Over the Weekend

{ Pohaku Park }

Lots of hazy no wind days this week which is GREAT for surfing but horrible for air quality. The VOG was relentless all week and my sinuses were out of control. Good thing salt water is a remarkable inexpensive decongestant! I surfed five days in a row at my beloved Pohaku Park in Kahana where the surf ranged from 2 feet to perfect head high peeling lefts.  I love being able to walk to my surf spot. No need to waste gas right?

We also made a couple trips up to Honolua Bay. It was beautifully clean and glassy as usual. Great place to take pictures of the whales too. They are EVERYWHERE right now. I love...

{ 8'8" Kazuma }

{ straw hat-Oxbow }

{ "S-Turns" }

{ Plumerias blown to the sand by the very light tradwinds...}

{ Acacia Bikini - La Cantik Boheme }

{ The Bay }

{ Humpbacks! }

{ Going left at "The Cave". }

{ The Wait }

{ Honolua Palms }

ALOHA!

Rainbow Summer Rolls

I have a new favorite Summer Roll...

romaine

avocado

extra firm organic sprouted tofu

zukes

raw red beets

&

carrots

So easy...just shread up your ingredients and roll inside a softened tapioca rice paper wrapper.

Holy yum!

For a dipping sauce I mixed together...

soy sauce

chili garlic sauce ( or sambal )

Hawaiian honey

&

rice wine vinegar

Give this a go this weekend! You'll love it! Promise.

Aloha

I want

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To make Key Lime pie very very soon.

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Matteo Linens

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To go back to Byron Bay and live in one of these for a month.

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To have pau hanas here.

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This fantastic coral dress...

Spiced Butternut, Carrot and Apple Soup

I found an incredible detox menu in Whole Living magazine this month. All of the recipes look fabulous but this beautiful butternut squash soup really stood out to me. I tweeked the recipe a little bit by adding some heat but otherwise I stuck to the original. I decided to make it extra decedant by adding a swirl of THIS raw vegan sour cream as a topper. Yum!

Spiced Butternut Squash, Carrot and Apple Soup

-vegan-

original recipe HERE

2 Tbs olive oil

1 chopped onion

2 cloves crushed garlic

1" chopped fresh ginger ( about 2 Tbs )

3 cups water

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp cardamon

1/8 tsp cinnamon

dash of ground cloves

4 cups cubed butternut squash ( I used a 14oz can organic puree instead )

2 peeled and chopped medium carrots

1 peeled and chopped tart apple 

a couple of generous pinches of course salt

black ground pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes ( my addition )

In a large sauce pan over medium heat saute chopped onion and garlic in 2 Tbs of oil until translucent ( about 6-8 mins ).

Add ginger, all spices and saute until fragrant ( about 1 minute ) and then add water, squash, apples, and carrots. Next, bring stock to a rolling boil, add salt, black pepper, and then red pepper flakes. Reduce to a simmer and cover for about 20 minutes.

Remove soup from heat and let cool slightly. Then, in small batches add to a blender and puree until smooth.

NOTE: Go slow....hot liquids tend to explode in a blender if mixed too quickly.

Taste and adjust flavor with salt and pepper if need be. Top with raw vegan sour cream.

Enjoy and Aloha!

January Birchbox

So much fun stuff in January's Birchbox!!

*Archipelago | Pomegranate Soap

*Clark's Botanicals | Smoothing Marine Cream, a rich exfoliating moisturizer

*Juicy Couture | Juicy Couture Fragrance, floral and feminine

*Stila | Smudge Stick Waterproof Liner, LOVE!

And a little extra...

*Larabar | Mini Bar in Carrot Cake, super yummy!!Been a Larabar fan forever.

*Cute little Birchbox magnet

Love love my Birchbox shipments every month. So fun!

Click HERE to join.

ALOHA

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

Wow there are TONS of sweet potatoes filling up the farmer's markets these days! Is it that way on the Mainland too because I seriously can't get enough of them!

 My pantry is now overflowing with this humble starch so I've been trying to incorporate it into as many dishes as possible.

This vegetarian taco recipe is a perfect low maintenance weekday dinner that I could seriously eat for months. So good!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

-vegetarian-

( makes about 4-5 tacos )

2 medium size yams, cubed.

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp vegetable oil

Toss cubed sweet potatoes with oil until well coated and then toss with spices and salt. Lay cubes on a  large oiled cookie sheet and bake until soft ( about 25 minutes at 400 degrees.) In the meantime, in a small sauce pan over low heat, heat one 14oz can of drained organic black beans until they are simmering.

To finish

Top heated corn tortillas with baked sweet potato cubes and beans. Then top with cubed avocado, crumbled feta cheese, chopped cilantro, hot sauce or salsa of choice and finish with a squeeze of lime.

In case you didn't know. Simple meals are the best. Just saying...

ENJOY!



I Love

{ The beautiful Zara top my sister gave me for Christmas. }

{ The savory corn and feta pie from Leoda's in Olowalu. }

{ One of my fabulous Christmas gifts from Carlos...Oliver Peoples Sunglasses. }

{ Our new surf coffee table books. }

{ Tickets home to California and Florida....}