Once summer hits, I start to want to cook with fruit, especially peaches and berries. Luckily, we have some great sources for peaches in Southeast Florida. This homemade peach crisp recipe could not be easier. Summer peach season is upon us and this recipe is a great way to use up some of the beautiful...
Easy Instant Pot pumpkin chili with ground beef. Just dump ingredients and go! Healthy fall comfort food ready in 40 minutes. Serve over rice!
Random thoughts from our kitchen at the end of September 2025.
Introducing Weekly Waves A way to connect beyond the recipes Hey there! I've been thinking about ways to share more of what's happening behind the scenes at The Surfer's Kitchen, and I realized I want to connect with you beyond just the recipes. Don't get me wrong - I love creating and sharing new dishes...
A recipe for a Mango Sticky Rice Smoothie, inspired by a popular drink from Down to Earth, a health food store in Hawaii. The recipe recreates the flavors of the traditional Thai dessert (mango, coconut, and condensed milk) in a layered smoothie format.
This mango and peach smoothie is ideal for back-to-school season when mornings get hectic but you still want something nutritious. The Greek yogurt gives you that protein boost to keep you going, and the fresh fruit makes it feel like you're still hanging onto summer.
Papaya Bowl with Chia Pudding and Fresh Fruit recipe, inspired by a dish from the Hau Tree restaurant in Honolulu. This recipe has a beautiful presentation, simple assembly, and nutritional benefits, is vegan and customizable.
If you have had an egg salad sandwich from the Japanese convenience stores, then you might understand the appeal of these convenience store sandwiches. When I lived in Japan, the local 7-11 was always a new culinary adventure. My best friend and I would wander the aisles and find new chocolates, cakes and treats. And,...
I didn't set out to make the best easy vegan chocolate pudding recipe. After our travels, to Paris, Japan and Hawaii, I realized that so many cultures have pudding as dessert options. In Paris, there was the richest chocolate mousse; sold at convenience stores; in Japan chestnut pudding was a treat and in Hawaii; the Vietnamese...
In Hawaii, chili and rice just go together. When I first moved there, I didn't understand it, but after awhile it is the only thing that makes sense. Chili is a dish that is just so comforting. But how about giving this classic a seasonal spin? Enter Turkey Pumpkin Chili: a blend of rich, warm...
These Browned Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are chewy and not cakey. They are a delightful treat that captures the essence of autumn. Enjoy every bite! Why I Love This Recipe These cookies are a delightful twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie, infused with the warmth of pumpkin and cozy pumpkin spice flavors. They're...
Mochi banana bread is a twist on the traditional banana bread but adds rice flour for a bit of a springy texture. This version is full of ripe banana flavor and can come together in just a few minutes. Why I love this recipe This recipe is a variation of classic banana bread with the...
A great salad recipe to have in your back pocket anytime you are looking for something easy, light and filling. A simple salad of mixed greens, fresh tomatoes, marcona almonds and topped with a light sprinkling of truffle oil, some Maldon sea salt and a large chunk of creamy burrata cheese. For some reason, dining...
We eat a lot of granola around here. It is a perfect whole food snack that we all like. At one point, we imagined opening a granola business so that we could share our creations with the world. That didn't happen. Instead, we like to experiment with granola recipes as much as possible. This granola...
The holidays are a time to celebrate and that doesn't have to include alcohol. This is one of my favorite fall mocktail recipes. I realize that since it is only September 8th--the holidays are still a ways off. But, it doesn't really feel like that to me. The grocery stores are filled with great fall...
'Tis pumpkin season, I suppose. A great time to add a new pumpkin recipe to your repertoire. How about a perfectly crumbed pumpkin coffeecake with a sweet and crunchy top? Even in our modern world, we are still loosely tied to our farming past. At least in the United States, Halloween and Thanksgiving, October and...
I started writing all of these personal journal type posts awhile back--you know, like, real blogging. The blogging of the olden days. Where blogs were basically personal diaries of our deepest and darkest thoughts. Although mine were more journal entries. Focuses of gratitude. A place to write down the mundane and the exciting. I stopped...
I finally created a little video for my basic Hawaiian Tuna Poke Recipe. I had already made a video for my Spicy Tuna Poke recipe but have been sitting on this one for awhile now. Thankfully Sawyer finished it up for me! This really simple recipe is a staple around here--especially when we can find...
I cannot get a good photo of air fried tofu. It is just not that photogenic. But, it is a great staple and building block for so many different recipes. I have been making this air fried tofu every week and use it for Vietnamese Banh Mi, Tofu Curry (recipe coming soon), tofu poke, and...
Hi All! Happy Monday. Things have been quite hectic around here with our paddleboard business booming (weather has been perfect!) and me back at work (thankful the government shutdown is over) and the kids ending their third grading period at school. A lot going on! I am so looking forward to summer and it feels...
I couldn't think of what to call this. I told the kids we were having green bean bake. You know, green because of the cilantro rice and beans because of the chipotle beans. But, they were more thinking of the traditional Thanksgiving side dish and were not impressed. You should have seen their relief when...
