10 things you need to know about yogurt...

Number 1: What those bacteria do...

Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, the two bacteria required by FDA standards for yogurt, are added to a warm milk bath, where they proceed to ferment and coagulate into a semi-solid, producing tangy lactic acid along the way. Manufacturers can add other probiotics, but they're not required or regulated.


Number 2: You can strain your own Greek-style yogurt...

Draining off some of the whey yields the thick yogurt that has made Greek-style hot. Even the nonfat variety has a rich, satisfying texture. Greek yogurt is expensive, though, because it requires more milk. You can produce it for about $1.50 per cup yourself. Start with a plain, natural yogurt, nonfat or low-fat. Then spoon it into a fine-mesh steel strainer lined with a paper towel or coffee filter. Set the strainer into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, put in the fridge, and let the whey drain out of the yogurt overnight.

Number 3: Get all the active cultures you're paying for...

Some yogurts are heat-treated after fermentation, which neutralizes the good-for-you bacteria required for production, meaning that the potential health benefits are neutralized, too. Check the packaging: The FDA mandates that these yogurts be labeled "heat-treated after culturing." If your yogurt is not heat-treated, the package may say "active yogurt cultures," "living yogurt cultures," or "contains active cultures."

Number 4: Look for the seal...

Established by the National Yogurt Association, the seal "Live and Active Cultures, " indicates that the manufacturer is promising that the yogurt contains at least 100 million active starter cultures per gram when manufactured. It's not FDA-policed, though.

Number 5: Okay for the mildly lactose-intolerant...

People with mild lactose intolerance usually tolerate yogurt because the live cultures break down much of the lactose into glucose and galactose-simple sugars that are easier to digest.

Number 6: Love the whey...

The clear liquid that often separates and floats to the top of many yogurts contains a little protein and tart flavor: Don't pour off-stir in!!!

Number 7: Watch the fat content in some of the fancy yogurts...

Yogurt is one of those health-halo foods, but not if it's full of fat. Check out Liberte's ultra rich, full-fat Mediterranee line: More than a third of the calories (and there are 250 of them) come from the 10 grams of saturated fat in a 6-ounce container. Fage Total Greek has 18 grams in 8-ounces. Fortunately, these same companies make delicious low and non-fat yogurts.

Number 8: Two easy yogurt dipping sauces...

Indian: For basic raita, combine 1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt, 3/4 cup chopped, peeled, seeded cucumber, 3/4 cup chopped, seeded tomato, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon garam masala. Cover and chill before serving.

Greek: For basic tzatziki, combine 1 cup plain, low-fat Greek-style yogurt, 3/4 cup finely chopped, seeded cucumber, 1 Tablespoon chopped mint, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon white pepper. Cover, chill, serve!!!

Number 9: Frozen "yogurt" vs. frozen yogurt...

Frozen yogurt is not regulated by the FDA, meaning the scoop in your cone could be made entirely from yogurt-or could be ice cream with a little yogurt stirred in. The Live and Active Cultures seal signals the manufacturer's assurance that it is, actually, yogurt.

Number 10: Watch out for added sugar...

Scan the ingredient list for added sugars like high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, maltose, maple syrup, or fruit juice concentrate. Six ounces of typical plain nonfat yogurt have about 11 grams of natural sugar and 80 calories; flavored varieties can add as much as 14 extra grams of sugar and 50 or so calories.

Hope this was informative! Enjoy!!!

<3 Stace <3

Special salads for the week of July 26 2010!!!

Special Salads for the week of: July 26, 2010


Ono-licious Island Tuna Salad: Mixed greens, albacore tuna, mango, green onions, pineapple, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, and bean sprouts dressed with a Mango Pickled Ginger dressing and garnished with house made croutons. Price: $5.49



Aloha Mediterranean Salad: Romaine lettuce, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, garbanzo beans, white beans, olive tapenade, cucumbers, Feta cheese, red onions and fresh dill dressed with a Lemon Vinaigrette and served on top of a piece of warm pita bread. Price: $4.49



Mandarin Chicken Salad: Mixed greens, grilled chicken, mandarin oranges, broccoli, baby corn, sugar snap peas, red onions, carrots and cilantro dressed with a Sweet and Sour Soy Dressing and garnished with toasted almonds. Price: $5.49


Aloha Passion Salad: Spinach, grilled chicken, Bleu cheese, apples, grapes, sun-dried tomatoes, diced eggs, cranberries, red onions and dressed with a Balsamic Vinaigrette and garnished with candied walnuts. Price: $5.49

So they say there's a lid for every pot...

Now I'm definitely not the authority on relationships.Let me just be abundantly clear that the person that everyone talks about "never finding the right one" and "she sure is unlucky in love" well guess what? That person is me!I have not had many relationships in my life, but I'm a relationship girl.The idea of casual dating is such a new and incredibly novel idea to me that I don't even know what it means.I bounce from long relationship to long relationship always picking up the pieces along the way and trying to find a way to recover from the last one before it.Kind of like Humpty Dumpty, putting the pieces back together again.But how long do you think it would take Humpty Dumpty to keep falling over before he just said, "Eff this, I don't want to do it anymore?"

