Health and Happiness

I love how living on the island and near the sea inspires me to live a healthier life. It is warm year round and eternally swim suit season, produce is cheap and you are outside all the time. If that's not motivation I don't know what is. I have lost 20lbs now in the year since we moved here, 12 of them since January. I still have long way to go but I'm now at a lower weight then I have been 5 years. I know its horrid to think this way but with every pound I lose I feel happier. Not because I'm shooting for some model thin body I know I will never have, but because every pound down is one pound closer to being off my blood pressure meds. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure in 2006, I've been on meds since 2009. I want more then anything to get off the medication, to get truly healthy and fit to be a good example for my daughter. No one in my family ever worked out as I was growing up. My dad and his brothers were all blessed with tremendous amounts of athleticism and naturally fast metabolisms when they were young, but most of the women in my family were not. I have not had a single grandparent live past 74 yet. Two of them died in their 60's. All had/have weight problems. I want to live a long time, I want to see my grandchildren and children. I want to be able to travel and not have to worry about taking my medication at certain times or whether or not I'm healthy enough to climb up to see certain sites. Its a slow process, I have poly-cystic ovarian syndrome. It makes losing weight extremely hard, I have to work twice as hard to lose half as much. I'm on my way though, and for the first time I feel like I can actually do it. I have Maui to thank for the motivation and I have to say the improvement in my health is one of the best things that has come from moving here.

                                                                         Before June 2012

After June 2013

Heritage Park and Sweet Potatos

One of the things I'm really loving about living on Maui is all the free stuff to do. Besides the beautiful beaches there is great hiking all over the island. We love to drive over to Iao valley and visit the Heritage park. Its a beautiful park with a river running through it and several large picnic pavilions with barbecues. It also has life size buildings and gardens representing all the different cultures that make up the people of the island.

 

Its great fun for the whole family, even my toddler loves it. She thinks it's great she can climb and explore all the different houses. Here is a link with info about the park:http://www.co.maui.hi.us/facilities.aspx?pagenum=27&RID=103&Page=detail

 

Now for this weeks recipe:

 

Sweet Potatoes with a Tropical Twist:

 

3 lbs Sweet Potatoes or Yams, peeled and cut into 1in cubes

4 Tbs Butter

2 tsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 c Coconut Milk

Ginger

 

Steam the sweet potatoes until soft but not mushy.

Melt the butter in a wok over medium heat, add sugar and cinnamon cooking for 1 minute

Add the sweet potatoes and stir until slightly brown

Add the coconut milk and cook together for 30 seconds.

Sprinkle with a pinch of  ginger and serve.

 

 

 

Hawaiian Sweet Bread

So this is my first blog post, scary. We've been living on Maui for 9 months now, most of our belongings have finally arrived so I feel like we are finally starting to settle in. It has been an adjustment. Places here are small, really small, compared to the mainland. Our 2 bedroom "condo" is only 650sq ft. That includes the closets and bathtub. The kitchen is the smallest I have ever seen. I have exactly 3sq ft of counter space, and its not all together. This has been the biggest obstacle since both my husband and I love to cook. I am thankful that my bread machine has finally arrived. I can't believe the price of baked goods here on the island. A regular loaf of bread will run you anywhere from $4-$8 a loaf at the grocery store. Having the bread machine has been a life saver. Last week I was even able to create a bread machine recipe for the ever popular Hawaiian Sweet Bread that is preferred here. Check out my recipe below:

Hawaiian Sweet Bread
Makes a 2lb Loaf

3/4 c Milk
1/4 c + 2 Tbsp Pineapple Juice
2   Eggs
2 tsp Margarine
1/3 c White Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
4 c Flour
2 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast

1) Add all the ingredients in the order your bread machine recommends and bake on the Fruit and Nut or Sweet Bread setting for a 2lb Loaf.

If the dough is too dry when you check it add pineapple juice 1 Tbsp at a time, if it's too wet add Flour the same way.