Island Pie

We're home from Hawaii, but I guess we aren't quite over our vacation! We had a pie contest at church this past week, and rather than making something tried-and-true, I decided to make something I'd never even tasted. Maybe not the best strategy for a contest, but this recipe kept the island vibe alive....

This is my Prize Winning Entry! Coconut Mac Nut Pie with Coconut Cream.....

Before the contest, I tried a couple of different placemats for display options, since one of the prizes was for presentation, which is the prize I won... I opted for the bamboo mat in the pic below for my entry, along with sea shells from my art box. The whipped coconut cream was served in one of my recent Value Village http://www.valuevillage.com/ finds, and the ruffled dish, white bowl and silver pie server are from other VV thrift shopping adventures.

Kate asked about my prize- I won a SILPAT mat for non-stick cooking, an apple green (my current favorite color) silcone spatula by Le Creuset, and a BEST Balloon Whip, all from Sur la Table. http://www.surlatable.com/ COOL!)

This pie is similar to pecan pie- sweet and VERY rich. And you won't want to skip the coconut cream- I have to say, it's worth every calorie!

(Macadamia nuts are a bit pricey, but I saved about $2 by buying the macadamia nuts in the bulk food section instead of the prepackaged ones.)

Coconut & Mac Nut Pie with Coconut Cream

adapted from Marshall Islands Macadamia Nut Pie by Linda Waddy, allrecipes.com

Your favorite recipe for a 9-inch single pie crust shell, unbaked
2/3 C. coconut, divided
2 C. coarsely chopped raw (or lightly salted) macadamia nuts
4 eggs
1 C. light corn syrup
1/2 C. white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. rum flavoring
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C. heavy whipping cream
3 T. cream of coconut
1/2 tsp. coconut flavoring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Press 1/3 C. coconut into bottom and sides of unbaked pie shell.
In large bowl, mix eggs, corn syrup, sugar, vanilla, rum flavoring, and salt until well blended.
Fold in nuts. Pour into pie shell.
Sprinkle remaining coconut over top or around the filling edge next to crust rim.
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325, and continue to bake until top is brown and filling is set, about 30-35 minutes more. Let pie cool.

To make topping: Whip cream to soft peaks. Gradually add cream of coconut and coconut flavoring, whipping just until incorporated.
Slice pie into small wedges, serve with the coconut cream, and enjoy a taste of the islands! (Then plan on doing some extra hula workouts...)

Aloha Kauai!

We had a great vacation, filled with biking, kayaking, wakeboarding, star gazing, snorkeling, horseback riding, and lots more. We came home to cooler weather, but at least the sun was shining to help us transition back to work! Here are just a few more quilts before we say Aloha to Hawaii.

This quilt below is one of my favorites, in the window of Kapaia Stitchery... another one designed by Lisa Boyer. It's what caught my eye as we were driving by! The pattern is called Post Cards from Hawaii. It's really my favorite kind of quilt- simple, fresh, and contemporary. (Lisa's pattern is available on her website: http://www.lisaboyer.com/ie1.htm )

More than quilts..

Kapaia Stitchery also had beautiful materials for "stitching up" the chickens found all over the island of Kauai....

And in case you wanted a lei that lasts longer than the fresh flower version, here is one made from fabric yo-yos.

flora

Polka dots...









and pops of periwinkle blue.

Have a wonderful day!

Kapaia Quilts

I'm glad I noticed this shop as we were driving by! We'd made a special trip to the Kauai Museum to see a quilt exhibit there, only to find that the promotional materials were wrong- no quilt show. So Kapaia Stitchery was a great find.

Not sure, but I think this is another Lisa Boyer design, Happy Hula Huts:

This one is Lisa's for sure: Baby Honu Sea Turtle:

You can't tell from the photos, but the turtle legs are actually turned pieces so they are attached to the shell and move freely from the quilt. (Does that make sense?) Very cute.

Here are some colorful pineapples, symbols of hospitality and iconic Hawaiian motifs.

I like how the half square triangles and piano key borders change color as they go around the quilt, and they repeat the colors and fabrics of the pineapples. And how the use of warm and cool colors creates a shaded effect on the pineapples, that is then repeated by the borders. (I don't tend to think out my quilts so carefully- maybe I should try that!)

