7 Ways to Bring Hawaii Home

Being inside your house doesn’t have to suck. In fact, with a little imagination and my help, it can be quite the opposite. While you may not have a traditional vacation right now, you CAN enjoy the ultimate staycation. Today, we’re going On-Holiday-At-Home to the gorgeous Hawaiian islands. So whether you call Hawaii home or it’s been on your list for years, here’s a roundup of what to eat, do and watch to bring Hawaii to the comfort of your own home.

Feel the Spirit of Aloha

What is more idyllic than a Hawaiian vacation? When I think of vacation and tropical paradise, it’s all about Hawaii. But the beauty of Hawaii lies not only in the natural beauty, but in the culture as well. To capture Hawaii in a staycation, you have to bring aloha home. Here, aloha is more than a greeting. It encompasses a spirit or the ‘aloha way.’

The Hawaiian word aloha means love, affection, peace, compassion and mercy. But there’s a deeper cultural meaning. Aloha is about joyfully sharing life, with all beings — people, animals, plants. I encourage you to take that sentiment to heart. Start your staycation by slowing down. Connect with the people, creatures and places around you.

The earth, the sky, the sea are mine to care for, to cherish and to protect — Hawaiian proverb

Find ways to get closer to the land and the sea. Then slow down. Waaaaaay down. Hawaii is easy and breezy, so go with the flow. Go for a walk, or visit a lake or beach. Sit outside under a shady tree, or smell a flower and take time to admire it. Stand outside and soak up the sun or feel the breeze on your skin. Savor each moment and get in touch with the spirit of aloha.

Make Your Own Lei

Every trip to Hawaii must start with a lei, right? Your staycation is no different! The lei has an ancient history in Hawaii, brought over by the Polynesians from Tahiti. It’s always been a symbol of beauty and peace. And today, it’s the absolute symbol of Hawaiian hospitality.

Making a lei at home is super easy and fun. It’s a great activity if you have kids around too. You can use any sort of flowers for this. Some traditional options are orchids, plumeria, ti leaf and carnations. But, the beautiful thing is there are dozens of varieties so you can be creative and use what’s available.

Instructions

1. Collect any medium sized flowers you can find — roses, daisies, carnations. You’ll need about 50 blossoms to make a 40″ single strand lei.
2. Cut about a 100″ length of cotton string, and fold it in half. Tie a large knot at the end of the twine — this will act like a “stopper” for your flowers as you string them. Remember to leave extra string below the knot — you will use this to tie the lei together upon its completion.
3. In Hawaii, a steel lei needle is used to string flowers, but any large needle will do.
4. Go through the center of the face of the flower straight through to the back. Carefully guide the flowers to the base of the string near the knot. Never force the flowers, you can always move them farther down later.
5. You are finished when the lei is approximately 40″ long. You may choose to dress your lei up with a ribbon, or leave it au natural.
6. Once you make the lei you can store it in the fridge and it will keep for a few days. Be sure to mist it with water once a day.
7. Now it’s time to don your beautiful creation. The proper way to wear a lei is for it to be draped in both the front and the back, like the picture below.

Take a Hula Lesson

Hula dancing is synonymous with Hawaii. But instead of heading off to a luau show, you can get your hips moving and learn to perform a hula yourself. Ready??

Hula dancing is an ancient form of storytelling created by the Polynesians. You’ll find many styles of storytelling dances throughout the Pacific Islands. Hula though, is specifically Hawaiian. Hula can be paired with chants or contemporary music like ukulele and guitar. Sometimes the stories are slow and sentimental and others are fast and energetic.

You can learn to do a hula at home with an online tutorial. I’ve included a couple videos below for you to start with. To really feel the movements and connect to the dance, be sure to practice your hula barefoot.

Enjoy the Island Rhythms

What is hula dancing without Hawaiian music? The sound of Hawaii is distinct. From the enchanting, beachy melodies to the falsetto singing voices. Turning on these sounds will transport you to the islands instantly.

Typical Hawaiian music includes chanting (or mele), singing, gourd instruments, ukulele and the slack key guitar among many other sounds. Listen for this unique blend in the playlist below.

Hawaiian Dreams, a playlist by Spotify

Serve a Hawaiian Feast

Now it’s time to bring a literal taste of Hawaii home. The cuisine of the islands has been influenced by many cultures over centuries. All that has resulted in a delicious fusion of flavors and techniques.

Polynesian settlers brought over things like taro, bananas, coconuts. They also brought pigs and the process of making kālua-style pork. Kālua is a traditional Hawaiian cooking method that utilizes an imu, a type of underground oven. The word kālua means “to cook in an underground oven.”

