FUNDRAISER FOR LANIKAI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Oils of Aloha is happy to report that Lanikai Elementary School’s Fundraiser this month was a huge success. With the support of the parents and children of Lanikai Elementary, Oils of Aloha helped raise money for the school to purchase a new bookshelf for Ms. Ramos’s Kindergarten class. The children enjoyed homemade brownies made with our Hawaii’s Gold Macadamia Oil while the parents sampled products from our KUKUIæ Skin Care Collection.

As a token of appreciation, the class drew a Thank You card (pictured above).

Do you have a fund raising idea? Please let us know, email jri@oilsofaloha.com.

DOGS & MACADAMIA NUTS

In the last blog we discussed how macadamias are filled with 'good fat', which provides a healthy alternative to other cooking oils for the human body.  We think it's great that you are paying attention to what you are putting into your body.  More and more people are looking at ingredients on both their own and their pet food labels and finding better choices.

The dog-lovers in our office got into a discussion the other day about macadamia nuts as known toxins to our furry friends.  We wouldn't want you to give them 'healthy' human food without thinking that they may be allergic or that it might be toxic to their bodies.

Though the exact cause of the toxicities from eating macadamia nuts is unknown, it could be because our dogs have a different metabolism from us.  Consuming macadamia nuts affects the digestive, nervous and muscle systems in canines.  Symptoms start with a weakness in their hind legs or even an inability to move them and slowly progresses up the body to the forelimbs.  It can become severe enough that they can't stand at all.  In some cases mental depression, vomiting, hyperthermia and joint pain have occurred.  So keep you furry friends happy and healthy by keeping your food to yourself.

The pictures above are the Oils of Aloha employee dogs. 

MACADAMIA FILLED WITH 'GOOD FAT'

If you've ever tried to crack open a raw macadamia nut, you know that it is a labor-intensive process. It can take up to six years after planting to harvest the first crop. The trees bear annually after that. These extremely delicate nuts are covered by such a hard shell that they require 300 pounds of pressure per square inch to crack. The real trick is to get the kernel out in one perfect piece.

Macadamias have a reputation for being unusually high in fat. This is true, but over 80% of the fatty acids in macadamia nuts are of the monounsaturated type, more than even olive oil. Monounsaturated fat (often called " the good fat") has been shown to lower blood cholesterol and may even have some cleansing effect on the arteries. Because of the potential benefits of highly monounsaturated oils, they are the subject of considerable research. Like all vegetable products, macadamia nuts have no cholesterol and, unless roasted and salted, little sodium.

So when choosing which fats to include in your diet, remember that the monounsaturated fats are likely to have the greatest positive effect on your health. So if you are going to include macadamia oil in your recipes, you might enjoy the variety of specialty oils from Oils of Aloha.

Check out our website at: Macadamia Cooking & Salad Recipes for more recipe ideas like this one.

Pele's Fire Grilled Ahi with Tropical Salsa

1 cup diced fresh pineapple

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp. grated lime peel

3 Tbsp. Oils of Aloha Pele's Fire Macadamia Oil

2 (8 oz. each) ahi (tuna) or swordfish fillets

Freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl combine pineapple, red onion, bell pepper, basil, lime juice, lime peepl and 2 tablespoons of the macadamia oil; blend well. Chill. In a shallow dish sprinkle fish fillets with black pepper and baste with he remaining 1 tablespoon macadamia oil. Grill or broil about 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare or until desired doneness. Makes 2 servings.