CIC: Beets & Eggs

August 20, 2014February 10, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 10 Comments

I got really excited when I saw that beets and eggs was one of the combination options for this month’s Crazy Ingredient Challenge. I actually made my dish before the winner was announced. And it only won by one vote! (The close runner up was garden peas and cheese.) I don’t think eggs are a particularly challenging ingredient – they’re easy to hide. So, I decided to think in the Chopped mentality and make it a star. Now, I am not a fan of eggs – I’ve finally determined that it’s the yolks that I don’t like. That means scrambled eggs are out; quiches and frittatas a no-go. What I decided on doing challenged me in the kitchen – Eggs Benedict. I’ve had a couple at nice brunch restaurants, and the runny egg yolk doesn’t bother me when it’s mixed with the rest of the ingredients on the plate.

My Roasted Beet Eggs Benedict required me to tackle my fear of poaching eggs. In fact, it tackled everyone’s fear! My brother and his fiance were in town meeting Wesley for the first time. I’ve watched countless Food Network stars poaching eggs, so I knew the general idea. I am proud to say, that even though it took four of us, every egg poached was a perfect success!

To poach an egg, bring a wide mouthed pot of water to an almost boil. With a spoon create an eddy in the water. Break the egg into a small bowl and drop it slowly into the vortex of the eddy. Cook the egg for about four minutes – until the whites are set and the yolk still runny – and remove with a slotted spoon.

I also got to attempt making a Hollandaise Sauce. I followed Alton Brown’s recipe. I have to say, I thought it was going great! I enjoyed watching the sauce transform after each addition of butter. But adding lemon juice the second time caused my sauce to separate. If I whisked enough it came back together, and it tasted right too. Unfortunately, I made this sauce way too early. The rest of the Eggs Benedict elements were not ready. (And I had a very hungry infant requiring my attention.) When we came back to the sauce, there wasn’t any saving it. Happily though, no one missed the Hollandaise Sauce on their Eggs Benedicts!

There was yet a third new experience to try. Beets! I’ve had beets before (a caprese salad w/ roasted golden beets), but I’d never worked with them myself. I followed this tutorial to roast them. (The left over beets were used in smoothies! If you decide to put roasted beets in a smoothie, note that a little bit goes a long way, the flavor tends to over power the other fruits/vegetables.)

Roasted Beet Eggs Benedict

Ingredients:

1 English muffin, halved and toasted
2 slices Canadian bacon
2 slices roasted beets (instructions linked above)
spinach leaves
2 eggs, poached (instructions posted above)
salt and pepper

Steps:

Assemble Eggs Benedict by placing a slice of Canadian bacon on each half of the English muffin. Top with the roasted beet and spinach leaves. Place the poached eggs on the top of the open faced sandwiches. Season with S+P.

To see other blogs that participated this month click on the link below. And if you’re a blogger and interested in joining us, contact Dawn at spatulasonparade@gmail.com. You don’t have to participate every month, but if you’re up for the challenge, we’d love to have you!

An InLinkz Link-up

Raspberry Coffee Cake

May 10, 2014November 14, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

Last month I made a Nutella Coffee Cake using Food Network Magazine’s Mix & Match recipe. I had mentioned that I was questioning my Nutella decision in lieu of raspberries so this month I went with raspberry!

I followed the same recipe, actually using sour cream this time, and put lemon zest and oats in the topping.

I didn’t notice a difference in the finished cake using sour cream vs yogurt, but the cake batter was much thicker with the sour cream. And the 8×8″ baking dish was actually perfect for it. I started out using a 9×9″ pan but the thick batter didn’t as easily spread so I relocated it to 8×8″. This cake didn’t puff as much as the yogurt version either.

I did halve the topping recipe, and that provided with the perfect amount!

The combination of raspberries and lemon is a great way to say hello to spring. And would be great for a Mother’s Day brunch!

With up to 21 possibilities, I might just make a coffee cake each month. It provides us with a 4 days’ worth of breakfast, and it always makes for a fun change from cereal in the morning.

Raspberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients for topping:

3/8 C flour
1/3 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 1/2 tbsp butter, at room temperature
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 C rolled oats

Ingredients for cake:

2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 C sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 C sour cream
1 C thawed frozen raspberries

Steps:

Make the topping: whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Using your fingers, break the butter into small pieces and combine with the topping. After combined add the lemon zest and oats. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8″ square cake pan with foil and grease.
Make the cake: In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add in the vanilla.
Incorporate a third of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Once combined add 1/2 C of sour cream. Add another third of the dry ingredients. Once combined add the last 1/2 C of sour cream. Add in the final third of the dry ingredients.
Assemble the cake: Place half of the cake batter in the prepared cake pan. Evenly distribute the raspberries and top with remaining batter. Top the cake with the topping from step 1.
Bake for 65 minutes, or until a knife comes out cleanly.
Allow cake to cool for 5 minutes and remove the cake from the pan by the foil. Serve your cake with a cup of coffee!

Nutella Coffee Cake

April 7, 2014November 3, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 7 Comments

As promised I have another April Food Network Magazine recipe.

The first Monday in April kicks of National Baking week. And April 7th is National Coffee Cake Day. Two birds, one stone.

In every edition of their magazine, Food Network features a “Mix & Match” concept. Whether it’s a cake, bread, pasta, or something else. I really like this concept as they provide for you the basics of a recipe but allow you to be the mastermind behind which flavors you want to combine. It’s a great way for new recipe makers to learn how to adapt recipes to suit your tastes while still having the “science” at hand.

This month: Coffee Cake. I opted to use cocoa powder and oats in my topping and chocolate-hazelnut spread as my filling. I did contemplate making a raspberry coffee cake instead – and I just might! But when I flipped through this page it was Nutella that was on my mind – so that’s what I went with. But while making it my sweet tooth started putting up a fight, requesting raspberry instead. Too bad sweet tooth, you lost the battle to my pantry items. And while I write up this post my stomach is growling waiting for the cake to come out of the oven. Let me tell you, it smells fantastic – the cinnamon in the topping mixed with the chocolatey filling… is my hour up yet? (for the record there are 10 minutes remaining – I just hope it’s really ready!)

Nutella Coffee Cake

Ingredients for topping:

3/4 C flour
2/3 C brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
5 tbsp butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 C rolled oats

Ingredients for cake:

2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 C sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 C yogurt (original recipe called for sour cream, but I didn’t have any)
8-10 tbsp chocolate-hazelnut spread

Steps:

Make the topping: whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Using your fingers, break the butter into small pieces and combine with the topping. After combined add the cocoa powder and oats. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8″ square cake pan with foil and grease.
Make the cake: In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add in the vanilla.
Incorporate a third of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Once combined add 1/2 C of yogurt/sour cream. Add another third of the dry ingredients. Once combined add the last 1/2 C of yogurt/sour cream. Add in the final third of the dry ingredients.
Assemble the cake: Place half of the cake batter in the prepared cake pan. Spread the chocolate-hazelnut spread and top with remaining batter. Top the cake with the topping from step 1. (Note: I did not use all of the topping.)
Bake for 1 hour, or until a knife comes out cleanly.
Allow cake to cook for 5 minutes and remove the cake from the pan by the foil. Serve your cake with some fresh fruit and a cup of coffee!

Now that my cake is out of the oven I might suggest using a 9×9″ cake pan instead. My personal opinion – the cake was too tall. With a shorter slice of cake you could eat a bite with both topping and filling. Additionally, with a larger cake pan size I would have used more of the topping!

Stuart declared this better than any coffee cake you can buy at the grocery store bakery and now expects it every weekend. (Yea, good luck with that!)

Pancakes vs Waffles

April 4, 2014April 2, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

When I received my Food Network magazine for April I didn’t wait for an excuse (such as a road trip) to break into it like I usually do. The lure of multiple slow cooker meals and the temptation of spring dishes was enough for me to plop on the couch and start dog-earring pages. In fact, this month you’ll find quite a few of my posts coming from this particular magazine edition!

In every edition they have a spread of two similar recipes – whether it’s a “He Made, She Made” or a “Pick a Side” – encouraging readers to try both. I’ll usually mentally pick a side based on the recipe/photograph and that’s that. But this month the choice was between Buttermilk Pancakes and Sour Cream Waffles. One weekend I made the pancakes and the next the waffles. As I expected, Stuart preferred the pancakes while I preferred the waffles. (Food Network fans were split 52/48 in favor of buttermilk pancakes.)

