feet (1.2 m) wide and 3 ft (90 cm) deep. Rocks are then placed in the pit to retain cooking heat long after the flames have burned down. Once the rocks have become extremely hot, the hole is lined with traditional vegetation, such as banana leaves. The meat to be cooked is salted, rubbed with herbs, stuffed with more hot rocks, then wrapped with ti and banana leaves. To maintain even heating and to retain the meat’s natural moisture, the meat is covered with wet burlap, then with a layer of sand or soil. The meat is then left to cook in the pit for six to seven hours, absorbing smoke and steam from the koa wood and banana leaves. When the meat is fully cooked, it is removed from the imu and shredded. This is done to allow the melted fat to mix with the meat to help maintain its uniform consistency and flavor. Laulau traditionally, consists of pork in wrapped taro leaf.  In old Hawaii, laulau was assembled by taking a few luau leaves and placing a few pieces of fish and pork in the center. The ends of the luau leaf are folded and wrapped again in ti leaf. When ready, all the laulau is placed in an underground oven, called an imu. Hot rocks are placed on the dish and covered in banana leaves and buried again. A few hours later the laulau is ready to eat.  In modern times, the dish uses taro leaves, salted butterfish, and either pork, beef, or chickenand is usually steamed on the stove. Laulau is a typical plate lunch dish and is usually served with a side of rice and macaroni salad.  I have not technically had a plate lunch yet.  I did have some laulau leaves in an Omelet! The waitress described it as sautéed spinach or greens.  Works for me!  At the same graduation party, I had it wrapped around pork.

Hawaiian Omlete: kalua pork, diced tomatoes, white and green onions, lau-lau (lu’au leaves, pork, butterfish)-served with local ingrediants at Cinnamon’s in Kailua

Purple Sweet Potatoes~ the sweet potatoes we had were actually from Okinawa Japan! How neat is that!? Of course my hubby said, “these look like tree stumps.”  However, we both really enjoyed them!  The sweet potato was grown before western exploration in Polynesia. Sweet potato has been radiocarbon-dated in the Cook Islands to 1000 AD, and current thinking is that it was brought to central Polynesia around 700 AD, possibly by Polynesians who had traveled to South America and back, and spread across Polynesia to Hawaii and New Zealand from there. =)

Haupia is a traditional coconut milk-based Hawaiian dessert often found a luaus and other local gatherings. Since WWII, it has become popular as a topping for white cake, especially at weddings. Although technically considered a pudding, the consistency of haupia closely approximates gelatin dessert and is usually served in blocks like gelatin.  Since I love raw fish and pudding, I figured I would like this.. Not so much.

Left-Right: Pork, Salmon Poke, Purple Sweet Potato, Haupia, and Pork wrapped in Taro and Ti leaves

The Mai Tai is an alcoholic cocktail based on rum, Curacao liqueur, and lime juice, associated with Polynesian-style settings. It was purportedly invented at the Trader Vic’s restaurant in Oakland, CA, in 1944. Trader Vic’s rival, Don the Beachcomber, claimed to have created it in 1933 at his then-new bar named for himself (later a famous restaurant) in Hollywood.   “Maita’i” is the Tahitian word for “good”; but the drink is spelled as two words, sometimes hyphenated or capitalized.  The Trader Vic story of its invention is that the Trader (Victor J. Bergeron) created it one afternoon for some friends who were visiting from Tahiti. One of those friends, Carrie Guild, tasted it and cried out: “Maita’i roa ae!” (Literally “very good!”, figuratively “Out of this world! The Best!”) — hence the name.  The Mai Tai became such a popular cocktail in the 1950s and ’60s that many restaurants, particularly tiki-themed restaurants or bars, served them. The Mai Tai was also prominently featured in the Elvis Presley film Blue Hawaii.  Today, the Mai Tai is synonymous with Tiki culture both past and present.  As of 2008, Trader Vic’s Restaurant chain began to open small establishments called Mai Tai Bars that primarily serve cocktails and pupus (appetizers).  They are very yummy, and some airlines served them for free on the plane!

Mai Tai

Nathan with his Lava Flow

View at Duke’s

Lava Flow

1 oz. light rum

1 oz. Malibu® coconut rum

2 oz. fresh or frozen strawberries

1 small banana

2 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice

2 oz. coconut cream

My husband loves them!  Head to the World Famous Waikiki’s Duke’s and try the poke, mai tais, and lava flows!  How can you go wrong?

For those military friends and family: don’t be afraid to try new foods.  Personally, I do not believe in regrets!  You may hate it.. But at least you can say you tried it! My mother-in-law gave me a Hawaiian Cookbook that actually belonged to one of my husband’s grannies.  I have had it for a while, but did not attempt to cook much using it while we were in Newport.  For one, the ingredients aren’t easily accessible.  Two, I didn’t know what a lot of the ingredients were! Below are two recipes I have recently made from this cookbook.  I’m hoping to try at least one new one a week =)

Hope you enjoy!

Tropical Nut Bread: (my changes in parenthesis).

