Ethiopia Bound

In a month or so I’m headed back on the road but this time to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I have been 3 times before but it’s been several years since my last trip. Being in Addis the first few times were really hard for me. I had never seen that kind of poverty in a city before – well, maybe Mexico City when I was in high school. Every day I was bombarded with so many people in need. You see poverty in Zambia or Malawi, but it isn’t the same as what you see in Addis. I can’t even begin to explain it. During my first trip, all I could do in the evenings was distract myself from the begging and lack of health care I saw in the streets. It was a rough trip.

By my third trip, I was definitely more comfortable with the city. I blend in there – like people me for directions in Amharic on the street blend in. I love working in our office there. Our project staff are so amazing. They take me home, they fed me, the call to make sure I get in OK. Really amazing. Actually, everyone I’ve met there is great. So warm and welcoming. Hotel staff remembered my name, that I had gotten married since my last trip and wondered about the progress of my work.

I’m excited (except for the leaving Micah and Izzy part) to go back, visit old friends and see how the city has changed. It’s possible I might even be there for Ethiopian Orthodox Easter which would be awesome! I am also determined to do something outside of Addis this trip. I’m not sure how far I’ll get as the country is large (3 times bigger than Texas) and I need to stay away from the border areas as there is a lot going on there. If I had the chance, I’d head for Lalibela.

Lalibela is in northern Ethiopia and is the second most holy city after Askum. It was said to be built in the 12^th century and it’s layout is modeled after Jerusalem. The churches (which the city is famous for) are built into the rock there and are stunning (so I’m told). Check out the pictures:

The Madhane Alem Basilica via Easy Voyage

image via Enjoy Your Holiday

Actually, if you want to see some stunning pictures of the beautiful people of Lalibela, check this page out.

Lalibela will require a flight and at least an overnight.  It may not be doable with my schedule though I hope it is. 

There are a few day trip options from Addis.  Maybe the Blue Nile Gorge which I’m told is Ethiopia Grand Canyon.  Or one of the many spa towns.  You may not know this but Ethiopia is the spa capital of Africa.  Sounds hokey but it so true.  Every hotel I’ve stayed at (not all of them were nice) had a saunas and stream rooms that were frequented by locals.  Everyone goes to the spa or the hot springs.  Actually, the pool at the Hilton there is heated by a natural hot spring.

Maybe I should start with a city tour.  There is lots in Addis I haven’t seen.  I will probably avoid the Mercato though.  The Mercato is the largest open air market in Africa and an anxiety attack waiting to happen.

Do you go to a place regularly for work but have yet to explore it? 

Enjoying a Rainy Weekend

Happy, Happy Friday Everyone!!

It’s been POURING rain here for at least 2 weeks. The weather this week has been crazy. Within 6 hours on Tuesday it had rained x 4, sprinkled, snowed x2, hailed and was ridiculously sunny x2. Yesterday Micah and I walked home from the lightrail station and we’re attacked by sideways rain. Everyone at work has been depressed and complaining about the rain. Micah’s tired of the rain and even Izzy is a little depressed. She’s been tired and isn’t really that excited for her walks – particularly if her raincoat is involved. As a true Seattle native, this is a bit much and it’s making me crazy too.

I decided that this weekend, instead of complaining about the rain, I’m going to do all my favorite rainy day activities. We’re all going to sleep in, wake up and have a big breakfast that lingers on with copious amounts of tea and coffee. Then we’ll probably head down to the TV room to watch the NCAA tournament. I’m sure there will be a rainy day walk with Izzy and her cousin. We’ll end the night with a corned beef dinner and a DVD.

Sunday will be more of the same except maybe we’ll hit up a coffee shop so Micah can prep for classes. We also might head to a movie. Intermixed in all that will be lots of time in front of the fire, snuggling on the couch, planning our quick trip to Vancouver in a couple weeks and a little bit of tidying. Perhaps this warm and creamy dish for dinner?

image via TheKitchn

We’re not going to let the rain get us down this weekend.  What do you have planned for this weekend?

Pinning 101 in 1001

It hasn’t even been a week and we’ve already crossed something off our list (Yay us!).  We also have already changed an item on the list.  We changed #100 from buy shelves for the garage to install a utility sink.  We already had two tall shelves and we just needed one more.  It seemed like silly task to have on the list.  When we were re-organizing the garage, we realized how much we really could use a utility sink in there.  I hate going upstairs to was my hands after gardening.

