Musings Archives - Page 4 of 7

Finding Dorie (Vanilla Polka Dot Cookies)

By threejamigos | November 25, 2016 | Comments 0 Comment

Rock and rollers, Tom Cruise, that Bieber Kid, they all have their groupies. I am a Dorie groupie. Yep, not ashamed to admit it. Dorie is the bomb. Are you wondering-who? Not that hilarious little blue fish in Finding Nemo? No. “You mean Ellen DeGeneres who voices that cute little fish?” Nope. I am a fan of Dorie, Dorie Greenspan-cookbook author, dessert queen, cookie connoisseur and baker extraordinaire.

The Real Deal

I recently drove up to the City to see her at Omnivore Books, one of many tour stops (how does she do it?) for her newest book, Dories Cookies. A hefty compendium of deliciousness that, yes, is all about the cookie. Her recipe for Jammers, a buttery sable’ topped with jam and streusel alone makes it worth getting. I don’t know Dorie on a personal level, but she is gracious, humorous and generous-one of the nicest souls you’ll meet. This comes across when meeting her in person and in her writing.

All this, and her cookbooks are REALLY, REALLY good. The recipes are well written, easy to follow, and the results are YUMMY. Before heading to the book signing I spent an agonizing few minutes trying to pick which book of hers I wanted her to sign (I literally have all of them). I went with the first Dorie book I ever bought, Paris Sweets. It contains her iconic recipe for Korova Cookies, aka World Peace Cookies and has the loveliest illustrations.

As I waited in line, I talked to Dorie’s husband Michael. Wouldn’t you know it, he is just as nice! The list of recipes I have tried from Dorie’s books grows ever longer and this newest book will definitely add to it. Right about now is when I start looking in earnest for cookie recipes for the holidays. I opened the book and bam, Vanilla Polka Dot Cookies caught my eye. The cookie starts with a buttery, vanilla laden dough made with egg whites. The dough smelled so delicious, I had to stop myself from dipping my finger in the bowl and popping a swirl of dough in my mouth.

The dough comes together quickly and can be used for this recipe immediately. Scoop, roll and dip. Place the balls on a lined baking sheet press to flatten and bake. How easy is that?

The dough does not spread so press the cookies to desired thickness. I wanted a flatter thinner cookie, a smaller cookie, approximately 2.5 inches in diameter. I used a tablespoon ice cream scoop to portion the dough. The cookies took only 14 minutes to bake, well short of the suggested 20-22 minutes. My cookies were much smaller which accounts for the shorter baking time. Watch the cookies carefully when baking, they brown very quickly. All in all these fit the bill for a crispy, buttery festive cookie perfect for the holidays. I brought them to Thanksgiving dinner and the kids gobbled (get it?) them up.

The recipe for these cookies can be found here along with her recipe for World Peace Cookies, courtesy of the Star Telegram. If you are a Dorie fan like me, take a photo of any of Dorie’s cookies you make from her book, post it on Twitter or Instagram, and tag it with #Doriescookies and @Cookies4Kids. This will automatically trigger a 5 dollar donation to pediatric cancer research, woohoo! Thanks and HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

Caldo Verde: Post-Election Comfort Food

By threejamigos | November 13, 2016 | Comments 2 comments

This week called for a very large helping of comfort and kindness. Something to soothe our frazzled nerves and temper our anxiety and fear. I know I could use some, I have half a mind to jump on a plane and go hug my kids. I keep reminding myself, they’ll be home in a week, they’ll be home in a week.

What has helped me survive this week? Humor, thanks Sean, hugs from Grandma. Talking to friends (not ranting, that just makes me crazy but yes I have done a lot of that too). Escape from reality movies, we saw Dr. Strange (despite my stand against using Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One). Listening to audiobooks (instead of the news) and to my favorite music. Thank goodness for Motown and K-Pop. Riding my bike and taking Sammy on walks (yep, lucky I live in California). Going to bookstores. I went to a book signing by Dorie Greenspan at Omnivore Books on Food in the City. That deserves its own special blog post which I will get to very soon.

And of course, Cooking and Baking

Posed the age-old question…If you could pick only one food to eat every day for the rest of your life, (asked by my kid Jordan, the “What if? Kid” right after asking “If you could pick a superpower, what would it be) I think I would say SOUP. I love soup. My Dad often made soup as part of our evening meal. It was amazing, he would start with a pot of water, add slices of meat, and seasonings such as ginger and scallions, assorted vegetables, and voila’, a delicious tasty soup in minutes.

