Sonia Tastes Hawaii

Afternoon Tea at Onomea Bay

 

 

On a beautiful Spring afternoon not long ago, I was invited to join friends for tea.  Now, I know that many people welcome friends to drink afternoon tea and share scrumptious food, but how many people have the pleasure of experiencing drinking tea at the source?

 

My friends Rob Nunally and Mike Longo are the owners of Onomea Tea Company a boutique tea garden located on one of the most beautiful bluffs overlooking

Onomea

Bay

near the

Village

of

Papa’ikou

on the East Coast of Hawai’i Island.

 

 

The setting for our beautiful tea was their spacious open upstairs lanai with a view of the bay, the ocean and included, just for our enjoyment, a playful mama and baby whale jumping and having fun just off the bluff.  A double rainbow and a ship leaving

Hilo

Harbor

completed the stunning ‘special effects’. 

 

 

The three teas we drank were a 30% oxidized Oolong, 90% oxidizes black and a blend of Onomea black teas with a hint of Bergamot.  Cream, lemon, sugar and honey were available for those who wanted to add them to their tea.

 

The savory food served to complement the teas were finger sandwiches of tomato sprinkled with salt and pepper, mayonnaise and thyme on multigrain bread and sliced cucumber, cream cheese and fennel tips also served on multigrain bread. 

 

 

The sweet course consisted of tea nut bread (see recipe below), Madeleines and red, juicy red, plump island grown strawberries.

 

Rob and Mike started planting tea on their 9 acre property in 2003 and currently have nearly an acre planted. Their goal is to have 3 acres under cultivation by 2012. 

 

 

Sonia - What are the types of tea you are producing commercially at the moment and how can customers buy it?

 

Rob - We have whole-leaf green, semi oxidized (slightly darker than green to almost black) oolong style teas and whole leaf Black Tea. As this growing season progresses we are planning on offering some black tea processed in the CTC (cut, tear, curl) method.  At the moment, people can only buy directly from us on location but we will eventually have teas listed for sale on our website.

 

Mike - As we work with different ways to process tea we are consuming a lot of tea ourselves. We have sold tea at local agricultural festivals, cultural events and direct from the tea farm. We do have tea available in limited quantities. Please contact us on the currently available tea.

 

 

Sonia - In future are you thinking of doing flavored teas?

 

Rob - Our black tea blend with bergamot you tried today was a flavored tea and we are experimenting with other flavors including vanilla, however, our focus will be on traditional tea without adding flavors. We want the true taste of

Hawaii

grown tea (camellia sinensis) to be experienced.

 

Sonia – Hawai’i Island is known for Kona coffee, but now we also have several people planting outstanding tea.  Any comments you would like to share?                   

 

Mike - We both feel that the growth of the tea industry will be a boon to

Hawaii

.

Hawaii

is a wonderful place for tea farms as well as all aspects of tea culture. It will not only enhance the growth of clean, chemical-free, agriculture in our state, but also provide opportunities for diversified tourism and local experiences.

We envision many more tea farms, tea presentations, tea houses, B & B's providing tea experiences, not to mention a wide variety of tea products and value-added gift items that both tourists and locals will be able to find at local shops and markets. Tea is coming to

Hawaii

and we are very excited for everyone.

Our intention is to create a small, family operation growing, hand-processing and marketing our own organic, green, partially-oxidized as well as black teas. Part of our dream includes completing the tea house on the bluff which is a work in progress and ultimately will be a rest stop for tea farm tours.

 

 

Rob- Another part of our dream is to build another tea house on a site overlooking a stream right on our property bordering the Onomea Scenic Road that will provide a market place for our teas and other Hawaii-grown teas and value-added products, as well as offering tea-cultural experiences to the public."

Our experience so far has been that tea, Camellia sinensis, grows well in

Hawaii

at all elevations and that tea growers here are already processing some very fine teas. We see ourselves as pioneers and facilitators in

Hawaii

for people to learn about and experience the joys and health benefits of tea.

