Oh wait......

I should change the title.  We are not in a recession right now.  We paranoid jumpy consumers are just complaining about nothing.

Uh huh.........how much does a gallon of milk cost you these days?  My Lactaid non-fat was $4.99 at the beginning of July.  ($5.89 is you don't have a ridiculous Safeway card)

So, what am I doing, in my small way, to buffer my checkbook against rapidly rising food costs?

Ta-daaa!!  I present to you:  My Very Own Herb Garden!

And vegetables.  I planted herbs and vegetables.  And flowers.  I had to get a couple of flowers.....(amongst our weaponry are such elements as.......)....

Anyway, figure out the cost savings.  I often need fresh rosemary or fresh basil for meals that I cook for Sweetie and me.  That means I have to go to the grocery store and buy a whole pile of fresh herbs - usually more than I need for one meal.  I try and use the rest of it as soon as possible (got a ton of cilantro?? let's make homemade salsa!).  But often, I am tossing leftover herbs into the trash.  And these things are not cheap - $3.99 for fresh basil, $2.39 for parsley. 

SO, I am attempting,

By the way, Savvy Gardener has a nice page on herbs that talks about planting, maintaing, and harvesting herbs.  You can check it out here:  http://www.savvygardener.com/Features/herbs.html

Didn't I just say I am trying to watch what I eat and exercise more?

What does my Sweetie buy, on impulse, at Costco along with our water and Kleenex?

A three-pack of cereal:

Lucky Charms

Cookie Crisp

Trix

Can you believe this man?? 

Now, Lucky Charms is one of my old favorite cereals and I will buy it from time to time.  But Cookie Crisp!?  I haven't had that since I was a teen.  Of course I cannot resist it now!!  Aarggh. 

On a good note, we have both been walking more.  Sweetie says he has lost three pounds, and I am down almost four pounds.  Woo hooo! 

What was your favorite cereal as a kid?  Or now?

When last we met, I was road-tripping through Oregon with my cousin on the way to her new home. 

To backtrack a minute, let's go back to Seattle.  We really didn't have too much time for sightseeing.  This was ok by me because the main point of my trip was to help out, and spend time with my cousin.  But of all the Seattle sights I saw (by the way - I realize I sometimes spell sight as "site".  This is a casualty of the technical writing that I do.  Too many "sites" in my work.) - the one I would most recommend in Seattle is the Pike Place Market.  The Seattle Center seems to be just a shadow of what it once was.  But the Market is still a vibrant part of the Seattle scene.  If you enjoy people-watching (which I do), it is a must.  Plus, did I mention the yummy knishes?? 

So, here we are in Oregon.  We had sunny weather for the drive and amused ourselves by trying to name as many U.S. Presidents as possible.  I also quizzed my cousin on her State capitols.  We arrived in Ashland in the late afternoon. 

If you have never been to Ashland, you may not know it is a picturesque little town near the California/Oregon border at the southern end of the Rogue Valley.  It is perhaps best known as the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.  I didn't have too much time to spend in Oregon because I needed to start my own drive back to California.  But the Medford/Ashland area of Oregon is a lovely little spot of geography.

After one more night, I rented a car and started my way south to Sacramento.  It was a quick easy drive straight down Interstate 5.  I only stopped once for a quick fast-food lunch.  I did manage to take a picture of Mt. Shasta as I was driving:

And, that was the end of the main part of this road trip.  Sweetie flew in a few days later and we attended the fabulous wedding of an old co-worker of mine.  This was a perfect time for me to see many good friends as not less than 30 of my old co-workers (and their significant others) were at the wedding, counting the groom and his new wife.  Someday, I'll spend more time talking about the special dynamics of my old office, but suffice it to say - the reason I put up with years of hectic deadlines, cranky clients, late nights, and stress-filled days was the great group of people I got to work with every day.  It was great to see so many of them, even if I barely had time to talk to most of them (wow - just like my own wedding!).  