2 cups flour (1 cup whole wheat; 1 cup gluten-free)

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 (8 ¼ oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 cup mashed bananas (I used 3)

1/3 cup OJ

½ cup butter (land o lakes light butter 50% less fat)

1 cup sugar (½ cup sugar; ½ cup splenda)

2 eggs, beaten

1 ½ – 2 cups chopped macadamia nuts (½ cup only)

Preheat oven 350 and grease/flour one pound loaf pan.  Sift dry ingredients into small bowl and set aside.  Combine pineapple, bananas, and OJ into small bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and beat well.  Add small amount of flour mixture alternately with the fruit mixture, mixing only enough to moistened the flour.  Stir in nut and pour into pan.  Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Note: I covered with foil the last 15 minutes.

Chicken Liz

This recipe serves 10.  It makes a lot.  I tried to  half it for myself and my husband.  I believe that’s one way it looks the way it does; it has less chicken.  Serve over brown rice, couscous, or quinoa.

1/3 cup butter

4 lbs boneless chicken breasts cut into large bite-sized pieces

1 cup chopped onion

1 minced garlic clove

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp ground ginger (I used fresh)

¼ tsp chili powder

½-1 cup canned tomatoes, drained

1 cup plain yogurt (I used Non-fat greek

) ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts

½ cup flaked coconut

½ cup raisons (I left these out completely)

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 cup whipping cream

Again, I halved this recipe. Melt butter and brown chicken in dutch over.  Remove chicken and set aside.  Sauté onion and garlic in remaining butter for 5 minutes.  Add salt, ginger, chili powder, tomatoes, yogurt, and chicken.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Stir in nuts, coconut, and raisons.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Dissolve cornstarch in cream and add to chicken.  Stir constantly, heating sauce for 5 minutes.

Chicken Liz

Ocean Kayaking

Sunday, the hubby and I decided it was time to try another outdoor activity.  We’ve been wanting to try Stand-Up Paddle boarding (SUP) and Kayaking in the ocean.  So far, I’ve noticed that different beaches have different levels of surf and waves.  The beaches near our house, Lanikai and Kailua Beach, have really calm waters, almost like a lake! We decided that one of these would the best place for our first experience with these water sports.  Also, there are 3 little Island that you can paddle out to and explore.

We headed over the Kaneohe Marine Base.  In a previous post, I discussed the perks of the boat rentals.  They also rent a variety of sporting equipment, fishing gear, party rental goodies, ect.  We decided that since this is our first time, we’d start-out with a 2-seater kayak.

We arrived at the Marina and rented our equipment. It was about $26 for a 2-seater kayak, 2 paddles, and a soft-top carrier for the top of your vehicle.  We had the kayak for approximately 4 hours.  They do rent them for 24-hours.  Once thing that was nice, they help show you and load the kayak on top of the vehicle.

We headed over to Kailua Beach Park.  I’m not going to lie, it was NOT EASY taking the kayak off the vehicle, carrying it to the water, and re-loading it on the vehicle.  I thought it was pretty heavy and awkward to carry.

We first decided to paddle out to a Sandbar/Nature Preserve off the coast of the Kailua Beach.  There were other people out there with their kayaks, SUPs, and snorkeling.  We saw one sea turtle on our way out.  We pulled-up to the shore, and got out to walk-around and explore the nature preserve.

Even though Tropical Storm, Flossie, is currently headed towards the Hawaiian Islands, it was a beautiful day! The sun was intense, the waters were very calm, and the skies were clear.  We didn’t spend too much time walking around this sandbar.  We decided we would head over to the Mokes next.  Now, they were a good distance away, but we decided to go for it anyways.  However, this meant that we would be paddling against the wind.. And perpendicular to the current (aka.. NOT EASY).  It was tough; at times I felt like we were paddling and literally not moving.  My arms and back were burning, however, we kept going. We saw 2 more sea turtles.

Finally we made it! The Mokes are also a nature preserve, however, there is a small beach located on one of them. I was actually surprised at the amount of people who had paddled out there, were snorkeling, and even had brought coolers!  We walked around a bit and decided it was time to head back.  Thankfully, it was a little bit easier going back.  I’d say in all, we did about 2+hours of hard paddling! But it was worth it =) After we got back to Kailua Beach, we decided to paddle a bit more, but this time up a stream that filters into the ocean.  This was much easier! This stream went along homes, a golf course, and some beautiful scenery facing the mountains.  We saw a lot of shrimp jumping in the waters.

I’ll admit that it was a pretty good upper body workout! Today, my back and shoulders are sore! Next time, we’ve decided we are going to take our snorkel gear with us!

Kailua Beach Park: Stream filtering into the Ocean, Sandbar/Preserve: 1st Stop

Yikes! That’s where we headed next!

Whew! Still a ways to go! Destination: The Mokes

Boat Check Ride

My husband and I are slowly discovering all the perks available to military members and their family on the Island.  One of them includes outdoor equipment rentals and boats!

The Kaneohe Marine Base provides a boating certification for only $20 dollars per person to be able to drive and rent boats out of their marina.  One needs to: 1) Watch the online videos 2) Take the test (about 15-20 questions) 3) Fill out the registration form 4) Schedule bay check (ride around the bay) NOTE: The entire process takes about 30 minutes to complete.  With this license, you can rent a fishing boat,  6-person water ski boat or a 10-person pontoon boat.  The base also provides sailboat license.