 

 

Onomea Tea Bread Recipe

 

(Note from Rob) A few years ago for Christmas, my Mother provided me and my three brothers a set of recipes she has collected over the years. They were presented in a green binder titled, “Recipes from Home”. This recipe was originally called A to Z bread because you can add a whole variety of ingredients from Apples to Zucchini to flavor the bread. I expanded the recipe to include tea as an ingredient. I do play with this recipe changing what I add and experimenting with different flavors…

 

3 cups flour (I use two cups unbleached white flour and 1 cup whole wheat)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soda

3 teaspoon cinnamon (I reduce this to ½ tsp cinnamon so this flavor doesn’t overpower the tea and other ingredients)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs

1 cup oil (I have experimented with the oil, usually using ½ cup butter with ½ cup grape seed or peanut oil)

2 cups sugar (I frequently use 3/4 cup honey and 1 cup sugar)

2 cup A to Z  (lots of room to experiment here, I use 1/2 cup pre-brewed green tea leaf, chopped, or 1/3 cup crushed dry tea, allow the dry tea to set for five minutes in wet ingredients, I also add 1 shredded apple and 1/2 cup yogurt).

3 teaspoon vanilla (

Hawaii

Vanilla is a good choice!)

1 cup chopped nuts

 

Mix dry ingredients set aside. Beat eggs in large bowl, add oil, sugar and cream well. Add tea, apple and yogurt and vanilla and mix well. Add dry ingredients, mix well and add nuts. Spoon into well greased loaf pans. Bake in preheated oven at 300 degrees for about an hour. Test by inserting toothpick in center of loaf. Remove from ovens as soon as toothpick comes out clean. Makes two small loaves.

 

Note: For A to Z ingredient use what you have on hand. This recipe is very flexible. Other options to add are: grated carrots, peaches, pineapple, canned pumpkin, berries, I’ve even used grated egg plant.

 

 

Tea Tours – from 4 to 15 people in group - $10 per person

Tea Tastings - from 4 to 15 people in group - $25/per person

High Tea - Limit of 12 people in group - $35/per person

All tea tours and tastings offered by reservation only.

Tastings follow the tradition of Gong Fu style ceremony 

 

http://www.OnomeaTea.com

Honolulu Symphony visits the Big Island

 

The Honolulu Symphony came to the Big Island this week. 

 

Since their arrival on the island, they have visited several schools and performed for the school children around the Hilo and Keau'u areas, including a morning concert at the Kamehameha School auditorium in Kea'au where we attended last night's concert.

 

On the way to Kea'au, we picked up our friends Kele and Frank, who rode with us and we joined up with our friend Trevella and her daughter Tavina at the school auditorium.

 

The concert was in one word...WOW!  I wish I could have taken pics to just show you and recorded it so you could listen to what a packed house experienced last evening!

 

The audience was composed of people from all ages and from all ethnicities as all events are on the Big Island, everyone dressed informally, including the Symphony members who wore matching aloha wear instead of formal black tie.

 

Our friend Kele (Gerald DeOreo) was in his element.  At one time he was part of the Honolulu Symphony and also served as a conductor.  He was like a kid in a candy store and was able to see and visit with some of the long-time members of the Symphony who were his friends and colleagues at one time.  They were all making plans to meet up for breakfast this morning.

 

There will be concerts held in Waimea (Kamuela) and on the Kona side - check their schedule by clicking on the Honolulu Symphony link below.

 

Not all of the Symphony members were able to come on this trip, but they had a large group here.  Ana Krinitsky, is a fairly young woman who served as guest conductor.  Her style is restrained but really wonderful....no large histrionic movements from her.....

 

I was enthralled by the 'first chair' in the violin section.  His whole being was wrapped into his playing and not once did I notice his back touch the back of his chair.

 

Some of the older symphony members have been a part of it for at least 30 years, but there are a lot of younger members also.

 

There are three chamber groups made up of symphony members.  You can see details on these sub-groups here:

http://www.chambermusichawaii.com/

The Symphony Home Page:

http://www.honolulusymphony.com/

 

 

The music on the program was all from well-known and some not so well-known American composers....some still living. One selection was composed by a present day Hawaii composer and it was about "Lo'ihi: Birth of an Island" - Lo'ihi, is the newest island in the Hawaiian chain forming on the bottom of the ocean a bit SE off the Coast of the Big Island was a very moving piece. 

