By Sandy Powers
In 1959, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill making Hawaii the 50th state in the Union. That same year, James Michener’s historical epic, Hawaii, was published after seven years of research. Extraordinary timing. Fifteen years later, we, the Powers Family, experiencing a relentless season of rain and cold in Seattle, joggled our webbed feet and flew to Hawaii to dry off. Destination was Oahu, one of the eight main islands that make up the state of Hawaii. Oahu, the third largest and most populous of the islands, is home to the capital, Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, and the tourist Mecca, Waikiki Beach.
Oahu is beaming with life, yet a couple blocks off Kamehameha Highway, the main road in Oahu, we experienced the graciousness and charm of island hospitality. In a small sandwich shop a few minutes from Waikiki Beach, we had a plate lunch served with delicious pineapple bread. (Not surprising since Hawaii is home to the Dole Pineapple Plantations.) The amiable proprietor of the shop kindly gave me the recipe.
Pineapple Bread
Olive oil cooking spray
2 eggs
½ cup extra light olive oil
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 ½ cups pineapple chunks, drained
2 ½ cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup walnuts, chopped
Spray bread pan. Beat eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, and orange juice together. Stir in pineapple chunks. In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to pineapple mixture. Mix well. Fold in walnuts. Pour into sprayed pan. Bake at 350 degrees. Check at 50 minutes. Test to see if toothpick comes out clean. If not, check every 5 minutes until done. Cool in loaf pan for 15 minutes and then remove to rack to finish cooling. Store in refrigerator.
Recipe from the book, Organic for Health, by Sandy Powers