My husband and I each took the test and scheduled our ride for the next day.  I didn’t really knw what to expect when we got there.  Where we going to be quizzed? Have to simulate everything in the videos?  What I wasn’t expecting was actually about an 1- 1 ½ hour boat ride around the Kaneohe Bay! The bay is actually quite large and very beautiful.  All we had to do was take turns driving; the instructor basically just reviewed everything in the videos.  He made us go around the bay, pointed out places that were off limits, no wake zones, commercial boating lanes, great places to snorkel, a large sandbar, a natural preserve, and areas of coral to stay clear of!

Coconut Island is a little Island in the middle of the Kaneohe Bay. , It is off-limits to the public; you are supposed to at least stay 50-100 ft away from the perimeter.   A little history spotlight: “In 1934–1936, Christian Holmes II, an heir to the Fleischmann yeast fortune, doubled the original 12-acre (49,000 m²) island with coral rubble, sand, and earthen landfill. He established a residence with aquaria, kennels, and aviaries for his many pets. The island was converted to a rest and relaxation station for United States Navy flyers during  WWII. A group of five LA businessmen, including Edwin W. Pauley, bought the island in 1947 to convert to an exclusive resort club and hotel. From the 1950s to the 1980s, the Pauley family used the island for summer get-aways. From the mid-80s to mid-90s Japanese real estate investor Katsuhiro Kawaguchi owned half the island, while the University owned the other half. In 1995, the Edwin Pauley Foundation granted a gift of $9.6 million to the University of Hawaii Foundation to purchase the private half of the island and build new laboratories on it.  The island is now completely owned by the state and is the facility for the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology.  It is the only lab built on a coral reef, except for Heron Island, Lizard Island and a number of labs in the South Pacific, outside of America.  Coconut Island was used for the opening sequence of Gilligan’s Island.” =)

Pontoon Boats

Coconut Island

Sandbar

My SWO

P3 Practice

Helicopter Practice

Ready for Class

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The boat ride was very relaxing.  We learned a little history about the bay and finally saw TWO sea turtles!  We’re excited to have visitors and take them out for a day of boating, snorkeling, and fishing! If you are a stationed in Oahu, regardless of Branch of Service, I highly recommend taking this class! It’s a great deal and the boats are relatively cheap to take out of 4-5 hours.

 

 

 

Evening Pill Boxes Hike

Evening Pill Box Hike

My husband and I are loving living on the Windward side of the Island of Oahu.  We love the outdoors, adventures, the beach, and hiking.  We are lucky to have so many great hikes so very close to our home! Last night, we decided to take a short evening hike to the Lanikai Pill Boxes.  This trail starts in the upscale Kailua Beach, which is about 4-5 miles from our house.

The Lanikai Pillboxes hike (a.k.a, Ka’iwa Ridge Trail) is well known for being one of the easiest hikes on the island and one of the most scenic. You can complete the hike in an hour or less if you wanted to.  Come at dawn or dusk for the best views. The trail overlooks the Lanikai neighborhood and the “Moks”.  Behind you is the Ko’olau Mountain Range with views from Waimanalo to Kuuloa Ranch.

A pillbox, or military bunker, is a structure used primarily for defensive attack in warfare though the strategically positioned structures on this ridge were most definitely constructed here, high up overlooking the ocean, as posts for observation.  Several other pillbox installations are scattered throughout Hawaii with some of the more popular examples readily accessible by short, relatively easy hikes.

Hope you enjoy our pictures!

Lanikai

The Mokulua Islands. Moku Nui on the left and Moku Iki on the right.

A Little Bit of Some HEALTHY Cooking

Most of my friends and family know that I’ve been trying to adopt a clean and healthy lifestyle over the past 7 months.  Of course I have my moments and still indulge, but the majority of the time, I try to eat clean and prepare healthy foods at home.  My husband is SOMETIMES on the band-wagon, but overall, he will eat what I prepare.  So today, I wanted to share some of the recipes I’ve used this past week.

First, I just wanted to share some interesting facts and information I recently read from an article in the August issue of Success at Home.

~More than ½ of Americans are obese today, twice as many as in 1980

~Obesity isn’t just about numbers on a scale, it’s a loaded gun of diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and a variety of obesity-related cancers.  Most of these diseases are IRREVERSIBLE once they have been triggered.

~Military officials report that 1 in 4 people are disqualified from military service because of weight-it’s the leading cause of disqualifications among recruits 17-24 years old.

~According to the USDA 2000 Fact Book, Americans consume 530 more calories per day than they did in 1970.  It would take an extra hour on the treadmill every day to burn off that increase in calories.

~A study revealed that our metabolisms do know the difference between whole and processed foods. The metabolic rate of calorie burning in the whole-foods group was 50% higher than the processed-foods group. That MEANS that even if you don’t cut out calories, but just switch the to whole foods, your body will process those calories more efficiently, leaving you with less to burn at the gym.

~Having an accountability partner made success 20 times more likely for people when trying to be fit and healthy.

On that note, let’s get to the food!

