Hawaiian Pineapple Coconut Parfait

Dumelang (hello) from Botswana in Subsaharan Africa! 
I’m doing a month long pediatric HIV elective in Gabarone (the capital) through my medical school. I have never ever been to Botswana, or anywhere remotely close to it, so it’s been quite the adventure!
I received a scholarship to help with airfare and vaccinations/malaria prophylaxis, and I’m super grateful to my med school for this awesome once in a lifetime opportunity. I’ve definitely a global adventurer, but B and my parents were less than excited about me traveling Africa.
Parents: Um, just so you know … there’s HIV there in Africa. I don’t think this is a good idea.
Me: Yes, well, it IS an HIV elective, so I suppose there would be HIV there.
Going during August (the month before residency applications / the usual time people take their boards) wasn’t ideal, but it was the only way I could fit it in my rotation schedule; the only other available month fit my schedule much better, but it would have been the month before the wedding, but the parents and B absolutely/adamantly/vehemently vetoed that idea.
Meanwhile, B and I are debating over where to plan our honeymoon – B wants somewhere relaxing and romantic with a beach, while I want somewhere adventurous and/or historical and far away. Greece was our original plan, but with the debt crises and the euro debate, we’re hesitating a bit. B wanted Hawaii, which is gorgeous, but I definitely prefer somewhere more nontraditional (he vetoed Subsahara Africa although I told him Botswana has gorgeous locations lol).
Anyways, here’s a Hawaiian parfait to get you all excited about exotic adventures. Pineapple and coconut are an awesome combo (hello, pina coladas!) and the yogurt makes for a filling and healthy snack.
For now, we’ll keep debating about the honeymoon location – we’re open to suggestions, either where you went or want to go! In the meantime, I’ll give updates about life in Africa!

PS. I grew that orchid! She (yes, my plants have genders) was a birthday gift from B more than two years ago 🙂

Hawaiian Pineapple Coconut Parfait

Ingredients
1 cup plain Greek yogurt, divided
1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup cashews, roasted
1 teaspoon chia (or black sesame) seeds
1 tablespoon honey

Directions
Toast coconut until light brown (I used a toaster oven set to “toast” for about 2 min).

Layer your Greek yogurt on the bottom, then pineapple, then yogurt again. Top with pineapple, and sprinkle with coconut, cashews, and chia seeds. Drizzle with honey. Enjoy!

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21 Comments

  1. As a fellow food blogger, I am thinking "Nice composition and styling!" As a woman who loves food, this looks SOOOO good!

    And as for the whole honeymoon thing? My husband and I grew up in Minnesota and he was currently stationed in Hawaii when we got married. No need to vacation on a tropical island. BUT! I will say, Hawaii is pretty darn amazing. In a lot of ways, its like a whole other country. But I get the whole cliche aspect of it. Personally, we missed the North Woods and ended up in a tiny cabin resort on the border of the US and Canada. It was in October and the weather was gorgeous! No bugs! All inclusive meals, horseback riding along the forest trails, and total alone time. Awesome. If I had to choose now, a ton of people say that the Dominican Republic is a great medium spot. Hot, beaches, etc for your husband. Zip lining, dune buggy trips, cliff jumping and hikes to mountain waterfalls for you!

    Ok that was really long winded…. 🙂 Stay safe!

  2. Ahh these pictures are gorgeous! Also unrelated to the recipe, but I'm Greek and just wanted to say it's 100% safe and the islands are still as beautiful… definitely try and go if you can! (not that I'm biased or anything) xx

  3. Nah I LOVE reading long comments 🙂 It's fun to get to know fellow bloggers! You've been on bth sides of the climate – Hawaii beaches to ice cold Minnesota (I am not made to live in the ice, as my fiance called me a "heat sucker" and I steal his heat when I hold his band)

    I have not been to the Dominican Republic so we''ll keep that in mind! Cliff jumping is a bit too heart pounding for me lol, but it sounds awesome as a whole.

  4. HI Elly, oooh, I wanted to hear from a Greek reader as I was typing this and was like "what are the chances?" Blogging is SO cool, getting to meet awesome people worldwide.

    Greece is top of the list for now, fear not – we're going to decide a month of so after I get back from Botswana to see how the finances work out 🙂 But Greece has been on my travel bucket list for years so I WILL go one day I promise 😉

  5. I like that people are siding with me on a beach honeymoon =) Greece here we come! Even your subconscious (hula girl) wants a beach honeymoon

  6. Yum! This looks perfect for summer. I think either type of vacation could be very fun – maybe you two can pick a location that is in between that has nice beaches for relaxing and exciting cities/mountains for exploring all in the same place. Maybe somewhere in France or Italy?

  7. Look at you changing the world! I'm impressed with your time in Botswana. I wish I had the gumption that you have!

    Good luck with the honeymoon debate – sounds like the first of many compromises you will make as a married couple.

  8. I make parfaits for my kids all the time – now if I could only get them to like coconut!! These look delish – hello from Bakersbeans!