The Big Island revisited and WOWEEE, MAUI!!!

Richard and I took a real vacation!  You know, with no real work to do.  Well, very little on his part.  A while ago he answered a call from the Hilton franchise and agreed to exchange two hours of our time for a bargain price at their hotel on the Big Island of Hawaii, The Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort.  He didn't realize at the time of his phone conversation with them that this was the same hotel to which I had won a 7-day trip back in 2002, my first time to Hawaii and our first time to Hawaii together.  We left for this current trip on January 5, 2013, and our flight back to the mainland left on Saturday, January 12.  Leaving paradise is always tough and even tougher because it takes two days.

  The picture above was taken from the balcony off our room.  This Hilton has no real beach but it does have a man-made lagoon in which they brought in sand for a little beach.  The water in the lagoon does come from the ocean.  Richard snorkeled there and was very surprised to see a moray eel.  

The resort is very spacious; the Ocean Tower where our room was located was a 7-minute walk from the entrance of the hotel.  They have two other modes of transportation around the grounds: a train and a water taxi.  But by the time you wait for either of them to arrive at the 'stop' you can walk the distance and get to where you're going ahead of them.  

This is a picture of Richard at one of the water taxi stops with a walkway bridge above him.

Here are some pictures of the Hilton's grounds.

(I believe you are able to click on these pictures to bring them up bigger if you care to see more detail.)  

Me with the lagoon and waterfall in the background. Note the WONDERFUL sunshine hugging my body!!

There sure are a LOT of turtles in Hawaii.  This one was hanging out near the lagoon catching some rays.

We spent four nights on the Big Island first then three nights on Maui.  On our first full day on the Big Island we went to a well-known spot near Kona for snorkeling.  We had found this spot back in 2002 and decided to return because it is sheltered by a natural break wall.  Richard promised me that he would stay within the break wall this time; in 2002 he ventured out pretty far and had trouble with the undercurrent when he tried to get back to shore.

  

After snorkeling we decided to check out a black sand beach that our concierge told us about.  This picture doesn't show the sand but does show the black (lava).  

We stumbled upon something our concierge didn't tell us about: the Keanalele grotto - a river that runs inside a cave with two openings (that we could see in the area - not sure if there were others).  

Of course Richard wasn't going to miss the chance to explore.  Someone placed a ladder that lead down to the water.  I managed to make it down a bit but the water was FREEZING so I decided to stay up and take pictures.

  

Here he goes, swimming to the other hole...

...and surfacing for air.

Richard took this next picture looking up through the smaller hole then went on into the cave and took more with his flash.  He said the cave went further than he was comfortable exploring without a flashlight.

When we continued along the black sand beach we came across this guy lazing in the sun.

On our second full day on the Big Island we decided to take a drive from our hotel north on highway 270.  We first stopped for a reasonably priced breakfast at a place where the locals frequent called the Seafood Bar.  After spending $65 on our first breakfast at the resort the first morning, the $20 for two of us was needed to bring down our average!  We ended up going back for dinner that same night, eating upstairs in the larger restaurant.

  

While eating our breakfast we noticed a couple of monarch butterflies fluttering around us.  When we asked the waitress about them she pointed to a bush bordering the road, saying that the butterflies liked the bush.  Richard confirmed that it was a milkweed plant.  We checked it out and found a bunch of caterpillars eating away.

  

After we left breakfast we continued on highway 270.  The northern area on the west side of the Big Island is so beautiful because it loses the barrenness of the lava fields and dry vegetation, turning into bright green fields. I promise this photo has not been enhanced. 

Highway 270 curves around the north point of the Big Island and offers a treat at its dead end on the east side, north of Hilo.  The Awini Trail and the Polou Valley begin where the road ends.  

 

Upon your approach this is the view with which you are greeted.

Layers of cliffside.

After talking with two young gentleman who camped at the bottom of the trail the previous night we decided to take the time to hike to the bottom.  It was about a 500ft decline and took about 35 minutes to get to the bottom and only 30 minutes to get back up because we weren't stopping as often for pictures of the breathtaking views.