PORK CHOPS WITH AVOCADO SALSA

Ingredients:

4 pork chops approximately ¾ inch think

1 tbsp cumin

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

2 tbsp coconut oil (or veggie oil) (will not need if using the grill)

2 garlic cloves~minced

½ +c. salsa verde

2 green onion (chopped)

½-1 chopped small avocado

1) Combine salt, cumin, pepper, garlic and rub on both sides of each chop

2) If cooking on the stove, heat oil over med-high heat, add chops, and cook 8-12 minutes while turning.  OR cook chops on the grill

3) Process salsa and scallions

4) Transfer to bowl and stir in avocado

DONE!

Grilled Pork Chops with Avocado Salsa

GARLIC MARGARITA TALAPIA

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsp coconut oil

2 garlic cloves~minced

2 tsp parsley

½ tsp thyme

½ tsp lime juice

2-3 tsp Tequila (yes, tequila)

Paprika

2-4 tilapia filets

1) Melt oil and add garlic. Cook 5 minutes ~It may pop, be careful.  I use a splatter screen

2) Add tequila, thyme, lime juice. Cook 2 minutes

3) Coat Tilapia (both sides) with herb sauce

4) Sprinkle with Paprika and Parsley

5) Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees

Brushed with Herb Sauce

Finished Tilapia

 

 

SALSA CHICKEN WITH BLACK BEANS

Ingredients:

2 thick chicken breasts or 4 thinly sliced breasts

Taco seasoning (reduced sodium)

Chunky mild salsa (jar)

Cilantro

Cheddar Cheese (I use ½ Fat Free)

1) Cut fat off chicken.  Now this time, I had 3 really thick breasts.  I basically cut them in half (butterfly style). One~they will cook quicker 2~ No one needs a serving of chicken that big!

2) Rub both sides of chicken with Taco Seasoning~Be generous

3) Cover with chopped fresh cilantro

4) Cover with jar of salsa

5) Bake 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees

6) Meld Cheese

Top with favorite ingredients.  I used avocado; my husband added light sour cream and jalapenos.

Adding Cilantro

Adding Mild sauce

 

Finished Salsa Chicken

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BLACK BEANS

Ingredients:

Can of black beans (rinsed and drained)

Tbsp of coconut or olive oil

¼-½ c chopped onion

1 garlic clove~ minced

1 tbsp cilantro

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (will give it a kick) OR Cumin (will give smokey flavor)

1) Sautee onion and garlic

2) Add beans, cilantro, spice

3) Simmer 5+ minutes

Black Beans

Dinner is Served

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BANANA BLUEBERRY PALEO MUFFINS

Ingredients:

2 ½ ripe bananas

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 eggs

1/2 cup coconut flour (see note below)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

*I have been having a hard time finding coconut flour in Hawaii that isn’t outrageously expensive.  Therefore, I made these using homemade OAT flour.  This would make it Gluten-free, but no longer Paleo.  (and you need gluten-free oats.) If you do not care about GF, use regular oats.

*OAT flour is very east to make.  I just pulsed Oats in the food processor until they were fine and measured ½ cup.

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease with coconut oil.

2) Add to a medium bowl bananas (mash with beaters), vanilla extract, and eggs and using a hand mixer mix the ingredients together.

3)In a small bowl whisk together dry ingredients (coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt).

4)Add dry ingredients to the banana mixture and using hand mixer combine until well incorporated. Then add melted coconut oil and mix again until combine. Gentle stir in blueberries making sure not to break them up (mush) too much in the batter.

5) Scoop the batter evenly among paper liners.  I used a ¼ measuring cup.

6) Place muffin pan in preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

You can also use a toothpick to make sure the center is cooked.

Great once cooled but even yummier the next day. If not eaten right away I suggest keeping them in the refrigerator and heating up when ready to consume. That way they last a little longer. Note~these are a slightly mushy consistency due to the ingredients.

Blueberry Muffins

 

Hope you enjoy some tasty and healthy cooking! Feel free to post comments if you try any of these recipes!

Doing a little baking

Weekend of Snorkeling, Farmer’s Markets, and Furniture Shopping

Weekend of Snorkeling, Farmer’s Markets, and Furniture Shopping.

This past weekend was decently busy.  The hubby and I decided to try one of the multiple places on the Island to go snorkeling.  One of my dear friends gave me an edition of the book, Oahu Revealed, in which I’m slowly reading on things to do here.  We’ve heard from MANY people that this is THE book to purchase if you are making a trip to the Island.  About a week ago, my husband bought me some nice snorkel gear (mask, snorkel, fins, and water booties).  He was previously a rescue swimmer, therefore, he already has some nice gear issued by the Navy.  We decided to give Turtle Bay a try.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turtle Bay is actually a world-famous resort, however, it has a protective lagoon area which is “supposedly” known for it’s turtles. Since we didn’t see any turtles on our last snorkeling trip, we really wanted to see some! (for you golfers, it has a really nice golf course). It is the only resort destination on Oahu’s North Shore.  It’s a 45 minute drive from our house, but only about 25-30 miles away.  The speed limits are quite low in Hawaii.  Regardless, the entire drive is literally along the ocean and encompasses some beautiful scenery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The drive along the coast boasts multiple Beach Parks, mountains, farms, ranches, gardens, and many food trucks!  The North Shore is known for it’s huge waves (many world-class surfing competitions are held here) and abundance of food trucks (mostly fresh seafood).  I can’t wait to spend a day visiting the shops, beaches, and food trucks in the area.

