Hawaii Vacation Gifts by Double Brush-Hawaiian Gifts & Blog

Ship Hawaiian Gifts to APO, FPO, and PO Boxes

The first time someone wrote an APO address for me to ship to, I had to check with my local post office because I didn't know what it was. In case you also don't know what an APO address, FPO address or PO box address is, the following is a short explanation.

APO and FPO address are for US military personnel stationed overseas. The United States Postal Service (USPS) in a partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD) came up with a system called the Overseas Military Mail.

APO, stands for Army Post Office (Army or Air Force installations)

FPO, stands for Fleet Post Office (Navy installations and ships)

and followed by

AA, which stands for Armed Forces (the) Americas
AE, which stands for Armed Forces Europe
AP, which stands for Armed Forces Pacific

A typical Overseas Military Mail address looks like this:

Name Postal Service Center + Identifier APO, AP ZIP

or

Name Postal Service Center + Identifier FPO, AP ZIP

By having all Overseas Military Mail conform to the USPS domestic mailing addressing system, the USPS can easily sort and manage military mail using their sophisticated sorting and distribution machines, just like regular mail.

A PO Box simply stands for Post Office Box, you know, the rows and rows of little metal boxes you see outside of your local post office.

Many companies do not ship to APO, FPO or PO box addresses simply because they only use a private carrier like Federal Express (Fed Ex) or United Parcel Service (UPS).

UPS and Federal Express CANNOT ship to an APO address, FPO address, or PO box address.

Because we mainly ship through the US mail using 1st class or Priority mail, we can easily send Hawaiian gifts to your friends and loved ones stationed overseas. It is more work for us as we pack your Hawaiian gifts extra well, have to fill out a special custom USPS form, and double check that the address is legitimate. Of course we do not charge anything extra for providing this service.

There are some restrictions such as you cannot send anything perishable like fresh fruit and flowers. Sorry, that means no Hawaii papayas, pineapples, bouquets or leis.

However, we can send Kona coffee, macadamia nuts, Hawaiian candies, Hawaiian cookies, Hawaiian snacks, Hawaiian chocolates, Hawaiian gift baskets, Hawaiian candles, Hawaiian soaps, and more. Please visit us at Double Brush or Hawaii Vacation Gifts to see our large selection of products.

To look up restrictions for an APO/FPO zip code and for more information about APO shipping and FPO shipping, check this page at OCONUS Overseas Military Portal.

Hawaiian Valentine's Day Gifts and Gift Ideas from Hawaii

Valentine's Day is less than 2 weeks away--February 14. This year, if you are planning to give your Valentine or lucky someone flowers and chocolate candy, why not change it up with a tropical twist? At HawaiiVacationGifts.com and Double Brush we have a wide assortment of fresh Hawaiian flower bouquets and Hawaiian leis made with flowers grown on the Big Island of Hawaii. Anthuriums, orchid sprays, bird of paradise, exotic heliconia and tropical foliage, are all long lasting and a good value for your money. Our Hawaiian flowers will last for 2-4 weeks compared to traditional cut flower roses which only last  a few days to maybe a week.

If your Valentine sweetie has a sweet tooth, we offer all kinds of delectable chocolate candy goodness. For that touch of Hawaii, all of our chocolate candies from Hawaii are made with macadamia nuts. We carry 2 boxes of chocolates: Mauna Loa Mountains--macadamia nuts covered in milk chocolate, and Mauna Loa Clusters--Caramel and Macadamia nuts covered in milk chocolate. We also have Mauna Loa shortbread macadamia nut cookies dipped in milk chocolate and other chocolate Hawaiian treats.

How about sending him or her a bag of Valentine kisses? Our Hershey kisses chocolate candy with Mauna Loa macadamia nuts are only sold in the state of Hawaii. You can kiss someone 50 times with a bag of chocolate kisses (amount of candy kisses in one bag).

If you cannot make up your mind between flowers and chocolate candy, here's a way to send both. We can deliver to your recipient's doorstep, our completely original Hawaiian candy bouquet. Made with Mauna Loa chocolates and vintage silk flower parts, we create and assemble unique chocolate Hawaiian candy bouquets
displayed in a pretty and practical Hawaiian coffee mug instead of a vase.

If candy and flowers aren't what you had in mind for Valentine's Day, we also have handmade soy candles, beeswax candles, solid perfumes, and other delicious treats sold separately or in custom gift baskets.

Please visit our Hawaiian stores, we look forward to assisting you with your Valentine gift needs.

New Hawaiian Candy Bouquets or Hawaii Chocolate Edible Arrangements

Since we started selling Hershey's kisses with macadamia nuts chocolate candy a few months ago, I had an idea to try and make a Hawaiian candy bouquet. I had seen the Hershey kisses chocolate candy turned into rose buds where two kisses are abutted back to back, then has a colored cellophane piece wrapped around it so it looks like a rose bud.

Although I saw many Hershey kisses rosebud candy bouquets online, I did a search for Hawaii candy bouquets or Hawaiian candy bouquets and nothing turned up! So of course I had to create a delicious Hawaii chocolate edible arrangement to fill that void.

I happened to have a stash of high quality vintage silk flower parts from the early eighties. (My sister used to design silk flower hair barrettes when it was a fad back in the day.) You can't even get these silk flower parts anymore as the majority of silk flower items (hair barrettes, leis, stems, etc.) already come assembled from China.

What I came up with is this:

We start with 2 Hershey kisses back to back, wrap the candies with clear plastic wrap, add a vintage high quality silk flower, secure it with a plastic flower calyx part, use a clean bamboo skewer to secure the candy kiss flower, and wrap the stem with green floral tape. There are quite a bit of steps involved to assemble each candy kiss blossom by hand and we only have a limited amount of our vintage flowers.

