Hawaii Vacation Gifts by Double Brush-Hawaiian Gifts & Blog

Easy Pineapple Prosciutto Pupus Recipe

Hawaiian pupus (pronounced poo-poos) are a wonderful island tradition in Hawaii. Pupus are appetizers or hors d'oeuvres. Pupus are served before a meal, or sometimes there are so many pupus, they are the meal! You can find pupus at all kinds of parties large and small, restaurants, bars--pretty much anywhere people gather to eat food together.

For your next holiday party, serve these delicious fresh pineapple pieces wrapped in prosciutto pupus. Instead of throwing away the outer pineapple rind, serve it in an impressive pineapple boat.

Easy Pineapple and Prosciutto Pupus Recipe

Fresh Hawaiian Pineapple
10 slices of Prosciutto or Virginia Ham
Ground Pepper

Cut fresh pineapple into bite size pieces. Wrap a pineapple piece with a little strip of prosciutto and hold in place with a toothpick. Serve with a dipping bowl of freshly ground pepper.

If fresh pineapples are not available in your area, you can order fresh pineapples from Hawaii directly from us. We ship on Monday and Tuesday for Thursday or Friday delivery.

For more Hawaiian Pineapple recipes and information, see our blog category Hawaiian Pineapples.

Hawaiian Gingerbread Kona Coffee Cookie Recipe

Try this holiday gingerbread cookie recipe with a touch of aloha from the Big Island, Hawaii via the addition of Kona coffee--for a flavorful twist on an old favorite. Also don't forget to check out our other Kona coffee blog posts for interesting Kona coffee articles and more Kona coffee recipes (link below).

Hawaiian Gingerbread Kona Coffee Cookie Recipe

3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
2 Tablespoon instant Kona coffee granules
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses

Mix flour, salt, baking soda, spices and instant coffee. Beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in molasses. Add flour alternately with milk in three additions. Form into two balls, place in bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll out and cut into bear or other shapes with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Cool. Decorate as desired.
Yield: 24 small bears

This recipe is from the Kona Coffee Cookbook--Kona Coffee Cultural Festival

For the best tasting 100 percent pure instant Kona coffee, and ground Kona coffee, visit us at Hawaii Vacation Gifts, your online Hawaii Gifts Store

See all of our Kona coffee recipes and other Kona coffee related posts.

UH Rainbow Warrior Fever Highest Ever in Hawaii

University of Hawaii Rainbow Warrior Fever is at the highest I have ever seen it in Hawaii!! Well, we are living in some exciting UH football historical times. Besides winning the 2007 WAC Conference Championship title outright for the first time, I predict that we will also beat Washington State on December 1 and have our first undefeated season in the history of the University of Hawaii! Next up, an invitation to a bowl game.

People are so excited about the UH Rainbow Warriors football team and want to show their support, that they are standing in line to buy up UH logo merchandise before they sell out. Especially popular is the literally hot off the presses University of Hawaii WAC Champions T shirt!

(The T-shirt picture shown is the official design from UH that say, "University of Hawaii 2007 Conference Champions Warrior Football.)

When I checked my stats for the last post UH Hawaii New 2007 WAC Champions, people were searching to buy official Hawaii football UH Warrior Hawaii WAC Championship shirts. So for people on the mainland who may not know where to buy UH WAC champs T shirts, you can buy t shirts plus other merchandise at the University of Hawaii's official logo merchandise store called Rainbowtique. It is the best place to buy any UH logo merchandise because all proceeds serve and support the University of Hawaii in continuing its educational mission. Buying from other venues may not be affiliated with the school and therefore the university will not get any licensing fee due to them.

At Rainbowtique's 3 store locations (University of Hawaii at Manoa campus-Stan Sheriff Center, UH Bookstore, and Vicotria Ward Centers) and their online store, besides UH logo T shirt apparel, you can find custom Oakley sunglasses, Nike merchandise, jerseys, headwear, polo shirts, women's wear, outerwear and more.