This is the view you would see opposite to looking toward the water.  Pololu Valley.

There were some twists and turns...

The end of this part of the trail rewards you with the sound of the surf against the black lava stones (the trail continues on the other side of this black beach - we did not hike there).

Nathan Bennett, this is why I have started working out with you.  When I'm 20 years older I still want to be able to climb trails like this.

After working up an appetite we stopped at this great little restaurant called PAU where you order at the counter and they bring it to your table.  When we walked in the aroma of freshly baked cookies was overwhelming!  So much so that we had to order a cookie a la mode!  

Our goal for the day's drive was to end up at the active volcano, Kilauea, to see the infamous glow.  This first picture is of the setting sun-kissed clouds falling behind a mountain.  I saw this view when I decided I needed my Michigan coat because it was COLD up where we were viewing the volcano. 

It was still pretty light outside when we arrived at the viewing area. You can see the size of the caldera although this picture is deceiving.  We were much farther back; I was using a zoom. 

As it got darker the glow became more visible.  The viewing area is located such that you don't actually see the lava, only the light of the glow against the 'steam.'  

Wow!  It's amazing to me that I've visited an active volcano!

Our third full day started with a two-hour sales pitch from Hilton to which we were able to say "no."  We decided to just hang around our hotel; Richard went snorkeling in the lagoon and I chilled on the 'beach.'  We had a great dining experience at Roy's that night.  Richard sure likes his beef short ribs!

And his dessert!

The Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort owns a collection of artwork and artifacts (mostly of an Asian flavor) that they display along an airy walkway from the main lobby all the way to the Ocean Tower where our room was located.  Remember, it's a 7-minute walk so there are LOTS of pieces to entertain on the walk.  Here are just a few of them.  I'll start with one of my favorite pieces.  Every time I saw this I thought how nice it would be to have that many arms and hands!  And I like the dancing nature of the piece.

But in case four hands isn't enough, check this one out.

More artwork for your eyes.  This was Richard's favorite.

Note the placement of stones in this next shot.  People would put them there to be funny and the hotel workers would remove them only to start over the next day.

This guy didn't look too happy.  Maybe Richard's 'high-five' will put him in a better mood.

The detail in the wood carving pieces was amazing.  

The next day it was time to head to Maui.  Aw, shucks.  :-)  Quaint is the word I would use to describe the airport terminal.

I wasn't sure but when I saw this plane my guess was that this was the baby that would take us to Paradise, Chapter 2.  And I was, ugh, correct.  Fortunately, it wasn't choppy until the last 10 minutes so I was able to hold it together.  "Horizon.  Keep looking at the horizon, Karen!"  Definitely the smallest plane I've been on.  It seated nine plus the two (extremely friendly) pilots.

This little guy was waiting with us at the terminal, lapping up something someone had spilled probably getting quite a sugar buzz.  What a striking color!

It's so relaxed in Hawaii - they have putt putt at the terminal for biding time while waiting.

Pilot #2 is letting us know where the barf bags are.  It's funny that they have to give all the same instructions as they do on the big planes.

Not sure I like or understand the name they have given this plane.  

The views were spectacular!  I like flying on smaller planes because you don't go as high as on the bigger ones so it allows you to see more of the land and seascapes.

Bye-bye Big Island!

Since they distribute the passengers by weight, Richard was sitting diagonal behind me.

 

The horseshoe-shaped island you see is Molokini Island.  It is a preserve.  There are snorkel and scuba boats that can take you out there that cannot dock; they have to stay a certain distance and I believe it is because of the coral.  The island you see in the distance is Koho 'Olawe.  It is uninhabited and was used as a bombing range by the US during WWII.  It can only be used by natives for their cultural purposes.  

Here is Koho 'Olawe from another angle.

Richard took the next two pictures from his side of the plane.  This is a view of the hotel we were on our way to on Maui, Makena Beach and Golf Resort.  Now THAT'S a beach!!

