Aloha!

It has been almost three years since we've been on a major vacation. Last time, I was the one who was especially spoiled as we celebrated my 50th birthday in Europe. This trip was going to be Steve's turn. As a young enlisted man in the early 70's, he was one of a very lucky group of three who were ordered to serve in Hawaii while the rest of his platoon was sent to Vietnam. With top secret clearance, Steve spent his days in a hidden bunker decoding secret messages between the States and Vietnam. You would typically find him on Waikiki Beach during off hours. I couldn't wait to see his old stomping grounds. In fact, it's been on my bucket list (#54) for decades.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Our flight left Nashville at 6:00 am. Although we landed in Honolulu at 2:00 pm, it was a long day of travel given a four hour time change. The Ritz Carlton, with its impeccable service, served as our home for the next five nights. What a treat! Keely had arranged for a patriotic welcome including a charcuterie tray and treats upon arrival. Her planning skills are such a blessing! We got settled in our room and then enjoyed a casual dinner by the infinity resort pool. As Waikiki Beach's highest pool, we had a magnificent view of the ocean as we relaxed in the adjacent hot tub afterwards. 

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Our hotel was a very short walk to the beach. We spent all morning and most of the afternoon enjoying the perfect weather with no other definitive plans for the day. So relaxing!

For dinner, Keely had made us reservations to Sky Waikiki, a roof top restaurant and lounge offering amazing views of the city as well as live music. It was the perfect place to watch the sunset.

Friday, November 11, 2016 (Veterans Day)

Seeing Pearl Harbor on Veterans Day was at the top of our list for this trip. Such a moving experience. We first watched a documentary film on the history of Pearl Harbor, then boarded a shuttle boat to see the USS Arizona Memorial. I didn't realize it was built over the actual sunken battleship. Knowing that the remains of over 1000 crewmen were directly below us was very emotional. This was where World War II began for the US 75 years ago, and the country became very united for the cause. How I wish for a more united country these days.

Afterwards, we got tickets to watch Kansas play Indiana in the Armed Forces Classic at the University of Hawaii. That's right. We went to Hawaii to unexpectedly watch a basketball game. Steve was in heaven and actually there wasn't a better way we could have spoiled or honored him on this day.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Keely and I began the day hiking to the top of Diamond Head. Such breathtaking views! 

This was another perfect day of no plans other than the three of us enjoying the beach. While Keely and I enjoyed lounging by the pool afterwards, she learned about Orchids serving afternoon tea. This was one of our favorite experiences in London, so we capitalized on the opportunity. Ready and out the door in minutes, we treated ourselves to a variety of petite sandwiches, scones, and pastries. What a wonderful surprise!

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Our last day on the island. Make it count. What better way than to go zip lining where Jurassic Park was filmed! This was a first for all of us and definitely one of the highlights of our trip. 

Afterwards, we enjoyed the "best brunch on the island" at Orchids, the same place we had afternoon tea the day before. Typically needing reservations months in advance, Keely took care of this detail, too. What a perfect meal. 

Next up: continue the spoiling with a spa treatment. I sure could get used to this. Our last night was spent around the outdoor fire table watching the sunset with a casual meal poolside then topped off with a viewing of the closest and brightest supermoon in 68 years. Seriously? As if it was meant to be.

Monday, November 14, 2016
We prepared for a full day of travel as we left Honolulu at 8:00 am and landed in Nashville at 11:00 pm. Before we left on this trip, I said more than once it would likely be my one and only trip to Hawaii. After this experience, though, it will be hard to never return. Aloha!

Pickled Okra

One of Keely's newfound foods is pickled okra. You'll often see it as a garnish for a Bloody Mary. You'll also find them on cheese and charcuterie boards in area Nashville restaurants. After talking about how she loves them, I mentioned, "You do know your grandma has been puttin' up pickled okra for years." Well, evidently she didn't. And just like that, we both added an item to our bucket list. And almost just as quickly, we checked it off.

