Here are some tips to make your transition to veganism easier whether you’re doing Veganuary or thinking of a permanent lifestyle/diet change. Hope they help! Wait a while before trying substitutes- Your taste buds get really used to the taste of non-vegan food if you have, like most people, been eating them your whole life. However, […]
via Tips For Making Your Transition To Veganism Easier — lifesfinewhine
There is no place like Oahu… and if you’re planning a trip to the island, lucky you! Here are some of my favorite things to do on Oahu.
NORTH SHORE
An hour drive from Waikiki, the North Shore is one of my favorite places in the world. I absolutely love it here! Start your day with a stop in Haleiwa and grab breakfast or lunch in this historic town before you head out on your adventure. During the summer months, the Country is flat and perfect for swimming, snorkeling and diving. In winter, the waves get big… in some places up to 25- 40 feet. There are several surfing competitions during the winter months (November- December) so beaches can get busy and you can expect even more traffic.
FAVORITE BEACHES:
- Haleiwa Alii
- Waialua
- Mokuleia
- Kaena Point
- Waimea Bay
- Sunset Beach
- Velzyland
EAT and DRINK:
- Nuy’s Thai Food – Waialua (Lunch)
- Pupukea Grill – Across from Shark’s Cove (Lunch)
- Haleiwa Joe’s – Haleiwa (Happy Hour)
- Opal Thai – Haleiwa (Dinner)
- Haleiwa Beach House – Haleiwa (Dinner)
- Turtle Bay Resort– Grab a drink at sunset by the pool, Lei Lei’s (Dinner)
- Waialua Sugar Mill – Get your coffee fix and take a tour of how coffee is made.
*Interested in swimming with sharks without a cage? Check out my blog post about my experience here.
WEST SIDE
Pristine, uncrowded and absolutely beautiful… they don’t call this the best side for nothing. Drive to the end of the road for some of the best beaches on the island and enjoy the view of the majestic Waianae Mountain Range. (Check the surf forecast or ask a lifeguard to make sure the water isn’t too rough before you go.) If you are traveling with family, visit Koolina for the Paradise Cove Luau or spend time in the lazy river at the Disney Aulani Resort.
FAVORITE BEACHES:
- Yokohama Bay
- Makua Beach
- Makaha Beach
- Electric Beach
EAST SIDE
Starting from November to May, this is where you want to be if you want to go whale watching. After Hawaii Kai, Kalanianaole Highway is a scenic road with dreamy views and plenty of lookouts where you can stop and enjoy the view. There are also several hikes along this route, including the Makapuu Lighthouse trail and Tom Tom trail. Rent a kayak in Kailua and head to the Mokulua Islands, or go on a full moon hike on the Lanikai Pillbox trail.
FAVORITE BEACHES:
- Haunama Bay
- Makapuu
- Waimanalo
- Kailua
PHOTO BY: DEL BROWN
SOUTH SHORE
Always sunny and rainbow sightings are almost guaranteed… Waikiki is busy, vibrant and your destination for nightlife and high-end shopping. (Chinatown also has a nightlife scene.) Take a surf lesson in Waikiki, or board a sunset catamaran cruise with your best friends. Wake up early, (really early) and walk towards Diamond Head if you want to enjoy the beach without the big crowds… but you can always count on these beaches being very packed.
*The Hilton Hawaiian Village has a fireworks show every Friday night at 7:45pm.
FAVORITE BEACHES:
- Ala Moana Beach Park
- Kaimana Beach Park
EAT and DRINK:
- Ono’s Seafood – Amazing Poke! (Only a 10 minute drive from Waikiki.)
- South Shore Grill– on Kapahulu (Lunch and Dinner)
- Diamond Head Market & Grill (Lunch and Dinner)
- Banan – Acai bowls (Waikiki or Manoa)
- Duke’s Waikiki – (Lunch and Dinner)
- Uncle’s Bo’s – on Kapahulu (Dinner)
- Rum Fire – Sheraton Waikiki (Drinks)
- Yauatcha – (Happy Hour) Read about my experience here.
STAY:
- The Modern Honolulu – One of my favorite hangouts! Stop by for a drink at the pool, and stay for a night out at the Lobby Bar. Read about my experience in the Penthouse here.
- The LayLow, Autograph Collection – a boutique hotel with a friendly staff and great rooftop hangout space.
Have you been to Oahu? What are your favorite spots?
If you found this post helpful, feel free to spread the love and share it!
Want to know more about how to get to a place you saw on my Instagram… let me know and I’ll help guide you.
With Aloha, Alex
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From design practice, Forward Thinking Architecture, come a set of modular floating farms that harvest sunlight and rainwater, as well as desalinate saltwater and grow thousands of tons of vegetables ever year.
Inspired by Chinese floating fish farms, these rectangular units measure 200×350 meters and can connect with other modules via walkways. The usage of waterways is a great compliment to the farming industry because it makes farming available in so many more locations. It reduces the need to import food by localizing growth and incorporates rivers and lakes as viable “farmland.”
Each unit is comprised of three levels. The bottom floor focuses on aquaculture and water desalination, the first floor on hydroponic crop cultivation, and the roof is adorned with solar panels, skylights and rainwater collectors.