You can also buy a customized jersey with your favorite player's number and YOUR name on it. The UH store showed the number 15 which must be the most popular number, seeing as it is the number for Hawaii's star quarterback Colt Brennan. See my previous post UH Quarterback Colt Brennan Makes Hawaii Proud.

Who is your favorite UH football player and why?

Hawaiian South Kona Coffee Eggnog Recipe

Get into the full swing of the holiday season by adding a little Kona coffee pizzaz to your holiday eggnog this year!

Hawaiian South Kona Coffee Eggnog Recipe

3 large eggs
1/2 cup Kona coffee liqueur
1/2 cup macadamia nut liqueur
1 tablespoon freeze dried Kona coffee granules
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
ground nutmeg to taste

Separate the eggs. Beat yolks until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in sugar. Stir in liqueurs. Cover and chill for several hours. Just before serving dissolve coffee granules in milk and stir into mixture. Whip cream. Beat egg whites until soft stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream and egg whites into mixture. Serve in punch cups and garnish with nutmeg.

This recipe is from the Kona Coffee Cookbook--Kona Coffee Cultural Festival

If you need authentic 100 percent pure Kona coffee freeze dried granules or Kona coffee and other Kona coffee gifts and gift baskets, please visit us at Hawaii Vacation Gifts.

For more Kona coffee recipes and information, visit our Kona coffee blog category.

Win Free Airfare for Two to Hawaii Sweepstakes

Our weekly Hawaii Sweepstakes Sunday feature is still going strong! We found a new contest that you can enter to win airline travel for two to Hawaii, but note that no accommodations where included in this Hawaii grand prize package.

The Ooh-Ga-Boo-Ga, Hawaii-Here I Come Sweepstakes is open to the public and no purchase is necessary. All entries must be received by December 31, 2008, this is not a typo, it really is 2008. Travel to Hawaii has to be completed in 2009.

Hawaii Grand Prize Sweepstakes

The Sweepstakes Grand Prize will include round-trip airfare for two to Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines (Coach Class) from any point served by the airline in the continental United States. Some flight restrictions and blackout dates may apply. Grand Prize will be awarded and the winner will be notified by certified mail. Travel must be completed before 12/15/09 (No extensions allowed). The winner will also receive a complimentary $250.00US gift certificate valid towards Ooh-Ga-Boo-Ga Island Traders labeled merchandise from our website or any Ooh-Ga-Boo-Ga Island Traders retail location.

See our complete list of Hawaii Sweepstakes blog posts where you can enter to win a free trip to Hawaii!

UH Hawaii New 2007 WAC Champions!

The football game that lived up to the hype! The University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors beat the Boise State Broncos 39 to 27 in a sold out game at Aloha Stadium today! 50,000 people cheered to see UH win the game and the WAC Championship-- Western Athletic Conference title. Boise State has held the WAC championship title for the past 5 years, so it was a doubly sweet win for Hawaii. UH Hawaii is now 11 and 0 with 11 wins and NO losses.
(You can buy official UH 2007 WAC Champions T shirts here.)

Colt Brennan once again did a spectacular job:

Colt Brennan completed 40-of-53 passes for 495 yards, five touchdowns, and ran for another score as 14th-ranked Hawaii outslugged No. 17 Boise State, 39-27, to capture the Western Athletic Conference title, and stay in line for a possible BCS bowl bid.

Brennan added a few more to the laundry list of NCAA records he already owns. His first touchdown pass broke two NCAA records set by Heisman Trophy- winner Ty Detmer of BYU. The touchdown pass was the 122nd of Brennan's career, topping the 121 that Detmer threw during his collegiate career, which ended in 1991. The score was the 136th total touchdown for Brennan, again topping a mark that Detmer set in 1991. Brennan reached the marks in 36 collegiate games, 10 fewer than Detmer needed to set the records 16 years prior.

