Soul Sprout

The Kindness of Strangers or Chivalry is Not Dead

Stupidity.  It's really the only reason I found myself on the edge of panic this morning.  Yesterday, our van hit "E" on the way home from church.  I forgot all about it and headed to the doctor this morning.  Just a few blocks from the office, the van stopped.  In heavy traffic.  In the middle lane.  With Natalie asleep in the back.  I froze.  I belong to AAA, but they can take up to an hour.  I needed help immediately.  There was actually a gas station right on the corner, but I would have to make my way through some heavy traffic to get to it.  Just as I was about to cry, a very nice gentleman stopped his car in the construction lane and came to my window.  Being cautious, I only opened my window a crack.  I explained the situation and he helped me get the van out of traffic and even into the shade.  Then he left to get me a gas can.  When he returned, he put a gallon of gas in my tank.  He refused to let me pay him for the gas.  

I just want to say thank you dear stranger and assure everyone that random acts of kindness do happen.

 

Cool Site for Parents and Kids

In my search for coloring pages for Natalie, I happened across the site ziggityzoom.com.  They have super cute coloring pages that are appropriate for my little two-year-old.  After a few clicks, I realized they had much more to offer.  There are great games and crafts, things to do online and offline, resources for parents, readiness for kindergarten activities, cool links, and tons of things to help you parent your preschooler.  I'm always thrilled to find a new source for ideas and this one is a winner.  If you have a preschooler, take a look.

Book Review - "The Stories of Eva Luna" by Isabel Allende

Rating- Foie gras 8

This is a lovely book.  The prose is rich, the stories are multilayered, and you can feel the steam rising off every page, as you escape into the wilds of South America.  Every story is different and I fell right into them.  Isabel Allende can accomplish more in 3 pages than some peole accomplish in an entire novel.  I love the character development and the range of characters I got to meet.  If you want to get away from it all, pick up this book and enter the jungle.

Book Rating System

It's no secret that I'm a total bookworm.  I've written about it in Her Times, I've been spotted reading while walking, I carry printed material everywhere I go, and I have read by the headlights of the car behind me.  You get the picture.  I'd like to share my book mania and decided I needed a book rating system. 

A 1 to 10 seems obvious, but I want to be a little more specific.  I'd like to classify the books as well.
Here goes: 

Cream puff - A book that is fun to read, but doesn't have much substance.  It could be just a good story or something that makes me laugh until I snort.  The writing itself is not critical here, but amusement is key.

Beef stew - So meaty!  Sink your teeth into one of these and it will teach you or make you think.  This can be fiction or nonfiction- both can do the trick.

Foie gras - Mmmm...  The words themselves make me swoon.  Pages are marked just so I can read and re-read passages.  Savory, rich and lucsious reading.

Kids meal- Books meant for kids.  Some of them are real gems! 

Some examples:

The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer- Cream puff 9.  These books are full of suspense and are a great escape. 

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert- Foie gras 9.  Heartbreaking story with beautiful language.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin- Beef Stew 8.  Not the most well-written book, but a moving and inspirational story.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt- Kids Meal 10.  I love this book.  There are foie gras passages and beef stew topics.  I can't wait to read this with Julia (and someday Natalie).

The Shack by William P. Young- Beef Stew 1.  I didn't finish this book because I just couldn't stand it.  The writing was awful.  I only classified it as Beef stew because that's what it wishes it were.  The first part of the book was sickening.  As a mother of two girls, I hate to read a story like this.  The rest of the book I found to be insulting.  It was way too obvious and contrived.

I'm off to read a new book.  I'll tell you about it later!

Required Reading- "Three Cups of Tea"

Every American should read Three Cups of Tea.  It is an inspiring and eye opening look at Greg Mortenson's mission to build schools in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan.  Mortenson provides an inside look at the people and cultures of both nations that goes behind the scary headlines we so often see.  This book should be the primer for wiping away our ignorance about Muslims.

My words feel so inadequate next to Mortenson's deeds, but if one more person reads his book and learns from it because of this post, it was worth it.  Help change the world one cup of tea at a time.  Read the book.  Give to Greg's Central Asia Institute.  Dispel prejudice and hatred.        