Well that brings me to my next point: My Mom has always told me there's a lid for every pot and don't worry honey there's someone out there for you I promise!Now I know that I haven't made the best choices in men in my life, but I look at that as a journey and a chapter in a book.They have all touched my lives in one way or the other whether it was a positive or negative impact.So once one chapter is done then you just move on to the next one.Well it just seems like lately my book is like a book full of  chapters full of just one page because that's how quickly I move on.So in essence I haven't met "THE ONE" yet.But what does that mean "THE ONE?" Let's see if the future Mr. Right for the Future and not Mr. Right Now can meet and understand these standards because so far no one has, and believe me I'm not asking a lot!

1. Please understand that I'm not an object, I'm not a piece of meat to be ogled at.I am a woman and my eyes are up here, not down there.While you were staring at my ass for the last 5 minutes we could've been having a decent conversation which leads me to the next number.

2. I am not knowledgeable in every subject known to man, nor do I have an opinion about everything that goes on in this world, however I can hold my own and I do know my stuff. I would like to have a decent conversation, one that happens to be intelligent, but doesn't revolve around beer and/or drinking, how you're so much different then every other guy, past relationships, reality TV, celebrities you'd like to screw, ex-girlfriends, etc.Instead I'd love to have a conversation about things in life: your future, goals, family, what your personal philosophy is, what really makes you different then everyone else.But please also don't make my head spin with your talk about things that are so over my head that I either fall asleep or I'm so baffled that I need a dictionary or an interpreter to understand what you're saying.Is it too much to ask for a little middle ground?LOL!

3.I am a very strong, independent and at times can me an intimidating woman.Yes, I do martial arts, yes I'm a very high ranking black belt, yes I can most likely kick your ass, yes I can handle myself in a situation without your help, yes I'm a female chef in a very male-dominated atmosphere and have heard every sick, disgusting joke directed at females.So with all of this considered do not be intimidated by any of this.This is not a blow to your manhood.In fact this should be even more attractive to you knowing that your date and/or girlfriend can hold her own and that you're not going to have to worry about her.This doesn't mean that I have to be in control or that I'm the one wearing the pants or the only one that can handle situations or problems.As much as I'm an independent and strong woman, who doesn't necessarily NEED you to take care of me, I'm very much a woman at the end of the day who WANTS you to take care of me and would appreciate that safety and security.

4. Family will and always will be a major priority in my life.I have my chef career, I have my martial arts career and I have my family.Those are very important things in my life and things that I WILL NOT sacrifice. But by me saying that DOES NOT mean that I can't or won't sacrifice those things to be with you.Just because I have obligations in my life doesn't mean I won't change them but don't ever for a second think I will.You need to prove to me that you're worthy for me to make time for you and to make sacrifices for you so that I can see you.If you don't then I'm going to keep going on with what I do.I have priorities in my life that are important to me, but guess what you do too!And I don't ask you to put those on hold for me so please don't ask or expect me to do those things for you.

5. Communication is so important.I am not and will not ever be a mind reader.I think I read signals pretty well for the most part, but with no signals or communication don't expect me to just pull out of my ass what's wrong with you.Unfortunately I'm not capable of being on the Psychic Friends Network.I do not have ESPN! LOL! Is it that difficult for you to "talk" about what's going on?Because for me it's a simple task that I do every day and something that I'm sure you do too.This is not some foreign idea, it's just talking and believe me it makes all the difference in the world.

6. Don't feed me those ridiculous lines about how trustworthiness and honesty is key and that if the opposite sex doesn't have those it's just a deal breaker for you.But then don't turn around and lie to me and be deceitful.Just be up front and honest with me to begin with.Believe me I'm going to respect you so much more if you tell me like it is to begin with then if you keep something going on and then spring some of that ridiculous nonsense on me later.That just isn't right!Just don't feed me any lines.We're all grown ups here, we're not kids back in the 6th grade where dating was all secretive and we passed notes to each other in class.This is the 21st century and I think we're all grown up enough to be able to have respect for the other person in the situation.

So basically to sum it all up all I want is to be treated with respect and honesty.Sometimes I think that the world isn't even filled with chivalrous men anymore.What happened to opening up a car door for your date? Sliding her chair out at dinner?Walking her to her door at night?That's such a lost art now, and I'm dying to find someone that doesn't think he's a "wuss" for doing something like that.Women like to be treated well, but if you do that to us imagine how good we're going to treat you in return.If you start off treating me like crap you better believe your butt is going to be kicked to the curb.I'm not saying that we need to "court" like back in the day, but chivalry is a lost art now and women we need some more of that.I'm not saying you guys deserve all the blame.Us women have made it difficult for you too!

But I'm not just some woman.I deserve to be treated with the utmost respect and decency.I will not tolerate less than that.I don't believe I'm asking for a lot.I know you'd all ask for the same in return whether it's from a significant other, a family member, a co-worker, etc...If my Daddy treats me with the utmost respect and admiration then you deserve to do the same.I'm not tooting my own horn here saying I'm the best, but I'm telling you I don't want the drama or the game playing.I don't want there to be gray areas, I want there to be black and white.Either you like me or you don't like me.You want to see me or you don't want to see me. You're attracted to me or you think I'm hideous.It's as simple as that!No middle ground!

