May 30, 2014
MAC 24/7 Bar & Restaurant
We've tried MAC 24/7 Bar & Restaurant's
enormous
Mac-Daddy Pancakes before, but on this visit our family decided to stick with other breakfast options.
I had the fried rice omelet, which was huge and very flavorful. I couldn't finish it!
The Kids Pancakes turned out to be a very generous serving as well. My oldest son couldn't finish it, and he can really eat.
My husband opted for the breakfast buffet, and although on the pricey side ($24), he was very satisfied.
Our server was fantastic, and overall we had a wonderful breakfast!
MAC 24/7 Bar & Restaurant
2500 Kuhio Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 921-5564
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| Kids Pancakes |
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| Local-style Fried Rice Omelet |
Weekend Breakfast Buffet:
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| From top left clockwise: Oatmeal Station; Toppings Station; Assorted Breads; Cereal and Yogurt Station; Scrambled Eggs; French Toast |
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| Muffins and Bagels |
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| Assorted Pastries and Fruits |
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| Mac 24/7 Roasted Potatoes; Rice |
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| Pancakes |
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| Bacon; Portuguese Sausage |
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| Cereal |
The Kids Pancakes turned out to be a very generous serving as well. My oldest son couldn't finish it, and he can really eat.
My husband opted for the breakfast buffet, and although on the pricey side ($24), he was very satisfied.
Our server was fantastic, and overall we had a wonderful breakfast!
MAC 24/7 Bar & Restaurant
2500 Kuhio Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 921-5564
MALEFICENT Movie Review
***Our family received complimentary tickets to the 3D screening of Maleficent***
Leave it to Disney to take one of the most beloved princess fairy tales, re-imagine it through the eyes of the wicked Maleficent, and make yet another blockbuster hit.
About Maleficent:
Maleficent explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty" and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.
After seeing Maleficent with my family (kids 3 and 7), I read a handful of critics’ reviews and man, were they tough. We absolutely LOVED the movie. I must admit, from the time I saw the trailer, I knew I had to see this movie. The draw for me was not so much the story of one of Disney’s scariest villains, but to see Angelina Jolie - movie star, director, peacekeeper, mother – as the infamous evil Maleficent. Okay, so I may have a slight girl crush and pretty much was Team Jolie all the way through the Brad Pitt love triangle, but don't let that deter you from watching Disney’s awesome live-action re-imagined story of Sleeping Beauty.
The film takes us to a spectacular fantasy world of the forest kingdom full of creatures that will delight your imagination. It is here we are introduced to a young Maleficent and of course we like her! So when we learn the reason why she has become vengeful, it is difficult not to root for the hero-turned-villain. It’s also hard not to ignore the differences between the original Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent’s retelling, but I think it was refreshing that the fairy tale was given a modern spin.
My kids did think the movie was scary at times, as there were battle scenes, fight scenes, and of course the delivery of Maleficent’s curse, but they were nothing a 2 second hand squeeze couldn't fix. The movie also has its funny moments and I very much appreciated the dry humor Maleficent delivers.
From beginning to end, the visual effects were stunning. I especially liked the scene where Maleficent swoops down from the sky and flies over and through the moors. I was only a little disappointed that Lana Del Rey’s creepy rendition of Once Upon a Dream only appeared as the credits rolled, but overall Maleficent was awesome and sure to entertain both kids and adults.
Rated PG. Running time 97 minutes.
May 29, 2014
Saturday Grandma's Mochi
One of my favorite brands of mochi is Saturday Grandma's Mochi. This brand is manufactured by Made In Hawaii Foods, which has two locations: Pearl City and Mo'iliili. They make over 10 different flavors, but peanut butter chocolate is my favorite.
Here is a pack of 3 for $6.75
Their mochi pieces are larger than most others.
They carry fresh mochi every day, however if you want something in particular, you should order in advance. Click HERE for their mochi menu and prices.
If peanut butter is not your thing, I highly recommend their Fresh Strawberry mochi. It's made with whole fresh strawberries from Kula, Maui.
