Spam A Lot

There are 8 kinds of spam. We got the low sodium version so I could test a recipe (for kids) for grilled spam and cheese.

I was so excited about my new class, I couldn't sleep. I got up at 2am and started filling out all the paper work Jillian gave me. An application with about 12 questions asking everything why I want to do this to what subjects I want to study, and what is my end goal. I also had to write a 1 page letter of intent. That pretty much took me until 4am, I tried to go back to sleep, but I keep thinking about recipes to test, my flyer, and the website. I got about 2 hours of sleep. At 9 we took the dogs to get groomed and when we went to get them we had to go to the Soup Hale for lunch. When we came home I started to work on my flyer (I want to give one to Jillian) and Dan set up the printer.

I had a cup of "Upcountry Mushroom Soup" and Dan and I split this Basil and cashew pate with grilled, homemade focaccia 

These avocados are so good, and they don't turn brown (we leave 1/2 in the fridge over night and there is no change in color) because of a higher fat content.

Almost all local sammie. Boars Head roasted turkey (the only thing not local), on 12 grain sprouted bread, lettuce (from Jillian), goat cheese, and avocado (from Nok), delish!

Friday, I finished my flyer around lunchtime and we had a salad for lunch. We headed over to the grocery and i made another version of the Hawaiian paella, this time with pineapple! I didn't use shellfish  because according to the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch program, all shrimp that is not from the Gulf of Mexico is on their avoid list because either other countries harvest the shrimp in such a way that is harmful to ocean life of they farm in such a way that is harmful to ocean life. Plus, you can not get local mussels, clams, or any other shell fish. So we had local fish only, Monchong and Opah. I got about a half pound of each, and paid about $8.00 total. When we left for the store, I had given Phil a flyer (to give to Simone, to give to her rich friend) and he saw the paella picture and said he'd take some. So, I brought them down a sample. They really liked it and Dan says I don't need to test the recipe anymore!

Dan with his new surf board and the previous owner. She cried last night at the thought of selling it, but she wanted a different kind.

Today, we went to the surf board swap where we met up with Mike, our surf instructor and his fiancee, Jessica. While Dan and Mike cruised the boards, Jessica talked. She is a personal chef as well so she told me about her business and gave me some tips. She usually cooks for people the entire time they are on vacation, right now she is cooking for a family all week. I gave her some of my flyers and told her to call me if she ever needed help. The board Dan got is made by Bill Hamilton, Laird's dad. The board is 6 months old, solve for around $1200 new, should go for $650 used now, but, because of Mike, she gave Dan a deal of $400.00. He got a great deal and several locals commented on that fact when they saw it. Now, we can go whenever we want! Of course, we had to give it a test ride!

Hanalei Bay, cloudy but about 75 degrees.

I chickened out because it was windy and the water was chilly(ish)

The river that runs into the ocean was full, it's been raining a lot lately

left, ocean / right, river

I stood here and took pictures with my phone

After missing a wave because of lack of wax, he came in to remedy that situation

Dan finished waxing up the board

rough looking waves, that black dot is Dan

He says his new board is quick!

Post surf happy face

There are waterfalls everywhere you look, you can see one coming down the middle of this mountain

Here is a better shot of the waterfall

I got this shot because I love the tree canopy in Hanalei bay, I always wish I could live in one of these houses!

Ahi for tonight's fish tacos

Jessica said the dolphin fish market had local, farmed shrimp so I got some of that too

The beach by our house

friend

We took the kids for a walk, this is the same place as before but we took a different route, one we like better!

Dan, our neighbor is also the construction manager for the 400 acre debunked development. The residents hired him to try and get it developed, he say he needs 10 million more dollars to get it finished. Guess we'll be able to walk them there for awhile!

 

Baxter wished he could get into that pond!

Dan took a silly picture of me

There's Bali Hai (far right jagged mountains)

A baby coconut tree

We walked up to a Banyan tree park

A flock of egrets in flight

Once again, Baxter wanted that water but couldn't get to it

On the way back, we met Lauren. She is a teacher in Kilauea (where my farm is) and her boyfriend is also a teacher, they also have a springer spaniel, but she's not here yet.

Hot Lucy

Even though we gave the water after the hike, he needed more. I rinse them off every time, to get rid of dirt but also pollen because of Dan's allergies. Baxter laid down and drank!

Hawaiian Sangria. Pineapple, orange (from Nok), lemon (farmers market) and mango (from Nok) soaked overnight in wine it turned out yummy!

Ahi tuna, chipotle crema, smashed avocado and a mixture of cilantro, lettuce and cabbage (from Jullian's farm). It needs a little work. The chipotle crema was probably too hot for most people, but we liked it. I have to get a tortilla steamer or something because the corn tortillas broke, maybe I'll use flour instead. They tasted really good despite the tortillas. More testing to be done!