So to sum it up, I guess I am still looking for the infamous "ONE." And I'm starting to think that maybe I have a complex, maybe it's me.Maybe I'm the career girl who's meant to have a successful career but unsuccessful in love.I don't wanna be that girl that's married to her job or married to her career.People have balanced it all out before and it has worked out so why can't it work out for me too?I guess maybe I should just stop looking.Maybe that's my best bet.I don't think I'm asking for a lot and I don't think I demand a lot out of you either.I don't have a checklist that I'm sitting at home checking off when I first meet you: Brown hair...Check, Athletic...Check, Non-smoker...Check, Not married...Check.

I think people in life deserve the best and deserve to be treated with the utmost decency and respect.Now don't get me wrong there's a lot of women out there who are just asking for it and who do deserve to be treated that way because they attract that kind of negative attention and don't do anything about the situation. I am not and will never be one of those women.All my friends who have been going through relationship drama lately I always tell them that they don't deserve to be treated like that.And you know what they really don't.That's not just me being the loyal friend and going along with what they're saying just because I'm biased.It's true!Some of this stuff we don't deserve to be dealing with and we all deserve to be adored and taken care of at some point, but for what price?The price of heartache, broken hearts, and failed relationships over and over again?NO!!!!Absolutely not!We all deserve that kind of connection and attachment in our lives and I guess it's easier to tell friends/family that, but not take my own advice.

Ahhh....well that's my rant for the evening.I think I feel better getting it out.They do say there's a lid to every pot, but I'm starting to think I'm that retarded, dysfunctional pot in the cabinet that you can never find the lid for and is usually always missing or you have to use an oversize one to get the job done.Haha!(You know everyone has at least one of those pots in the cabinet!) But hopefully I'll find my lid one day!I know he's out there somewhere, but it sure is taking him really long to surface!!!!

Hope you enjoyed my rant!Until next time peeps...

<3 Stace <3

The final days of the trip...Sadness! =(

Saturday July 17, 2010

This morning we woke up super duper early and picked our instructor up and headed to the Aloha Stadium for the huge Swap Meet that they have there.We got there a little before 8 AM before it had started to get super busy and we walked miles and miles of the stadium and picked up countless and endless amounts of souvenirs.You know it's bad when you have bought so much that not only do you make a couple of trips to the car to drop your bags off, but you have completely forgotten what exactly it is that you bought.I bought a bunch of stuff for me, but several souvenirs for friends, co-workers and family at home plus some incredibly cute stuff for my adorable niece Layla, who is 5 1/2 months old.After doing some SERIOUS damage at the stadium and after making the decision that not only were we going to run out of money but we were going to run out of room in our luggage, we decided to call it a day!

From there we caught some lunch at Teddy's Bigger Burgers which was absolutely FANTASTIC!I had a Western burger which had BBQ sauce, onion rings and bacon and I ordered a side of garlic fries that were so unbelievably garlicky, but so DELICIOUS!I figured that I should eat as much garlic as I could to keep those effing mosquitoes away from me!And now that I had those French fries I think I've stored enough garlic in my system for a good year to keep those pesky 'skeeters away! =D After that we came home to take a little nap and then it was on to the night's festivities...

Mrs. O'Sullivan (my adopted grandmother) had bought us all tickets to go see a show at the Polynesian Cultural Center.We all met up at their house and she drove us all the way out there and we ate dinner at a little Chop Suey place and then went to the center for the show.We toured the grounds for awhile, purchasing some more things there (after we said we were done, but it's like crack) and then going in for the show.The show was called Ha: Breath of Life and different islands were represented including Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand, etc...It told a really great story and was very entertaining.I had such an excellent time there and it was such a gracious gift from our Hawaiian family to give to us!From there it was home to get some rest!

Sunday July 18, 2010

We woke up and had a small breakfast of fruit and Portuguese sweet bread on our lanai.I think we all could afford not to eat a lot!From there we spent a couple of hours down at the beach, even though it wasn't a super nice day out.But it sure was nice to just sit out there on the beach, breathe in the trade winds and just listen to the heavenly sounds of the ocean. (I should do commercials shouldn't I?LOL!) After spending a good amount of time at the beach we went to lunch at Zippy's again and I had a mahi mahi sandwich with tartar sauce and French fries.Pretty good, not great, but okay!The least favorite meal I've had here, but still edible and not terrible!

After that we did some very last minute souvenir shopping at Long's Drugs, even though we all had concluded that we were running out of room.After that more napping and then we decided to go to an Italian restaurant for dinner called Assaggio's.I had been to this place before on Hawaii-Kai.The appeal of this place to me is that they make they're Caesar salad table side which to me is a lost art.I know no places on the mainland that do it so this was pretty special to me.Not to mention that me being a chef I was testing this girl, and she was really in the spotlight, to make sure this was right.And it was!So we all had Plantation Iced Tea, Caesar salad and I had opah (moonfish) and shrimp (which were gi-normous by the way) sauteed with linguine in a garlic, white wine, olive oil sauce with onions, basil and bacon.It was called Seafood Casino and it was absolutely FABULOUS!!!For dessert I had homemade tiramisu.Definitely couldn't pass that up and it was close to orgasmic! =D

After our incredible meal (which was pretty expensive by the way) we stopped by our adopted Hawaiian family's house to say our goodbye's to everyone.My adopted grandfather had made me, and my Mom fresh Hawaiian lei's from plumeria flowers from his front yard.It was difficult to say our goodbye's because we all had such a good time with them and truly felt the "ALOHA SPIRIT" with them everyday.It's such a great feeling to know that you have an "adopted family" in Hawaii and that they love and care about you as much as you do.That was difficult but now gives us an excuse to come back here more often.So from there we came home and started packing!What a task!I think I'm definitely going to have to be sitting on my suitcase tomorrow morning to get it closed!LOL! =)

But that's all from paradise today!Tomorrow we will be making the trek home to RFH Phoenix (Really Effing Hot) and paradise will just be a distant memory.It has been incredible while its lasted and I'm so blessed and incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity.I got my fix for awhile, so look out Phoenix, I'M COMING BACK!