I also was able to assemble the small triangle packs of Mauna Loa macadamia nut snack packs in a similar fashion. It is featured along with Hershey kisses tropical candy flowers and assorted Mauna Loa chocolate candy bars in our "Chocolate Hawaiian Candy Bouquet Edible Arrangement by Mauna Loa" bouquet. This is a unique Hawaii bouquet gift that will satisfy the eyes as well as stomach:)

Our other bouquet (pictured at top) features one dozen Hawaiian flower Hershey's candy kisses. Both come in a Hawaiian porcelain coffee mug as a vase.

The Hershey kisses Hawaii chocolate flowers and macadamia nut flowers are also sold individually for unique Hawaiian party favors or original Hawaiian wedding favors.

Related blog posts:
Hershey's Kisses with macadamia nuts review

Hershey's Kisses Cookie Recipes

New Design: Kona Coffee Candles in Donkey Stamped Gift Bag

Living on the Big Island where the world famous Kona coffee is grown and being a candle maker, it wasn't long before I invented Kona Coffee Candles to honor that heritage. I thought it would be so cute to package our fragrant coffee candle votives in drawstring cloth bags hand stamped with an original design. It would be a miniature version reminiscent of the burlap coffee bags that Kona coffee beans used to be packed in by the many small family Kona coffee farms.

Back then I chose to draw a sweet donkey portrait and had it made into a rubber stamp that served us well through the years, but the stamp got warped and it was time to draw a new design. This time I drew a new donkey wearing a flower lei around her neck, and had it made into another rubber stamp.

Mixing acrylic paint and using a brayer and palette, I hand stamp the front of each cotton sack with our new donkey stamp design.

Why a donkey? The donkey has a deep historical significance in the history of Kona coffee production on the Big Island of Hawaii. Between 1900 and 1945, sure-footed donkeys were used to haul the heavy 100 pound burlap bags filled with ripe coffee beans, up and down the steep rugged hillsides. Wild herds, escapees from coffee farms still roam the Kona coast; at night their not-so-melodious braying sounds have dubbed the noble donkey "Kona Nightingales."

Our handmade soy candles are better than paraffin candles and scented with a really intoxicating coffee aroma. It smells so good our Kona coffee fragrance candle has been called a fake out candle.

Besides Kona coffee scented soy candles, we also carry 100% pure Kona coffee, and 100% Kona Instant Coffee. These authentic products are great for Hawaiian gifts, coffee gifts, or to add to our custom Hawaiian gift baskets where you choose what goes into your custom coffee gift basket.

When is a Green Candle a "Fake Out" Candle?

Our original soy candles and beeswax candles are considered "green candles" because they are non toxic and eco friendly (made with only natural renewable waxes). Our handmade candles have been called lovely, beautiful, clean burning, well made, and other nice descriptions from our customers and friends, but I had to hear the explanation when someone called our green candle a fake out candle today.

I had to go to Island Princess to pick up more Hawaiian macadamia nuts (party favor bags & wasabi macadamia nuts) and Hawaiian candies (chocolate covered Kona coffee beans and Mele Macs). While there I was introduced to Steve the production manager who had been given our Kona coffee scented soy candle by Tracy who handles my orders.

Steve said, "Oh, you're the one who makes the fake out candles!" I said, "Pardon?" and he told me this funny story. He went home and put our coffee candle on the table in his house. The next morning he awoke to the delicious smell of fresh Kona coffee brewing and was happily thinking that his wife had got up before him and was making the coffee. He was disappointed however to find that his wife was still sleeping next to him, and then he realized that it was the coffee fragrance from the candle that he was smelling. Ever since then, they call it the fake out candle.

It has been weeks since he was given the Kona coffee candle, and he still gets faked out!

Soy Candles vs Paraffin Candles-May the Best Candle Win

I was surprised to read in Brand Week Magazine recently that most American consumers are still not familiar with natural soy wax candles, or that the majority of candles made and sold today are produced from paraffin wax, a by-product of the industrialized oil refining process.

So what is the difference between soy wax used for soy candles and paraffin wax used for paraffin candles?

Soy wax is produced from harvested soybeans from green living soybean plants. Soybeans have been enjoyed as a vegetarian high protein food source world wide for thousands of years, but the oil from soybeans have only recently been used to make soy candles and other non food soy products. Harvested soybeans are crushed and pressed to separate the soy oil from the soy meal. The soy oil goes through a process called partially hydrogenation to turn it into a soft wax. This is the reason why you probably see so many  soy wax container candles. To make free standing soy candles, other harder natural waxes like palm and beeswax, or paraffin has to be added to the soy wax.

The benefits of soybean wax is that it is non-toxic, bio-degradable, an environmentally friendly unlimited renewable resource, and supports farmers. (At Double Brush we use soy wax made from American farm grown soybeans. Our soy wax is also organic, vegan, and kosher.)

Paraffin wax is a byproduct of the industrialized petroleum crude oil refining process. Other petroleum products include diesel fuel, gasoline, asphalt, and kerosene. All of these oil products may be manufactured from foreign oil and contribute to our dependency on crude oil, which as everyone knows is a limited resource.

Now that we know about the difference between soy wax and paraffin wax, what about the differences in the waxes used for candles?

