Getting Creative

{ vegan wontons and brussel sprouts }

 

The week before leaving on a multi-week vacation I stop grocery shopping and start making interesting meals out of what we have left. Funny thing is, this is usually when I come up with some really great spontaneous dishes that end up being new favorites once we get back home.

 

Pictured above is a plate of roasted brussel spouts that I later sprinkled with furikake flakes ( so good ) along with some baked wontons made with a healthy filling of organic spinach, soybeans, shiitake mushrooms, ginger, garlic and some aromatic Asian herbs from our garden. I have to say, I'll be making this again. I made about 30 wontons and ended up freezing half the of the uncooked batch for another night. Packages of wontons wrappers are a staple in my freezer because you can basically fill them with anything. You can baked them, fry, steam or even boil them. Gotta love that...

 

Aloha!



Garden

 

I usually try to get our annual garden in by the last week of February but this year it just didn't happen. Better late than never right? We planted a ton of different herbs and minor veggies that I know I'll be using all Spring and Summer!

 

2013 Garden List

 

new stuff!

 

Italian Basil

Thai Basil

Opal Basil

Lemon Basil

Thyme

Dill

Fennel

Rosemary

Tatsoi

Green Onions

Fresno Chilies

Hawaiian Red Chilies

Thai Red Dragons

Edible Hawaiian Hibiscus

 

re-potted

 

Pineapple

Meyer Lemon

Key Lime

 

still going...

 

Apple Banana

Pineapple

Sunrise Papaya

Lilikoi ~ Jamaican and Purple

Anaheim Chilies

Serranos

Jalepenos

Lemongrass

Keffir Lime leaves and fruit

Manoa lettuce

Italian Parsley

Thai Culantro

 

 

Cool green lizard checking me out!

 

ALOHA



Homemade Larabars

I love Larabars and I've been meaning to make a homemade version forever. Here on Maui, Larabars cost about $3 a pop so I figured it would be a whole lot less expensive ( and easy ) to make them at home.

I was right....Larabars for the most part have only 2 main ingredients, dates and nuts. Additional flavoring can be added with all sorts of things like dried fruit, coconut flakes, and cacao.

For the yummy Larabars I made this morning I searched the blogsphere to find a recipe. Sure enough, Angela from "Oh She Glows" had posted a great Larabar recipe! The bars are delicious and super easy to make.

Next time I think I'm going to sub the vegan chocolate bits for dried mango just to see what that would be like? Like a raw vegan Larabar? What do you think?

 Check out here her Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough "Larabars" HERE

 

ALOHA!



I Want

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{ This"Napili Romper" from Anthropologie }

 

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{ To check out M.A.K.E. in Santa Monica on my next trip to L.A. }

 

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{ This beautiful topaz and gold necklace. Amazing...}

 

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{ Sombrero Sheets. Love! }

 

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{ OMG this guy! Hahaha! }

 

HAPPY EASTER!

 

ALOHA

 

 



Working Out, Island Style

 

I have recently done a complete overhaul over the last several months regarding my workout routine. As you may recall the gym I belonged to for 12 years burned down to the ground last September. Thanks to this ( and my lack of suitable workout facilities on west Maui ) I was forced to rethink my frequent, weekly sessions on the eliptical machine.

I used the gym as a "filler", some place to go when the surf was flat ( or the wind was up! ) It was also an outlet for when I had an hour to kill or just felt like zoning out in front of CNN ( because I don't watch T.V. at home ).

At first I thought, "no biggie", I'll just stick to the ocean for my cardio but after a couple of weeks I started to tweek out. I needed another outlet so I finally invested in some "good" running shoes and hit the pavement for some 30 minute, 3 mile runs, 3-4 times a week.

 

BUT then "winter" hit...

 

Okay, okay I know....winter on Maui is about what you think it would be, warm, mostly sunny and pretty much well, perfect.  However we get our rain ( rainbows!) we get our massive wind storms ( 40-60 mph this year! ) and we also get our famous world class "there's no way in hell I'm paddling out there" surf for days even weeks on end! A few weeks ago I tried going for a run in one of these "wind" storms and had to turn around after 10 minutes thanks to falling coconuts and mangoes ( no joke! ) on the lower Honoapiilani! Seriously, dangerous stuff!!

 

 So now what?! Well....I finally decided to join a yoga studio.

 

I now try to go to yoga 1 to 2 days a week. Even if the weather is nice. One of my favorite things to do now is take an early vinyasa class and then go paddling or surfing immeditely afterwards. This is just awesome. Why I didn't start doing this years ago I'll never know?!

 

Anyway, so my favorite thing to do after a yoga/paddle/surf session is go to "Choice" in Lahaina and get their massive "O.G. Acai Bowl". I love Acai bowls and make them frequently at home but sometimes it's just nice to not have to clean the vitamixer. "Choice", also caters to the raw and vegan crowd and offers tons of smoothies, fresh juices, and elixirs as well as daily raw vegan specials, vegan "plate lunches" and fantastic soups!

 

 

{"The O.G." - double Acai, banana, apple juice, + fresh bananas and honey}

 

{ fresh Upcountry Protea flowers at "Choice" }

 

{ Eco-friendly beverage bottles and the Maui Time }

 

Check out "Choice" in Lahaina HERE

 

ALOHA



New Acacia

{ Acacia Canons top and Maui bottoms in "Dragon Fruit"}

 

{ Acacia Canons top and Maui bottoms in "Native", Rio bottom in "Hapa"}

 

It took me about 2 months to acquire each separate thanks to hard to find sizes and $$$!

I always to seem to justify my Acacia purchases with the fact that I actually really do live in a bikini most days of the week. I have yet to find another swimwear brand that shares Acacia's quality and unique prints and styles. Plus, it's local. Gotta support that!

 

Love Acacia's website HERE.

Love that it was shot on a beautiful Lahaina beach too!

 

ALOHA



Pause...

Sorry!!

Just had a little unexpected job upgrade and had to dive deep into training again! Hang tight, I'll be back very very soon!!!

XO