Until next time fans...MAHALO!

<3 Stace <3

More of my Hawaiian vaycay...

Thursday, July 15, 2010

The morning started off with us picking up our instructor and we made a quick pit stop at Starbucks. (I know, I was only one of those people or ha'ole's just once while I was here.We happened to be in the same shopping complex as Starbucks and I was in desperate need of some coffee so we just stopped in super quick.I do feel shame because I didn't come to Hawaii to have Starbucks but I think the Hawaiian gods will forgive me!) From there we were on our way to the taro patch.My instructor took us hiking through the rainforest essentially where we had to cross a creek on a 2 by 4 to get over to the taro patch.Here the people who live there grow the taro root and a myriad of other incredible fruits, vegetables and plants and flowers.We know this as sustainable living and they basically live in the rainforest and survive off of the food that they grow.One of the brother's has a PHD from Harvard and came up with the whole concept of this vast "garden" so to speak.It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen.Not only did they have a huge taro patch that they sell to make into poi, they grow pineapple, broccoli, ginger, avocado tree's, bananas, papaya as well as so many other plants and flowers.

After we spent about an hour at the taro patch we went to Denny's to get some breakfast.Yes, they even have Denny's in Hawaii!LOL!After that we took a drive to a scenic lookout on the Pali highway at the Pali lookout.It was by far the windiest place I've ever been to in my life.I thought for sure I was going to fall over but thankfully enough that 120 pounds kept me in place.After that fun scenic lookout we took our instructor home and we stopped by a Roxy store by the house we are renting so I could pick up a few souvenirs for myself! (Yep, I pampered myself!Whoop whoop!) Then we stopped at Foodland to pick up a few other things for the dinner that I was planning on cooking.

I started cooking dinner about 4:30 and what came out of this dinner was as follows: fresh fruit salad with pineapple papaya and mango stuffed inside two pineapple shells, tossed salad with a papaya pickled ginger dressing, teriyaki chicken with caramelized pineapple, ono and mahi mahi in a white wine lime butter sauce topped with a papaya mango salsa, ginger sesame soy marinated thinly sliced beef, stir-fried vegetables with edamame, garlic and herb butter potatoes, and sweet Hawaiian rolls.All of this was successfully pulled off in a tiny kitchen, in someone else's house on a whole other island and everything turned out absolutely fantastic all except for one tiny problem, which was because the kitchen was so small and there was no exhaust system at all so we set the smoke alarm off!LOL!But Mrs.O'Sullivan came to the rescue and waved a kitchen towel in front of it and it stopped.Nothing like my adopted grandmother to come to the rescue.

So we sat outside on our lanai or patio and just enjoyed good company: me, my Mom, my Dad, my instructor/adopted grandfater, my adopted grandmother and Hilary.Dinner was fantastic and I had such a good time cooking for everyone and really sharing in this experience with everyone.Cooking is all about bringing people together and that's exactly what happened.They all really the experience and couldn't stop thanking me, so that was a huge success for me and made me feel incredible.After all of that, so much crammed into one day, it was time to call it a night.

Friday July 16, 2010

So this morning for the first time since we've been here we all slept in until about 8:30.Today was a beach day so we had some fresh fruit, muffins and juice on the lanai and went down to the beach.My Mom and I hung out for awhile down there just tanning, reading and enjoying the scenery while my Dad picked our instructor up and brought him back to the house.After staying down at the beach for awhile, we came back and had lunch and my instructor showed us some martially related Danzan Ryu Jujutsu material for a little bit and then we all showered and took a little nap.(The sun is just so draining!)

Tonight my Dad is taking my instructor to a Lua class here while my Mom and I are just chilling back at the house.We tried this awesome little salad place for dinner tonight called Aloha Salads.This is essentially my salad station but it just offers some subs and wraps.I had an ahi tuna wrap with capers, tomatoes, mixed greens, red onions and a champagne vinaigrette on pita bread.It was AMAZING!!! This was a great little salad hole-in-the-wall and I definitely got some inspiration for my salads at work.

Pretty low key easy going day today and now I'm just watching the new Ochocinco show!Haha!A guilty pleasure of mine!Until tomorrow fans!!!!

