Cafe Bliss

Hey all,

So I wanted to share with you a few photos from a cafe that I visited recently. It's called Fresh Cafe, and it is located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The vibe is pretty cool, and there were few people inside. Which means less noise and more relaxing atmosphere.

This cafe was quite artsy. There was a mural in the parking lot and on the building. I enjoyed the vibe of the building's surroundings and was pleasantly entertained even before I entered the cafe. In addition to being a cafe, the place also holds events! There's ZUMBA, yoga, and art & flea (an event that includes music, art, and vintage shopping). Cool cool COOL.

For reviews of the cafe itself, click HERE
For the cafe's website, click HERE

Here are a few photos from my time spent there:

A typical table inside. Minimalist and industrial with a pop of green!

The fabric colored bike stand outside the cafe. Cute <3 p="">

The art on the wall. Cuute. It made me crave breakfast food and sushi. At the same time. LOL.

Hope you all get to visit this cafe soon! It's so worth it!

Love,

Cass xx

INFORMED CITIZEN!

Hi all,

So, I went to my first real rally yesterday down in Waikiki. As a member of Aikea, an organization dedicated to fighting for the rights of working people and bringing greater awareness to social issues, I was proud to march in Waikiki to fight for my community. I don't want this post to be too much about the activism but more about my experience, since this is the first time I am writing about my participation in Aikea. 

It was an incredibly exhilarating experience, and I now know how it feels to LITERALLY stand up for your beliefs. It is one of the most exposing and vulnerable yet empowering things I have ever done. I literally stood on a sidewalk, held a sign almost as tall as me, and chanted for about an hour to fight for something I believe in. That was priceless, and I am addicted. I would gladly do it again...but in probably slightly better footwear (I was wearing slippers aka flip-flops). I would also bring a bottle (or two) of water. Lol.

Well, without further delay, here are snapshots of the day :):

 This was the sign I was holding. Pretty awesome. It was also HUGE.

The group of people in front of me. The crowd extended almost an entire city block in Waikiki. And we were grouped together. If we stood side by side, we would have reached MUCH farther.

Just a FEW members of our contingency at the Ilikai Hotel. We were protesting their plans to transition into condos. They are cutting TONS of jobs, and a lot of the protesters that day were literally fighting for their jobs in the hot sun.

To learn more about AIKEA:

http://www.aikeahawaii.org/

If anything, this rally showed me that I can put my views out there and be heard. We got a LOT of support that day from the drivers passing by! 

PS. "Aikea" is pidgin (Hawaii slang) for "I care."

Pasta Galore

Hi all,

I am typing to you with a burnt left thumb. Lol. Regardless, I wanted to share with you a GREAT new restaurant I discovered. Well, technically, my mother's friends discovered it. Anyway, this place is fantastic. 

For those of you from Hawaii or about to vacation to Hawaii, please visit Uncle Bo's in Kapahulu (I will write the full address at the end of this blogpost).

I went for a wonderful baby shower, and the restaurant gave us a "tasting menu" option (because we were a party of 10+ people). The option basically included salads, appetizers, entrees, and desserts for everyone at the table. Everyone got to share the LARGE menu items (family style). I left feeling SO full and completely satisfied. I only wish that the pace was slower, so that we could have savored the food and stretched out our stomachs a little more. Still, the food was excellent. It is a mixture of Asian and Italian. Fusion Perfecto!

I loved these two pasta entrees:

Grilled Peppered Chicken Pasta

Shrimp Pasta

The other entrees and appetizers were great as well. Anyway, I just wanted to share my wonderful experience! Hope you head down there soon! I completely and totally recommend it. The only thing is, parking may be a little difficult. There is a small private lot ($5/$6 flat rate, depending on the time of day). That gets full fast, so either go early or find street parking. Besides that, you are in for a wonderful treat.

559 Kapahulu Ave

Honolulu, HI 96815

(808) 735-8311

Price Range: $$ ($11-$30) 

http://www.unclebosrestaurant.com

Let me know: what are your favorite places to eat!

Kisses, 

Cass xx

Patriotic Cupcakes

Hey all!

I'm back with my cupcake recipe! Well, to be quite honest, it's not really a recipe. The cupcakes were made with the prepared store mix. Sad face. I didn't have enough time to whip up homemade cupcakes. But, I did individually (and painstakingly) dye separate batches of the cupcake batter to make the three layers. And of course, the frosting was homemade (as detailed in my previous post)!

So, without further delay, here's the recipe:
(source: http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/celebrating-the-red-white-and-blue-with-cupcakes/)

Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes

1 box of white cake/cupcake mix  

Red Food Coloring

Blue Food Coloring

buttercream icing (recipe in previous blogpost)

red sprinkles

Directions:

Follow the directions on the box to mix the cake batter.  Divide equally into three bowls.  Leave one bowl white, and add colorings to the other bowls to get red and blue.  Layer the batters into your cupcake liners by the spoonful (I layered the red, white, and then the blue).  You can be neat with flat layers or just goop it in for a more swirly effect.  Follow the box’s instructions for cupcake baking time.

The cupcakes turned out great! Photos are below:

The completed cupcakes with the frosting and sprinkles.

An inside view of my layers (I went with a layered but still swirly effect!)

Step by step collage!

If you have any questions or comments, let me know! Also, if you make these, let me know how they turn out! Happy baking.

Kisses,

Cassie xx

Baking Time - Homemade Butter Cream Frosting (with Recipe)!

Hey all,

For Fourth of July, I have decided to make red, white, and blue cupcakes. I'm sure I will be posting the recipe for the cupcakes shortly, but I decided to make the frosting first. Normally, since I do not always have the time, I would just drop by a local grocery store and grab a jar of prepared frosting. BUT, I have decided to stick to more natural ingredients! 

The recipe for the buttercream frosting:

source: http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/celebrating-the-red-white-and-blue-with-cupcakes/

1/2 c.  unsalted butter

4 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar 

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

5-6 tbsp. milk

I used REAL BUTTER, pure powdered cane sugar, pure vanilla extract, and organic 2% milk. I know that these ingredients can be a little pricey, so if you prefer to stick to the non-organic ingredients, I totally understand. :) Also, I suggest using real ALL-FAT butter. I am a little scared of whole milk, and I think it's a little TOO rich for me. BUT I think it would be great to use with frosting, since frosting is essentially all fat and sugar. :)

I will be posting a picture of my final product when I post a picture of the cupcakes. Until then, I will post a picture of my workspace. Baking is messy, but always fun! Don't you agree? 

Kisses,

Cassie xxx