Made in Hawaii Foods
2071-A South Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96826
98-718 Moanalua Road
Pearl City, HI 96782
Email: kona@madeinhawaiifoods.com
Website: www.madeinhawaiifoods.com
May 28, 2014
bills Sydney - Waikiki
Having just opened a couple of months ago in Waikiki, I was eager to try out bills Sydney.
We went for dinner on a weekend and I was surprised at how empty the restaurant was, but as the night went on more and more tables did indeed become filled.
The Zucchini Fries were very light, but seemed a bit under-seasoned. Everyone enjoyed the herbed fries, and I really liked the chicken. It was juicy and flavorful.
My husband liked the fish, and my kids loved the hotcakes.
bills does offer a kids menu (3 options), but since I've heard so much about the Ricotta Hotcakes (including from new HMB contributor Nadia), I thought I'd "kill two birds with one stone" and let my kids enjoy the hotcakes (which they actually preferred over the kids menu options), while I get a taste of the famous dish.
And the hotcakes were quite delicious! They were fluffy and sweet, yet slightly savory and rich because of the ricotta.
Service was very attentive and friendly, and overall it was a nice dinner!
bill Sydney - Waikiki
280 Beachwalk Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815
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| Zucchini Fries |
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| Herbed French Fries |
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| Yellow Fish Curry |
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| Brown Rice (goes with the curry dish) |
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| Ricotta Hotcakes with Honeycomb Butter |
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| Paremsan Crusted Chicken Schnitzel with Creamed Corn and Fennel Slaw |
The Zucchini Fries were very light, but seemed a bit under-seasoned. Everyone enjoyed the herbed fries, and I really liked the chicken. It was juicy and flavorful.
My husband liked the fish, and my kids loved the hotcakes.
bills does offer a kids menu (3 options), but since I've heard so much about the Ricotta Hotcakes (including from new HMB contributor Nadia), I thought I'd "kill two birds with one stone" and let my kids enjoy the hotcakes (which they actually preferred over the kids menu options), while I get a taste of the famous dish.
And the hotcakes were quite delicious! They were fluffy and sweet, yet slightly savory and rich because of the ricotta.
Service was very attentive and friendly, and overall it was a nice dinner!
bill Sydney - Waikiki
280 Beachwalk Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815
May 27, 2014
MALEFICENT: The Official Multi-Touch Book - Free Download
Disney announces the release of MALEFICENT: The Official Multi-Touch Book, based on Disney’s highly anticipated film “Maleficent,” in theaters May 30, 2014. The book, offered for free exclusively through iBooks, explores both the legacy of Disney’s classic animated film, “Sleeping Beauty”—which first introduced the iconic villainess Maleficent—and the making of the all-new live-action film, “Maleficent,” starring Angelina Jolie. Features of the book include an interactive timeline of the origins of the timeless “Sleeping Beauty” tale, with rare content from the Disney archives; rich and explorable environments, filled with fantastic creatures from the world of “Maleficent”—waiting to be discovered at your fingertips; interviews with Angelina Jolie and the cast and crew responsible for bringing the reimagined story to the big screen; an afterword by director Robert Stromberg, two-time Academy Award®–winner for production design on “Alice in Wonderland” and “Avatar”; exclusive behind-the-scenes photo galleries and video featurettes; never-before-seen concept art, storyboards and sketches from pre-production; fun facts from the set; and profiles of the characters from the film—all created by Apple’s digital book creation app, iBooks Author.
The “Maleficent” book is available for free, exclusively on iBooks at: http://di.sn/hf7
“Maleficent” explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty" and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.
The film stars Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville.
“Maleficent” is produced by Joe Roth and directed by Robert Stromberg, with Angelina Jolie, Michael Vieira, Don Hahn, Palak Patel, Matt Smith and Sarah Bradshaw serving as executive producers. Linda Woolverton wrote the screenplay. “Maleficent” opens in U.S. theaters on May 30, 2014.