A soy wax candle is a true "green candle" that burns at a lower temperature than a paraffin candle and therefore with a candle of the same size, the soy candle will burn slower and last longer. An important benefit of soy candles are that they are non toxic and less likely to cause an allergic reaction as the soy candles are cleaner burning and don't release any carcinogens (cancer causing agents) like petroleum based candles do. Also with soy wax candles there is none to little black petro-carbon soot which can blackening of walls, ceilings, furniture, and contaminate ventilation ductwork in your home which happens all the time when burning paraffin wax candles.

The Dangers of Burning Paraffin Candles:

If you burn paraffin candles, you might as well be inhaling diesel fumes. “The fine particulate matter collected from candle emissions was similar to that of diesel engine exhaust in particle size, morphology, elemental carbon content, and absorbed chemical constituents” says David Krause. Krause is an air quality engineer and former employee of the Florida Department of Health. He also adds, “These similarities point to a similar potential for adverse health effects.”

These chemicals are also normally found in paraffin candles:

Acrolein, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde exceeding EPA safety thresholds, dibutyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, didecyl phthalate, toluene, styrene, benzene, styrene, toluene, ethyl benzene, naphthalene, benzaldehyde, benzene,ethanol, and 2-butanone (methyl ethyl ketone) and acetone.

With the craze for gel candles you can add in mineral oil, terpene-type chemicals, modified hydrocarbons & viscosity increasing chemicals.

If you are considering buying soy candles, make sure that you read the label and it says 100% natural wax or else you may end up with a blended wax candle of 75% paraffin and only 25%  soy wax! (Our soy candles are 100% natural wax.)

The wick should be made of natural fiber with no metal core. Lead core wicks have been banned in candles manufactured in the United States, but imported candles from other countries may still be using lead core wicks. (We use hemp fiber wicks with no metal core.)

Most fragrance oils that are used for candle making is made from a mineral oil base with solvents and other chemicals like dipropylene glycol in them. (Our soy candles are made with high quality custom blended fragrance oils in a soy oil base with little or no additives in them.)

Our soy candles do not contain added chemical additives such as UV light reflectors and chemical wax stabilizers that are common in paraffin candles!

And the winner for the best candle goes to a soy wax candle, or other all natural wax candle.

We invite you to please check out our handmade unique looking and wonderfully fragrant soy wax candles, and original beeswax candles.

Other related blog posts:

Ethanol Biofuel Raises Food Prices and Soy Candle Prices Nationwide

Soy Candles Featured on Oprah's Earth Day TV Show

Fresh Baked Hawaiian Rum Cake-From the Big Island to You

The secret is out. For the past several years the Kona Gold Rum Company has been busy at their Big Island Hawaiian bakery producing the most delicious yummy rummy cakes! Their signature Hawaiian rum cake is made from a modified rum cake recipe found in an old recipe book from Kona. The defining ingredient that makes this bundt style cake unique is the addition of lots of diced Hawaiian macadamia nuts.

Tortuga rum cake, Jamaica rum cake, Caribbean rum cake, golden rum cake, and Bacardi rum cake may be more well known than our local delicious rum cake from Hawaii, but that should change as more and more people taste this Hawaiian delicacy for themselves. What makes this gourmet rum cake special is the use of the finest ingredients like fresh eggs, butter, real sugar, Hawaiian macadamia nuts, and  dose of premium dark rum.

Our rum cake is based on a Hawaii style rum cake recipe and has a lighter rum taste than the Caribbean style rum cake which is more soaked in rum. Most people including children like our Hawaiian style rum cake.

This gourmet Macadamia nut Hawaiian rum cake passed our taste test review and we are now offering these Hawaiian baked goods at our online stores.

Hawaiian Rum Cake Taste Test Review:

The first thing you notice after cutting open the thick plastic vacuum sealed bag, is the heavenly fresh baked aroma. A mouth watering sweet and exotic smell that makes you anticipate getting your first bite. We sampled this cake at room temperature right out of the box, and the next night we ate it chilled, direct from the fridge. Chilling enhances the cake's rum flavor and the Kona Gold Rum Company recommends serving it this way. The cake tasted excellent both times. I also read that people serve and enjoy rum cakes warm. And no matter what temperature you like to eat your cake at, this cake is excellent paired with vanilla ice cream.

The Hawaiian rum cake has a nice perfectly baked brown color on the outside with lots of macadamia nuts embedded on the top. The inside of the cake is a lovely golden yellow color. The cake is very moist with a fine texture and rich buttery taste. It is not super light and fluffy like a chiffon cake, but it is not heavy and dense either. Paraphrasing Goldilocks, it is just right.

The cake is delicious, and again it is just right--not too sweet and not too overpowering with rum. The original addition of tasty mac nuts compliment this cake perfectly.

These bakery fresh rum cakes are made in small batches in order to retain a home-baked taste. Each cake is vacuum sealed and packaged in a beautifully elegant black hexagonal box. The shelf life of each cake is about 6 months (rum cake actually tastes better as it ages and the rum acts as a natural preservative), but will last indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer. I however doubt that your cake will remain uneaten for long!

We carry the small Hawaiian rum cake (4.5 ounce) which is like a miniature bundt cake and can serve 2 people or 1 person who really loves dessert. The small gift box is perfect to add to our lauhala custom gift baskets, where you can choose among all of the Hawaiian products we carry to create your own Hawaiian gift basket.

We also carry the large Hawaiian rum cake which is one and a half pounds! (24 ounces) It is good value for your money and makes a charming and unique gourmet gift or to serve for any special event.

Hawaiian Made in Hawaii Candy--Island Princess Candies Review

Island Princess is a local brand of Made in Hawaii candies, snacks, and treats. This Kamaaina company has their own macadamia nut orchards on the Big Island of Hawaii where the finest macadamia nuts are grown, hand picked, and processed to create the foundation for all of their delectable gourmet confections. The attention to quality that starts off with their macadamia nuts, also carries into all of the other ingredients used in their original recipes.