Brennan now has 126 career touchdown passes, and 141 total scores.

The Hawaii Channel

Read the complete recap of the game Brennan Sets Records As Hawaii Wins WAC.

"I think we proved something tonight with all of the so-called experts who picked Boise to beat us," Brennan said. "It was a great win for us, the school and the state. The faith on this team is huge. We believe in ourselves." HawaiiAthletics.com

Want to know what Colt Brennan is like as a person? Read our previous post--UH Quarterback Colt Brennan Makes Hawaii Proud.

The last game of the season is against Washington State on December 1, 2007 at Aloha Stadium. Go Bows!!

Hawaiian Stress Release Gift Basket for the Holidays

The holiday season is upon us and if you are starting to feel a little stressed, treat yourself to our Hawaiian stress release spa gift basket. Our unique Hawaiian spa gift basket is filled with products to de-stress your life. This also make a nice gift for someone you know who could use a bit of relaxation.

Many gift baskets filled with spa products claiming to use an anti stress formula, or even regular gift baskets filled with bath and body type products--are made with chemical ingredients that are toxic or can cause allergic reactions. Our handwoven lauhala gift basket if filled with natural handmade on the Big Island products. Our vitamin rich moisturizing lotion and soothing bath salt crystals are infused with Hawaiian flower essences hand gathered in the rainforest on the Big Island of Hawaii. We also include a matching aromatherapy soap made with essential oils, and a natural clean burning soy wax votive candle made with a hemp wick.

Flower essences have been used by indigenous people the world over for centuries. This particular Hawaiian flower essence blend is a natural way to balance a person's energy by releasing stress and promoting relaxation. The Stress Free Formula blend is infused with the Hawaii rainforest flower essences of wild lehua, awapuhi-melemele, and kinehe. All of these naturals products are delicately scented with a refreshing blend of lemongrass, coconut and vanilla essential oils which are enjoyed by both men and women. Live stress free! Hawaiian Natural Spa Gift Baskets.

Avoid Holiday Traffic While on Vacation

With the holidays fast approaching, many people will be driving to their holiday destinations or driving around once they arrive to their holiday destination vacation. To make your travel trip more pleasant and avoid car traffic jams, accidents, and road construction--I will tell you where you can get the best up to date information on the web.

Go to maps.yahoo.com It is the only site with live traffic updates, and live construction updates. It is fairly easy to use and figure out. Fill in the address, city, state, or zip code than click on the "go" button. A large area map appears with a window of detailed map which you can move around. You can also zoom way in or way out.

Look for the color coded alert icons for minor, moderate, and severe incidents.

I think the yahoo maps work for most major cities in the world.

Hope this bit of information will save you time and make your holidays that much more enjoyable!

Hawaii Welcomes Back Primo Beer

Pretty much everyone in Hawaii has heard of the brand Primo Beer. Primo beer was founded in 1898 and used Hawaii's high quality water for brewing its beer. The Primo brewery was closed during the Prohibition era, but later reopened for production. By the 1950's and 1960's, the popularity of Primo made it the top selling beer in Hawaii. Primo closed down ten years ago (1997) due to slowing sales, but the nostalgic affection for the beer and strong brand recognition still exists till today.

Pabst Brewing Co. from Chicago, Illinois, confirmed that it has partnered with Keoki Brewing Co. on Kauai, Hawaii, to produce a higher end version of Primo beer to compete with premium lagers such as Heineken.

"Primo Beer is returning to Hawai'i very soon, and it will be a high-quality lager," said Kyle Wortham, senior brand manager at Primo Brewing & Malting Co.

Read more details about Primo Beer in Hawaii is Back.

P.S. You can still find all sorts of Primo branded logo items such as T shirts, aloha shirts, mugs, hats, etc. on Ebay and at antique shops. Personally, I still have a metal belt buckle with the Primo name and map of the Hawaiian Islands logo from the early 70's! I have been meaning to get around to selling it on Ebay, but make me an offer if you want it!

