A Photo Chick's Journal in Paradise

Hale Macrobiotic

A couple of weeks ago my girlfriends and I decided to try this new organic healthy eatery called Hale Macrobiotic.  I'd never heard of Macrobiotic cooking before and decided to check it out.  

What is macrobiotic diet you ask?  It is defined by Wikipedia as, "A macrobiotic diet (or macrobiotics), from the Greek "macro" (large, long) and "bios" (life), is a dietary regimen that involves eating grains as a staple food supplemented with other foodstuffs such as vegetables and beans, and avoiding the use of highly processed or refined foods. Followers of the macrobiotic approach believe that food and food quality powerfully affect health, well-being, and happiness, and that a macrobiotic diet has more beneficial effects than others. The macrobiotic approach suggests choosing food that is less processed."

Google Macrobiotic. It's pretty interesting! I love the way it's not just about the food that's being eaten but the entire process of thought, how it's prepared, HOW it is eaten, etc.  This comes at a great time since I'm on an Ultimate Four Week Detox program (by Michelle Schoffro Cook) right now. So I'm eating mostly veggies and fruits.  No dairy, sugar, wheat, etc.  

Okay, so where was I...oh yes! Hale Macrobiotic which is right behind Sam's Club off of Keeaumoku near Ala Moana Shopping Center.

I was greeted by so many wonderful things and peeps such as:

This parking cone:

To my delight I also found my dear friend Alice Inoue's smiling face as soon as you walk in through the door! Hi, Alice!!!  So appropriate!!!

Right next to Alice is Chef Moco's Macrobiotic certificate:

And then, the next best thing, these two lovely ladies, Mana and Milani, ready to serve you and answer any questions that you may have!

I love the feel of the restaurant. I regret not bringing my Canon 5D to really capture the ambiance of the place. That's okay as this gives me a good reason to return, right Mana?

I saw this and felt like I was home...

Look at this! Fresh Tiare on every table!

And there at the grill is Chef Moco herself, ready to create something magical for us! She is so sweet and friendly!

After I took in my new Macrobiotic environment I proceeded to read the menu:

I LOVE IT!!!

Okay, so here's what we ordered:

Pita and Hummus (I could not eat this as it's not allowed in my detox diet. My gfriends had this delish dish)

Avocado (this, I happily consumed)!

The girls had this yummy risotto soup

And for dinner...voila!

Tempeh Reuben!

Look at the presentation, people! Isn't that beautiful???

Then there was dessert (which I, sadly, could not touch). The Moffle!

Everything was so delish!  

Mahalo to Mana, Milani, Chef Moco and the rest of the Hale Macro crew for making my first visit so enjoyable and tasty.  MAHALO also to my fellow healthy Spartan, Celise, for turning me on to this place! You go girl!

Thanks also to my girls for being sooooo patient with me every time a dish came out. They're so good about NOT touching the food and even styling it for me before I shoot it! You gals are awesome!!!

If you're in the mood for some great organic vegan cooking which is prepared with a lot of good energy then check out Hale Macrobiotic on Makaloa Street. It is awesome!  I will be back there soon, armed with my Canon 5D to capture more yummy foods that's good for my mind, body and SPIRIT!!!

Green Goddess Drink

This afternoon, I returned to the world of juicing!  With my trusty Jack Lalanne Juicer and Vitamix I created the Green Goddess Drink:

Here are the ingredients:

• Cucumber
• Celery 
• Kale 
• Apple 
• Pear 
• Carrots 
• Ginger 
• Lemon 
• Advocado 
• Flax 
• Choco Protein 
• Ice   

I make sure to wash all the fruits and veggies with Biokleen's Produce Wash which helps to remove chemical sprays, waxes and soil.  

All of the fruits and veggies are juiced except for the advocado, choco protein, flax and ice.

It's a delicious and healthy meal!  My body thanks me every time she has this delightful and nourishing drink!

Safeway's Waterfront Bistro

Once again, another post to remind you of my cooking skills. Yep, the "I Can Only Cook Rice" Chef makes another discovery!

So tonight was one of those nights where I couldn't figure out what to make for dinner. As I walked through the frozen seafood section at Safeway I noticed this sign:

Vacuum packed PRE-SEASONED frozen seafoods from Waterfront Bistro!  They had a variety of fishes from Cod to Tilapia to Salmon.  And I think I even saw shrimp and scallops.   "Hmmmm...this looks interesting?" I thought to myself.