Stuart said he preferred these pancakes to my trusty pancake recipe. So what’s different? For starters, the buttermilk. These pancakes were fluffier (and therefore absorbed more syrup) and surprisingly not very sweet. The use of whole-wheat flour added great texture too. They happily accept spreadable butter and maple syrup.

While I did prefer the waffles to pancakes – I just love love love waffles – I didn’t like them more than my recipe. For including both butter and shortening in the batter I was expecting very decadent waffles. But honestly, I couldn’t really find much of a difference in the taste department – the sour cream probably cuts through the richness. Fluffing up the egg whites created a fluffier texture to the waffles and the exterior crisped up beautifully.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C flour
1/2 C whole-wheat flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 3/4 C buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp sugar
4 tbsp butter, melted

Steps:

In a medium bowl whisk flours, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and sugar. Once foamy add the melted butter.
Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet.
On a hot buttered griddle drop 1/4 C of batter into pancakes. Flip pancakes when batter starts to set and bubbles form in the center of the pancake. Cook until both sides are golden brown.

Sour Cream Waffles

Ingredients:

2 C cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, separated
3/4 C sour cream
3/4 C milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 C vegetable shortening, melted
2 tbsp brown sugar

Steps:

In a large bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a medium bowl whisk together egg yolks, sour cream, milk, and vanilla. Once smooth whisk in melted butter and shortening.
In another medium bowl beat egg whites with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Add the brown sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Combine egg and milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
Into a hot greased waffle iron drop 1/3 C of batter and cook until golden.

Eating the Bible: A Tree of Life

March 16, 2014September 17, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Today’s Bible excerpt comes from probably the most known story in the Old Testament – the story of Adam and Eve. Although popular culture has labeled the forbidden fruit as an apple, the specific fruit is never actually mentioned in the Bible. Rena suggests the other possibilities: grapes, figs, and citron.

“And the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and it was a desire for the eyes, and that the tree could pleasantly make one wise, and she took of its fruit, and she ate, and she gave to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:6

The Tree of Life, or the Tree of Knowledge, while always planted in Eden wasn’t ever a temptation for Adam or Eve – until Satan entered the picture. Temptation is one of Lent’s biggest challenges – whether it’s to cheat and have that piece of chocolate or to forget abstinence on Friday’s when it’s most convenient. Lent is to symbolize the 40 days and 40 nights Jesus failed to succumb to the Devil and his temptations. Lent is an ever present reminder that temptation is all around us; a 6 week practice in refusing Satan.

One of my favorite things about Eating the Bibleis that Rena provides alternatives to her recipes to contribute to your individual Bible study. While Rena created a “Garden of Eden Salad” with wheat kernels, mushrooms, raisins, and figs. I took her advice and used a different wheat product to make breakfast.

Cream of Wheat is a great alternative to oatmeal or grits. If it weren’t for Stuart’s wisdom teeth removal in 2010, I wouldn’t have known what Cream of Wheat is. It was his main request while still unable to eat solid foods. Here’s a bonus tip too: A day or two prior to wisdom teeth surgery eat an entire pineapple. The pineapple will help prevent swelling. My mom forced my brother and me to do this, and I to Stuart. It works. However, it also might make you hate pineapple for a while. If you can’t find pineapple, drinking pineapple juice will also work.

When I went to the store yesterday to grab some for today’s breakfast I discovered that it now comes in individual packets, just like instant oatmeal – including flavor options! I chose the box of 8 pack Healthy Grain Cream of Wheat.

Garden of Eden Cream of Wheat

Ingredients:

2 C milk
1/2 C Cream of Wheat, or 2 pkts
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C chopped apple (I used Braeburn)
1/4 C raisins, or 1 snack-size box

Steps:

Bring milk to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scalding.
Whisk in Cream of Wheat, reduce heat to low, and cook for 2 1/2 minutes, whisking occasionally.
Remove from heat and whisk in brown sugar and cinnamon. Add in apples and raisins. (You could add some pecans too if it so moves you!)

Disclaimer: I have not been sponsored by Cream of Wheat. This post contains affiliate links.

Rolled Pancakes

January 31, 2014January 31, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 3 Comments

This meal was always Mom’s request for her birthday dinner. (Maybe I get my love of breakfast for dinner from her!) She sent me Busia’s recipe and I got to cooking. I am excited to report that I only lost two pancakes during the process – the first I forgot to spray the pan and it stuck and ripped, the second was my last one and I used too much batter because I misjudged what was left in the bowl.

