Tom loves cruising…I like cruising…Is that a problem for us? My food list…Homemade mayo recipe…

A view of the Hanalei Wildlife Refuse from a hard to find overlook in Princeville.

The tiny cabin is not an issue. Balcony cabins they’re often as small as 171 square feet (15.89 square meters) or as big as 194 square feet (18.02 square meters). Oddly, we adapt to it very well. The fact that we’re both tidy by not leaving out our clothing, shoes, and miscellaneous lying about, definitely helps.

Maneuvering around each other while dressing isn’t an issue either. After 10 cruises in the past 30 months, we’ve got it figured out. I go first in the morning, showering and dressing for the day and he goes first in the afternoon, doing the same, allowing me time to get ready to go out for the evening. 

Another view from the obscure overlook.

With few clothing options dressing for dinner is easy for us on cruises. Wear this. Wear that. That’s it. Since recently disposing of many worn out clothing, soon I’ll head to a women’s clothing store in the Princeville Mall to buy a few items for the upcoming cruise. They seem to have affordable and useful items that may work for me. 

Tom has a white dress shirt waiting to be mailed soon with our other supplies accumulating at our mailing service in Nevada. He’ll wear the shirt with black pants on dress up nights. We’ll post photos at the time.

Its relatively easy to find excellent scenic spots from most areas of Kauai.

With the size of the cabin being acceptable to me, what is my hesitation keeping me from loving it as opposed to my current “liking it?” Here are two reasons:

1.  The poor wifi connection makes it difficult for me to write and upload each day causing me considerable time and frustration.
2.  The food is challenging in both selection and taste. Our cruise representative at Vacations to Go has forwarded my food list to the upcoming cruise line, Royal Caribbean, to let them know what I can and can’t have. 

Crossing the one lane bridge over the Hanalei River.

I don’t believe I’ve ever posted this list. For those interested here it is:

No to the following in any form:

• Wheat or any type of flour, bread, buns, crepes, pancakes, pastries, bagels, 
• Grains:  rice, corn, quinoa, lentils, oatmeal
• Fruit or fruit juice 
• Starch: potatoes, potato starch, winter squash, beans (green beans ok), pasta 
• Sugar, honey, agave, or sugar alternatives 
• Chemicals:  MSG, food starch, additives 
• Vegetable oils of any type except olive oil and nut oils
• Soy sauce or any soy products
• Gluten in any form 
• Pre-made egg mix 
• Yogurt, milk, or milk products (cheese OK) 
• Dessert, even if gluten and sugar-free 
• No foods labeled LOW FAT 
• Bottled salad dressing or mayonnaise

Yes to these:

• Beef, pork, poultry, wild caught fish and shellfish, nitrate free bacon or sausages made without gluten, starch or sugar
• Escargot, made without gluten, starch or sugar 
• Fois gras, made without gluten, starch or sugar   
• Non starchy vegetables: such as aubergine (eggplant), peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus, lettuce, kale, spinach, cabbage, carrots (in moderation) cauliflower, etc. 
• Fresh eggs 
• Cheeses – non processed (good as a dessert without fruit or crackers on plate) 
• Full fat cream 
• Full fat sour cream
• Full fat cream cheese
• Homemade mayonnaise 
• Full fat cream and butter reduction sauce made without thickener 
• Olive oil, coconut oil, butter, homemade GF hollandaise sauce

When cooking at home, I tighten up this list, using only grass-fed meat, organic free range poultry and eggs, organic dairy, organic grass fed butter and organic produce.  On a cruise, I’m unable to get this buttoned-up list. For the upcoming 18 day cruise, I’ll manage.

View from an obscure overlook we found in Princeville.

On past cruises, I suffered no ill effects, eating in moderation; bacon, eggs and veggies for breakfast; protein source, veggies and salad (salad dressing is an issue) for dinner. Some chefs would make homemade mayo or hollandaise sauce for me which has worked well. All bottled mayo is made with soybean oil which I won’t eat, along with any other soy foods.

At home, I make mayonnaise using the following recipe:

In a medium bowl combine egg yolk, lemon juice, mustard powder, and sale. Whisk until well combined for 30 seconds. Whisking constantly, add walnut oil a few drops at a time using a 1/4 teaspoon measure. Keep whisking and adding slowly until you’ve added about 1/4 cup of the walnut oil and mixture is noticeably lighter in color. Very slowly, add the remaining 1/2 cup oil in a thin stream until mayonnaise is thick and a creamy light yellow. If available, a blender may be used following the slow adding of the oil while blending at a low speed. Cover and keep chilled using within 2 weeks. Shake or stir before using. I store it in a glass jar with a lid.
Adding a few drops of sweetener or seasonings of your choice when serving adds a nice touch to the flavor when used as a salad dressing. Makes
approximately 2 cups. 

It’s highly unlikely the cruise line chef will make this recipe for me nor do I expect them to prepare any special dressings or sauces. At times, they bring me the list of ingredients on a bottled item to see if it works for me.  It’s seldom acceptable.

A  gnarly old tree on a secluded beach at Anini Beach.

Otherwise, a meal of plain seasoned protein, non-starchy vegetables, and a few slices of hard cheese will fill me for a meal. To ensure I get enough fat, I can easily add butter and/or olive oil.

Overlook view on a cloudy day.

As for Tom’s dietary habits on a cruise, he eats whatever appeals to him, often gaining two or three pounds on each cruise. Surprisingly, he doesn’t load up on a lot of sweets during the day, other than a few small cinnamon rolls at breakfast and a small dessert at dinner. 

Fences such as this are often used by property owners in an attempt to keep the wild pigs out.

We never tire of this view, continuing to take new photos each time we’re nearby.

Recently, a cruise ship heading to Sydney ran into a bad storm at sea and was unable to dock at the port.  Here’s the story. This news doesn’t concern us a bit. We’ve already experienced 50-foot swells at sea. Anything less than that, we can handle.

We continue to visit the Laysan Albatross chicks every few days. At this point, this chick is almost as large as the parents. When she lifts a wing we can see pure white feathers beginning to fill in. Notice her feet as she settles her butt into the ground. We continue to share photos as they grow.

Have a fabulous spring weekend preparing your homes and yards for the upcoming summer. For those in the southern hemisphere where it’s currently the fall season, we’ll see you soon!

                                              Photo from one year ago today, April 24, 2014:

A view of the souk from an upper level. For details of that date, please click here.