My Favorite State, Part One.

Note:  My favorite state is our 50th in part because Man O, my dear hubby, works there on a semi-regular basis. Do I know how to pick 'em or what? In fact, we might have just been there and I'm now completely jetlagged. This blog post is a refreshed blog post from a while ago with added pictures. If you haven't read it before, yummy pancakes are at the end. If you have, it's still got some neat new pictures and I promise an entirely new Hawaii blog post coming next week. 

From the first time to Hawaii, I went along on one of ManO's business trips, I loved the people, the different beauty of each island, and the food. I wanted to see one of the most famous Japanese gardens outside of Japan that was supposedly in Hilo. I asked the concierge how to get there and he pointed and said, " Just walk all the way across our parking lot and you're there." WOW!  

 

I went to the Japanese garden all dawn, noon and dusk to catch the light and the shadows of all the statuary, ponds and bridges.

 A blend of native, Japanese, Chinese, Pacific Rim, and more, I never had trouble finding something to eat. Why? Much of the food was rice based or thickened with tapioca. But more importantly, people accommodated my needs with such grace.

No, this isn't where we stayed but seeing this ancient reconstruction of a Hawaiian village makes me want to stay in a hut on a beach some day.

When we visited Maui, we stayed at a gorgeous bed and breakfast, the Old Wailuku Inn, run by a native Hawaiian family.  The inn is considered the most truly Hawaiian bed and breakfast on Maui. Every room was decorated in colorful Hawaiian quilts (yes, quilting is big in Hawaii!) and local antiques and art.

This turtle bowl is from an artist on the island of Maui.  We found out her mother was from NC and was in the middle of a hurricane we were tracking back home. Small world connections.

I emailed ahead to share my allergies but figured I'd be eating scrambled eggs while everyone else ate the banana pancakes featured one morning. Yep, I am allergic to bananas along with wheat and corn. But the owner sat a plate down in front of me. Light, fluffy pancakes made with rice flour and topped with macadamia nuts and passion fruit! I almost fainted. I got to share the experience of slathering on coconut syrup and diving in like everyone else around the table. She didn’t take the easy way out but made the experience special for me. Mahalo, “thank you” in Hawaiian. I said it a lot that morning.

My "silver dollar" version with mango, on my Hawaiian apron showing the monarchs and hula festival that takes place in Hilo on the Big Island each year.

Here is the innkeeper’s recipe with the interesting touch of beating the egg white to peak and then adding for additional fluff.  Saturdays are made for shortcuts but this step really makes a difference!  Pamela's GF Baking and Pancake mix is a good alternative if you can't find rice flour.

Old Wailuku Inn Pancakes

1 cup rice flour (or other flour)

2 T sugar

1 T baking powder

    Sift all dry ingredients well before going on.

1 egg separated

    beat egg whites to peak

    beat yellow

1 T melted butter or margarine

1/8 t vanilla add to yellow of egg (optional)

1 cup water (make judgement as you mix)

¼ cup banana (optional)

Mix ingredients except egg whites.  Fold egg whites into mixture. Put two tablespoons of oil in skillet and cook in small batches on medium low heat.

Top with whatever tropical fruits and nuts you can get: macadamia nuts, coconut, pineapple, mango or banana slices. The fruit grows in almost every yard in Hawaii and can be found in most mainland grocery stores.

To make your own coconut syrup: Heat one can coconut milk (the real stuff) with one cup sugar until dissolved. Cool. Serve over pancakes.

Like I said above, we have been back more recently but we love this picture of our 30th anniversary celebration in Maui.