antiques roadshow

one of my favorites antiques roadshow moments (from the san diego stop, no less) was about the koa bowl that queen lili'uokalani was purported to have given to a family friend when she was just a princess. well, it turns out that it wasn't really young lili'uokalani and the bowl wasn't really made of koa after all (check out the roadshow's follow the stories for more details) but it was still worth a pretty penny.

all you really need to know if you're a roadshow devotee (and daydream that something in your home is a hidden treasure) is that the show will be stopping in honolulu on saturday, august 26th! you do need to have a ticket to get in the door and your ticket request must be submitted no later than may 6th for a chance (it's a lottery so don't get your hopes up) to attend the summer tour in person.

can't get enough? read more at the honolulu advertiser.

in the immortal words of thomas magnum: trust me

if you lived on oahu in the 80's i guarantee either you or someone you know has a story about a chance encounter with the production of magnum p.i. when i was a kid i remember seeing magnum's ferrari at the corner store in hawaii kai and meeting one of magnum's enemies (who was also an acquaintence of my mom) while shopping at the ala moana liberty house.

not only does shirts & ladders' tom selleck tee bring back all those oh-so-fond memories from the 80's but it's also the perfect thing to wear during your magnum marathon.

all aboard the pride of hawaii

after taking my first cruise down the mexican riviera earlier this year, i learned a few things that other cruising newbies may not be aware of like . . .

• someone else tidies up your room not once, but twice a day!

• the ability to take a nap (or two) while traveling to your next destination

• never worrying about where to go for dinner. or breakfast. or lunch. or snacks (lots and lots of snacking opportunities abound on a cruise ship)

that being said, if you have always thought a cruise around the hawaiian islands would be fun then hele on over to norwegian cruise lines. it's not every day that you have the opportunity to travel on a brand spanking new ship, and, if you do your home work, you might be able to score a cruise on the pride of hawai'i (going on her maiden voyage this summer) for as little as $799 per person.

although your time ashore can be limited, with a little planning and research you can definitely travel off the beaten path and avoid the somewhat touristy & overpriced shore excursions.

tasty treats

after yesterday's post about the culinary history of local food, i now have a craving for soda & cream crackers. since our supply from the last care package was finished off long ago (hint, hint) and the local asian market only carries the jumbo box of soda crackers (which go stale really fast), the ability to order direct from diamond bakery is a welcome option.

in addition to their famous soda/cream/saloon pilot crackers, the website also has a nice selection of cookies and, my favorite, the somewhat cheeky diamond bakery logo tee with the seemingly unintentional double-entendre.

the food of paradise

most people from hawaii are familiar with the origins of the plate lunch, but have you ever wondered just how all the other food you love came to be in the islands? rachel laudan's the food of paradise: exploring hawaii's culinary heritage traces the origins of local favorites like crack seed, malasadas, saimin & saloon pilot crackers (among other foodstuffs) and their journey to become part of hawaii's food culture.

laudan also devotes a section to the influence of native hawaiian foods and the agricultural bounty of the islands. the food of paradise has received many rave reviews and definitely deserves a place on every local cook's bookshelf.