Monday, February 9, 2015

I was all set to make Cream Scones this morning but we decided to wait until tomorrow morning instead. Tomorrow is suppose to be a rainy day--a good day to bake!

Breakfast on the veranda, Greek Yogurt with fresh pineapple and 9-grain bread toasted and served with Guava Jelly. Great stuff, Guava Jelly!

Next, time for the beach. You do get into a routine here, once you've been for a while. No rush, nothing really to do. No worries. Today at the beach, however, the wind kicked up and started blowing sand. A little like being sand-blasted or having your own micro-dermabrasion, lol. Time to leave as sand gets everywhere! I did take a few pictures though. Today the waves were pretty small. There was only one surfer out there and he didn't stay out long.

I did not add this picture yesterday, but it is remarkable because it shows how small the surfer is compared to the waves. Amazing no one drowns!

After the beach, you need a shower, just to get all the sand off! Then it was time to fix lunch. Chicken Caesar Salad, dressing from scratch! I have the original recipe from Harrah's Steakhouse in Reno.

Harrah's Caesar Salad

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic
1-2 anchovies
1/2 lemon, juiced
6-8 shots Worchestershire sauce
1-2 shots Tobasco
1 large tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 egg yolk
1 head Romaine lettuce
2 large tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 cup croutons

Preparation:
In a large wodden bowl, grind the garlic with 2 forks. Add the anchovies and continue to grind the two until smooth. Add the lemon juice and grind until well mixed. Add the remaining dressing ingredients and mix well. Add the Romain and toss, then add the Parmesan cheese and homemade croutons. Plate and serve.

Still the best recipe I have come across for Caesar Salad!

I spent the afternoon reading, texting my boss at Creme Cafe (I had to tease her about Pigs in a Blanket. Did you know they sell Pigs in the Blanket at the Maui Market? Who would have thought?) and researching recipes. I did do a little editing of my cookie cookbook. I am waiting to hear back about getting a cover design. I am pleased I am finally finished! I had wanted to publish before Christmas but that did not happen.

By the time dinner rolled around, it was too windy to eat on the veranda so we had our Turkey Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and Sautéed Zucchini with Cherry Tomatoes indoors. Ellie Krieger's recipe.
Dessert was Blueberry Crumble with Whipped Cream. I had leftover crumble topping to use. Only blueberries looked good at the market so that is what we got!

The days here are definitely quiet. I must be getting older because that doesn't bother me as much as it did 5 years ago when I was so busy I didn't know how to be still. Two weeks in Hawaii, spent cooking and reading and sunning is not a bad gig to have, aye?

I'll leave you with more Maui sunsets. They are SO gorgeous, with every day a little different. It is clouding up, getting ready to storm....

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Woke up to cloudy skies this morning which caused us to shop in the morning for this next week rather than the afternoon. There is, after all, another week of cooking left to do!

By the time we returned to the condo, the skies had cleared. It was time for lunch and so I worked at getting out today's menu of Chicken and White Bean Salad. This recipe is from EatingWell.com. Easy but filling! Again, I have attached a link for anytone interested in checking out the recipe. Always nice to have a salad recipe that works both for lunch and dinner. I like all the colors in the salad as well.

Being Sunday, I decided not to do any real work today. We went to the beach after lunch (I guess no beach vs pool-they're all beach days!). I still love watching the waves roll in and watching the surfers as they try to ride the waves.

My friends (as a belated Christmas present) got me Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook "Baking Chez Moi", an all dessert cookbook. I spent most of the afternoon reading this (much like other people read novels, lol) and have decided I want to make everything in the book! Shades of "Julie and Julia"! Can't wait to get home to try some of these recipes!

Dinner tonight was Ratatouille Over Pasta. This turned out much better than I thought! Ratatouille recipes differ slightly, some say saute the vegetables separately and then combine them, other recipes say throw them all together and let them simmer. This particular recipe called for cooking each component separately, then combining them to simmer on the stove for about an hour. The flavors were amazing. Guess I'll need to start making Ratatouille this way all the time!

