Hawaii: The Big Island: Mauna Kea

September 11, 2013September 12, 2013 ~ lk529 ~ 3 Comments

After every trip, my father would always ask, “What was your favorite part?” It’s never an easy question to answer. I cheated in my response after this vacation… I have a favorite activity and a favorite experience. I’ve already covered my favorite activity, it is now time for my favorite experience.

On Saturday night we decided to drive up to Mauna Kea. The summit of Mauna Kea is the home to the world’s largest astronomical observatory. Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano and the highest point in Hawaii reaching 13,796 ft above sea level. Reaching the summit requires acclimation at the Onizuka Visitor Information Station for 30 minutes; the center is at an altitude of 9300 feet. We stopped at the visitor’s station as rental cars are not allowed on Summit Rd. If you want to see the observatory and the summit you can pay for an excursion.

To get to the Onizuka Center, take Saddle Road and turn onto Summit Road and climb 2500 feet in 6 miles. It was so fun to drive through “fog” which wasn’t fog in the typical context, you’re actually driving through the clouds you were staring up at only moments ago from sea level! Once making it through the “fog” the sky is completely clear.

We hiked a little ways across from the visitor’s station to watch the sunset from above the clouds. Even before the sun started to set we were cold. I packed jeans and jackets, but I’d never thought to pack gloves on a trip to Hawaii! The best dollar spent was for a cup of hot chocolate at the Onizuka Center. We hunkered down from the wind behind a pile of rocks and watched the most spectacular sunset while we ate our sandwiches. (When hikes are on the agenda, I like to make a stop at the grocery store and pick up deli meat, cheese, bread and snacks to always have food on hand while we’re out.)

I typically watch a sunset from the beach and love watching the sun disappear into the water, but watching the sunset from above the clouds was equally, if not more, stunning. As the colors in the sky continued to shift the clouds began to emulate waves and the rays of remaining sunshine illuminating the neighboring clouds like lava. Stuart titled our sunset photos “The Lava of the Sky”.

...wish I may, wish I might... — …wish I may, wish I might…

In the down time between setting sun and total darkness we went back to the car to warm up! But not before snapping a picture of the first star of the night.

Photography is a new hobby of ours and we were anxious to try and snap a few photos of the night sky. And we weren’t the only ones with tripods handy. Our novice skill set yielded only one non-solid-black photo. I had to do some editing, and you may have to tilt your computer screen to see it but here’s what we could capture. The sky was so clear that I saw the smallest of stars that go undetected on the mainland. The Onizuka Center has a free star-gazing program during which they show a documentary and provide opportunities to look through telescopes.

Hawaii: The Big Island: Kailua-Kona

September 10, 2013September 9, 2013 ~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

Because our hotel was in Kailua-Kona, we did a lot of our eating along Alii Drive! Alii Drive is the “main strip” in downtown Kailua-Kona. There are plenty of shops and restaurants within walking distance of each other and is along the shore so everywhere you go you have a view of the ocean. The weather in Kailua-Kona is always perfect too!

Breakfast:

Our favorite breakfast place was Splasher’s Grill for their French toast. The French toast is made with Hawaiian sweet bread! The Portuguese sausage on the side is a great accompaniment to the sweetness of the bread. Their hash browns were perfectly crispy too. The staff at Splasher’s was always friendly.

We had also gone to Island Lava Java for breakfast one morning. Sit outside for a spectacular view of the ocean and to listen to live music. Stuart got the Luau Omelette which featured kalua pork and grilled pineapple. Lava Java was always busy for breakfast, so I was surprised to have slow service – but in Hawaii you’re never in a hurry, you’re on “Hawaii Time”.

Another perfectly located restaurant was The Fish Hopper, where we saw dolphins jumping in the ocean and three freshly caught ono, over five feet long, were brought in and taken straight to the kitchen! Stuart got the Catch of the Day Benedict and the French Pressed Kona Coffee. I ordered the Macadamia Nut French Toast. The French toast was garnished with shredded coconut, which I am allergic to, but the wait staff and kitchen staff were very friendly and quick at getting me a fresh order.