Maui was incredibly awesome!  We both fell in love with the island.  I'll start with pictures from our hotel and the grounds.  Here is a shot from the beach.  It was a short walk compared to the walks at the Waikoloa Village on the Big Island.

This canoe greets you in the lobby.

Very inviting lobby.

These next pictures were taken inside the 'O' grounds, inside the 'U' of the hotel, as seen from the arial above.

Zen stone sculptures lined the walkways.

Like a number of hotels I've stayed at, Makena keeps carp in their landscaped ponds.  The breakfast restaurant will give the children fish food with which to feed the fish.

In case you find yourself staying at Makena, this is a very nice room to ask for.

This was our room.  You can see through the doorwall the fantastic view.  It was so nice to keep the screen open all night.  Maui is a bit windier than the west side of the Big Island so when we also kept the entrance door to the room open there was a refreshing wind that swept through the room.

And this was one view from the balcony of our room.

Breakfast was included and was a very plentiful buffet including a chef cooking eggs to order.  We couldn't see the ocean from the restaurant seating but there was still water to look at and nice landscaping.  Oh, and plenty of birds to help clean the crumbs!

More views of out and about the hotel.

Richard found this guy while digging around in the sand.  He's really in there!

Evening on the beach.

For the first night's dinner we decided on Mama's Fish House, a very well-known restaurant on the north side of the island.  Thank you to friends Veronica and Alex for pointing out this gem.  (They were also responsible for our choice of hotel!  We're going to use them for references more often!)

I unfortunately didn't take my good camera into the restaurant.  We were there after the sun went down so didn't get the full experience as it sits on a beach.

This was the walkway leading into the restaurant.

Intimate ambiance.  I know these pictures don't capture much of the setting but it's all I have from my phone camera.  :-(

In the bathroom at Big Mama's hung framed newsprint from the 1938 earthquake experienced in Hawaii.

I took long walks around the area of the hotel.  Some parts of my walks took me through streets of private homes and some through public land.  Here are some pictures.  Of course I had to get pictures of the beautiful flowers.

This church was built in 1832.  Wowee, Maui!  I love the lava stone wall in front.

The private homes were pretty extravagant.  I love the gate shown here.

Of course if you're in Hawaii during whale-watching season you MUST go.  Here are some of the pictures I took of our experience.  We were so fortunate to see whales breaching. I kept my camera on continuous shoot which enabled me to get a couple good shots.  First I start with the boat that took us out.

It was impossible to predict the breaches or where they would be so this series starts a bit off center.

On our last evening on Maui we ate at Merriman's restaurant, again on the water.  It's also an Inn and first we visited the bar that faces the water and listened to some Hawaiian music.

Once we were inside there was more music.  This husband and wife duo played their own style of folk music.  The instrument this woman is playing is called a koto.  It is Japanese in origin.

Hawaiian cuisine does not disappoint.  

I opted for the scallops.

Now that we're on the subject of food, we found that there is a funny staple in the Hawaiin diet.  Spam.  Yes, Spam.  Here is an offering at McDonald's.

On our last day on Maui we experienced a little rain.  And a rainbow!

We were also treated to quite a show right off the balcony of our room.  There was a pod of whales playing not too far from the shore.  We were planning on a nice walk before we left the hotel but decided this was much more entertaining.

  

People were stand-up boarding out to the pod to join the kayakers and other boats vying for an eyeful.  Thank you, Maui whales for such a wonderful good-bye!

What could be more fitting than to end a blog post about a trip to Hawaii with pictures of the most romantic sunsets.  Wish we could say we saw the green flash but I guess that will have to wait until next time because there will definitely be a next time.