Travel Green-New Vacation Guidebooks Show You How

With more and more people becoming aware of how their individual choices can impact our planet in positive or negative ways, a new genre of ethical and responsible travel guides have been published. The following is a sampling of the new green travel guidebooks.

"Code Green: Experiences of a Lifetime," Lonely Planet

It charts 82 trips and highlights the "responsible travel credentials" of each one, such as yurt stays in Tajikistan's Pamir Mountains, a village walk and home-stay in India's Kumaon region and a canoeing-camping trip to view hippos on Zambia's Zambezi River. It also touts destinations that have environmental attractions but are not in immediate danger of being overly exploited, usually because they're remote.

"Frommer's Cancun, Cozumel & the Yucatan 2008," Frommer's Travel Guides

It includes a section on ecotourism that refers readers to two groups, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and Tread Lightly, that address the ethics of swimming with marine mammals. The book also provides information on visiting protected areas, such as the Rio Lagartos and Celestun refuges, both of which feature flamingos.

"25 Ultimate Experiences: Ethical Travel," Rough Guides

It describes 25 trips that minimize visitors' effect on the environment while helping local communities, including a zero-impact luxury ski camp in the Swiss Alps consisting of white-canvas geodesic domes and a beach lodge near Mozambique's Guludo village that employs 55 locals who will eventually run the resort. There's also advice on ethical clothes shopping, volunteering abroad and cultural sensitivity.

"Green Travel: The World's Best Eco-Lodges & Earth-Friendly Hotels," Fodor's Travel (April 2008)

It details eco-destinations in six regions of the world: North America and the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Explore ethical travel dilemmas such as renting a car, giving money to beggars and visiting countries ruled by repressive governments.

For more information see Guidebooks Show Travelers How to Go Green.

Colors of Hawaii Sweepstakes from the Golf Channel

It's Hawaii Sweepstakes Sunday today, and that means we tell you where you can enter Hawaii sweepstakes and Hawaii contests to win a free trip to Hawaii.

This new Hawaii Sweepstakes contest just started 2 weeks ago, and will continue till January 3, 2008. It is called the "Colors of Hawaii" and is sponsored by the Golf Channel--so of course part of the prize package will include playing golf in Maui, Hawaii!

Colors of Hawaii Sweepstakes Prize

The Prize consists of a trip to be shared by winner and one (1) guest ("Guest") to Maui, Hawaii ("Trip"). Trip includes round-trip coach-class air transportation for winner and Guest to Maui, Hawaii from a major commercial airport (as determined by Sponsor, in its sole discretion) near winner’s residence in the U.S. or Canada (excluding Quebec); economy rental car for six (6) days; standard hotel accommodations (single room, double occupancy) for five (5) nights at the Sheraton Maui; and two (2) rounds of golf for Winner and Guest (four (4) rounds total). Golf course and location to be determined by Sponsor at its sole discretion.

If you dream of winning a trip to Maui to play golf, enter the Golf Channel's "Colors of Hawaii" sweepstakes here.

Enter to win Hawaii sweepstakes and Hawaii contests by visiting our Hawaii Sweepstakes blog category.

Hawaiian Papaya Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe

The Hawaiian papaya is a very versatile fruit and is used in many creative recipes for a tropical exotic touch. Besides tasting delicious, Hawaiian papayas are loaded with Vitamin C.

This papaya vinigarette dressing tastes great on a green dinner salad or paired with seafood, but try it with any other dish you desire.

Hawaiian Papaya Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup Hawaiian papaya puree
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup macadamia nut oil or other salad oil

Combine all of the ingredients except the salad oil. Whisk until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is thoroughly blended. Gradually add oil while continuing to whisk. Chill papaya dressing before using.

Click here for more Hawaiian Papaya recipes and information about papayas.