I was in the mood for salmon (which is one of the most HEALTHIEST fishes to eat) and they did have a salmon entree I could try...

So I decided, "why not?"

Here's what I selected:

There are two vacuum sealed and seasoned fillets in each package:

It's pretty easy to cook!  Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees, place the fishes on the pan covered with foil (skin faced down).  Oh yeah! I thought you'd like to see about how big the pieces are:

And about 20 - 25 minutes later you've got your meal!

I had it with a some low glycemic brown Basmati rice and steamed spinach.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was and how quick it was to "prepare."

I'm excited to try the other selections they have!

Mother's Day Sunbutter

OMG!  Today I was introduced to a new healthy treat:

 

Thanks to my dear friend Debbie Friedrich, who introduced this product to my other dear friend, Arna, while she visited with Deb in San Diego recently.

Check this out:

You can find this alternative to peanut butter at Whole Foods. I'm unsure if Down to Earth has it but you can give them a try as well.

Yummy stuff on Mother's Day, gang!!!  

Earth Day at Red Ginger Cafe in Manoa

Today is Earth Day.  Actually, in my world, I try to make Earth Day EVERY DAY!!!  However, today is the designated day to "inspire awareness and appreciation for Earth's environment."

In honor of today I wore my one of my fave message shirts:

This was purchased from Adoracion Boutique some time last year. I love this shirt!

As much as I wanted to get my hands close to Mother Earth today,  I unfortunately didn't have time to plant anything.  Instead, I had two very special meetings which took place at one of my fave places to hang in Manoa, Red Ginger Cafe in Manoa Marketplace.

Aaaaahhhh...Red Ginger Cafe...I love this place! It's locally owned and it's owners are earth conscious business owners who help our islands by purchasing locally grown produce and other eco friendly gift items. 

Before I go on with the gift items, check out this beautiful salad my friend Melanie Kawai, Red Ginger Cafe owner (AND IMUA graduate), made for me:

Organic greens, grilled chicken, organic eggs, and advocado served with a Papaya dressing on the side.  That's my Earth Day purchase for today!  MAHALO, Melanie! It was sooo yummy!!!

Besides an array of salads and wraps they have parfaits, smoothies and not to mention their Acai bowls!

OMG!!! And I was soooo excited to try one of their hot selling items: Coldfyyre Ice Cream Sandwiches! (NOTE: These were just display samples.  They are NOT served in a martini glass with little glass balls)

Fortunately, Aubrey of Savoir Faire, who I was meeting with, also wanted to try one so here's what a REAL one looks like:

You guys!!!! It was soooo ono!!! This delectable treat is made locally from scratch and has NO PRESERVATIVES! That's right, baby, it's all natural!!!

YAY FOR ALL NATURAL! And SUPER YAY FOR BEING LOCAL!!!

Look at all the different flaves:

May I just say that I am soooo glad I had the emergency Lactaid pill in my wallet, kay?

Melanie told me that they were having a difficult time keeping these frozen treats in stock. Everyone LOVES them!  Even my clients who I was meeting with tried a little piece and ended up purchasing FIVE Coldfyyre Sandwiches!  Cool, huh?  (No pun intended!)

Yummy...

Okay, on to the gift items....

Just so you know, Red Ginger Cafe also sells several Eco-friendly items.  I have to say my favorite is...

These neat ENCORE bags are made from discarded and recycled drink pouches! Isn't that rad???

I LOVE THEM!!!

And here are some other fabulous organic items you can pick up at the Cafe:

I LOVE RED GINGER Cafe...not only because of their great food, fun and earth conscious gift items but more importantly for the ALOHA that comes with every purchase.  

Melanie and crew, you are truly ORGANIC and the heartbeat of this special place.  MAHALO NUI LOA for always welcoming us with your warm smile, caring customer service and for giving us a place to nourish our bodies and relax our minds in your easygoing atmosphere!

Please visit Red Ginger Cafe at Manoa Marketplace, peeps!!! And have a Coldfyyre for me, will ya???

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!

Safeway Select Garlic Chicken Ultra Thin Crust Pizza!!!

