What movies would make your all-time list?

By • December 2, 2013 • Musings, The Daily Dish
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I found a website called List Challenges that has lists of everything from the the Top 50 Best Books for Kids to the 83 Desserts To Try Before You Die. You click on the ones you’ve seen or the places you’ve been to, then you post your score to Facebook for others to see.

The one I did recently — and was thoroughly depressed about — was the Top 250 Movies of All Time. I saw only 97 of them. That’s pretty pathetic.

I thought about why I haven’t seen more movies. All I can think of is that in the last few years I’ve given up on going to the movie theater — too expensive, takes too long, I don’t like sticky theater floors — and I never seem to have a couple of hours to spare to watch Netflix. (I’ve had “Crazy, Stupid, Love” for something like five months.)

But that’s no excuse.

Some of these movies are classics like “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” and “The Grapes of Wrath.” And others are just cult favorites such as “Pulp Fiction,” “The Big Lebowski” and “Princess Mononoke.” And still others are quasi-new like “Inglourious Basterds” and “Intouchables.”

Sadly, of the ones I just mentioned, I’ve only seen three.

The list was interesting, to say the least. There were horror films, animated movies, romantic comedies, dramas, even sequels.

Check it out.

What movies would make your all-time list?

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Make it Thanksgiving every day

By • November 28, 2013 • Musings, The Daily Dish
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Today is the day we all reflect on the things we’re thankful for. It could be as mundane as indoor plumbing or as meaningful as the health of the people we love.

This has been a trying year for me, and I’m thankful to just have made it through. But I’ve been blessed with so much, too, from friends who are always up for a gabfest at a new ramen shop to the sudden recovery of a nagging lower back injury. I’ve gotten to travel to five foreign countries, interview celebrity chefs and professional surfers, crew on the Hōkūleʻa, hike, surf and spend time with my dogs. I’m healthy, I’ve got the best landlords, I have medical insurance — life is good.

But here’s the thing: we shouldn’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to think about the things we normally take for granted.

It’s good that we have days like this. (I feel the same way about Valentine’s Day, too, that we shouldn’t wait until February 14 to do something special for your loved ones.) It’s a great reminder of what’s important — namely, family, friends, healthy and happiness. But we should count our blessings every day. Because like is finicky and unpredictable. You just never know what will happen tomorrow.

So enjoy today. Eat too much and don’t check your emails. Lay around the house and just watch football. Screw the chores and the laundry and just relax. And be thankful you can do that today.

Because Christmas is 27 days away, and you’ll likely not have this chance again!

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#TasteTest: Maffles

By • November 27, 2013 • Food
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The last time I went to Kaimuki Grill — for shoyu hot dogs, of course — I found out the eatery was selling something new.

It’s called Maffles — a dry mix that makes mochi waffles.

Yes, mochi waffles.

Yet another combination of two things I love.

So naturally, I had to try it out.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with mochi, it’s a Japanese rice cake made of a short-grain japonica glutinous rice. It’s typically pounded into paste and eaten during special occasions like New Year’s.

Unless you’re me. And you eat it all the time.

Maffles is basically a mochi mix that you drop into a waffle iron.

There are a bunch of recipes online — usually called “moffles” — where you place mochi batter into a waffle iron to get that crispy-chewy combination.

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Or you can use these mixes instead.

So here’s how it works.

You need the following:

1 1/2 cup of the Original Maffles mix
1/2 cup milk (We used skim)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
Powdered or granulated sugar

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Combine all the ingredients and mix for about a minute. (If you measure out the 1 1/2 cup of mix, though, you will have about a quarter-cup leftover. So you can use the entire 8-ounce bag.)

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Mix everything together. It will be sticky — not like a waffle batter.

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Get an ice cream scoop and take enough dough to make a small ball. Roll the ball in sugar to coat the outside. (Note: the sugar will make it difficult to clean your waffle iron. It’s possible to add the sugar coating after you bake the maffles.)

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Drop the ball into the center of the waffle iron — we used one that makes Belgian waffles — and press down the lid. Cook for about a minute or until the maffle is crispy brown. One bag makes about five or six waffles.

The verdict: At first, I kept expecting waffles. It looked like waffles, I thought it would taste like waffles. But it’s mochi, and once I got that in my head, I couldn’t stop eating it. It’s really the best of both worlds. You get the chewiness of mochi with that crispy crust of waffles. Love it.

Maffle Mix, comes in Original, Banana and Coconut. Each 8-ounce bag cost about $6 each. Buy Maffles at Kaimuki Grill or Don Quijote.

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#CatChat: Black Friday at Eden In Love

By • November 26, 2013 • Videos
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I may not be a fanatic shopper. But I love me a deal.

And the deals at Eden In Love Boutique at Ward Warehouse — where I often shop, I confess — is worth getting up early on Friday.

The reason why I shop there, though, isn’t because of the deals.

I shop there because its owner, Tanna Dang, is never without fashion advice for me. Which I appreciate since I’m, well, fashion inept. (I still wear clothes from college and slippers, to me, go with everything.)

So get some fashion tips for the holidays and find some great deals for gifts for that fashionista — or yourself — at Eden In Love on Friday.

Check out Eden In Love‘s Black Friday sale from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at the Ward Warehouse Conference Rooms. Best deals: 6 to 8 a.m., 50 percent off everything.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel here.

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It’s officially time to freak out

By • November 25, 2013 • Musings, The Daily Dish
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Today is Nov. 25.

That means it’s exactly one month until Christmas.

Yes, you may scream now.

So when did that happen? When did it suddenly become Christmas? I remember seeing decorated trees and holiday gift packs on display right around Halloween and thinking, “Uh, hello, Christmas isn’t for another two months.”

Then, bam. It’s here.

Normally, I’m done with my Christmas shopping by November. (Yes, I’m one of those.) But this year, I don’t know what happened. It’s not like I’ve been busier than usual — though if you follow me on Instagram, you might disagree. But maybe I’ve just kept thinking that Christmas was still a ways off.

Now it’s right around the proverbial corner.

I’ll be honest, I haven’t bought a single gift yet. Not one. I’ve written out my gift list and planned a couple of Christmas parties — poorly, I might add — but that’s about it.

I had major anxiety last night about it, too. I got up at around 2 a.m., staring at the ceiling fan and wondering, “What am I going to do?” In my mind, it’s already too late to order gifts online — not true — and I’m a huge Christmas failure — that’s debatable. Now I’ll have to brave the crowds at the mall, buying more gifts than I probably need and spending way too much money.

Am I alone in this — or are you freaking out, too?

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