The big 4-0 for FFoF tomrrow

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Here’s this week’s Four Foods on Friday questions week 40. If you’d like to participate, there’s still time! Just head on over to Val’s place!

#1. Candy. Do you prefer sweet or sour candy?
Definitely sweet.

#2. Gum. Love it? Hate it? What kind is your favorite?
I like gum. If it is for breath freshening or to stop me from munching on something it’s usually sugar free peppermint chewing gum. If I want to rocket back to childhood, plain Bubble Yum or Bubbilicious. Remember the gum in a tube?? It looked like toothpaste and tasted SO good you wanted to swallow it as soon as you squirted it out!? Mmmm. Or Big League Chew? Grab a wad of that stuff and have a gum glob big enough to choke you. Or those tiny size chiclets! I need to make a trip to the party store.

#3. What is your favorite candy?
You seriously want me to choose? I’m just going to list it all. Take a seat. Candy bars/Chocolate: Milky Way, Snickers, 100 Grand, Whatchamacallit, Reese Cups, Fast Break, Special Dark, Nestle Crunch, Mauna Loa Chocolate Mac Nut Bar, Turtles, Maui Caramacs, Lindt Dark Chocolate Truffles, Milk Duds, Junior Mints. If we’re talking sugary treats then Nerds, Nerds Rope, Chewy Sweet Tarts, Pixie Sticks, Red Vine Licorice, Twizzlers, Charm Pops with the gum in the middle, Cow Tails, Bullseyes, Candy Cigarettes. Hmmm…2 observations. 1) It’s obvious I haven’t eaten breakfast yet. 2) It would’ve been shorter to list what I didn’t like.

#4. Share a recipe for anything that you can include a piece of candy in.
Make a batch of brownies in muffin tins (preferably Double Chocolate Ghiradelli’s because they’re the best) and 3/4 through the baking time, pop a mini Reese Cup or Milk Maid Caramel on top and slightly push it in to melt the rest of the way. YUMMY!!!!

Newest Hawaii Geocaches (7/30)

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Here’s the latest batch of new Hawaii geocaches. It’s a multi-island edition which I love! Have fun getting out and exploring nature!

Black Sand Beach (Maui)

Rolling Bay (Big Island)

Sip of Joe n’ a View (Oahu)

Duke’s Path Cache (Kauai)

The Broken Staircase Mystery (Oahu)

If you have yet to discover the joys of Geocaching, click here to get all of your questions answered.

Take a hike!

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Na ala hele logo

If you’re looking for an island adventure that’s free, family friendly and gets you into the great outdoors, here’s a resource you’ll want to know about. The Na Ala Hele Trail System website gives you information about various well known trails you can hike on every island. Not only will it give you directions to the trailheads but it tells you the length of the trail, the approximate time it will take you to walk the trail under normal conditions, the type of terrain you will encounter, whether its a pedestrian, bicycle or some other trail type, its elevation and difficulty. It also gives you tips on the type of clothing you’d need to wear, if camping is permitted and if facilities are available. As with any activity you do, DO NOT leave valuables in your car when you begin your hike.

This website can prove to be a valuable resource whether you’re a visitor or a local. Click here to go to their trail safety tips all people should know.

Hawaiian word of the week

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Imu-(ee-moo)- Underground oven in which a pig or other food is cooked for a luau

The alphabet contains 12 letters: 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and 7 consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, w). To simplify pronunciation, sound consonants as in English and break up words so they are easy to say (ie- Humuhumunukunukuapua’a would be pronounced humu-humu-nuku-nuku-apu-a-a)

Pronounce vowels as follows:

a - a in above; e - e in set; i - ee in see; o - o in some; u - oo in moon.

Pronounce vowels marked by a glottal stop (`) quickly ie- o`o sounds like oh-oh! in English.

Stress rising dipthongs (ae, ai, ao, au, oi, ou, eu, ei) on the first letter and end with a short e, i, o or u. ie- oi sounds like oy in soy, ending with a short “i”.

Aloha Friday Recipe: Spam Apple Quiche

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Ingredients:

Pie Crust:
1 9″ deep-dish ready to bake pie crust

Quiche Filling:
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. Monterey Jack cheese
1 12 oz. can Hormel Smoked SPAM
2 large Granny Smith apples, skinned and sliced thin
1 Tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Egg Mixture:
4 large eggs
1 c. half and half
1 Tbs. dry mustard powder
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. garlic salt

Method:

Quiche Filling:
Slice SPAM into 1/4″ thick pieces and fry it until it is golden brown. This will help to reduce the fat and provide a more desirable texture. Cut the SPAM into cubes and reserve 1 cup for the filling. The remaining SPAM can be saved for a garnish on top of the quiche. The quiche is made in layers, first mix the two cheeses together and spread half of the cheese on the bottom of the raw pie dough. Then place approximately 1 cup of the cubed SPAM on top of the cheese. The third layer is the apples which are spread over the pie dish evenly. Sprinkle the top of the apples with sugar and cinnamon. Top the apples with the remaining cheese.

