Hawaii Vacation, Part Two, The Rustic Part

Ready for more about my vacation to Hawaii?  Just to refresh your memory, our first week was spent in Maui.  It was a whirlwind of fancy hotels, nice beaches, whale spotting and twisty shoreline drives.  I loved every second of it, so it was going to be hard to beat.  But we tried anyway.  After six perfect days in Maui we flew to Kauai.

Our time in Maui was hectic and full, so our goal for Kauai was to slow the pace a bit and relax.  I've been to Kauai before and I always tell people that it is the definition of paradise.  Where Maui feels fancy, Kauai feels laid back.  All the buildings and roads are a little old in a charming way.  Nothing is sleek and modern, but beachy and rustic instead. 

Chickens are everywhere on Kauai, as common as pigeons or squirrels in other places.  Charming, right?

Like in Maui we stayed at a beautiful condo.  This one was even better than the one in Maui with 20 foot ceilings and a wrap around porch.  It was in the little town of Princeville which is tucked right up next to Hana Lei (the most beautiful town I or anyone else has ever been to).  My sister and I ran the two miles from our condo to the St. Regis Resort which sits on the spectacular Hana Lei bay.  I think it is safe to say you can trust a fancy hotel to pick a great beach.    

Princeville is on the north side of the island, which it turns out is the rainiest part of the island.  February is the rainiest month in Kauai, so we had to work to dodge raindrops.  One day we planned to be at the beach all day on the north side, but were rained out.  We headed to Poi'pu beach on the south side instead, where, luckily it is usually blocked from the rain of the north.  While we were on the beach a monk seal and a giant sea turtle crawled out of the water to sunbathe.  We were happy to share our patch of sand with them.

Our group ended up snorkeling on a northside beach another day.  It was beautiful and...rustic.

Kauai has some great hiking with trails twisting along the faces of the coastline cliffs.  We decided to hike a path out onto one of the jutting fingers of the island.  The hike was dense with dry fern bushes which scraped almost all of the skin off my legs.  Other than the aggressive ferns--which by the way I always thought were fluffy and innocent--the hike was breathtaking.  Standing at the top of the peak at the turnaround point of the hike, as we looked down into the canyon we'd been climbing over, a tiny speck floated through the vastness.  Eventually we realized that tiny speck was a helicopter! 

After our hike we ate at one of my favorite restaurants of the trip: Kalaheo Coffee & Cafe.  If you are ever in Kauai, check it out.  The coconut shrimp appetizer it to die for.   

On our last day in Kauai we spent a few hours in Kapa'a.  We ate at the Ono Family Restaurant (another good place to meet your coconut syrup quota) and had some shave ice at Hee Fat General Store (if you go, try a little li hing mui shave ice--it's a salty, sweet plum flavor).  We also rented bikes and rode along the four mile coastal path.  This is another thing I definitely recommend doing.  Slowly cruising along is the perfect way to see a lot of beautiful beach up close.  For us, it was the perfect way to end our trip.  A melancholy sendoff with time to take in every last drop of Kauai. 

We had a spectacular time in Hawaii. It is the vacation I wish upon everyone. If you are at all considering a trip to Hawaii, just go. Work out the details later.  No matter what, it'll be worth it. I promise. 

____________________________________________________________________

I've mentioned these before, but The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook and Maui Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook were crucial for our trip.  They helped us find hidden hikes and other gems we would have missed otherwise.  By the end of the trip we were on a first name basis with the author.  Andrew, the author, was a capable guide.  My brother-in-law was our navigator and driver.  He introduced us to Andrew's guidance and set the agenda for most of our trip.  If you can find such a brother-in-law, bring him along when you go to Hawaii.   

If you have any questions about where to go or what to see, I am happy to answer them (or ask my brother-in-law for you).  Please leave 'em in the comments!

Hawaii Vacation, Part One, The Fancy Part

After two weeks in Hawaii, my case of the wanderlusts have been settled--for a little while at least.  I traveled with my mom, my sister, her husband and their baby.  The trip was a long time coming.  My sister and I have always talked about taking my mom to Hawaii and finally we decided to just book the travel and make it happen.  Sometimes you just gotta do it, you know?  

We spent week one of our trip in Maui.  (Kauai was week two--more on that tomorrow).  I had been to Hawaii twice before this trip, but never to Maui.  I expected it to be a little busy and commercial, but I was struck more by how fancy it was (in the most wonderful way). 

