We are foodies

We are foodies!  This weekend we tried Brick Oven in Kapolei which gave Madeline "play dough" when we sat down...so cool!  Next for tasting was Hawaiian Kettle Corn, which unfortunately, tasted no different than regular kettle corn.  Though it said it was made with fruit juice, I didn't taste it, but it was still really good!  Then, there was malasadas!  Oh my goodness, these things are good, but for calorie purposes should only be eaten about twice a year.  We tried sugar, cinnamon, and coconut from Leonards.  Lastly, for dinner on Sunday I made Salmon, roasted potatoes, and green beans grown locally here in Hawaii.  These green beans are the longest I think we've ever seen, but not very flavorful.  Maybe that one had to do with the cook.  :)

 

 

 

Art

One of the things I think that could be easily forgotten or overlooked is art that are on so many buildings here on the island.  Murals and mosaics seem to be everywhere!  This one in particular is outside of Ross in a strip mall.

Maunawili Falls Trail

This hike was beautiful.  It was 3.2 miles of muddy trails, tree canopies, mountain views, rivers, and a beautiful waterfall and pool at the end.  Even the view walking through the neighborhood back to the car was beautiful.  However, I do wish I would of read the warning when I took the picture instead of in the car when we were finished...I tasted the water!  I guess I just wait and see if anything happens now.

 

The longest traffic light in Hawaii

I'm not sure if the title of this post is accurate, but sitting there it sure seems like it!

Bugs of Hawaii

Sorry Florida, but these palmetto bugs give you a run for money.  However, being featured is the vietnamese centipede.  This guy will put you in the hospital and was found in our backyard under a sprinkler head.

Climbing Koko Head Crater

So previously I took pictures from afar, but today we did the hike...5 year old included!  A few slips, a few crawls, a couple of falls, and a couple of stings, but we made it up and back down again!  The views were amazing!  I was so surprised that once we made it to the top one side was warm and the other side the air was so cool.  I may even go as far to say cold.

 

 

Utilizing our community center

We ventured the 0.9 miles to our community pool today.  The facility is gorgeous and includes pavilions, fitness classes, and a salt water pool.  Hopefully we will be utilizing this for days and parties to come.  We even walked down there on Saturday and I got to go to my first swap meet! 

 

 

 

Semi-Homemade

My first Hawaiian semi-homemade meal.  Poke, jasmine rice with sweet chili sauce, and edamame...YUM!  We also planted a pineapple tonight.  Maybe we see fruit before we move.

Grocery shopping

So I picked up a few local flavors from our local grocery store, Foodland.  From right to left: spicy ahi tuna poke (pok ee), sesame ahi tuna poke (pok ee), spam musubi (moo su bee), pineapple, and macadamia nut coffee.  Excited to try it all!!!

Being local

Now that we are unpacked and the house is semi set up it's time to be local.  For right now I don't have a car so until we purchase one for me I am utilizing the sidewalks and the bus system.  This is the first time that I can recall using a public bus system and it really isn't bad!  I'm glad my daughter is getting some of these experiences early in life.
We started our day with a 0.9 mile walk to Starbucks and grabbed coffee, a bagel, two petite scones, and milk.  Next, we hopped on the bus and took it to the neighboring town of Kapolei where we caught a movie (Monster's University) and then lunch.  Lunch was at a local and very popular place called Zippy's.  It's kind of like a Hawaiian Denny's.  The restaurant style is like Denny's, but the food is very Hawiian/Korean themed.  You get white rice with everything instead of fries, but you can get fries upon request.  I got the Mahi Mahi and Missy Girl got Katsu Chicken.  Both hit the spot!  We later walked down to Kmart and bought a pair of shoes and then took the bus back to Foodland to pick up dinner and make the walk home.  So far, I'm enjoying being a local!    

Teddy's

A local favorite all over the island!  I had an amazing veggie burger and an even better peanut butter milkshake!  YUM!

Exploring

We traveled to the Windward Side, North Shore, Dole, Downtown Honolulu, Wakiki, several lookouts beyond Diamond Head, Koko Head Crater, Pali Lookout and more!  I think we've managed to drive and see the entire island in the past two days and every thing is amazing its own way.  Here are some pictures of the sights we've seen.  There will be more as we actually take the time to spend a day at some.