 

The program in order:

Samuel Barber                Overture to the School for Scandal 

(1910-1981)

 

George Gershwin            Porgy and Bess: Selections

(1898-1937)                        Summertime; I Got Plenty o'Nuttin; Bess, You is My Woman Now; Oh, I Can't Sit Down; There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York; It Ain't Necessarily So; Oh, Lord, I'm On My Way.

 

Byron Yasul                    Lo'ihi: Birth of an Island

(1940- )

 

Robert Beaser                Two Movements from Folksongs

(1954- )                                IV. Ground 0 (Homage to 9/11 Victims)

                                                V. Cindy Redux (A romp through Kentucky's Blue Grass)

 

INTERMISSION

 

Aaron Copland                Fanfare for the Common Man

(1900-1990)

 

Leonard Bernstein        West Side Story Selections:

(1918-1990)                        I Feel Pretty; Maria; Something's Coming; Tonight; One hand, One Heart; Cool; America

 

Morton Gould                Pavanne (from American Symphonette, #2

(1913-1996)

 

John Williams                Music from Harry Potter:

(1932- )                                I.Hedwig's Theme

                                                II. A Bridge to the Past

                                                    III. Harry's Wondrous World

 

Henry Berger                    Hawai'i Pono'i

(1844-1928)                                The audience stood while singing

King David Kalakaua

(1836-1891)

 

 

The last selection, Hawai'i Pono'i is the "Anthem of Hawaii" - read the story, of how the music became to be composed by a German and the words written by King David Kalakaua (the last king of Hawai'i)

 

After his death, his sister, Princess Lydia Lili'uokalani Kawānanakoa became Queen Lili'okalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawai'i.  She was also a very prolific and accomplished composer.  The well loved Aloha ʻOe (words in this first link) - Farewell to Thee  (sung by Tia Carrere in this last link) is one that most people recognize when they hear it, but the list of her compositions is impressive.

 

You can see the list by clicking HERE

 

 

Hear the music and read both the Hawaiian and English versions of the Hawai'i Anthem here:

http://www.huapala.org/Hawaii/Hawaii_Ponoi.html

 

A huge Mahalo nui loa to the TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and the Hawai'i Department of Human Services who by furnishing grants make it possible for the symphony to travel to the neighbor islands and for the residents of the neighbor islands to experience events like last night's for free.

 

The weather has been frightful for at least the last 10 days, but Mother Nature seemed to make amends by dispersing the clouds, stopping the rains and gicing us a clear and gorgeous last night with a beautiful moon and a sky full of stars....first time any of us had seen them in quite a while... Short respite...it is back to frightful again!

The 50's Fountain Cafe in Laupahoehoe

In December of 06, I wrote in this blog about a short road trip from our house up the coast from us and mentioned the 50's Fountain Cafe in Laupahoehoe. 

We have returned several times since, but for some reason or another, did not take many photos of the interior.  This time I made sure I did. 

The following text is from a review we wrote for a twice -monthly newspaper that no longer exists, The Hawaii Island Journal, for which my son Anthony and I wrote restaurant and eateries' reviews on a rotating basis with 2 other reviewers who covered other areas of the island.   The menu has been steadily expanding since our original visit.  Prices may have changes slightly since 2006 when we first reviewed it.

FIFTIES HIGHWAY FOUNTAIN CAFE
By Sonia Martinez and Anthony Mathis
May 5, 2006 - The Hawaii Island Journal

If you are driving on Highway 19 on the Hamakua Coast and are not paying attention to what's on the sides of the road you might just miss the small sign for the 50's Café and Fountain in Laupahoehoe.

From the moment you first step inside you will feel as if you have just stepped off a time machine and are back in the Swinging 50's. The décor, the music, the menu…all contribute to the feeling of déjà vu.