We flew standby to get to Hawaii, so we didn't make hotel reservations for the first few days of our trip in case we couldn't get on our flights.  Through some complex negotiation tactics, we convinced my brother-in-law to let us stay at the Westin Resort & Spa in Kaanapali once we finally made it to Maui.  Starting our trip at such a luxurious hotel may have had something to do with my impression of the fanciness of Maui.  The hotel's lobby is built around a giant pond with flamingos and the beachfront pool has two water slides and waiter service.  Needless to say, I enjoyed my time there. 

The Westin is right next door to Whalers Village which is full of stores to stock up on sandles, tiny bikinis and fedoras (all the sartorical essentials for lounging by the pool, deciding which cocktail to order next).  The nearby restaurants also have some essentials: Cane & Taro for good breakfasts doused in coconut syrup and Leilani's for mai tai soaked happy hours. 

The Westin and Whalers Village sit on a beachside boardwalk called the Kaanapali Beachwalk.  My sister and I used jet lag to our advantage and went for a 4am beachwalk run the first morning we arrived.  She's a pilates instructor, so we stopped and did some beachside pilates, too.  I have never felt more rich, receiving a private pilates lesson on the shores of Maui.

Later when we were walking the boardwalk (searching for a morning cup of coffee), we spotted some whales flipping their tails just off shore.  This was seriously one of the biggest thrills of my life--these giant, magical creatures were unimaginably close.  A couple of days later we went on a whale watch boatride.  Our boat captain was very respectful of the animals and never intentionally got very close to any, except the one that swam right up under our boat!  Unbelievable.

After a couple of days at the Westin, we moved to our pre-arranged accommodations--a condo on the south shore of Maui.  By the way, renting a condo on vacation is such a great thing.  You have a kitchen, multiple bathrooms and bedrooms, plus a table for playing cards at night once the baby goes to bed. 

Our condo was near the most beautiful series of beaches: Wailea, Kamaole I, II and III (or Kam I, II and III as we heard a local call them).  Each is sandy with clear water and easy parking.  They are so good in fact that the Four Seasons Resort Maui is located on Wailea.  You gotta put your faith in the Four Seasons ability to pick a good beach.

After a day at Wailea trying to glimpse the rich and famous Four Season-goers, we showered, applied makeup and did one of the things you have to do when you go to Hawaii: we luau-ed.  Luaus seem classic Hawaii, but I think they can also veer into tacky territory.  The one we went to (Feast at Lele) was not tacky at all, in fact it was great.  Both of the times that we went.  You see, our first attempt at the luau ended in rain--rain pooling on our plates of kalua pork, rain in our all you can drink mai tais, rain in our purses.  Our second luau attempt was perfect.  The luau featured food and dances from the Polynesian islands.  Our favorite was Tahiti. 

The beaches were great, the luau was great, but my very favorite part of Maui was the Road to Hana.  The Road to Hana is a steep, twisting drive right along the coast of Maui's north shore.  At every turn in the road there is an incredible waterfall, a vista of rocky shoreline, a scenic hike, a lush forest or the most beautiful flower anywhere. 

At the end of our drive we hiked to the Seven Sacred Pools.  It was raining and flooding prevented us from actually getting the pools, but at the top of the hike was a bamboo forest, which was so dense it blocked out all light and sound.  It was the most peaceful, still place I've ever stood. 

So amazing.

There wasn't much time to dwell on it though, because next we were off to Kauai!  Tomorrow I will share about that.  

On the Destination

Allow me to tease you with this photo from Maui.  I took it!  (Can you believe that?) 

More to come!

A Collection of {Travel} Things

I'm back from Hawaii and I'm still riding high from such a fantastic trip! We hiked, we napped on the beach, we played Spades at night and ate macadamia nut ice cream everyday.  Stay tuned for some photos and tidbits from the trip.

In the meantime, while I still have vacation on the brain, I thought I would do a round up of some travel items that aren't essential, but are oh so nice to find in your suitcase when you land.  These are the things you could definitely travel without, but why would you want to? 

Herewith, my inessential travel essentials: 

(ONE)  Map -- A good map and a great guidebook are so nice to have.  It's fun to be spontaneous, but it is not fun to end up doing nothing because you are lost or can't figure out what to do next.  In Hawaii we used The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook and Maui Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook and they were a godsend--we found great restaurants, hidden hiking trails and secret beaches.

(TWO)  Scarf -- I never regret packing a scarf.  First of all, they are great to wrap up in on the plane.  They are easy to throw in your purse while sightseeing and then to pull out later at dinner.  Also, wrapping one in your hair is perfect for the beach and keeps the wind from messing with your do too much.

