Wasabi Media Group (WMG) announces our largest contest ever.  Almost $2,000 in prizes and everyone that enters is guaranteed to get at least $50 in free advertising!!

The Prize Packs

Prize Pack 1 ($1,000 value) - A Free Business Edition Wiki for 1 Year at PBWiki - http://www.pbwiki.com

Prize Pack 2 ($100 value) – Permanent Featured Links in:

• WNPay http://www.wnpay.com
• Select Index http://www.selectindex.com
• Arctic Development http://www.arcticdevelopment.org
• Traffic4Us http://www.traffic4.us
• Wincyclopedia http://www.wincyclopedia.com

Prize Pack 3 ($100 Value) - $100 Sphere at AdSpheres - http://www.adspheres.com

Prize Pack 4 ($20 Value) - $20 Bidded Link at BountyWorld

Prize Pack 5 ($100 Value) - 5 Seats of Targeted Software at Aatmani - http://www.aatmani.com

Prize Pack 6 ($20 Value) - Site Review Package at Select Index Blog - http://www.selectindex.com/blog

Prize Pack 7 ($60 Value) -  1 Year Text Link at PageRankr - http://www.pagerankr.com

Prize Pack 8 ($50 Value) - 3 Months of a 160 x 600 Banner Ad on Tutorial Area - http://www.tutorialarea.com

Prize Pack 9 ($30 Value) - 5,000 visitors via Win Free Candy - http://www.winfreecandy.com

Prize Pack 10 ($120 Value) - 20,000 EntreCard Points

How To Enter

To take part in this drawing you need to sign up for the Wasabi Media Group Advertiser Newsletter by using the form here: http://www.wasabimediagroup.com/advertiser_subscribe1.php. By signing up and confirming your email, you will receive 5 tickets.  As a bonus, everyone that enters gets an automatic $50 in free advertising on our network!

You also can get five additional entries by writing about this contest in your blog.   An entrant only needs to mention the contest and link to Wasabi Media Group or the contest in his or her blog.  An entrant will get the additional entries only if he or she signs up for the newsletter.

Just comment on this thread once you have entered the contest, and we will approve your entrance prize of $50 in advertising and add your tickets to the pool.  If you have blogged about this contest, please include a link to the blog post in your comment thread also.

When Does The Contest End?

The contest runs from now until November 26th at midnight EST.  Prizes will be awarded on November 27th.

As a child, I would have picked onions out of many dishes.  I wouldn’t have wanted them on a salad, in a sandwich, probably not in a soup either.  However, with age I developed a more adventurous palate.  In fact, I still am opening my mind to new foods, but that is a whole different post.

As I developed an appreciation for onions, I began to try them in different forms for a variety of dishes.  I would saute some diced onion and add it to an omelet.  Thinly sliced red onion would top a tossed salad.  Depending on whether I wanted crunch or not and a sweeter or tangier flavor would determine how I prepared the onion.

Having removed onions from my “yucky” food list, I opened myself to many more foods when dining, which led to my discovery (many years ago) of caramelized onions.  However, I remained hesitant to make them at home.  Instead, I would saute onions, but I missed that sweet flavor.  So, a few years ago, I started tinkering with a few different caramelized onion recipes, until I found a combination that worked well for me.

Although, you need about 30 minutes to prepare this recipe, most of the time is spent waiting.  It is very easy, almost fool-proof.  And for the flavor that these onions delivering, it is well worth the wait.

Caramelized Onions

1-2 Tb. extra virgin olive oil

2 yellow onions, thinly sliced

1/2 Tb. sugar

Heat a nonstick skilled over medium heat.  Coat pan with olive oil, and add onion.  Stir to coat with oil.  Allow onions to cook slowly, lowering heat if onions appear to be browning too quickly (or burning).  Stir occasionally.  Add sugar after the first 15 minutes of cooking.  Continue to cook for another 15 minutes, or until onions are golden brown and extremely tender.

After a very big dinner at an Italian restaurant on Saturday, neither of us were hungry for breakfast the next morning.  However, as the morning passed, our appetites awakened.  Being a Sunday with not much on our schedule, we decided to do a little grocery shopping in the morning and make sandwiches for lunch.

Typically, a sandwich conjures thoughts of two pieces of bread with a little bit of filling.  Well. . .that isn’t quite what we had in mind.  As we didn’t go to the grocery store until 11, our feeling of not being hungry was far gone.  And being foodies, we had specific ideas in mind, such as caramelizing onions and roasting a turkey breast instead of buying turkey from the deli.

I will admit that I did cut one corner in making this sandwich.  I bought canned whole berry cranberry sauce.  I would have preferred homemade, but to allow it to cool and set would have taken hours, and I was quite hungry by then!