To help us organize ideas, we’ve started using Pinterest to collect images and eventually create inspiration boards (like I need another reason to be on Pinterest).  Here are a couple pins on our list.

#7. More flexible seating

Eventually (like in a few years) we’ll probably get a new couch.  It is on our list after all.  One thing we need in the TV room is the ability to seat more people when we need to.  The couch will seat 3 people comfortable and 4 if you don’t mind being close to someone.  We have the lounge chair for a 5th person.  Anymore than 5 in the room (plus Izzy) and the floor becomes the only option.  We’re think a window seat of some kind or maybe something really easy like these floor pillows would work.

from Apartment Therapy

#11. Install storage and finish entry closet

This one has been on our to do list since before we even moved in.  I really want something like the picture below but the question is what would we do with all our shoes and coats?  They’d have to live somewhere else, but where?

from Jackie Morra Interiors

#21. Build a greenhouse

After last years tomato crop fail, we decided we need a greenhouse.  The weather never stayed hot enough and our tomatoes either rotted on the vine because of cold and moisture or we had to harvest them when they weren’t ripe.  It was a shame because we had dozens and dozens of tomatoes we couldn’t eat.  Even something small this this would be awesome.

from Kekklia Gardens

#44.  Complete the modern travel collage display for dining room

I’ve been in love with this thing since I saw it on Pinterest.  We display all our travel and holiday pictures via a digital frame we got when we got married.  I have all these amazing pictures (mostly from my iphone) from my work travels.  I was thinking up using them to make this.  I have other ideas too.

from Annie McElwain Photography

#47.  Organize spice drawer

I think this has been on my list in every place I’ve ever lived in.  When I was in Zambia last, Micah tried to make a recipe that required a few spices.  He couldn’t find anything in the drawer because I wasn’t around to tell him what was what.  We have a pull out spice drawer like in the picture (our is wider) but we need some uniformed spice jars and system for organizing them.

from Martha Stewart

#55.  Finish toilet area in master bath

Maybe I should just say finish master bathroom.  We have the shelves up behind the toilet but we still need storage containers.  I also want it to look  put together but not cluttered.  Maybe something like this:

from Design Sponge

#65.  Create storage in the laundry area

I think it was pretty smart of us to put our washer and dry on the top floor of our house where most of what we wash is stored.  We have a great washer/dryer but the area in general but we need storage and styling.  I think this would be pretty doable though our units are taller.

from My Home Ideas

#78. Replace nightstands in the orange room

The nightstands (and the mattress) in guest room are awful.  The look cheap and are awkward looking.  I think something simple like this would be perfect.

from Pinterest (source link doesn’t work)

#90. Install solar panels

This might be the one thing on the list that won’t actually get done.  I started doing research on solar panels and it’s going to cost a lot – like more than we bought our car for.  Despite that, we still really want to go with solar panels.  Our house is prime for it.  We are the tallest house around and we’re on a hill.  There are no tall trees around us that would block our roof.  We’re going to do more research and figure out if saving monthly for the next few years is doable.

from Art Tec

#100.  Install Utility Sink (new) 

We need a sink in that garage.  Something simple and cheap.  I like this but it may be too pretty for the garage. 

from Active Rain

If I had to guess, I’d say the next big project we’ll undertake will be #4, the barn door.  I think the next small project will probably be #42, a salad box planter for the deck.  I have some seeds from last year and put in an order for some escarole seeds over the weekend. 

What have you checked off your list recently?

Sunday Suppers : The Ugliest, Yummiest Tamales

One of our favorite quick and budget conscious tricks is to buy one of those whole roast chickens from the grocery store.  They are fresh, tasty, ready to eat and really versatile.  We bought one on Tuesday and used it for enchiladas that night, pesto chicken for sandwich filling on Thursdays and on Sunday for tamales. 

We had mesa, corn husks and onions in the pantry.  I bought some Frontera slow cook sauce by Rick Bayless which I sautéed the chicken and onions in.  I bought Frontera sauces before and I think this is the best one.

I’m not even going to try and explain how to assemble tamales.  Micah and I made about 24 of these and these were super ugly.

We’ve made tamales before and I swear it got easier as we went along.  This time, the longer we made them, the uglier they looks.  The tamale on the left was one of the first I made and the one on the right was one of the last I made.

After we wrapped them all up, we loaded them into the steamer and let them cook over medium heat for an 90 minutes.