Black and white tile floors with red and black tables, chairs and booths.  The tables are covered with red and white checkered cloths.  There is a big old-fashioned jukebox and jukebox record selectors on the walls at every booth.

Framed photographs of film and recording stars of the era cover all of the walls along with LP records with their album covers.  Toys hang from the ceiling and cover every shelf.  Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola memorabilia and placards announcing products that sold during that time for 5 cents.

 

The brainchild behind this return to a more innocent era was Larry Ignacio, father of owner Chris Ignacio.  Much of the memorabilia displayed throughout was from his own collection but a lot has been added on since their opening one and half years ago from tourists that visit and end up sending them parts of their own collections.

Two back rooms were opened for use last November.  One room honors The King, with Elvis memorabilia and posters on the wall.  The back room is set up with a Keiki Korner with more toys and yet more memorabilia on display.

The unisex bathroom is worth a visit whether you need to make use of the facilities or not.  Totally decorated with a Betty Boop motif, it is reached via a small foyer with a little table and chair and life size cutouts of Marilyn Monroe, Betty Boop and The Duke, John Wayne on the wall.

On the day we visited, Chris was in the kitchen and his wife and partner Kendra waited on us. The service was fast and very friendly.  With the help of a couple of other people they seem to be able to manage to wait on everyone in a timely manner without any delay getting the food from order to table…. and it arrives piping hot!

Chris' mom, Carol Ignacio who is the head of the Hilo Food Bank, makes the desserts and the daily specials.  All of the recipes are culled from the family's Portuguese heritage with many local overtones.

The menu is quite extensive beginning with the Rockin' Rollin' Favorites such as regular hamburger for $2.25 on up to a mushroom burger, Teri burgers, Blue Cheese burger, Patty Melt, Mahi filet burger, Hot Pastrami burger, BLTs, grilled cheese sandwiches and a double bacon cheeseburger for $5.95.   All of their hamburgers are
made from local, naturally raised, grass-fed beef.

This section of the menu also included Boats & Things starting with a Chicken Boat for $4.25 on through a selection of a Korean Chicken Boat, Shrimp Boat, Scallop Boat, a few versions of Loco Mocos, hot dogs, chili dogs, chili cheese fries, tator tots, curly fries and onion rings.  The Fry Basket for $4.95, includes onion rings, french
fries and tator tots.

The Oldies but Goodies section of the menu includes The Platters, served with rice or mashed potatoes and gravy, and potato/mac or tossed salad.  The list of entrées starts off with a 10 ounce New York Sizzling Steak for $11.95 with a 6 ouncer New York Dinner Steak for $7.95.

Chili plates, Loco plates, Chopped Steak with Onions, Chicken Katsu, Fried Chicken, Korean of Teri Chicken, Pork Chops and Roast Pork, Seafood Platter or Shrimp Plates or Mahi-mahi Filets are featured. Rounding out the entrée selections is Spaghetti with Garlic Bread.

We ordered the Seafood Platter with mashed potatoes and a side order of fresh grilled sliced Hamakua grown mushrooms.  The seafood on the platter was a selection of mahi-mahi filet, battered and fried shrimp and scallops.

Our other order was the Chicken Hekka, which was one of the day's specials, came with two scoops of white rice.  We also ordered a side of battered fried onion rings.

Aalads of crisp lettuce, sliced cucumbers, sliced red cabbage and tomato wedges came with our orders.

The list of desserts was just too tempting to pass up and it was a tough decision to make but finally decided on the coconut pie and the peach cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The generous portion of pie was wonderful.  The pastry was very flaky and the coconut filling was not too sweet or cloying.  The cobbler was hot and the crumb topping excellent.

From the Big Breakfast consisting of two eggs, choice of meat and choice of hash browns, rice or toast and 2 buttermilk pancakes; to the Country Breakfast, Steak and Eggs, Grilled Mahi and Eggs, the Be-Bop Breakfast Menu has enough selections to please every palate.  The choices include an assortment of omelets, Sweetbread French Toast and Breakfast Burgers as well as items that can be ordered ala Carte.

The Fountain can provide old-fashioned floats, milk shakes and malts as well as Banana Splits, sundaes and cones.  We recommend the ice tea which you can tell is made fresh and it has no bitter after taste.