If you can't find fresh Hawaiian papayas in your local area, we can ship fresh papayas to the mainland direct from Hawaii via UPS:)

New Feature on our Hawaii Blog--Comment Feed

When I started my Hawaii blog with Typepad a few months ago, I requested that they offer a "follow the comments" feature so my readers could follow the conversation on different posts.

I am happy to say that Typepad finally developed this feature and I added it last night! Now after every post at the beginning of the comments section, you will see a little orange RSS icon and link with the following text next to it: You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

It works if you are subscribed by RSS feed or email.

I enjoy reading other people's comments on blog posts' that I am interested in, and now my readers can also have that convenience for Hawaii Vacation Gifts blog posts' they are interested in.

Super Easy Delicious Kona Coffee Milk Shake Recipe

Try this super easy and delicious milk shake made with pure instant Kona coffee granules (instead of brewed Kona coffee) for more undiluted Kona coffee flavor.

Kona Coffee Milk Shake Recipe

2 cups milk
2 Tablespoons instant Kona coffee granules (freeze dried)
3 cups vanilla ice cream

Mix all ingredients in a blender and whip until thick.

From the Kona Coffee Cookbook--Kona Coffee Cultural Festival

If you are lactose intolerant, substitute milk and ice cream with dairy free versions.

It is actually harder to find Kona instant coffee that is 100 percent and not a blend--made with only very little Kona coffee in it. Happily, we sell the best all 100% Kona instant coffee.

See our Kona coffee blog category for more Kona coffee related articles and recipes.

The Most Beautiful Worms are Found in Hawaii

The most beautiful and fantastic worms can be found in Hawaii, but not in the land or soil--instead these elegant worms reside in the Pacific ocean waters around the Hawaiian Islands.

Ocean worms or sea worms are related to your average garden earthworm and do the same kind of work--mainly filtering and feeding an ecosystem--but they are also very diverse in appearance and the different jobs they do. All of the oceans on our planet have worms in them and they provide food for many fish species. Ocean worms can be found in rocky and sandy shores, floating in the open ocean, or living on the ocean floor in the deep sea.

Scientists can only guess at the amount of sea worm species in the world, with estimates ranging from 25,000 to millions!

I first learned of these amazing gorgeous creatures from the National Geographic Magazine February 07 issue. The print issue has several detailed color photographs of the different Hawaiian sea worms.

You can read more information at the National Geographic online, but they only have the above photo posted.

Win Free Vacation to Honolulu Hawaii Online Sweepstakes

Hawaii Sweepstakes Sunday is today, and with the following Hawaiian sweepstakes it seems like there is no contest end date because it is ongoing for 2007 and 2008 any maybe beyond!

This online sweepstakes is a chance to win a free vacation to Honolulu, Hawaii and is an ongoing sweepstakes, meaning every 3 months the free Hawaii vacation contest begins again!

It is sponsored by At Coastal Vacation

Honolulu Hawaii Vacation Prize Package

3 fun filled days and 2 romantic nights in a deluxe accommodation stay.

This vacation package does not include airfare or other transportation.

Click here for the sweepstakes official terms and conditions.

Click here for our complete list of free Hawaii vacation giveways and contests that you can enter.

Did You Know You Could Lose Your Computer from Lightning?

Did you know you could lose your computer from lightning? I did not know it was possible till it happened to me 3 years ago. It was during a terrible storm with lots of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. Suddenly, bolt of lightning came through the phone line and zapped my computer--which thankfully I was not using at the time. We saw a bright light, heard the crackle zap and sizzle sound, and then smelled an electrical burning scent coming from the computer. (We had a surge protector which was suppose to protect our computer but it didn't work--it was the cheap kind.)

When we tried to turn on the computer it would not turn on. I took it to a computer place and they said it was fried due to a high electrical surge, such as due to lightning and would cost a lot to repair, they recommended we buy a new computer. I needed to get this written repair quote for our home insurance which in the end they only gave us $300.00 for because the computer was 5 years old.