Click here to download the book.
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The “Maleficent” book is available for free, exclusively on iBooks at: http://di.sn/hf7
“Maleficent” explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty" and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.
The film stars Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville.
“Maleficent” is produced by Joe Roth and directed by Robert Stromberg, with Angelina Jolie, Michael Vieira, Don Hahn, Palak Patel, Matt Smith and Sarah Bradshaw serving as executive producers. Linda Woolverton wrote the screenplay. “Maleficent” opens in U.S. theaters on May 30, 2014.
Click here to download the book.
The Cheesecake Factory - Waikiki
I LOVE The Cheesecake Factory, and I was so excited to dig in to some cheesecake on our recent visit.
The last time we went to The Cheesecake Factory, they didn't even have kids menus yet (although they did offer kid-sized items) - that's how long ago it was, but it was great to see that they do now offer an actual Kids Menu.
The Kids Pizza was actually quite large, and it was more than enough for two of my kids to share.
My husband and I shared the club sandwich, and it was delicious and satisfying.
Of course, no visit to the Cheesecake Factory would be complete without some cheesecake, and I opted for the OREO Dream Extreme Cheesecake.
It was so decadent and delicious - definitely an OREO/Cheesecake/Chocolate-lover's dream dessert!
Service was great, the food was delicious, and I hope I don't wait too long again to make another visit to The Cheesecake Factory.
The Cheesecake Factory - Waikiki
2301 Kalakaua Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815
808-924-5001
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| Complimentary Bread |
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| Kid's Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Fruit |
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| Grilled Chicken and Avocado Club |
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| Kid's Pepperoni Pizza |
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| Kids Chocolate Scoop of Ice Cream |
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| OREO Dream Extreme Cheesecake |
The Kids Pizza was actually quite large, and it was more than enough for two of my kids to share.
My husband and I shared the club sandwich, and it was delicious and satisfying.
Of course, no visit to the Cheesecake Factory would be complete without some cheesecake, and I opted for the OREO Dream Extreme Cheesecake.
It was so decadent and delicious - definitely an OREO/Cheesecake/Chocolate-lover's dream dessert!
Service was great, the food was delicious, and I hope I don't wait too long again to make another visit to The Cheesecake Factory.
The Cheesecake Factory - Waikiki
2301 Kalakaua Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815
808-924-5001
Furikake Wasabi Salmon Recipe
I'm trying to eat more salmon, and I recently made this Furikake Wasabi Salmon dish which my husband usually makes. You can use chicken instead of salmon too!
Furikake Wasabi Salmon
Ingredients:
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Ingredients:
- 2-3 lbs salmon fillets
- 1 c Yoshida Original Marinade & Cooking Sauce
- 1/2 c Nori Fumi Furikake (more or less based on your preference)
- 1/2 c mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 t wasabi paste
- Marinate salmon in Yoshida sauce for at least 30 minutes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Discard sauce, and place salmon fillets in 9x13 pan
- Sprinkle furikake over fillets
- Mix mayonnaise and wasabi paste until combined
- Drizzle over salmon
- Bake for 20 minutes
Gazen
Gazen (aka Izakaya Gazen aka Gazen Bar and Grill), is known for their fresh, housemade tofu, as well as their family-style dishes.
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| Kurogoma (Black Sesame Seed) Tofu |
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| Ribeye Steak |
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| Saikoro Steak |
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| Grilled Salmon Roll |
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| Edamame |
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| Daikon Salad |
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| Seafood Spring Rolls |
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| From top left clockwise: Shiratama (Deep Fried Tofu Mochi), Spicy Tempura Roll, Tofu Croquette, Clams, Gazen Style Deep Fried Chicken with Homemade Sauce |
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| Sweet Potato Mochi with Vanilla Ice Cream and Earl Grey Sauce |
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| French Ohagi |
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| Soymilk Pudding |
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| Vanilla Ice Cream |
Everyone else thought the food was great too, especially the clams.