One thing that is nice about Turtle Bay, is that the beaches are public and there is plenty of secure parking.  Anyhow, we arrived and headed towards the beach.  There is also a hut-style restaurant and public restrooms, which is always a plus.  It was a beautiful day and actually pretty hot for the area.  We pretty much immediately got our snorkel gear ready and hit the waters.  Since my gear was new, it took a few tries figuring out how to not get water into my mask and/or fog it up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be honest, the snorkeling was not that great.  The tour book warned that the waters can be cloudy (however, it said there were lots of turtles), and it was right.  The waters were pretty cloudy; there were some pretty fish, but they were hard to see (and see their vibrant colors and patterns) due to the murkiness of the waters… AND we did not see any turtles. At this point, I would probably not recommend Turtle Bay to visitors for snorkeling.  Hanauma Bay was 10x better! However, we enjoyed the beach and walking around the resort.  I’m hoping to try a different spot this weekend.

On our drive to Turtle Bay, we passed a ranch that was hosting the 51^st Annual Hawaii State Farm Fair.  We decided we would stop on our way home.  The Farm Fair exhibited livestock, interactive and hands-on displays, food trucks, carnival rides, local food samplings, and a large green house full of plants and produce to purchase. We didn’t buy anything, but walked around, enjoyed the scenery, and did some tastings =)

Eventually we will be working on our own garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday was filled with furniture shopping, a trip to the Kaneohe Mall, and another Farmer’s Market.  There are several Farmer’s Markets held on different days all over the Island.  We were on the hunt for some patio furniture! We finally have a nice outdoor entertaining spot at our new rental home; we also figure we will probably eat most of our meals outside because the weather is always so nice!  We had been casually looking for a while, and had settled on a nice set from Sear’s.  However, as we were putting in our order online, it came up as “out of stock!”  Bummer! We then thought we would head over to the Marine’s Exchange (we live closer to the Marine Base than Pearl Harbor) to see if they had anything.  Both the Marine Exchange and Navy Exchange (NEX) have a separate outdoor/garden store.  It was our lucky day; all patio furniture was 20% and tax free!

We found a patio set that is Hawaiian-made with a leaf! We bought 6 chairs, and it probably has room for 2 more! All we need is a nice umbrellas and some pretty cushions!  It was a little more expensive than our original budget, however, it was a good deal for the type and brand of this furniture.  We also thought to ourselves, “How neat would it be to always have this set (if we take good care of it) and be able to say that we got it from Hawaii?” Each piece has a little metal tag/brand labeling where the item was made.  Now since it is Acacia wood, we will have to treat it before we use it and then every 6 months.  “Hawaiian Discovery Furniture: Acacia wood that is a durable hard wood grown from fast growing trees in the Far East and Australia. There are more than 1000 varieties of acacia. Knotting is nature’s fingerprint of natural wood making each piece unique.”  We’re anxiously waiting the call that it has arrived! I know I’m excited to host a few patio parties!

Lanikai for the 4th of July/ Hail and Farewell

It’s been busy since my last post.  Our Movers finally came on Monday, and we have been working hard to put our house together.  It’s hard work! One of the key things is to get everything out of boxes ASAP, so that the movers will come back and pick up the empty boxes and packing paper (there is a ton of it!).  Some companies will not do this; you have to ask.  However, our movers we great; some of the best we have ever had! If you are PCSing to Hawaii, try to get Royal Hawaiian Movers.  One thing that movers are required to do, is to open all your boxes, and put together all the furniture.  They bring a tool set with them.  This time, we provided snacks, drinks, and McDonald’s.

Backing-up: We celebrated our first Holiday in Hawaii on the 4^th of July.  A friend invited us to join him and others at Lanikai Beach.  Lanikai Beach is located in Lanikai, a neighborhood within Kailua, on the windward coast of Oahu, Hawaii.  This small 0.5 mile beach has been constantly ranked among the best beaches in the world.   Due to its position on the east side of the island, Lanikai is recognized as being great place to watch the moonrise over the Mokuluas, especially during the full moon.  Nā Mokulua (Mokiluas) (meaning, in Hawaiian,  “the two islands”) are two islets off the windward coast of Oahu in the Hawaiian Island.  They are also commonly known as “The Mokes” (rhymes with “smokes”) or the “Twin Islands”.

Lanikai

Mokes

We arrived finally at the beach around 2 pm.  Lanikai Beach doesn’t have parking; it’s all residential, therefore, you just park in the street in front of someone’s house.  It was packed! Luckily, the people we were meeting had been there since the early AM.  We had plenty of snacks, fruit, drinks, sunscreen, and a grill! The beach was stunning and the water was warm.  It still hadn’t sunk in that we live HERE! We enjoyed our afternoon and by dinnertime, we were setting up a small portable charcoal grill! I still can’t believe that they let people grill on the beach.  We didn’t know this when we were heading to the beach, but there was to be fireworks at 8pm.  Of course we stayed.  The men played corn hole and the ladies read magazines.  Around 8 PM, more people came down the beach.  The Fireworks were shot-off from a near-by sandbar.  It was a pretty amazing feeling to be literally standing at the edge of the water, in Hawaii, watching fireworks.