With all of our ingredients, we headed for home and started our cooking.  My husband seasoned the turkey and placed it in our rotisserie.  I sliced the onions and began the process of caramelizing.  Once these items were nearly ready, we diced and sliced vegies and cheese.  The product of my work was an amazing turkey sandwich.  My husband’s, on the other hand, was a monstrous club with layers of many ingredients.  However, I believe they were similar, in that both sandwiches were the ultimate sandwich for each of us.

Michele’s Ultimate Turkey Sandwich

2 slices whole wheat bread

mayonnaise

1-2 lettuce leaves, preferably Romaine or Butter

1 cooked turkey cutlet*, sliced

Sharp cheddar cheese slices

Whole berry cranberry sauce

Preheat broiler.  Put a thin layer of mayonnaise on one slice of bread.  Top with lettuce, then turkey.  Use enough cheddar to cover turkey layer.  Place sandwich under broiler briefly. (Just long enough to melt cheese, but not long enough to make bread toasted.)  Top with cranberry sauce and second piece of bread.  Slice in half, and enjoy.

*To prepare turkey cutlet:  Coat cutlet with a mixture of salt, pepper, and sage.  Cook in rotisserie according to manufacturer’s recommendations.

It’s fall in New England, so what are you going to do on a blustery weekend afternoon besides go apple picking?  That is exactly what my husband and I did this past Saturday with two of our children.  The apple picking was a little confusing, as the orchard we chose did not mark their rows well, but it was fun nonetheless.

We have many, many apples in our refrigerator now.  One type of apples we wanted were no longer available for picking, so we bought a half peck of those.  Then when we went to the picking location, we learned that the minimum amount to pick was a peck!  Now, we do like apples, but one and a half pecks is quite a bit of apples.

Therefore, there have been lots of apple dishes and snacks in our house.  Of course, we have eaten them plain, used them as dippers in cheese fondue, peanut butter, or caramel sauce.  I also will be making a variety of baked goods with them, such as individual pies, bread, and crisp.  However, I needed a simple appetizer the other night and wondered how I could incorporate apples.  The obvious answer:  make salsa.

Let me start by stating that this salsa has less liquid than a typical salsa and is hard to scoop with a tortilla chip.  However, this salsa has a delicious, unique flavor.  It was enjoyed by everyone, kids and adults alike.  So, while you need to keep a spoon in the bowl to scoop some onto your chip, it is worth it.  Give it a try, if you are looking for a munchy that has a great fall look and taste.

Need a Spoon Apple Salsa

2 apples, cored and cubed

4 Tb. lime juice

1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and diced

1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 tsp. dried cilantro (2 Tb. fresh can be used)

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Place apples in a large bowl, add lime juice, and toss well.  Add remaining ingredients and toss again.  Should be chilled for an hour to allow flavors to blend.  Serve with tortilla chips using a spoon!

During our honeymoon, my husband and I stayed at three different hotels, each of which included breakfast in our package. Besides getting to enjoy an array of amenities at each hotel, we also got to enjoy a variety of breakfasts.

The first hotel during our trip was the Grand Hyatt in Kauai. At this hotel, breakfast was served as a buffet. This buffet offered a wide variety of breakfast dishes. There was an omelet/egg station, a wide assortment of fresh fruit, a bagel station (including lox and capers), pastries and breads. Also, there were a daily egg special, such as Eggs Benedict, a hot breakfast entrée (such as pancakes), oatmeal, miso soup, rice, bread pudding, bacon and some variety of sausage. Typical breakfast beverages were served, and diners were offered a sample of a fruit smoothie each morning.

Our second stay was at the Hyatt Regency in Maui. Much like the previous Hyatt, a buffet was the breakfast offering. However, this buffet offered a few more choices. Each day there were two different sausages, more breads and pastries from which to choose, and steamed fish. However, the hot egg dish always was Eggs Benedict and didn’t vary daily as the other Hyatt did.

The third hotel was Hotel Hana Maui. This hotel was much smaller and had fewer breakfast choices. Breakfast was served a la carte and included a tray of fresh fruit and freshly baked bread, juice or more fruit, and coffee. The breakfast menu had about 10 items from which diners could choose, all of which were made from locally grown or raised ingredients. The menu included two different omelets, Eggs Benedict made with local fish, and taro pancakes.

Having experienced less than excellent dinners at our first two locations, breakfasts definitely were the eating highlight of that part of our honeymoon. At each hotel that we stayed, we had attentive servers, delicious food choices, and no bill. Plus, with dining on premises, it always was a short walk or elevator ride to breakfast, which is a plus on vacation. No need to get in the car and find a diner or coffee shop.

After our excellent dinner at the chef’s tasting, we decided that even though our restaurant choices were limited, we were certain to have great dinners.  Thankfully, we were correct.