An update on the last 2 days...Sorry I'm behind! =(

Tuesday July 13, 2010

Okay so let's start with Tuesday first...My family and I picked our instructor up and the first place we went was a little local breakfast shop called Cinnamon's.Now let me tell you, this was probably the most DELICIOUS, RIDICULICIOUS, ONO-LICIOUS, YUMMYLICIOUS breakfast I have ever had in my life!I had a Hawaiian omelet which is probably the weirdest thing I've ever eaten in my life, but definitely amazingly delicious.It had Kalua pig (which is like smoked pork), diced tomatoes, white and green onions, and lu'au leaves.That came with a side of buttermilk pancakes which were to die for and I slathered them in butter and syrup.My Mom had a basic breakfast which was scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and a biscuit that was utterly amazing as well.My Dad had Portuguese sweet bread French toast with a guava chiffon topping that was to die for!Definitely the most delicious French toast I have ever had.So breakfast was a HUGE success plus our server was so amazing and once she found out I was a chef she scored major brownie points with me saying that I was a very pretty chef and she said she was surprised because most of them are burly men.So I left her a note sharing in the aloha spirit and thanking her for her hospitality and left her a $20 extra dollar tip.That's the aloha spirit at its best!

From there we went to a lookout where we could the see island of Makapu'u.This was one of those scenic lookout points that was absolutely amazing.Such beautiful scenery and we were so high up we could see a lot of the island and the amazing beautiful shades of blue of the ocean.From there we went to the sight of a blowhole where if the tide is high enough you can see the water shoot outta there like a geyser.After that we made the trek to the Lyon Arboretum.I have to say all of that foliage was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life and after being there, in such a peaceful and beautiful place I'm contemplating seeing if I could get married there when that occasion would arise.Our instructor is a docent for the arboretum so he was able to take us "off the beaten track" so to speak.He showed us all about the nature there, showed us the all the fruit growing there, and even showed us some handy tricks.

There is a tree there that they call a pickle tree which he had told me about on the phone previously and I was so excited about that because anyone who knows me knows that I'm pretty much a pickle fanatic or a pickle whore as many like to call me!So here stands this pickle tree that is sprouting fruit that looks just like a dill pickle.Well Professor pulled one down for me and me being the brave girl that I am I tried it.Well, that's the last time I ever do that!Imagine eating a Sour Patch Kid, but multiply that by 100 and there you have what the so-called "pickle" tastes like.Probably the most horrible thing I've ever tasted, but live and learn!They also have a chocolate tree there which I didn't believe, but they really do.The tree bears the cacao bean that they use to make chocolate so I actually touched a chocolate tree.I know it sounds like something out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory but it actually does exist!

From there we grabbed a little "snack" at Bubbie's Ice Cream and I had a POG (Passion Orange Guava) smoothie which was to die for.Got the coolest shirt from there ever and you will see the picture below.So after a little refresher we went to the local Zippy's to have lunch.I had an amazing somen salad that has pretty much changed my life forever.For those T-Bird students I have tried this recipe at work last tri-mester and I will be trying it again once I get back.Zippy's to Hawaii is like Denny's to Arizona but much better than that. Just a cool local hangout that has a lot to choose from and an amazing bakery.From there we dropped our instructor off, took a little snooze and then it was out again.Our instructor wanted to take us to St.Andrew's Cathedral which was absolutely amazing.I definitely feel out of place in religious settings and I did a little bit here too but all of that dissipated when you see how beautiful the stained glass is.They have a bell tower there that my instructor wanted us to ring with him because he's a trained bell ringer, but unfortunately it was closed so we're going to have to try that another time.

Well from there we "accidentally" ran into where they film Dog the Bounty Hunter which is at Da Kine Bail Bonds.So obviously I had to take a bunch of pictures of that.From there we hit the Zippy's again (same one) and had dinner.I had a seafood platter that had salmon topped with garlic vegetables, a seafood patty, and tempura battered shrimp with French fries.So after that we were pretty much done for the night and we returned "home" and called it a night.

Wednesday July 14, 2010

We got up super early and met our instructor and went to the local swap meet in Pearl City.This is a more local kind of swap meet where they sell a lot of fruits and vegetables almost like a farmer's market, but also like a HUGE garage sale.We didn't find much as far as souvenirs go but we did get some vegetables, malasades, and I did pick up a Sam Choy (my Hawaiian hero chef) cookbook for 5 bucks.We took our instructor back and then returned home to get some beach time in.Hilary, who is dating our instructor's son and who lives with them, came over to our house and taught me how to paddle surf.I had wanted to do this for awhile so I finally had the chance.It's definitely not as easy as it looks.The boards are very ominous and the ocean, be it very calm where we're staying, can turn on you in an instant.I had a pretty good time on my knees paddling that way, but popping up on the board is difficult.I fell a lot, got a lot of bumps and bruises, but it was so much fun!

We stayed out there for awhile, tanning and getting some sun and then came in to take a nice long nap.After that we went to Pinky's Pupu Bar and Grill for dinner.I had Pinky's Aloha Plate which had macadamia encrusted mahi mahi, seafood lau lau, kalua pig, macaroni salad, French fries, and lomi lomi salmon.It was AMAZING!!!Very fun and entertaining little local place.After dinner we went to Long's grocery store to pick up some aloe vera to cool my parents' sunburns and some sandals as souvenirs.Then we went to Don Quiote which is an Asian market and picked up some groceries for a dinner that we were going to fix at the house.After that, which was a lot for one day, we decided to go back home watch Dog the Bounty Hunter actually in Hawaii and call it a night!

The start of the vaycay...