Twice we stopped at Cafe Kona de Pele for their hand dripped Fancy Roast coffee. They also have ice cream and I enjoyed a coffee blended with coffee ice cream. The staff was very friendly and we spent time talking to locals, getting recommendations on sights that weren’t to be missed.

Lunch:

We weren’t often still in Kailua-Kona around lunch time, but we did try Island Lava Java’s lunch menu. Stuart’s Fresh Island Fish Sandwich with tomato-fennel jam was his favorite. And my Kilauea Sandwich with turkey and caramelized onions was surprisingly good. The secret is their freshly baked bread!

Dinner:

Most nights we didn’t get back to Kailua-Kona until 10pm or later! But one evening we did go to Humpy’s for a burger and delicious Caesar salad. They have a large menu and fantastic beer list featuring a lot of local brews.

Dessert:

Shaved Ice is a Hawaiian favorite treat. It’s essentially a SnoCone. We first tried it and were not impressed – SnoBiz in Auburn blew this shaved ice out of the water! We then discovered that for authentic shaved ice we had to go to Scandinavian Shave Ice. So we did! The difference was huge. At “Scandi’s” they allow their ice to start to melt before shaving it which allows the ice to become clear. They had many more flavor options to choose from too. After drenching the ice in your choice of three flavors they pack it down. The ice was so smooth and you could really taste the flavored syrup. Stuart and I split a kid’s size.

Shopping:

We really didn’t do shopping on our trip, however one thing that I absolutely have to purchase on any vacation is a Christmas ornament. We finally found one (August isn’t exactly Christmas time) at the Eclectic Craftsman! It was a great store featuring local artists.

My mother-in-law always hits a quilt shop on a vacation. She likes to see what different fabrics stores in different parts of the country carry. It’s a different way to see a crafting culture. I followed suit and went to Quilt Passions right next to our hotel. The ladies there were so friendly, and insanely patient with my browsing and were never pushy. They actually carry a couple patterns that were developed exclusively for their store, so I had to pick up one of them! I also have to give a shout out to my husband for not only being patient with me, but also helping select fabrics and providing an opinion on the patterns we selected. I decided to create my own jelly roll out of 12-13 different batiks.

Stuart and I do not agree on painted art. Stuart loves intricate detail and while I enjoy detailed landscape paintings, I’m drawn toward abstract pieces. We’re also drawn to different color palates too. We are aware of this difference, so when we enter an art store we’re prepared for some disagreement. We peeked into just about every art store on the Alii strip and found one we could agree on, Colors of Paradise. We met one of the artists and his wife while we were there, such friendly and talented people. If you’re ever in Kailua-Kona I urge you to check out this great studio.

My favorite thing about Alii Drive was Kailua Bay and Niumalu Beach, where we found two sea turtles eating off of the rocks along the sea wall. I named the turtles Seth and Sandy. When we spotted them we were heading back from Island Lava Java to get in the car and head to South Point. We made the biggest tourist mistake of not having the camera with us, so we prolonged our road trip, got the camera, and rushed back to the beach. Luckily they were still there and we got some fantastic photos. The following morning Seth and Sandy were back and chomping away. We were informed that there were others along the sidewalk too! Sylvester was hanging out by himself enjoying the greens growing on the rocks. A little further down Sanchez and Selena were fighting with the waves for their meal. Selena was Stuart’s favorite turtle – she had beautiful copper coloring to her shell and the sunlight bouncing off it gave it a jewel-like quality.

One of the things that Stuart really wanted to do on vacation in Hawaii was play a round of golf. We made a Sunday tee time for noon at The Big Island Country Club. The public course was beautiful with spectacular views and plenty of wildlife throughout the 18 holes. Sheep were freely grazing; Nene, turkeys, quails and other small birds were also pecking at the grass.