Okay, you know the sale ends tomorrow for these pizzas that I've been boasting about, right?  At a time when we're all trying to save $$$, Safeway has a great deal on some ono food!!!

So tonight, in honor of this magnificent sale, I had the Ultra Thin Crust Garlic Chicken for dinner!

Look at how THIN the crust is, people!!!!

I decided to "bedazzle" tonight's entree with Safeway Select Pesto Sauce!

15 - 20 minutes later...VOILA!!! An inexpensive gourmet pizza dinner!!!

Hurray and stock up now!!!  Sale ends tomorrow, March 31st!!!!

Skittles Sunday

Michelle Guda (aka "Honey Babe), one of my BFFs,  came up with a brilliant idea! She wanted to take photos in front of Maryknoll's  colorful "construction" wall in front of the upcoming Maryknoll School Community Center which is slated to open on May 7, 2009.

First things first...kau-kau!!!

Michelle & :Dave, Tiara & Brian and myself powered up with several bowls of amazing Pho in Chinatown at Golden River Restaurant on the corner of King St. and River St.  WOW!!!  Super ono, kay?  Thanks to T, for this delicious suggestion!

After lunch we were powered up and ready to roll!

How many times have you passed by this wall on Dole Street and Alexander Street? Maybe on your way to jump onto H-1?  I LOVE this wall!!!  The overall theme to the shoot would be "grade school fun!"

Here we go!

Michelle's "Paper Dolls" shot!

Tiara and Bri's turn!

Back in 2003, I met Tiara and Brian.  I had the great fortune to photograph their wedding and ever since then we've become friends!

How fun to be able to shoot one of my favorite couples again! I just LOVE these two!!!

This shot is dedicated to Hiwa Girl...

 I love you, tita!!!

Here's a warm up for the Honeys Engagement shoot.  This is just a warm up, people!!!

What a privilege to photograph Michelle and El Presidente himself, Mr. Dave Miyamoto! (Honey Boy, I was small kine nervous, kay???)

I love these photos that Tiara and Bri took!!!

You know what's so neat (besides this incredible time with these cool people)?  Is the sweet fact that Michelle and Dave met Tiara and Brian for the FIRST TIME this afternoon!!!  It was soooo awesome and I'm not surprised that they would all get along!  

Fortunately, we did these photos this past Sunday. I just drove by this same wall yesterday and found that part of it was gone!  Like life, things are only temporary so you have to seize the day!  Like Michelle said, "Here today, gone tomorrow...."

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for an incredible afternoon, T, Bri, Mimi, and Honey Boy!!!  My spirit is soooo happy and my soul rejoices for our special friendship!!!  I love you guys!!

Looking forward to more Ferris Bueller Day Offs, kids!!!

Braggin' about Braggs!

We love our local food here in our islands.  Our favorite, cannot-survive-without seasoning?  SHOYU!Yes, shoyu. Not soy sauce (mainland term), SHOYU!!!

Since childhood I've been a fan of both Kikkoman and Aloha Shoyu. People swear by either one!  Sorta like the whole Apple vs PC battle???  I enjoy both so don't turn to me for support on your favorite!

With that being said, I haven't used either for years now!  Because I was introduced to a better and HEALTHIER alternative to shoyu:

OMG, you guys!!! This stuff is the bomb!!! It tastes the same!!!  Please read up on it.  It's such a great tasty seasoning and it's really good for you!

You can still make your plate lunch ono by throwing some of this good stuff on top, kay?

Check out:  www.bragg.com!  

YUMMY!!!

Costco Rocks!

OMG!
Another find you guys!
Organic cage-free eggs at Costco!!

Easy Eats!

I'm not much of a cook.  Yes, I can cook rice (this is one staple you NEED to know how to make growing up in a 1) Filipino household and 2) growing up in the islands) however, I am not a cook.  

Tonight was one of those, "I wonder what I should have for dinner?" nights. While walking around Safeway I remembered having one of their Safeway Select Pizza's at a friends house recently. Those who were present to partake in that meal were really impressed with the pizza!

So I wandered over to the freezer section and was delighted to find that their pizzas were on sale!!!  Check this out! They were only $4.99!!! Can you believe it??? A whole pizza  for $4.99!!! Less than one plate lunch!

I brought my frozen quick and easy entree home and before you know it...voila!