Service was a bit on the slow side, but the food was great - next time I am definitely going to try out more dishes!
Gazen
2840 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96826
May 26, 2014
Hapa Grill
I've heard that Hapa Grill has really good Fried Noodles, and I finally had a chance to taste them for myself.
I had the Fried Noodles and Korean Chicken combo plate. The Fried Noodles were VERY GOOD - some of the best I've ever had on the island!
The Korean Chicken was also VERY GOOD. Our server said it's one of the most popular items, and I could see why - it was so flavorful.
My husband thought the Mochiko Chicken and Roasted Pork were both good, but he liked the Korean Chicken much better.
The service was great, the food was delicious, and I'll definitely eat the Fried Noodles and Korean Chicken next time I go!
Hapa Grill
590 Farrington Hwy #539
Kapolei, HI 96707
(808) 674-8400
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| Fried Noodles and Korean Chicken Combo |
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| Mochiko Chicken and Roasted Pork Combo |
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| Kids Grilled Cheese |
The Korean Chicken was also VERY GOOD. Our server said it's one of the most popular items, and I could see why - it was so flavorful.
My husband thought the Mochiko Chicken and Roasted Pork were both good, but he liked the Korean Chicken much better.
The service was great, the food was delicious, and I'll definitely eat the Fried Noodles and Korean Chicken next time I go!
Hapa Grill
590 Farrington Hwy #539
Kapolei, HI 96707
May 24, 2014
Getting Our Henna On with Moonlight Mehndi
I have always been curious about henna, but never looked into it until my daughter wanted to get a glitter tattoo at the San Diego Sea World. I decided to get a henna tattoo with her and I instantly fell in love with the intricate floral designs that are typical of henna.
There are not too many places in Hawaii that offer henna, but thankfully, I found Valorie Eubank of Moonlight Mehndi. She is available for parties, events, and private appointments. Valorie has been practicing henna since 2003 and makes her own henna paste using only natural ingredients.
Now that I found Valorie and Moonlight Mehndi, I was on my way to throwing my first henna party! Typically, Valorie can complete about 12 to 15 small to medium designs or about 20 to 30 very simple designs in one hour. Her larger designs take between 15 minutes to an hour depending on the size and complexity. Two hours was perfect for 7 henna designs and 6 glitter tattoos. That's right! When I inquired about henna for the kids, she recommended a minimum age of 7 because the henna takes a while to dry so she offered to bring her glitter tattoos for them. She's awesome!
Now that I found Valorie and Moonlight Mehndi, I was on my way to throwing my first henna party! Typically, Valorie can complete about 12 to 15 small to medium designs or about 20 to 30 very simple designs in one hour. Her larger designs take between 15 minutes to an hour depending on the size and complexity. Two hours was perfect for 7 henna designs and 6 glitter tattoos. That's right! When I inquired about henna for the kids, she recommended a minimum age of 7 because the henna takes a while to dry so she offered to bring her glitter tattoos for them. She's awesome!
Henna is popular on hands and feet, as it stains the darkest there, but can be applied anywhere like on the back or shoulder.
After the henna is applied, it needs to dry so keep this in mind when deciding on the placement of your henna tattoo. The longer you leave on the henna paste, the darker it will stain.
Valorie has numerous designs that you can choose from and she can also customize a design to your exact liking.
The peacock is known to be a symbol of beauty.
I love this simple lotus blossom design.
She has many different tattoos for the kids too! The kids pick their tattoo and choose their colors.
After it's dry, you can scrape off the paste or else it will flake EVERYWHERE. The henna takes about 1-2 days to fully darken. The final color is a reddish brown and can last anywhere from 1-3 weeks depending on the quality and type of henna as well as the placement of the henna on your body. Moisturizing with natural oils can help make the stain last longer and exfoliating can cause the stain to fade.
Getting henna done made for a perfect Friday night Girls' Nite In (with kids). Now go get your henna on!
Moonlight Mehndi
www.moonlightmehndi.com
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