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Cakes with Black Beans

1 T. coconut oil, plus 2 T. reserved for frying croquettes
1 medium sweet potato, peeled, grated, and rinsed in cold water - then patted dry
1/2 c. minced red bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 c. minced yellow onion
2 t. whole cumin seeds
1 T. ground coriander
1/2 t. salt
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup red quinoa, cooked
Salsa and sour cream for serving

Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large skillet and saute the grated sweet potato, red bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, and yellow onion for about three to five minutes. Add the cumin and coriander.  Continue to saute vegetables until they are just cooked.  Season with salt. Add the black beans and cooked quinoa, then blend a third of this mixture in a food processor until smooth.  Stir the blended mixture back into the remaining vegetables in the skillet.  Shape 1/4 cup of the mixture at a time into patties about 1/2-inch thick and 2 inches across.  Heat the reserved coconut oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat and pan fry the croquettes for about two minutes on each side.  Keep croquettes warm in the oven until all are ready to serve.  

Spiced Apple and Butternut Squash Soup

1/4 cup butter
2 large onions
2 large Granny Smith apples
     peeled, cored, and diced
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 large butternut squashes
     peeled, halved lengthwise and seeds removed,
     diced into 1-inch cubes 
(recipe called for 4 squashes but once I had two prepped it was obvious I was using larger ones than they called for)
3 qts. chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the diced onions and apples and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the spices and cook for 1 minute.  Then add the squash and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until the squash is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Puree and serve.  Add additional stock if necessary to desired thickness.  

Three recipes using carrots

The magazine I get from Lifetime Fitness has been publishing some real yummy recipes in the last few issues.  This month they focus on carrots.  I'm going to be passing the magazine on to my friend Donna so posting these here will assure that I have them on hand when I need them.  


This first one is for carrot soup which I just finished making and can say that it tastes wonderful.  The nutmeg is my addition; tasting it after it was done left my taste buds yearning for something to tie all the flavors together and nutmeg is what it called for.  I will say - it makes the soup perfect!


I used bagged organic carrots because I wasn't at Whole Foods to be able to get organic bunched carrots with the greens still attached.  I'm looking forward to making this soup again with carrots I get from the farmer's market, grown locally, organic, and different varieties.

Curried Carrot Soup


1 T. ghee or coconut oil (I used a bit more)
1 yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 stalks celery, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
3 1/2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
2 T. minced gingerroot
2 T. curry powder
(1/4 t. nutmeg - my addition)
1 can coconut milk (about 14 oz.)
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 t. salt, or to taste
Dash of cayenne pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper


Heat the ghee in a heavy saucepan and saute the onion, celery, and carrots until just tender.  Add the gingerroot, curry powder, and nutmeg and saute for another five minutes until aromatic.  Add coconut milk and vegetable stock, simmer until vegetables are tender.  Blend the soup with a stick blender or in small batches in a regular blender until smooth.  Season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste.  Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and freshly cracked black pepper.


This next recipe is one I will try out soon.  Sounds equally yummy!




Shredded Carrot and Currant Salad


4 cups carrots, peeled, shredded with a grater and packed
¼ cup dried currants
½ tsp. orange flower water (available at a Middle Eastern or gourmet market, as well as online)
2 oranges, juiced and zested
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Toss the grated carrots with the currants in a medium salad bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange flower water (omit if it’s not readily available), orange juice and zest, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and extra-virgin olive oil. Toss dressing with the currants and carrots. Store salad in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Keeps well for two to three days.

Side note: for those living in the Royal Oak, MI area - you can find orange blossom water at Holiday Market on Main St. near I696. For those not living around my area, look for a Middle East store.


And here is one more carrot recipe.


Carrot Fritters

Makes about 16 small fritters; serves four

4 cups grated carrots, packed
¼ cup rice flour, coconut flour, or whole-wheat flour
½ tsp. baking powder
4 eggs, beaten
1 tbs. grated fresh gingerroot
½ tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup olive oil for frying

Toss the carrots with the flour and baking powder. Mix in beaten eggs, gingerroot, salt and pepper. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Shape about a tablespoon of the carrot mixture into flat patties and carefully lower into the hot oil. After one to two minutes, gently turn each latke over to brown the other side (about another minute). Keep the latkes on a baking sheet in a warm oven while you fry the remaining carrot mixture. Garnish with chopped fresh chives and Greek yogurt or sour cream, if you’d like.