I wasn’t sure if this recipe was an actual Polish dish or simply one of my family’s creations. Turns out, these rolled crepes are called Nalesniki!

Nalesniki are Poland’s version of a crepe. The batter is thin and cooked in the same method you’d use for making crepes. You fill the pancake with whatever filling you like – I used cream cheese, orange marmalade, raspberry jam, and blackberry jam. The pancakes are rolled around the filling, placed in a casserole dish and baked. Top them with powdered sugar and you’re in for a delectable breakfast.

Or dinner.

Rolled Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1 C milk
1/2 C water
1 tsp vanilla
whatever fillings you want

Steps:

In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour wet into dry until combined – it will be a thin batter.
Pour 1/4 C batter into a small greased skillet. (I used non-stick cooking spray between each pancake) Swirl the pan around to create an even pancake. Once the pancake browns flip and cook another minute. Remove from skillet and fill with 1 tbsp of your filling. Fold pancake like you would an enchilada. Place seam side down in greased casserole dish.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees while you make the remaining pancakes. If you’re an impatient cook like me, I found that the amount of time it takes to fill and roll one pancake your next will be ready to flip! Don’t forget to respray the pan after each pancake. If you don’t lose any pancakes during the process, you should get 12 rolled pancakes.
Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls

December 23, 2013February 7, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 5 Comments

Christmas morning is the most magical time of the year. Kids wake up to the discovery that Santa arrived – cookies eaten and gifts under the tree. Parents are overjoyed by the wonder upon their kids’ faces. Families come together to celebrate. And breakfast is always perfect. I don’t know if it’s the same as the theory that “everything tastes better on vacation”, but on Christmas morning the breakfast is sweeter.

Cinnamon rolls have always been one of my favorite treats, and I can never pass up a Cinnabon at the airport. My favorite part isn’t the gooey, cinnamony center that everyone desires, I save that bite for someone else to savor. I love the dough and the frosting. To me the cinnamon simply adds a nice depth to the flavor profile.

Always wanting to make my own, I’ve gone through many trial-and-error attempts at baking cinnamon rolls from scratch. Either the yeast didn’t bloom properly or the flavor was just lacking. I couldn’t give up though, I kept searching for the perfect recipe. And a few years ago I found it with these Orange Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls by The Novice Chef.

Making the cinnamon rolls does take about an hour and a half so Mom and I would made them on Christmas Eve after church, covered them, kept them in the fridge, and then baked them in the morning while presents are being opened. Another option is to make them in advance, freeze them, and let them thaw Christmas Eve night. Let them rise and then bake in the morning.

Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients for the dough:

2 packets active dry yeast
2 C warm water
6 tbsp room temperature butter
1 C sugar
7 1/2 C flour, plus extra for rolling
2 eggs
1 tbsp salt

Ingredients for filling:

8 tbsp room temperature butter
1 1/2 C brown sugar
8 oz fresh cranberries, chopped
2 tbsp cinnamon

Ingredients for frosting:

4 tbsp room temperature butter
2 C powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk

Steps:

Stir yeast into the warm water. Let bloom for 5-10 minutes.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat butter, sugar, and salt. Add eggs one at a time, beating until combined. Slowly pour in the yeast and water. Beat until combined. Add the flour about one cup at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Once the dough starts to form switch to the dough hook attachment. After all the flour has been added knead the dough for 3 minutes.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand until smooth.
Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise to double in size (about 30 minutes) in a warm place. (In the microwave or turned off oven)
Divide dough in half and roll out onto a floured surface.
Roll one half into a rectangle. Spread the dough evenly with 4 tbsp of softened butter. Sprinkle with 3/4 C brown sugar, half of the cranberries, and 1 tbsp of cinnamon. Roll the dough into a log, lengthwise. Cut the dough into 2″ cinnamon rolls. Place cut side down in a 9×13 casserole dish.
Repeat step 6 for the other half of the dough.
Cover dough with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes before baking. The rolls should have doubled in size again. (Or you can freeze the rolls and after thawing let rise until doubled in size.)
Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake another 7 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool, slightly.
Meanwhile, make frosting. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the frosting. Frost the cinnamon rolls!

