Visit Anchorage: The Ulu Factory

Unlike the ʻulu that we are familiar with in Hawaii, the ulu that The Ulu Factory sells is actually a type of knife that the natives in Alaska created from rocks, and eventually they were made with steel.

It is still commonly used today around the world.

An employee can demo it for you, and answer any questions you may have (one common question was how to care for it).

We did not buy one since we are a carry-on only family and I'm sure this would not have passed security. 

Even if you're not interested in buying an ulu, the factory has a nice selection of Alaskan-made products to buy as souvenirs or gifts!

The Ulu Factory
211 West Ship Creek Avenue
Anchorage, Alaska 99501-1603

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Dave's Ice Cream - Aiea

I have a lot of pohā in my freezer, but I still haven’t gotten around to making ice cream yet. Thankfully, I was able to satisfy my pohā ice cream cravings at Dave's Ice Cream in Aiea!

Pohā Berry

I thought it could've used a bit more pohā flavor, but I'm glad it wasn't overpowering and too tart. 

Kahlúa Fudge

Hawaiian Mud Pie

Honey Dew Mochi

The employees were so friendly - it really made our visit special!


Dave's Ice Cream
98-820 Moanalua Road
Aiea, Hawaii 96701
(808) 487-7887

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Visit Anchorage: Snow City Cafe

Our flight into Anchorage landed just after 5am, and after getting our car, we ended up at Snow City Cafe - one of the few places open for breakfast really early.

It turned out to be a really busy spot!

OMG Stuffed French Toast

The French Toast was topped with OMG Bacon, which is candied, peppered applewood smoked bacon.

Golden Buttermilk Pancakes

Breakfast Burrito

The Breakfast Burrito was stuffed with scrambled eggs, chorizo, hash browns, cilantro, green chile, red onion, and tomato, and topped with pepperjack, ranchero sour cream, and salsa.

Mushroom & Caramelized Onion Omelet

I had the Mushroom & Caramelized Onion Omelet (and added bacon), and it was delicious. The chevre gave it a nice tang that really elevated the omelet.  

Bacon Me Crabby Omelet

We decided to try the "World Famous" Pecan Sticky Bun and Cinnamon Roll.

Pecan Sticky Bun

Cinnamon Roll

They were both great, but I enjoyed the Sticky Bun more.

Reindeer Sausage

Service was great, despite a minor mistake with the pancakes (my son ordered chocolate chip pancakes, but it was plain. After mentioning it to our server, she gave us a small container of chocolate chips on the side).

Highly recommend Snow City Cafe for a great breakfast in Anchorage.

Snow City Cafe

1034 W 4th Ave

Anchorage, AK 99501

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Jerry's Pizza Mill

It's been over a decade since I last went to Jerry's Pizza Mill.  Although the pizza shop is a lot smaller now, they still dish out great food & service. 

In addition to pizzas, they have subs, salads, pastas, and more!

Jalapeno Poppers

Garlic Bread

The Jalapeno Poppers were good, and the Garlic Bread, although it looked plain, was quite garlicky!

Waialua - pepperoni, sausage, ham, mushrooms

Jerry's - pepperoni, pineapple, jalapeno, garlic

Portuguesa - ham, onion, boiled egg, olive

BBQ Chicken - BBQ chicken, onions, cilantro

Although I think a couple of the pizzas could've used a bit more cook time and could have had a bit more char on the crust, they were all tasty.  My favorite was the Waialua.

Service was very friendly and accommodating.  

Jerry's is a great neighborhood pizza spot!

Jerry's Pizza Mill
67-292 Goodale Ave

Waialua, HI 96791

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The Vintage Hawaii

I feel like Wahiawa is an epicenter of thrifted & vintage finds, with a number of amazing shops & even garage sales selling antiques, memorabilia, retro furniture, and more.

We stopped at The Vintage Hawaii, and we were waxing nostalgic about a lot of what we saw there — dishes, sewing machines, and a rice dispenser our parents / grandparents had.

The shop has remodeled (photos taken before the remodel).

It's a great place to check out for fun and unique finds!

The Vintage Hawaii
43 Kamehameha Hwy

Wahiawa, HI 96786

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Green & Fit Mama Superfood Bars

I finally got to try some Green & Fit Mama Superfood Bars!

I picked up a variety at the Mililani Farmers Market.   

Each bar is packed with healthy, nutritious ingredients, and they taste yummy!  They are made from scratch, and gluten-, grain-, soy-, peanut-, and dairy-free!

Vanilla Mango

Activated Charcoal

Cacao

Blue Spirulina

What I think is interesting about the bars is that you eat them frozen (they are not hard to bite into) - talk about the perfect summer treat!  My kids loved them too!  

Find more about Green & Fit Mama here:

You can follow us on IG, Facebook, and YouTube! 

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Farmers Market Salsas Taste-Test: Andy's Bueno Salsa vs Da Tomato Guy

We did an unofficial, just for fun taste-test between two Farmers market Salsas - Andy's Bueno Salsa vs Da Tomato Guy (got them both from the Mililani Farmers Market). 

We got Andy's Cilantro Salsa and Da Tomato Guy's Mild Salsa.  

We scored each salsa based on factors such as flavor, consistency, and ranked them based on overall favorite.  

Both were great salsas, and they each scored high, with some favoring Da Tomato Guy and others favoring Andy's, but Da Tomato Guy beat out Andy's Bueno Salsa by just 4 points.  

It was a fun and tasty activity!

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