Join us at the opening night of Honolulu City Lights and the Electric Light Parade on Dec. 7. Each year, Hawaiian Electric teams up with the Friends of Honolulu City Lights to light up Honolulu with festive cheer.
The Friends of Honolulu City Lights created two new collectible ornaments this year: One features the iconic Shaka Santa loading up his surfboard at Honolulu Hale; the other has Santa riding the epic waves of Waimea Bay. Each says, "Santa would go."
Ornaments are $21 online at honolulucitylights.org. Or purchase them at Macy’s stores.
All proceeds from the sales of ornaments support annual Honolulu City Lights festivities.
Also, see the Electric Light float in these additional parades:
» Hawaii Kai Christmas Parade, 10 a.m. Saturday
» Pearl City Christmas Parade, 4 p.m. Sunday
» West Oahu Electric Light Parade (Kapolei), 6 p.m. Dec. 14
Here are recipes fit for holiday celebrations.
SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE PINWHEELS
1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thaw puff pastry at room temperature for 30 minutes. Drain spinach well, pressing between layers of paper towels.
Stir together spinach, artichoke, mayonnaise, Parmesan, onion and garlic powders and pepper.
Unfold pastry and place on lightly floured surface or heavy-duty plastic wrap. Cut each sheet in half lengthwise.
Spread one-fourth spinach mixture evenly over pastry sheet, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
Roll up pastry, jellyroll fashion, and press to seal seam. Wrap in heavy-duty plastic wrap.
Repeat procedure. Freeze for 30 minutes, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. (May be frozen up to 3 months.)
Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 48 pieces.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 80 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 80 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein, no cholesterol or sugar
SNOWFLAKE COOKIES
2 cups butter, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups cake flour
2 tablespoons edible glitter, available at specialty stores
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In large bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix well.
Divide in half. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or until firm enough to work with.
On lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with floured 4-inch snowflake-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until firm. Repeat with remaining dough.
In small, resealable plastic bag, combine edible glitter and remaining sugar. Seal bag and crush mixture to break glitter into smaller pieces. Sprinkle over warm cookies.
Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 4 dozen cookies.
Approximate nutrition information, per cookie: 130 calories, 8 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 70 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 5 g sugar, 1 g protein
SNOWMAN CHEESE BALL
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
» For decoration: Celery, clove, pumpernickel slice, black olives and carrot
In food processor, combine cream cheese (reserve a spoonful for hat), 1/2 cup Monterey Jack, garlic and salt and pepper. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
Shape mixture into 3 balls; roll balls in remaining Monterey Jack. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
Just before serving, stack balls, securing with toothpicks.
Use vegetable peeler to shave a thin piece for celery scarf; pin with clove. Cut bread into two 1-inch and one 1-1/2-inch rounds; "glue" pieces together with cream cheese to form a hat, then secure with toothpick.
Use round pastry tip to punch dots in olives to make eyes, and cut tip of carrot for nose; press in place. Serve with crackers. Serves 8.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt and decoration): 270 calories, 26 g fat, 15 g saturated fat, 80 mg cholesterol, 300 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 2 g sugar, 9 g protein
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More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at www.heco.com.