Our trip in California also included two trips to San Francisco.  During one visit with our good friend, Sweetie and I were introduced to the BEST ice cream I've ever had.  No, really.  This was the best.  Our good friend drove us to Bi-Rite Creamery on 18th Street in San Francisco, and I got to try honey lavender ice cream, and malted vanilla ice cream with peanut brittle.  I settled on salted caramel.  It was fantastic.  Check our their website and, if you are ever anywhere near that area, it is worth a side trip to check it out.  mmmmmm 

So, I am at the end of this latest Mainland trip.  We are visiting with Sweetie's mom and will soon head back to Maui.

Way back at the beginning of this adventure, I flew into Seattle to see my cousin M.  She was planning a move from Seattle to Oregon, and I offered to help.  She said yes.  I flew in and helped her pack and clean her three-bedroom apartment.  In between the packing, we were able to see a few sites in the area. 

We drove to see the Hiram M. C

The locks provide a link for boats between the saltwater of the Puget Sound and the fresh water of the Ship Canal connecting to Lake Union and Lake Washington.

Stop by the fish ladder, built to allow salmon to pass between fresh and salt water. Glass panels make it possible to view the fish as they navigate their way through the ladder, adjusting to different levels of salt each step of the way.

My cousin and I went back home and packed some more.  The next day, we took advantage of another sunny Seattle day and headed downtown.  We stopped at Pike Place Market, where I had the YUMMIEST mushroom knish at the "I Love New York Deli."  Wow.  That was good.  I've always liked knishes, but I don't know if I can eat the wanna-bes I've been partaking of anymore.  That was the best! 

We wandered past the fish stall.  There was not too much fish-tossing going on while we walked around.  But there were plenty of other colorful characters around.  We went to the Seattle Center, but neither one of us wanted to pay to go up the Space Needle so we just walked around and enjoyed the nearby park and fountain. 

We spent the rest of the time packing and, on the day of the move, lots of cleaning.  It was a bit of a mad scramble at the end, but we managed to clear the place out for her walk-through.  I sat in the car in the parking lot trying to figure out how we would drive to Oregon with a car so packed to the gills we couldn't see out the back window.  Luckily, our first trip the next morning was to the UPS store where M. mailed two big boxes to her new home address. With clear windows, we said goodbye to Seattle and started down the path to her new home. 

By the way, we stayed at three different hotels during our trip.  If you want a quick review:

Extended Stay America - Not so great.  Service was nice and it was nice to have a sink/kitchenette. But the walls were thin enough I could hear the words of the late-night conversation next to us.  The blankets were a little threadbare.  Literally.  I kept getting my fingers caught on the threads that were coming apart.

Phoenix Inn and Suites in Oregon - Very nice.  Good service and a large room with down comforters on the beds.  The walls were a little thicker and I slept pretty soundly that night.  We got a great recommendation for dinner, and we were a little off the freeway (no freeway noise=good!).

Finally - the Windmill Inn.  Pretty nice.  It was a huge suite with doors between the bedroom and sitting area, with TVs in each area.  A small kitchen sink with microwave.  Nothing too exciting, but not horrible either.

We drove through Salem Oregon where we jumped out of the car to take pictures around the Capitol building.  We didn't stay too long as there is not much to see.  But, again, we lucked out with some sunny weather.

ok Friends,

It is time to let you in on a little secret of mine.  My favorite sushi on Maui.  So far, my favorite sushi anywhere.  This probably counts as my favorite restaurant on Maui because of the absolute yummy consistency.  Other restaurants have better ambiance.  Some places have served me one or two dishes that I like more.  But no place is as consistently good as Sansei.

Sansei in Hawai'i has several locations.  Here on Maui, we have a Sansei in Kihei and Kapalua.  Sweetie and I love to take our guests to Sansei.  Everyone loves it - from his Japanese friends who "tested" the restaurant with some obscure food order to my mom who declared "You know I don't like sushi" and then proceeded to eat everything in sight.  We go there with our local friends.  We go alone.  The food is flavorful and fresh.  The service is good, considering we usually keep our server running triple-time with our non-stop sushi orders.

