Kauai, Hawaii

Well we just got back from a week in Hawaii! We were really afraid the weather would be bad there. Normally Kauai gets about 80 inches of rain in March. Kauai got 80 inches of rain the week before we got there alone! By the time we arrived, there was water everywhere and it was pouring rain the entire day. Yuck. It seemed as though that would be the weather for the rest of the week. However, Sunday was the only day we really had any more rain. Every other day after that was beautiful and sunny! Here are some fun pictures from the trip. The pictures above are of a place called Sprouting Horn on the west side of the island--it's a really cool blow hole where you can also spot sea turtles and humpback whales splashing in the water.

First picture of the trip and first fresh papaya as well :-)

There are chickens and roosters everywhere on the island! We almost ran over a bunch, there are so many. It was cute watching the little chicks follow their mamas right under their belly.

Sprouting Horn. We saw some big whales off the coast.

Poipu, south side of the island. This is a popular beach. Unfortunately, this day didn't have the best weather, but it was the last day of poor weather.

Tunnels Beach, North Shore, where that Soul Surfer girl got her arm bitten off by that shark. Unfortunately you don't have the best visibility in winter month snorkeling here, but it was even worse because all the rain the previous week made the water murkier than usual. We did see some incredible colored fish though--some of them were literally neon colored. So cool!

Tunnels Beach, North Shore

Pretty river flowing through Hanalei.

Driving to Tunnels the first time, we drove through some gnarley water covering the road. I told you--lots of water everywhere the first few days!

Too bad my camera is lame. We passed this spot where you could see 5 waterfalls at the same time.

I can't remember which beach this was, but the water started to clear up after day 3.

Walking along North Shore

...we passed a crab already poised for a picture! Maybe it thought we wouldn't notice it...

Nah...we definitely noticed it :-)

Mr. Crab

North Shore, Hanalie

I dunno, some beach

Tunnels Beach

Tunnels Beach. So so beautiful. Look how big that mountain behind Jeremy is. Crazy. That's the beginning of the Na Pali Coast, which we did not get to hike. I have wanted to do that hike for about 10 years...of course the one time I go to Kauai the hike has to be closed. Two people were hiking the trail the week before and disappeared...the woman's body was found a few days ago in the ocean. She must have been swept away by the flash flood or something. SO sad.

Some more pictures from the trip: one of our nights in the jacuzzi.

Poipu, south shore. We got to see three beached monk seals this trip. According to a sign I read here, there are approximately 16-30 monk seals left in Hawaii. This one was peeling...

Poipu Beach, south shore

Poipu Beach, south shore

On the drive up to Waimea Canyon.

Waimea Canyon. This is like the Grand Canyon of Hawaii. It was so beautiful!!

At the top of the Na Pali Coast. Prettiest place on earth. Really.

So so beautiful. I couldn't tell where the ocean ended and sky began.

I could have stayed here all day

Waimea Canyon

Waimea Canyon

LDS Church was right across from where we stayed in Kapa'a, so we got to go to church!

We ate breakfast here one morning; downtown Kapa'a

Most beautiful koi pond at our condo--I've never seen so many koi fish.

Where we stayed, Pono Kai

Jeremy being silly boogie boarding

Can't remember the name of this beach, east side of the island

J had a blast boogie boarding

The beginning of our luau...

Snorkeling Tunnels

Me being silly...

More of Tunnels..it was just so pretty

Another seal just sleeping away (for hours)

More pictures to come...

~Chocolate Mint Brownies~

These are the best brownies ever!!! Oh these are my favorite brownies, and one my most favorite chocolate desserts. This is a true Hoover recipe (I have no idea where my mom got it to be honest). I have made these many, many times, but the other day I made these for my office and they were inhaled by morning. I had to hide the rest of the pan to save some for Jeremy. When my mom made these when all the kids lived at home, we would fight over the pan for the leftover scraps of chocolate and frosting. (Remember that guys?)

So you start with the brownie base, made from scratch. This recipe is way easy; it just takes some time because there are three layers.

After the brownie base has cooled, spread the homemade frosting on top, and let it cool. I was in a rush making this because I wanted to go to bed, so I threw the pan in the freezer so it would cool faster.

Once the frosting is more firm, spread the chocolate frosting on top, and refrigerate. Refrigerating the brownies once they are done will make the chocolate topping harder--which is better.

You want to be careful when spreading the chocolate topping--you don't want to mix the green layer and the chocolate layer. Wait for the chocolate layer to cool a little bit.

You'll Need:

Brownie:

1 c. margarine

2 squares semisweet Baker's chocolate

2 c. sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

3/4 c. walnuts, chopped (optional)

Green Frosting:

2 c. powdered sugar

2-4 Tbs. evaporated milk

1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

4 Tbs. butter

green food coloring

Icing:

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

4 Tbs. melted butter

Get Busy:

Melt the margarine in medium-sized bowl. Add the chocolate squares and melt in the microwave. Do NOT microwave more than 30 seconds at a time or else the chocolate will burn. Cool slightly. Add sugar, eggs and remaining ingredients. Bake in a 9x13 pan for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely.

Combine ingredients for frosting and spread over brownies.

Icing: Melt the two together until completed melted (either in microwave or on stove) and spread over the frosting layer. Put the brownies in the refrigerator to cool completely. Done!

~White Chicken Chili~

This is my favorite chili EVER!!!! I have never been a huge fan of chili to be honest. Red chili is often overwhelming for me with all the beans and ground beef and chiles, etc. It's amazing how many different tasting chili you can try (even in one night). At my church we have always ha a chili cook-off around Halloween, and to my memory, no one has ever brought a white chili. Folks, this is the best kind of chili out there. It is amazing. My awesome sister Ashley gave me this recipe; I'm not sure where she got it from. Sometimes this chili turns out with a bit of a kick to it, so of you are not in love with spicy food, tone down the spices a bit. As you make this over and over, you will find the spiciness that's right for you.

This is a really easy meal to make. Cook the chicken in garlic powder, onions and vegetable oil. Once the chicken is cooked through, add diced chiles, white beans, chicken broth, and some spices and let the soup simmer. Now here's the trick: if you like runnier soup, do not cook it for very long. If you like thicker white chili (like me!) cook almost all of the chicken broth out so there isn't much left in the skillet. (kind of how it looks in the picture)

Remove from the heat and add the sour cream and heavy cream. Yep, that's it! So good. Everyone I have ever made this for loved it.

You'll Need:

2 chicken breasts, small cubed

1 onion, diced

1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

2 ca.s Great Northern white beans, rinsed and drained

1 ca. chicken broth

2 cans 4 oz. green chiles

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. cayenne

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. heavy cream

Get Busy:

In a large skillet, combine cubed chicken, onion, garlic powder and oil and cook until the chicken is cooked through. Add the white beans, broth, green chiles, salt, cumin, oregano, pepper and cayenne. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken broth is reduced. NOW: if you like runnier chili, don't cook it too much. If you like your chili thicker like me, cook most of the broth out. Once that's done, remove from heat and add the sour cream and heavy cream. Stir until it is completely mixed in. Done :-)