Goodnight Moon

Today I saw Honolulu Theatre for Youth's production of the classic Goodnight Moon. Being that I love children's books and have benefited from HTY's programs in the past, how could I miss it?!

The play definitely did not disappoint . . . everything from the set, to the whimsical characters, dancing, stage choreography, and original music were excellently done! With such a simple book they were able to create complex, funny characters that captivated the young (and old) audience. I would recommend taking any toddlers you know to see this play! Only one week left! But if you're young at heart and want to be taken up into a fantasy world for an hour, this play is for you, too. HTY's Goodnight Moon is really magical and fun!

Their re-creation of the book through the set was amazing . . .



We followed the play with a stop at the previously mentioned Hokulani Bake Shop. I didn't think I'd be back there so soon, but this time I didn't miss the opportunity to sample one of their creations. I had the lemon cupcake with lilikoi frosting. The cupcake was moist and delicate, and the frosting wasn't too sweet. All in all, I was very happy with it!



After all that sugar, we started craving something salty, so we ended the day at Soon's. It was my first time there, and it turned out to be one of the best Korean bbq I've had! I got the meat jun with mandoo. So ono . . . broke da mouth . . . :) The meat was thin with an airy, crisp egg coating. Usually meat jun is kind of soggy and the meat can be tough, but this one was delicious!



So much good food in my tummy, made me sleepy. So good night, friends!

Hello. I'm back.

I've been busy getting sand between my toes . . .



And baking, of course! Yup, I made all of them.



Ok, I really have been baking . . . but these are from Hokulani Bake Shop. Mmmm, it smells so good in there. But I resisted the temptation to taste one, so I can't tell you how it is. One day I'll be back . . .

It's finally done!

After nine 2 1/2-hr. sewing classes, the dress is finally done! We weren't sewing during all the classes (we had to learn about fabrics, notions, how to cut fabric and work with the pattern) . . . but I was getting impatient in the end. I really loved learning how to sew, but I wished the class would go faster. I'm happy with what I made, though!

What's on my reading table

1. On Gold Mountain/The One-Hundred Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family --
I picked this up because I wanted to read something historical. It's turning out to be a real page turner. I never cared for history in school, so it's nice to get some history lessons this way.

2. Sew Subversive/Down and Dirty DIY for the Fabulous Fashionista -- I don't really care for the projects they have in here, but there were 2 that I want to attempt.

3. Apples & Pears/The Body Shape Solutions for Weight Loss and Wellness -- I always have to have a diet/nutrition/wellness book in my lineup. I seem to devour these books and find them super interesting! The premise is that your body shape and where you accumulate fat are pretty telling of your health. Belly fat is dangerous fat! I just watched a show on Discovery Health that supported this idea as well. A healthy belly measurement for women is 35 inches and below. Anything over that and you're at risk for heart disease and diabetes.

4. Easy Everyday Favorites -- gotta have a cookbook in there! The thing I love about this one is that nearly every recipe has a picture. I hate cookbooks that don't have pictures.

What are you reading? Any recommendations?

Happy Spring!

I discovered this cherry blossom-like tree on the UH campus yesterday and was just able to snap two pictures before my camera died. I don't think it's the real thing, but I could be wrong. In any case, it made me really happy, and I hope it brings a smile to your face.

Sew much fun!

Maybe it's because my sewing class is on hold for two weeks due to spring break, but lately my fingers have been itching more than ever to sew. I'd been practicing on scraps for a while, but today I was determined to make something, and voila, I completed my first unsupervised sewing project! I made an "envelope" style pillow case. Here's my little work station all ready to go . . .



And the finished product (shown on the back side so you can see my "fancy" work -- the envelope -- hehe) . . .


look really close!

It's not super fancy and not perfect, but I'm so happy! Once you get the first project done, you want to do more. The hardest part was cutting the fabric because I used an old sheet and I don't have a large, hard surface to cut on. Anyway, I'm excited to learn other techniques and make more things!

Afternoon Tea at the Surfrider

The Moana Surfrider is one of the most beautiful hotels in Hawaii, at least I think so. Being in there always makes me think of Victorian ladies in lacy dresses up to their necks strolling the lanai with parasols protecting them from the sun. Afternoon tea takes place on The Veranda, a small lanai with views of the ocean and Surfrider guests lounging on pool chairs. The experience started out with choosing our tea. Our waiter gave a short description of the type of tea, then passed it around for us to smell. I chose a white tea flavored with passion fruit, which was good, but I wish I had chosen a stronger one.

After tea was poured, a dainty lunch of mini sandwiches arrived: croissant with egg salad, focaccia with ham and tomato, and toast with smoked salmon. I'm not sure if that's exactly what I had since our waiter had an accent, but that's pretty much what I remember.



Next came a lovely tray of desserts. I was most looking forward to trying the scones with lemon curd and clotted cream (middle tray). The condiments complemented the scones very well, and all the desserts were very nicely done. Everything was so rich that even with the small portions, I couldn't finish everything and I actually got full! My favorite was the tiny little fruit tart on the bottom tray.



Goodbye, Waikiki!



The day after afternoon tea I was flipping through the cookbook By Request, The Search for Hawaii's Greatest Recipes and came across one for Diamond Head Market and Grill's Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones. Hawaii is a beautiful but odd place . . . only here would things like Fried Twinkie, Black Chicken Soup, Baked Pepsi Ham, and Chile Verde with Pig's Feet make the cut for most requested recipes. I know there are people out there who adore pigs feet, but I am not one of them! But anyone who has had DHMG's blueberry scones filled with chunks of cream cheese and blueberries will understand why this one made it to the top of the list. These scones are dropped onto the baking sheet rather than rolled into a circle or cut into circles. I made a batch of 8 and had myself a little tea party. No curd or cream to accompany the scones this time, but they didn't need them with the chunks of cream cheese tucked into each one. This is definitely a recipe I will be going back to again and again and again!