the Mokes

Grilling, Sunset, Corn hole

Fireworks over the Palm Trees

Waiting on Fireworks

Hail and Farewell

Yesterday was my first experience at a Hail and Farewell.  This is a traditional military event whereby those coming to and departing from an organization are celebrated.  This may coincide with a change in command, be scheduled on an annual basis, or be prompted by any momentous organizational change.  It is a time to honor those who have departed the unit and thank them for their service.  At the same time it is a welcome to those who are joining and introduces them to the special history and traditions of their new organization.  This celebration builds organizational camaraderie and support.  It supports a sense of continuity through change.  Typically, it’s for the Active Duty members, but this one was for the Officers’ Spouses.  It was organized by the CO’s wife (Commanding Officer- highest ranking Officer on the ship).  I would finally get to meet her and fellow spouses – potential new friends!  This Hail and Farwell was to Welcome myself and another spouse and say good-bye to 2 other spouses.

I chose to wear a pink-striped dress that I actually bought in Italy YEARS ago.  (Living in Monterey, CA and Rhode Island, I haven’t had the chance to wear many of my spring and summer clothes for several years!). The luncheon was held at a restaurant, Sam Choy’s, located on Hickam Airforce Base.  It’s a cute place with open windows and lots of outdoor seating.  You really can’t beat the view; right on the ocean.  Also, you have a view of the runway on Hickam, so you can watch the big aircraft land and take-off! I arrived at the restaurant and was greeted by the CO’s wife with a hug a lei (actually made of real flowers!).  Everyone was really nice; we had appetizers, a cocktail, and a light lunch.  I’m actually the youngest, newly married, only spouse working, and only childless spouse of the group, therefore, I’m not sure if I’ll be seeing these ladies much outside of Navy functions.  However, I’m glad I finally met everyone, and hopefully, there will be more opportunities to see the them in the near future.

At Sam Choy’s

My view at lunch

Hail and Farewell Dress

View from a hike down our street! Kaneohe Bay

What to Do… What to Do…

What do you do when you do not have any of your household goods and the Navy gives you loaner kitchen utensils consisting of: 2 plates, 2 bowls, 2 mugs, 2 cups, one small coffee maker, toaster, 1 small pot, 1 large pot (that’s broken), a baking sheet, and a cutting board?  Not to mention, since you do not have any of your baking ingredients, spices, etc.. you know you really don’t want to go and buy more…

I begin with my favorite online scrapbook..PINTEREST of course! I started looking at recipes that involved few ingredients, that could be baked, and that could be made re-using the same utensils I had.

This is what I came up with:

Night one: Tacos~ I could brown the meat in the big pot and make fat free refried beans in the little pot.  All other ingredients just needed to be chopped.

Night two:  I bought pre-marinated Ahi Tuna (all it needed was baking using the big pot) and baked fresh asparagus using the baking sheet.

Night Three: Chicken and Broccoli Braid (see below).  This would produce enough food for left-overs for tomorrow night.

Night Four: Left-overs

Night Five: Baked Pork Loin and Green Beans

Broccoli & Chicken Braided Bread
Serves 3-4

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked
1 cup broccoli florets
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
16 ounces crescent rolls (2 tubes: reduced FAT)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg
Salt & pepper (did not have any; did not use)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dice cooked chicken and combine

in a large bowl with broccoli, onion, garlic, cheddar cheese, bell pepper, 1/4 cup olive oil, and salt & pepper. Mix ingredients evenly throughout.
Open crescent rolls and arrange in a large rectangle on a lined baking sheet. Mold the dough so that no perforations remain. With a knife, slice once inch strands into each side of the dough, leaving an unsliced portion in the middle. Arrange chicken filling in center strip of dough. Bring alternating strands of dough to the center around filling, pressing lightly to seal. Whisk egg with 2 tablespoons water and brush over top of completed loaf. Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until golden brown.

Mine was done in less than 25 minutes. But… I baked the chicken earlier in the day (using the big pot) so it may cool and I could re-use the big pot as my mixing bowl =). I also used frozen broccoli; I brought it to a boil (softened it), drained it, and diced it.  Next time, I will saute the onions, peppers, and garlic a bit to also soften these ingredients

You could easily play with this recipe for ingredients your family will enjoy!

Finished Product

Prep (my One Pot does all)

Baked Ahi Tuna and Asparagus

Waikiki Experience

My husband and I stayed in Waikiki under our TLA (temporary living allowance) for 7 nights.  Waikiki isn’t as big as I’d imagined.  However, it does have a beautiful skyline.  The traffic is ridiculous, and people are constantly flooding the streets.  People just walk around at all times in bathing suits, with surf boards, etc.  We were about a 10 minute walk to the beach.

Night Skyline

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The beach:  I honestly was disappointed in the beach at Waikiki.  As a southerner, I’m used to the wide beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, and South Carolina.  This beach was TINY in width in comparison to others.  I’ve heard that many of the beaches in Oahu are experience erosions, “A section of Hawaii’s famed Waikiki Beach is starting to erode, less than a year after the completion of a $2.2 million project to replenish the sand on about 1,730 feet of shoreline that had been suffering from chronic erosion.”  Therefore, the beach is narrow and shortly after you enter the water, there is a quick drop and water height increase.  This means, there isn’t much room in the water for “wading” without getting crashed by a wave.  This also means, it’s a great place for water sports! Many surfers, stand-up paddle boarders, boats, and swimmers litter the water.  The beach itself also very crowded, and with all the souvenir shops, and people selling things on the street, it kinda reminded me of being at Myrtle Beach (aka.. Not my kind of Paradise).