The Island Princess corporate office and candy manufacturing plant is on Oahu, but we recently found out that Island Princess has an office at their macadamia nut farm (not open to the public) in Keaau where we live. This was great news to us as it gave us an opportunity to sample and review some of their wonderful products, and it insured that we could always get the freshest Hawaiian candies for our online customers. We are now selling some of these Hawaiian candies and gourmet snacks that we got to enjoy. Following is a candy review of the Island Princess Candies we now offer.

Island Princess Mini Meles toffee coated macadamia nuts covered in milk chocolate--Review: This delicious candy starts with perfectly roasted macadamia nuts (halves and pieces) that are coated with a thin tasty  toffee hard candy shell, then drenched in smooth milk chocolate with a final dusting of white powdered sugar. I think this added touch makes a nice visual statement as the white powdered sugar contrasts beautifully with the rich brown chocolate color of the candy. The Mini Meles are related to the famous Mele Macs that is the same candy but with whole macadamia nuts in the center instead of halves and pieces. These candies can be quite addictive as they have a sweet complex taste and sublime combination of textures.

Island Princess Dark chocolate covered Kona coffee beans from Hawaii--Review: Aromatic Kona coffee beans and espresso coffee beans are custom roasted to perfection then wrapped in a layer of rich dark chocolate. This high quality chocolate seals in the taste, flavor and aroma of the precious coffee bean like a secret wonderful surprise. When you bite into it there is a pleasant sensation of the smooth lingering chocolate with the light crunchy gritty texture of the roasted coffee bean. This coffee candy confection is great to have around when you want the caffeine but can't get to a cup of coffee.

Island Princess Wasabi macadamia nuts with authentic Japanese wasabi--Review: First of all if you are not familiar with wasabi or "Japanese horseradish", it s a root used as a spice and has an extremely strong flavor. Its heat or hotness is more like a hot mustard rather than the capsaicin in a chili pepper, and the vapors irritate your nose more than your tongue. This unique snack starts with a roasted macadamia nut half or piece that is then coated 3 times with a real wasabi (not cheaper imitation wasabi) mixture to ensure an intense spicy flavor throughout.

It is then baked into a crispy crunchy wafer thin shell--if you have ever tasted an iso peanut snack, that is what it reminds us of. This is not surprising as both are made with mochi rice flour or glutinous rice flour which creates a delicate crisp cracker texture. Don't just pop a bunch into your mouth unless you are brave or will absolutely love the rush of hotness that will stream out of your nostrils! Start with one green colored piece of wasabi mac nut and put your tongue to it. You will immediately feel a hot burn on your tongue and taste the phenomenally strong wasabi flavor. Its intenseness is short lived and mellows so you can bite into the macadamia nut and experience the wonderful combination of flavors and textures together.

Island Princess Chocolate covered macadamia nut candies--Review: How to improve on a classic combination of chocolate covered macadamia nuts? First they use a custom blended chocolate recipe of rich milk chocolate with a hint of dark chocolate for just the right amount of sweetness. To keep the special flavor and texture of the roasted macadamia nut intact, they then layer the chocolate in two separate steps. The resulting candy is fun to eat and tastes great!

All of these Hawaiian candies and snacks come in clear 5 oz. plastic jars with nice labels and cost $7.25 each. They fit nicely into our custom Hawaiian lauhala gift baskets where you can choose from all of the Hawaiian products we offer to create your own custom Hawaiian gift basket.

Choose from our handmade Hawaiian natural candles, Hawaiian perfumes, Hawaiian soaps, Hawaiian lotions, Hawaiian bath salts, Kona coffee, macadamia nuts, and other Hawaiian gourmet treats.

Hershey's Kisses with Macadamia Nuts Only Available in Hawaii or Online

I was at the Mauna Loa Visitor Center last week picking up more macadamia nut snack packs for our inventory, when I saw something new--Aloha Hershey Kisses with Macadamia nuts! The Hershey company purchased the Mauna Loa company a few years ago, so it was a pleasant surprise to see them merging their two brand lines together.

 Everyone has grown up with or knows about Hershey Kisses chocolate candies, but I had no idea that Hershey kisses had evolved way past the solid milk chocolate candy pieces that I was familiar with. The bite sized candy known for its unique shape and foil wrapping, now comes in many varieties such as rich dark chocolate, and different fillings such as:

Hershey Kisses Special Dark Cherry Cordial Creme candy
Hershey Kisses Chocolate Truffle candy
Hershey Kisses Coconut Creme Filled candy
Hershey Kisses Cookies and Creme candy
Hershey Kisses Dark Raspberry candy
Hershey Kisses filled with Vanilla Creme candy
Hershey Kisses Hugs (milk chocolate wrapped in white chocolate) candy
Hershey Kisses Lemon Creme candy
Hershey Kisses Milk Chocolate with Almonds candy
Hershey Kisses New York Cheesecake Creme candy
Hershey Kisses Rich Dark Chocolate candy
Hershey Kisses Strawberry Creme candy
Hershey Kisses Toffee Crunch candy
Hershey Kisses with Vanilla Yogurt Creme candy
Hershey Kisses Hot Cocoa Creme candy

In 2002 the Hershey company introduced their chocolate kisses in limited editions. Every year the special flavor and foil wrapper is changed. People actually collect these bags of special limited edition chocolate kisses candies!