So this week I turned to my ultimate comfort food, soup. I found a recipe for Caldo Verde in Martha Stewart’s book Vegetables and it screamed make me, make me! So I did. A hearty Portuguese soup with potatoes, onions, collard greens, and chorizo or linguica. Delicious. It was warm and filling with a hint of bitterness (appropriate for this week) from the greens and spice from the sausage. I loved it and I think you will too. The recipe fills a nice-sized pot so share with a neighbor or friend…comfort and kindness. It will help get you through rough days.

As always tweak the recipe to your liking. The original recipe calls for kale or collard greens, you can substitute greens with less bite such as chard or spinach. Russet potatoes can be replaced by Yukon Golds giving the rustic soup a smoother less starchy texture. In place of chorizo, try linguica or any spicy sausage. For additional smokiness, saute a couple of strips of bacon along with the sausage and add to the soup. Serve with slices of crusty French Bread slathered with butter (we deserve it).

Print Pin

Caldo Verde: Comfort Food for My Election Blues

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus some for drizzling
1 large onion finely chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
2.5 pounds russet potatoes about 5 medium peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
8 cups low sodium chicken stock
8 ounces firm chorizo or linguica halved lengthwise
10-12 ounces kale tough stems trimmed and leaves thinly sliced, or collard greens
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring periodically until softened, approximately 4 minutes.
Add potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo or linguine and cook until browned, approximately 3-4 minutes on each side.
If desired in the same pan, saute' 2 slices of bacon that have been cut into 1/2 inche pieces.
Transfer chorizo to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle thinly slice on the diagonal crosswise. Transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain.
Puree soup with a hand blender or in a regular blender in batches. Do not fill more than halfway if using a blender.
Return to pot and stir in greens, simmer additional 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve soup drizzled with oil and topped with chorizo and bacon.
Optional garnish with cilantro if desired.

All Things Southern, Nashville

By threejamigos | October 6, 2016 | Comments 0 Comment

After returning from Houston we were home just long enough to reassure Sammy we hadn’t abandoned him, water the plants, do some laundry, repack our suitcase and head out to Nashville to see Jordan. Family Weekend has become an excuse to spend time with Jordan’s classmates’ families. Jordan has made some great friends at school and it’s always a good time when we get together. We all roll into town and follow Henry, dad to Jordan’s classmate and bestie, Danielle. He is our guide to Nashville’s food and fun scene. This trip found us trying some of the stalwarts in Nashville including Arnold’s Country Kitchen, the Pancake Pantry and Prince’s Hot Chicken.

Routine or Quirks, You Be the Judge

I have a couple of quirks I should tell you about, well I call them quirks..you be the judge. During crunch time games, like yesterday’s Giants versus the Mets wild card game, you will not find me comfortably planted on my couch with the TV on (that’s Wes). You will not find me at a sports bar or at an “I just jumped on the bandwagon” viewing party, sipping wine, and eating finger food. Nope. I will be sitting in my car, possibly parked on the side of the road or more than likely in my driveway, listening to the radio broadcast of the game. I will be nervously hanging on every pitch or play called by Flem, Miller, Krup, and Kuipe. Too nervous to watch, too interested to not know what is happening, that is my compromise. Back in the day, I pulled over to listen to Dave Dravecky’s comeback game. I ran out and sat in my car in the driveway to listen to Will the Thrill lead the Giants over the Cubbies in the NLCS. Yep just me and the radio, that’s all I need.

I also have a routine for flying, especially long flights. Travel mug for coffee, yes the blue one only. For regattas, my pink water bottle (it’s so beat up it doesn’t even stand anymore) is always in my suitcase. A downloaded audiobook on my phone and a magazine to look at because I can’t possibly do NOTHING for the 2 minutes we can’t use electronics on board.

So there you have it. On our flight to Nashville, my magazine of choice was Sift, and as luck would have it, it featured an article on bakeries in Nashville. Hum-baby!

First stop when we arrived:

Just a few minutes from Vanderbilt in an industrial-looking area…we stopped for coffee, scrumptious cookies, a yummy blueberry muffin, chocolate croissants and a Kouign Amann (meh, I think I come from the mecca for great Kouign Amann at Manresa Bakery or B. Patisserie in SF). Dozen Bakery is definitely worth the stop when in Nashville. Next time I’m trying their breads and sandwiches!

