Chocoflan

Preparing for Cinco de Mayo and testing some Mexican desserts. Took 2 attempts to make the caramel-just didn't caramelize nor turn an amber color, had to be refrigerated overnight, and lots of steps to create 3 layers to make this cake. The result was a moist chocolate cake and not too sweet flan. Que bonita!

Palenque

I always judge a Mexican restaurant by how good the rice is and El Palenque has my vote as the BEST Mexican restaurant on the island. The chimichangas are loaded with meat but light and flakey at the same time. We always eat here after a surf session.

Poli's

My favorite surf spot on the island, so far. Caught 7 waves and minor scrapes on Saturday. A turtle freaked me out but not enough to send me in.

Afternoon Tea

I try, stress try to refrain from sweets Monday through Thursday. I was too busy to indulge till today(Sunday) and enjoyed every bite of this cinnamon roll from Foodland which was only $1.99. The indulgence includes using my fancy tea cups and plates. How great is that!

What I'm Reading...

Can't wait for surf. Until then, I will be learning from my last surf session and these cool books.

Adobo Restaurant

Adobo's catered the Quincanera and I haven't stopped raving about the food. The beef was succulent and juicy, the rice tasty, and the chicken full of flavor. My favorite was the bean and tomato salad dressed with a tasty vinegarette that complimented everything!

Quincanera

A quincanera is a Latin custom to celebrate a young girl and to recognize her journey from childhood to maturity. Leilehua's Spanish I class hosted this colorful, festive celebration with food, dance, and a cultural.

Arroz Rojo

Red rice. Every Mexican family has their version of the tomato tinted rice dish and this is Marcela Valladolid's of Food Network's Mexican Made Easy.Preparing for Cinco de Mayo and Marcela's cookbook is a great resource!

Granola

bon appetit's tasty and energy packed granola is delish! Definitely will make this again. The addition of sunflower seeds and extra walnuts was a bonus.

Surf Day in the Country

Checked out Tiger's Point and Campgrounds, then settled at Poli's to try my new board

Community Recycle Day

Giving back is a value I impart on my students.

Chocolate Cake

It's been a long week and I need chocolate.

Kale Chips

What I thought would be nutritious and delicious turned out to be gross and unappealing. Tried to get my husband to eat some and he spit it out! Nasty!

My Surfer

I never dated a surfer before I met Scott. This cute, tall, haole guy walked into a teacher's workshop 20 years ago and my life has never been the same! We began dating shortly. One of his friend's wives pulled me aside to fill me in on what it's like to be with a surfer and to explain that surfing is a "lifestyle." I just nodded and smiled, not really comprehending. Since the New Zealand trip I finally get it with surfing. The sensation you feel when you ride the wave is euphoric. My euphoria was a 1 ft wave! I'm sure he needs a bigger wave to feel the sensation. Nevertheless, surfing is cool! I've been told Scott is "a really good surfer" and "he's like a professional" and I would think. "Really?" Since the NZ trip, I now appreciate the sport and finally realize that Scott is beautiful when he surfs-languid, playful, and elegant. It's inspiring to watch him do something he loves so much!

Aloha Aoki's Shave Ice

A drive to the North Shore always includes a shave ice stop at Aoki's. Unfortunately, Aoki's will be closing their doors. I personally thought Aoki's was mo bettah than Matsumoto's.

Surfboard

Birthday and Christmas came very early this year. It's an 8'4" Robert August surftech. Robert August was one of the surfers featured in The Endless Summer who traveled to New Zealand where I ironically fell in love with surfing again. I can't wait to take her out!

Surfing

I've found a new love-surfing!

Carrot Cake

I find most carrot cakes to be decadent and rich but this Cooking Light recipe is simple, light, and quite tasty!

Gardening

What others find work, I find meditative and pleasurable. Bought some flowers and herbs and tended to my garden.

Crepe

The failure of obtaining light, fluffy pancakes yielded thin, flat discs which I stuffed with Nutella, folded and whalah....crepe!

Pancake

The best hotcakes in New Zealand inspired me to recreate the experience at home, but with no success. Sol's pancakes were light, fluffy, not to sweet and mine were the opposite-flat, dense, and not enough flavor!

Piha, New Zealand

An impromptu yoga lesson. What I thought would be a morning of a quiet, solitary yoga session turned out to be a party. Some kiwi teens joined me for the challenge while a Piha local clicked away.