Happy carrot-cooking!

I tried this recipe from Lifetime Fitness magazine because I thought it fit perfectly with my new way of eating. I'm trying to eat more like a 'hunter/gatherer' with much more kale, spinach, collard greens, cauliflower, and broccoli in my diet along with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and protein. Basically, it's as little grain as possible with NO white: no white flour products, no sugar (I may cheat a little here because there's always sugar in chocolate, even the dark chocolate I limit myself to), no regular pasta, no white rice, etc. When I do eat grains I try to keep it to whole grains.

It is extremely hard to make the change because there is 'enriched wheat flour' (translation: white flour) in so many products that call themselves 'whole grain.' If a loaf of bread, for example, doesn't say '100% Whole Grain' then it most likely has white flour in it. And sugar is a tough one to stay away from in bread. It makes the yeast happy with great, yummy results but it's just so bad for you!

New research has shown that inflammation in the artery wall is the real cause of heart disease and that without inflammation in the artery wall there is no way for cholesterol to accumulate. With repeated injury to our arteries by eating the wrong food, food that our bodies were never intended to process, the result is chronic inflammation. According to an article by Dr. Dwight Lundell: "What are the biggest culprits of chronic inflammation? Quite simply, they are the overload of simple, highly processed carbohydrates (sugar, flour and all the products made from them) and the excess consumption of omega-6 vegetable oils like soybean, corn and sunflower that are found in many processed foods."

If you are interested in reading the full article, you can find it here. It will be an eye-opener for you because it poo-poos the common thought that fats are our problem.

Back to the soup. It tastes good and healthy! I added tomato as you will read below.

Italian Wedding Soup

With Chicken Meatballs and Parsley

For the soup base:

1 T. olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

8 cups chicken stock

1 bunch broccoli rabe (also called rapini)(about 4 cups)

1 1/2 cups fresh parsley, chopped

1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese, to garnish

For the meatballs:

1/2 pound ground chicken (I used ground thigh meat)

1 egg

1/4 cup whole-grain breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 t. salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil (I used more than 1 T.) and saute the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until al dente. Add chicken stock and simmer until vegetables are tender.

While stock is simmering, make the meatballs by mixing the ground chicken with the egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Shape into small balls with a teaspoon or a small scoop and arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through. Add to the simmering soup.

Add the broccoli rabe, parsley and cannellini beans and simmer five minutes to heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a fresh grating of Parmesan cheese.

A few hints: along with using more olive oil than what they call for, I added a can of diced tomatoes. And I also cooked the soup longer than five minutes so that the broccoli rabe stalks would soften more. When I make this soup again in the future, I won't use the bottom, thicker stalks of the rabe; I will use the leaves and little broccoli flowers from the tops of the plants.

Stuffed chicken recipe

I made a yummy stuffed chicken dish yesterday. Here it is:

Skinless boneless chicken parts, your choice (I used one breast and four thighs)

Flour

Italian dressing, your choice (I used creamy Italian from Jets Pizza)

Bread crumbs (I put toasted multigrain French baguette in a food processor)

Ham ribbons

Swiss cheese

After rinsing the chicken, I sliced the chicken breast through the center lengthwise to form a pocket. For the thighs, I just rinsed them. After letting the water drip from the piece, I dredged them in flour. For the thighs I just dredged the outer side of 2 of them to start. Next I dipped the dredged pieces into the dressing, both sides for the breast and just the flour side for the thighs. They were then coated with the bread crumbs, again both sides for the breast and the flour side for the thighs. I placed them into a glass baking dish that was sprayed with olive oil spray, breadcrumb side down for the thighs. Then I took the ham and tucked it into the pocket of the breast and over the unbreaded side of the thighs. The cheese was placed over the ham. For the breast I just closed the pocket. For the thighs I took the remaining two thighs and coated the one side with flour, dressing, and crumbs just as I did the first two. I placed the uncoated side over the ham and cheese stuffing on the first two thighs.

Bake at 350 for 45 min