While typically I would detail the meals that we ate when dining at a restaurant, I decided to describe Ka’uiki differently.  The reason for this is that the menu changes frequently to utilize locally grown or raised foods.  For example, if there is no local pork available that day, there won’t be a pork dish as an option on the menu.  While this makes it hard to return to the restaurant and be assued of receiving your favorite dish, it does guarantee that your meals are made with the freshest ingredients.

Every night of our stay in Hana we dined at the hotel.  On the second night, we made a reservation and had dinner at Ka’uiki.  We ate a luxurious multi-course meal, starting with a shared appetizer, then progressed to dinner and dessert.  Every dish we ordered was well prepared and elegantly presented.

For our third night of our stay, we decided to have a more casual dinner and ate in the Paniolo Lounge.  Listening to local musicians while enjoying a couple appetizers, a salad, and a burger, we were just as pleased with this meal.  Again the food was delicious and beautiful.

Our dining at the Hotel Hana-Maui was the best that we experienced in our entire trip to Hawaii.  Even though we were in our most remote location (We didn’t even have cell phone coverage!), we enjoyed the most visually and gastrically appealing meals.  As foodies, we had found a gourmet utopia.  What a wonderful way to end our honeymoon!

Reading our Maui tour guide, I began to realize how remote of a location Hana was.  Reviewing the dining in Hana, our guide listed three restaurants.  And, to add to the lack of choices, they strongly advised skipping one of the restaurants.  Having experienced mediocre dining in Lahaina, I was wondering if we would be pretty hungry during our stay in Hana.

Fortunately, we had the best food of the trip in Hana.  Staying at the Hotel Hana-Maui, we experienced three nights of wonderful dinners and three mornings of delicious breakfasts.

On our first night at the hotel, we saw a Chef’s Tasting scheduled at Ka’uiki (the hotel restaurant) for that evening.  Reservations were made, and we ventured to the restaurant for this limited seat event.  We started our meal with a glass of Piper Sonoma Brut.  After savoring a few sips, our first course appeared.  Served family style, there were dishes of Local Style Ahi Sashimi with Fresh Grated Volcano Wasabi, Kona Lobster Ceviche with Avocado, Mango and Taro Crisps, Big Eye Ahi Poke with Hawaiian Chile and Maui Onion, and Freshly Pounded Keanae Poi.  Both my husband and I found the poke to be our favorite appetizer.  This meal was complimented with Terlano Pinot Bianco.

After sampling all of those delicious hors d’oeurves and having a few moments to converse with our dinner companions, more dishes were brought to the table.  For this round, there were Whole Wok Fried Kona Kampachi, Kahanu Gardens Ulu and Black Tiger Prawn Cakes, and Locally Grown Waialua Asparagus Tempura with Ponzu Sauce.  The prawn cakes were amazing, and if it weren’t for the fact that there were more courses to come, I could have eaten several of these.  My husband favored the asparagus tempura. These dishes were served with Chateau de Jau Cotes du Roussillon Villages.

The chef paced this meal very well.  Although, I was choosing smaller portions, I didn’t feel rushed or overly full.  Next to grace our table were Maui Cattle Company Lau Lau, Wehani Red Hawaiian Rice dusted with Furikake Spices, and Steam Molokai Sweet Potato with Coconut Cream.  I almost skipped sampling the rice, as I didn’t want to fill my stomach too soon, but luckily I took a serving.  It was the best part of this course for me.  For my husband, the sweet potatoes excelled.  Neyers “Novillero Vineyard” Chardonnay was paired with this part of the meal.

Finally, dessert was served.  We were offered a Local Tropical Fruit Display, Haupia, and Pineapple Upside-down Cake.  Although by this point I was quite satiated, I tried a few bites of each.  For this last portion of the meal, my husband and I again chose the same dish to be our favorite, the pineapple cake.

Our first night in Hana revived our faith in finding good Hawaiian dining.  We were hopeful that the excellent food would be abundant during the next two nights of our stay in Hana.

Let me start this post by confessing that my husband and I are foodies.  However, we also are willing to pay more to receive great food.  So, when we dine at a restaurant, we are looking for flavorful food that is presented well.  Sadly, during our stay on the west side of Maui, we didn’t find many exciting restaurants.

Arriving in the late afternoon, we decided to dine at Cascades Restaurant and Sushi Bar within the Hyatt at which we were staying.  While the food was sufficient, it wasn’t the superior food that one would expect at a hotel such as this.  The Sweet Maui Onion Rings that we ordered as an appetizer lacked seasoning and had a slightly heavy breading.  My Kula Caesar Salad with grilled chicken was solid, as was my husband’s array of sushi.  However, neither were remarkable.

On our second night, we had a disappointing appetizer at Longboards and decided not to stay for dinner.  (You can read the review posted yesterday.)  However, we did find an excellent location for martinis, which was reviewed on our sister site, Parched No More.