For a delightful step back in time we recommend a little detour through Laupahoehoe and a stop at the Fifties Highway Fountain.

7th Annual Chinese New Year in Hilo

 

Kung Hee Fat Choy!

Attending the annual Chinese New Year celebrations in Hilo has become a tradition with us since the beginning.  This year it fell on Saint Valentine's day and even though we had a couple of little rains, as is wont to do in Hilo, it apparently didn't discourage anyone from enjoying the festivities.

From Lion Dancers to colorful booths with fun merchandise for sale; musicians and dancers, Chinese costume fashion show, cooking demonstrations, lots of ono food and cute little kids enjoying the day with their parents.

AAliya enjoying the day.

Chinese musicians entertaining from the stage

 

Dragon puppets waiting to be bought

 A little boy playing with his dragon puppet

 

Joseph Leong, aka 'Coconut Joe' weaving baskets and hats from coconut fronds

 The "mask lady' was there....colorful masks made from leather

 

Veggie, mushroom and chicken stir fry - demo presented by students of the Hawaii Community College School of Culinary Arts Program.  Samples were free to the public.

 

Year of the Ox decorations 

Eugene Tao writing in Chinese Caligraphy - He had 4 samples from which we could all choose.  I asked for the one that asked for "Health and Happiness"

 Ladies passing out Moon Cakes to all who came by

  Aloha! My name is Dana and I will be competing for the title of Island Princess pretty soon.....! 

We wish you much luck, Dana.....!  I hope you win!  ..........and Mahalo to your parents for letting me take your picture. I have several more poses and if they want any, please have them contact me....they got my card.

For last year's Chinese New Years write-ups click on the following

Kung Hee Fat Choy - Chinese New Year Celebration in Hilo!

TROPICAL TASTE - Hilo Celebrates the Chinese New Year!

Playing tourist with visiting cousins

We received a phone call from cousins we hadn't seen in over 20 years who were planning a trip to Maui (from Idaho where they live) and wanted to come visit us on the Big Island for a day.  Needless to say we were very excited and told them we would take them around to see some of the sites.

Their plans were to fly in from Maui on Monday morning and return early on Tuesday, so we wanted to pack as much into those few hours.  Only two of the five would make the trip.

Eric is the son of my first cousin and was a teenager last time I saw him and Ryan is his son whom I had never met.  Seeing them Monday was as if no time at all had passed, regarless of how many white hairs I've grown through these lo many years.

We packed our cooler and a picnic basket with all of our usual paraphernalia and we grabbed jackets as we didn't know what to expect with the coolish and wet weather we have been having lately.

We met them at the Hilo airport, grabbed some ready made sandwiches and some drinks before heading south on Highway 11.  We thought we would go to Punaluu Black Sand Beach first as our farthest point and then work our way back and spend sometime at Hawaii National Volcanoes Park.

We could not have asked for a better tour-'round-the-island-day...It was sunny and cool and slightly breezy.  Perfect!

On the way south we made our customary stop when we have visitors for a photo op by the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park signs.

Welcome to the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park.  Ryan, Eric and Anthony.

At Punaluu Black Sand Beach we found several big turtles sunning in the sand in different places.  Normally, we would not have walked on the sand as the turtles will build nests and bury their eggs under it, but the warning signs were not up, so we guessed correctly this was not nesting season.

Ryan decided then and there to make the honu (turtle) his aumakua (totem) and had his photo taken with one in the background.

We then found these three honu just being lazy in the sun.

Ryan, Eric and Anthony posing with the honu.

After spending quite a while enjoying the turtles and the briny smell of fresh sea air, we headed back north on Highway 11 to first enjoy our picnic at the Kipuka Puaulu (Bird Park) on Mauna Loa Road. We had a lot to cram into our day, so we didn't walk through the park as I would normally like to do.

Our Picnic at Bird Park.

After lunch we continued on to the Park entrance and found out that we could not take the Crater Rim drive as the VOG emissions from Halemaumau Crater in the Kilauea Caldera were pretty strong. 

