Okay, so maybe these could be called Creative Energy Bars, but I like the sound of Creativity Bars because you get to use your creativity in making them.

Let's face it, every single one of us is creative in our own ways. There are some days when the only thing I want to create is food. I usually start with a recipe and then "riff" off it by changing and adding ingredients.

This basic recipe came from the Sunday newspaper column by Three Many Cooks blogger Pam Anderson and her daughters, Sharon and Maggy. Here is the basic recipe:

2 C rolled Oats
1/2 C wheat germ
1 C sliced almonds
1/2 C semi-sweet or bittersweet chips
1/2 C dried cherries or craisins
1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk

Adjust the oven rack to a lower/middle position and preheat to 325 degrees. Grease a 9" square pan and then line the pan bottom and up the sides with foil — also greased. This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan once they are baked.

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl, turn into the pan, pat down, and bake for 30 min. Cool to room temperature and then put the pan into the freezer. When the bars are firm, use the foil handles to remove them from the pan. Remove the foil and use a long, sharp knife to cut the bars into 18 1"x3" pieces. These will keep in an airtight container for one week, or in the freezer for much longer (you will probably eat them up before they have the chance to go bad).

Here comes the CREATIVE part:
The first time I made these I didn't have sweetened condensed milk; I had evaporated milk. I heated up the milk and melted 1 C of sugar into it. I added some unsweetened carob chips to that mixture before stirring it into the dry ingredients. This made for a chewier bar because there was more moisture in it. YUM.

The second time I made them I didn't have wheat germ so I added freshly ground flax seeds, extra oats, and unsweetened coconut flakes. This time I used sweetened condensed milk and omitted the carob chips. YUM again!

The third time I made them I ran out of craisins so I used prunes and left the almonds whole. I know, look at me getting BOLD!

EVERYONE who eats these likes them. The original recipe said it made 16 pieces (each 1"x4" — I'm getting 18 pieces instead), each with 206 calories, 31g carbohydrates, 5g protein, 8g fat (3g saturated), 8mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 32mg sodium. I haven't figured out the sugar content, but one a day is probably okay.

Have fun and please let me know what kinds of creative changes you make to your Creativity Bars!

I received wonderful responses to my last eZine regarding Creatures of Habit and wanted to share it with all of you.

Andrea wrote to tell me of a wonderful sculpture exhibit called “Hook the Reef” at Marks Garage. You can read about it here: http://www.staradvertiser.com/features/20110519_undersea_yarn.html

Charlie wrote to tell me I had jogged his memories of growing up and playing in the waters off Waikiki. I asked his permission to share his reminiscences with you here:

“I grew up swimming along the entire Waikiki beach area, and one of my favorite swimming spots was near the end of Kalakaua Ave. the Diamond Head area. At that time there was a somewhat small, secluded beach located right in front of a huge old private residential mansion or estate, which was located on the water. They had their own private wooden pier jutting out into the ocean about 50 feet. As kids about 4 to 5 years old, my sister and pals and I used to play hide and seek under the pier with the waves sloshing about; we lazily suntanned and snacked on top of the pier. We would be in the water for hours ... just spending the whole afternoon in and out of the ocean, our skins getting wrinkled, until our mothers would beg us to get out so we could take the trolley bus home.

Today, the Kaimana Beach Hotel stands in place of the above old mansion property, and the Beach is now known as Kaimana Beach. Today there is no pier, no huge Naupaka bushes to play hide and seek in, and as you know, it’s also called San Souci Beach. 

In fact, the whole beachfront area from the intersection of Kapahulu and Kalakaua, on the Kalakaua Avenue side (going Diamond Head direction) the ocean side used to be sealed off. It was filled with many different huge private residential estates, which were owned by the power rich of Hawai`i. Back then, from Kuhio Beach to San Souci Beach, walking along Kalakaua Ave., you couldn’t see the beach because all these old estates walled it off. The City years later used the condemnation law for eminent public domain purpose and took over the land and opened up the area to the public. Thus the park, the Waikiki Aquarium, came to be and now we can see the ocean while walking along Kalakaua Ave.

I am glad you are enjoying San Souci Beach as I did growing up in yesteryears.

Charlie

PS. The whole area ocean side, near the end of Kalakaua Ave where the Elks Club (where I have been a member for 20 years) and the Outrigger Canoe club are — this whole area was privately owned by Mr. Dillingham who used it as his vacation home. It covered several acres of beachfront. He was considered the 6th most powerful business tycoon in Hawai`i at that time, in the 20s. 

In fact, he later built a huge waterfall monument near the end of Kalakaua Ave. dedicated to his faithful and loving wife. This waterfall fountain still stands today (we don’t know how he honored his several Hawaiian mistresses.)

Back then, Mr.Dillingham was a member of the Elks Club and used his vacation home for Elks activities. When he died, he gave the whole area to the Elks. At that time, the Elks Club was a racially restricted club, it was only for whites, non-whites could not become members. But some members of the Hawaiian royal family were invited to join the club for political reasons. How did Mr. Dillingham get around that racial rule? He categorized the royal Hawaiian family as white. The national Elks headquarters on the mainland accepted it, without any comments.