On our third night, we opted to dine in our room.  Having shopped at a farmer’s market earlier in the day, we enjoyed a combination of homemade tortilla chips, pineapple salsa, fresh guacamole, and passionfruit cream cheese.  (The cream cheese combined with the salsa made an excellent dip!)

On our final night in this location, we decided that we had tried enough expensive restaurants that disappointed to us and headed to Maui Tacos.  Expecting fast food, we were not disappointed.  Our barbecue pork nachos were generously portioned and had a nice, sweet yet savory flavor.  Both of our soft tacos, one chicken and one fish, were enjoyable.  While this was nothing gourmet, it was tasty and well worth the $16.34 that we spent.

On a Thursday in Hawaii, we decided to start our night a little later and began our walk down the beach path around 7. We had seen a restaurant named Longboards that looked quite appealing the previous day, as it had outdoor seating with beach chairs in the sand and small tables on a terrace.

When we arrived, we were told that it was a 30 minute wait. In no hurry, we agreed and found comfortable chairs in the lounge area. Asking a couple who sat near us if there were waitstaff in this area, they said no. My husband headed to the bar, where no one asked what he needed. In fact, I watched a bartender purposely avoid eye contact while my husband asked about placing a drink order. As my husband was not going to return without beverages, he talked to this bartender until finally he took our drink order.

Perhaps it would have been better had we not ordered drinks. My blended mango drink was fair, but my husband’s frozen drink was not as described in the menu. His drink was to have been a blend of coffee and macadamia flavors. However, the overbearing taste was chocolate.

Our wait was less than the 30 minutes we were told, which was nice. Unfortunately, this is not the point where the story makes a turn for the better. Our waitress was slow to greet us and seemed confused by the question, “Are there specials today?” We ordered the Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps as an appetizer and viewed the menu for a second round of drinks. The cocktail menu listed only frozen drinks, beer, and wine. My husband wisely chose a Mai Tai (anyone can pour Mai Tai mix and top it with dark rum). Foolishly, I ordered a mango martini. It was the thickest martini I have been served.  Ever.

By the time the lettuce wraps arrived, we knew that our time at Longboard’s would be ending soon. We did enjoy the wraps, which were served as a make your own assembly line. However, nothing on the dinner menu was very appealing, and the service was getting worse. While in the ladies’ room, a waiter came and took 2 of the 4 chairs at our table without asking. Granted there were 2 left, but he took the one in which I had been sitting.

We requested our bill, paid quickly, and said a grateful farewell to Longboards.

While staying on Kauai, Gaylord’s came recommended as an excellent restaurant that served Hawaiian fare. It was indicated that this restaurant offered upscale dining. Being foodies in search of excellent local fare, we made a reservation for dinner.

Arriving after dark, it was a little confusing to find both the entrance for the driveway and the entrance for the restaurant. Once we found the restaurant and hostess station, we were seated promptly and given menus. We perused the drink menu and searched for a menu page that detailed the history of this plantation. Sadly, there was no history to be found.

Having chosen cocktails, we awaited the arrival of our server. A very friendly waiter stopped and asked if we had been helped, but as we started to answer, a waitress appeared and claimed us as her customers. She took our drink and appetizer orders and left.

Drinks arrived in short time. Our appetizer of Baked Brie with Roasted Garlic arrived shortly thereafter. The brie and garlic made an excellent taste combination and were served with grapes and crusty bread. Even as our favorite dish, it had issues. The center of the brie was cold and lacked a spreadable consistency.

For dinner, each of us ordered a salad and entrée. I chose the Asparagus and Prosciutto Salad and Chicken Kauai, while my husband ordered the Roasted Beet Salad and Prime Rib of Pork with Roasted Macadamia Nuts. All of these dishes were disappointments.

My salad was supposed to contain shaved prosciutto, however, the meat had the taste and consistency of ham that had been cooked until crunchy. Additionally, the salad was finished with Kauai honey dressing with essence of white truffle oil. Served on the side, by request, it tasted more like plain honey. Any essence was lost. My entrée was described as chicken with papaya and pineapple served in a port wine macadamia nut cream sauce. What it tasted like was a plain white sauce that had some macadamia nuts added.

My husband’s choices were no better. His salad was disappointing also. Supposedly containing red and yellow beets, he bit into what he thought was a yellow beet only to discover it was grapefruit. While the salad had a variety of flavors, it did not contain the ingredients the menu described (including the yellow beets). Finally, his pork was abysmal. Told by the waitress that it was best served medium, he agreed. What was delivered was a well done, tough piece of pork.

Gaylord’s was a major disappointment. We chose this restaurant for a taste of both history and good Hawaiian dining. What we received was a hefty bill and disappointed minds and stomachs.