Sansei has a robust menu, so even you non-sushi eaters should find plenty of good food to enjoy.  Besides sushi, they have chicken, steaks, and pork chops. They have yummy noodle dishes.  I, of course, can't get past the sushi.  I even love the panko-crusted ahi sashimi roll, and I'm not a bit fan of sashimi.  But that roll is delectable.  Other favorites are the tempura shrimp roll, the yaki-maki, the Sansei special roll, and the not-usually-on-the-menu Oops Roll.  Sweetie loves the dynamite shrimp and the miso Butterfish - a couple of pieces of melty butterfish in a miso sauce.  Melts in your mouth!

Now, like most places on Maui, dinner items can be a little pricey.  So, here is the best-kept secret on Maui.  Sansei has early-bird specials.  At the Kihei location, most days of the week, if you get in and order during the first hour, the food is 25-percent off.  On Sundays and Mondays, the doors open earlier (at 5:00 instead of 5:30) and the food is half-off if you order during the first hour.  You cannot beat this!  We just had dinner at Sansei with three friends, and we all saved about $75 off the bill.  It is a great deal for fantastic food.  There is, of course a line in front of the restaurant.  I usually get to the restaurant by 4:30, and I've always managed to get seated in time to order.  At one point, I read that you have to have a Hawai'i drivers license to get the early-bird special in Kapalua.  Not sure if this is true.  If you are in that area, you might want to call ahead and ask. 

Regardless, if you can make it at any time, the food is well worth the price.  It's just nice to save some money.  I figure I'm not giving too much away since only a few people read this blog, and you're not all likely to be on the island at the same time.  Locals don't like to have island secrets shared with mainland folk.  But we'll just keep this between ourselves, shall we?

You can see sushi pictures here:

http://www.sanseihawaii.com/gallery.html

Mmm.........

Sweetie and I went to Costco today.  We bought stuff. 

Amongst our "stuffary" are such elements as:

Tuberose

and

pineapple.

They both have very strong, sweet smells.  A tuberose has a very distinct smell.

All of a sudden, our house smells very Hawaiian.  It's kind of nice.

Why have we bought such nice things?

Mom is coming to visit!!  Hooray! 

Should be fun.  I may even go to the beach! Will be the first time since Big Sis and family came to visit in November.

Join in the Feast!  Check it out HERE.

Appetizer

Name one thing that is unique about you.

I am Stone Girl.  Strangely unique.  With an emphasis on strange.

Soup

Fill in the blank: My favorite _________ is __________ but I like _________ too.

What's that? You want me to talk about food?  OK...........

My favorite food is Indian, but I like Thai (and Chinese and Italian and French and Japanese and deep fried) too.

Salad

What type of wood do you have for your home’s furnishings?

Wood.  With some particle board.  And some rattan.  Hey, we live in Maui.  Gotta have wicker, bamboo and rattan.

Main Course

Who do you talk to most often on the phone?

Sweetie. 

Besides him, it's the voice that keeps telling me this is THE LAST call to renew my vehicle warranty.  Not that we talk, really.  But the voice seems to like me a lot.

Dessert

What level of responsibility do you have in your job?

Uhhhh....well, before I moved to Maui, I was a senior project manager. That is, I was until our firm was bought by a much larger national engineering firm.  Then, somehow, we Seniors became Project Managers.  Despite the fact we did every task listed for Sr. PM, and then some.  This level of responsibility means I got to yell at sub-consultants, but I get yelled at by clients. 

But now, happily, I have all levels of responsibilities in my job.  And there is much less yelling.  I am in charge of writing, researching, editing, reviewing technical reports, invoicing, bookkeeping, project managing, and - most importantly - walking to the kitchen to make a huge batch of Typhoo Tea.  Gotta  have the Typhoo Tea. 

You know how I said - If I could just get someone to open an Indian restaurant on this island, I'd never have to move?

Well, I guess someone wants me to stay.

Sweetie surprised me with dinner for our dating anniversary this month.  He would not tell me where we were going, but he said "Help me look out for it" as we drove along South Kihei Road.  I said - "How can I look for a place when I don't know where we are going?"

But, once I saw the sign, I knew where we were going for dinner.

Shangri-La By the Sea - Authentic Indian Cuisine

Woo hoo!  An Indian restaurant on Maui!  There may be another one, but I haven't been able to find one yet. 

