Kona Inn Banana Bread

Today the kids looked outside and said, wouldn't it be fun to go to Hawaii today, "yes" I agreed. But in place of a fabulous vacation, I pulled out my copy of my mom's ward cookbook. In it is a killer recipe for Kona Inn Banana bread, a recipe from a famed restaurant in Kailua Kona, Hawaii that has been around since 1928. Over the years, I have tried lots of banana bread recipes and this one is still the best. When we go back to Hawaii, I am going to the Kona Inn for their banana bread and maybe some opakapaka (pink snapper) or some ono (wahoo).

1 c. shortening (or butter)

2 c sugar

6 very ripe bananas

4 well beaten eggs

2 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add in bananas and eggs. Set aside. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Blend the wet and dry ingredients. Do not over mix! Bake in greased bread pans at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Insert toothpick in center to make sure it is cooked thoroughly. Makes 2 loaves.

EAT!!!! Today we are eating ours with a fake lei and sand sprinkled on our toes left in our sand dollar collection.

This is the Place, Maybe?

Our backyard? Maybe.

Way back in the back, back is Randy walking and doing our annual survey of "the final resting place", maybe.

We bought this property years ago with some friends. We were going to be next door neighbors, share an open fence, they'd build the pool, we'd have the court, and maybe even have twinner dogs with bff dog tags.

But change happens.

They are in Missouri, we are in Washington.

So every year, when we're here, we do "The Walk" and have "The Talk." Where do we want to end up. Where are we planning our lives to take us.

Hands down it would be great to not have neighbors right out our back door,

but the sagebrush and scruboak just doesn't compare to the pines and rhodies. For now the deer get the pick of the lots.


Maybe we'll have my brother build us another house like this. This is one he did for my sister, it is now her rental, maybe her 2nd home one day. A possible place for us to rent if and when we move. I used to think he was kind of a dumb construction worker, until he helped me out on a house we built with a partner. I was soooo impressed. When all his subs praised him up and down and the city inspector chimed in his praises and threw in a job offer, I knew Nate the Great was really great,

at house building,

and a few other things that his big sister hasn't mastered, yet :).

The Whole Shabam

Still working on updating post on Utah visit....

After a night in Boise swimming in the pool, we were off the Meacham, Oregon.

I told Randy I wanted to veer off our regular route. So we did, grabbed a bite at the only store which is so remote customer service isn't really an issue. Inside the diner, it had a sign that read,

"This isn't Burger King, you can't have it your way, you have it my way, or you don't get it."

Big claim to fame is that Pres. Harding came here, and oh, yeah, it happens to be one of the coldest places in North America.

Yippee, our wagon, err suburban got us home! Good to be back.

Time to Pull These Out, Again!

Can't you see each of the kiddos hovering under these? I think I'd pick the yellow for myself.

It has been the driest summer in 60 years.

No real rain has fallen since the middle of May.

The leaves on the trees are already changing colors.

At the church, crimson leaves have to be raked away.

Today it rained.

It is the big news story.

Lots of spinouts on the roads, people actually have forgotten how to drive when roads are wet.

I thought August was still summer.

Here August begins Fall.

Our family is o.k. with a dry spell, for a spell.

Now what will we do today?

P.S. the Space Needle went up for sale, temporarily, $79 million dollars, 14 bathrooms but no bedrooms -

so that is why they must call it "Sleepless in Seattle" - no beds! Just a thought.