We could at least see the crater from the JaggarMuseum overlook. 

When going inside the museum building, we noticed the seismograph that was showing the most activity was the one measuring earthquakes under the Halemaumau Crater.

Snow on Mauna Loa taken from the Jaggar Museum.

Eric just inside the entrance of the Thurston Lava Tube.

Snow on Mauna Kea taken from Highway 11 before turning in Kea'au on to Highway 130 to go to the Kalapana lava viewing area.

At the end of 130 Hawaii County has built a road of sorts so that cars can drive closer to the area where lava is flowing into the ocean from the flanks of Kilauea.  The output of lava from the Pu'u O'o vent is now in it's 26th year (since January 3rd 1983).

We arrived there around 5 o'clock and parked then walked through the parking area and then on to the 3/4 mile path to a contained area where visitors can sit and wait for dark to see the 'fireworks'.

I was not able to capture the 'pyrotechnics' caused when hot lava hits cold ocean water and rocks and boulders are thrown up into the air, but caught this gorgeous shot just as the sun was setting.

After spending a couple of hours watching the fireworks in the dark along with about a hundred other visitors, we hiked the 3/4 mile trail and back and then to the car for our drive back to Hilo so they could check in at their hotel.

Afterwards we stopped at Ken's House of Pancakes for a late dinner, drove them around Banyan Drive and Liliu'okalani Park and then on to the main area of Old Hilo Town and then to their hotel for the night.

Cannot wait until they return with the whole family next time and we will take them up to the top of Mauna Kea and all the way around the island!

We had a very good time with you, Eric and Ryan.  Come back soon!

Me ke aloha pumehana... until we see you again.

Kung Hee Fat Choy - Chinese New Year Celebration in Hilo!

The Chinese New Year starts on the first evening of a new year's month with a new moon and lasts for 15 days.  It is also celebrated in China as the beginnings of Spring. 

A traditional Lion Dance kicks off the festivities in Hilo

This year the Chinese New Year started on February 7th and will last for 15 days until ending with the Lantern Festival.

On that last day of the festival whole cities and towns in China are decorated with lanterns to celebrate the last day of the full moon.

Overview of a section of Kalakaua Park during the 6th Annual Chinese New Year Festival in Hilo.

According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, we are now celebrating the year 4706 or Year of the Rat.

A little boy all set to enter the Chinese costume contest.

Saturday 15th of February, the 6th Annual Chinese New Year Festival was held in Hilo at Kalakaua Park.  This was the biggest event yet.  More booths, more people, more contests and attractions.

We ran into our friend Sue and her daughter Cindy there.  Sue did her part to dress festively!

 

Part of the celebration included performances by dancers from the Phoenix Dance Chambers of Oahu led by Diane Letoto.  The ensemble also performed at the Palace Theater in Hilo the previous evening.

Young performers from the Phoenix Dance Chambers charmed the crowd

Chinese Flickering Fan Dance

Mongolian Horsemen Dance

Hunan Province Hunters Dance

The Firecracker Dance was one of the highlights!

 

That is me, standing in the middle, under the huge banyan tree anchoring one corner of Kalakaua Park

Alice Moon, without whose hard work, initiative and imagination there would not be so many wonderful events and festivals celebrated in Hilo throughout the year!  I caught Alice in a moment of contemplation sitting by the statue of King David Kalakaua, our 'Merrie Monarch' and last King of Hawaii.

The next Hilo festival will be the "45th Merry Monarch Hula Competitions" held every year in honor of King David Kalakaua and held the week after Easter every year.  On Saturday, April 5th, go to Kalakaua Park after the downtown Merrie Monarch Parade, where we will again celebrate our "Merrie Monarch" in the park named for him.

For more about the 6th Annual Chinese New Year's Festival in Hilo, please visit my pages at my foodiesleuth pages at Gather.com

Valentine Making Party

When my friend Sue hosts a party she expects you to participate fully....her parties are not 'expectator sports' and always carry a theme.  Sue is very creative and through the years her guests have participated fully in whatever parties she has dreamed up.