Since then, my neighbors up the street lost their computer due to a lightning strike, our other friend in Leilani Estates got their computer fried from lightning, and another friend told me of 3 other people she knew on the Big Island that lost their computers due to lightning storms also.

So now at the first hint of thunder and lightning, we unplug the computer and the DSL unit and physically move it to another room away from the telephone!

The past 4 days has been raining hard with thunder and lightning so I have not been online much which is the reason that I did not post as regularly.

When I first started blogging, I read a blog article about blogging that said no one wants to hear your excuses about why you have not been blogging, so I thought if I turned it into an informative post first, my readers would be understanding.

So, have you ever had this happen to you (losing your computer due to lightning), or heard of it happening to someone else?

Go on a Hawaiian Safari Blog Carnival

Once again Evelyn at Homespun Honolulu has put together a great blog Carnival of Aloha, her third Hawaii blog carnival that she has hosted. It is quite a bit of work to host a blog carnival and she does it so well. Mahalo Evelyn!

This one is called,"The Carnival of Aloha Takes a Magical Hawaiian Safari."

A blog carnival is a fun way to discover new blogs that fit in with the carnival theme; in this case anything to do with and about Hawaii.

My entry was about the famous 2 1/2 ton "Naha" stone moved by King Kamehameha.

Hope you will join us on a Hawaiian cyber safari!

Hawaii Sweepstakes Sunday 11-04-07

It's Hawaii Sweepstakes Sunday time again and we have found a really first class Hawaiian vacation that you could win just by entering your full name and email address OR physical address.

This is Your Chance to Win 5-Nights at Four Seasons Resort Lana'i at Manele Bay Hawaiian vacation for Two!

Vacation includes roundtrip economy airfare and five nights ocean view accommodations at Four Seasons Resort Lana'i at Manele Bay in Hawaii.

Perched above the Pacific, Four Seasons Resort Lana'i at Manele Bay is an ocean-side paradise bordering a protected marine preserve. Laze on the white-sand beach below, snorkel amid spinner dolphins, or golf on two world-ranked courses. Explore this untouched island playground, and experience your own private Hawaii.

One entry per person and no purchase is necessary. Entry deadline is December 31, 2007.

What is Lanai city like? Find out from Sheila at Go Visit Hawaii.

For a complete list of Hawaiian vacation sweepstakes and Hawaii contests where you can win a free trip Hawaii, see our blog category: Hawaii Sweepstakes.

Steve and Barry Store Opening In Hawaii

I had just read about Steve & Barry's discount chain store last night in a magazine, and then found out today that the Long Island based retailer will be opening a store in Hawaii by the end of the year!

Most local people in Hawaii are not familiar with Steve & Barry's, the famous company that created the celebrity-branded $15.00 athletic shoe, and also sells clothes for under $20.00

Steve and Barry's create "premium apparel at impossibly low prices"--even undercutting retailing discount giants like Wal-Mart and Target. The new retailer to Hawaii's market is expected to really shake things up in the islands; which will be a good thing for consumers, but is expected to be hard on the other retail stores already competing with each other.

Steve and Barry's do not have a large advertising budget, but depend on word of mouth referrals and now have also lined up celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Venus Williams to design apparel for their company. Many people welcome inexpensive clothing with celebrity appeal.

Steve & Barry's plan to open a 24,00 square feet super store at Waikele Center on Oahu. This is part of their plan for an aggressive initiative in store growth and new product development for the company, which is opening about 70 stores this year.

Steve and Barry's currently has about 200 stores in 33 states, largely concentrates on collegiate-branded products, and licensed brands not big in the apparel industry such as Ford, General Mills, Hershey's, Hasbro, World Wrestling Entertainment and Marvel Comics.

Read more details about Steve & Barry's coming to Hawaii.

Have you ever been to a Steve and Barry's store? What do you like and or not like about them?