Island Kids Quilt

This cute quilt is from Kapaia Stitchery on Kauai, Hawaii. (Sorry I don't have a better photo- the quilts were hung from the ceiling and with the fans keeping the shop cool, they were also moving a bit!)

They each had cute details, like a beaded bracelet...

... or button flowers in their hair. (I count 26 pieces the block above, and 24 in this paper pieced block, not including the borders. In other words, a lot of work!)

( Thanks Sandy, for finding the designer info! Lisa Boyer http://www.lisaboyer.com/

is the talented designer of this quilt pattern. It's called Keiki Hula.)

Peace One Day

Did you know today was International Peace Day? I hope you had a peaceful day, and that we all do whatever we can to promote peace and harmony in the world!

http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/

I'm gonna mark my calendar for next year....

Kauai Quilting...

Our Hawaii trip included a stop at Kapaia Stitchery on Kauai. It may not have been the highlight of my husband's vacation, but he was very patient...

... and the friendly staff graciously allowed me to take lots of photos!

They have kits and patterns for traditional Hawaiian quilts and pillows, along with a large selection of fabrics including many Hawaiian prints to make your own tropical quilts.

More tomorrow!

Natural Materials

I love playing in the sand...

Eating delicious fruit...

And seeing the beauty in the little things around us...

Have a wonderful day!

IBOL Count...

Have you been over to http://ibol.wordpress.com/ lately? That's where you can check out the progress of the stash-busting service project organized by U.S. Major LaFlamme... he wanted to do something to help the people of Iraq before he's on his way home to Hawaii. The bundle count is now up to THREE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY SIX!!! One man who decided to make a difference combined with the power of all of us to do a little bit...well, I think it's WONDERFUL!!

A few more from Hawaii...

Here are a few more Hawaiian applique quilts...





This is a large quilt, I think full bed size...

Love all that hand quilting!

There is Beauty All Around..

if we just look for it...

Hawaiian Quilts

These beautiful examples of Hawaiian quilting are from the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu.

Back in college, I made a pillow using this applique technique for a "GEOLOGY of Hawaii"

class. For a geology class??? I know. Makes no sense.

It was the 70s, what can I say...

I don't know what became of my yellow orange/orange pillow that had nothing to do lava, volcanoes, or island formation.

Aloha!

This is a lap quilt I made for my twin sister in honor of our 50th birthay. (Yes, that was a few years ago- 5 to be exact!!!)

She and her husband hosted a party for us- a luau complete with a Hawaiian musicians and dancers. Naturally, the entertainment included embarrassing ourselves as we did our best to look like tourists on Waikiki.

I used a fabric with bird of paradise for the border. We grew up with those flowers in our yard, and we also had a framed pastel of them in our living room for many years. So it worked well with the party connection and a little piece of our childhood too.

The backing fabric also included bird of paradise...

I have the quilt back at my house to finally put a label on it! (Soon, I promise, Sis!!!)

Red Work

On a visit with my grandgirls, I was doing some redwork for a baby quilt, so I thought they might like to give it a try. They were eager to learn, and I thought that at ages 4 and 6, they did a great job, patiently poking the needle through the cloth to get the stitch in just the right spot.

They each made a little pillow...

...while I worked on these squares...

...to make this.

Our quilt group held a charity show last spring, and this was one of the raffle quilts. We made a large stacked coins quilt to give away, and the leftovers made great sashing for this baby quilt. I drew the pictures on the white cloth with pencil, and my friend Nan and I embroidered them. I love using up every little bit!

IBOL Super Sauce

The Iraqi Bundles of Love guy asked us to have a celebration! I couldn't pass up a reason for ice cream!! (Like I EVER NEED a reason...)
I mailed my second bundle of fabric and yarn-hope yours is mailed or will be by Tuesday! Then have your own celebration with Maj. La Flamme's IBOL Super Sauce: http://ibol.wordpress.com/2009/09/05/ibol-supersauce/

I couldn't wait for the sauce, so my sundae was Triple Caramel Chunk, served in a cute striped thrifted bowl. (Okay, I admit it, I ate the whole thing...)

Sunshine and Clouds Make Rainbows...

We've been house sitting for friends for the past two years...yesterday's rain provided another wonderful scene. We'll miss views like this when we move home next spring!