Things to do on our next trip (aka things we didn’t have time for but wanted to see)

One of the top ten things to do according to the Discovery Channel is to do a Manta Ray Night Snorkel/Scuba. The manta rays do not have stingers and feed on plankton. They are attracted to the Kona coast by spotlights placed on the ocean floor. The light illuminates their prey. Unfortunately we weren’t able to fit this excursion into our schedule, and because we didn’t have our GoPro with us we settled with “next time”. It wasn’t until our final day that someone told us they can be seen offshore from the Sheraton Kona Resort – bummer!

Kona Brewing Company; 75-5629 Hwy 11. Kona Brewing Company is a microbrewery that began in 1994 and has expanded on a world recognized level with over 85 awards and exports to the mainland and Japan. They have free tours, including samples. (Side note: Our local Buffalo Wild Wings offered Kona Longboard when I was there last night!)

Kona Farmers Market; corner of Kaiwi St and Luhia St. I thought it would’ve been a great way to learn the food culture of the Big Island by going to a farmer’s market, not to mention a fun way to play with the camera. This market that focuses on fresh produce is open on the weekends.

Hawaii: The Big Island: Kohala & Waimea

September 9, 2013September 8, 2013 ~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

We followed Lonely Planet’s advice and headed to Waialea Bay and Beach 69 in Puako in the Kohala district. This “salt and pepper” sand beach had calm waters which provided for great snorkeling. There was an abundance of colorful fish and sea urchins. The most exciting moment was when we stood up so I could adjust my mask and snorkel. Stuart spotted something pop up on the water’s surface. That something turned out to be a sea turtle coming up for air! We immediately stuck our faces under the water to try and catch a glimpse of creature but he was nowhere to be found.

In Waimea we had a fancy dinner at Merriman’s. Merriman’s was one of the flagship Hawaiian Regional restaurants, showcasing local ingredients. The prices are steep but the experience and taste were completely worth it. Stuart even tried ceviche (it was the special appetizer for the night and was made with coconut milk) for the first time. One of the things I thought too genius, and completely unique, was the option to do two half sized entrees on one plate. Stuart took this route with their famous Wok-Charred Ahi and Macadamia-Crusted Ono. I chose a half portion of the local beef with potatoes, corn, and asparagus. I have to admit, I chose this entrée because those are my three favorite side dishes (but the beef was perfectly cooked too)! Coffee and dessert were not to be missed either. Stuart had the Caramelized Coconut Crème Brulee (I think he picked this menu item because he knew he wouldn’t be able to share :P) while I had the Black Chocolate Espresso Cake. I had been dreaming about this cake the entire hour drive to the restaurant, so even though I was full I still ordered it. I took most of it back to the hotel with me and I ate bites of it during the week. Is it wrong to say that I enjoyed the cake cold better?

Things to do on our next trip (aka things we didn’t have time for but wanted to see)

Dolphin Quest; 425 Waikoloa Beach Dr. If you want to kiss a dolphin this is the way to do it. Dolphin Encounters cost $210 for 30 minutes, per person.

Hawaii: The Big Island: Kona Coast

September 8, 2013September 12, 2013 ~ lk529 ~ 5 Comments

My favorite activity of the trip was kayaking. My travel book, Lonely Planet Hawaii: The Big Island (Regional Travel Guide), offered many options for kayak rentals and great locations to put the kayak into the water. However, I was not confident enough to trust the two of us a “divorce boat” without the experience of a tour guide. (My favorite experience will be told later… stay tuned!)

In South Kona, we booked a morning tour from Aloha Kayak Company. They have two kayaking/snorkeling tours – a 3.5hr Keauhou Sea Cave & Cliff Jumping and a 3.5hr Kealakekua Dolphin Kayak. The latter is their most popular that lands near the Captain Cook monument, and has a high probability of dolphin sightings. We opted for the Sea Caves tour, it has less snorkeling but I am always awed by the power of waves splashing against the rocky coastline and was excited to experience it from the ocean perspective. Stuart and I were the only two booked on the tour!

