Last week was one of some extreme ups and downs, crazy deadlines and just general uneasiness. I seemed to let everything slide as I dealt with my own internal sadness. I had multiple blog posts scheduled to go up last week and just wasn't able to make it happen. This week, my brain has settled...
Hello Friends! As promised, here is the first of our monthly income and business posts that will give you an update on what is going on behind the scenes at The Surfer's Kitchen as well as plans and goals for the future. What I have been doing......
My sister actually created this kale salad during one of her food experiments in my kitchen. Her cooking style is unique, she just grabs whatever is on hand and figures out how to make it work. Using her resourcefulness and a special kind of magic-she created this amazing salad. We turn to this...
I have decided that I am going to start posting even the most simple recipes that I have had success with. There are a couple of reasons for this. 1) Even though they might seem simple now....I didn't use to think that way. Before I started to really learn my way around the kitchen, I...
Happy Halloween! Any special plans for the day? We are going trick-or-treating tonight with some friends. Nova will be Wonder Woman and Sawyer is going as the Wall from Stranger Things. I was planning to be the Mom from the Stranger Things but wasn't able to find the correct phone to complete the costume. I...
Pulled this from the archives because it is too good to not share again and again..... We moved to Florida from Hawaii years ago and every once in awhile, something will really, really make us miss the islands. We always kind of miss the islands--but sometimes we REALLY MISS them. And, that happened to us...
When the kids were small, they went to a Waldorf school program for about three hours per week in South Seattle. It was really kind of sweet. The teacher would take them away to one part of this airy room on the side of a church to sing songs and play games. The parents...
I'm sure you have heard of people who have made blogging their business. I always think of them as extra special people, who got lucky somehow. I am realizing now that no, they were people willing to put in the work, and that's why we gladly giving forms providing proof of income if they...
I had recently made some chia pudding and then saw a picture of my friend, eating an acai bowl on the North Shore of Oahu, and it got me to thinking. What if I enhanced my chia pudding by adding a topping of acai? Topped with a bit of granola, slices of banana and a...
A while back I made these Slutty Brownies, inspired by What's Gaby Cooking and they have been one of the most popular recipes on the site. And, one of our favorite things to take to ANY event in which bringing something is a requirement. They go fast. People rave about them--it feels good to have...
Homemade malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts) are nothing to be afraid of.
Yesterday, was such a lazy day, a chocolate chip cookie baking kind of day. I worked on a website I am building for a local business, I worked meal planning and recipe testing and then sat around and watched as the kids did homework at a snails pace. Aaron was out doing paddleboard tours all day...
Looking for a great Brownie recipe? I have been wanting to make these brownies for a very long time. However, I understand how dangerous a big plate of brownies can be in my house--and I didn’t want to put myself in danger. But, the other day, I needed to bake something and I just so...
About two months ago, I started a new way of eating, called "Intermittent Fasting". I had first heard about it years ago from this crazy Crossfit girl who seemed extreme in everything she did. It didn't seem like something I could actually do. Fast forward a few years and I am realizing that not only...
My mom is visiting. It's great. She does our laundry, loves working in the yard, and when I ask her to bake cookies, she does. The unfortunate part is that she is not a very good cook. She just doesn't like it at all and gets in the kitchen and immediately doesn't want to...
I can't believe all of the healthy recipes I have been testing lately. I blame a few of my new favorite blogs including, Oh She Glows! and Chocolate Covered Katie. I'm also trying to make healthier choices, buy less from the grocery store and more from the farmer's market, and eat vegan 60% of the...
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies I was going back through some old recipes and the photos from these kept catching my eye. I remember spending tons of time to get the light just right and I really like how these photos turned out. I don't think they were approved by the food blog photo sites, but that's...
About a week ago I heard about the Whole 30 program--basically a super strict version of the Paleo lifestyle to really break you of sugar cravings and food associated mood swings. I decided to do it. June 1st was my first day of my self proclaimed, " 30 days of boring" yet I am learning...
Today Yesterday started my second adventure with the Whole 30. Since my first Whole 30, way back in 2014, I learned a few things that are essential to my success on any kind of eating plan. The most essential is planning. Without planning, you are setting yourself up for failure. Without planning, you will succumb to the...
I challenged myself to the Whole 30 program way back in July 2014 and felt great through the whole program (read a bit about that history here). I am kicking off a new one tomorrow and wanted to pull this post to the forefront of the website. I got so much out of it and...
My History with the Whole 30 Over a year ago, I was getting ready for a trip to Hawaii and the Azores, and I was feeling bad. I didn’t want to be the biggest girl on the paddleboard trip on Kauai and I didn’t want to show up in the Azores looking slovenly. This was going...