Dessert was a repeat-Banana Cream Delight. Remember that? Banana cream pie without the crust? Still good, lol. After dinner, we watched PBS's series on a baking competition in the UK, much like the American "Chopped" show, only much nicer! The British are so polite!

Hard to believe I have less than a week left before it will be time to go home! I will leave you with a lovely Maui sunset...

Saturday, February 7, 2015

I've been here a week already. Hard to believe!

It started off as a cloudy day but soon cleared by 9am. It was a beach day today. I have always joked to my friends-do I go to the beach today or the pool? While the weather is nice-the beach. Only two surfers today. Does that mean too much partying on Friday night or not as many people here? It's interesting to people watch at the beach. I have seen two women over the last several days put up umbrellas to shade themselves, only to have it turned inside out by the wind! It is an interesting site. Lots of kids out here and there is much to be seen about parenting by watching all the couples with their children. As I have none, I guess I cannot be too critical, but nonetheless, the difference in parenting in the world today is very interesting.....

Lunch today was Egg Salad-tastey, a blast from the past, an old-fahioned meal. I had mine on toast, the others had theirs on lettuce leaves. Sitting out on the veranda, I feel very lucky to be able to come here and enjoy the warm weather in the middle of a Nevada winter!

I spent the afternoon (after catching up with Jordan) working on my cookie cookbook. I finished it!!!!! Title: 25 Days of Home Made Cookies. I am waiting on a book cover design and I still need to go through and edit it, but it is all written. I am excited to publish again. I enjoy writing. And when you enjoy writing you hope that other enjoy reading it. Time will tell!

Dinner was Chicken Saltimbocca. Actually pretty easy to put together. Served over pasta with a side of asparagus. This is the skiniest asparagus I have ever seen!

My friend insisted on taking a picture of me-evidence that I am indeed, in Hawaii, lol. First thing I did was check my hair, but alas, not much to be done...

And here is dinner--it turned out well!

Dessert was a repeat, Strawberry Shortcake. The last of the shortcake so we will not be repeating this one!

The longer I am here, the easier it is to just sit and not do anything. But I would like to use my time wisely and get a few things done. Like finishing my cookbook. Writing about what you are passionate about makes a difference!

So not much else to tell...another day in paradise..... BUT I will leave you with more beautiful Maui sunset pictures!

Friday, February 6, 2015

Another sunny day in paradise......What can I say?

I awoke early and so did my usually stretching and meditation. Then on to a breakfast of yogurt and coffee then coffeecake (second breakfast as we say here, lol). From the veranda we could see whales really close to the shoreline. I am always in awe of these creatures. So large but so graceful. I finished Jordan's project before leaving for the beach and sent it off.

Then it was on to the beach. It really is the perfect beach. The waves lull you into peacefulness. I have learned quite a bit watching the guys who surf at this beach regularly. One-don't fight the waves on your way out, dive under any waves that crash before you have reached your destination. Otherwise you will tire before you get very far off shore. Two, there is a narrow window to catch a wave-if you are not fast enough to get on top of the wave, it will pass you by and you will need to wait until the next wave. If you are so lucky to catch a wave-go for it, stand on your board and ride it out. Some of the moves the surfers make are amazing. Certainly not in my skill set, nor do I want it to be. It is a gift to watch them as they work at catching waves. They seems to get "beat up" a lot while waves crash around them. I am getting more sun and a little crispy around the edges. I'll have to watch that!

Lunch was a Garden Veggie Frittata with a half slice of English muffin. Yum!

The afternoon was spent reading, answering emails and working on my cookie book. I got on fiverr.com to try and get an eBook cover. We'll see what I come up with. We did a little shopping as well and I bought some aloe vera while we were out to put on those crispy edges so as not to let the burn get worse.