Fab Find- Money Saving Site

Shopping for Julia's school carnival, I was on the hunt for great bargains.  I googled coupon search and happened upon a great site.  It's called Retail Me Not and offers coupon codes for tons of retailers on the net.  You simply type in the website you plan to buy from and coupon codes are listed for that site.  If you have coupon codes you can enter them for other people to use too.  I've had the most luck with big name sites (like Oriental Trading Company), but got some good deals for smaller ones too (like Magic Cabin).  Any time I need to order anything, I check with Retail Me Not first and end up with free shipping or a great discount.  If you are comparison shopping for an item, a coupon on this site might sway your decision.  It doesn't take long and can save you precious dough.  Shop away!!!

Hawaii by the Lists

 

My blogging hiatus is over!  I've been blogging in my mind, but that's pretty hard for you to read.  I've got several recipes to share and ideas galore, but I'd like to start off with Hawaii.  When Hawaii is mentioned, the response is an across the board wistful sigh.  Other places I've been elicited mixed reviews, but Hawaii is beloved by everyone who's been there and dreamed about by those who haven't.  We visited Oahu and stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for 3 nights and a condo in Waianae for 5 nights.  Here's a taste of the Oahu I experienced:

PRACTICALLY PERFECT FOOD:

-  Dinner at Banzai Sushi in Hale'iewa.  The wasabi tobiko and the shoyu chicken are now on my "Foods I Dream About" list.  The tobiko was an unforgettable punch in the nose and an explosion of flavor.  The chicken was the most tender and tastiest I have ever eaten.  And I've eaten a lot of chicken.

- Lunch at Kona Brewing Company.  Great view, great beer, great fish sandwich and awesome papaya slaw.  It hit the spot after a morning of snorkeling at Hanauma Bay.

- Ice cream at Dave's Hawaiian Ice Cream.  Find this nondescript spot in a strip mall and get the haupia (young coconut) ice cream.  The thought of it will always make your mouth water.  It was dense, creamy, and so flavorful.  I'm a little picky about ice cream and this stuff hits the bulls-eye. 

-Lunch at Opal Thai.  Opal Thai is a food truck in a food court of trucks in Hale'iwa.  It's an interesting set-up and the food is outstanding.  There are so many choices and you really can't go wrong.  If you're not sure what to order, tell them what you like and they'll steer you to the right dish.  Oh what I would give for another spoonful of the Tom Kha soup.

- Little pickled things.  The Japanese way of pickling everything is brilliant.  I ate pickled fruit and vegetables all over the island and couldn't get enough.  I didn't care that half the time I had no idea what I was eating.

- Spam Musubi.  Yes I said Spam.  Musubi is a street food I fell in love with.  It's a block of rice with some stir fried spam on top that is wrapped in seaweed.  You unwrap it and eat it like a burrito.  It's a salty, savory, toothsome treat.

-   Fruit.  It's so obvious, but I had to say it.  The fresh tropical fruit is fabulous.  If you're not going to eat fresh fruit and fish don't bother coming to Hawaii.

-  Lilikoi (Passion Fruit) Chiffon Cake. We had lunch at the Waioli Tea Room and the staff was inattentive, the fresh catch salad was good, but the cake was outstanding.  I'd go back for a slice in a heartbeat.  It was fragrant, fruity, and heady without being cloying- a fine line to walk.

THINGS I DIDN'T EXPECT:

-  Tent City.  Honolulu is the same as any other city.  There is poverty and homelessness.  What I didn't know about was the tent city on the leeward coast of Oahu.  People construct intricate "tents" out of poles and tarps.  Sometimes a vehicle is used as a base.  There are sculptures made out of discarded items in the yards.  The working poor live on the beach like this because of the high cost of living in Hawaii.  I couldn't stop thinking about these people.  To learn more or to help visit this site.

-  Chickens.  Sure I thought they'd be on the menu, but on the beach?  When we got to the beach at Hanauma Bay there was a rooster and a couple of hens.  We thought this was an isolated incident and giggled whenever we heard the rooster crow.  Turns out, they are all over the island!  Hiking in the rainforest, wandering around town, sitting on the beach, waking up in the morning, on a lookout on top of a mountain, there were chickens.