So this morning, July 12 2010, started me waking up at the butt crack of dawn, 4 AM to start getting ready for our maiden voyage! We took the Super Shuttle to the airport for the first time which let me tell you was such a luxury!Now of course it wasn't free but it helped avoid A LOT of hassle!Usually we drive one of our cars to the airport parking and then take the shuttle to the terminal, but this time we avoided all of that which was nice!We blew right through check-in and security, even though the security lady was a real B**CH!!!I mean I know it's not a glamorous job, but don't tell me not to touch my bag!I will thrown down on you right by the X-Ray machine!My "guns" are the only weapons allowed through airport security!LOL!

So our flight was amazing!It seemed very quick.Only complaint was the complimentary meal that was provided which was a spinach fritatta.I'm kinda leery about eating eggs on an airplane.I'm sure they're fine, but just the thought of it wasn't very appealing at all.So we had to "upgrade" to a "premium" meal (which is what they're tactics are I think) and I had a Greek Salad with pita chips, hummus, and Milano cookies and my Mom had a chicken Caesar salad.The movie was The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and although it might've been an excellent movie it didn't sound like a title for this girl!LOL!So I just stuck with my book: Pat Benatar's autobiography and I did a little sleeping.

We got into Honolulu early and as we were coming off the plane we were greeted with a lei greeting that my Dad had done for all 3 of us which was just amazing and so sweet of him to do.Of course it had my favorite flower which is a plumeria and the smell was intoxicating.If that wasn't unbelievably amazing enough: my instructor/adopted grandfather and his wife were waiting for us down at baggage claim and we all continued to get lei'd again!Haha!That made 3 times in one day for me!Haha!We got our bags very smoothly and then me, my Mom, and Mrs.O'Sullivan were off to her house, while my Dad and Professor O'Sullivan went to get the rental car.(Allow me to also say that I had NO idea that they were going to greet us at the airport and I was so surprised and it was so incredibly sweet and generous of them to do!Plus Mrs.O'Sullivan had already formulated a plan of attack!)

So we went to The O'Sullivan's house and were introduced to Hilary, who's the youngest son's girlfriend and we all hit it off right away.After the boys got home from getting the rental car (a PT Cruiser) we all packed in and went to go check into our rental.Professor and Mrs.O'Sullivan had already been to the place and put in banana's, papayas and Taro pancake mix and syrup.Our house is amazing!I can't even describe how beautiful it is!Honestly it could've been a bamboo shack fitted with a shabby thatched roof and I would've been perfectly happy!We got our bearings around here, went down to the beach and then we went to Safeway and did some grocery shopping.Had to get some essentials: tuna for tuna salad (which is an ESSENTIAL after being at the ocean all day), lunch meat, Maui potato chips, POG (which for all you non-locals is Passion-Orange-Guava juice), etc...

After bringing those groceries home we tooled around town to try to find a place to eat.We decided on Lucy's Bar and Grill.They immediately bring you out focaccia with a balsamic and oil dipping sauce.My Mom ordered opakapaka (which is a pink snapper) herb crusted with a mango salsa, pomegranate balsamic drizzle, baby bok choy and steamed jasmine rice.I had the exact same thing, but with opah (or moonfish) instead and Okinawan sweet potatoes.My Dad had a grilled Caesar salad with papaya and chicken.All in all a delicious meal and even better was that you could get 1/2 (demi) or full size portions so my Mom and I both got 1/2 portions so we didn't get too full.

Now to conclude the day we're all just relaxing, trying to get used to the time change, and just sitting back, relaxing, listening to the trade winds, and drinking some POG.All in all a FANTASTIC and already fun-filled day!Not sure what the day brings tomorrow, but I do know that our instructor Professor O'Sullivan will be taking us around tomorrow and wants us promptly there to pick him up at 8:30 AM!So until tomorrow boys and girls!

Aloha from paradise!

<3 Stace <3

Today was a busy, random day!!!

Well my Friday today started off with of course nothing better than some VH1 music videos.My morning generally isn't complete until I have heard my favorite songs of late which include: Half of My Heart by John Mayer (which I absolutely cannot get enough of), King of Anything by Sara Bareilles and OMG by Usher and Will.I.Am. Well it was obviously a GREAT morning because I heard all of those songs within a 20 minute span of each other! Go VH1!!! Music videos is such a huge pastime of mine.I hope they continue with that until I'm old, crippled, and a in a wheelchair still trying to dance like Usher in the OMG music video!When I was younger I was so captivated by music videos that my father recorded 6 hours of my favorite music videos for me so that I could watch them all the time.I still have that VHS and I watch it about once a month!That sucker is going to be priceless soon!!!

