Category: - Coconut Diaries

Home Grown Pineapple

10/11/2015

Aloha Friends!

Remember our baby pineapple from a few months back? He was just a little guy back in March but, look at him now!

We have been watching him grow over the summer. He was still mostly green when we left for Kauai. When we returned home 10 days later, we found that he was completely yellow and ripe!

We harvested our pineapple the following day. The scent of pineapple was heavenly, we couldn't wait to taste it!

After patiently waiting for months we gave it a try...and it was gross. Really nasty! It had a strange flavor...almost like it had gone "bad". Not sweet at all. How could something smell so good, but taste so awful? Do any of you know what may have caused such a foul flavor? Can they over-ripen on the plant?

Though my pineapple was a bit of a disappointment, I'm not discouraged. I'm going to keep trying to grow pineapple here at our home in San Diego. In fact, the mother plant is producing a little baby plant for me transplant. I'm hopeful!

Take care All.

She Blooms!

7/1/2014

Aloha All!

The Plumeria bloomed! I thought it was white! It had been so long that I forgot the color. It was a nice surprise to see these beautiful pink and yellow flowers! Isn't it pretty?!

Plumerias usually bloom for weeks, even months at a time here in California. I'm grateful to have some Kauai at home. Their cheerful blooms and sweet scent brings back memories of Hawaii. I put one in my hair and got to enjoy it's scent all day. Just in case you don't know..."left side took'n...right side look'n". :)

I wanted to wish a happy Canada Day to all our Canadian friends!

Old Plumeria and Kauai Kookies!

6/22/2014

My husband brought me back a surprise from a recent shopping trip.... Kauai Kookies! He knows I love Kauai Kookies and found a local store here in San Diego that sells them. Ahh... the taste of Kauai here on the Mainland! What a nice treat, I didn't think I'd get my favorite cookies until we were back on Kauai.

If you are missing the crunchy sweet island-style taste of Kauai Kookies, you can order them online or by phone. Cookies from the Kauai Kookie Kompany can be shipped anywhere in the United States.

Check out my Plumeria. It's going to bloom! I'm super excited about it because I thought this guy was a goner. Sadly, last year I had to cut off half of it's branches to save it. It had many mushy spots on the stems. Even though my old tree looks a little funky from my drastic pruning, I was happy to see new growth this spring!

This is my oldest Plumeria tree. I bought it 12 years ago. It was one of those clippings that you can buy at ABC. It started as a little 8 inch sprig, but now it's over 6 feet tall.

I'll be sure to post a photo for you all to see when the Plumeria blooms!

Aloha friends!

Mele Kalikimaka!

12/25/2013

Merry Christmas Friends!

One of my favorite things to do at Christmas time is to make a gingerbread house. I especially like to make Hawaiian style gingerbread hales. Like this one from a couple years back...check out the shredded wheat roof!

This year we made a more traditional house, a simple candy shack! It was a fun family project, that the kiddos really got into. My little one ate a lot of the decor before it could reach the house. I never knew she loved gum drops...notice we only have two gum drop windows!

Here's a photo of last year's gingerbread hale. It was awesome! I did a post in the diary about it. Just look to the right side of the screen and click on December 2012 to see it.

I hope that today brought you happy times spent with those you love! Best wishes friends for a very happy Christmas!
Aloha!

Staying Jolly!

12/22/2013

Aloha Readers!

I've been away enjoying a jolly good time! We've been having too much fun visiting our family and friends up in northern California. It's been great! Just a little chilly!

I started this diary post a week ago and didn't post the entry. With my trusty lap top warm and cozy back in San Diego, I've had to use an i-pad. Ugh! They're not fun to type on! I still don't understand the hype! :)

Every tree needs a little aloha! My tree is no exception! Here's a few photos of some of my favorite Hawaii inspired Christmas ornaments...

I love the first ornament...Santa playing the ukulele! He rocks in his slippas!
My awesome sister, who must love me a lot, bought me this Christopher Radko ornament. The perfect Christmas gift! She's bought me a few over the years...

Here Santa is looking a little more relaxed. He's got his shades, a cool tropical drink and even managed to lose his Santa cap!

No shoes, no shirt...Santa still has aloha with his Shaka! I bought this ornament on Kauai a couple years ago at Walmart. Which you all know is a great place to pick up your souvenirs cheaply! They even have a nice selection of made in Hawaii products to take home.

Thanks for reading my diary! Keep Kauai in your heart and add a little aloha to your Christmas tree!
Have a good week friends!
:)

Pineapple Jack-O-Lantern...Spooky!

10/29/2013

Aloha Readers!

I love to carve pumpkins for Halloween, maybe a little too much...one year I carved 10! This year I wanted to try something a little different. A pineapple jack-o-lantern! Isn't he cute?! I mean spooky! Haha!

I was inspired by our friend Blake who lives on the Big Island. Last Halloween Blake carved an awesome pineapple!

Here's what I did first...cut a big rectangular wedge from a fresh pineapple...enjoy the yummy sweet wedges! Then cut out the inner back side.

This step would be easier and faster if you have a pineapple slicer/corer gadget. If not, it's not that difficult...just takes a few minutes.

Next, carve out the front part of the pineapple.

Finally, carefully carve the face.

This jack-o-lantern was super fun to carve and actually easier than the traditional pumpkin. No messy guts and seeds. You can eat this one's innards!

I carved this guy two days ago and he's still smiling. Hasn't attracted fruit flies or started to rot. When lit he lets off a nice pineapple scent...sweet!

