How do they do that?

Amidst all of the hype surrounding the Royal Wedding, not a single media segment about how those darn hats STAY ON!? Fashion reporters and style watchers, you have let me down. They defy physics and I can't take my eyes off them. This blooming blue crescent moon was stunning; definitely one of my favorites. What sort of surprised me is that hats are required yet there appears to be no requirement for them to match what the woman is wearing! A good portion of the women in attendance were impeccably coordinated, of course, but then a select few hats were laugh-out-loud color and texture clashes. It made for fun television viewing. The actual ceremony? Not so much. All hail...TiVo.

Where's the fruit?

We went to dinner last night at one of the many restaurants around town that offer a "Kids Eat Free" night. They also have a play area for kids right next to the lanai tables which seals the deal for us. They might soon be on our "black" list, although the management and wait staff are so nice it makes it a tough call. Food was so-so last night; they made the kids' chicken fingers with poultry seasoning and they didn't quite taste right. Even the fries were a little off. They also messed up my order. What really might be the final blow? They provide the typical kids menu which doubles as a coloring page. One section features pictures of a couple of fruits with the words, "FRUIT is good for you. What's you're favorite?" Nice, yes? But look over at the side choices for the small plates and there is no fruit offered! Three veggies sides are listed, but for my two picky eaters good luck with the tomato and cucumber salad, green salad, or collard greens options. We are not in an area where fruits are hard to obtain, so this kind of baffles me. If we go again, I just might point this out. As nicely as I can, of course. ;)

Happy Easter

Guess who colored this bunny puppet?

Along the coast

While participating in the monk seal count last weekend, I was walking on a trail just above a beach and came across this spider. I don't know what type it is, I'll have to do some research. I paused and took a long look at it because I loved the natural, bold yellow body. (Stare too long and it becomes a bit of a Rorschach test!) It was not too big nor scary, but I did stop in my tracks when I saw it and stepped around the web it was building.

At the market

I picked up a bag of these small citrus fruits last week but I can’t remember what they’re called. (One average-sized fruit is the same as a large gumball, about an inch to an inch and a half in diameter.) I had seen them before but passed them by many times. I thought they might be similar to limes – a Hawaiian key lime, perhaps? But no, to my surprise they’re a lot more like a small Clementine orange. After sitting on the counter a few days, they're less green on the outside, too. When I thought they were more like limes, I wanted to make a localized version of the classic lemon bar. After realizing they’re not as tart as I thought they would be, I’m rethinking my plan. For now, I’ve juiced them and the juice remains in the freezer until inspiration strikes.
This Sunday the Mililani market is closed due to Easter. That means I have to make the trek into town and beyond for the KCC Saturday market. Bummer! ;) I’ve wanted to try out this market for years now, just never had the time or a good excuse to make the long drive on a Saturday morning. I think I have the time and the good excuse now.

Spring monk seal count

Today I took part in the Spring state-wide monk seal count. My "zone" included mostly beaches adjacent to some industrial areas here on the Leeward side. I don't think I covered all that much but it sure took me forever! I found one seal (with the help of volunteers who had already been to the area on an earlier scout). He's the same one that I saw a week and a half ago at Nimitz Beach. Cute little young male from Kauai who first was spotted our way a few months ago.

The early bird gets the...

Cheap, fresh local basil. Yep, at our local Sunday Farmer's market, one must get up and out of the house early and beat the crowds to get it. A healthy bunch at a few stands costs from $.75 cents to a dollar. At a higher-priced stand, the same amount will set you back $2.25. Seems like quite the mark-up, especially since I buy basil nearly every week to make pesto. That's $50.00 a year, more or less (a conservative estimate)! Still, when I miss out on the cheaper stands, $2.25 is better than the grocery store price of $2.25 or more for a fourth of what you get from the local farmers. Pictured here are Molokai sweet potatoes. They are deep purple on the inside and outside, and very sweet. These are left over from last weekend's haul. I will roast them soon for sweet potato fries or a simple mash. The white "spots" are natural juices dripping out. The spots appeared just after I had sliced one open before snapping the picture so you could get a peek inside.

Foul ball!

We made it out to Manoa last night for another UH men's baseball game. While the boys and I were at the concession stand getting more water, Noel got a foul ball. I can't believe we missed it, but truthfully, I probably would have freaked out if I saw a ball heading in the direction of exactly where the boys had been playing before we left. Missed the excitement yet better in the end for my nerves.

Sittin' with the monk seals

Did some volunteer time with the Hawaiian monk seals earlier this week. Thankfully it was on a sunny day with no rain. Today the rain has come on in a big way. Even the dogs are not going outside. Towels remain standing by, placed by each door. My ability to identify a seal on the beach remains comical, even on good days with binoculars in hand, a long lens on the camera, and the seals' markers in clear sight. I had none of the above this Wednesday. I realized when I hit the beach that I'd forgotten my binoculars (crucial for narrowing in on their flipper tags containing an ID code). I should have just turned around and went back for them, but I didn't and paid the price. Missed cues about who was what and who was where... I couldn't even make out male from female. I'm thinking I'm going to need my own web redemption soon. But I had a great day nonetheless, spoke with a lot of interesting and nice folks, and enjoyed the coast. My favorite question from a visitor concerned with one seal in a deep sleep: "Do they need to have water poured on them?" No, but I knew if something like that was needed, these kind people who were in enamored with the seals at first look were ready to pitch in.