Valentine heart shaped anthuriums arranged by Sue's daughter Cindy

In the past, we have decorated hats, slippahs (as flip-flops are called here), decorated and 'thrown' coconuts for prizes, used bananas as decorative objects, hunted for decorated eggs, were provided with long lei making needles attached to one invitation so the guest could bring an original lei to be judged in a contest and much more...including a "Stomp on Cancer Party!".

The last invitation received was handwritten in red ink and invited us to "Please come for Valentine Making Sunday Feb 3, 1PM-5PM (drop in kine) Sue's House - (phone number) - Red Refreshments"

The refresments were red as promised, including the Coeur a la Creme and Raspeberry Coulis which was my contribution.

The huge rainstorms we have had lately (if you watch CNN from any where in the world, you probably saw many parts of Hilo underwater with ducks swimming in some of the main downtown intersections) kept some of the guests from coming, but the ones who made it had a great time!

Gabriel and Lizby working on their Valentine cards

Sue, Cindy and Laurie working across the table working on theirs...

 

One of Cindy's cards

One of Lizby's cards

Sue had loads of supplies and goodies for us to choose from....paper, fabric, lace, cloth flowers, stick-ons, magazine cut-outs, ribbons, a miniature playing card deck all featuring the heart suit...colored pencils and pens, water colors and brushes, red glitter and goodness knows how much more!

One of Gabriel's creations

Envelope and front of the card I made for my mom...

The plain red card stock is laminated with a piece of paper in red graphics and cut to fit on one side, then the complete card was covered in antique lace and the Valentine glitter word pasted on top of the lace.

The back of the card for my mother - the word LOVE and my name in glitter with a magazine cutout of an old fashioned doll.

Heart shaped box covered and decorated by Laurie

Sue's jig-saw girl card

Unfortunately the lighting from the flash was not enough to light the whole room....but here is the group (minus the camera person ....ME) enjoying our Sunday afternoon making Valentines for our near and dear, while the rest of the country watched the Super Bowl...

Quilting in Hawaii

Our island is home to several quilting groups.   Some of them concentrate mainly on traditional Hawaiian quilting designs, which are quite unique (I will do a post sometime soon about this beautiful form of textile art), and others are a bit more eclectic in their approach, but even so, they are not like the old traditional quilts of old.

During the month of January, the Wailoa Center Gallery by the Wailoa Park in Hilo, is presenting a "Still Havin' Fun After All These Years" Fabric Fun Quilt Show.  It is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM except on Wednesdays which they open from Noon to 4:30 PM until January  30th.

The exhibited quilts are the creations of the Village of Volcano Quilters group: Edna Arkawa, Lora Bristow, Roberta Baker, Susan Carpenter, Deborah Donaldson, Patricia Dow, Marilyn Hiestand, Dina Wood Kageler, Loretta Pasco, Vanessa Sales, Zee Sarr, Rosemary Stancampiano, Toshi Taylor, Katry Tripp and Irene Tye.

I wish I had room to feature works by each of these gifted ladies....unfortunately there were too many, so I chose a few that represented our island best.

Picasso Quilts Pu'u O'o by The Volcano Quilters Group - one member sketched the design on paper and cut it in pieces, each member took a section and gave it their own interpretation - The group is trying to sell this quilt for $3000 as a fund raiser to help with staging shows and other projects.

Pu'u O'o is the vent on the East flank of Kilauea Volcano that has been spewing lava since January 1983.

Rainforest - $1,200 by Marilyn Hiestand wovenwind@hawaii.rr.com

Bird of Paradise - $250 by Deborah Donaldson MsQuiltBee@aol.com

Watching the Ferns Grow - NFS by Susan Carpenter VolcanoSusan@yahoo.com

Kimono Quilt - NFS by Edna Arakawa yukiearakawa@yahoo.com

Lava Star - $425 by Deborah Donaldson MsQuiltBee@aol.com

Mangos - $375 by Loretta Pasco quilthawaiian@hawaii.rr.com

Ohelo Berries - NFS by Loretta Pasco quilthawaiian@hawaii.rr.com

Surf at Sunrise - $1,000 by Lora Bristow kuahiwi1@hotmail.com

SPAM - NFS by Loretta Pasco quilthawaiian@hawaii.rr.com

The State of Hawaii as a whole consumes more SPAM than any other state or territory in the United States, so of course, I had to end the gallery stroll with this quilt, a replica of the SPAM can art

Wailoa Center Gallery is located on Piopio Street in Hilo just past the Vietnam Memorial off Pauahi Street - below the County and State Buildings -808/933 - 0416

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! Happy New Year!