(THREE)  Chocolate bars -- Two words: plane food.  If the airline is not going to feed you, bring your own picnic!  Lately I've been eating Lara Bars like nobody's business.  They are made of all natural, whole ingredients so they are more filling and slightly healthier than a plain chocolate bar.  Slightly. 

(FOUR)  Ballet flats -- These will get you through airport security, all day walking tours and dinners where you must look presentable.  But do not, I repeat, do not wear new shoes when you plan to do any sort of long distance walking.  Blisters ruin trips.    

(FIVE)  Cute dopp kit -- You need to bring a dopp kit and it might as well be as cute as this one.  I always try to remember Q-tips, bandaids, floss and a nail file.  Even if I don't use them, I am always glad I brought them.  

(SIX)  Suit bag -- It's a good idea to bring a plastic bag to make sure your wet bathing suit doesn't wreck the other clothes in your suitcase.  This one will protect your clothes and it's hot pink.  Win, win.  

(SEVEN)  Almond butter -- This one's a total indulgence.  I love me some nut butter--peanut, hazelnut, almond.  This small, easy to pack pouch ensures that I never have to go a single day without it.  I'm faint just thinking about such a terrible potentiality.

(EIGHT)  Hot pink nail polish -- Get a good pedicure before you leave home and, if you can, bring the polish along with you for touch ups.  I went with red on my toes for Hawaii, but I was kicking myself for not doing hot pink.  Hot pink toe nails would have looked so perfect buried in the Hawaiian sand!  My life is so hard sometimes.

A couple of other pro travel tips: Keep a travel journal. Even if it's just a list of the restaurants in which you ate, you won't regret putting pen to paper. Also, pack an extra empty bag in your luggage to carry home souvenirs. Again, I can't foresee a situation where you would kick yourself for this pre-planning.  My extra canvas tote carried home two new pairs of sandals, bags and bags of macadamia nuts, Kona coffee, a T-shirt from Kauai, coconut syrup and a handful of postcards.  See?  Inessential essential.

What are the luxuries that make your packing list cut?  My mom brings a candle for her hotel room bathroom which I think is brilliant!  Now tell me yours.

February Bouquet: Purple and White Lovlies

Getting a bouquet of flowers is such a treat, don't you think?  I've been wanting to make a regular thing out of picking on up on a regular basis and I decided that once a month sounded about right. 

Here is the first month's batch.  It's just a cheapie bunch from the grocery store, but quite a pretty mix of pinky purples and white.  Instead of putting the flowers in a tall vase, which seemed a little boring, I decided to try arranging them in a long, low ceramic container.  I used a floral trick I found on Pinterest (right here) with plain ol' scotch tape because I'm not fancy (and that's all I had).  I made a tape grid across the whole container, cut the stems very short and arranged them between the tape pieces. 

Take a peek: 

My little flowers make me smile every time I see them on the kitchen table.  You know what else makes me smile?  Fridays! 

Have a happy weekend!

In the Kitchen {Apricot Curry Couscous Salad}

This is the salad you will make when you realize it is already February.  When you remember that you made a New Year's resolution to eat more plants and less sugar.  When it occurs to you that  you have let said resolution go by the wayside.  This salad is the one that will make you feel good about eating one, two, three fruits and vegetables and a healthy whole grain all at once.  It will make you feel slightly smug because you have figured out that eating this healthfully actually tastes really good. 

____________________________________________________

This recipe is from Salad Days by Pam Powell, which is such a great cookbook full of inspired seasonal salads.  I really recommend it.  This salad serves eight, but I just eat a little bowlful everyday, so it lasts a really long time.  One day I attempted to eat it over a bed of dry spinach.  The idea was good, but the taste wasn't quite right--very bland.  Next time I would reserve a little of the vinaigrette to dress the spinach leaves. 

Dried Apricot and Couscous Salad with Curried Apricot Vinaigrette

Curried Apricot Vinaigrette

¼ cup rice vinegar

½ tablespoon sweet, not spicy, curry powder
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
1 teaspoon sweet onion, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup fruity green olive oil

Place all of the dressing ingredients except the olive oil in a blender. Blend until combined and smooth.  Pour the mixture into a medium sized bowl, and gently whisk in olive oil until combined. Set aside until you are ready to assemble the salad. 

Couscous Salad

2 ½ cups water
2 cups couscous
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup scallions, chopped
1 ½ cups dried apricots
½ cup dried currants
1 ½ cups roasted pecans

First roast the pecans.  Toss them with  ½ teaspoon olive oil and ½ teaspoon sea salt.  Cook the nuts in a 275 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.  Watch them carefully at the end so they do not burn.  Allow to cool.  