We were surprised and privileged to see a pod of dolphins swim directly towards us! We lifted our paddles and just watched them – tails slapping the surface, noses and blowholes emerging from below. Our guide, Nick, said that dolphins in that area are very rare. Unfortunately we forgot the GoPro at home so weren’t able to capture the moment on “film”, but Stuart says that it’s an image he will never forget.

After it was safe to paddle again we made our way to the first sea cave. We pivoted the kayaks and backed into the mouth of the cave. The caves are much smaller than I’d imagined them to be. There was only room for us and Nick. (On a larger tour group kayakers take turns in the cave) We sat in the cave for about five minutes, combating the waves with our paddles, feeling the swell of the ocean, and hearing the crash of water against rock echo around us… until a strong wave pulled us out into open water! The second cave we backed into had a small lava tube running to a neighboring cave and we could see the light bouncing off the walls – I took a photo of it with a cell phone, but it’s impossible to decipher what it is.

We then anchored the kayaks and Stuart and Nick took to cliff jumping. They climbed the rock face above the cave we were just in and jumped into the crystal blue waters below. I enjoyed the comfort of the kayak and videoed the jumps with the cell phone. I took in the beautiful scenery around me and basked in the perfect weather.

Snorkeling was next on the agenda. The waters are so clear that snorkeling along the Kona Coast is good anywhere. Stuart spotted an eel snaking its way along the bottom of the ocean and I floated there watching the large fish slink in and out of the rocks.

We hit a black sand beach in North Kona – Kiholo Bay. The sand wasn’t as black as I was expecting it to be, it was just slightly darker than dirt. But the weather was perfect and the views spectacular. The waters were a little too rough and the rocks pretty sharp for snorkeling. According to Lonely Planet this beach is good for sporting turtles when the tide is out because they come to feed on the abundant seaweed – we must’ve been there during high tide.

Stuart is a big coffee drinker so we had to take a tour of a coffee plantation. Hawaii is the only US State that grows it’s own coffee, and the volcanic soil is what makes Kona Coffee award winning. We went to one of the oldest coffee plantations on the island – Greenwell Farms. I’ve never claimed to know anything about coffee, but there was so much that I wasn’t aware that I didn’t know! The coffee plant is related to the gardenia (my favorite flower)! There are two coffee beans in each coffee berry. Coffee berries are picked when they turn cherry red. Coffee farmers get paid by the pound, $1.60/lb, of coffee cherries – and in Kona everything is hand picked!

Things to do on our next trip (aka things we didn’t have time for but wanted to see)

St. Benedict’s Painted Church; 85-5140 Painted Church Rd. Father John Berchmans Velghe painted the walls of his church with scenes from the Bible in an effort to convert the native people to Catholocism. They have services in Hawaiian on the 2nd Sunday of every month.

Travel: Hawaii

September 7, 2013March 12, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

For the next week or so Sew You Think You Can Cook will be transformed into a travel blog! Get excited – I know I am! The last week in August, Stuart and I travelled to The Big Island to celebrate my 25^th birthday. I will be sharing our pictures and adventures with you – providing opinions on activities, restaurants, and more.

This specific post will be an overview of our trip – where we went, what we did, what we’d change. The following posts will more specific to location.

Disclaimer: All posts in this series and all mentions to companies are my personal opinion and I am in no way being paid or sponsored.

In February we started to plan (okay, day-dream about) my birthday vacation. I wanted to go somewhere/do something fun for the big two-five. For Stuart’s we had gone snowboarding in Colorado for a week (Jan 2012). The idea for Hawaii came to me because The Weather Channel had a slide show of volcano/lava photos.

So I started my research.

When going to Hawaii, there is one question that you must answer first: Which island? Hawaii Gaga has a great quick quiz that you can take and it will recommend the top 4 islands for you. They also break down their description of how they determine island rankings. When I took the quiz The Big Island tied for 3^rd. So why did I still go to there?

Because of my answer to question number two! What is the number one thing you want to do/see? My answer: Lava! Being home to one of the world’s most active volcanos, I knew the Big Island was my optimal destination.

