Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Red Wines and Good Times

Sunset Power Walk

I went on a sunset walk along the Kapalua Coastal Trail (about a 10 minute walk to get to) one night while hubby had to work. I meditated on God's beautiful creation and prayed while the sun set.






I Spy THREE wedding couples on Kapalua Beach at sunset :D
That's how beautiful it is

How can there be a question in anyone's mind whether God exists with such a beautiful landscape as this. You know God made this for you. He made it for me, he made it for you to see pictures of or experience personally, and he had you in mind while creating it.

Our Hawaiian Food Exploration

Jon has gotten in touch with his Italian roots and has dove into making delectable extravagant dinners for us on our nights off from work!
Steak skewers with a spaghetti squash pasta salad, a red wine reduction and a candied starfruit garnish
 
Lilikoi wanted to get in on it!
2009 Bella Sera- Italian Pinot Noir

Flatbread home made pizza with balsamic vinagrette marinated veggies and chicken
2010 Tierra Brisa- Argentina Merlot
Italian marinated steak pinwheels stuffed with spinach, garlic, and cheese made for our BBQ party
2009 Alamos- Argentina Cabernet Sauvingon
2009 Mirassou- California Pinot Noir
2009 Yellow Tail- Australia Shiraz/Cabernet


Organic Bowtie pasta salad with olives, corn, green beans, carrots, italian vinagrette, finished with a tomato lomi lomi for the BBQ as well
The beginnings of a 30oz red wine and mustard marinated steak
A steamed broccoli, grilled zuchinni, chunky tomato and garlic cheesy pasta salad with balsamic marinated chicken.
Astoria Lounge- Italian Brut Rose

Stuffed homemade zuchinni, mushroom, bell pepper, onion, and marinated chicken pizza
2009 Los Gatos Locos- California Syrah

Oh Lilikoi...


If you didn't notice, we share a bottle  of wine with each dinner. We started with sweet white wines, then went to the more dry whites. We've recently broadened our horizons to Reds. Beginning reds with Pinot Noirs and now we drink everything. Jonny built this adoreable wine rack from palm tree leaves and old corks. Then he bought 14 wines for $70!! Carazay! We don't need super nice wine to enjoy with dinner, half the time a $40 bottle tatses like a $9. So we are trying them all out- training our palate.

 Maui Grown Dragon fruit :) FUNKY looking fruit!
 
The result of the cut up Dragon fruit with some red wine :)
Dragon fruit makes a MESS when cut up.,or if you drop it while eating it.
In my journey to finish this bowl of dragonfruit and drink red wine with it, I almost stained a white shirt, the tan carpet (twice) and the matress... They are "slippery little suckers!"
 No worries Auntie Candy, I got it out of the carpet.

My favorite frozen yogurt on Maui- Island Fro-Yo
This is a Mango Passion Fruit frozen yogurt with Maui grown strawberries, mango, pineapple and Lychee juice balls (the best part)




Funny tidbit:
        For the BBQ we invited a few friends to, I remembered last minute that we had some Coke Zeros that could be a beverage choice. So I stuck them in the freezer to cool them quicker.
        We ended up only drinking wine and beer, so I never took those Cokes out of the freezer. So at about 1:30am when we were drifting off to sleep, a LOUD pop resounded from my aunt's kitchen. Then another. I said, "ummm Jonny... that doesn't sound like the ice machine, it's way to angry sounding." So he slumps out of bed and I hear him open the freezer door and a large splash and "what the effff... Oh No!" The Cokes EXPLODED!!! We delicately put them in the sink and covered them with a towel in case more popped. Then got to work cleaning the freezer. Sorry again Auntie, if you find some things out of place in the freezer, and a cleaner freezer than before, now you know why :-D

Many many Starfruits on our tree

By Jon's estimate: We picked 30lbs of star fruit...


All of the Star fruit was ripe THAT DAY. No day or two to let them ripen. I like fruit, but didn't have room in my tummy for 30lbs of star fruit. Aside from the bowl we kept for me, Jon made some candied starfruit (YUM), I took some to give to friends, and Jon took some to work. Pineapple Grill used them as garnishes for some dishes. 

I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends - John Lennon
Napili Beach with Holly
My friend Jessica's husband, Dave, works on the Gemini- a beautful catamaran that takes people out on sunset cruises or off for the day to enjoy the ocean and some great snorkle spots. Because of that connection, when another girlfriend's sister came to town, we all went out on the Gemini to show off our beautiful island, only having to pay $20, originally $60-$100. They are nick named a "Booze Cruise" because of the open, endless bar. Snacks and goodies are provided as well.












      
  Jen's WTF?! party:
(WTF stands for "What The F***?!" meaning wear something that makes the host exclaim... "WTF?!" when they see you. I was a Zumba instructor)





 Spoons drinking game








And now for:
Only in Maui

Cockroaches
-in the shower
-in my wallet
-in my purse
-in my work shoes
-on the stove
-flying in the room
-in the kitchen droor
-in my car

All are dead now, except for the one in my car :-/
Recently coachroaches have been traveling with me from the work locker to the gym or home. FML
All cockroach phobia is gone now tho... Just like how growing up at home I'd yell for daddy or mommy to come kill the harmless daddy long legs while paralysed in fear- then you get your own place and have to face the fact that when you're home alone, YOU have to do the killing. It matures you. Hawaii has matured me from the general fear and disgust of seeing a cockroach


I wanna ride one of these

Kitten sleepy time
 
Some tourists are desperate to get to the beach and are not willing to look for further parking spots. So they park diagonal and in the opposite direction...

Asleep with Kea while housesitting, sneaky Jonny with his cameras and such...
"The parrot guy"
Rides around Lahaina with his parrot on his handle bars. Not sure if he does much else.
I wonder where he lives?
Or works?
Does he eat?
He cycles so much I wonder if he's lost a bunch of weight?
Why does he never wear a shirt?
Does he get sunburnt?
Does he use protection?
Sunscreen protection! for those with dirty minds...
Maui No Ka Oi