Later Western immigrants brought pineapple, sugar cane and the Hawaiian favorite: Spam. And, later immigrants from Asia brought Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Southeast Asian influences.

A simple, delectable bite of Hawaii can’t be better summed up than in Spam Musubi. Spam is a popular food throughout Hawaii, and Spam musubi is EVERYWHERE. Spam grew in popularity when American soldiers were stationed in Hawaii in World War II. Today, Hawaii is one of the top consumers of Spam in the world! So let’s dive into this mashup of Hawaii’s American, Polynesian and Japanese influences.

Spam Musubi Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 to 2 teaspoons neutral oil, like canola or vegetable
• 1 (12-ounce) can Spam, cut horizontally into 8 slices
• 3 sheets roasted sushi nori, cut into thirds crosswise
• 2 teaspoons furikake
• 5 to 6 cups cooked short-grain white rice

Directions

1. Prepare your sushi rice in a rice cooker or according to the package directions.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce and sugar. Set aside.
3. Lightly coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil and place over medium heat. Fry the Spam slices until evenly browned and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Turn off the heat. Working quickly to avoid burning, add the soy mixture and turn the Spam slices until coated in glaze. Immediately transfer the Spam slices and glaze to a plate.
4. To mold the musubi, start by placing a strip of nori, rough side up, on a cutting board or clean work surface. Place a Spam musubi maker mold over it, in the middle, then place a slice of Spam into the mold. ***If you don’t have a mold, you can line a clean Spam can with plastic wrap instead, and place a slice of Spam at the bottom.***
5. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon furikake over the Spam, then fill the mold or can with a generous mound of rice. Press the rice with the musubi maker press or with your hands until it is 3/4- to 1-inch thick, adding more rice as needed.
6. Use the press to hold the rice down with one hand and pull the mold upward to unmold the musubi with your other hand. (If you’re using the Spam can, lift the Spam and rice out of the can by gently pulling on both sides of the plastic wrap.
7. Wrap the nori around the Spam-rice stack, bringing both ends of the strip to the middle. Fold one over the other, and flipp it over so the seam is down and the Spam is facing up. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately or wrap with plastic wrap to take with you on the go.

Instead of cooking one thing, you can integrate Hawaiian ingredients into every meal. You can choose taro, pineapple, macadamia nuts, pork and breadfruit, to name a few. And since we’re on an island, seafood is traditional and essential. Mahi mahi and tuna are delicious staples. You can try my favorite mahi mahi dish or test your hand at making poke or garlic shrimp.

Here’s a beverage that will taste like a Hawaiian breeze.

Macadamia Nut Mocktail Ingredients

• 3 oz Macadamia nut milk (recipe)
• 1 oz Lime juice
• 4 oz Ginger beer
• 3–5 mint leaves
• Pineapple wedge
• Demerara sugar (optional)

1. Sugar the rim of a tall glass using the lime and Demerara sugar, if you like. Muddle the mint in the bottom of the glass.
2. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir well. Add the pineapple wedge for garnish.

Visit the Iolani Palace

Before Hawaii became a U.S. state it had a long history of chiefs, kings and queens. On the island of Oahu is the Iolani Palace in Honolulu, which was the seat of the Hawaiian monarchy. Visiting offers you a window into Hawaii history and culture before statehood. I recommend learning about Hawaii’s rich past of voyages, kingdoms and rebellions.

Iolani offers a virtual tour. It gives you a greater appreciation for the gift that Hawaii has shared with America and the world.

Take a Cinematic Voyage to the Islands

The Hawaiian islands are a very popular location for movies. Blockbusters like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, Blue Hawaii, and Jumanji (2017) were filmed there. Plus there’s movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and 50 First Days that are set in Hawaii. So you won’t be at a loss for finding movies that will whisk you away to this beautiful destination.

Below are movies that will bring not only the beauty but the culture of Hawaii to your staycation. Here’s a few movies available for streaming online as of this writing.

Lilo and Stitch

A young Hawaiian girl, Lilo, adopts a small ugly “dog” whom she names Stitch. Her perfect pet is in fact a genetic experiment from an alien planet, which was bred to wreak havoc. Through her love, Lilo teaches Stitch (and her older sister Nani) about the importance of ohana, the Hawaiian concept of family.

The Haumana

A movie about a struggling luau dancer who is asked to teach a group of high school boys how to dance hula. It’s a touching portrayal of the significance of hula and Hawaiian culture to modern Hawaiians.