The photos bellow are from a rehearsal / welcome to Hawaii party for a destination wedding. The he is from the east coast and she is from Japan. It was a great east meets west party with bilingual name tags.

 Destination weddings-From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Destination weddings are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. Destination weddings, or "wedding aways" and "weddingmoons", allow the couple to completely design their wedding ceremony to fit the location. From beach weddings to weddings in Hawaii or New York City, many Americans are choosing to marry at a location far from home. The options for destinations are limitless^[19].

Examples of creative locations for wedding include nature parks, aquariums, baseball stadiums, golf courses, zoos, and theme parks. Receptions can also be held at creative, nontraditional locations such as on a boat, in a mansion or castle, historical monument, winery, or museum^[19].

Destination weddings have several advantages. From getting to spend an extended time with family, to an easy transition to a honeymoon, destination weddings are very appealing. Additionally, while destination weddings can be very expensive, they are on average less expensive than weddings at home^[19].

http://mahalomichael.posterous.com/tag/coconutclub  --more blog info about the coconut club

 

 

 

We have been watering and watching our apple banana bunch for months now. Just waiting for a hint of yellow to start on them. On Wednesday we finally spotted the top row turning yellow! It was a busy week so we waited till the weekend to harvest. 

 They taste great.  The 4" fruits are sweet yet have a slight tartness. Manzano is the Spanish name for "Apple". The taste has also been compared to a cross between an apple and a very sweet banana.

 Top 10 Banana Songs

   1. Day-O (Banana Boat) - Harry Belafonte  

   2. Banana Co - Radiohead  

   3. Bananas And Blow - Ween  

   4. 30,000 Pounds Of Bananas - Harry Chapin  

   5. Fried Bananas - Cal Tjader  

   6. Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson  

   7. Banana In Your Fruit Basket - Bo Carter  

   8. Banana Split (The Tra La La Song) - The Dickies  

   9. Smokin' Banana Peels - The Dead Milkmen  

   10. Yes! We Have No Bananas - Spike Jones   

 from Robert of the Radish in The Y! Music Playlist Blog

More info on the Apple Bananas:

Seasons/Availability
Apple bananas are available year round.

• Description/Taste
  A favorite dessert banana and truly irresistible, apple bananas turn completely black when ripe. Pale yellow and quite stocky, the average length is about four inches. The creamy semi-dry flesh resists turning brown when peeled making it a perfect choice for fresh fruit desserts. Prized for its unique flavor, this remarkable banana's deliciousness combines tasty hints of apple and strawberry.
• Nutritional Value
  An excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin B-6 and potassium, the banana is low in fat, cholesterol-free, low in sodium and provides fiber. Some medications for controlling blood pressure deplete the body's storage of potassium. One banana each day restores the potassium balance. An average sized banana has about 95 calories. Five daily servings of fruits and vegetables are recommended to lower chances of cancer. A recent study found eating nine or ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables, combined with three servings of low-fat dairy products, effectively lowers blood pressure.
• Applications
  Enjoy the apple banana out of hand or add this creamy-textured wonder to fresh fruit salads. Make yummy puddings, pies, muffins, cookies, cakes, custards and quick breads. Enjoy a frosty banana daiquiri. Pair with vanilla ice cream, hot chocolate fudge, sliced fresh strawberries and tangy pineapple bits for a dessert delight. Standing up well when cooked, this little banana is a perfect size for making delectable banana fritters. To delay ripening, refrigerate. Place in paper bag; keep at room temperature to speed ripening. To freeze for longer storage, mix one teaspoon of lemon juice into each mashed banana; freeze in an airtight container. Note: To prevent bananas from turning brown in fruit salad, drop a banana in boiling water for two to three seconds until it turns dark brownish-black; carefully lift out from water; peel. The banana will actually stay fresh.
• Ethnic/Cultural Info
  The name banana comes from the Arabic word for finger, "banan", referring to the finger-like extensions of the fruit. A clump of bananas is called a "hand". This variety most closely resembles its namesake. As a popular Asian snack, bananas are battered, fried or baked in their skins over hot coals. Many parts of Southeast Asia enjoy the banana cooked with rice flour dough or glutinous rice and served with coconut cream. A favorite banana delight and sold as a confection, banana slices are sun-dried.
• Geography/History
  Growing wild in Hawaii along the seriously rainy Hamakua Coast on the Big Island and especially loving gulches and ditches, the apple banana plant grows much taller than the common banana plant and requires more maintenance. The Hamakua Coast is located North of Hilo and with annual rainfall topping out over a whopping ten feet, it definitely earns the title of the rainiest city in the United States. Considered a premium banana and also known as manzano, islanders love growing the exceptional apple banana plant in their backyard. This banana takes about fifteen months from planting to harvest. A member of the Musa paradisiaca species and from the Musaceae family, new varieties of bananas are being developed and are now available in American markets. Smaller bananas are especially becoming increasingly popular and setting a new banana trend.

MAHALO to http://www.specialtyproduce.com/index.php?item=2050

Featured Recipes
Recipes that include Apple Bananas. One is easiest, three is harder.

Just Mommies		BananaRama Baby Food Recipe
Mom's Diet		Healthy Banana Smoothies
Gluten-Free Goddess		Banana Apricot Hemp Milk Smoothie
Cooking with Amy		Healthy Banana (or Guava) Bread
Farmgirl Fare		Let Them Eat Mexican Monkey Cake!

It's been five years since my last dive. Time has gone by quickly, I
got married, we moved to a new home last year, got a puppy and eight
fish, and am almost to seven years in my Oahu job at Tiki's. It was
great to be getting back underwater!

My gear had not been serviced in at least 8 years, so I called my
friend who is a active PADI Instructor. I wanted to rent some gear and
he did even better by loaning me his high tech rig.

The boat left from Hawaii Kai Marina and it only took a short time to
get on site. I kept my mouth shut about my experience and triple
checked my gear. I was over-weighted by 9lbs for the first dive,but
I didn't want to be the fat guy stuck on the surface. When I was
teaching I always carried extra weight for my divers, so old habits
die hard. I jumped in and sank at a rapid pace until adding air in my
BCD. The first dive was over in 40 minutes.

Dive Site One: Portlock Wall
(The Wall) Portlock Wall runs from the end of Hanauma Bay toward
Maunalua Bay. The current was running to the West. The wall runs down
to 90 to 100 feet near Hanauma Bay, rising to 30 to 40 feet by
Portlock. There are ledges that house eels and lots of wana (sea
urchins) and plentiful fish all around with turtles. Large caves cut
into the wall in spots.

Dive Site Two: Sea Cave
The Sea Cave is an exciting cave dive located between Portlock Wall
and Paliea Point. The mouth of the cave is located in 55 feet of water
and the cave extends inward approximately 150 feet. You can expect to
sea turtles as well as many different types of shells and reef fish.
After exploring the large cave we drifted along the wall with the
current.

The dives were great and as always I was able to relax and clear my
mind, focusing on only what was going on. It will hopefully be much
less than five years until my next dive!

Yelp Honolulu Gets Wacky & Tacky in Waikiki

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