Gingerbread Man Waffles

December 15, 2013May 4, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 5 Comments

I still have a holly, jolly smelling batch of Gingerbread Spice from November’s Crazy Ingredient Challenge and knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. I added it to waffle batter for a fantastic holiday twist to a classic breakfast. I even make Gingerbread Sugar (instead of Cinnamon Sugar) for sprinkling over top!

The pear syrup was a great compliment and when that ran out I used bottled Strawberry syrup. I liked the tartness it added instead of piling on more sweet from regular maple syrup.

Gingerbread Man Waffles

Ingredients:

2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp gingerbread spice
2 eggs
2 1/2 C milk
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

Steps:

In a large bowl sift together all dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl whisk together the wet ingredients.
Combine wet and dry ingredients and pour into a hot waffle iron and cook until golden. Serve with gingerbread spice sugar and syrup. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter if desired.

*This recipe is adapted from Better Homes and Gardens*

To make Gingerbread Sugar use a 4:1 ratio of sugar to gingerbread spice. (4 tsp granulated sugar and 1 tsp gingerbread spice)

Buttermilk Pancakes with Pear Syrup

October 25, 2013October 21, 2013 ~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

This time of year the internet is overrun with pumpkin treats and apple ciders. The pear, although also in season, doesn’t seem to get as much publicity. I don’t know why not! Have a pear, you’ll taste fall.

This plateful of pancakes dressed in pear syrup was a perfect autumn breakfast and no pumpkins were harmed in the process.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients:

3 C flour
3 tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
2 3/4 C buttermilk
3/4 C milk
1/3 C butter, melted

Steps:

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk eggs. Add in both milks and the melted butter.
Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
On a hot buttered griddle drop 1/3 C of batter into pancakes. Flip pancakes when batter starts to set and bubbles form in the center of the pancake.

Pear Syrup

Ingredients:

1 1/4 C pear nectar
1 1/2 C sugar
1/4 C light corn syrup
1/8 tsp cinnamon
pinch ground cloves

Steps:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Boil for 60 seconds. It will foam!
Remove from heat. Skim off the foam.

*The pancake recipe is adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/buttermilk-pancakes-ii/ and the syrup from http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipes.recipeListing/filter/dianas/recipeID/407/Recipe.cfm*

Hawaii: The Big Island: Kailua-Kona

September 10, 2013September 9, 2013 ~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

Because our hotel was in Kailua-Kona, we did a lot of our eating along Alii Drive! Alii Drive is the “main strip” in downtown Kailua-Kona. There are plenty of shops and restaurants within walking distance of each other and is along the shore so everywhere you go you have a view of the ocean. The weather in Kailua-Kona is always perfect too!

Breakfast:

Our favorite breakfast place was Splasher’s Grill for their French toast. The French toast is made with Hawaiian sweet bread! The Portuguese sausage on the side is a great accompaniment to the sweetness of the bread. Their hash browns were perfectly crispy too. The staff at Splasher’s was always friendly.

We had also gone to Island Lava Java for breakfast one morning. Sit outside for a spectacular view of the ocean and to listen to live music. Stuart got the Luau Omelette which featured kalua pork and grilled pineapple. Lava Java was always busy for breakfast, so I was surprised to have slow service – but in Hawaii you’re never in a hurry, you’re on “Hawaii Time”.

Another perfectly located restaurant was The Fish Hopper, where we saw dolphins jumping in the ocean and three freshly caught ono, over five feet long, were brought in and taken straight to the kitchen! Stuart got the Catch of the Day Benedict and the French Pressed Kona Coffee. I ordered the Macadamia Nut French Toast. The French toast was garnished with shredded coconut, which I am allergic to, but the wait staff and kitchen staff were very friendly and quick at getting me a fresh order.

Twice we stopped at Cafe Kona de Pele for their hand dripped Fancy Roast coffee. They also have ice cream and I enjoyed a coffee blended with coffee ice cream. The staff was very friendly and we spent time talking to locals, getting recommendations on sights that weren’t to be missed.

Lunch:

We weren’t often still in Kailua-Kona around lunch time, but we did try Island Lava Java’s lunch menu. Stuart’s Fresh Island Fish Sandwich with tomato-fennel jam was his favorite. And my Kilauea Sandwich with turkey and caramelized onions was surprisingly good. The secret is their freshly baked bread!

