LEPRECHAUN CRUNCH

• 1/8 cup of sprinkles (shamrocks sprinkles are fun),
• 1/4 cup broken pretzels,
• 1/2 cup marshmallows from Lucky Charms cereal, 
• 18 oz (approximately 1 1/2 bags) of Ghirardelli White Chocolate Baking Chips,
• a 9 x 9 baking dish and parchment paper.

• Line the baking dish with the parchment paper.
• Put the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave at 1-minute intervals, stirring each time until chips are melted (a rubber spatula does the trick).
• Pour melted chocolate into lined baking dish, and smooth over with rubber spatula to make as flat as possible.
• Add pretzels, marshmallows and sprinkles on top and gently push into chocolate.
• Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

SHAMROCK SURPRISE TREATS

• 6 T butter,
• 10 cups mini marshmallows,
• 5 cups Rice Krispie cereal,
• green food coloring,
• shamrock cookie cutter,
• MNM’s,
• Pam cooking spray and
• two 13 x 9 pans

• Spray both the baking pans, rubber spatula and the cookie cutter.
• Microwave the butter until melted.
• Put the marshmallows in a large, microwave safe bowl, add the butter and microwave until melted– mine was a minute and 15 seconds.
• Stir it well, adding a few drops of green food coloring.
• Coat the cereal well and spread in pans.
• Cut out the shamrocks.

When I first wrote the review below on Yelp, I was grieved and sad to do so because I had quite a few lovely experiences at Mariposa at Neiman Marcus Ala Moana Location in the past.  This particular experience was just awful and I've learned recently that several people got the same rude, condescending service there since my encounter so I thought I'd share this review with all of you.

Yeah...not all the J.O.Y. Reviews are happy or positive ones!!  Some may say "Well it's a high priced, stuck up, snobby place...what did you expect?"   To that I say, I expect good service.  The service in the last year or so has gone down dramatcially and I believe it has more to do with the hiring practices of the managers of this restaurant than the cooks or food.  In fact, the food is still amazing... it's just the hostesses and their direct manager that leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Restaurant info via Neiman Marcus:

Mariposa  
Laid-back luxe. Savor delectable fare at Neiman Marcus Honolulu Mariposa®, the consecutive seven-year winner of the prestigious Hale 'Aina Award. From creative sandwiches to regionally inspired entrees and house-made desserts, this chic eatery has just the sumptuous something for any appetite. Take in a legendary Hawaiian sunset from your table on the open-air lanai while enjoying exceptional service and fine Pacific cuisine.
Manager : Duane Kawamoto (E-mail) 
Honolulu Advertiser, July 28, 2006"An evening of exceptionally good eating."
MenusAcrobat Reader is required to install when you see the menus below.Lunch Menu (PDF)Afternoon Menu (PDF)Dinner Menu (PDF)Course Menu (PDF)Wine Menu (PDF)
Methods Of Payment AcceptedWe accept Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, American Express, Visa, MasterCard, JCB and China UnionPay credit cards (Visa/MasterCard), cash, and checks.
ReservationsWe recommend that you make reservations. Please call or visitOpenTable.com

My Review on Yelp:

 8/29/2012 Seated via OpenTable 4 Check-ins Here

I would have given this place more stars if they had seated us on time. We made a reservation through Yelp and it was confirmed. When we went there, they took forever to seat us and the snotty hostess said that they didn't have tables in her most  (unjustified) stuck up tone.

The food is delicious, however and I really appreciate that they include the calories in each dish and offer healthy selections. The scenery is really nice and the view is so calm and relaxing. The bartender (Wesley I think) made the BEST Bloody Mary I have ever had in my life.

All of the waiters and waitresses were awesome. They are attentive, knowledgeable, friendly and really happy to serve you. The prices are fair and not what you'd expect from a high end place like Neiman Marcus. It's right in most people's budgets but still manage to use quality ingredients in their food.

I would give this place more stars but the hassle I went through just to get seated really turned me off from going here.  It's a shame that they don't honor reservations. I could understand if I had just showed up but I had a reservation and the flippant attitude given to myself and my mother by the hostess named Michelle was uncalled for. Just because someone works at Neiman Marcus doesn't mean they deserve or are in the place to be rude and condescending to people, especially when most of the crowd that goes there are well off or affluent.

The place still has a decent rating on Yelp but I think that has more to do with past positive experiences and not so much on the present atmosphere the hostesses are creating there.  I had a lovely lunch there in the past... A friend of mine also had a horrible experience there in the last month or so.  I say, if you're in Hawai'i, eat here with caution and patience because the hostesses are rude, don't honor reservations and don't show you any patience.

I guess at Mariposa, good customer service is out of style...

For more reviews of Mariposa on Yelp click {HERE}..

On a positive note... the food is rather good..  Worth the bad service? I don't know.. but the cooks are amazing.

Cooking when you're on a juice fast is a not-so-easy thing to do!!  Oh boy, my son was hungry last night and he asked me to make him one of his "favorites".  Thankfully his "favorites" list is extensive and he has a relatively healthy diet so I chose to make him panko and furikake crusted ahi (yellowfin tuna), asparagus and "hapa haole" rice (white and brown rice mix).

