Too Noisy in Paradise??

Tree frogs are found throughout the world. In many places of the world, tree frogs are endangered and protected. The coqui tree frog has now come to Hawaii, accidentally transported with plants from the Caribbean.

The coqui frog is non-poisonous and is small, about the size of a quarter. They climb up trees at night to sing their mating song, and later parachute down the trees using their webbed feet.

Some people in Hawaii, unaccustomed to the sound, find the coqui's mating call objectionable. Others have come to enjoy the sound. I happen to love the sound. 

The sound of the coqui is like a two-tone chirp. The coqui's song is no louder than that of some birds or crickets. One of the first impressions one gets from the frog's song is that it is some exotic nighttime bird. The coquis sing this mating song until dawn, harmonizing with the tropical sounds of crickets and surf that grace the Hawaiian nights.

Some people find the sound of the coquis much more pleasant when they think of it as a cheerful, festive sound. Others find the tiny frogs more acceptable once they realize that the coquis eat mosquitoes, roaches and other pests. Every tropical area in the world has frogs singing at night.

One of the best ways to get used to the coquis' song is to hear it as music, and not noise.

information courtesy of The Coqui Hawaiian Integration and Reeducation Project

Tsunami Hits Hilo

“The sea, washing the equator and the poles, offers its perilous aid, and the power and empire that follow it. . . . ‘Beware of me,’ it says, ‘but if you can hold me, I am the key to all the lands." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

The most destructive waves ever to hit Hawai`i arrived on April Fool's Day 1946. Triggered by a 7.1 level earthquake in the Aleutian Islands off Alaska, a tsunami broke over the north and east shores of the Islands, hitting the town of Hilo especially hard. Maximum wave run-ups of 55 feet were recorded in Pololu valley on Hawai`i island. In some places, sea water came half a mile inland. Before the first waves, the ocean was drawn out from shore up to 500 feet.

Hilo Bay 1946

Tsunamis are primarily associated with the occurrence of earthquakes in oceanic and coastal regions. When an earthquake occurs, the energy generated travels outward in all directions from the source. This can be illustrated by throwing a pebble into a small, still pond. The pebble represents a meteorite or some other energy source, and the pond represents the ocean. The ripples that travel out in all directions from the focus, or the point where the pebble hit the water, represent the energy that creates a sea wave or tsunami. Waves become larger as they reach the shore, where the water is shallower.

Detecting tsunamis is a very difficult thing to do. When a wave begins in the deep ocean waters, it may only have a height of about twelve to twenty-three inches and look like nothing more than the gentle rise and fall of the sea surface.



When a tsunami finally reaches the shore, it may appear as a rapidly rising or falling tide, or a series of breaking waves. Reefs, bays, entrances to rivers, undersea features, and the slope of the beach all help to modify the tsunami as it approaches the shore. Tsunamis rarely become great, towering, breaking waves. Sometimes the tsunami may break far offshore. On occasion, a tsunami may form a bore, a step-like wave with a steep breaking front, which can happen if the tsunami moves from deep water into a shallow bay or river.

The first wave may not be the largest in the series of waves. One coastal area may see no damaging wave activity, while in another area, destructive waves can be large and violent. The flooding of an area can extend inland by 1,000 feet (305 meters) or more, covering large expanses of land with water and debris. Flooding tsunami waves tend to carry loose objects and people out to sea when they retreat.

 

The tsunami of 1946 was generated by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in the Aleutian Islands. This tsunami struck the Big Island of Hawaii on April 1st. The tsunami flooded the downtown area of Hilo killing 159 people and causing more than $26 million in damages.

 

The tsunami of May 23, 1960 was generated by a magnitude 8.3 earthquake in Chile. The 35 foot tsunami struck Hilo, Hawaii causing severe damage. 61 deaths were recorded and $23 million in damage occurred. In the area of maximum destruction, only buildings of reinforced concrete or structural steel, and a few others sheltered by these buildings, remained standing - and even these were generally gutted. Frame buildings were either crushed or floated nearly to the limits of the flooding.