First Mai Tai in Hawaii!

View at Duke’s

View from Duke’s

However, the views from the beach are beautiful.  The hotels directly on the beach have great pools and awesome beach-side restaurants.  We ate at the famous, DUKE’s, three times during our stay! The prices are reasonable, the view of Diamond Head and Waikiki are amazing, and the drinks are delish.  Note, it is crowded everywhere you go; you will have to wait!  As I mentioned before, I’m loving the seafood in Hawaii! I’ve tried at least 3-4 different types of local fish already.  Poke is on every menu.  Poke is a raw salad served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine.  Pokē is the Hawiian verb for “section” or “to slice or cut”.  Modern poke typically consists of cubed ʻahi (yellowfin tuna) sashimi marinated with sea salt, a small amount of soy sauce, inamona (roasted crushed candlenut), sesame oil, seaweed, and chopped chili pepper.  You’re TLA includes an allotted amount for food each day depending on the size of your family.  My husband and I typically had the free breakfast at the hotel, a lighter or late lunch, and either a nice dinner or just appetizers if we had a late lunch.  It was great being able to try different restaurants all over the Island.  However, after our stay, we’ve decided we’re done eating out for a while!

Ahi Poke

PHO~Vietnamese Food

Activities in Waikiki: visit the local farmer’s market (I can’t wait to actually be able to shop at these once we have cooking utensils!), visit and bargain at the international flea market, go in all the expensive shops (it’s comparable to Rodeo Drive), walk along the beach, people watch, go for a run along the channel/beach/city, visit Diamond Head (more on this later), take local hikes, and spend time at the beach!

Food for sale at the Market

Yum~Farmer’s Market

Now that’s an AVOCADO!

The Ala Moana Center is one of the biggest outdoor malls in the country.  Now it’s not like the outdoor malls in the South where you can drive around…imagine a huge mall, with the inside walking area completely exposed to the outside. Only the shops and restaurants have roofs!  “The Ala Moana Center is a premier international and local shopping destination with over 290 shops and restaurants. From beachwear to high fashion, casual dining to fine dining, you’ll find everything at Ala Moana Center, all in a beautiful open-air setting filled with lush tropical landscaping and koi ponds.”

Hula!

Diamond Head is the name of a volcanic tuff cone; you can go to the park and hike.  We tried to go, but it’s was extremely crowded with absolutely no where to park.  We went around 10 am; I guess you need to be there when the park opens! Next time!  So instead, we got on our phones and found another hike in the area.  We ended up at the Makiki Valley Loop Trail.  There is not a lot of scenery, but you do hike through a bamboo forest, plants, and foliage. While you can start to feel like you are in the jungle, it is still pretty close to town because I could still hear motorcycles and cars driving by.  Words of caution: while the plants provide a lot of shade and coverage from sun and/or rain, it also keeps the place nice and muddy. Some parts were very sticky with puddles of muddy water that you can possibly step in and end up causing you to slip and fall later on. We hiked around the area for about 2 hours.

Caution!

Bamboo Forest

Wild Chickens and Roosters are Everywhere here

Overall, staying in Waikiki was a neat experience.  We saw some hula dancers, fire-jugglers, and many street vendors.  However, we’re glad to be living AWAY from the city in Kaneohe =)

Last Dinner

First Anniversary Weekend

Since arriving in Hawaii, our days have been consumed with meetings, house-hunting appointments, interviews, driving, ect.  The only time we have had to “relax” has been in the car or at dinner.

Our FIRST anniversary was this weekend.  We’re very blessed to have been able to spend it together in the grand scheme of our Navy Lives.  I was determined that we would do something for ourselves, something fun, something active.  Unlike the typical newlyweds, we did not go on a “honeymoon.”  We were not able to keep our cake =( We actually were only able to have a piece of our cake the night of our wedding.. and two nights after our wedding.  (My parents took the leftover groom’s cake to a picnic! At least it got eaten!) .  I was not able to keep/dry my flowers.  Anyhow, I’m not complaining. Things happen for a reason, and I truly would not change a thing.

Our anniversary was Sunday, June 30^th.  On Friday morning, we got the word we had a contract with the house we wanted to rent! Wahoo! After days of searching, we are so happy! This house is better than our house Monterey and Newport. I also had a semi-interview with a job opportunity on Pearl Harbor Base with the DOD.  We’re all praying hard this door is opened.  Friday evening, we went and had dinner at the Club House for the Pearl golf course.  It’s actually a very nice clubhouse.. and you can’t beat Mai Tai’s for $3.25!