A new addition is the Hershey's Kisses with Macadamia Nuts from Hawaii. It is not a limited edition, but it is limited in its distribution. It is only sold in the state of Hawaii and at a few online stores. We have no idea if people want them but we have decided to carry them at our online Hawaiian gifts stores. Of course I had to buy and sample the candy first:)

Note: The Hershey Kisses with mac nuts are NOT sold at the official Hershey's site (link below).

What makes the Aloha Hershey Kisses with Macadamia nut chocolates unique is that in the center of the kiss candy is a Hawaiian macadamia nut piece. It is not a full size whole macadamia nut as it would not fit into the distinctive candy kiss shape and size, but it is a piece about the size of a peanut. This creates a delicious winning combination of rich milk chocolate and creamy, crunchy macadamia nuts.

The candy Hershey kiss is wrapped in bright turquoise blue colored foil that says Macadamia Nuts in contrasting yellow gold text. What makes this candy wrapping even more special is that the little tissue flag says "Aloha" on it instead of Hershey's. The kisses candy shape looks like a miniature volcano with a plume of aloha coming out of it.

To find more information about Hershey Kisses candy, visit the official Hershey candies site.

See our Hershey Kisses Cookie Recipes post with link to over 5 dozen candy cookie recipes.

Ethanol Biofuel Raises Food Prices AND Soy Candle Prices Nationwide

A lesser known casualty of the ethanol debate about how the production of biofuels is causing the United States food prices to soar, is the fact that soy wax made from soybeans has also increased dramatically in price. This is effecting candlemakers across America and many candle companies are passing on their increased material price to the consumer--our company Double Brush is the exception. We are absorbing the price increase so our customers can still afford our Hawaiian handmade soy candles.

Three years ago our natural wax candle & gift company bought a palette of soy wax for $2068.00 and paid 501.00 in freight charges from the mainland to the Big Island, Hawaii. Today we had another shipment of soy wax delivered to us, and this time the palette of soy wax cost us $4,400.00 plus 632.00 in freight, more than double in cost, or more than a 100% increase in price!!

Our supplier told us that the prices across the board for all waxes, natural wax and paraffin wax (derived from Petroleum) increase in price every other day.

The reasons for the rising cost of soy wax are many and complex. I have spent hours researching online about this problem and I'm still trying to make sense of it all. I thought if I could present some of the information I have found, you could add your comments so we can figure this all out together.

Yesterday ABC news published an article "Food Scientist Say Stop Biofuels to Fight World Hunger--Scientists say stop biofuels to cut food prices and fight hunger, while President Bush calls for more ethanol production."

Some top international food scientists Tuesday recommended halting the use of food-based biofuels, such as ethanol, saying it would cut corn prices by 20 percent during a world food crisis.

But even as the scientists were calling for a moratorium, President Bush urged the opposite. He declared the United States should increase ethanol use because of national energy security and high gas prices.

The conflicting messages Tuesday highlighted the ongoing debate over food and fuel needs...

A World Bank study has estimated that corn prices "rose by over 60 percent from 2005-07, largely because of the U.S. ethanol program" combined with market forces...

Scientists say the diversion of corn and soybeans for fuel helps force prices higher, and removes farm land from food production. Ethanol supporters say the corn used for fuels is the type only fed to livestock. However, other experts say it leads to higher livestock feed prices, thus higher food prices.

The following is from another recent article published by MSNBC "Why your food is costing more money--Wheat, corn, and soybean prices are surging; is ethanol to blame?"

Food prices increased at a compound annual rate of 4.7 percent for the three months ending in February, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That increase was far less than the 7.6 percent jump in energy prices for the same period, but it occurred in a financial environment in which investors have been fleeing declining dollar-denominated assets such as U.S. stocks and bonds. Instead, they've been investing in commodities, such as wheat, corn, and soybeans — and it's driving up their prices.

World financial markets may seem remote from you; far away from from that turkey sandwich in your hands.

But chew this over before you swallow: seventy percent of the cost of raising that turkey in your sandwich was the food it ate. And turkeys eat corn and soybean meal...

As Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke explained to the Senate Banking Committee last month, “a significant portion of the corn crop is being diverted to ethanol, which raises corn prices.”

And he added, there are “knock-on effects. For example, some soybean acreage has been moved to corn production, which probably has some effect on soybean prices. So there is some price effect on foodstuffs coming through the conversion to energy use.”...

Sen. Ben Nelson, D- Neb., said, “I think this (food price inflation) is a short-term phenomenon,” because farmers will bring more land into production, causing supply to increase and prices to fall.

He also cited the costs of oil and transportation as contributors to higher food prices. “It’s just not right and it’s unfair to say it’s all about corn-based ethanol,” Nelson said.

Personally I support finding ways of becoming free from the use of oil and gas or "dirty energy", but ethanol is not the answer. There are many other alternatives being studied and developed that are sources of "clean energy" and would not impact the world's food supply. I have read and watched tv reports about making fuel from algae, seaweed, agricultural waste products, even garbage!!

As a small candle making business, we support the planet by producing environmentally friendly candles made from soy wax, a renewable resource.

We thank all of our customers who believe in what we do and buy our natural wax candles.

Soy Candles Featured on Oprah's Earth Day TV Show

The Oprah Show today celebrated Earth Day with guests Julie Roberts, Al Gore, and Sandra Bullock. However, it was Sandra Bullock's new line of soy candles that she was promoting that caught my eye.

A lifelong commitment to healthy living inspired Sandra to eliminate as many chemicals from her home as possible, including those found in her favorite candles. "I [had] a house full of candles, and one day I noticed brown soot," she says. "I started researching, and you find out about lead wicks and chemicals in your candles."

