Kauai: The Garden Island

Aloha! If I am ever MIA, please assume that I have moved to Hawaii. What is there not to love about this place...

Hanalei Bay

Kilauea Lighthouse

Spouting Horn

Koke'e State Park

Hanalei Taro Field

Hanakapi'ai Falls

Waimea Canyon

Kilauea Farmer's Market

Sunset at Ke'e Beach

I can only think of one thing I disliked about Kauai, and it is the amount of feral chickens/roosters that are running rampant throughout the island. I could do without the rooster calls at all hours of the day but I suppose a rooster has to do what a rooster has to do.

The Self-Proclaimed Kings of Kauai

Mahalo for the great vacation Kauai! I'll see you again soon!

The Victory Knot Victory

There is something so wrong but so right about a pretzel bigger than your face. Dodgers Stadium added the Victory Knot to their menu this year. The Victory Knot is a 2 lb pretzel that comes with 3 dipping sauces (beer cheese, spicy mustard, and a cinnamon icing). It is so big, it comes in a pizza box.

Here is our progress after a few innings...

Alas, even with four of us doing our finest, the final score = Us: 0, Victory Knot: 1.

Go Dodgers! Way to beat the Tigers 4-1!

Mojave National Preserve: Kelso Dunes

If you are on your way to or from Las Vegas and are interested in an extra excursion, exit Zzyzx Road off of the I-15 and visit the Mojave National Preserve.

In the Mojave National Preserve, there is a renovated train depot that shows you a glimpse of life from the early 1900's.

Kelso Depot Visitor Center

Inside the Kelso Depot Visitor Center, there are various exhibits chronicling the history of the site and an eatery where you can grab a bite to eat.

"The Beanery" at the Kelso Depot Visitor Center

A few miles beyond the Kelso Depot Visitor Center are the Kelso Dunes. The trailhead is at the end of a three mile graded dirt road splitting from Kelbaker Road and here you can wander around the largest field of eolian sand deposits in the Mojave Desert.

A little lizard that greeted us at the beginning of our hike

Kelso Dunes

Allegedly, if you run downhill and get the sand moving you can create a "booming" sound. MH and I weren't able to experience this though. Please let us know if you were able to.

I recommend wearing lots of sunscreen and shoes that are good for schlepping around in the sand. It can start to feel really hot out out there and you don't want to get bogged down with excess sand in your shoes while you are hiking.

Key FAIL

A Little Poke For You

If you have never had it before, poke is similar to a fish carpaccio or fish tartare. Raw pieces of fish are typically marinated with soy sauce, onions (green and yellow), sesame oil, and salt. Poke is a light but flavorful dish that can be eaten as an appetizer or entree. MH and I like to eat it by itself or over a scoop of rice.

I think poke is great because it is delicious and easy to make! For this batch, we added some salmon and mackerel to the tuna and omitted the macadamia nuts.

Here is a great ahi shoyu poke recipe courtesy of Hawai'i magazine:

Ingredients

- 1 lb. fresh ahi steaks, cut into cubed, bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (shoyu)
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions (tops included)
- 1/4 cup chopped Maui onion (or yellow onion)
- 2 tsp. sesame oil
- 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
- 1 chili pepper, cored, seeded and diced (optional)
- Sea salt, to taste
- 2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tsp. finely chopped toasted macadamia nuts (optional, as a substitute for inamona)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, and mix lightly. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Day 1 Report

I never really understood a parent's angst when they talked about sending their kids off to their first day of school but now I do. Today, I dropped off my little one for his first day of daycare and am anxiously waiting to hear how it went. Did he have fun and make friends? Or, did he hate it and be a loner? I'm curious to know either way.

Before I confuse anyone, yes, you are still reading MY blog, and no, I still do not have children. I am talking about Hobbs, my quirky and spirited dachshund. After all, he is for all intents and purposes my "child".

It sounds like he got a good report card for his first day. There were no issues and he wasn't overly excited to get picked up to go home so he couldn't have been that traumatized by the experience, right? I guess I'll just have to wait and see if he has any objections to me dropping him off the next time.

Chili Take Two

A few months ago, I had an itch for chili. I did my research online, found what seemed to be a good recipe, and went for it. To my dismay, I made a "5 Alarm" chili by following the recipe to a T and grossly underestimating the power of cayenne pepper. Lesson learned.

Yesterday's gloomy weather had me hankering for some chili again. Determined not to make the same mistake as before, I used the coveted Fenster family recipe. Who knew that you could cook/simmer a pot till the excess grease is gone? Simply amazing.

Shout out to Ralph for hooking it up! You are welcome to come over anytime for a bowl or two. You'll need to add some cayenne pepper to kick it up to your liking though. You know I'm a sissy when it comes to spices.

Simply Stupendous Shirataki

House Foods America Corporation has an amazing product called Tofu Shirataki. As I mentioned in my previous post, this traditional "pasta alternative" gives you the same sense of eating pasta but without all of the carbs.

(Photo from www.house-foods.com)

What is the hitch you ask? Well, here is what I discovered...

1. It is of utmost importance to thoroughly rinse/wash the noodles before you cook them. The noodles are packed in a suspiciously foul smelling liquid. However, rinsing/washing the noodles manages to remedy the off-putting smelly issue.
2. The noodles are virtually tasteless. I've tried pan frying them to give them a crisp but was unsuccessful (and I'm pretty sure its the noodles, not me). I've decided that the noodles work best in soups. Otherwise, the noodles go well with hearty/full-bodied sauces.
   

You can find Tofu Shirataki noodles at most Asian grocery stores and according to their website, some of the larger grocery chains such as Whole Foods and Ralphs. If you decide to try them, please let me know what you think and how you made them!

SBD Approved.

The South Beach Diet is amazing. As hard as it is for me to say no to dessert - or any other delicious carb filled food for that matter - I've done it a couple times and it hasn't failed me.

The biggest challenge of being on the South Beach Diet is creating tasty and filling meals that abide by the "allowed" phase one foods list. I attribute much of my dieting success to MH, his culinary creativity provides me with meals that fit the bill in every category.

Tonight we made a Vietnamese steak noodle salad. Using tofu shirataki noodles, this dish is South Beach Diet approved!

The magic and wonder of tofu shirataki noodles deserve a post of their own. Somehow, they are: low carb (3 grams/serving), low calorie (20 calories/serving), cholesterol-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, AND contain 10% calcium!

Croc·a·ma·mie!

I don't know what made me do it, but I did. I gave into the cockamamie Croc craze.

Call me silly all you want, but they are light weight and comfortable. Plus, every time I look at them I can't help but to smile. They are purple!