Saturday was the first day we had to ourselves! No appointments! We had breakfast at the hotel and decided to go snorkeling.  Now I’ve been snorkeling in Key West and the Bahamas… this doesn’t even compare! We went the Hamauna Bay Park.  This park is a preserve, so it is very nice, clean, and well planned.  They sell snacks, rent snorkel gear, show videos regarding the history of the bay, etc.  For military, it’s free to enter the park.  If you have your own snorkel gear…you don’t pay a dime! Can’t beat that!!!! My husband is a former rescue swimmer for the Navy, therefore, he has his own snorkel gear…but, currently, it’s in a storage unit somewhere.  We’re planning on getting me some of my own.  Anyhow, we had to pay the $12 bucks each for a snorkels set, but it was well worth it!  The beach was wonderful; the water was clear, and the fish were amazing! Because it is so well protected, the fish are everywhere!!!! Now unfortunately we did not see any sea turtles, but we heard many people around us discussing the turtles they had seen. Next time! After we have our snorkel gear, we can come here for free! It’s about a 30-minute drive from our new house!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After snorkeling (which is a very good workout BTW) we ate at the local Kona Brewery.  The beers are brewed on the Main Island.  We sat outside and overlooked the mountains and the marina.  It was beautiful. We shared Fish Tacos (for the 3^rd time in a week!).  I’m loving loving loving the fresh fish here!  Saturday evening, we took a LONG walk to the mall, bought a few treats, and had dinner at a restaurant located on TOP of the mall.  This is one of the biggest outdoor malls in the county!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday: our actual anniversary.  Unfortunately, the hubby did not take my advice regarding sunscreen when we went snorkeling, and he was pretty crispy.  He said NO to any sun activities.  Boo! We went for a 3 mile run (it’s been very hard to consistently workout living in a hotel), and then went to Kaneohe to meet our relator at our home! He gave us all the keys, and we couldn’t be more excited. I’m already visioning PuPu (appetizer) and drink parties! We decided that since my hubby didn’t want sun, today would be a good day to drive around the Island.  We headed toward the Dole Plantation.  (see below).  We took a train ride around the plantation, ate homemade ice cream with pineapple chunks, walked through the gardens, and watched a demonstration of how to “properly” cut a pineapple.  Following, we continued our drive to the North Shore (famous for the surfing waves) and back down to Kaneohe.  I really enjoyed seeing the North Shore.  The entire Island of Oahu takes less than 2 hours to drive around.  The North Shore is by far a surfing area… the beaches were lined with surfers, kayakers, stand-up paddling, and families.. food trucks were galore.  I can’t wait to go spend a Saturday (or many) in the area.  For dinner, we ate at a little Italian place in Kailua Beach Town (basically where we lived).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, I’d say that our Anniversary weekend was a success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The Story of the Pineapple King
James Drummond Dole arrived in Hawai‘i in 1899. The following year, he bought a 61-acre tract of land in Wahiawa, where he established the first plantation of what would in later years become an agricultural empire that reached around the world. Dole wasn’t the first person to grow pineapple in Hawai`i, but he was the first to realize its tremendous potential—and he eventually became known across America as the Pineapple King.

Dole knew that there could be an enormous market for pineapple outside of Hawai‘i, and the technology to distribute it had finally arrived. The then-high-tech process of canning food to preserve it had been around for decades, but had only been perfected in recent years. Packing and sealing pineapple in a hard-traveling can was the perfect way to keep it fresh over long distances—and thus Dole’s first pineapple cannery was born in Wahiawa in 1901. Several years later, the cannery was moved to Honolulu Harbor to be closer to the labor pool, shipping ports, and supplies. The Honolulu site, at one time the world’s largest cannery, remained in operation until 1991, its landmark pineapple-shaped water tower visible from every part of the city.

In many ways, building the cannery was the easy part. Although the pineapple was considered a desirable exotic fruit and had appeared for centuries in the arts and crafts of New England and Europe, very few Westerners actually knew what to do with one. Dole joined forces with Hawaii’s other pineapple distributors and set out to create a national market for the tropical fruit by showing the world how sweet a pineapple could be. Nationally distributed advertising campaigns featured recipes for pineapple pie and pineapple salad and taught readers how to choose and use different grades of fruit. In 1925, the classic American recipe for pineapple upside-down cake was popularized during a pineapple recipe contest sponsored by Dole. The contest drew 60,000 entries. Canned pineapple had secured a place in the American pantry.

As the demand for pineapple grew, so did the need for more land. In 1922, Dole bought the Hawaiian Island of Lana`i and transformed it into the largest pineapple plantation in the world, with 20,000 farmed acres and a planned plantation village to house more than a thousand workers and their families. For nearly 70 years, Lana`i supplied more than 75% of the world’s pineapple, becoming widely known as the “Pineapple Island.”

By the 1930s, Hawai`i was famous as the pineapple capital of the world. The Hawaiian Pineapple Company James Dole had founded was now processing over 200,000 tons of pineapple a year, helping to make pineapple Hawaii’s second largest industry. By the 1940s, eight pineapple companies operated in Hawai`i. By far the largest was James Dole’s Hawaiian Pineapple Company (often shortened to HAPCO), with vast plantations on Oahu and Lana`i and a cannery in Honolulu, employing about 3,000 permanent and 4,000 seasonal employees.

James Drummond Dole passed away in 1958 at the age of 80. The Hawaiian Pineapple Company he founded is now known the world over as Dole Food Company, one of the most recognized brands in the world today.”