Volcano Farmers Market

At the Craters Edge we have our favorite routines and this is one of them....Every Sunday from 6:30 to 9 AM the Volcano Farmers Market comes alive at Cooper Center on Wright Road. What makes this market so special? The Volcano Market is an eceletic mix of locally grown and mostly organic produce ( try Volcano red skinned potatoes, juicy Volcano plums, carrots from Wood Valley or local Kau'u coffee) interesting local crafts and plants. Prepared foods are available for meals during the week, and local baker Eric prepares breakfasts on a BBQ grill. (try coqui in the hole or his fantastic french toast) Cooper Center is the community gathering place , a place to catch up with your neighbors, find an orchid for a gift, meet your local congresspeople or peruse the community bulliten board,
Afterwards catch a nice breakfast at Kilauea Lodge. There's usually a fire burning and the warm interior and beautifully prepared breakfasts are a leisurely Sunday treat.

Our Chocolate Shop is now Open in Oahu

Craters Edge guests have long been treated to Melanie's gourmet chocolate. Now the rest of Hawaii gets their turn.
Read about our new Kailua store here.
http://www.prlog.org/10141699-the-art-of-chocolate-hawaiian-style-unique-chocolate-boutique-opens-in-oahu.html

Valentines Day

Valentines Day is soon upon us and its the time of year that begs for chocolate. No sweetie in your life. Well buy some chocolate and indulge yourself with a few of your best friends. Sweet Paradise chocolate has a variety of gift boxes, sue to satisfy any sweet tooth. The chocolates are made with rich ganache centers that include island grown fruits, herbs and spices.
www.sweetparadisechocolate.com

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Today, as I drove to get my mail ( inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park) there was a sign posted about the poor air quality. This is pretty interesting because the volcano is really not spewing up at the top here, and there has been little earthquake activity. They tell us the air is poor but do not explain why.
For anyone wishing to monitor this the USGS has a great website http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/hvostatus.php
They post daily what the volcano is doing. Right now some lava is advancing towards the old Royal Gardens Subdivision, a place wiped out in the 80's. ( what were they thinking building there in the first place?)
Since we have daily visitors coming to stay we like to monitor the flow. Unfortunately you cannot hike out and see red lava right now like you could last year. The flow field is far away and more hazardous since its going through trees and brush which cause methane explosions. Last year it just flowed over existing lava, and into the ocean.
Still, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has lots to offer even without red lava. The hiking trails are fantastic and varied. The crater is steaming and very much alive.

Chocolate Tastings and Pairings

The Chocolate Experience with Chocolatier Melanie Boudar
Sweet Paradise Chocolatier is happy to announce the first series of Chocolate workshops. These workshops are a fun way to learn more about fine chocolate and meet fellow chocoholics!

Intro to Fine Chocolate Tues Dec 18th 7:00- 9:00 Pm
From Mayan and Aztec uses of cacao seeds for currency to our present passion for infinite flavors of gourmet confections, chocolate has played an important role in many world cultures over the centuries. Instructor Melanie Boudar will take you on a chocolate journey through the ages, exploring its intriguing origins, history and uses, including the current chocolate health craze. Learn how chocolate is produced and enjoyed.
We will do an extensive tasting of some of the worlds finest single origin chocolates, where you will learn to distinguish and appreciate their subtle flavors and textures. Join me for an evening of Chocolate immersion. Tuition: $40. Limited to 12 participants.

A New Years Chocolate Eve- Dec 31st 7:00-10:00PM

Try a little something different this New Years Eve. In addition to our intro to fine chocolate and tasting of chocolate from some of the finest chocolate producers from Italy, Venezuela, Madagascar, France and Hawaii, we will learn how to pair chocolates and chocolate desserts with wine, spirits and champagne.A fun evening of chocolate and spirited conversation is on the menu. Tuition: $60.00 Limited to 12 participants.

Introduction to Chocolate Making- Saturday Feb 9th, 2008 10:00am to 3:00PM

Further your knowledge of chocolate in this lecture/demonstration and hands on class where we learn about the unusual chemistry of chocolate. Participants will prepare a classic ganache and prepare hand-dipped and hand decorated truffles just in time for Valentines Day. Proper serving and storing techniques will be discussed. Everyone will take home a decadent Valentines box of their gourmet creations.
A light deli style lunch will be served. Tuition $ 125 Limited to 12 participants.

Chocolate Eco Adventure in Belize Mid May 2008
Join Chocolatier Melanie Boudar for a fun and adventure filled week in Belize, a Central American country that grows cacao for Green & Blacks Organics. Participants will tour a working chocolate farm, chocolate co-op, and learn hands on how chocolate is processed from Bean to Bar. In addition, we will learn to prepare authentic Mole . Lodging is in the comfortable and unique Eco resort, Cotton Tree Lodge, accessible by a 45 min boat ride up a river in southern Belize. Included are day trips to ancient Mayan ruins, and an ocean snorkelling trip to a nature preserve. Please email for rates and further info.

email to hawaiichocolate@gmail.com to register or call Melanie 557-5358. Classes will be taught at her home in Volcano.
Melanie is the 2007 winner of the Kona Chocolate Festival Judges Choice Award, and a graduate of Ecole Chocolat in Canada and the Culinary Institute of America Artisan Confections program. She is a founding member of the Fine Chocolate Industry Association www.finechocolateindustry.org

Green Building in Hawaii

In honor of Al Gore's Nobel peace prize for attention to global warming I am going to talk a little about Green Building in Hawaii. The fact is-there's not enough of it!! Hawaii has an opportunity to be a leader in alternate technologies- solar, photovoltaics, water treatment etc but is not putting its best foot forward. I live in Volcano, a rainforest community and gateway to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. As in all areas there are pressures for growth. The current community underserves the 1.5 million visitors to the park and is very proactive in protecting the rainforest. There needs to be balance in the two arena. Growth is inevitable. People need sustainable lifestyles. Hawaii needs to develop more mixed use concepts that allow people to live and work in their community without having to waste fuel on lengthy commutes. Green building techniques help preserve the rainforest by conciously removing only what needs to be taken and not polluting the environment.
At the Craters Edge www.VisitTheVolcano.com was built as a great example of integrating a house with its environment. It was built by MahanaHomes www.vervedesignbuild.com who is now creating luxury kit homes based on their pod designs that can be adapted for the site.
GO GREEN!!!

Volcano Spa

Visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park now can spend an afternoon at the spa after a long day's hike. Hale Ho'ola Spa located in Mauna Loa Estates offers a menu of spa treatments that rival any resort hotel. It is conventiently located near some of Volcano's nicer B&B's and vacation rentals such as At the Craters Edge, Volcano Mist Cottage and the Volcano Rainforest Retreat.
LomiLomi, Hot Stone and special massages for pregant women are available as well as host of rejuvenation packages featuring massage, steam baths, facials, foot massage and exfoliating body scrubs. Products used are all natural and feature ginger, sugar cane, Tumeric,pikake, lilikoi and other indigenous herbs and plants. Visit www halehoola.net to learn more and drool over their menu of services. Another reason to stay several days in Volcano, enjoying the rainforest, hikes, great restaurants and art galleries.!