Dinner:

Most nights we didn’t get back to Kailua-Kona until 10pm or later! But one evening we did go to Humpy’s for a burger and delicious Caesar salad. They have a large menu and fantastic beer list featuring a lot of local brews.

Dessert:

Shaved Ice is a Hawaiian favorite treat. It’s essentially a SnoCone. We first tried it and were not impressed – SnoBiz in Auburn blew this shaved ice out of the water! We then discovered that for authentic shaved ice we had to go to Scandinavian Shave Ice. So we did! The difference was huge. At “Scandi’s” they allow their ice to start to melt before shaving it which allows the ice to become clear. They had many more flavor options to choose from too. After drenching the ice in your choice of three flavors they pack it down. The ice was so smooth and you could really taste the flavored syrup. Stuart and I split a kid’s size.

Shopping:

We really didn’t do shopping on our trip, however one thing that I absolutely have to purchase on any vacation is a Christmas ornament. We finally found one (August isn’t exactly Christmas time) at the Eclectic Craftsman! It was a great store featuring local artists.

My mother-in-law always hits a quilt shop on a vacation. She likes to see what different fabrics stores in different parts of the country carry. It’s a different way to see a crafting culture. I followed suit and went to Quilt Passions right next to our hotel. The ladies there were so friendly, and insanely patient with my browsing and were never pushy. They actually carry a couple patterns that were developed exclusively for their store, so I had to pick up one of them! I also have to give a shout out to my husband for not only being patient with me, but also helping select fabrics and providing an opinion on the patterns we selected. I decided to create my own jelly roll out of 12-13 different batiks.

Stuart and I do not agree on painted art. Stuart loves intricate detail and while I enjoy detailed landscape paintings, I’m drawn toward abstract pieces. We’re also drawn to different color palates too. We are aware of this difference, so when we enter an art store we’re prepared for some disagreement. We peeked into just about every art store on the Alii strip and found one we could agree on, Colors of Paradise. We met one of the artists and his wife while we were there, such friendly and talented people. If you’re ever in Kailua-Kona I urge you to check out this great studio.

My favorite thing about Alii Drive was Kailua Bay and Niumalu Beach, where we found two sea turtles eating off of the rocks along the sea wall. I named the turtles Seth and Sandy. When we spotted them we were heading back from Island Lava Java to get in the car and head to South Point. We made the biggest tourist mistake of not having the camera with us, so we prolonged our road trip, got the camera, and rushed back to the beach. Luckily they were still there and we got some fantastic photos. The following morning Seth and Sandy were back and chomping away. We were informed that there were others along the sidewalk too! Sylvester was hanging out by himself enjoying the greens growing on the rocks. A little further down Sanchez and Selena were fighting with the waves for their meal. Selena was Stuart’s favorite turtle – she had beautiful copper coloring to her shell and the sunlight bouncing off it gave it a jewel-like quality.

One of the things that Stuart really wanted to do on vacation in Hawaii was play a round of golf. We made a Sunday tee time for noon at The Big Island Country Club. The public course was beautiful with spectacular views and plenty of wildlife throughout the 18 holes. Sheep were freely grazing; Nene, turkeys, quails and other small birds were also pecking at the grass.

Things to do on our next trip (aka things we didn’t have time for but wanted to see)

One of the top ten things to do according to the Discovery Channel is to do a Manta Ray Night Snorkel/Scuba. The manta rays do not have stingers and feed on plankton. They are attracted to the Kona coast by spotlights placed on the ocean floor. The light illuminates their prey. Unfortunately we weren’t able to fit this excursion into our schedule, and because we didn’t have our GoPro with us we settled with “next time”. It wasn’t until our final day that someone told us they can be seen offshore from the Sheraton Kona Resort – bummer!

Kona Brewing Company; 75-5629 Hwy 11. Kona Brewing Company is a microbrewery that began in 1994 and has expanded on a world recognized level with over 85 awards and exports to the mainland and Japan. They have free tours, including samples. (Side note: Our local Buffalo Wild Wings offered Kona Longboard when I was there last night!)

Kona Farmers Market; corner of Kaiwi St and Luhia St. I thought it would’ve been a great way to learn the food culture of the Big Island by going to a farmer’s market, not to mention a fun way to play with the camera. This market that focuses on fresh produce is open on the weekends.