We also made zucchini, queso, onion and cilantro tamales.  They were messier to make and cook but really delicious.  The chicken ones were AMAZING.  I don’t want toot our own horns but they might be in the top 3 we’ve ever had.

After dinner we let the 20 tamales we had left cool, wrapped them up in groups of two and three and put them in the freezer to have for lunches.

The ugly but delicious tamales were a great for the budget.  The sauce cost $2.50 on sale, and a 1/3 of the roast chicken was $2.  We had everything else in the pantry.  So essentially for $4.50, we were able to have dinner and 6 lunches in the freezer.  That doesn’t even count the veggie tamales we made. 

I think next were going to do pork adovada next time.  Have you ever made something that was really ugly but very delicious?

101 in 1001 Days–4024 Edition

This is a long list of things we plan (need) to get done in the next 1001 days.  Some of the items are definitely going depend on money (#90) others just require us to get off our butts (#19 or #48 or #86 or #97).  The date is set for December 4, 2014.  Good luck to us?

Family Room 
1.    New Couch April 2013
2.    Sew 2 couch pillows
3.    2 new side tables
4.    Install barn door December 1, 2012
5.    Buy and install casters for Eames fake
6.    Add a floor lamp
7.    Add more flexible seating

Entries
8.    Buy and install flooring transition strip for entry October 28, 2012
9.    Paint front and backdoor
10.    Frost window on front door
11.    Install storage and finish entry closet
12.    Replace entry light fixture
13.    Install peep hole for backdoor March 2013 
14.    Fix doorbell
15.    Create a backdoor entry area
16.    Design and finish entry area (post barn door)

Band Room
17.    Nail molding in the band room
18.    Install heating register in the band room
19.    Organize under the stairs closet

Outdoors
20.    Plant something on the slope that will actually survive a season (!!)
21.    Build a greenhouse
22.    Plant a fruit tree replaced with Plant perennial fruit tree/bush/shrub April 9, 2012 Strawberries
23.    Install a privacy area around the alley entrance
24.    Establish a permanent vegetable garden
25.    Make cement planters
26.    Buy and install another rain barrel
27.    Fix exterior entry light
28.    Walkway through front yard
29.    Trim tree on slope
30.    Install a new (non-wooden) mailbox post
31.    Style under the deck area
32.    Finish painting house trim
33.    Hire gardener for “neighbors” yard May 2013
34.   Add soil to front wall area April 4, 2012
35.    Plant perennials in front wall area April 4, 2012
36.    Replace pillar at the top of the exterior stairs
37.    Create garbage/recycling fence

Main Floor
38.    Replace Grill 
39.    Make main deck a real living area
40.    Install built-in bookshelves in study
41.    Refinish table lamp for living room
42.    Create salad box planter for deck (Moved to Alley Door), May 2013
43.    Buy or make a plant stand for the living room
44.    Complete the modern travel collage display for dining room
45.    Create a real bar area
46.    Make a new fireplace centerpiece

Kitchen
47.    Organize spice drawer
48.    Organize pantry, February 2013  
49.    Purchase replacement parts for the hood, stove and dishwasher June 24, 2012
50.    Install 4th breakfast counter light
51.    Install cabinet handles above fridge
52.    Grow herbs in the kitchen April 1, 2012
53.    Install finishes around the dishwasher

Master Suite
54.    Find and fix leak in master bath shower April 1, 2012
55.    Finish toilet area in master bath
56.    Replace Yucca plant April 12, 2012
57.    Create living area on master bedroom deck
58.    Create new headboard
59.    Fix and paint bathroom walls
60.    Replace window/blinds insert on deck doors
61.    Fix or replace nightstands
62.    Install bedside reading lights April 12, 2012
63.    Buy new mattresses  April 4, 2012
64.    Print and frame pictures for bathroom

Top Floor
65.    Create storage in the laundry area
66.    Hang curtains in laundry area
67.    Clean upstairs windows  
68.    Create organizations system for all upstairs closets
69.    Replace plants in Wally planter

Guest Rooms and Bath
70.    Hang art in blue room
71.    Iron and Hem curtains in blue room October 21, 2012
72.    Make 2 throw pillows for blue room
73.    Fix exterior of deck on the blue room
74.    Make 2 throw pillows for orange room
75.    Re-pot money tree in orange room
76.    Buy a rug for the orange room
77.    Replace mattresses in orange room  April 12, 2012
78.    Replace nightstands in the orange room
79.    Hang art in the corner of orange room
80.    Fix/install towel rack
81.    Install new shower curtain and rug
82.    Fix vanity
83.    Redo shower caulking