We have a grapefruit tree in our backyard and each year it gives us more and more perfect fruits. The first year we lived here, we got one grapefruit. The next year, three. This year we have had about 15! I made grapefruit curd for Christmas gifts (win!) and attempted to make chocolate covered...
We don't do much to celebrate birthdays or anniversaries around here. Every year, I make a vow to change that because I really do think it is a good habit to celebrate special days--it is just not one that we have gotten into. This year for our 12th anniversary, I made Aaron homemade cheese...
I did one of those body fat tests the other day. There is a local company that comes by Crossfit box every few months and I just happened to be there when they were there. I was proud of myself for deciding to get tested. It can be intimidating! The process was kind of...
It is beginning to feel like spring which to me, means lots of fresh strawberries. I seem to eat them daily during this time of year. One of my favorite more treats is a berry kale smoothie. It is just as easy to jump out of bed blend together a smoothie as it is to brew...
Happy Pi Day! Enough of these healthy recipes and the boring cleanse talk! I want some dessert! I want chocolate haupia pie! Since I lived in Hawaii for such a long time and Aaron is from Hawaii, we make this staple Hawaiian pie all the time. It is so easy and so good. It impresses...
A go to chocolate ice cream for the most devoted chocolate fanatics......the chocoholics dream ice cream.
It must be avocado season because I am always finding them on sale and always buying them. I have my basic go to recipes for avocados, including my super easy, best ever guacamole, my rice bowls and just the basic staple of avocado on toast (which I truly believe I invented way back in 2005)....
I have had this on our family menu for the past two weeks and it just kept getting put off. The first week, I didn’t have any chicken broth and didn’t want to go to the store. The next week, we decided to just eat out instead after a beach evening (Surf Shack on Lido Key...
This recipe for chia is a great option for gluten free, Whole30 diet or Paleo diet and is a creamy treat that is high in protein. A perfect breakfast or post-workout snack. Our business takes us (mostly my husband) on stand up paddleboard adventure trips around the world and sometimes the stars align and I am lucky enough to go along. This summer I...
Years ago, while I was pregnant with my daughter, I decided to buy a copy of Gourmet magazine (Dec 2004) during the holidays. Something about the cookies and treats on the cover inspired me to not only purchase the magazine, but to bake every cookie recipe in it. I have pictures of me baking, about...
What to do with a surplus of plums? Make plum cake! I had a lot of plums from a recent impulse buy at the local farm stand and no one really wanted to eat them. They had been picked just before peak ripeness and really didn't have that great, straight from the tree, plum taste....
I make guacamole every other day during avocado season. And, in my guacamole making life I have tried many different recipes. This one is the best guacamole. It is simple. It is tasty and it is vegan. I was inspired by a restaurant in Washington DC where they make it at your table. I need...
Looking for something quick and easy when you the kids are craving pizza? Since we avoid prepackaged foods, I will NOT buy those little hot pizza bites. I know that they are tasty but they are full of so many ingredients that I want to avoid for myself and the family. Instead, I can throw...
I LOVE chocolate peppermint pretzels! I don't normally see them at the grocery store until the holidays and I remember last year, they seemed to sell out of them quickly. I am not the only one that likes these things. I decided to make my own! They were delicious but since I eat them at...
I told you I have been experimenting with eating as a vegan a few weeks ago. Well, so far so good. I have lost a few pounds, feel great and am loving all of the food experimentation. Unfortunately, I have not been as avid with my camera these days...something is wrong with the focus...
I was so excited to make a cookie for my Food Bloggers Cookie Swap buddies. I considered so many different cookies but finally settled on these. My family always loves the chocolate crinkle cookies that seem to pop up during the holidays and these are the same...with a little surprise in the middle. The surprise...
Earlier in the summer, I was experimenting with juicing. I tried all the basic fruits: apples, grapefruits; some veggies: carrots and kale for a Clean Juice. While cutting up a watermelon for the kids, I wondered if it was possible to juice watermelon and more specifically, the rind. I knew that pickled rind exists and...
Yet another refreshing way to enjoy watermelon! I got the recipe from Ree and like usual, she didn't disappoint. Super, super easy. Just cut up a bunch of watermelon, add a few ingredients, and freeze. Serve in fancy glasses if you want to feel extra fancy. [gmc_recipe 5524] Enjoy the rest of summer!
Even though the kids are back in school, I am not ready to give up on the idea of summer and summer vacation. So, I decided to post some recipes and thoughts on my most favorite summer fruit--WATERMELON! I know, I know my editorial calender must be way off. Watermelon posts should have happened last...