Dinner tonight was Pot Roast-very mid-west, lol, but really tasty! Chuck roast braised for several hours, the flavors melding together to a savory goodness.

All in all, a relaxing day, as it should be in paradise... More gorgeous sunset pictures...

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Hmmmmm....another sunny day in paradise! It is hard to remind oneself that one is here to work. Not hard work, certainly. Breakfast of whatever is here, toast, coffeecake, yogurt, fruit. Even second breakfast, depending on how early you get up.

A little computer work after breakfast and then off to the beach! Kapalua Beach is gorgeous as ever. Surfers (although the wavew were not as big as the last few days.), couples with children, and even a wedding at the other end of the beach! It was over by the time we got there. The wedding party milled around waiting to have pictures taken. My friend thought I should walk down and ask if they needed a chef, but I am sure everything had already been arranged. An hour and I am done-don't really want to sunburn. Nothing will ruin a vacation sooner that sunburning when you first arrive! Back at the condo, there on the walk-way was a lone plumeria that fell off the tree. Still beautiful--and the smell? Heavenly!

Back to the condo in time to fix lunch. This recipe hales from Better Homes and Gardens magazine from years ago! Today was Mango Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Damn, I'm good! (if I do say so myself, lol)

The afternoon was spent on the computer answering emails, making sure my brother got the menu for his daughter's wedding in April (I am catering it!) and answering texts from Creme. I also made Chocolate Chip cookies with oatmeal in them. Easy and tasty! One of the people we ran into a few years ago asked "How can you bake in this heat?" Pretty easy with air conditioning. Plus, I love to bake, so no chore.

I got a chance to talk with Jordan before he comes back stateside. Not sure if the UN meeting was a success or not, but I am sure I will hear about it later. I need to start working on my cookie book. If I am diligent, I can finish it by the end of this Maui trip and get it published in the next few weeks!

It is still windy here and apparently will be for the next few days. Makes eating outside a challenge but you hate to waste sunny days here and the veranda is partially protected.

Dinner was Prosciutto-stuffed Chicken Breast with Mushroom Sauce, mashed potatoes and Glazed Carrots. Very tasty, she said modestly (lol).

Dessert tonight? Banana Cream Delight. Kind of like banana cream pie without the crust. :)

After dinner chores: update the blog, do a little laundry, read a little, then bed. I will leave you with another beautiful Maui sunset.....

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Wednesday turned out to be a rainy windy day. I'm ok with that, the setting is still beautiful! Paradise by any other name....

Lest you think I am lolling here in continuous sunny weather-here is a pic for you!. I awoke to rain and was actually glad, because I had gotten a little too much sun the day before so my face and chest were reddened. It did however, clear up some and my friends went to the beach, while I stayed in. I talked to my mom in the morning-always a pleasure!

After that, it was time for lunch. California BLT sandwiches. What makes it California, is the avocado and the basil mayonnaise. Toasted bread, bacon, lettuce and tomato. I mashed the avocado to make it easier to eat the sandwhich. Otherwise the slices of avocado tend to smush out. The basil mayonnaise was a mix of regular mayo with a little bit of olive oil, garlic, chopped fresh basil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Very easy, actually but it makes a nice statement on the sandwich.

The afternoon was spent working on menus. I think I will be very busy when I get back. Beth has lined up a few catering jobs. I had to pass off a catering job to her. I was contacted by the office staff of one of my clients, a doctor. They want to throw him a surprise birthday party on February 12. I will still be gone, so told them they could contact Beth as I was unavailable. Beth in turn was contacted and asked me to make up a menu, which I did. Black tie, I was told in the original email. So I made a fancy menu, passed it on to Beth and it was accepted by the office staff. I tried to keep it elegant but simple so Beth and her staff would have no problems executing the menu.

Dinner last night was Smothered Chicken. That is a baked chicken breast, topped with creamed spinach and sauteed mushrooms with sliced mozzarella cheese. Bake it until the cheese starts to brown, serve and eat! I served it with mashed potatoes. Oh, so yummy!