I thought I might start a weekly post highlighting some of the past week, what we have coming up next week and just some random thoughts. I am more than food and travel, you know. Let's give it a try.
Around here, we tend to get more excited for the super bowl than for Thanksgiving. It really isn't about the football, although we like that too, but we love the snack foods . With an interest in eating more vegan food, I have been searching the interwebs and chatting with other bloggers for amazing vegan...
Everything you need to know about this smoothie recipe is in the title. It has chocolate. It has banana. It has peanut butter. It is a smoothie. But, I didn't mention that it is a super quick easy breakfast filled with protein. If you are vegan and will like to find a chocolate that goes...
Since the government shutdown started (35 days ago!), I have been cleaning out my cabinets and making recipes with what I have. The combination of cold weather and empty cabinets has made me miss Hawaii and all the great food. Luckily, I have lots of coconut milk and time to make Hawaiian haupia, or Hawaii's...
Chocolate peanut butter protein balls are a great lunch snack anytime of day. A cross between cookie dough and a power bar--how can you go wrong? We have been packing a few of these in our lunch bags all week for a perfect sweet treat in just the right size. On a personal note, I...
Looking for a great recipe to take to your office party? Your friends baby shower? For any occasion at all, I turn to these brownies. Everyone loves a great brownie and these are no fail. Hi Friends! Missed me? I haven't been posting as much as I would have liked. I have been cooking though--recipe...
Have you noticed I have been absent lately? There was a bit of family drama going on and cooking/writing/blogging just didn't make it to the top of the list of things to do. I am sorry about that. I am back now, mostly because these chocolate chip mochi bars were so good---and I felt the...
This chocolate coconut pudding might be my favorite dessert ever. It was inspired by a craving for Ted's bakery coconut haupia pie on the North Shore of Oahu. My craving caused me to search through the house to make a pie only to find that making a pie crust from on hand ingredients was just...
Do you ever have those nights where you just don't want to go out to eat but you also have nothing in your house to make? This vegetarian tortilla soup was created in one of those moments.
This watermelon-basil-feta salad is not really a recipe. It is more of a suggestion. I read about this recipe years ago in some autobiography and it has stuck with me. Until then, I only thought of watermelon as a fruit. Something that you eat a big bowl of for a summer dessert. I had never...
I am a sucker for quick breads, see pumpkin bread, chocolate fig bread, and now this, the best ever banana bread. There is something about using super ripe produce and making an entirely new creation. Plus, I feel that it is sort of good for you, since you know, fruits and vegggies. Ahem.... Anyhoo.....I seem...
Looking for a light summer salad? This Puerto Rican bean salad is for you! Recently, we had a potluck baby shower at my office and I had no idea what to make. I always get nervous about what to cook for a group. I usually don't want to bring a dessert and I really try...
Chocolate fig banana bread is a decadent way to use up leftover bananas for an elevated quick bread recipe. I bought dried figs to serve on our cheese platter for the holidays and then just forgot about them. During some digging through our too deep cabinets, I found them and decided they must be used...
This recipe for chocolate protein energy balls started as a fail. I was trying to make chocolate sea salt Rx bars and it just didn't work out. The mixture was a tad too sticky to cut nicely into bars and I had given up trying. I was at my kitchen counter, pulling the failed chocolate...
Looking for the most perfect salad? My spinach, strawberry salad topped with sliced steak and a sprinkling of goat cheese is pure perfection. This salad is barely a recipe but enough to share for a few of reasons.
I have been in Savannah Georgia for Nova's gymnastics competition at the Pink Meet (for breast cancer research). A few mom's and daughters teamed up to rent a cool old Victorian house, right near Forsyth Park to watch the girls compete and enjoy the city together. The girls competed on Friday morning and did really...
Sometimes, you just need a cookie. It helps that these are refined sugar free, flour free and ready in minutes! Ever have one of those days that you just can't seem to get anything done? Like, you have a list a mile long but don't seem to make any progress on it. This was me...
Oh hello there gratitude journal! I have missed you! I just went back and checked and my last post was over a month ago. Not too great---since I am really trying to focus on gratitude this year. Instead of re-hashing all of the minutia from the past month, I'll just start here, with the now....
I made this sweet potato chili a few weeks ago and have made it since about four other times. I would make a big batch and take it to work for lunch. It was a perfect lunch during the Whole 30 because it is so flavorful and really filling. Depending on your partner, this might...
Looking for a sweet treat for your Valentine? These Kahlua Fudge brownies will do the trick. I actually made these at Christmas time and going back through old photos, I realized I never posted the recipe. I had to get on here to do this today because you want to make these brownies! It seems...
I meant to post this Instant Pot vegetarian chili BEFORE Super Bowl Sunday so you could make it for your parties. But, I didn't and that is still OK. This takes about 30 minutes from start to finish and is made with mostly things you likely have around. You can still make it in time...