Rest of the house
84.    Have windows professionally cleaned (x3) (April 11, 2012)
85.    Have vents professionally cleaned (x3) (July 2012)
86.    Fix and paint all banisters
87.    Paint interior doors (x8)
88.    Shampoo area rugs annually (x3)
89.    Fix scuffs on wood floors
90.    Install solar panels
91.    Create a wedding quilt
92.    Make a photo book about the house
93.    Make a photo book about the wedding
94.    Hold a big garage sale (or craigslist sale) annually (x3) (October 28, 2012) 
95.    Create Christmas decorations/gifts storage area (October 28,2012)
96.   Finish Earthquake kit, February 2013

Garage
97.    Reshuffle layout (3/10/12)
98.    Install bars on windows
99.    Fix light on garage door opener
100.    Install Utility Sink (new) 
101.    Create an inventory of paint, tools and other home improvement supplies

Under The Sea

One of the things we wanted to do while we were in Maui was go snorkeling.  I had never been snorkeling before our honeymoon.  We went snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia it was great and kind of horrible at the same time.  The coral there was beautiful and the fish marine life was amazing but the way the company treated the reef was awful.  they chummed the water so sharks would come by the boat.  The crew wasn’t super friendly and boat itself wasn’t the best. 

When we decided that to go with a company to snorkel in Maui, I wanted it to be one that cared about the ocean for more than it’s source of income.  We went with the Pacific Whale Foundation because they do SO much more than take groups to see fish.  They do research, educate and advocate for the protection of the oceans.

I’m so glad we went with the Pacific Whale Foundation. We had a great time, the staff was wonderful and so knowledgeable.  The coral wasn’t as colorful as in Australia, but the fish were more comfortable this the people.  That acted as if no one was around.  I was nice getting really close up.

There were some pretty bright areas in the coral. I was happy to just float around just take it all in.

Micah snapped this picture of me coming straight at him.

After the snorkeling at Molokini, we headed to to another area to swim with turtles.  The turtles were a skiddish but I did manage to get close.  Unfortunately, this was the only picture I could manage.

After the turtles and the snorkeling, we spent an hour whale watching.  We saw SO many whales.  Apparently they come down to Maui to mate and have babies in February and March.  We saw mothers and babies breaching everywhere.  I just missed the whales in the this shot but the ocean just as pretty without them.

Our day on the ocean was perfect.  We loved every minute of it.  I’m so glad we went and I can’t wait to go again. 

March Brain Dump

It’s Friday! It’s Friday! We’re so happy it’s the weekend except that Micah has to chaperone a high school dance (LAME). Yes, he’s chaperoning. When you work for a private school, they write in duties like chaperoning into your contract and don’t pay you extra for it. Boo. But we have most of Saturday and all of Sunday (minus all the lesson plans) to play with. We’re going to a Limoncello party on Saturday afternoon which will be fun. We’re old pros at the old limoncello making. I might have to bring my meloncello (yes, melon – so good) to the party to share. Besides sweet Italian liquors, here’s what’s on our (mostly mine) minds.

Popcorn

Yes, popcorn. I am OBSESSED. I will eat it for lunch (which I have twice this week) because it’s SO good. Not the microwave stuff or jiffy pop but fresh stove popped popcorn. I am so obsessed that Micah bought me a Whirley Pop for Christmas. It is indeed a pot just for cooking popcorn. Is it necessary? No. Do I love it with all my heart? Yes. Currently, my two favorite popcorn combos are nutritional yeast and salt, and olive oil and sea salt. The olive oil one is really good (thanks for the idea Trader Joe’s). It is possible that on Saturday night while Micah is at the dance Izzy and I will be having popcorn for dinner. Yes, Izzy loves popcorn. She’ll catch it in her mouth if you throw it just right. I think we’re up to 4 catches in a row. See, obsessed.

Tax Return

It’s that time of year – tax time. My goal this year was to get them done before we went on vacation (check). I was dreading doing our taxes. I didn’t think we’d get much back which was disappointing after last year’s haul. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised and we have a very healthy chunk of change headed our way. Last year I actually paid for an online service for our taxes. Paying the $30 was really hard for me ( I know, I’m cheap) but Micah thought it would be a good idea with all the house stuff. I’m glad I listened to him. We felt pretty tax return savvy before – we knew about all the educator deductions and few other things. Now we use the software and I’m blown away about what we’ve missed out on. We can deduct sales tax in Washington because it’s SO high. If we were smart and kept receipts for all our big home purchases, we could have gotten more via an itemized deduction instead of using the standard one. Luckily, we were smart enough to keep receipts when we were building the house. We learned we could deduct the cost of part of our car tabs (really?) and it was really helpful with all the deductions associated with our mortgage refinance. Kind of amazing.