Instead of continuing to inhale harmful fumes, Sandra took action and started her own line of soy wax candles called Bessence. "They're soy-based. They're hand-poured. Everything, even the boxes, are recycled," she says. "Even the black spray that goes on the outside of [the box] is organic."

The Oprah Show

Three years ago our company Double Brush changed from using paraffin wax (which is made from petroleum crude oil or fossil fuel) to an all natural soy wax made from American raised soybeans! Our company was already heading into a more all natural products direction with our natural soap, natural solid perfumes, and other natural bath and body products, so we really wanted to make the switch. Read our post about harmful chemicals to avoid in your bath and body care products.

Our 100% natural wax candles are made from soybean wax, and a little palm wax which is made from the oil of coconuts! It's non toxic FDA approved food grade wax, kosher, vegan (no animal products of any kind), 100 percent bio-degradable, and is good for the environment because it is a renewable resource, unlike paraffin wax. Our soy candles are hand poured by us in small batches to insure the quality of our work.

The majority of candles are made from paraffin wax, a by-product of the petroleum industry’s crude oil refining process - other products include diesel fuel, gasoline, kerosene & asphalt. All of these products may be manufactured from foreign oil and contributes to the dependency on crude oil. Also if your candle does not say 100 percent natural wax, or if it says "soy based", it is most likely a blend of a natural wax and paraffin wax.

Besides the quality of our natural wax, our candles are scented throughout the soy wax with the highest quality of soy oil based fragrance oils with little to no additives. Most fragrance oils have solvents, mineral oil or dipropylene glycol in them. So just because someone advertises a soy candle, it doesn't mean it is petrochemical free like ours are. We also use non-metal core natural hemp fiber wicks. (Foreign imported candles may still use dangerous lead core wicks.)

There are many brands of soy candles on the market that vary greatly in quality and price. We believe as do many of our customers, that our earth friendly high quality soy candles are the best value for your money.

Our Hawaiian Perfumes are Featured Nationally in Nails Magazine

When I was first approached by Nails Magazine to be considered for a feature article on roll on and solid perfumes, I have to confess that I had never even heard of that magazine before, and didn't know that it is really was all about nails--finger nails and toe nails to be precise, and everything that is needed to groom and adorn them.

Nails Magazine has actually been around for a long time; 25 years which is considered eons in the magazine business. It is a magazine that caters to the nail salon and nail boutique owners who racked up more than 6 billion dollars last year alone!

Our natural Hawaiian solid perfumes are featured along with 5 other companies in this month's April 2008 issue. The editor was kind enough to mail me a hard copy but page 72 which we are listed on is not part of their online Nails Magazine site.

As for myself, I keep my nails clean and trimmed but have not worn nail polish since high school--I won't tell you how many decades ago that was! The reason is that as an artist, my hands are always covered in paint or stuff, and are always active. The nail polish would get chipped and ragged looking in no time so I just stopped painting them all together. However, I think painted toe nails are cute and may go back to doing that--especially since I live in Hawaii and wear nice slippers most of the time:)

Please take part in my unofficial poll. Do you wear nail polish and do you do it yourself or go to a salon?

Easily Buy Hawaiian Flowers Online to Send to the Mainland

Did you know that you can easily buy Hawaiian flowers online to send to the mainland? It is a great gift to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, holiday (with Mother's Day being the most popular flower giving time), or to congratulate someone graduating, giving birth, moving into a new home or office. Exotic tropical flower bouquets from Hawaii also make a stunning statement when decorating a room, or add an authentic festive flair to a luau, Hawaiian themed party or Hawaiian wedding.

Hawaiian flowers are considered good value for your money because they are long lasting--with flowers lasting weeks instead of days, have a wonderful variety in color and size, and most Hawaii flowers that are shipped do not cause allergic symptoms for people allergic to highly fragranced flowers. Flowers such as anthurium, dendrobium orchids, red ginger, heliconia, and protea do not have a scent. Hospitals also appreciate these tropical flowers because they do not bother other patients. (I have not seen scented tropical flowers online except shipped as leis and 99 percent of them are actually grown and made into leis in Singapore or Thailand, shipped to Hawaii, and re-shipped to customers on the mainland.)

The majority of Hawaiian flowers are grown on the East side of the Big Island where we live. The photograph above was taken in our rainforest art studio home. This fresh tropical Hawaiian flower assortment is our most popular bouquet. The heart shaped flowers are called anthuriums and come in different shades of red, pink, white, orange, and green. Anthuriums also come in mini sizes about 2 inches across, to gigantic flowers over a foot long! Anthuriums are solid colored, or the rarer two and three blended colored flowers with droopy heart shapes are called "obake anthuriums."

The Hawaiinan ginger flowers are the red ones made up of multi bracted petals in a torch like shape. There are other varieties of interesting gingers as well such as the seasonal yellow orange "beehive" ginger in the center or the flower arrangement.

The spray of small white and purple or lavender flowers are called dendrobium orchids. These are also popular as leis and loose orchid flowers to decorate cakes, drinks, tables, or for guests to wear a flower behind their ear showing off their single or married status.

The smaller orange red spear like flowers are a type of heliconia. Heliconia flowers are fascinating as they come in small to large sizes and are upright or hanging. We also offer other bouquets with different heliconia flowers.

Last but not least is the exotic array of tropical foliage that is included with our Hawaiian flower bouquets to set and frame the flowers in your arrangement. These include good luck "Ti" leaves, areca palm fan leaves, and green and beige striped lauhala leaves as shown.

Next time you need a flower bouquet, try an exotic Hawaiian flowers bouquet!

