Hula Hoops Maui

 So in love with my new gold and puka shell earrings by Hula Hoops Maui from the Nuage Bleu boutique in Paia. I get in trouble every time I walk in that cute shop on my way to Mana Foods. So amazing.....

check out Hula Hoops Maui HERE

See you soon!

ALOHA

ALOHA!

Raspberry Mango Smoothie

I just love the color of my new favorite smoothie!

This couldn't be easier too. Love!

Raspberry Mango Smoothie

-raw vegan-

serves 2

1 cup fresh or frozen diced mangoes

1 cup frozen raspberries

 ( I found a huge bag of organic frozen raspberries at Costco! )

1 large frozen banana

1.5 cups coconut water  (or more if you need to use frozen mangoes )

Toss everything in a highspeed blender until super smooth. Easy peasy!

ALOHA

Mango Summer Rolls

I hope you like mangoes?

Because I literally have boxes of them ripening all over my lanai....

It's full blown mango season out here in Hawaii and I can't stop collecting this plentiful fruit whenever I get a chance. I've been chopping them, blending them, freezing them and putting them in just about everything these days. Check back for more recipes soon!

Mango Summer Rolls

-vegan or raw vegan-

You can make these with either the dried tapioca rice paper circles ( softened in hot water first ) or nori sheets for a colorful raw vegan roll.

 I used tapioca rice sheets, slices of mangoes, sliced sprouted organic firm tofu ( avocado would even be better but I was out ), mixed salad greens from my garden, Thai culantro from my garden ( sub with cilantro for "culantro" can be hard to find ) chopped Thai basil, chopped mint, chopped peanuts and sesame seeds.

I used a mixture of organic raw agave syrup, sambal, and chopped culantro as a dipping sauce. So yum!

ALOHA!

South Swell

It's official!

Summer has arrived in Hawaii....

Here's to several months filled with 80 plus degree water, mangoes, and south swells from the Southern Hemisphere....

Always a favorite time of the year on Maui.

ALOHA!

I Love

{ my new Spirooli Veggie Peeler }

{ growing my own lettuce again }

{ the shell fragments and sea glass I found at Ukumehame this week }

{ my homemade Thai sweet chili sauce made with agave, sambal, and cilantro }

{ my custom "Hula Hoops Maui" gold bracelet made with a shell I found on Oahu 30 years ago...}

Acai Bowls

Been making a lot of Acai Bowls these days! They are super easy to throw together and filling enough for a light lunch. I don't measure my ingredients but I personally like the consistency to be like soft serve frozen yogurt.

Basic Acai Bowl Ingredients: frozen bananas, coconut water, organic blackberries or strawberries, Navitas Naturals Acai Powder, and lecithin powder all swirled together in a highspeed blender.

Lately I've been topping my bowls with fresh bananas, chia seeds, and

 Lydia's Organics Vanilla Crunch Cereal ( raw vegan ). Yum.

See you soon!

ALOHA

I Want

-source-

{ To make this DIY canopy out of bamboo for our bedroom. }

-source-

{ To head to Thailand or Bali and live on fruit for a month. }

-source-

{ This local Sunrise Shell necklace by Rockabella. }

-source-

{ Mmmm sweet potato chips! }

-source-

{ Jon Hamm.}

What?

ALOHA!

June Harvest

I love the exotic fruit of summer.

 June brings us gluttonous amounts of mangoes, the elusive "Ice Cream" bean, and tons of creamy white sapotes. So good....

{ "Ice Cream" bean. Ridiculously juicy and sweet! }

ALOHA

Addicted

Want to know where my paychecks really go?

Towards bikini separates and gold, shell + Tahitian pearl bangles.

Totally addicted.

 And this is just a fraction of my collection....

{ Bikini's by Acacia, Pakaloha, Rip Curl, Indah, Bettinis, Cia Martitima, Maui Girl. Most of the gold plated bangles by "Hula Hoops Maui". }

ALOHA!

Napa

I can never make a trip back home without a little detour to the Napa Valley. It's hard to imagine that once upon a time this area had very little interest to me. Then again, I did move away from California not long after the age of 21. Obviously big jammy reds were hardly a priority in those days. Oh things have changed!

{ Just. Stop. }

{ Sorry....but I just could not get over all the poppies in California. Non-tropical flowers are so much more interesting to me now that I don't live in a temperate climate anymore. }

{ My sister's " Free People" dress. Coordinated with the spring blooms. Planned or unplanned? Hmmm.}

{ We misplaced our men for a little bit while checking out the tasting room at Jessop's Cellars. We ended up finding them here. The only real bar in the area I guess? They were drinking whiskey. Ewww why?! }

{ Rose. Totally into these dry light pink wines these days....}

{ Burrata cheese and early spring ramps. The true reason I'm still a vegetarian instead of a vegan. }

{ massive cheesy salad }

{ Sister's gnocchi with brussel sprouts. }

{ Mom's pasta made with cacao nibs. Divine. }

{ My simple gnocchi with red sauce. }

{ My Brother-in-Law's "Duck 3 Ways"

{ Happy 70th birthday mom! }

{ with mom }

Now back home to Hawaii where I belong....

ALOHA