Each module is anticipated to make 8,152 tons of vegetables every year and bring in 1,703 tons of fish. The modules, then, connect into a grid and can scale up into huge farms, producing local food for entire cities.
http://www.forwardthinkingarchitecture.com/SFF-FLOATING-FARMS-INITIATIVE
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Pre-travel takeout dinner from Daily Dose Grill: vegetable nicoise salad with salmon. Andrew and I always eat from Daily Dose but it was my first time trying this salad and I think it’s my new favorite! I ordered it without the dressing and made my own. But the salmon was on POINT. If you’re from the Scottsdale, Arizona area and ever eat here, definitely try this. It’s delish.
We also ordered mac and cheese from Daily Dose to share. Healthy eating is all about balance right??
I spent Saturday night in San Francisco for my friend Kelly’s birthday party. We boozed it up college-style and had a little house party. Girls nights are the best!
The ladies 🙂 Here is living proof that I actually party sometimes.
Dinner and drinks at Betelnut in San Francisco with my best friend Nat. Pretty sure it’s my new favorite restaurant. Their cocktails are on POINT.
Betelnut eats: kale salad, Schezuan green beans (one of my favs…pretty sure I single-handedly took down 75% of this plate), and chicken fried rice. All to die for.
BUT definitely the best thing we ordered at Betelnut: the chicken dumplings. O-M-G these things were INSANE.
Sunday morning brunch at The Grove. One of our go-to brunch spots. I ordered the bacon and cheddar scramble with avocado. It was amazing and the best hangover cure. And believe me, I needed a hangover cure. Mama can’t party like she used to.
We walked back after brunch and stopped to take in the views (and pictures, obviously). San Francisco is actually the prettiest city on Earth. I know I always annoyingly gush about San Francisco but when you have this view every day…I MEAN COME ON.
Fall is starting to show it’s colors here in Norcal. It’s been a late start and our Indian summer definitely lasted way longer than expected. But the leaves are finally turning color and it’s making me super happy.
I hope you all have a happy Monday!!! xoxoxo
I was expecting a German-style sausage, but got instead what tasted to me like a very mild sweet Italian sausage instead. However German and Italian cuisine might blend, an Italian sausage on pretzel bread, topped with sauerkraut, doesn’t qualify.Italian spices just don’t get along with pickled cabbage. Nor do they sit well with the doughy saltiness of pretzel bread. They need the lighter, crispier crust of a pizza instead. And let’s not talk about adding mustard to the mix, as I’d heartily recommend on a brat-like sausage.
The lesson? Always go with the special. At Disney’s counter-service restaurants, stick with the options presented in a fancy bordered box on the menu board. At the Village Haus, those three options are:
An Angus 1/3 lb. Pastrami Cheeseburger ($10.49)
A “BLT” Flatbread Pizza ($9.49)
An Apple & Cheddar Salad ($7.49)
I’d skipped those because I was looking for something that fit the theme of place a bit better. A pastrami burger is as LA as food gets. A BLT on a pizza is another American combo, to be sure. And I’m not a big fan of Cheddar, especially on a salad.
But Disney’s usually got those options in the boxes for a reason, and it’s not just to steer you toward the higher-prices selections. Those are the items that location focuses on, and presumably does best.
So I’m not ready to judge the Village Haus until a return and give one of those entrees a try. Until then, though, I can recommend that you skip the sausage.
The strudel, however, is well worth a taste. I felt a twinge of disappointment when the lady at the counter brought me my strudel, as I eyed the spectacular Black Forest cupcakes in a cooler behind her. Topped with billowing whipped cream and chocolate shavings, the cupcakes shamed my ordinary-looking strudel.
“The cupcakes are good,” another lady behind the counter said, noticing my expression. “But, honestly, the strudel tastes better.”
I can’t speak of the cupcake, but the strudel lived up the billing, with sweet apple flavor and a vanilla dip that tasted like great vanilla-bean ice cream, reduced to a sauce.
One of my best friends lives in Seattle and we’re both pretty much stuck on a health kick. She cooks and bakes and has actually begun recording a lot of her recipes. Since I’m here visiting, I thought I’d feature some these (with her permission, of course).
She wanted me to note that she doesn’t always measure out the ingredients and kind of just feels out the amounts, but here’s one recipe to get you started:
Homemade Power-Bars
Ingredients
15-20 dates
1-2 tbs coconut oil
1/4 – 1/2 cup almond butter
2tbs chia seed*
2tbs hemp seeds*
2tbs flax seeds*
2tbs goji berries*
2tbs shredded coconut*
*these ingredients are recommended, but their quantities can be altered and other ingredients can be substituted
the spread
Preparation
Blend dates in a food processor, then mix other dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl
Spread out in a glass tray or storage container…
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*Note: The last 3 steps at the bottom of the article:
100% real weight loss solution
In an age largely reliant on the internet, there has been a massive change to people’s lifestyles in the last 15 years or so. That being said, We have generally seen an increasingly overweight human race… from what I hear that is (What do I know? I’m only 20). It’s not like I knew much when I was five, right? (Actually, I have heard I was a pretty smart kid but that is besides the point)…
Don’t worry, this isn’t an article that bashes the Internet and tells you to eat your vitamins, say your prayers and run around in the park for six hours. Instead I am focusing on something a lot more specific.
Note: This is my first proper article in a long time. So cut me some slack, let’s see where it takes us. (Oh, and the steps are at the…
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