Tax Return Money

So, now that we have a little money in our pockets, what are we going to do with it? As usual, because I’m boring, I’m making us save a good chunk of it and apply some of it to our mortgage. I am Momager’s daughter. We’re putting a good amount into our travel fund, a few hundred bucks will be fun money for maybe a party, or a couple fancy dinners or a few concerts and the last bit goes into a new house project. We are not even done with the current project (the master bath) but we already know what the next one is. It’s probably more than we can handle and I’m betting it will require me to take a few days off to really do right. It’s another project we’re going to have to figure out on our own as it’s completely new to Dadtractor. What is it? You’ll have to wait until next week. Until then, we’ll just be waiting patiently for our tax return money.

Winning?

Late last year, Micah started playing the lottery (that should give you an indication about his work situation). He buys a ticket a week and hopes that he’s got the winner. Over the last month, he’s also been entering contests. We have entered the occasional contest before – you know, win a free ipad, win a trip to LA or something -- but not regularly. Overnight, it seemed like we both were entering the HGTV dream home thing to win Kindle Fires or trips to France daily. It takes a minute and it’s a good way to waste time on the train when you forgot your kindle at home. But here’s my question, does anyone ever actually win one of these random drawings? I’ve won a bracelet and few things off blogs but neither of us has won anything big (valued more than $200) or really known anyone who has. Actually, I lie. My uncle once won $5,000 playing the lottery and I think my grandma won the jackpot in Reno playing the nickel slots. What can I say, I’m Asian – we like to gamble (except me – too cheap again).

Hawaii

This is hard for me to admit to anyone but Micah but I wasn’t sure I’d like Hawaii. I know, that’s stupid. But hear me out. I’d never been before and it was never very high on my list. I like sun and I love the ocean but I’m not really a lay on the beach kind of person. I like to wander and see things. Everyone (literally everyone in Seattle) told me Hawaii was great because you get to be warm and lay out on the beach and drink Mai Tais and just relax. What would I do there after the hour of laying on the beach was over and I was bored? I’m weird, I know. I thought Hawaii would be like all the other things that were popular that I didn’t like (ex Lost, Michael Buble, doughnuts, Lake Chelan, Shabby Chic décor, Dirty Dancing, the Princess Bride, etc.). I was actually really worried about not liking Hawaii. Micah assured me that it was impossible not to like Hawaii but I wasn’t so sure. Verdict? I loved Hawaii (well, Maui). I like that the beach was everywhere and I could just spend an hour there, do something else and then come back in the evening for a swim because it was always going to be beach weather. I loved that the people and culture were much like my own but different. Good lord, Filipinos everywhere. I think I spoke and heard more Tagalog there than I have in Seattle in the last year. I loved all the spontaneous whale watching, the swimming with turtles and that it was always warm enough to hike in shorts and a t-shirt. Also, I pretty much love any place I can be mistaken as a local. I like it so much that I promised Micah we’d go again – soon (like in the next 2 years). Maybe Kauai this time.

Another Dog

Don’t tell Micah but I kind of want another dog. We’re not getting one, but I want one. It’s not really for me (not entirely), it’s for Izzy. She spent the week at my sister’s house where she got to play with her dog cousin Giacoma. She did this running/chase thing with Giacoma in the back yard and she was in heaven. I mean pure doggy bliss. I know she was overjoyed when we came home and she was really excited to get back to her own house but I did notice she was a little sad. She was looking for Giacoma. She’d bring her toys and we’d play, but it wasn’t the same. After a few minutes, she’d get tired of Micah or I and go take a nap somewhere. We’re going to try and arrange regular doggy sleepovers so they can play but it’s not quite the same. Oh well. I’m not to ask for another dog because it’s pretty much a miracle we have Izzy at all.