   

Hilo, Hawaii 1960

   

      All Images: Pacific Tsunami Museum Archives



 

 



Weathering Heights

 At the banana farm our normal rainfall is approximately 10 inches per month. As of the 25th, we have had 28 inches of rain during the month of February. And it's raining right NOW. Banana plants can only drink so much. And they don't like waterlogged soils. We sited our farm on land with excellent drainage so we haven't had any losses so far. Zoe (the Wonder Dog) and T. Rex sure seem to be enjoying the abundance of mud and water.

All of this rain can bring snow to the mountaintops in Hawaii. The air is quite thin at 13,698 ft. But you can do a little skiing/snowboarding if you're willing to share the air.

The road to the observatories (below) is normally closed during the snowstorms. Snow plows usually have it open in a couple of days.

It's almost surreal to see the snow from Hilo town while at the beach in 80+ degree weather.

❤ Pizza My Heart ❤

Pizza, pizza, we all scream for pizza!!!

OK, so how does pizza fit in with Christmas???

Pizza is a great appetizer for any holiday party!
Being the pizza lover that I am, I have found several pizza recipes that will put the HO HO HO into your next holiday get-together!!!

 

 

Cranberry Camembert Pizza Recipe 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 tube (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust
• 1 round (8 ounces) Camembert cheese, rind removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

• Unroll crust onto a lightly greased 12-in. pizza pan; flatten dough and build up edges slightly. Bake at 425° for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Sprinkle cheese over crust. Spoon cranberry sauce evenly over crust; sprinkle with pecans.
• Bake 8-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12-14 slices.

Recipe courtesy of Country Woman magazine

PS..Enjoy this recipe with a medium-bodied white wine such as Riesling or Gewürtztraminer

 

 

 

 

 



 Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Pizza Bites

 

Ingredients

• Basic Pizza Dough, recipe follows
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 ounces goat cheese
• 8 ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced
• 2 ounces salmon roe
• 1/4 cup minced shallots or green onions
• Fresh sprigs of dill, garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet and set aside.

Remove the dough from the bowl. On a lightly floured surface, knead briefly. Let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out into a rectangle, about 16 by 10 inches, and cut into six squares, about 5 inches each. Lightly brush each square with olive oil, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Bake until starting to turn light golden brown, about 6 minutes. Evenly cover each square with goat cheese and return to the oven until the crust is golden brown and slightly crisp and the cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Cut each square in half diagonally. Arrange smoked salmon on each pieces and top with a dollop of salmon roe. Sprinkle with shallots, garnish with a small sprig of dill, and serve immediately.

Basic Pizza Dough:
1 cup warm (110 degrees F) water

1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups bleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

 

In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, sugar, and 1 tablespoon oil and stir to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt, mixing by hand until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Continue adding the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, working the dough after each addition, until all the flour is incorporated but the dough is still slightly sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky, 3 to 5 minutes.

Oil a large mixing bowl with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

 

Use as directed.

 

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse



 

 

This next recipe is a great one to get the little ones involved in...
 

 

 

O' Christmas Treat Pizza~recipe courtesy of Disney's Spoonful  





 

What you'll need

• 1 package frozen, chopped spinach
• Yellow, red, and orange bell peppers
• Olive oil
• Cornmeal
• Pizza dough for one 12-inch round pie
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 to 1/3 grated Romano cheese
• Feta cheese

How to make it

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cook the spinach, drain, and press it to squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside.
2. Use tiny cookie cutters to shape circles and stars from the peppers. Set aside.
3. Coat a 12-inch pizza pan with olive oil, then sprinkle on the cornmeal. Roll the dough into a circle and place on the pan, pushing the edges to the rim.
4. Spread the tomato sauce on the dough and sprinkle on the grated Romano cheese. Top with the chopped spinach and then drizzle olive oil over the spinach. Sprinkle the crumbled feta over the spinach and arrange the pepper circles.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the bottom of the crust is browned. Cut the pizza into triangular slices and then trim the crust to form a trunk. Finally, top each slice with a yellow star. Makes one 12-inch pizza.



