HAWAII - Pie #11 of 50 - Stacey Mei Yan Fong (Me!)

State Muffin: Coconut Muffin

Hawaii is one of my most favorite places on earth. I have always loved everything about it, the sun, the sand, the culture and the open ocean. When I was little I would watch South Pacific on repeat and sing the song "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair" without really a clue as to what it meant. I have since found out. One of my top ten favorite songs of all time is "Can't Help Falling In Love" Elvis sang in the movie Blue Hawaii which was one of my favorite movies as a kid. My friends recently threw me a "Slutty Tiki" surprise birthday party so you can see the love is unwavering. 

In 1995, I was 7 years old and my father took on a project with the company he was with at the time to rebuild a resort on Oahu. That year I lived in the empty hotel with my family and the hotel staff while the renovated the resort. It was A DREAM. We travelled the 24 hours it took to get there from Hong Kong on Japan Airlines and my life would be forever changed. The resort had a private beach, a dolphin lagoon and a staff of the kindest people I have ever met. Some of which I still talk to today. I spent my days exploring the resort and its surrounding areas with my hair in braids, my toes in the sand and my heart full of sunshine. Some of my happiest memories as a child were from that year. Feeding the dolphins and learning everything I could about them (I wanted to be a marine biologist but then realized i sucked at biology and have a fear of small turtles), stealing the luggage carts with my sisters and riding down the hotel hallways. In that year alone I consumed an insane amount of poké, pineapples and coconut flavored drinks. 

So Hawaii's pie is a Coconut cream pie with a graham cracker crust and a pineapple upside down cake topper. A little 60's flair for one of my favorite states in the 50 to get "lei'd" in. 

I'm taking Hawaii for myself, I hold the state so close to my heart. It is also dedicated to my family, especially my Papa for without him the trip would have never happened and its for all the staff members of the Kahala Mandarin Oriental during that time, especially a dolphin named Hoku who I told all my hopes and dreams too that year. 
"The Islands of Aloha" I know they say only fools rush in but I can't help falling in love with you.