- Bad weather.  Sure it rains a lot in the rainforest, but isn't it always sunny with just a few perfect cotton puff clouds on the beach?  I gave not a single moment's thought to planning for rain.  I didn't bring an umbrella or come up with rainy day plans.  Our first night and day in Honolulu it POURED.  We went to the Waikiki Aquarium, which was nice, but we had planned to be beach bums that day and try to get a surfing lesson from one of the cabana boys.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS:

-  Snorkeling.  Snorkeling in Hawaii is magical.  It's like being inside the best aquarium.  Hanauma Bay is the perfect place to learn snorkeling.  We also snorkeled at the Ko Olina Lagoons.  Both locations are sheltered reefs and are easy and safe even for my 8-year-old.  John and I took turns taking her out and watching Natalie on the beach.

- Surfing.  I am speaking for John here, because he was the one who took a surfing lesson.  He enjoyed it thoroughly, but said it was a tough workout too.  John's instructor, Edison, owns the Surf Hawaii 4 U Surf School in Haleiwa.  He was a great and patient teacher that enabled John to ride several waves.  

 

-  Sea Turtles.  I couldn't wait to see sea turtles in Hawaii.  I chose the condo we rented because it was on Turtle Cove.  I did get to see a turtle in the surf there and John actually got to snorkel with one.  She followed him as he swam around.  The North Shore provided all of us with an even closer look.  We parked our car and got out to watch some people surfing.  We saw a group of people clustered at one end of the beach.  We assumed they were watching the surfing or maybe even a casual competition, because we noticed there were signs and ropes.  We ambled over, but tried not to interfere.  With my eyes trained on the waves, someone tapped me on the shoulder and said,  "Do you realize there are sea turtles right there?"  I turned my head and saw 2 sea turtles basking right there on the sand.  I was overwhelmed and had to catch my breath.  They were so beautiful.  The ropes and signs were set up to protect the turtles so no one would get too close.  I went back to the same beach the next day too and there were 3 turtles that time.  The volunteers from Malama na honu that watch over the turtles were very friendly and answered lots of our questions.

-Pearl Harbor.  Visiting the Arizona was emotional and educational.  John and Julia also toured the Missouri and the Bowfin and enjoyed both.  I would have loved to tour them too, but it was too much to ask of Natalie.

-The Bishop Museum.  We went to the Bishop Museum on our last day before we went to the airport and it was a wonderful way to wrap up our trip.  There are several museums on the island, but we didn't want to spend much time inside, so we skipped most of them. This museum, however, was well worth the time.  We enjoyed the information and artifacts from all of Polynesia and the volcano building.  There is something for all age groups here and a lot to see.  We left wanting to visit all the islands in Polynesia. 

-The little things.  Flowers.  The color of the ocean.  Critters in tidal pools.  The sound of the surf.  Shopping at Tamura (a grocery store on the leeward coast that's chock full of Polynesian and Japanese food).  The dolphins.  The trees.  The lay of the land.  Feeling the pulse of another way of life.  A local thinking I was a local too.  Eating new things.  Spending time with my family.  The girls' faces as they watched Polynesian dancers.

MY TIPS:

-  Go to Vacation Rental By Owner to find a place to stay.  The prices are good and you can find a nice place to stay that is away from the touristy hubbub.

- Get an Entertainment Book.  This is a coupon book and you can check it out online to make sure there are things in it you are interested in.  It can pay for itself many times over.

-  Read some guide books before you go so you can prioritize what you most want to see and do.  My favorites were Top 10 Honolulu and Oahu (a great overview, easy to carry with you, nice pictures), Lonely Planet Hawaii (pretty thorough, most information on hiking), Fodor's Hawaii (great basic guide, good restaurant listings).  I checked out all the guide books on Hawaii that my library had and I found these to be the most helpful.

-  If you have kids, plan ahead for the flights.  Bring empty water bottles that you can fill after you go through security.  My carry-on was full of new little toys, books, and candy to keep the munchkins happy.  The Dover Little Activity Books are a good choice.  They are small, inexpensive, and come in a wide variety of topics.  The Play-Doh party pack tube was also a hit with both girls.  It's a tube of several small containers of Play-Doh that are just the right size for playing with on a plane.  The dollar section of Target also provided some fun and cheap books and toys. 