'Twas the Night Before Christmas ~ Hawaiian Style

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Lü`au

 

'Twas the night before Christmas

and all through the hale

Was singing and dancing and ho`omalimali

Papa in his malo and me in mu`umu`u

Greeting `aikane, pehea, mahalo

Sister gathered flowers for a lei

Brother watched the imu all of the day

Soon the music boys began to play

Mele old and new of Hawai`i nei

The tables were loaded with plenty of kaukau

`Opihi and salmon and steaming hot laulau

We ate and talked story until we were all pau

It was really maika`i at our Christmas lü`au

 

 







A hui hou kakou



It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

Aloha Family & Friends,

With 12 days to go before Christmas...things are pretty hectic around here. Trying to get last minute gifts bought and shipped to the mainland before the big day arrives is a feat in itself.
All I can say is..."Thank goodness for online shopping and 2nd day delivery"!!!

When thinking of Christmas in Hawaii, some people have visions of Hawaiians decorating palm trees and substituting Santa Claus's sleigh and reindeer with an outrigger canoe and dolphins, Santa's elves wear aloha shirts and Santa is barefoot and carries a surfboard. ;o))

 

Most of the locals that I know are pretty traditional when it comes to Christmas. We import our Christmas trees long before the season arrives from Oregon & Washington. We look for the best grand firs, noble, and other popular varieties of fir or pine. We decorate our trees with keepsake ornaments and lights. We bake Christmas cookies and goodies and usually have turkey & ham with all the trimmings for Christmas dinner.   
We enjoy traditional Christmas carols, but we also enjoy carols sung in Hawaiian accompanied by ukulele or slack-key guitar.

When I think of Christmas I always think of delicious, decadent desserts! Below is a recipe for Pavlova that is so good........it would make Santa cry!!!!

 



Ali's Pavlova with Christmas Berries and White Chocolate Cream

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ lemon
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup caster or very fine granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2½ teaspoons cornflour
• 1¾ cups thickened cream
• ¼ cup white crème de cacao liqueur
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds only
• White chocolate shavings – optional
• 3 cups berries of choice, we used red currants, raspberries, pomegranate seeds etc…

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 300˚F
2. Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper or wax paper.
3. Rub the bowl and whisk of the electric mixer with the cut side of the lemon (the acid in lemon helps to make sure the bowl is extra clean and stabilise the egg whites).
4. Lightly whisk the egg whites before adding the sugar gradually, whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and glossy.
5. Add the vanilla and sieve over the cornflour, whisk until combined.
6. Spoon 12 mounds of the mixture onto the lined trays – 6 on each tray or one large whole pavlova.
7. Bake for 1 hour, swapping the trays around after 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and cool in the oven for 1 hour before removing and cooling completely.
8. Whip the thickened cream with the white chocolate liqueur and vanilla seeds using the electric mixer or electric beaters until soft peaks form. Tap the top of the Pavlovas to collapse slightly and dollop heaped spoonfuls of the white chocolate cream into the crevices.
9. Top with berries and dust with confectioners' sugar… Christmas heaven!

recipe adapted from "What Katie Ate"

 

 

 



 

Aloha nui loa,
~Lynn Marie 

 



Interior Motives & Outer Spaces

Interior design is and has always been my passion. As a teenager, when my girlfriends were buying Tiger Beat and 16, I was buying magazines with house plans and design ideas.
Years later, after the kids were grown, I decided to go back to school and study Interior Design and Environment. My studies eventually led me to a job working for a design firm in Silicon Valley for several years.

Since moving to Hawaii, I've been researching Hawaiian style design. Hawaii has some of the best interior designers and architects in the world. Sit back and enjoy the beauty of the islands...design aloha style.

Living room with 100 year old Kona coffee tree

Jennifer Day Interiors

 

Formal dining on the lanai at night with the lights of Kona below

 

    Powder room with koi painting

Kona dining room
(forget the rattan, floral prints and hula dancers)

 

 

 

The photos below are designs from some of the top architects in Hawaii


The Kona Residence
Belzerg Architects & MLK Studio

Entrance to The Kona Residence

 

 

 

The Ocean House - Maui
Olson Kundig Architects

The Slaughterhouse Beach Residence
Not quite sure why it's called The Slaughterhouse...hopefully, that's the client's name!! ;o))
Close to a well known surfing spot on Maui, it is not your average surfing hut.
Take a look...

 

 

 

Until next time...Aloha nui loa