Your email certainly triggered old forgotten memories of my young growing up days in old Waikiki. I too used to swim under and follow the various tropical fishes swimming among the corals in the water, especially the fast moving Manini fish.”

Eleven years ago this month I first stepped foot on the island of O'ahu. Back then I knew next-to-nothing about the Hawaiian Islands. I had lived my entire life in Wisconsin. My trip to Hawai'i was meant to be a spiritual quest, to step foot in the Pacific Ocean, and to visit a friend in grad school. I had absolutely no intention of staying.

Please allow me to explain... and please forgive the length of my good, true story

For years I would get up at 4:30 AM to paint or sculpt before going to work. I knew if I waited until the end of the day to create, I would not have the energy.

Every morning I would ask aloud, "how can I manage to paint full time?"

Ask and it is given, we have all heard this mantra. Still, I was completely surprised when, after 3-4 years of asking, the opportunity presented itself.

Winter in Wisconsin is cold and snowy. In January 2000, my friend Kit and I decided to take a one-week vacation to visit my friend Sarah, a grad student in Hawai`i.

Sarah was a busy TA; preparing to teach, writing a grant proposal to do research at the Smithsonian, and she had just moved into a tiny garage apartment. She paid her rent by doing yard work for the UH professor who owned the house.

Kit and I hardly saw Sarah that week. Instead, we explored the beaches on O`ahu and spent three days at the Kilauea Volcano on the big island of Hawai`i.

On our last day, we snorkeled at Hanauma Bay; and walked the length of Waimanalo Beach, where we came upon a tour group with boogie boards. I had never even seen boogie board before, but I knew I HAD to ride one.

A tour guide took me out and caught a wave for me. Not knowing what to do, I got up on my knees and rode in to shore. What fun! The next, larger wave washed the board right out from under me, but I didn't care. I had been transformed by the experience.

It was time to leave the beach; we had to get ready for the airport. As we walked back to our car, I turned around to wave good-bye to the tour guide. He waved back and tears of gratitude and joy streamed down my face.

Suddenly I thought: "What will Sarah do if she gets her research grant to work in DC? She wouldn't want to lose an apartment where she didn't pay rent! I could quit my job, sell my house, and take care of it for her.

I could PAINT!"

In order to keep the bolt of energy I felt running through me, I repeated these same words, out loud this time, so Kit could her them.

Later that day when Sarah showed us her apartment for the first time, I asked her what she would do if she got the grant. She asked if I'd want to house sit. I said yes.

Within one month of returning from our trip, while working full time as Creative Services Manager at DEMCO, Inc., rising to paint at 4:30 AM, I painted one of my rare landscapes shown above, "Kit at One with the Volcano". (Yes we were that close to the flow!)

We waited three months to find out that Sarah did get the grant. That gave me just six weeks to quit my job, sell my house, and move.

I had never moved out of Wisconsin before. This was a HUGE decision.

I didn't know what I was getting myself into, but I knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It felt riskier to stay in my very stable, wonderful job, in my own comfortable home near the arboretum in Madison, than to make this move.

Time after time doors have opened for me in Hawai`i. Yes, I have worked very hard. I was an oil painter in WI. I learned to paint with watercolors after realizing the small space of Sarah's apartment could be lethal when combined with fumes from the oils.

The day I took Sarah to catch her plane to DC was the day I realized I didn't know anyone here. I was thousands of miles and 5 time zones away from family & friends.

It has been hard at times, and lonely at times; and I wouldn't change any of the past eleven years for a minute! I have learned SO much about art, about my life, and about life in general during the eleven years since my first boogie board ride.

One of the first paintings I sold through the

Haleiwa Arts Gallery

One of the most important things I've learned is that we don't have to know all the steps needed to reach our goal. What is needed is an area of focus, a strong desire,  a great deal of perseverance, and the willingness to take a risk.

I had absolutely no idea when I first decided to visit Hawai`i in January 2000 that I would be living here today. It simply never occurred to me. But I did know what I wanted to do. I wanted to paint full time. Now that is what I do.

Reaching a goal is always about putting one foot in front of the other - over and over and over again. Be prepared for anything, and something will happen.

Think of Indiana Jones taking that first invisible step in The Last Crusade. Stay focused and trust. Trust in yourself and trust in your inner guidance.

As Dale Carnegie once said: "Set your mind on a goal, burn all of your bridges behind you, then watch how quickly the world steps aside to let you pass."

In honor of my latest Pineapple Painting, "Growing Sunshine", here is my easy recipe meant to start your day with sunshine. You can see this painting in the Fresh Paint Florals Portfolio. Soon it will be on display at the Hawai'i Watercolor Society's 45th Annual Members' Exhibit.

Growing Sunshine Muffins

1/2 C Oil (I used olive oil, but you can use another light oil)   

4 Eggs 

1 20 oz. Can Crushed Pineapple in Juice, Drained  

1 1/2 C WW Flour (Unbleached or White Flour Optional Substitute)

3/4 C Sugar  

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 to 1 C Chopped Nuts 

1/2 to 1 C shredded Coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) 

Combine the first three ingredients in one bowl and combine the remaining dry ingredients in a second, larger bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until the dry ingredients are just moist (do not over mix). Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 min. Check them in 15 minutes and again in five minutes to ensure they don't over bake. Cool on a rack before eating.