radical sabbatical

ever dream of starting a new life on your very own artisan farm? before you ditch your 401(k), consider testing the waters and signing up for an internship at hawaii island goat dairy which is looking for volunteers to assist in whipping up their award winning goat & feta cheeses.

if you are willing to exchange some sweat equity (i.e. tending to the herd, milking duties, farm maintenance) for room & board, you will be immersed in the age old craft of cheesemaking so long as you can commit to farm living for 2-3 months.

the honoka'a dairy specializes in mouth watering goat cheeses with flavors like smoked guava, dill & garlic, and basil macadamia pesto, and counts hawaii's top chefs like alan wong & daniel thiebaut as some of their biggest fans. big island goat cheese is plated at many of the islands' best restaurants (merriman's, café pesto, as well as many luxe resort eateries), however foodies on a budget can find fresh batches of cheese not already spoken for at the waimea farmers market and a few big island food shops.

check out the full stockist list (and learn even more about life on a farm) via hawaii island journal's visit to the dairy earlier this year.

weekend sales sheet

jools peridot earrings + lemon quartz hoops

jools summer sale:

• 15% off everything
• secret code: summer15
• expires: mon, june 25th

bubble shack blowout:

• 25% off organic lotions (price reflects discount)
• expires: sat, june 30th

two snaps for ginger

the balmy weather when i hit the kcc farmers market was reason enough to hit the queue and order up a fizzy concoction at the pacifikool booth. the cooler is made of the company's signature ginger syrup (which has become a foodie favorite since making its debut a few years ago), fresh basil leaves & lemon making for a refreshing accompaniment during my stroll around the market.

its versatility in the kitchen has made the island made ginger syrup (who knew that hawaii is the states' largest producer of ginger) the secret ingredient behind everything from island style cocktails to teriyaki sauce not to mention the homemade ginger ale which put the company on the map.

in addition to the kailua & kcc farmers markets, bottles of both the original ginger & thai ginger syrups are stocked at local shops and are finally available online (where you'll also find the company's latest offerings of gourmet biscuitti and handcrafted ginger soap).

a day at the museum

hisam's elegant facade

we had a bit of an adventure finding the hawaii state art museum on our trip home (which i find a tad ironic considering i walked past the building every saturday morning in my youth). the museum opened in 2002 in the former ymca (and prior to that was the original royal hawaiian hotel) and houses a wonderful collection of work by island artists.

the walls are filled with artwork (herb kawainui kane, jean charlot & madge tennant are just a few of the artists represented), photography of hawaii's past & present, sculptures, and some of the nicest benches to sit upon and ponder the art before you.

our time inside the gallery was a bit of a whirlwind since the parking meter was ticking away, but even with the time crunch we managed to find a photograph snapped by my mom's high school chum on display.

a few tips:

• admission is free (but donations are welcome)
• be sure to check out the events page before you go (especially if your little ones enjoy art making)
• save time cruising the streets for a spot for your car with the very helpful parking guide

as for downtown, the museum's spanking new café by the folks behind kaimuki's town, while my lunch companions were underwhelmed with their selections i was happy with my salad made of local, organic ingredients. the space is airy and filled with light and, of course, artwork making it a pleasant spot to meet friends for lunch or grab a bite before you wander through the galleries.

despite our uneven experience, i would give it a second try considering they had only been open a little over a week when we visited and still had a few details to iron out. and, worker bees looking for something new for lunch should check out downtown's weekday quick service asap menu which sounded, dare i say, even yummier than the sit down side. check out nadine kam's review for her take.

{photo credit, no.2 : hawaii state art museum}

{update | jan 2010: the museum may be reserved for private events and makes a lovely site for a romantic wedding!}

taro delight

one of my favorite foodie finds from this last trip was taro delight which was brought to my attention after samples of this starchy treat beckoned my fella while we waited for our gourmet lumpia to be fried up at the adjoining booth during our visit to the kailua farmers market.

imagine an island version of hummus made with a smoked version of the polynesian staple and blended with olive oil and other good for you ingredients. the dips are free of preservatives and filled with ono flavors like wasabi and green thai curry. even the vegan-friendly taronaise was a hit when we shared it at a family dinner.

you can find the taro delight booth at the kailua & kcc farmers markets as well as tamura's wine shop in kaimuki.

learn more about how taro delight came to be here and here.