Okay, I embellished a little and put a little more baby tomatoes and parmesan cheese.  It was sooooo ono!!!  

I am pretty impressed with Safeway Select products! I think I shall try other Safeway Select foods and goods and share what I think of them.  For now, I'm just going to sit here and enjoy my meal!

Lumpia on da brain....

Since I was in Windward Mall today, to do a very important task, I decided to grab a bite to eat at the Food Court.  

Most of the time when I walk into that area of the mall I'm overtaken by thoughts of confusion and the feeling of being overwhelmed!  What should I eat???? Chinese? Steak? Japanese??  Bypass a meal and go straight to Cookie Corner or Cinnabons (something I would, of course, never do)???  Fortunately, in my fit of hunger, I headed straight for the tried and true - Filipino Food!!!

I hem and hawed for about 20 seconds before settling on two items: chicken adobo and squash with pork.

It was soooo ono! 

You know, I grew up on this food. As a child I envied other kids who ate hamburgers, pizza and other types of kiddie delicacies.  But in our household it was ALWAYS Filipino food!!!  Ugh!!!

Now, as an adult, I can't believe I have to PAY to eat my childhood comfort foods!!!!  Fortunately, my Auntie Pipay lovingly makes any dish I request....ahead of time.  And then, there's establishments like Cafe Rein who can fulfill those last minute cravings.

I LOVE my adobo, pinakbet, pancit! And of course...my lumpia!!!!

Yes, today I actually had a lumpia.  Finally!!!! It's been one week since my encounter with Alyssandra's in Waikele!  I had TWO banana lumpias. One for me and one for my little sister, Daisy.

YUMMY!!!

Lumpia Express

Okay, I was just talking to my girlfriend Michelle (a.k.a."Honey Babe") today about lumpia!  To be precise, she brought up the idea of opening up a Lumpia Truck like the Shrimp Trucks lined up in Kahuku and along the east side of the island.

Lo and behold, before my shoot today, I stumbled across this at Waikele:

How ironic is that????  There's this cool Lumpia hut thing in the middle of Waikele Square amongst all the trendy shops!!!  

I was blown away!  My client, Marie, told me that it's super ono.  That is sooooo cool!!!  Regular lumpia and my childhood fave, banana lumpia!!  I was in such a hurry that I didn't have time to try one of those tasty treats.  Note to self: Must try it out with the Blog Squad and then try on Skinny Jeans at Guess just for fun!

If you're having a craving, peeps, please hit it up at Waikele and support this cute little eatery!!!

Pinoy power!!!

Holy smokes! Whole Foods is here!!!

Well, the long awaited arrival of Whole Foods Market is finally here!  

Today, my good friends Dave Miyamoto and his honey, Michelle Guda, and I decided to grab lunch at the newest addition to Kahala Mall.

As the automatic doors slid open, I was greeted by a wall of raw foods - mainly organic green veggies!

At that moment, I knew, my experience was going to be an overwhelming and exciting one!  Look at all the GREENS!!!!

I was floored at the produce section!  Rows and rows of veggies and fruits!!!  I don't know how I made it out of that area without disrupting the pyramid of advocados or oranges!

There was an actual Olive Bar which Michelle and I were "oooing" over.

I had no idea there were so many different types of olives!!!  (NOTE: I grew up on a filipino diet and there were no olives in my adobo or pinakbet!)

Right next to that we "aaaawwwed" over the cheese "bar."  There were so many cheeses!  

And as Michelle excitedly rattled off her favorite types of cheeses, we were both taken aback by this tower of humongous "forever" cheese!

That would be Dave checking to see if it's real!

What goes good with cheese???  Wine, of course!!!

Again, Dave, checking to see if the wine is fo' real!  

Check this out!  Even Eco Friendly wines!!!

As we all wandered around the market in different directions, I was just feeling a bit overwhelmed by the selection and amount of EVERYTHING!!!

Fresh Seafood section:

Meats and poultry:

OMG! Look at how many yogurts!!!

My other favorite section...food you can take out and eat!!!

They also have a big ol' salad bar which even had one of my favorites:

HARD BOILED EGGS!!!!  I LOVE hard boiled eggs! My friend, Grant, would LOVE to also know this eating tidbit!