In order to prepare the couscous, put the water into a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil.  Add the couscous and salt. Stir to combine, remove the pan from the heat, and let the couscous stand, covered, for 5 minutes.  Fluff couscous with a fork, and transfer to a large glass bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and cool completely, stirring occasionally.

While the couscous cools, prepare the produce.  Rinse the scallions and chop.  Cut dried apricots julienne.  I found it really helpful to measure out all of my ingredients cooking show style.  That way I could just toss them in the salad when I was ready. 

In order to assemble the salad, stir the produce and nuts into the couscous. The recipe recommends that you fold in 1 cup of the vinaigrette, and gently toss, adding the reserved vinaigrette if necessary. I just tossed it all in the salad and it didn't seem too greasy to me, but use your discretion.  

Enjoy, you healthy salad maker, you!

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope your day is filled with love.

(original image via Swiss Miss)

Pink & Red

leather bracelet // pants // glasses case 

valentine // pillow //  earrings

 tea cups // birthday fortune teller

I'm sending you into the weekend with a few pink and red morsels for your Valentine's Day pleasure.  The nice thing about these confections is that they are better for your waistline than candy hearts or boxes of chocolates.  Also, I like how you could use all of these accessories well after V-day without feeling like a total goofball.

I hope you have a happy Friday!  Wear something pink or red for me.

In the Kitchen {Oatmeal Bread}

Do you have a food that brings you right back to your childhood?  Mine is canned oysters.  When I was a little girl I would curl up with my dad and we would share a can, eating the squishy, greasy lumps with toothpicks.  I never, ever eat them now, but if I so much as get a whiff of one, it brings me right back.

I made a batch of oatmeal bread for my guy because this is his childhood flashback food.  He has memories of his grandma and hot, buttery bread fresh from the oven.  For me, it was a fun project for a lazy Sunday.  That's the thing about this bread (and most yeast leavened breads): all of the rising and kneading and rising and kneading mean that it takes forever to make.  (Just so you know, I typed 'forever' very slowly for emphasis.) 

All that time waiting for the yeast to do its thing allows for plenty of time to research how yeast actually works.  Yeast is pretty fascinating stuff.  Did you know that yeast is a fungus?  It consumes the sugary starch found in flour (though granulated sugar would be too complex for it to handle).  Yeast's digestive byproducts are alcohol and carbon dioxide, the later of which causes the bread to rise.  The time it takes for the yeast to eat effects the taste and texture of the bread--the more slowly the yeast grows, the richer the bread tastes.  Interesting, right?  (Like any good researcher, I will now cite my sources: The Prepared Pantry, Millers Grain House and Bread World Canada.) 

Science aside, this bread is best eaten warm, straight out of the oven.  It is rather sweet, so a smear of salty butter is all that it needs (though I wouldn't hold it against you if you added a drizzle of honey or a dollop of strawberry jam).

Oatmeal Bread

(makes 2 loaves)

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup boiling water

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon shortening

1 cup oatmeal (not instant)

           

2 packages dry yeast

¾ cup luke warm water

    

¼ cup molasses

¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar

5 cups all purpose flour

Directions: 

Mix the water, salt, shortening and oatmeal together and let stand until luke warm. 

In a separate small bowl, whisk the yeast and luke warm water for two minutes until blended.

In another large bowl, stir together molasses, brown sugar and flour.  Add the yeast to the molasses mixture and then add the cooled oats.

Beat for 10 minutes (I kneaded my dough on a floured cutting board which I recommend).

Place dough into greased bowl, cover with a dish towel and allow to rise until double (about two hours).  Paint your toenails, watch The Real Housewives.

Punch down the dough and let rise again (two hours).  Perform living room yoga, change your sheets.

Shape the dough into loaves and put into greased loaf pans.  Allow to rise again for 35-40 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, or until done.  If you tap the top of the loaves and they sound hollow, they are done.

The Selby

1, 2, 3, 4

Some dreamy interiors from The Selby.

On Risks

A wise person in my life once told me this.  I try to think about it everyday, especially when I am feeling a little nervous or unsure of myself.  When in doubt, take a risk.  It usually pays off.

Have a happy weekend!

(original photo)

I Heart February

nude & rust / balloons / flowers / grace / paint / more flowers / heels

I'm so glad February is here!  We're finally done with the doldrums of January and running headlong into Groundhog Day, Valentines Day and the first hints of spring (fingers definitely crossed on this one).  I am completely embracing reds and pinks this month.  Also, hearts, flowers and chocolate.  Because, I mean, why not?