The next morning, with my partner in food crime, Debbie (Jordan’s roommate’s mom) we headed to the iconic Pancake Pantry in Hillsborough Village near campus. Would love to have been there before the lines but a nearly impossible task with college kids that start their morning at about 11 AM. So we stood in line and waited for the best damn sweet potato pancakes I have had.

Now don’t get me wrong if you are looking for cutting-edge, hipster trendy food that will make your tastebuds stand up and do the hula…this ain’t it. This is just down home solid simple cooking that’s been around for decades, nothing wrong with that. Plus, part of the fun is being there.

Next stop…..lunch (happy dance although the bounce in my dance step was a little less springy after a plate of pancakes)

Yep, time for a Meat and three. Arnold’s Country Kitchen, cafeteria style, stand in line, order your meat (fried catfish or roast beef was the special of the day), and three sides. I went healthy for the sides, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and fried green tomatoes, lol. Had to save room for banana pudding for dessert of course.

…and for the trifecta of iconic places to eat in Nashville we went to Prince’s for Hot Chicken.

Fried Chicken, super crispy and crunchy, moist and doused in their secret sauce to the hotness of your desire (I am a wimp as evident by the lack of red on my chicken, I opted for mild). Drop the mic, done. Whoops, don’t leave without getting their banana pudding, the bomb.

Yep, all in a day’s work.

PART 2: HOUSTON EATS

By threejamigos | September 22, 2016 | Comments 0 Comment

Well of course we ate our way through the city! My favorite place from this trip is…wait for it……..

TORCHY’S TACOS!

Queso dip with thin crispy tortilla chips, Trailer Park Tacos trashy-style and corn grilled taken off the cob and gussied up with cheese and spices. Good tacos at a great price. Yum.

Houston is not just a one trick pony of Tex-Mex food. During this trip we feasted on Greek and Indian food. Stopped for Boba tea, nibbled on great biscuits over a steaming latte at Blacksmith. Ran into Shipley’s for kolachys and witnessed a char-siu bao eating contest during dim sum lunch. We perused the international aisles of Phoenicia Foods and munched on chili biscuits to start our soul food supper at Lucille’s. How’s that for cosmopolitan eating.

Dinner at Helen Greek Food and Wine in Rice Village: We started with a trio of delicious dips followed with stuffed squash blossoms and a whole stuffed snapper with a tart and tangy lemon sauce. A sweet ending of fennel cinnamon laced donuts.

The squash blossoms were DELICIOUS, GET THEM.

We ate at Pondicheri Cafe, an upscale Indian eatery that serves familiar Indian dishes in a lovely space. I had their Earth Thali that included crispy golden pakoras, carrot roti, butter chicken and a creamy vegetable korma-yum. We then promptly headed upstairs to their Bake Lab after dinner.

Yum, yum, yum, the Bake Lab, serves wonderful pastries and breads that pay homage to India. There is always room for dessert!

My favorites include the Chai Pie Trifle and their Masala cookie, a unique riff on shortbread (yes, my favorite) flavored with chili, cumin and coriander..don’t freak out…it was deliciously different, slightly sweet with a hint of Indian spice.

And now I head to NASHVILLE!!!!!!!

Going Back to Houston, Houston, Houston

By threejamigos | September 17, 2016 | Comments 0 Comment

I don’t want to sound like the Houston Chamber of Commerce but we did have a great time this past weekend. Being a native Californian, a San Franciscan at that, does not lend itself well to being a fan of the Lone Star State. Politics aside (I just can’t wrap my head around how Molly Ivins and Ann Richards come from the same state much less the same planet as Ted Cruz) I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I have enjoyed my visits. Of course it does help that I get to see my girl.

This quick jaunt did have a purpose. This past summer Jamie came home and announced “I think I am going to try out for the cross country team at Rice this fall”. To which we all did a double take and exclaimed “What!? Have you ever seen a cross country meet? Nope.” She has always played a sport-soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, baseball, softball but run? Hmm, did not see that one coming. She spoke to the coach and they came up with a plan. A simple plan really. RUN. RUN a lot. RUN some more. It paid off. She excitedly called home to tell us “I made the team!” So we packed our bags and headed to Houston to watch Jamie run her very first cross country meet.

