Maui

A few weeks ago, I got the chance to go to Maui with my husband as part of his work trip. Neither of us had been before, and it was truly magical! We spent the whole time relaxing at the beach or by the pool at the resort, and eating and drinking very well. We both came home with a bit of a sunburn and many happy memories. So I decided I'd try to re-create our experience at home.

 

Every morning at the hotel, we'd have passion orange guava juice for breakfast. I became obsessed! So tropical and refreshing! Well, after a little bit of searching, I found the same juice at a local supermarket. So now I can have a taste of Maui every morning at home. Yum! (I might have to try a passion orange guava cupcake soon)

We also ate a lot of taro and purple sweet potato, specifically macadamia and ginger crusted sweet potato wedges at dinner one night. I normally love any potato dish, and the fact that these were purple just sent me over the edge. While I couldn't find the purple variety in stores, I did find taro chips! It's actually a blend of taro, sweet potato, and other root vegetables. Quite tasty!

One souvenir I did take home was the kukui nut leis given to us upon check in at the hotel. The kukui tree is the state tree of Hawaii, and in Maui it is a symbol of peace. Although I was a bit disappointed not to get a floral lei, in the end these were better since they don't wilt and die.

I also found a lovely Maui candle, scented like Mai Tais. I drank my fair share of them on vacation, so now anytime I want to remember Maui I can light the candle and put the lei on, close my eyes and dream of the ocean.

 Hopefully we'll be back to Hawaii soon, since it's only a 5 hour flight from California. Just a quick jump over the Pacific and you're in paradise! But until then, I'll have to make do with my memories.