free shipping at ali'i kula lavender

click over to ali'i kula lavender's online shop today to enjoy complimentary shipping on all orders over $50. while aromatherapy may be the first thing that comes to mind when one pictures a field filled with the lilac hued bloom, ali'i kula lavender has partnered with local artisanal foodmakers to create an array of treats enhanced with lavender's signature floral flavor.

stock up on gourmet goodies made with the maui grown lavender and explore a culinary world of lavender infused lilikoi jelly, chocolate brownies, strawberry syrup and more.

bon appétit!

happy hearts mochi

chocolate haupia

it seems there is a new mochi lady in town. the original mochi lady whipped up gourmet versions of the japanese confection in her little cottage that had folks lining outside her door in the wee hours of the morning. luckily for customers, her secrets have now been passed on from the master mochi maker to her apprentice, the new proprietress of happy hearts mochi.

as evidenced by the photos, each piece is made by hand to create sweet delights like chocolate haupia, peanut butter, hazelnut coffee haupia, and strawberry when in season. it is mochi which has been elevated to a little luxury treat and reminds me of the artistry found in the glass cases of a patisserie or chocolatier.

bento sampler haupia

happy hearts mochi is available by advance order (minimum 2 days notice) and in numerous configurations to satisfy your guests be it for a family potluck, office party, or wedding. and, since it has been proven to be especially popular during new year's and other holidays, make sure to mark october 1st on your calendar to guarantee your holiday order is in the books.

take a peek at the rest of the ground rules and the ever important price list before placing an order for your next celebration.

ani's bake shop

apple sweetbread . . . yum!

one of our traditions when we go home is to buy a loaf of ani's apple sweetbread to enjoy at the beach after my fella's dawn patrol sessions. it is so ono and i like to tell myself that the apple filling counts as a serving of fruit. the only problem is that even though ani's is stocked at stores like longs and foodland there is never any guarantee that the apple bread will be on the shelf.

so before we headed to the airport, we stopped by ani's bake shop in the halawa industrial park (adjacent to mauna loa hq) to pick up a few loaves to send to a friend. the bake shop is sweetbread heaven with every flavor ani's makes available and freshly baked to boot. in addition to apple, you can grab loaves of sweetbread with coconut, guava & more fruit fillings as well as taro bread and our friend's favorite mac nut cinnamon bread.

one thing i learned during my visit is that ani's is a sweet local success story of a mom & pop business that makes over a million dollars a year in revenue . . . that's a lot of bread! read more and get inspired at the star-bulletin.

another surprise was the small case at the register filled with a variety of donuts which are quite satisfying if you have a sweet tooth. the donuts are not available online but you can take your pick of ani's sweetbreads on their website.

map it!

big island delights

 

thanks to the melting point of chocolate, fedex is the go to man for big island delights which means you still have time to stuff yourself or someone you love silly with ono snacks this holiday. the family run business whips up everything from furikake party mix to chocolate dipped biscotti (yum!) using ingredients like fresh island eggs and maui sugar.

check out the online shop for the full line of preservative-free goodies.

treats for your sweet

crunched for time and dread circling the mall for parking, are all thumbs when it's time to wrap presents, and equate standing in line at the post office days before xmas like being stuck in dante's inferno? lucky you, click over to big island candies which has a sweet selection of holiday treats wrapped and ready to be shipped straight to the mailboxes of everyone on your gift list.

it's no secret that people from hawaii love food and kama'aina on the mainland always appreciate goodies from the islands. you might also want to check out new goodies like bienvente lavender cookies, tropical chocolate truffles (with hibiscus & coconut), and there's even some sugar-free joy for the health-conscious.

one tip: get your order in this weekend since big island candies' shipping deadline is on sunday.