- If you want souvenirs, shop at the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet (every Wed, Sat, and Sun from 6AM- 3PM).  You can find most of the things you will see in fancy stores all over the island for a fraction of the cost.  There are lots of repetitive booths, but there's some cool stuff too.  It's really close to Pearl Harbor, so plan to do it the day you go there.  

- Ask locals about their favorite restaurants.  I researched thoroughly before we went, but the tip to go to Banzai Sushi (arguably the best meal we had) came from one of the guides on the whale watching cruise we took (We didn't get to see whales, but it was still fun.  We saw 2 species of dolphins.)

 

Hawaii Here I Come

I have a toddler and an eight-year-old and we are going to fly to Hawaii.  A 2 hour flight and then an 11 hour flight.  And that's just getting there.  Ok, maybe I'm crazy.  We have frequent flier miles and I wanted to go somewhere we've never been and might not otherwise get the chance to go.  Hawaii seemed a wonderful choice.  The weather is beautiful, the beaches are spectacular, the mountains are breathtaking, and there's sushi and fresh seafood as far as the eye can see.  What could be better than watching my girls play in the sand while spotting humpback whales spouting and sipping a mai tai?

You can see how I had stars in my eyes just thinking about it.  What I glossed over was the hours in a plane.  I've been looking forward to this trip for months, but now that it's tomorrow, I'm kind of freaking out.

I keep telling my husband we just need to be proactive.  I bought loads of snacks and treats.  My carry-on bag is chock full of new toys and little surprises.  I packed a change of clothes for all of us to take on the plane- just in case.  I have even visualized my toddler crying and my husband and I handling her calmly and lovingly. (Now you know I am certifiable.)

I was all set until today when my temper exploded, and we're not even on the plane yet.  I am a bit anal about planning a trip and savor every moment of it.  I have read 5 tour books entirely and made copious notes about each of them.  Once I was done taking notes, I compiled everything onto index cards.  For each region of Oahu there is a card with attractions and a card with restaurants.  All addresses and phone numbers and hours of operation are listed along with some comments about each one.  You can imagine how long all of this took.

Yes, these are those very notes now smeared with ginger ale.  After putting the finishing touches on these I needed to go to the bathroom.  I had been drinking ginger ale, because I haven't been feeling well all week, even though my whole family has been drinking Dan active for the last three weeks to prevent us from getting sick.  I left everything on the kitchen table and walked away.  FATAL MISTAKE!!!

When I returned (less than 5 minutes later), my darling eight year old was trying to clean up the table and her sister.  Realization of what had happened dawned on me slowly.  Julia had moved my books and notes out of the way and I swooped them up only to find they were smeared anyway.  Distraught I ran to the bedroom to try to gain my composure.  I threw the cards down on the bed and drops of blue ink spattered my khaki duvet cover.  I screamed.  The phone rang. 

Luckily, on the other end was a dear friend who can always make me laugh.  It doesn't hurt that she's a mom too and knows the feeling.  I used all kinds of words meant for sailors and told her all about it.  After I vented, she had me laughing in just a few minutes.

This is the moment it dawned on me that I might not live through the flights.  I glanced at my bedside table and a book I bought last fall, but hadn't even cracked yet, caught my eye- Mommy Mantras; Affirmations and Insights to Keep You from Losing Your Mind.  How serendipitous!! 

Once my toddler was napping, I immediately started reading it.  I was laughing right away and crying by page 16.  These authors (Bethany E. Casarjian, PhD., and Diane H. Dillon, Ph.D) knew where I was coming from and were offering help.  I plan to read as much as I can tonight before going to bed and to take it with me tomorrow.  Wish me luck!!