It's a relatively fast and healthy recipe.  The entire prep time is about 15 minutes.  Cooking the rice in a rice pot actually takes the longest to cook.

Want to learn how? It's super easy...

• Get ahi (yellowfin tuna) fillets and put a light layer of mayonnaise, greek yogurt or miso paste mixed with yogurt.  
• I opted for the miso paste mixed with yogurt which basically is 1 part miso for 2 parts greek yogurt, mixed together in a bowl.
• After you lightly coat it, get panko (bread crumbs) and furikake (seaweed/nori pieces) and mix them together. This can be done on a plate, in a bowl or in a plastic bag.  I add a little salt and pepper for seasoning.  Gently bread the ahi with this panko mixture.
• Sit the ahi in a pan that was already heated on the stove top.  I use a sautee pan with a little extra virgin olive oil.  Let the ahi sautee (you may want to cover it to help keep the fish moist).  It usually takes 3-5 minutes per side.  Keep in mind, ahi can be eaten raw so you don't have to worry if it's not fully cooked although 3-5 mins each side is sufficient to cook it all the way through).
• After it's browned, sit it on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.  

• 1 orange
• 1 red bell pepper (red capsicum)
• 3 carrots
• 1/2 lemon
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 1
• Serving Size: 16 oz. (500 mls)

I get a lot of flack for it, but I love beets.  I know some people get grossed out by them because of the taste, texture or color, but beets are still one of my favorite things to juice.  Not only do they add a beautiful vibrant red color to your juice, but beets sweeten your juice ever so slightly.  The health benefits are worth any hesitation you may have to try beets in your juice.  Here's one of the easiest recipes for beet juice I know and boy is it yummy!

Beet Juice Recipe with Carrot and Celery

Ingredients

• 1 small beetroot (the small ones are sweeter!)
• 2 large carrots
• 1 stalk of celery

Directions

1. Wash the vegetables using water and a stiff vegetable brush.
2. Remove the carrot and beetroot tops, and peel the beetroot if its skin is tough. If it has a nice thin skin then just cut off the top.
3. Slice up the vegetables to fit your juicer.
4. Juice and serve.

Beets have many benefits to the body. It is claimed they have the ability to:

• clean and build the blood
• lower blood pressure
• improve circulation
• calm the nerves
• improve the health of the liver, kidneys, and bladder
• clean the intestines
• fight cancer
• improve menstrual problems
• cure anemia

Beets Nutrition

Vitamins

Minerals

Amino Acids

Calories

This is going to be quite a wonderful review for me to write because it's been awhile since I've been this happy with any store or restaurant.  Firstly, Hawai'i needs more juice bars.  If we had a Lanikai juice in Hawai'i Kai, I'd be here every single day.  Like every. single. day.  As it is now, I'm traveling into Kahala in traffic sometimes when I don't need to just so I can get a Da Green juice.

In a world where GMO's are rampant and in everything and Organic is increasingly hard to come by, Lanikai Juice does it right and keeps the juice pure.
I go here for the juice because I'm on a juice fast right now and sometimes I don't feel like busting out my juice machine so this is a quick and easy way to get my fix and get it for relatively cheap.  Before my juice fast, I was getting the Green Goddess and the Spirulina smoothie (forgot the official name).  They also have wheatgrass and tons of other items/juices.  I really also love the acai bowls.  Fresh, full of awesome and delicious.  Their supplements (unlike the competitors), are actually good for you and don't taste like a  yucky vitamin.

I like that my son and I can eat here and juice here and not worry about what GMO or chemical we may be ingesting.  The other place is full of junk and we never go there anymore.


The only downside is that there are not enough Lanikai juices or other juice bars like them on the island!!  Open more stores people!! If they had one in Hawaii Kai or Ala Moana Shopping Center, they'd make $$$  because there is no juice bar in Ala Moana (I looked).  There is a place for decent but way overpriced acai bowls near Nordstrom but if Lanikai Juice opened, they'd make money hand over fist.

If you're skeptical or looking for a pure, good, wholesome juice bar, check out Lanikai Juice. You will be so HAPPY you did!

There are two Lanikai Juices on O'ahu.  The one I reviewed is located in Kahala and there is another location in Lanikai (Kailua) on the island of O'ahu.  Here are the Yelp pages for each.

• Lanikai Juice Kahala Location
• Lanikai Juice Kailua Location 

If you're ever on the island of O'ahu, go check out Lanikai Juice!


*Disclaimer:  I was not paid to review this store/shop/office and I was also not paid to or asked to put any reviews from Yelp on my website.  I just simply love using Yelp and I do so often and find it very helpful so I wanted to share. 

This is my daily juice that I have at least once a day.  I love, love this juice so much.  It's actually quite yummy and gives me a ton of energy.  I like to put a few mint leaves in or on it for garnish and a sweeter flavor naturally.  As I type this, I'm actually sitting at my computer drinking a nice big glass.  One of these days I'll have to get my DSLR out and do a real shoot of my juicing process but until then, here's my favorite juicing recipie courtesy of Jay Kordich.