The restaurant is located in the Menehune Shores condos.  It's by the ocean, but it was dark so we couldn't see it.  It looked like they have an outdoor seating area.  The waitress said they have been open for about a month and a half.  They do not yet have a liquor license, but she said we could bring our own wine/drinks next time if we wanted to.  The restaurant looked pretty good.  The service was a little casual for a restaurant that seems to try to look upscale.  But, Sweetie said "Hey, we're in Maui."  True, but in California, if I order chicken tikka masala for $17, I get a full meal with daal soup, raita, rice, and papadums.  But.  Again.  We are in Maui.  Most things are more expensive over here. 

They have a pretty good-sized menu.  Chicken, lamb, seafood and vegetarian choices.  Sweetie was pretty excited when he saw Cheese Naan on the menu.  We ordered it before the rest of the food even came out.  He could not wait.  We enjoyed it, but I have to say I preferred the garlic naan that we ordered next.  Of course, as Sweetie likes to remind me, he has had cheese naan in France with brie in the Brie region.  I'm not sure anything over here can compare.  Since I can't compare to that, I will say the garlic naan was fantastic!

We ordered a shrimp saag and chicken tikka masala.  The chicken was great.  The pieces were big and tender and the sauce was awesome.  The sauce was creamy but not too heavy.  There was a lot of sauce which I dumped all over the rice that came with our entrees.  It was tasty - the takeout menu we grabbed says that dishes come mild, and you can order them in medium or hot.  I think next time we should ask for medium.  The saag was pretty good - not in my top three, but close.  I really wanted to try the samosas, but we knew we wouldn't be able to eat that much food.  Guess we will have to go back. 

All in all, it was very good dinner.  I'm sooooo happy I don't have to wait to visit the mainland to get a full Indian meal.  I hope they do well!

There is a beefier review of the restaurant over HERE. 

The restaurant is at 760 S. Kihei Road.  Check times at the website highlighted above.

OK folks, it's time to talk about that all-important subject again:

FOOD!

I'd like to introduce you to my favorite Thai restaurant on Maui.  In Kihei there is a little restaurant in the back (all the way back) of a shopping area on South Kihei Road.  It is called Maui Thai and, so far, it has the best Thai food I have tried on Maui.  Sweetie and I have been to several Thai restaurants on the island.  Some will we return to.  Many we will never return to.  Our favorite is Maui Thai.

It's not that great on ambiance so don't expect to be wowed by the restaurant appearance.  But the food is great.  We love the curries, especially the Panang Curry.  Pad Thai is good - not the best ever, but probably in my top three.  We love the spring and summer rolls.  Sweetie prefers the fresh summer rolls.  I like the spring rolls because, hey - I'll take deep fried over fresh any day of the week!  So, we alternate back and forth on those. 

Like most restaurants on Maui, there are plenty of fish items.  They also have many vegetarian items.  Eggplant is good, but I can't get that too often if I want to share.  We just tried something new. 

Sweetie called them up and said "I want something with fish.  And ginger."  Something like that.

And the guy said "We have a Mahi Ginger Sauce." 

And Sweetie said "We'll take it."

And.....holy crap!  That was YUM!  It was kind of sweet.  Not hot at all (in case you are looking for a non-spicy dish).  Which was perfect because we also had the Panang Curry, which we always order medium but still manages to clear out the sinuses pretty good.  Whew!  It was excellent.  Consistency is key, and Maui Thai has consistently served us good meals.  Not fancy.  But good.

Now.........if I could just get somebody, anybody (ok somebody good) to open an Indian restaurant on this island.....I'd never have to leave.

So, there is a news story about a prison inmate who is on a hunger strike.  He and others say the prison is obligated to serve him healthy food, and the prison  would not serve him vegan food, and he should have vegan food. 

Last I checked:

 a) veganism is not a religion. People don't *have* to be vegans.  It is a choice for many reasons,  (www.vegan.org) and it is a lifestyle and a philosophy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegan). 

and

b) you don't get a menu in jail.