Blake keeps a fun blog http://theboyshawaiianlife.com/ , if you'd like to take a peek!

Best wishes for a happy and safe Halloween!

Boo!

Hawaii at Home - part 1

9/4/2013

I've been wanting to write a post about bringing Hawaii home. Today is the perfect day because...my plumeria bloomed! And it's hard to think about Hawaii without thinking of beautiful plumeria flowers!

My plumeria blooming was extra exciting because just this spring, I thought the plant was dying. I've had the plumeria 5 years and it developed a "mushy" spot on the trunk. I kept pruning off the soft spot and it would reappear. Finally, I decided I should prune it far lower. My poor plant was just a third of it's previous self! Then, a few weeks later it surprised me with rapid growth from one side! And now flowers! My plumeria has taught me a lesson...never give up!

My husband and I try to bring a little aloha spirit into our gardening. There are so many beautiful plants and flowers on Kauai. We try to include some that will grow here on the Mainland.

This week our red hibiscus bloomed! This flower definitely reminds me of Hawaii. Isn't it bright and happy? Hibiscus are pretty easy to grow. They'll take some cold (even frost) and still be OK.

Recall the post a couple weeks back where we bought too many souvenirs? Here's one of those souvenirs. Do you have too many tiki too (say that fast 5 times LOL)? Try putting some out among your flowers.

Plumeria, palms and some weird prehistoric plant :)

These colorful boulgainvillea peak over the fence from my neighbor's yard.

And what Kauai inspired yard would be complete without...

a CHICKEN!

Here's our hen Cinnamon. She thinks that she's a dog and is a lot of fun!

Well, I hope that I've given you some ideas about how to bring Hawaii home, at least your backyard anyway!

Oh, I almost forgot...a few tiki torches are nice too!

Aloha!

Got Spam?

4/13/2013

We may like Spam a little too much at our house. My husband and children LOVE it! I don't share their same adoration but, I don't mind eating it now and then. How you prepare Spam makes all the difference!

My husband picked up this delightful little cookbook at a Kauai Thrift store. Can you believe that someone would give this baby up?! Hawaii's Spam Cookbook has more than eighty recipes. Including several that use the other popular local canned meats...corned beef, sardines and vienna sausage. Some are admittedly a little unusual but, I found a few that sounded tasty!

Spam Musubi is by far the family favorite. "The perfect handheld meal" my daughter would say! They're great to pack for the beach. Here's a recipe from the cookbook. Notice the author was not concerned about being politically correct! Ha!

You too can do the "Spam shaka" while holding your delicious Spam Musubi! I thought this Spam label was so awesome that I saved it with my other Kauai mementos.

This recipe gave me a chuckle because the author states that it goes equally well with Milk, Coke or beer! My husband and Father both enjoy Spam sandwiches.

One more recipe...Fried Spam. This is my favorite way to eat Spam. Try it with rice!

Here's a bit of the preface that includes some interesting Spam information.

This fun cookbook can still be found on Ebay and Amazon for you Spam lovers!

Thanks for reading my blog and I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

Happy Kauai Flowers

2/8/2013

There is a reason why Kauai is nicknamed "the Garden Island". Flowers are happy on Kauai! All the sunshine and perfect amount of rain makes for beautiful blooms.

One of the first things visitors notice is the abundance of tropical flowers. From the moment you step off the plane, they're everywhere!

I can't help taking lots of photos of all the amazing flowers. Below is a yellow Hibiscus; it's the Hawaii state flower. I love the exotic Heliconia. The last is a pink flowering Ginger.

Right outside of the condo is a Giant Bird of Paradise, that's it's real name. It's huge, they can reach up to 30 tall. It blooms a striking bright white and midnight blue flower.

To enjoy fresh island flowers in the condo, I recommend picking them up at the Farmer's Market held every Tuesday and Thursday from 9-12pm at the Coconut Market Place. You can get a large bunch inexpensively. Besides their beauty, tropical flowers have another benefit in that they last a long time once cut. They'll stay pretty for 7-10 days.

If you would like to bring tropical flowers home with you, Plumeria and Flowering Ginger cuttings can be purchased at Walmart and ABC Stores. Once on the mainland, plant the cuttings. I've had really good luck with these starter cuttings. Just be sure to follow the instructions and treat them like a "houseplant" when the weather is cold.

Stay warm and Happy "Aloha" Friday!

The Mainland Grown Pineapple!

1/7/2013

Aloha! A lot of people eat pineapple around the Holidays so, I thought now would be a good time to do a post on growing your very own pineapple plant.

Here is one of my pineapple plants. It's 1 1/2 years old.

This is how I grew my plant from a pineapple we bought on Kauai. First, I cut the top leafy part from the fruit. Then I removed the first few rows of lower leaves...

Next, I placed the spiky stem into a glass of water. Making sure that the water level is below the leaves. I change the water every few days...

After a few weeks, your little pineapple plant should have roots. This stem is about 8 weeks old.

It's now ready to plant in soil. I use a "cactus potting mix" but, I think any good potting soil would be fine. I put this plant into a 8" clay pot and set it out in a sunny place in my backyard. If it gets chilly where you live, it's best to bring your pineapple in for the winter. It will be quite happy in an area of your home that gets sunshine.

I got my fingers crossed that one day my plants will produce fruit. In the meantime, my pineapple plant brings some extra aloha to my home!

As always, feel free to post a comment or question! In a few weeks I'll do a post on plumeria cuttings. Happy planting friends!