Let’s play “Where’s Jamie?”

The day before Jamie’s meet, we headed to the Museum of Fine Arts for the Kusama Exhibit, “At the End of the Universe”.

While Jamie was in class, we wandered around Houston’s Museum District starting with The Menil Collection. The museum is comprised of a main gallery, the Rothko Chapel and the Byzantine Fresco Chapel, it is an eclectic, amazing collection of art. One of my favorite pieces is the Broken Obelisk, dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr, it sits in front of the Rothko Chapel.

After the Byzantine Fresco Chapel, an afternoon break was in order at Bistro Menil.

She did great at her first meet so “we” cooled down by walking around campus enjoying a gorgeous Houston evening.

Go Rice Owls and James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany Skyspace” on campus. The canopy’s light changes morphing into an array of beautiful peaceful colors. We sat under the canopy mesmerized by the colors, definitely a nice spot to sit, relax and reflect.

Houston Part 2: We talk food in the next post!

Food, Food Can Bring Us Together (Turkey & Zucchini Burgers)i

By threejamigos | August 28, 2016 | Comments 1 comment

Wes planted 2 squash plants this season and I am totally dumbfounded by the number of squash you get from 2 plants…and apparently all at once. Looking for recipes that will put a dent in the supply of zucchini that is monopolizing my vegetable crisper.

I remembered a recipe I had tried from cookbook author Ottolenghi, turkey and zucchini burgers with a yogurt sumac sauce. If you have not checked out any of his cookbooks, please do. This tasty recipe comes from his book Jerusalem. It is filled with beautiful photos and stories about the food and the city. The recipes are filled with bold, bright flavors of which most were new to me. The book is a collaboration between Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. What I love is Yotam is Israeli and Sami is Palestinian. Both spent their childhoods in Jerusalem, growing up on opposite ends of the city. Their mutual love of food brought them together in London. Sharing food brings people together and hopefully helps to transcend our differences.

This dish is easy to prepare, healthy and tasty. The burgers are made with ground turkey and grated zucchini. The addition of mint, cilantro, scallions, cumin, cayenne and garlic makes it a party in your mouth.
A dipping sauce of yogurt and sour cream sauce is a cool and refreshing counterbalance to the meat patties.

The sumac in the sauce, an herb that is both tart and fragrant further enhances the dish. It can be found at Whole Foods, any Middle Eastern store or online. Though you can increase the lemon in place of the sumac, try to find it. It has a fragrant, fruity dimension that the lemon does not that I think really sets it apart. We ate them with a bit of rice the first night and then stuffed in pita bread and topped with tomatoes and fresh grilled corn the following day for lunch. Yums. Really versatile and almost better the next day as the flavors have had a chance to blend.

Try this recipe and check out the Ottolenghi cookbooks, breathtakingly beautiful and a joy to read. If you are like me it will open doors to new flavors and foods.

Print Pin

Turkey and Zucchini Burgers with Sumac Sauce

Ingredients

Burgers

Approximately 1 pound or 500g ground turkey or chicken
1 large zucchini coarsely grated (about 200g in total about 2 cups)
3 green onions thinly sliced
1 large egg
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp chopped coriander
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
½ tsp course ground black pepper
½ tsp cayenne
~ 1/4 cup of vegetable oil for searing

Sour cream & sumac sauce:

1/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup Greek yoghurt
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 small garlic clove crushed
1½ tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sumac
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Instructions

Yogurt sauce

In a medium sized bowl, combine ingredients for sauce and mix thoroughly. Place in refrigerator to set and chill while making burgers.
The sauce will mellow with time, feel free to add a bit more sumac and lemon juice to taste.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Burgers

Combine ingredients for burgers in bowl, mixing gently. The mixture is pretty wet. You can omit the egg or squeeze some of the liquid out of the zucchini to make forming patties a little easier.
Form patties in desired size. I used a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop which made smaller sized patties roughly 1.5 ounces in weight. This made about 15 appetizer sized patties.
Sear over medium high heat and place on parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.
Bake in oven for 6-8 minutes.
Serve with yogurt sauce.

She’s Baaaaack….Guest Blogger Jamie!

By threejamigos | April 4, 2016 | Comments 0 Comment

Hello! This is Jamie! I know I know, it’s been a while, blame the Rice bioengineering department. Don’t worry, I’ve missed you guys, too. I’m currently sitting in the car typing this; it is the first hour of a 12 hour drive back to Houston from Nashville.

