Save some money on your trip to the islands!

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If you’re planning a trip to the islands or know someone who is, then now’s the time to get an Entertainment Book! Just click the little banner below and you can enter the zip code for the island you’re going to and it’ll bring up the book for Hawaii. It gives savings on dining, activities, shows and all kinds of stuff. This is the perfect honeymoon gift for the island bound newlyweds! Of course it’s a good way for locals to save money too! I just bought 2 for some friends for gifts. A little added perk? If you buy them online as gifts, you can log on yourself and actually get savings for your area! You earn a $25 gift certificate for dinner right away and then search places in your area for some great savings.

Newest Hawaii geocaching…multi-islands!

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You’ve Been Lei’d at the Halawa Ridge Summit (Oahu)

Between Two Beaches (Molokai)

Legend of Kaena Joe (Oahu)

Kalani beach treasure (Molokai)

Cook Pine Grove Cathedral Cache (Kauai)

Turtle Lookout (Maui)

I was so excited to see multiple island caches especially on Molokai and Kauai so I added a few more than usual. So add them to your GPS, go out and explore and have fun! As always, if you’re new to or curious about geocaching, click here to get the lowdown!

Green Tip of the Day

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Each tree you plant can help absorb up to 2,000 pounds of CO2 during its lifetime. One acre of tree cover can compensate for automobile fuel use equivalent to driving a car between 7,200 and 8,700 miles.

Saving our environment is everyone’s responsibility. What will your legacy be?

Aloha Friday Recipe: Asian Spiced Crab Cakes with Cilantro Dip

Filed Under Local Recipes | 1 Comment

Make the Cilantro Dip first.

1 cup fresh orange juice
2 tsps cumin seeds
1 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cup canola oil
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 egg
salt to taste
cayenne for seasoning

Put the orange juice in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and reduce to 1/4 cup, 12 to 14 minutes. Allow to cool. Meanwhile, put the cumin seeds in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Toast for 4 minutes, stirring a few times. Grind with a mortar and pestle or in a spice mill. Puree the orange juice with the cilantro in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add the oil, cumin and lemon juice and mix well. Add the egg and mix well. Season with salt and cayenne to taste.

Crab Cakes

1 1/2 cups panko Japanese bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups almond flour
2 Tbs olive oil
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 Tbs minced fresh ginger (about a 2-inch piece)
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
6 to 8 green onions, white parts only, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 Tbs ground cumin
1 Tbs turmeric
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb jumbo lump crab meat, picked through for shells
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chives
2 Tbs grated lemon zest
pinch of cayenne
salt to taste
1/4 cup canola or olive oil

Mix the panko with the almond flour. Set aside.

Put the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat and sauté the bell pepper and celery until the vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the ginger, garlic, and green onions. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cardamom, cumin and turmeric and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream, raise the heat to medium-high and reduce by half, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the crabmeat and two-thirds of the breadcrumb mixture, half of the parsley, and half of the chives. Mix well and add the lemon zest, cayenne, and salt to taste. Let cool. Form into cakes with your hands, each about 3 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. (You should have 12 to 14 cakes.)

Dip the top and bottom lightly into the remaining breadcrumbs. Refrigerate on a sheet pan lined with wax paper until ready to cook. Preheat the canola or olive oil into a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crab cakes and fry 3 minutes on each side. Put 2 crab cakes each on 6 plates and drizzle with the Cilantro Dressing. Garnish with the remaining parsley and chives.

Yield: 6 Servings

Recipe courtesy of HawaiiDiner.com

Man takes Big Island Humane Society worker hostage

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I couldn’t believe when I read this West Hawaii Today news article about a man, whose irresponsible pet ownership, resulted in him taking a Humane Society worker hostage. Pit bulls whether full bred or mixed need to be monitored. Many are very sweet and they do get a bad rap but then you have owners like this guy who allowed his animal to terrorize his neighborhood by attacking and killing other animals. When the possibility of putting his dog down became real, he threatened to take Humane Society workers “deep sea fishing.” (Which he later specified he’d put them in cement shoes and chuck them in the water)

WHEN will people who are obviously irresponsible and bullies wake up and stop giving this poor breed a bad reputation? It’s because of owners like him that there are so many Pit Bulls in local shelters to begin with. Yes, any breed with “bull” in the breed are to be treated with a little more kid gloves than other breeds, just check with your local insurance company. But with training, love and responsibility Pit Bulls can be just as sweet as the pup next door.

This guy should be stripped of his rights to own an animal. If you’re not going to make your animal a good citizen, you have no right owning one.

For the keiki…

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Your little keiki (kids) looking for something to do? They can have fun learning about the underwater friends off the island’s shores with this great activity page from the Maui Ocean Center. It’ll take a second to load up since it’s a PDF but just print it out and let the fun begin!

Click here for activity page.

Green Tip of the Day

Filed Under Going Green | 1 Comment

Of the 25 billion single-serving plastic water bottles Americans use each year, 80% end up in landfills. Recycle your water bottles and, better yet, choose to re-use a refillable water bottle made of a refill-safe material.

Saving our environment is everyone’s responsibility. What will your legacy be?

Halloween Chills, Thrills and Gills at Maui Ocean Center

Filed Under Fun Stuff, Hawaii Activities | 1 Comment

If you’re going to be on Maui from the 24th to the 31st then you want to check out the Maui Ocean Center! Keiki oriented activities including exhibits and even a sleepover! Make this Halloween a special one for the whole family!

For more information on all of the activities offered, click here.

Aloha Friday Recipe: Chicken Char Sui

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(A healthier recipe)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 18 strips
Cooking spray

Preparation

Combine all ingredients except the cooking spray; marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours. Preheat broiler. Thread 1 chicken strip onto each of 18 (6-inch) skewers, reserving marinade. Place skewers on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 6 minutes. Turn skewers over; baste with reserved marinade. Broil 6 minutes or until done.

9 servings (serving size: 2 skewers)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 108(26% from fat); FAT 3.1g (sat 0.8g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 15.2g; CHOLESTEROL 63mg; CALCIUM 10mg; SODIUM 241mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 0.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.1g

Recipe courtesy MyRecipes.com

Dog the Bounty Hunter goes local

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The new season of Dog the Bounty Hunter will include more local music to showcase the wonderful musicians Hawaii has to offer. Some of you may have heard local island hip hop group Sudden Rush in the earlier episodes like when Lucky the dog got injured. The executive producer of the show, Mona Wood, was quoted as saying:

“We have talented people here who do everything from traditional to contemporary Hawaiian, to Jawaiian and jazz,” Wood said. “We’re thrilled about that.”

Dog and Beth are fresh off of a Maui book signing at Walmart and are ready to continue shooting the 5th season of Dog the Bounty Hunter which is scheduled to begin airing in April.

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