Baseball in the park

It's official: Robbie's first year of organized baseball is in the books. We ended the season with two games, an "awards" ceremony (passing out trophies and a pizza party after the last game), and a family bowling party Sunday afternoon. A lot of fun. No surprise here - Robbie likes bowling better than baseball. Cub was up for a few frames then became a little bored rather quickly. The last game was held in Waianae. It's a longer drive for us, but I like the park a lot. I like the feeling that you're surrounded by mountains, and here the backdrop is the Waianae Kai Forest Reserve. Skies were grey that morning, but not cold or windy.

UH Baseball

We had a weekend full of baseball. First up was the University of Hawaii team playing Cal State Fullerton at the Les Murakami Stadium in Manoa on Friday night. I hadn't seen a live baseball game (not including t-ball) in years. I haven't forgotten how much I love watching baseball, but I'll admit I forgot how much I love sitting in a baseball stadium watching a game in person. Tickets are cheap - concessions are not - and the atmosphere is great at the stadium. It was a really nice night. We ended up in the upper deck, covered from the light rain that came through mid-game. I don't even know if that would have put a damper on my mood. I hope to go back a few more times before the season ends.

The end of a potentially short era

Baseball (err, t-ball) season is winding down here. Robbie’s team played in a tournament over the weekend. Four games in all! It was a sunny, windy, dusty couple of days but I had fun.
It would all be more exciting if Robbie actually enjoyed it. He doesn’t. It’s hard to get him to go to baseball practice and hard to get him to go to baseball games. On the mornings when he wakes up and asks if he has “to go to baseball” and the answer is no, then he is happy. We have loved watching him play (despite a few rocky moments at the very beginning with Cub at practice that I wasn’t enjoying) and wish he would like to play more. He has already asked us that we don’t sign him up for baseball again next year. He would like to be the one who sits on the sidelines and watches his brother play. Two more games this weekend, another team potluck, and trophies for the boys during the end-of-season gathering. We are secretly not giving up that sometime in the future he might want to play again, and surely hope that at least he will be a big baseball fan like his parents and the rest of his family!

More birthday fun!

Family is in town this week! The original event that started it all was my rock star, software-selling sister got another Gold Club trip to Hawaii for her sales year. They head to Maui tomorrow for a long weekend at the Ritz Carlton, but before heading to the Valley Isle, they came to visit us! They are staying at a KoOlina property I immediately wanted to move into. Seriously. Time to reset (again) all those retirement goals.
We are heading back today for more beach and pool fun. Last night they threw a second birthday celebration for Robbie, complete with a dinosaur cake. We had a few harrowing moments (but we're laughing now) as we attempted to light the birthday candles with no matches. My brother-in-law did it using paper towels and the toaster! And didn't set off any fire alarms nor should my Mom lose any of her security deposit. I feel the need for some sort of legal disclaimer here...really, do NOT try it at home.
Sorry no picture of the lighting, just the sugary carnage that remained. Robbie provided one of the many cute moments of the evening. A little confused by the birthday celebrations spaced nearly two weeks apart, he innocently asked, "So am I seven now?"

Hawai'i-grown chocolates

Last weekend on Robbie's birthday I treated myself to a few locally grown and produced chocolate bars available in the Dole Plantation gift shop. I've seen various products around and have read a lot about one producer in particular lately, and figured it was as good a day as any to indulge. And indulge not just in the caloric sense - they are super pricey! A small box of 5 miniature bars? $6.00. The other bars pictured? $6.50 each. Were they worth it? Yes, if what matters most is supporting locally grown goods. Not really in most other areas. I'm not one really blown away by dark chocolates without a lot of added sugar and milk solids. (Darn sugar addiction!) In a blind taste test, I'd spot and go for the "milk" chocolate any day. But for fun (and after I get a job!) I'd buy them again for special occasions.

Makakilo Waffle House

After the tsunami warning Thursday night, we are all OK. My in-laws came over early(!) Friday as they were in Waikiki, but ultimately no damage there. I was very tired Friday, but I'm getting back to normal today. Funny, I just can't stay up until 3AM like I used to! ;) And to be truthful, I didn't. I fell asleep on the couch in front of the TV and woke up a couple of times to dark, live camera pans of waves. Yup, I missed all of the "action." One strange bit of good fortune - public schools had a planned furlough day, as did some of the other state agencies. That made it a little easier knowing in advance there would be no school and Noel would also have a light day.
One of the hotels during our quick California trip last month had a breakfast buffet. No pancakes, but lots of waffles, so the boys had those instead. I've had a waffle iron for years but haven't used it more than once or twice. For some strange reason a waffle iron was on my must-get list despite rarely ever using it before (along with a toaster oven, a Kitchen Aid mixer, and other gadgets) when Noel and I got married. So I picked one up back then but it sat unused for a long time until this week as Robbie has wanted to eat waffles. And lots of them! Luckily my go-to pancake recipe works well and the ingredients are always around.
I picked up some organic Fuji apples from Costco earlier in the week. I was bummed to try them at home later and discover they were already getting a little mushy. Don't you hate that? I love apples very crisp. So I made a batch of cinnamon applesauce. I also had an idea to make apple waffles and the experiment was a success! I whisked a half cup of the applesauce in the pancake/waffle batter and gave it a try in the hot waffle iron. In my humble opinion, they came out pretty yummy. Moist, a little sweeter, and less dense than the regular variety. Another recipe for the "keeper" pile.