Michelle and I cracked up at the little sign above the hard boiled eggs:

There was a hot food bar, sweets area, a fridge filled with Gluten Free treats, and the list goes on, and on and on!!!

After waiting for my head to stop spinning, I finally settled for a grab-and-go tofu salad and a little dish of hot lamb stew.  YUM!!!

I did get to do a bit of shopping after our meal (yes, I went into Whole Foods for a second time). My most favorite discovery at Whole Foods?

YUP!  They have one of my most favorite granolas which I could only find on the island of Kaua'i.  Anahola Granola!!!  Yum, yum!!! Now...where'd all that yogurt go???

(MAHALO to my Honeys - Dave and Michelle for an awesome lunch!  Can't wait for the next round at Whole Foods!!!  You're right, Michelle, we need to hit up the SWEETS section!)

My Mini Mauna Kea Sno Cap!

I don't drink. 

I am lactose intolerant.

So what does a hardworking girl like me do during her time off this afternoon?

Have a cold Wailua Wheat Beer at Kona Brewing Company!

Today was one of those HOT and HUMID Hawaiian days, wasn't it??? After assisting at a shoot this afternoon in Hawai'i Kai, I actually felt like having a cold beer from Kona Brewing Company.  I only drank half (much to the chagrin of all the beer lovers out there) of my citrus tasting brew.  It hit the spot!

Then, after the pupus, I had a little Sno Cap delight!!!

Anyone who's close to me knows that eating this kind of stuff is a NO-NO!!!  However, today, I decided NOT to look at this little mountain as a bowel problem waiting to happen, but as a sign of celebrating LIFE and all the sweet and goodness that it is filled with!!!

MAHALO to Kona Brewing Company for your existence!

And for Foodland Hawai'i Kai for having Lactaid pills in stock!!!

Morning Figs with the Figs

After my shoot with the Parate 'ohana I zipped on over to pay a morning visit to my friends, the Figueiras. I had planned to not only visit with them but to photograph 3 year old baby Daisy and her 3 month old brother, Pohaku.

Baby Daisy was so happy to see me!  She even donned her fabulous glasses for the occasion!

In true Figueira hospitality, I was welcomed with an ono-licious morning brunch which included, yes!  Actual FIGS!!!

I have NEVER had figs before!  Thanks to Aubrey's international taste, she told me that figs were one of her favorite fruits!  She was excited to share with me that Costco (Ka Uka's one in Mililani) had them in stock.  (We also went into a brief discussion on how Ka Uka's Costco is our favorite Costco on the island because of the various items/foods they have in stock.  Stuff you can't seem to find at the other O'ahu Costcos.  Why the heck is that?!?!?)

 I really, really enjoyed biting and consuming this high-fiber, sweet pear shaped fruit! It was really delicious and I highly recommend that you at least try one before their season comes to an end!

As daddy cooked breakfast, Baby Daisy was busy making hers...

She finally had to sit and have a real meal...

In the meantime, while I stuffed my face with Figs, Pohaku was just finishing up his morning milk with his mama.  He is such a happy boy! 

Especially on a full tummy!!!

Baby Daisy is so proud of her brother!

And so is his mama...

Time to give mommy a rest and just hang out!

Now it's time to see what Baby Daisy is up too...

Kids just love their rooms! And they're always excited to show me their stuff! Baby Daisy is no exception.

She wanted to show me all her hair accessories...

How tall she is...

Her cool paintings from school...

Her favorite educational cartoon, The Backyardigans!

And not to mention the oodles and oodles of books she has in her library!

Yup!  Baby Daisy LOVES her room!!!

It was time that Pohaku joined in on the fun!

At three months old, he can hold his head up...just for a little while.  He needs some help from that thing...what do you mommies call it? A Boopy?  A Boppy?  You know, this thing that Baby Daisy has happily worn around her neck!

That's so much better!  And with a little help from daddy...

MAN!  These kids are so dang cute!!!  In fact, Aubrey came across a photo of Baby Daisy as an infant.

Wow!!!  Isn't it amazing how siblings can look so similar at a certain age????

Before I left the Figueira residence, I grabbed a quick shot of one of my most treasured 'ohanas...

Of course, after a while, there's ALWAYS a little bit of resistance during my shoots with my families. 

Fortunately, that it only lasts for a few seconds!