Appear Younger to Men by Wearing Grapefruit Scented Perfume

Without doing anything drastic such as botox or cosmetic surgery, you could easily appear younger to men just by changing your perfume to one with grapefruit fragrance in it. In a study conducted a couple years ago scientist discovered that when men viewed photographs of women while smelling pink grapefruit, they took six years off of the woman's age as opposed to viewing the photograph without any fragrance.

When I heard of this grapefruit scent makes you look younger study back then, it was just in time to start my new line of natural based solid perfumes. I came up with a grapefruit perfume with a Hawaiian twist--juicy Pink Grapefruit blended with the delicate floral fragrance of Pikake(Jasmine), a favorite flower in Hawaii.

If you don't know what solid perfume or perfume glace is, it is perfume in a solid base instead of alcohol (as in cologne) which is very drying for your skin and can cause irritation, burning, and itching. Our natural solid perfume is made from high quality fragrance oils and essential oils blended into an organic base of sweet almond oil, kukui nut oil, pure beeswax, and vitamin E. Our solid perfume is mild, moisturizing, and contains naturally occuring vitamins and minerals that is good for your skin. Read the ingredient labels before buying any perfume product. Many solid perfumes use a cheap greasy un-natural vasaline (petro chemical) base.

Our Hawaiian solid perfumes are handmade in small batches to insure a high quality of product, at our rainforest art studio on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Besides Pikake-Grapefruit fragrance perfume, we offer Plumeria fragrance perfume, Island Mango fragrance perfume, and Gardenia fragrance perfume.

What is the Most Popular Hawaiian Fragrance?

What is the most popular Hawaiian fragrance? From exotic flowery scents such as Gardenia, Pikake (Jasmine), and Plumeria, to woodsy Sandalwood, and tropical fruits like Mango, Pineapple, and Coconut--there are so many wonderful fragrances to choose from.

However, from years of selling our handmade Hawaiian products, we can say without a doubt that the Plumeria flower fragrance is the most popular. We offer Plumeria candles, Plumeria soaps, and Plumeria perfume glace. Whether it is from people buying our products in Hawaii stores that we wholesale to, or customers buying directly from us through our retail website, Plumeria (or Frangipani as it is known in some parts of the world) has always been our best selling Hawaiian fragrance. Customers also tell us that Plumeria is their favorite fragrance.

Our most popular candle used for Hawaiian wedding favors and Hawaiian party favors or luau favors is the plumeria scented soy candle wrapped in handmade mango and banana fiber paper, that is stamped and embossed with an elegant plumeria flower design.

Plumeria or otherwise, what is your favorite Hawaiian fragrance?

Unique Handmade Hawaiian Wedding Favors and Hawaiian Party Favors

For your next Hawaii themed event such as a Hawaiian wedding, Hawaiian party, or Hawaiian luau, consider our handmade unique Hawaiian wedding favors and Hawaiian party favors. Make a statement with your Hawaiian favors as a momento of your special day, that show your guests how unique and original you are.

A large internet company that specializes in selling wedding favors, said that most brides want to spend $3.00 for each wedding favor. This is fine for people who don't mind having the same favors as those of many other brides, and favors that are predominately made in China or other foreign countries using cheaper or sometimes inferior materials, with unknown labor conditions.

At our company "Double Brush" on the Big Island of Hawaii, we design and produce by hand our own natural soy wax candles, beeswax candles, and natural soap for Hawaiian party favors and Hawaiian wedding favors. Our prices range from $3.50 to $5.50 which is reasonable for the quality of workmanship and materials that we use. We also specialize in excellent personalized customer service.

If you decide to order favors from us, another huge plus is that because of our limited production, most likely your guests will not have already received your wedding favors (or party favors) at another wedding party!

Made in China Candles Recall Next?

With the recent and continuing toy recalls from Mattel for toys tainted with lead paint, and Walmart recalling dog treats, you can't help but wonder what product made in China will be recalled -- in a large way -- next.

Though not as publicized, there has already been many recalls for candles made in China because China has been manufacturing candles with wicks that contain lead. (Metal cored wicks have a piece of thin metal in the middle of the wick to help it stand up in melting candle wax.) We also do not know if many of the novelty type candles with paint on them may contain lead, especially the cheap candles.

It is illegal for manufacturers of candles in the United States to use lead core wicks, but other countries still allow lead wicked candles to be made. Sadly, many of these foreign candles are imported to the United States and end up on American store shelves and online stores.

Protect yourself by knowing exactly what you are buying, and purchasing candles made in the United States. Be careful about buying US brand candles that are manufactured in a different country. For example the majority of Hawaii gift and souvenir companies sell made in China candles.

Our company "Double Brush", has been producing handmade in Hawaii candles since 1996. We have never used lead core wicks and our company's direction is towards more natural products. A few years ago we switched from paraffin wax which is a by-product of the petroleum industry, to all natural soy wax. We also changed to hemp fiber wicks with no metal core.

We have received rave response from our customers for our cleaner burning and environmentally friendly candles. We invite you to try some the next time you are in the mood to buy some candles.

NOT All Natural Soaps Are Natural

Natural Soap is a misused and abused term. There are all kinds of different bar soaps and novelty soaps, but I will be concentrating on what goes in glycerin soap or glycerine soap.

There are many glycerin soaps that are advertised and labeled as natural soap, but the ingredients are shockingly un-natural. The following are a few of the most dangerous soap ingredients found in numerous bath soaps and novelty soaps -- and shampoos and lotions.

Propylene Glycol - Derived from petroleum products, this substance is commonly used in antifreeze, de-icers, latex paint and laundry detergent. It can cause irritation of nasal passages and if ingested, can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate and
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate - Is a harsh detergent and chemical foaming agent known to be a skin irritant.