So anyway...I got off topic again!I tend to do that so bear with me please!So today was my last day of work before my much anticipated and well-deserved vaycay. And of course it had to be a busy day from hell not to mention a super trying day with customers.We all know that I have my favorites and you all know who you are, but there are still quite a few that I would really love to stab with my fillet knife! =D Not mentioning any names, but I believe they're some of the EMBA people!Ha ha!I'm just throwing this out there and take it for what it's worth or just take it as Stacey bitching again..I realize that I'm in a position of customer service and that I may appear to be your "server" so to speak, but that doesn't mean that I'm on the bottom rung of the food ladder nor does it mean that you can treat me like your SLAVE!And please please don't give me attitude when I tell you that you can't just make your own salad.I have a menu and that's what it's there for. It's there for you to pick which one you want.You wouldn't go to Ruth Chris Steakhouse and tell the chef that you don't want that steak that you just want to come up with your own.No no no no!I'm the chef, you're the customer.You WILL pick one of the items off the menu, tell me what you want politely and with some respect, and I will make it for you with love and compassion and hand it over with a smile and a "Have a nice day." If not, then you're going to get the "go to hell" stare and if you're not careful I might just jump over that salad counter and show you what you can do with all your opinions!LOL!Sorry that rant is over now too!

So after my crazy busy day at work I came home and treated myself to a manicure and pedicure before my vacation getaway.Pedicure was great and they do such an amazing job at the place I go to!Always friendly, always helpful and they do an amazing job.I had fake nails put on for the very first time in my life.I know that might sound weird for a woman (that's right I said woman and not girl!Ha ha!) who's 26 years old but you should refer to my other blog posting that talks about really emerging and letting my feminine side show through.So those are definitely taking some getting used to, but it makes me feel all girly and pretty and makes the most incredible noise while typing!Ha ha!While I was there Mona, one of the ladies who works there, told me that she would give me an eyebrow wax.Well I have never ever had one of those either because I never considered my eyebrows unruly or busy or anything.I mean as females we have so much work to do: shaving, makeup, smelling good,dressing good, making sure we're in good shape, other grooming, etc...I mean it's just exhausting sometimes!Well anyway lovely Mona convinced me to do it because she said she did it so good.Well I went back into the little room and she proceeded to tweeze, wax, and shape my eyebrows.I'm not going to lie when I say that it did bring 1 tear to my eye because it hurt a little.Especially because I haven't done it EVER!

That's not me!

Well me and Mona get to talking and she asks me if I have a boyfriend. I explain that I just stopped seeing someone and that I was kind of done with dating for awhile, tired of looking and just tired of all the drama it brings.So when Mona finds out I don't have a boyfriend she says why not?You're beautiful and you have a nice body and you're so nice?Well first let me pause and thank Mona and God Bless Mona for being such a wonderful person!Not only does she wax eyebrows but she knows how to pick up your spirits too!So Mona, the wise woman that she is, proceeds to tell me that I'm such a strong girl and that I don't need a man! That he will find me one day and if he can't hang with me then just to kick him to the curb!Ha ha!This would be even funnier had you seen the venue that I was in which was a tiny room, on a massage table with my eyes closed and Mona smearing hot wax on my eyebrows giving me relationship advice in half English half Vietnamese!So not only did I get a manicure, a pedicure and an eyebrow wax, but I got some relationship advice and life advice from Mona! You certainly can't beat that!

After that whole beauty extravaganza we celebrated my Mom's birthday tonight.She'd probably kill me if I posted how old she is, but all you need to know is she's beautiful, she's youthful and that's all that matters!We went to Red Robin for dinner because surprisingly enough my Mom had never been there!Allow me to just say that the bottomless garlic fries+bottomless strawberry lemonade=BOMB-A-FREAKING-LICIOUS!!!Garlic fries definitely give you nasty funk breath afterwards, but let me tell you, it was so worth it!I wasn't going to be smooching anyone!LOL!So Mom got some great gifts!From my bro and his girlfriend Sarah: a visor, flip flops, a beach cover up and the Essential Kenny Loggins CD!From my Dad: two outfits for Hawaii and a beach bag.(My Dad has super excellent taste in clothes for my Mom!Not so much for me because he says I'm so hard to please, but he gets my style!)I get more surprised by him everyday!And last but not least I got her: 2 tickets for me and her to go see Footloose at the Arizona Broadway Theatre which includes dinner and the show and I got her a cute outfit to go to Hawaii too!

So all in all a WONDERFUL day!Last day of work and I plan on not thinking about that place one single bit while I'm gone, wonderful advice not to mention being pampered and spoiled by Mona and her lovely salon crew, and finally an amazing birthday celebration for Mama Klaff spent with my FANTASTIC FAMILY! Tomorrow's post should include some shenanigans from my very best buddy Tiffany's baby shower and I'm sure pictures will follow!

Until next time all my loyal followers...

<3 Stace <3

P.S. Let me also just throw this out there and you can send it right back if you want, but the Chipotle Ranch dressing that I sold on my Mexican Shrimp Salad this week that I personally made is the most RIDICULICIOUS (that's right a combination of ridiculous and delicious) that I have ever put in my mouth before!I'm contemplating bottling it and selling it or possibly just doing shots of it everyday at work.

P.P.S. My new slogan for dealing with men and relationships is: "That's what happens when you play with fire...Your ass is bound to get burned!!!" (That one was all for you Michelle!) And essentially just so you can get the gist of the slogan, it's referring to how men can just screw you over royally, leave you picking up the pieces of your life, leave you an emotional wreck, and they go on with their lives.Well, that's not going to work anymore fellas!This girl ain't going out without a fight!Just remember that!!! =D

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA KLAFF! I LOVE YOU SO FREAKING MUCH!

My vacation getaway!!!