There are certain things about jail - one being you lose certain privileges you were granted in life before you *chose* to commit a crime.  One obvious loss is the ability to go wherever you want to go and do whatever you want to do.  Probably for good reason.  Another loss is the ability to pick your dinner choices off a menu.   Too bad.  Guess what?  You were found guilty of a crime by a jury (he was).  You're in JAIL.  Good gravy - this is why so many people think ALL environmentalists are whacked-out crazy heads. 

Menus are offered at McDonalds, Olive Garden, and other fine restaurants.  They are not offered in prison. Am I wrong?  Thoughts?

So, why were Sweetie and I just staying in San Diego for a few days?

Well, the main thing that took us to southern California was The Boys.

I tell my Sweetie that Curt and Roland are My Boys because, well.....we've been together for so long. Yes, musically I am still sometimes a child of the 80s. And a huge part of my musical 80s was Tears for Fears. Huge. Loved them. Still do. From the raw power of The Hurting, experimental greatness of Seeds of Love (not that song, but the rest of the album), go-it-aloneness of Elemental, and even through the slightly excruciating "comeback" reunion of Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, I am a Tears fan in my soul. So is my pal, T. And when we found out that they would be playing in San Diego at Humphrey's by the Bay, we jumped at the chance to see them again. Fourth time for us.

We ate dinner last night - the three of us and Sweetie's buddy in San Diego who we have been staying with. Fantastic meal at Cafe Sevilla in San Diego. Tapas. Yummmmm.......

I know. I know. You are thinking "Is there any food on earth that Stone Girl *doesn't* like??"

But really. Tapas are so good. You know tapas? You must try tapas. From the cafe's website:

Tapas are Spanish appetizers or hors d'oeuvres, a few of these tasty little dishes selected from an infinite variety can make a full meal.

Long before the discovery of America it was obligatory for innkeepers to serve food with wine, so a tasty morsel of cured ham, chorizo, cheese or olives were served on a small plate which covered the jug of wine like a lid, top or "tapa."

Tapas are an extension of the spontaneous Spanish character, chosen and eaten at whim, accompanied by wine, sherry, beer or sangria, to be shared with friends in a convivial setting, with folk songs, dance and lively conversation.

The Cafe was a great place to have tapas. And Sangria. mmmmmm......good sangria.

But I digress.

After dinner was the concert. Which was good. And you know, good is ok. It was not the best Tears concert ever (nothing can beat the Seeds of Love, with Oleta Adams and a grand piano on stage, the energy of the first three albums, and the FANtastic version of Famous Last Words). But last night was good because, hey The Boys only performed three shows in California, and I love to see them live, and they at least played a few older songs. Again, I think the weakness was the last album, and they played almost everything off that album. Roland said something to the effect that the reviews for the album (when it came out two years ago) were "remarkable." Remarkable was the word he used, in a tone of voice that says he understands why it got less than rave reviews. Or maybe he doesn't. But he deserves rave reviews for their whole body of work, and for his awesome voice, which seemed to be in full force last night. And made me wish they would go back into the studio together and create something original and powerful like the old albums. Like their old primal scream therapy via music. What better thing to do, sometimes, than just "Shout?"

Was it perfect for me? No. Perfect would have included Year of the Knife and Famous Last Words. But oh well. The crowd was pretty excited, Curt and Roland seemed comfortable and slightly goofy on stage, as they always were. T and I got to relive a bit of that giddy feeling of long ago. We danced and I sang my tone-deaf heart out.

And I got to see Tears for Fears live with my Sweetie by my side. Which is a very very special thing. Which is a whole other story.

DId you know, if not for Tears for Fears, Sweetie and I may not have gotten together?

He doesn't really believe that. He thinks he would have, no matter what. But, I gotta say, The Boys had a little something to do with that.

Sweet.

Ran a little further tonight than last week. Remember, still not very far. But I'm running!

Why do I run?

To go eat Dos, of course! It's all about the food with me. I'm off to dinner. Yummmm....