I’d also considered doing an island hopping cruise. It’s not particularly easy to island hop and if you want to see the most of the 50^th state this might be your best choice, however it’s not the cheapest way to visit Hawaii. Granted, unless you know someone living there, there isn’t really a cheap way to do Hawaii. I checked and compared every travel website as well as calculated a total of booking everything (hotel, flights, car) separately. I finally settled on booking through Delta Vacations – it ended up being the same price as Expedia for the exact same trip, and I liked having the peace of mind of booking a Delta flight through Delta Airlines. I can’t promise you it’ll be the cheapest option for your trip, but it’s worth it to check vacation deals through hotels and airlines too!

After you decide on your island destination you have to pick where you’ll stay – whether you’ll rent a condo/house, stay in a hotel/resort, or find a hostel. We stayed at The Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel. It had a great location (within walking distance of food, shops, beaches), beautiful views (ocean view rooms available), and was recently renovated. Ultimately, it’s everything you’d expect from a Courtyard Marriott.

However, this point brings us to the first (and only) thing I would have changed about our trip. King Kam is located in Kailua-Kona on the Western side of the island. You could very easily spend your entire vacation in the Kona districts, if you’re looking for great snorkeling and nice beaches then that’s all you need. If you’re interested in “Adventure Hawaii” as I like to call it, Kona might not be the ideal landing spot. On our next trip (yes, we’re already ready to go back!) we’ve determined that it’d be best to spend half of the trip in Kona and half of the trip on the opposite side of the island in Hilo. Great hiking can be found in Hilo and it’s closer to the Volcano. We actually spent a great deal of our vacation in the car getting from one side of the island to the other. But, driving on Hawaii roads is much more enjoyable to mainland interstates!

Cruise Ship in Kona, HI — Cell phone photography by Lauren Everson

On Tuesday we spotted a cruise ship off the Hilo coast and again in Kona on Wednesday. Most island hopping cruises make these two stops on the Big Island. Stuart and I both were glad that we didn’t opt for a “Cruise Hawaii” vacation. By renting a car, we had great freedom with our schedule and never felt rushed.

I bought a travel book (Lonely Planet Hawaii: The Big Island (Regional Travel Guide)) and read it on the 9.5 hr plane ride. I preferred this book to others because it broke the island up into districts which allowed me to “plan” each day by location and see as much as possible without being inefficient in our travels. We hit each of the 9 districts in Hawaii County. In fact, this vacation was the first time I’d ever not had a plan for every minute of every day – it was such a strange feeling and by Thursday I was over it and ready for an official schedule!

If the Big Island isn’t on your bucket list already, I urge you to add it and hope that our photographs do the island the justice it’s due. (When I figure out how, I’ll create an album on my blog for the photos that don’t make the posts directly.) Here is a link to my Facebook photo album from our trip!

Fall Mantle

September 2, 2013September 2, 2013 ~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

September is here! And even though it’s not officially Fall yet, football season has started, pumpkin-flavored everything is hitting the stores, and the days are getting shorter. For me and my house, that’s close enough!

Growing up in South Florida, we didn’t have fireplaces. But apparently Northern Florida thinks they’re North enough to demand fireplaces. I am completely baffled by this architectural choice – we don’t use ours, ever.

My absolute favorite thing about the fireplace is the mantle. Why? Because it gives me a surface to decorate! I am completely in love with my fall motif. I opted to go with the scarecrow/straw theme. (The Tommy Tuberville signed Auburn Football made the cut this year — War Eagle!) On October 1st I’ll add a Jack-O-Lantern scarecrow and on November 1st I have a totally adorable stuffed turkey that says “Gobble til you Wobble”. I also plan on trying a Pinterest-inspired pine cone garland. If I get around to it (and it’s successful), I’ll do a how-to.

I found my decorations at Michael’s. The bird painting is one that I did at The Emerald Cork, a BYOB painting studio. Disclaimer: I have not been paid or sponsored by Michael’s or The Emerald Cork.