Egg Mixture:
Mix the eggs and half and half together in a large mixing bowl (use a blender to mix the ingredients). Add the mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce and garlic salt to the blended eggs. Pour the entire egg mixture over the filled piecrust and cook in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes. Let the Quiche cool for 10 minutes before slicing. (serves 6 people)

Recipes provided by KHON

Four Foods on Friday tomorrow! (#39)

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Here are the questions for this week’s Four Foods on Friday meme. Just click the link and you can still get them in in time for tomorrow!

#1. When you need to serve desserts, do you buy them or make them?

I usually make them. I hope stirring together mixes counts! The bakery doesn’t make it with the same aloha for the people I’m making it for.

#2. When baking do you use butter, margarine or something else?

I usually use Imperial margarine.

#3. What meats or veggies do you cook in the oven?

I can do any meat in the oven but if I’m doing steaks I’ll sear them in a skillet first and then finish them up in the oven to make them nice and juicy. Mmm.

#4. Share a recipe for anything that is cooked in an oven.

Beer Roasted Lime Chicken *by way of AllRecipes

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 (4 pound) whole chicken
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1 lime, halved
1/2 (12 fluid ounce) can beer
1 cup water

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice from the lime over the whole chicken, then place the halves into the cavity of the chicken. Set the half full beer can in the center of a roasting pan or baking dish, and place the chicken over it in an upright position with the beer inserted into the cavity. Pour water into the bottom of the pan. Cover the chicken with aluminum foil, and place roasting pan and all into the oven.

Roast the chicken for about 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, removing foil during the last 20 minutes. Baste occasionally with the drippings. When finished, the internal temperature of the chicken should be 180 degrees F (80 degrees C) when taken in the meatiest part of the thigh. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

(I’m thinking this would be perfect for making some chicken quesadillas if you’ve got some leftover!)

Hawaii IPTV to carry Merrie Monarch Festival

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I just received the following note from Hawaii IPTV that subscribers or potential subscribers may be interested in:

We are proud to announce that we have signed a contract with the Merrie Monarch Community Festival Organization to be able to broadcast the prestigious week long hula competition live to all of our subscribers in 2009. We will be the first internet protocol television to have access to the 46 year old event.

Our Vice President, Kimberly Dey, recently released the following statement to the media:

“It’s an honor to be able to have the Merrie Monarch Festival as a part of Hawaii IPTV. This event showcases Hawaii at its finest and is so rich in history and culture. We’re thrilled to be given the opportunity to share it with our customers around the world. This is an event that our customers have looked forward to enjoying since we first launched our service. When we talk about viewing the best TV from Hawaii, our customers always mention the Merrie Monarch Festival.”

It’s Koloa Plantation Days on Kauai!

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It’s time for Koloa Plantation Days on the island of Kauai. There are many different activities and events to attend all this week that are fun for locals and visitors alike! For instance today you can be involved in the following activities:

Maha’ulepu Coastal Hike 9am, Mahaulepu

Traditional Hawaiian Games 10am, Outrigger Kiahuna Plantation

American West Barrel Racing Competiton 6pm, CJM Stables - on the cliffs of Mahaulepu

Historic Video Showing 7pm, Sheraton Kauai Resort

If you’d like to see what they’ve got planned for the rest of the week including a parade, luau, rodeo and more, you can see their Calendar of Events.

Thrills abound with kiteboarding

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Maybe you’ve seen kiteboarding (aka kitesurfing) on TV or if you live on a coast, in person and thought “I’m going to do that on my next vacation!” You certainly can schedule lessons on certain islands in Hawaii but it’s best not to have unrealistic expectations going in. You’re not going to be Robby Naish after one lesson and you may not even glide across the waves like the guy above during your lesson but it can still be a fun and memorable experience. Maui was the big hotspot for it but you can certainly find it on other islands. We took this picture at Ka’a Point in Kahului off Amala Rd where they were giving kiteboarding and windsurfing lessons. If you’ve got the itch to give it a try on your Hawaiian getaway, here are a few things you should know.

1) Prepare to spend at least 3 hours per lesson minimum. More in depth lessons run from 4+ hours to DAYS if you want to be up on a board and trying to catch some air like a local.

2) It ain’t cheap. Minimum price is around $200 for a 3 hour lesson and can go up to over $1000 for multi-day intensified lessons.

3) Verify what your lessons include. Does it include time in the water or basics on land? What, if anything, do you need to bring? Are your lessons private or with a group?

4) If you’re thinking of taking this up as a hobby, plan to spend a minimum of $2000-3000 for the equipment and accessories you’ll need. Buy reputable gear.

Here are a few links to local kiteboard lessons you can check out to get more information:

Kiteboarding School of Maui

Maui Kiteboarding Lessons by Aquasports

Aloha Surf and Kiteboarding School

Hawaiian Water Sports