Make, Bake, Be Happy!

We all obviously eat to live, but how many people actually live to eat? I would classify those people who live to eat, “foodies.” These are people who not only love eating food, but enjoy trying new things, and experimenting with cooking themselves. I remember when I started this blog. It was my own place on the web to really grow as a person through food and cooking. I’ll admit though, the project went on the wayside. I was in a place where I wasn’t happy and struggling to find myself. I was trying to find MY purpose in life. The only thing that I could really think of that made me happy through that tough time was food. I would look forward to the weekends, because that was when I could go and try new places to eat at. It made me giddy, it made me excited. Looking back at that, I realize that being happy is important to me. It’s a great feeling to go to bed knowing that I had a great day, doing something that I enjoyed doing, and knowing that the next day was going to be just like that, and maybe even better!

I feel like I am at the beginning again, although I have a few posts before this one. I realize that I am truly a blogger trying to find my place in the blogosphere, and that is through food!

When we went to Hawaii, we stayed on the island of Oahu.  I knew before we got to Hawaii I wanted to check out the Dole Pineapple Plantation, and luckily, we made time to go.  It was about 20-30 minutes from where we were staying in Waikiki, so the drive over was awesome.  Seeing so many mountains is something different for a Florida girl like me.  Once we got there, the first thing we did was check out the store, where there were tons of cookies, pineapple flavored this and that and of course, macadamia nuts!  There was even a cafeteria where you could buy lunch, and areas where you could sample pineapple with chili powder, and pineapple hot sauce!  I was in food heaven.

We then checked out the Pineapple Express tour, which is a 20 minute train ride of the plantation.  It was a windy and cool day, so it was nice going around, looking at where the pineapples grow, as well as other fruits.  It’s a bit hard to see, but there are a bunch of pineapples hiding!

After our train ride, we had lunch, and I’ve never had a delicious pineapple sorbet before!  Glen got a fish taco and it was pretty tasty too!

This video was one of my favorite parts of the Plantation.  There is this huge Koi pond and there are literally hundreds of Koi swimming around.  You can also feed them, and when you do, they go crazy!  This video is proof!

Here is my review of the Dole Plantation on Yelp.  Yelp was helpful when we visited Hawaii, so I thought it would be nice to add my own reviews!

It’s been a couple months since my last update, and I’ve been a really bad blogger.    I’ve been busy with a lot.  For one, I got married on February 27, and we went to Hawaii on our honeymoon for one week!  Before that though, it’s just been busy planning and stressful of course, as weddings always are.  Anyway, I just wanted to update quickly and I’ll be back to blogging about food soon.  In Hawaii, I’ve never thought I’d be eating so much, since I wasn’t used to the idea (ie.  making sure I fit in my dress) and since the wedding was over, I figured, why not?

I did a lot of Yelp reviews while I was there, and should really make a habit of doing this more.   I’ll be posting my food adventures from Hawaii soon. 

I know I haven’t been around for a while, but the holidays are such a busy time.  I honestly have been so busy with work, holiday shopping, spending time with family and wedding stuff, I’ve been neglecting the blog!  2010 is only days away and honestly, I cannot believe how fast this year has gone by!

Next year is filled with excitement, as I am getting married at the end of February, and who knows what life will bring?  All I know is that this blog is here to stay, and I hope to post A LOT more next year.  I am also planning to get a new camera so I can also experiment with food photography!

Before I go, I just wanted to let you all know that I recently found this great tea that I think everyone should try.  It’s a holiday tea by Celestial Seasonings called Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride.  It smells like a sugar cookie and is quite tasty!  I found it at Super Target, but you can also buy it online at Amazon.com.

Have a Happy (and Safe!) New Years!!  See you all on the other side!

The first time I had a chicken teriyaki bowl was at Whole Foods.  It became one of my favorite lunches to get there, as it was wholesome, healthy and not to mention, delicious!  Because the Whole Foods that I go to that makes it fresh to order is far from I live, I decided to make it myself, and it’s become a favorite dish in our household.

It’s so simple, and its so filling!

Ingredients I Used:

Brown rice
Chicken breasts
Salt and Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Steamed Brown Rice
Scallions
Teriyaki Sauce
Sesame seeds

How I Made It:

Brown rice takes a long time to cook, so I started that first.  Thank goodness for a rice cooker.  I followed the directions on the package.

Then, I spiced the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Then, I heated a pan and put some EVOO on it to prevent the chicken from sticking.  I cooked the chicken for about 15-20 minutes and then cut the cooked chicken into strips.

While the chicken was cooking I cut up the scallions. Depending on how much you like scallions you can use one or two. I used two since it was a dish for me and Glen.

Once the rice was cooked, I put the rice in separate bowls, followed by the chicken, teriyaki sauce, scallions and topped with sesame seeds. That’s it!

End Result:

A simple, dinner that can be cooked in less than an hour, and delicious too!