PS  The three guide books I liked best were-
Fodor's Hawaii 2009- A great all-around guide with particularly good restaurant reviews.  I have been reading Fodor's since my first trip to NYC and they're usually spot on.
lonely planet Hawaii- Another all-around guide that excels in hiking reviews.  This was the fourth guide I had read and the only one with the kind of information about hiking I was looking for.  It also was a bit more thorough in covering even regions that were not touristy at all.
DK Top 10 Honolulu and O'ahu- This one has pictures the other ones lack and is a great overview.  It is small and succinct, but chock full of good info.  It was a perfect read to tie everything together after reading other longer guides.

When I get back I will blog about the trip and let you know if we all survived.

Fab Find- The Old Ceremony

I have started and scrapped this post so many times.  I'm having trouble coming up with the right words, so I'll keep it simple.

Listen to this band. The Old Ceremony.

Some of their songs are like potato chips.  They're great right from the first listen and you can't get enough.  Others are like a complex stew.  They're good, but they grow on you more with every bite- I mean, listen.  And others you like fine, until you hear them live, and then you LOVE them and smile with the memory every time you hear them.

The lyrics can be plain fun or they can make you think for days.

Their sound is different enough to be intriguing, but familiar enough to welcome you right in.

It makes sense that behind this great band is a bunch of nice guys who are passionate about what they do.  It's not an easy road to take and I am thankful they are willing to do it.  I'm honored to help them anyway I can, not because of any gain I'm looking for, but because I believe in what they're doing.  So go to their website, check them out, go hear them when they play near you, and pick up a cd, a t-shirt and a cool earth-friendly bag (they were my idea ;-) )to put it all in. 

PS Unlike the other photos on my blog, this one is not mine.  It is Kent Corley's (check his website- he does some great stuff).  I'm sorry the whole band isn't in it.  This one is Django Haskins and Matt Brandau. 

A Word About Banned Substances

No, I'm not talking about alcohol (see this post).  My banned substances are high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, and MSG.  I wrote a nutrition article for Her Times a while ago detailing why I do my best to avoid the trio.  I still stay away from them and there are even new reasons to do so.  Here's the quick lowdown:

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)-  This is a chemically altered sweetener made from corn.  There is great debate whether the widespread use of HFCS has contributed to the rise in obesity in America and whether it has other adverse health effects. (Read about it here.)  The sharp increase in obesity does coincide with major corporations switching from sugar to HFCS.  A new reason may be the environmental impact which you can read about here.  The bottom line for me is that it is not a natural ingredient and is hidden in tons of products. 

 Partially hydrogenated oils-  We've all heard about trans fatty acids and how bad they are for us.   The amazing thing is that they are in products that say 0 grams trans fatty acid.  If you see partially hydrogenated oil, shortening, or hydrogenated oil listed as an ingredient, there can be as much as .49 grams of trans fatty acid and the label can still claim zero.  This site is quite helpful.  Palm oil (not palm fruit oll) and coconut oil are natural, but almost as bad so I try to avoid those too.  The bottom line is trans fats increase your bad cholesterol and decrease your good cholesterol.  

MSG (monosodium glutamate)- There is so much debate about this food additive it is staggering.  It's really hard to decide who to believe.  Some say it is harmless others say it causes obesity, causes neurological problems and triggers headaches.  The only thing agreed on is that some people are sensitive to it and those people can have an adverse reaction to it.  The bottom line for me is it's another chemical food additive that may be harmful and may contribute to my migraines, so why eat it?

Now don't get the idea that I never eat anything unhealthy and I spend hours in the kitchen making everything my family eats from scratch!  The main idea here is that I am trying to help my family eat healthier and I want it to be a conscious decision when I eat something unhealthy.  Those pesky banned substances show up in canned soups, granola bars, wheat bread, oatmeal, English muffins, cereal, crackers, ketchup, salad dressings, yogurt, and all kinds of places you wouldn't expect.  I don't appreciate companies parading foods as healthy when they're full of artificial additives.  There are times when I want to eat junk food and I understand that they're not good for me, but I don't want to sit down to a breakfast of yogurt and toast and be filling up on HFCS. 

When I started doing this, it took me a little longer to go grocery shopping because I was reading all the labels.  Now I know so many labels, I only have to read a few each trip and I feel so much better about what I am feeding my family.  I am also working on some recipes to share with you that are easy and eliminate some of the prime offender ingredients.  Look for those soon!