Birthday boy!

Our oldest turns 6 today! He requested his favorite, red velvet cupcakes, and I couldn't pass up the chance to bake them for him. A few months back I tried a recipe off the Food Network site. OK, but not great. With another search I found a food blogger's version and it looked better. It was! We found a keeper. I'll it make again in the future, maybe next time try the multi-layered cake. Noel even liked the cream cheese frosting, but I made the much sweeter option the blogger hints at. I tried to stick to the original ratio of cream cheese, butter, and sugar, but it was much too strong on the cream cheese side for me. So I doubled or tripled the powdered sugar until you just got a hint of the cream cheese. It's closer to the version that Robbie likes at Genki Sushi anyway. Yes, that's right. The local sushi chain has cupcakes for dessert and that's where he learned to love them. That and a chance stopover at a cousin's house where they had a Costco red velvet cake, but that's a longer story.
It's raining here today, at least parts of the island. Robbie's baseball game was already called, so we will head to Dole to see about one last train ride before the annual pass we bought last year on Robbie's birthday expires.

Switch light at the Railroad Museum

We made a special pilgrimage to the "train museum" before heading on to Tahoe. The plan was to fly into the Bay Area and drive directly to Sacramento from the airport. We figured it would be easier to wake up with the Bay Area traffic behind us and a few steps away from the museum in Old Town Sacramento.
First phase of our plan went well! The boys liked waking up with a view of the bridge and the railroad tracks from our fourth story hotel room. We liked not being stuck on 80 East any longer than necessary. And the museum! Didn't disappoint. We could easily spend the weekend there, but had to squeeze all we could in a half-day. This picture is a classic railway "switch light." My Dad purchased one a long time ago and refurbished it; his was very similar and had the same blue/green and red lenses. He had it in the house for many years. It always makes me think of him when I see one.

Where did the month go?

Tomorrow morning we head to Robbie's elementary school for their monthly assembly. Our kindergartner was selected as a "Jet of the Month." He will be honored with others in front of all the classes. The announcement came home last week in the form of a form letter and it read, "For the month of Honesty." Yes, we had a good laugh about that. Good thing it wasn't the "month of Attendance" because we've blown that one. We took a quick but awesome family trip to Tahoe and SNOW! Lots of it. We knowingly pulled the boys out for a few days, and then all of us got sick and they missed more after our return home. We are still making up the homework.
The holiday started out waking up in a hotel along the Sacramento River, a short walk from the California State Railroad Museum, our first destination. Here's our view of the Twin Tower Bridge, processed through the Old Photo PRO (free!) phone app.

My nephew's quilt

We were in the Bay Area briefly this past week, sandwiching a family Tahoe snow trip. So much fun! More pictures and stories to follow, until then, a little filler with the story of the quilt I made for my nephew. I've been meaning to post a picture for many years now...
My sister hosted us at her house late Monday night; my Mom made a yummy pot of soup, my Aunt came along and brought home-baked goodies, and Robbie played with his cousins and all of their toys. (After a brief run to see Great Grandma at her home, Cub was in quarantine back at the hotel with Noel. He was developing a cold and had an eye infection, so we kept him away. Poor Cub! He missed out on a really fun time.) I snapped this picture of the quilt in Johnny's room before the end of the night. If I remember right, when my sister was pregnant I asked her what nursery theme or colors she chose. She forwarded me a link with the design, so I tried to make a custom wall quilt to more or less complement the room. "JP" in the center represents my nephew's initials - "J" is his Dad's middle name, "P" is Dad's great friend and his godfather's name. "L" is his Dad's sister, "M" is our family name, "B" is for his Dad, "A" and "C" are for my Grandma and Aunt, and "F" is his paternal Grandma. "S" is for my sister and "H" is for me! The numbers were chosen at random, and "D" got in because I wanted to add a dog. All applique was by hand, created and designed by me using various online clip art pages and fonts. The piecing and minimal quilting was by machine and binding was by hand. Finished size is approximately 34 x 48 inches.
Robbie was very young and Cub had yet to come along, but it took me nearly a year to complete. My gracious sister never complained, even when the "final" product was delivered without a hanging mechanism. They improvised and seemed to do just fine!
Working on the quilt ornaments this past holiday made me wish I had more time for quilting, and seeing this makes me want to make something for my niece, but I have to be OK with this hobby being on the back burner for a bit longer. Hang in there Sarah, I haven't forgotten you! ;)

Happy Valentine's Day!