Plan Your Weekly Menu

September 1, 2013 ~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

I have found that the best way to cut back on your grocery bill is to go to the store prepared. If you plan a menu for the week, and create your list off of that you’ll put fewer impulse items in your cart!

If you want to take the money saving to the next level, check out your grocery’s circular. Find out what meat and produce is on sale first, and then find recipes for the week that utilize those foods. If you find a dish that you just have to have and it calls for a fresh herb you don’t have, for example, find other recipes that can use it too!

Top it all off with clipping coupons. But don’t be fooled – unless you’re committed to a specific brand – just because you have a coupon, doesn’t automatically make it cheaper.

I like to have variety in my weekly menu – Mexican Monday, Salad Night, seafood, pasta, red meat, chicken, pork, slow cooker. If Mexican Monday uses red meat, then that’s a 2-for-1 meal. (Chicken is the only exception; I’ve been guilty of 3 chicken nights in a row!)

To cut back on food waste, I never buy fresh seafood in advance. Whenever I do I’m jinxed and something unexpected comes up. I’m blessed by living in Florida that there’s a local fish market on my way home from work. I am not opposed to buying frozen seafood though, so that is always an option! (Except for shrimp, I’m slightly challenged when it comes to cooking previously frozen shrimp) I also always freeze my proteins when I get home and put it in the fridge the night before I plan to cook it.

When fall hits, life in the Everson household gets pretty busy – Stuart coaches youth soccer 2 nights a week and plays in an Ultimate Frisbee league one night a week, and I play in a bowling league one night a week. Sometimes we can just eat later than normal and sometimes I know that we’ll each be responsible for feeding ourselves. Late night dinners call for something quick or a feat of Slow Cooker Engineering.

Therefore, something to consider is your schedule. If you know that your son has football practice until 8 on Thursday and you’ll be driving thru McDonald’s, take that into account. Don’t plan and buy food for 7 meals if you know you’ll probably only cook 4. I always leave one day empty, just in case we opt to go out or we’re invited to a friend’s house for dinner.

I hope my grocery shopping ritual helps you to become more organized and better yet, saves you money!

Key Lime Pie

August 29, 2013January 26, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 6 Comments

As I’ve gotten “older” my sweet tooth has gotten smaller. When a craving hits, it’s usually for something salty – like popcorn. But there is one dessert that I can never say no to. And because today is my 25^th birthday, I am going to indulge.

Key Lime Pie is my absolute favorite dessert, and Publix (sorry to anyone not in the South!) makes the best one! …. Or so I thought. I am very proud to declare that I now make the best Key Lime Pie. I’m particularly excited for this because I now know that I can have perfect key lime pie even when we leave the land of Publix.

A couple years ago I made a key lime pie for my brother’s fiancé’s birthday as it’s also one of her favorites. (Her favorite is actually pumpkin pie but my brother hates it, and her birthday is in July anyway.) I had actually squeezed the juice out of actual key limes! That pie was unbelievably tart. I don’t even recall which recipe I used.

This time I found Nellie & Joe Key West Lime Juice and happily used that (no funky ingredients involved). I would love to say that this was only my second attempt at key lime pie. But that’d be a lie. I made two pies for my birthday. The first was a complete disaster. My can of sweetened condensed milk had expired. And I didn’t notice it until I was emptying the contents into the egg yolk mixture. I immediately went to the internet and established that I should still be okay to use it.

So I carried on. Key lime pie is not naturally green (but if you want it to be by all means add a drop or two of food

coloring), but it’s definitely not supposed to be marigold.

It’s not supposed to smell overpoweringly like sweetened condensed milk either. I did still taste it – the texture was a little off and it was still just a little too sour. So I went back to the store and back to square one.