So not much to report today other than the fact that tomorrow is my last day at work for a week so that I can vacation on the lovely white sandy beaches of Hawaii.You have no idea how unbelievably excited I am about this trip since my last Hawaii trip was such a disaster. (That is way too long of a story to tell at this time, but I'm sure it'll be posted on here at some point. Moral at the end of the day about that vacation: NEVER EVER LET YOUR BROTHER'S GIRLFRIEND VACATION WITH YOU!)

So me and my Mom and Dad will be staying at a beach house in Kailua on the island of Oahu for 1 week. (Not long enough at all, but I will take what I can get!) Our martial arts instructor/adopted grandfather Professor Libert O'Sullivan lives over there and we will be spending some much needed and deserved time with him and his family.I'm so anxious to finally meet his wife and spend some quality time with his ohana!As for all of my favorite T-Bird staff and students you will all be dearly missed, but to be honest the last thing I will be thinking about is that place!I'm just happy to get away!Yay!

So below you will find a link to the place we are renting. I will be blogging and uploading pictures while I'm over there, hopefully! *FINGERS CROSSED* More to come on all that! Hope you all had a TERRIFIC THURSDAY today and I will be in touch!

Kailua Vacation

Until next time...ALOHA and MAHALO!

<3 Stace <3

Sara Bareilles - King Of Anything

This is a video that I'm watching right now and since the song has been stuck in my head all day long I figured it should get stuck in all of your heads as well. I love it and I adore her style and voice! She's just damn good! Hope you enjoy it!

<3 Stace <3

I'm not a dumb girl, so don't treat me like one okay???

Being a female chef in the restaurant/food service industry can be difficult. Not to toot my own horn here, but by the time I was 23 years old I had already been the Executive Chef of two different places: a wine bar and a corporate catering company. Now it is merely only a title, but I didn't get there without putting in some incredibly hard work, sweat, tears and even a little blood! LOL! In the martial arts world I am a 5th degree Black Belt and have trained for over 18 years. So while, not many women can say that they have accomplished both of these things in their lives, I have and I'm damn proud of it!!!

With that said, anyone who knows me knows that I still look like I'm 14 years old. I still get that a lot actually. A lady at the grocery store last year asked me if I was out of school for Christmas break and I said oh no I'm not in school and she said oh your high school isn't out for Christmas break yet? Good case in point as to why looks are super deceiving!!!Let me give you a little background on my life...Just super quick so stay with me and I'll get to my eventual point! =D

Growing up I was a HUGE tomboy and I wanted to be just like my brother.I never wore the dreaded skirts or eek...tights!LOL!So I wanted to be just like him and I must admit I had a mullet and when I went swimming I wore no shirt and shorts just like my big bro!I was forbidden to wear makeup by my parents, not like I wanted to anyway!I really didn't start coming into my "feminine zone" until I graduated from high school in 2002.Then it was a full 360 in the opposite direction!Now those who know me well enough know that I have an absolute obsession for glitter and makeup and even rhinestones.To me putting on makeup is like painting a portrait.I was never very good at art, so I figure I'll just make art on my face!And as I've gotten older the number of shorts has definitely decreased only to be replaced by dresses, skirts and my new favorite fad: rompers. (By the way I have 45 dresses and counting in my closet as we speak!Ridiculous I know, but I'm embracing my new found identity with a lot of vigor, not to mention a lot of money!)

So with that background noted, let me get to the subject of my blog today: "I'm not a dumb girl, so please don't treat me like one okay???" This current statement is directed at those professional individuals who I have come across in the 2 very male-dominated atmospheres that I pursue. Example A: After going to a food show I had a chef look at me and say "You're too pretty to be a chef.You should work the makeup counter at Dillard's." Well let me tell you buddy if I wouldn't have been so professional and a respectable young lady then I definitely would've thrown down with you in the middle of the Phoenix Civic Plaza!Let me tell you!You don't know how lucky you are!Although I love to be respected as a woman, I would  much rather you measure my ability not by how I look but how good I am at what I do!And believe me Mr. Chef with a Serious Napoleonic Complex, I could probably run circles around you, and do it without breathing heavily and breaking a sweat!

Today was a perfect example of how people underestimate my abilities.Just because I'm a girl and anatomically speaking I have boobs and blonde highlights doesn't mean that I don't have a brain like Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan!I actually have something going on up there unlike most girls made of plastic!I will not mention any names here or rant about my job, but please just do me the favor and show me some respect!Because believe me you sorely underestimate my abilities!Just because I make delicious salads doesn't mean the my culinary degree is only in making salads.I didn't spend $30,000 on my education to just make salads!Much to common disbelief  I know how to do it all, and in fact could run the kitchen better with more organization, precision and less stress than you are.So don't come at me with attitude and please don't disrespect me because although I'm a professional I will have no problem shanking you in the side of the neck with a meat thermometer!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAAHA!I hope you all know I'm kidding about that, so please don't get scared!

So enough with my ranting for one day: Just know that I'm a girly girl down to the core and yes I like glitter, makeup, accessories, getting pedicures and shopping, but I don't mind getting dirty, and watching a UFC match or sweating like a whore in church in my martial arts classes every night!STACEY KLAFF IS HERE TO STAY AND I DEMAND SOME RESPECT!!!

~The End~

<3 Stace <3

Hope you all stayed with me on that one!!! =D