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! Happy New Year!

Another year passing and a brand New Year is open to all sorts of wonderful possibilities.

Two of my favorite fireworks available in Hawaii for celebrating the New Year are the Chinese Happy Lamps and the paper Frienship Pagodas.

Tonight, we set up a rope across a section of the yard and had fun with our Happy Lamps, lighting several at one time.

The Happy Lamps signify guidance and light for a good year.

The Happy Lamp

The Friendhip Pagodas are lit in memory of a friend, living or dead.

Friendship Pagoda

Happy New Year to all!

May your New Year be full of light and friendships!

Hawaiian Christmas Wreaths

One of the prettiests customs of Christmas in Hawaii is making wreaths using native materials. 

If you don't have some of the plants growing in your yard or a neighbor that will let you pick them you need to get a special permit to go up to the Hawaii National Volcanoes Park grounds or up on the slopes of Mauna Kea to pick some of the greens, flowers and berries.

The permit is free and good for two days, and you need to display it on your car dash if you park anywhere to pick along the roads or forests.

The proper protocol for picking is to first "ask permission" of the forest deities as you enter the woods.  This is a must.  You also pick only what you will be using and not strip a bush or plant completely. 

A good rule of thumb to follow is to take only from 3 to 6,  3" tips from each plant, so as not to disturb the plant.

The straw forms for the wreath are usually covered first with ti leaves

We might not have the 'traditional' greens, berries and pinecones associated with a mainland Christmas, but there are many beautiful greens, flowers and berries to choose from when you go foraging for your own wreath material in the forests of Hawaii.

Some of the materials I usually look for are the buds of the lehua blossom showing a bit of the red and also some of the blossoms.  The lehua is the blossom of the ohia tree and in ancient times was a symbol of strength.  The flower is the favorite of Madame Pele and represents the Big Island of Hawaii.

Ancient lore tells us that you must not pick or wear the lehua blossoms on your way up to visit Kilauea Volcano, but it does not forbid you from picking or wearing it when you arrive or on your way out of the forest or Madame Pele will make it rain.  We always wait to pick them until we are almost ready to leave.

Another wonderful part of the ohia tree to use are the tender new tips of branches as they resemble velvety green or silver rose buds.

Uluhe and palapalai, laua'e, and whisk ferns are often used in the making of the wreaths, as well as 'club moss' and a ferny looking moss that resembles little clusters of chenille pipe cleaners.

The berries and the tiny, sort of prickly leaves of the pukiawe plant are also used.  The berries can be red, pink or white even on the same bush and the use of bits of this plant give your wreath a light airy look.

Another berry and leaves that are interesting to use is that of the 'ohelo, although we rarely if ever pick them in areas where the Hawaiian Nene, our State birds, make their home, because they like to feed on them.

Other plants such as the Uki grass are also used, especially when the "flower heads" have dried.

One of the perks of making Hawaiian Wreaths with all native material is that they usually dry well and can last a long time..long past the holidays.

If you buy the wreaths already made, they can run from $40 - $60 for one made on a 10" to 12" frame and up to $125 for a large one made using a 14" to 16" frame.

I missed going up to the slopes of our mountains this year in time to pick for making wreaths as I had planned, mainly due to weather conditions.  We have had a lot of rain in the last few weeks and I dislike driving the Saddle Road (between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa) as the road is quite curvy and can be dangerous in the rain.  You can see a sample of one of my wreaths here

I hope you enjoyed looking at the different styles of Hawaiian Christmas Wreaths!

Mele Kalikimaka to you and yours!