That failed attempt was actually a blessing in disguise because I found the perfect, better-than-Publix recipe! Third time’s the charm. 😉

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks
1 egg white, beaten until frothy
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
zest 1 lime
1/2 C key lime juice
9 in graham cracker pie crust
1/2 C heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp powdered sugar

Steps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Using a hand mixer, beat egg yolks with lime zest and sweetened condensed milk. Add in lime juice. Add the egg white.
Pour pie filling into pie crust. Bake 15 minutes. Allow pie to cool to room temperature for at least an hour before covering and putting in the fridge.
Using a hand mixer, make the whipped cream. Beat the heavy cream until it starts to get thick, then add in the vanilla and sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Top pie with whipped cream right before serving. Note: I don’t like my whipped cream to be too sweet, so feel free to add more sugar/vanilla to taste.

*This recipe is adapted from The Big Cheese at http://www.food.com/recipe/traditional-key-lime-pie-109918*

Chicken and Pineapple Kebobs with Honey Chipotle Glaze

August 27, 2013January 26, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

The reason I love to cook is the same as any other chef and home-cook. I like to make people happy, and a great way to do that is through food. Just bring in a plate of cookies to the office and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

When I decide on a recipe, I’ve got one person’s interest on my mind – my husband’s. I know what type of flavors he likes and try to find something that will make him happy. This dish did just that.

“What are we having for dinner tonight?”

“Chicken and Pineapple Skewers with a Honey Chipotle sauce”

“You know me so well.”

Stuart is addicted to pineapple, he likes meat of any kind, is obsessed with honey, and enjoys chipotle spiciness. There’s no way this could go wrong. (And it didn’t!) If you’ve never had grilled pineapple, you really should try it – it brings out the sweetness of the fruit while toning down the tartness.

Chicken and Pineapple Kebobs with Honey Chipotle Glaze

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 fresh pineapple, cubed
3 chipotle peppers in adobo
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 – 3/4 C honey, to taste

Steps

Soak 10-12 bamboo skewers in water for 15-30 minutes.
Assemble kebobs by alternating chicken and pineapple.
Grill kebobs until chicken is cooked through.
In a blender, puree chipotle peppers, mustard, oil, salt, and honey.
Brush cooked kebobs with the glaze and reserve some for dipping.

*This recipe is adapted from http://bsugarmama.com/chicken-pineapple-skewers-with-honey-chipotle-glaze/*

Banana Bread Muffins

August 25, 2013January 26, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

I like almost any banana bread recipe. And Stuart likes to buy extra bananas with the intention of letting them get too ripe, just so that I can make banana bread.

I have tried many different recipes, and this one is our favorite. It uses a combination of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour.

I’d purchased a bag of whole wheat flour for something (can’t remember what) and we hated it. So then I thought, “Great, what do I do with these three pounds of flour?!” I’d found an all whole wheat banana bread recipe… didn’t care for that. And then we tried this one. It’s mostly all purpose flour, but with just a bit of whole wheat flour. It’s enough whole wheat flour to give the bread some body, but not enough to make the loaf dry and mealy. Adding in cinnamon chips or chocolate chips gives it a little extra sweetness.

I prefer pouring my banana bread batter into either mini loaf pans or into muffin pans because it’s easier to grab on the way out the door than slicing off a piece out of the loaf pan.

Note: This recipe makes 10 muffins or 7 mini loaves. Doubling this recipe will yield enough batter for a full bread loaf.

Banana Bread Muffins

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas
1 egg, whisked
2 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
3/8 C sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C all purpose flour
chocolate chips, cinamon chips, nuts (optional)

Steps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Stir in the melted butter (make sure it’s cooled slightly so it will not cook the egg). Stir in sugar, vanilla, and half to all of the egg (this will depend on how big your bananas are, I only used half of the egg). Add in baking soda and salt. Mix in flours.
Pour two heaping tbsp of batter into each greased or lined muffin tray. If using nuts or chocolate/cinnamon chips, put five into each muffin and gently fold into batter with a small spoon. (I find that folding them into the batter before pouring ends up with all of them at the bottom of the bowl)
Bake 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Note: If you are doubling the recipe, the loaf pan will take an hour to cook. Mini loaves will still only take 20 minutes.

*This recipe is adapted from Katherine at http://www.katherinemartinelli.com/blog/2011/over-ripe-banana-heaven/*