Tetrasodium Etidronate - An irritant to the skin and mucous membranes, especially for people with eczema.

For a list of harmful bath and body ingredients, read Hidden Dangers Lurking in Your Beauty Products. Also read a longer scarier list: Toxic Cosmetic Ingredients Directory.

When we started to make natural soap at our company Double Brush, we sought out the best glycerine soap formula. I hope you will agree that we found the best natural glycerin soap base.

Our complete glycerine soap ingredient listing:

Saponified vegetable oils of coconut, palm, castor, and safflower
20% Kosher Glycerine ( of vegetable origin)
Purified Water
Sorbitol (from berries, moisturizer)
Sorbitan oleate (emulsifier)
Soybean protein (conditioner)
Titanium dioxide (common cosmetic mineral whitener used in opaque colored soap)
Optional - the highest quality of fragrance oils, FDA approved colors, body safe glitter or mica.

NO animal testing or animal products
NO Detergents
NO Sulfates
NO Surfactants
NO Alcohol
NO Sugar solutions

Our 100% pure glycerine soap formula is:

Hypo-allergenic

Non-comedogenic (our soap won't cause skin breakouts because our soap does not clog the pores of your skin. Besides rinsing off your skin well, it does not leave a soap film in your tub or basin.)

Excellent soap lather in all types of water

So mild that it is safe for infant use and babies ( but should be ordered without scent and color.)

As a consumer the only way you can protect yourself and your family is by reading the ingredient listing for all of your bath and body products. The same way so you read the ingredients labels on food because you care about what you put in your body, you also have to read the ingredient labels on the cosmetics and health care items you put on your skin or hair.

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Tex's Famous Malasadas from Honoka'a Hawaii

Yesterday we had to go to an appointment in Waimea (Kamuela) which meant a beautiful scenic drive up the Big Island's Hamakua coast. It was a gorgeous sunny day with a clear view of Mount Haleakala on the neighboring island of Maui.

After my appointment in Waimea we looked forward to our treat, a stop at Tex Drive In in Honokaa Town to take home a box of hot malasadas. I say "treat" because it is definitely not a diet friendly snack or dessert.

If you have never heard of a malasada, it is a puffy donut without a hole that is deep-fried, rolled in sugar and best eaten while hot. Malasadas are a Portuguese snack introduced by the Portuguese workers imported to Hawaii to work in the cane and pineapple fields over a century ago.

The Tex's malasadas are eagerly devoured by locals and visitors alike with over 60,000 malasadas being sold every month! You can order them plain or with fillings. They used to offer a dozen different fillings years ago, but have now narrowed it down to: bavarian creme, chocolate creme, strawberry, and waia'wi (strawberry guava).

Tex Drive In is located conveniently on Highway 19 and you cannot miss it. The restaurant and property was renovated a few years ago and now boasts a drive thru window if you are in a hurry, indoor and outdoor eating areas, a small tropical garden that you can stroll in, clean restrooms, and new plant and gift shop. Also a fine view of Haleakala on clear days.

Tex Drive In does sell local fare such as plate lunches, burgers, and saimin which are okay, being what I consider just average local food. It is the malasadas that bring people back time and time again.

If you would like to try your hand at making your own malasadas, use this Hawaiian Malasada Recipe.

Noni Juice, Hype or Hope?

If you heard of the "new" health drink called Noni Juice and can't decide if it is hype or can hopefully help whatever is ailing you, read on for the facts so you can decide for yourself.

Noni juice is made from the noni fruit (morinda citrifolia) which is a tropical fruit that grows on small trees or shrubs throughout Polynesia. Noni juice is not new to the Hawaiian people, they have been benefiting from the noni fruit for the past 1,500 years!! Noni is known for:

• Improvement of overall health and well being*
• A boost of the body’s natural immune system*
• Support of the body’s natural healing processes*
• Improved absorption of nutrients from food*
• Aids the body to rid itself of harmful free radicals*
• Increased energy during physical performance*

Be aware that there is a big difference in the quality of Tahitian Noni (TM) juice and Hawaiian noni juice. Tahitian noni juice is made from noni juice pulp that has been reconstituted with water, and then has a high percentage of other sweet fruit juice added. This serves two purposes, to mask the true natural flavor of noni which is quite strong, and for greater profits to the Tahitian Noni (TM) company.

After months of researching Hawaiian noni juice, we can now recommend what we feel is superior fresh (not fermented) Hawaiian noni juice, fermentation is the way all other commercial Hawaiian noni juice is made. Our juice is made from organic noni fruit grown here on the Big Island and Oahu's North Shore and is 100% pure juice with no additives, preservatives, water, or other juices.

We have been drinking noni juice for the past few months and have felt a noticeable increase in our sense of well being. We take 1 ounce in the morning thirty minutes before breakfast on an empty stomach. We pour it into a glass jigger with ounce markings for convenience. I chase it with a cup of water but some people mix it in with their orange juice.

No site that sells noni will tell you what it taste like. They say it is strong tasting or a taste that you have to get used to. I will tell you bluntly that fresh noni juice (the kind we represent) tastes like vomit, and the fermented noni juice taste like vomit with vinegar, it has more of a bite to it.

My friend said that if you are already in good health you don't need noni, but if something is not quite right with your body, noni helps to adjust your body to work better to improve your health.

We love our noni juice so much that we decided to represent it ourselves! Please visit our informative affiliate site for reasonably priced pure 100% Hawaiian noni juice with FREE UPS shipping!

Don't buy from anyone else till you read the information on our site. We offer the BEST quality and price which leads to the best VALUE for your money.