Okay, I lied. I’m going to be honest, I fell asleep in the car right after writing that^. Currently sitting in Starbucks across from the Texas Medical Center writing this. It is 9:50 a.m. on Sunday, and I feel like I’m about to fall over from lack of sleep. Before you roll your eyes at me and grumble something about crazy college kids sleeping in til forever o clock after a long night of partying, hear me out. I got back last night at about 3:30 am, and now I am here at Starbucks waiting to go to lab. Not that I’m complaining, I actually really like lab and Nashville was super fun. My school, Rice, is super weird, we have breaks called “midterm recess” where we get a Thursday and Friday off once a semester. They are supposed to happen after midterms are over so we can all catch up on sleep, but honestly I’d rather get a full week off for Thanksgiving instead. Sam and I usually use midterm breaks as an excuse to go travel somewhere outside of Houston. We went to Austin last year and bummed around UT and had a blast. This year, I was a little hesitant to go anywhere because I was so tired from a long semester of awful classes. Our ideal vacations are not very relaxing—we both love exploring places. But, of course, Sam being Sam, and me being me, I found myself sitting in a car on Wednesday night ready to brave the long drive to Nashville. Our excuse for going was to visit Jordan and Sam’s best friend, Tate, from high school. Jordan goes to Vanderbilt and Tate goes to Belmont, which are basically right next to each other. We spent Thursday, Friday, and most of Saturday in Nashville, and we had an awesome time. Jordan’s friends were great and so was Tate. (check out my awesome rhyming ability).

But I am my mother’s daughter, and naturally, this post is going to be about food. I don’t think Sam and I had really bad food during our trip. Except for Pluckett’s. Don’t go to Pluckett’s. Well, in their defense, we went after driving from 7 pm to 830 am in the morning, so we weren’t really thinking about food. Nashville, like Houston, has a fantastic food scene. All of the restaurants are very into the rustic vibe, which I am a major fan of. The food highlight of the trip was Barista Parlor, a small coffee shop with possibly the best breakfast food I’ve had in a while. (Sorry Houston). I had this really yummy biscuit (of course) with sausage, an egg, and jam. I’ve never been the biggest fan of biscuits, but I figured I was in Nashville, so I had to try one. It sounds weird, but the combination of sweet jam and the salty sausage was actually pretty awesome. Sam had your classic eggs, bacon, and potatoes breakfast, and he said the bacon was possibly the best he’s had. As a side note, we did try to go to Biscuit Love, but the line looked like the line in front of the Apple Store whenever a new iPhone comes out, and we were not about to wait in it. Unlike my mother, I am relatively sane when it comes to biscuits. Sam does not have my Dad’s patience when it comes to dealing with Leong women and our obsession with food. But he did have to listen to me belting out four hours of Taylor Swift on the drive up to Nashville and every single high school musical song ever made on the drive back. Can we say Trooper with a capital T?

Another highlight of the trip was the coffee. I had so. Much. Coffee. It was glorious, but probably not the best thing for my stomach. To be honest, I needed that much coffee, I was pretty sleep deprived. It tasted so good, too. I’m pretty sure I had three to four cups each day, some just straight coffee and some fancy ones like this.

Cupofjoe — More coffee..they make it look so nice

All in all, it was a great trip. I’ll admit it, I definitely missed my brother, and I loved spending time with him, even when he forced us to go to Chuy’s (a Houston original) for dinner and when we spent a solid 3+ hours trying to find a brunch spot because the wait for a table was way too long everywhere we went. (We finally settled on the 45 minute wait at the Flipside, and yes, it was def worth the wait). Alright, I have procrastinated enough on my school work. I’ll write again soon!

Hi Claire

There Are No Words

By threejamigos | April 2, 2016 | Comments 1 comment

A few weeks ago my friend Jane’s daughter was in a terrible car crash in Tahoe. I was in Hawaii when I found out. I felt helpless. After a few days in the intensive care unit and multiple tests they let her go, but not before making the decision to donate her organs as she would have wanted them to do.