Nothing too exciting today. Got a bunch of cleaning done. Even managed to wash the car. Which I think is just the second time I've done that since I've been driving it! Watched waaaaay too much Food Network TV today.** I am SUCH a sucker for any food competition. Top Chef. Iron Chef. Next Food Network Star. Food Network Challenge (Disney Villains today). I'm a total food competition junkie. Don't really watch the regular cooking shows. But I love to watch those chefs scramble and then plate some gorgeous scrumptious thing that I just wanna grab and taste!

Have I mentioned I like food?

And to end, here's a quick quiz I stole from Cheela's page. Fun!

Your Movie Buff Quotient: 68%

You are a total movie buff. Classics, blockbusters, indie favorites... you've seen most of them. Your friends know to come to you whenever they need a few good DVD rental suggestions.

My guy and I did a little last-minute Christmas shopping today in Santa Cruz. He did most of the shopping. I'm happy to say that most of my gift-getting was done already. My favorite stop of the day was to Mackenzies Chocolates, for what should be obvious reasons. Holy yummy, Batman! They have some delectable treats at this shop. They also have a variety of chocolate banana slugs, including some bright yellow ones. Must be pretty popular with the UCSC crowd. I love that their website has a search function all its own. Heaven forbid someone shopping online cannot find their treat of choice.

I bought some English toffee, which I use as my litmus test for chocolate makers. I bought some to share with my family for Christmas. In the interest of not feeding my family second-rate toffee, I broke into the box tonight to try. It was so good, I don't think I can subject my loved ones to this treat - it will just make them crave more and, since they don't travel out this way too often, it would just be some sort of unrequited chocolate-love. I care about them too much to make them suffer so.

We shopped at Palace Arts and Office Supply, Paper Vision, Zoccoli's Delicatessen, and a bunch of antique stores on Pacific Avenue that were fun to walk through.

We are now watching Sound of Music. We caught it about half-way through. It's been a few years since I've seen it all the way through. Before my family bought the movie (on VHS), I would watch the TV version every year. It's just that good. I'm pointing out to my guy the point where I would start to get scared while watching the von Trapps try and escape the Nazis. I don't know what age I was where I started to understand exactly what was going on. I like to think that the sort of complicity, even accommodation, that Herr Zeller and other Austrians provided to the Nazis would not be so easy today. That people who are aware of history would be more quick to stand up to tyranny and fear. But what is it they say about history? How many people remember? How many times has humankind repeated? And where is Julie Andrews when you need her?

Recipe Instructions:
Prepare lasagna according to package directions; drain.
Cook sausage, ground, beef, onion and garlic in large skillet over medium-high heat until sausage is no longer pink and onion is tender.
Stir in tomatoes, tomatoe paste, sugar, 2 teaspoons of the salt, the basil, fennel seeds and pepper.
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to low.
Simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes.

Recipe Instructions:
Prepare lasagna according to package directions; drain.
Cook sausage, ground, beef, onion and garlic in large skillet over medium-high heat until sausage is no longer pink and onion is tender.
Stir in tomatoes, tomatoe paste, sugar, 2 teaspoons of the salt, the basil, fennel seeds and pepper.
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to low.
Simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes.

In the interest of having no real theme to this blog, here is one of my favorite South Beach Diet recipes.  And by “favorite,” I mean “the best of the three recipes I managed to try before I ditched the diet and ran to Dos for dinner.”  I did like South Beach; I’m just not much of a dieter.  (And I still wore a bikini on the beach in Maui, so ha!)

The recipe for Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Cups is super easy, and it’s a great dish to prepare in the evening for a quick breakfast.  I don’t think I have sat down to eat breakfast on a work day for years. Weekends are different. I love cooking a full breakfast, sitting down with the paper, and relaxing half the morning away. But on work days, full of snooze buttons and flyaway hair and deadlines and commute traffic, I would grab something on my way out the door and wolf it down in my car.  And these breakfast cups are perfect for such a thing.

My notes on the recipe - I tend to put in more turkey bacon and no cheese.  The cheese only congeals on top and adds no good taste value. And using the paper muffin cups was a disaster. The egg muffins stuck to the paper. A little Pam™ spray on the muffin pan works much better.

I think this Blog entry falls in the category of “Useful, but not profound.”