Here's a POWERFUL Healing Tonic to help reduce inflammation:
source:Jay Kordich

• Organic ALKALINE Powerhouse! (makes over 1 quart/ 32 ounces)
• 1 large (unwaxed) Cucumber (English)
• 2 Limes peeled
• 1 cup Spinach
• 1 cup Parsley
• 1 Green Apple
• 6 ribs Celery
• 1 inch Fresh Ginger Root

If you drink a tonic like this DAILY, in 30 days you will notice a big difference in your skin, in your daily challenges with swollen fingers, hands and your digestion will improve. 90 days of juicing this way, the chronic inflammation you may be experiencing WILL significantly decrease. Granted, you need to also mirror your food habits by eating Alkalizing foods as well.

I hope you enjoy this juicing recipe as much as I do!!

Aloha,

As so many of you know, I've been on a mission since the beginning of this year to change my life and get healthy.  I've lost 20 lbs so far and though the journey seems like a roller coaster of challenges and triumphs, it's going pretty well so far.  Lately as I've taken a break from juice fasting (I eat one meal a day) and have been eating small amounts of healthy, organic food, my weight has plateaued.  I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that I haven't exercised as much as I should for my body/situation, but I digress...  After sharing the post about Anne Hathaway and how she got lean for her role as Catwoman by avoiding foods that cause inflammation, I've been a bit obsessed with learning as much about which foods cause inflammation and which don't.

The crab "louey" salad I had.  I only ate a quarter of the crab and gave my friend the rest. Only finished half the salad.

Had a few bites of this yummy ahi (yellowfin tuna) raw fish with spicy sauce. Yum.

Sorry lovelies, this is just an iPhone photo.  Haven't been using the real deal DSLR for awhile because I've been so busy with the day job although today I got to combine the two.  Anywhoo, I'm on day 11 of my juice fast and it's going pretty well.  I am impressed at how much energy I have without coffee.  I consider myself to be quite the coffee fiend and could barely function early in the morning without it.  I'm faring well though, tons of energy, never groggy and I get a lot more sleep at night.  I think that was a huge part of my problem with my weight.  Beyond not eating right or working out, I was getting very little sleep (3 hours or less).  Not healthy!!  I'm all about healthy changes so now that I juice, I end up falling asleep way earlier...like at a normal time of night... and I get at least 7 hours of wonderful sleep and wake up feeling fresh.

I have to say, the positive changes far outweigh the fact that I miss food.  My skin is clearing up, my eyes are whiter, I have more energy, I feel better, no more chest pains, blood pressure back into normal range (I've been pre-hypertension for years), gut fat going down..and oh yeah.... 15 lbs shed off!!!   So worth it.  My doctor said that if I want to continue, I can do so for up to 60 days but not to beat myself up if I don't make it that far.  I'm gonna try for it but truth be told, I'll be happy with 30 days of fasting.  Only 15 more to go!!

When I first started the juice fast, the days seemed to drag and I was groggy and exhausted.  Now time is back to flying by and I have all this energy.  I actually started working out again to tighten everything up.  I never thought I'd say I like going to the gym...but I do... what the???  In the last year I went from 268 lbs to 242 from December 2011 to December 2012 and that was just cutting out fast food and soda and eating generally healthy foods.  It wasn't enough though because I was still cheating so I started this juice fast on January 2nd and I went from 242 lbs and today I'm down to 227 lbs!!  Feels like winning!

For those of you who asked, I have my juice 3-5 times a day depending on how hungry I am and I usually have glasses around 12oz.  The strainer of fruits and veggies was my breakfast this morning.  I juice all those veggies and I get pure micro nutrients that my body absorbs immediately and by juicing, I'm getting the nutrients from all these fruits and veggies.  I try to concentrate mostly on veggies though, specifically green veggies because it really detoxifies and gives me energy.  I could never sit and eat all these veggies and fruits whole in one sitting so it's like I'm getting turbocharged vitamins.  Love it!  The fact that my doctor gave me the go ahead to go up to 60 days on juice fast really motivates me even more because my health is improving so much from this.

The only downside is going to sleep early means I am running behind on posting to my blog and following everyone so if I haven't followed you back yet, I'm sorry. I promise I will and have the entire 3 day weekend to work on that!!!  Another lovely surprise was waking up to 1003 GFC followers, thanks guys!!

I hope you all are doing well.  I am about to work on the Aloha Friday Blog Hop code and then feed my son and get him all ready for bed and go work out.  Oh...did I mention, he got all A's and 2 B's on his report card today. So proud of you Alaka'i!!

Xo,

One of my favorite blogs, Simply Heavenly Food, shared her recipe for the yummiest Stollen which is a bread that is full of fruits and other yummy ingredients.  It's utterly delicious and I thought I'd share it with all of you. 



Martha Stewart said:

Stollen's richness is similar to that of brioche, but dried fruit makes it sweeter and gives it a more interesting texture. Serve this rich holiday treat in thin slices as breakfast bread or with afternoon tea. Like fruitcake, stollen improves with age and can be made up to three weeks in advance.

Here is the recipe: .... To read the rest of this recipe, click HERE!