A little reading time, then bed. And another beautiful sunset.....

It was cloudy when I got up this morning, but soon cleared. We went to the beach. What a great beach, so calm yet wild. Looking out onto the ocean, you can expect to see whales playing out in the channel. A tail jumps out or the entire whale jumps out of the water and splashes down. You have to keep a close eye out or you'll miss it. Whales are such glorious, magnificent creatures. So lucky when you can watch them play! And the surfers are always fun to watch. The energy they expend, standing up and catching a wave, getting knocked down only to get up again.

After the beach it was time for lunch. Crab Salad Melts. Crab salad, which contains, crab (surprise!), minced celery, red bell pepper, thinly sliced asparagus, mayo, Old Bay, sliced green onions piled on an English muffin, then topped with shredded Gruyere cheese, then broiled. Hmmmm, hmmmm, good! I served it with a wedge salad topped with Ranch dressing. We ate out on the veranda, but I have to say it was so windy it was not very pleasant! The wind blew so hard it blew the coffee out of my cup when I went to drink it. AND it blew the last bite of my salad off my fork and onto the floor. I guess I should be thankful I did wear the coffee or the salad!

This afternoon I worked on some research Jordan asked me to help with. For some unknown reason, I like doing research. Almost any kind of research, doesn't seem to matter much what it is.... Go figure!

I had to start dinner a little earlier than usual as I made Beef Bourguignon for dinner. Laura Calder's recipe, the best I have tasted so far. Side of mashed potatoes and I was done....

Dessert tonight? A repeat of the Strawberry Shortcake. It REALLY is a good shortcake recipe, lol.

Now, it's time for bed. Guess I'm still on PST! I will leave you with a parting sunset shot. Hawaiian sunset are gorgeous, always.....

Monday, February 2, 2015

Another day in beautiful Maui. It was cloudy off and on today. A storm is set to come thru Hawaii. It gets more windy by the hour, but I guess that is to be expected.

Lunch on Sunday was not quiche but a frittata. We sped things up so we could go shopping and finish for this week. Same zucchini-Gruyere cheese filling, just no crust. Served with a side salad!

Then off to shopping at Farmland Foods-kind of like our Whole Foods. I did not go to the beach or the pool Sunday-just sat on the veranda. Lazy me, lol!

Dinner was Shrimp Veracruz served over rice, a dish from EatingWell.com. A great source for healthy recipes and a dish that goes together quickly!

Dessert was Strawberry Shortcake. Hmmm, hmmmm, good as the Campbell's soup commercial used to say. :)

I was up early for me this morning, 6am. Stretching and meditation before starting my day. Coffee and toast to start with guava jelly-SO good! Then coffeecake for second breakfast out on the veranda. Got to take advantage of the good weather while we can!

We went to the beach this morning. Glorious! AND I got whale pictures! Two small whales were having a good time beating their tails in the water. Beautiful creatures!

There were six surfers there this morning. Think this guy spends much time at the beach? Guess I'm just jealous of the tan, lol.

And this is me, sitting on the beach, unsuspecting that anyone was taking pictures!-

Lunch was Ham and Cheese Grilled Sandwiches with Strawberry Pinot Noir Jam from Food and Wine Magazine. . They turned out great, if I do say so myself! That and a little fruit, hit the spot!

I spent the afternoon working on menus for two weddings. One is my niece's wedding in April, back in Chicago. The other is a friend from work that is getting married in Reno in October. Lots to work out! I talked with Jordan as well, who is in Germany this week for a meeting with the UN-long story. Hope it works for him.

Dinner was Tuscan Roasted Chicken with Roasted Vegetables. Another good recipe!

There was Mixed Berry Crumble for dessert-one of Nigella Lawson's recipes. Oh. So. Good.

And now, time for bed, I think, but I will leave you with a lovely sunset picture....