101 in 1001

Have you seen/done this? You make a list of 101 goals you hope to accomplish in 1001 days. I liked the idea but I didn’t think my personal goal list belonged here. I’ve been thinking that we need a 101 in 1001 for the house. I think a little under 3 years is a enough time to really finish the house and you know we have more than 101 smaller goals that need to be done to get us there. So we’re doing it. 101 in 1001 for the house. When (if) we get it done, we’re throwing a party. A big one. I’d say we’d go on a trip but let’s face it, we’re going to do that anyway. Right, so we have 1001 to really finish the house. I better make that list.

So tell us? Have you done the 101 in 1001? Or, better yet, have you actually won a big prize/contest? We want to know that it isn’t all just a scam and we aren’t wasting all that time that could be better used to play Ticket to Ride on our Apple devices.

Maui Cheap Eats

I meant to post about all whole trip this week but I was buried in email from last week and sick for a couple of days. I don’t have all our pictures as they are on a different computer but what I do have are the food ones. That will do right?

We decided to do Maui on the cheap as Hawaii is expensive and we have a few pricy house projects coming up (barn door anyone?). We went with a condo rental instead of a hotel where we could have the option of self catering our meals. Our Studio Condo with King bed at Napili Village was $119 a night plus tax. We got a $10 discount for arranging our rental car through them. I did a bunch of cost comparisons and even with naming my own price via Priceline I couldn’t get a better deal on hotel, car or a combo of the two. We really liked our condo. It had everything we needed and even came with beach chairs and boogie boards. We had a lanai (deck) with a view of the pool and the beach was less than a minute walk from our front door.

If you are self catering, the two things we’d suggest are hitting up Costco in Kahului (you can buy Mai Tai mix there) and if you arrive on Friday or Saturday morning, going to the Maui Swap Meet in Kahului on Saturday. They have great souvenirs but more than anything, they have the best and cheapest Maui grown produce we saw on the island. The Hawaiian avocados are some of the best I’ve had in years.  So buttery and sweet.

We brought baggies of spices from home so we could cook in the evenings. We decided we’d cook most of our breakfasts and dinners and then have lunch out.

We had A LOT of great food but these are our 3 favorites.

Breakfast, lunch or spam musubi at Honolua Store at the ABC near the Ritz Carlton. This place was reasonable priced and it was the best plate lunch we had on the island. The breakfast was to die for too. Micah has the island breakfast staple of Loco Moco which is a fried egg or two and a hamburger patty topped with local gravy (made with soy sauce) over plain or fried rice. I know, it sounds like a heart attack in a bowl but it’s good. I’ve never actually ordered it myself but I’ve had a bite or two of Micah’s in the past.

I tried a couple of things like fried rice with roast pork (YUM!) and spam musubi. I know spam is an acquired taste (or lack thereof) but it was a staple in my house growing up (It’s big in Asia), so I like the occasional slice. They also have really good mac salad

A big thing in Hawaii is Shave Ice. I thought it would either be like Halo-halo, a Filipino shaved iced dessert or a snow cone but it was more a combo of the two. The shave ice has the consistency of snow ball – really fluffy and light like Halo-halo. Then they pour syrup on top like a snow cone. The syrup flavors are so much better though. Not crazy artificial tasting or too sweet. We went to Ulu Lanis which was voted the best shaved ice on Maui. It was amazing.

Micah went with the Local Motion which is a combo of pineapple, mango and Li Hing Mui (made from a salty dried plum powder). I went with the Haleakala which is coconut and leche topped with sweetened condensed cream & cream mix. SO good and the perfect thing on a hot day on the beach.

Micah (who has had shaved ice before) said the best thing about Ulu Lanis is that the syrups are a better quality than what he’s had before and that the poked holes in the ice so the syrup would flow through to the bottom. Plus, the folks who work there are super nice.

Our 3^rd favorite was also a dessert – probably the best cream puff I’ve ever had. We stopped at T. Komoda Store & Bakery in Makawao on the way back from Haleakala National Park. I was feeling a little nauseous from the altitude sickness and Micah thought a sweet treat would help. This bakery has been around since 1916, still family owned and is a local favorite. We purchased 2 cream puffs and I added a guava filled malasada (portugese sugar doughnut) for myself. I don’t really like doughnuts but I remember loving guava filled malasadas as a kid. This cream puff was light and airy and the filling was more like a pudding than a cream but it wasn’t runny.

I didn’t get a picture of the malasada (I ate it too fast at the airport) but this one was 100 times better than I remembered. Not too sugary and the guava filling was the perfect balance of sweet and slightly tart.

We had other really great meals but the food from these three places were the best. I wish I had a malasada right now. I’d even take a plain one.