There are no words of comfort I can give to my friends that could possibly ease their pain. I cannot fathom how they feel. I cannot begin to imagine what they are going through. I am heartbroken for them, for her and for all of us that were touched by this amazing ball of light, laughter and energy. At only 25 she accomplished more than most do in a lifetime. She loved the outdoors, loved to push herself physically and mentally. She was an artist, athlete, rower, firefighter, EMT, ski patrol and much much more. The ultimate team player, she pushed herself and rooted for her teammates even if she was competing against them. She brought so much joy to so many it is almost impossible to believe that she is not here. She enjoyed life and lived every moment to its fullest. She had the tenacity of a pitbull, the strength of an Amazon, and the spirit of a warrior.

She will be missed.

This song was for her family. She put it on a playlist for her future niece and for them and now it has become my mantra. I will be there for the long haul, to listen, cry, laugh, talk, to help anyway I can.

Love You Snook Family

One Call Away cover by Jason Chin

Paradise Found

By threejamigos | March 29, 2016 | Comments 0 Comment

This has been the longest period of time between posts for my fledging blog, I hope you stayed with me. As life is prone to do, it got busy and messy. The first few months of this year has brought joy but also great sorrow (for another post), thankfully we have family and friends to share in the moments; to celebrate the good times and help us through the bad times.

I missed blogging, it has become a way to decompress, reflect on life and of course pass along yummy recipes to you.

_V3A4943 — Waipi’o Valley still spectacular, even in the rain

Juli’s wedding provided impetus for a quick island getaway. Whoever came up with destination weddings should be applauded and I can’t think of a more beautiful venue than the Big Island. Before going I formulated a list for my brief island jaunt, things to do, food to eat and sites to see. First and foremost, Hawaiian food. It is comfort food, island-style, I have a definite weakness for island grindz. Good thing I don’t live in Hawaii. A diet best described as insanely delicious but not very good for you. The very definition of vacation eats. Can you say banana mac pancakes? Loco Moco? Kahlua pig? 2 scoops of anything that contains mayonnaise? Yes, I would be doomed. My saving grace would be the abundance of tropical fruits and seafood. I also dream about Shave Ice..hmmmmm, lilikoi, mango, passion fruit, lychee, but I would have to get to Oahu to Wailoa Shave Ice to have some.

Bucket List for the Big Island

It actually takes about 3+ hours to get from the north side of the island to the south side. Rent a car you’ll need it. If you insist on driving like a Californian (not me of course), it will take considerably less time.

Hidden gem in Kona, 808 Grindz. Say hi to Aaron for us! If they have grilled pork belly on the daily specials menu, order it. Served with fried rice it has that sweet salty flavor, a big thumbs up.

On our way to Waimea we stopped at the Hawaiian Style Cafe, another local joint with breakfasts big enough to satisfy the hungriest guy in your group.

Umeke’s– Poki Bowls! The fish is fresh and the vibe is friendly.

TexDrive In We stopped here for their malasadas, not bad but if you have had Leonard’s malasadas in Oahu you have my permission to skip these.

If you’re headed to the Waipio Valley (well near it, can’t go into the valley due to Dengue Fever) stop at Waipi’o Cookhouse. Locally sourced produce and a barbecue pit that would make any southerner proud.

I enjoyed a delicious brisket sandwich. And don’t forget you can always stop at a McDonald’s for Saimin, Spam, Eggs and Rice or Guava Pie!

Stopped by to visit an old friend who moved back to the islands. Every day is another day living in Paradise, inspiration for his artwork. Well deserved after having both my boys in his third grade class!

Weather? Hot, humid, cold, wet, rainy, sunny, windy..yes, it has it all, bring your swimsuit and your raincoat, you’ll use both!

On a lazy night, find a local hangout with Hawaiian music, slatkey guitar or ukulele. Kick back, relax and enjoy the sounds of the islands and a Mai Tai if you have to! Here is a taste of island music, Home in the Islands by the Cazimero Brothers.

Don’t miss!

You can hike the crater floor, explore a lava tube, enjoy a steam facial (steam vents) and be mesmerized by the volcano activity at Hawai’i Volcano National Park

Or hang out with the sea turtles and enjoy a day at the shore at Punalu’u Black Sand Beach

Stargazing at Maunakea

It’s cold at 9200 feet, bring warm clothes! So many stars…amazing! We saw Jupiter through the one of the many telescopes they set up each night.

If you can’t quite gather up the nerve to skydive or bungee jump, try zip-lining over Umauma Falls.

Aloha!