To begin, I headed to the Franklin Farmer's Market one Saturday morning to buy fresh okra. Love that place! Be sure to choose the smaller stalks; that is, no more than about 4 inches long.

Next up: Savory Spice Shop in downtown Franklin. We have so many wonderful shops on Main Street. This one, by far, tops my list of favorites. I bought peppercorns, coriander seeds, dill seeds, cumin seeds as well as Kosher salt. I trusted store owner Hollie when she advised me to not make a substitute for this type of salt.

Next: Call Mom. That's when I learned that Mom doesn't include all of the seeds I mentioned above. She only uses a garlic clove, red chile pepper, dill seed, and okra in each of her jars. Admittedly, I left the garlic clove out since I didn't want to go back out and shop some more. Next time, I'll include it. Although I still wanted to use the variety of seeds, I did like Mom's 1:2 ratio of the vinegar to water. I found that most recipes used a 1:1 ratio. Keely agreed it didn't have as strong of a vinegar-y, pickled taste, which we both preferred. Also, Mom said she always uses the white distilled vinegar. (I noticed lots of variation in the type of vinegar used in the various recipes on the internet.) She insists the white distilled vinegar is what makes the okra so crunchy. Yes, crunchy. Okra has a bad rap. The misconception is that it is always slimey. Here, though, the texture is similar to a nice, crunchy dill pickle.

The recipe below makes 4 pints. Keely and I made two batches, and we were quite pleased with the way they turned out. The only thing we want to change is to make them a little hotter. So, next time, we'll be splitting the red chile peppers in half. They've already come in handy for making our own cheese and charcuterie boards at home. Last night, they came in handy for garnishing a tray of mini sandwiches for girls' night out. I'm betting they'll come in handy for last minute hostess gifts, too!

Cheese and charcuterie board makes for a perfect appetizer.

Use pickled okra to garnish sandwich trays.

Pickled Okra

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 to 2 pounds young, small to medium okra pods
• 4 small red chile peppers (Note: Split in half if you want to increase the heat.)
• 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon dill seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 12 sprigs fresh dill
• 4 cloves garlic, whole (Note: Next time, include. We left this out.)
• 2 cups white distilled vinegar
• 4 cups water
• 1/3 cup kosher salt

Directions:

1. Prepare 4 pint-sized canning jars. Some people can by using a water bath method, which is supposed to be safer by killing any bacteria that’s supposed to be killed, but I don’t. Here’s what I do: Heat clean mason jars on a cookie sheet in a 300 degree oven. At the same time, boil the jar lids and rings. (Always use new jar lids, but the rings and jars are reusable.) 

2. Prepare okra. Wash and trim the stem to 1/2 inch. Set on towel to dry.

Wash okra and set on towel to dry.

3. Prepare liquid. Bring the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil.

4. Fill jar. Remove 1 sterilized jar from oven. Place 1 chile pepper, 1/4 teaspoon each of peppercorns, coriander seeds, dill seeds, cumin seeds and red pepper flakes, 2-3 sprigs of dill, and 1 clove of garlic in the bottom of the jar. Fill jar with okra, standing them up vertically, alternating stems up and down.

Fill jar with pepper, variety of seeds, and dill.

Keely adds okra, alternating stems up and down.

5. Add liquid. Pour the boiling liquid over the okra in the jar, leaving about 1/4 inch head space. Using tongs, remove a lid from the boiling water. Blot the lid on a towel and then place on top of the jar, pressing down gently. Screw on the band snugly. Repeat for all jars.

The filled jars are going to be hot, so pick them up with a towel or pot holder and transfer them to a towel lined counter to cool. Once cooled, make sure that each lid is sealed. If the lid pops back when you press it, then the jar is not properly sealed. This should be rare. If this happens, simply refrigerate the jar and begin using it. Set in a cool dry place for 2 weeks.

The hardest part is having to wait for 2 weeks!