Mahalo, Aubrey, Ricky, Haku Boy and Baby Daisy for another great time with all of you!!!

And to Baby Daisy...thank you, for being so welcoming and entertaining during my visit with you!  Even during your brief faux melt downs..

You ALWAYS manage to bounce back with your beautiful, warm smile!!!  

I'm so proud of you and I love you very, very much!!!

 

Welcome, Seattle Sunshine!!!!

OMG!!!!  The SUN is finally here!!!  I was sooooo happy to wake up this morning and see the sunshine and the feel the warmth...so yummy!!!

Today, my best bruddah, Gonz, had the day off so we ventured out to the U district to....

rent a kayak!!!!

Kayaking at Lake Union has been on my Bucket List (which I'm going to rename later) for the longest time. 

After being fitted with our life vests and were taught how to properly get into the kayak, we headed  off into our watery adventure!

Here's Interstate 5 from our paddling point-of-view...

I've always found house boats so fascinating!  

Look at this house boat neighborhood!

Neat, yeah????

The Space Needle and downtown Seattle...

A quick self-portrait...

....while Gonz busted his butt paddling!

I want to thank you, Gonz, for using your man power and outrigger paddling skills to get us to and fro during our watery excursion on Lake Union.  MAHALO for helping me check this item off of my Bucket List!!!  YOU ROCK!!!

After a very tiring and fun activity like kayaking, one gets super duper hungry.  

During this trip, I wanted to make sure I paid a visit to my client's restaurant located in North Seattle, Kona Kitchen! 

I photographed Angie and Yuji Okumoto's wedding seven years ago in Hawai'i.  I was so excited to hear that they opened up this cool Hawaiian-style restaurant.

So Gonz and I decided to satisfy our hunger pangs by having a plate lunch at Kona Kitchen.  We polished off our hamburger steaks in minutes!

It was so awesome to see Angie's mom, Liz again AND to meet one of Angie and Yuji's daughters! 

Mahalo, Liz, Angie, & Yuji for a wonderful time!  I'll be sure to spread the word amongst my 'ohana and friends about Kona Kitchen!!!

Good times...GREAT DAY!!!

Happy ONE Year, Kailua Jazz Hounds!!!

Today, the Kailua Jazz Hounds celebrated their one year anniversary of performing at Tsukijis at Ho'okipa Terrace at Ala Moana Shopping Center!  I learned this evening, that performing at a venue for one whole year is a really great thing!!! 

So I celebrated with my very talented friend, Kevin Leong, who performs with the Hounds.  

On hand to commemorate was Kevin's talented sister (and my graphic's designer) Stacey, her hubby Billy, Arna and of course, my delightful niece, Kauanoelehua...

Please check out the Kailua Jazz Hounds at Tsukijis at Ho'okipa Terrace in the Ala Moana Shopping Center when you have a chance.

Here's to another year of great music, gentlemen!

India Cafe' Lunch-Wagon

One of my most favorite reasons for living in Hawai'i is our FOOD!!! 

Food is the hub of all family and friends get togethers.  It's a great accompaniment for our  laughter during the great times. And consoles us during the sad....

Here in Hawai'i we have meals on wheels.  They are lovingly called da Lunch-Wagon.  

Now, normally I'm a health food fanatic, but today's hunger pangs couldn't care less if I had a nice healthy salad or a plate lunch drowning in brown gravy on a bed of WHITE RICE!!!  YIKES!!!

As my stomach grumbled while driving around Kailua doing errands, we (my stomach, gal pal Arna, and I) came across a very different lunch-wagon - The India Cafe'.  Located in the Don Quijote (formerly Daiei, to us local-local folks) parking lot,  I had read about this wonderful ethnic food on wheels in the Midweek and have seen it several times.  I had wanted to try it several times but never had the chance.  TODAY WAS THE DAY!!!

After placing my order with Scott, I waited patiently and hungrily for my mouth watering order. I ordered the Chicken Curry ($8) and Arn ordered the Lamb Masala ($11).   

Scott did NOT disappoint!!!!  We also ordered some Roti Bread ($2/each)  and it was DEEELISSSHHHHHH!!!!  I actually found myself full after eating only half my meal!  You know what that means, gang....LEFTOVERS for Dinner!!!

Happy Fat Tuesday!!!