Traveler In The Kitchen

What I Made On My Isolation Vacation

2020-04-22T11:18:00.001-10:00

Hi Friends!

I haven't been posting new content for a while (aka 2 years). It's not because I haven't been in the kitchen, but there's been a lot of life going on and this has always been just for fun.

And now here we are in the middle of, in the words of all the recent advertisements, unprecedented (or uncertain) times. Like everyone else, I'm spending a lot more time at home and in the kitchen.

I've even made the required quarantine banana bread, using my favorite recipe from Cooking Light.

Over the past month of primarily at home life, here's some of the other good stuff coming out of the kitchen - even over those few days where my oven was out of commission (sadness). I enjoy the challenge of seeing what's in my cabinets and looking for recipes that let me use what I have. Enjoy!

Derby Bars

Recipe: Joy the Baker Homemade Decadence Cookbook

Banana Bread Biscotti

Recipe: Joy the Baker Homemade Decadence Cookbook

Double Chocolate Brownies

Adapted from: Eagle Brand Classic Recipes Cookbook

Key Lime Pie

The original breakfast pie in our family

Straight off the Nellie and Joe's Key Lime Juice label

Breakfast Smoothie Bowl

No recipe - just winging it in the blender

Thai Pork Wraps

No recipe - but I highly recommend this

spicy Thai peanut butter from Eliot's

Artichoke Spinach Dip

Perfect for eating your feelings

Recipe written on an index card

Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits

So good.

Recipe: Damn Delicious

Applesauce Bars

Recipe: Inspiration Kitchen

Breakfast Biscuit Cobbler

Recipe: Joy the Baker Homemade Decadence Cookbook

Dan Dan Noodles

using what I already had in the kitchen

rotini is not the usual noodle for these...

Adapted from: Half Baked Harvest

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake

Recipe: Inside Blu Crew Life

Lemon Brownies

perfect for that impulse box of lemon

cake mix I bought months ago

Recipe: Family Saavy

Butterscotch Blondies

Recipe: America's Favorites Bake Sale Cookbook

The OG: Magic Cookie Bars

Recipe: Eagle Brand Classic Recipes Cookbook

I hope you and your family are safe and healthy no matter where you are or what you're doing!

Have you tried any new recipes recently? Or made some long-time favorites?

Lemon Crumb Bars

2018-04-17T17:17:00.000-10:00

There is something about citrus desserts that I love. It's that sweet and tart combination that makes your mouth so, so happy.

The citrus love probably started with Key Lime Pie. In our family, it's a breakfast treat...as in, if there's any left from dinner, the first few people who get up in the morning might get a slice for breakfast. Fortunately as a grown woman who does what she wants, I can make it any time and have it for any meal I choose.

These bars have a filling that is just about the same as key lime pie, except using lemon juice. You've got your sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks and lemon juice.

What You Need

Bar Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling Ingredients

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk, regular or fat free
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (truth in baking - I'm not good about measuring zest - I usually zest the number of lemons that I use to get the juice I need for any given recipe)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 large egg yolks

What You Do

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8 pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.

Make the Bars - Part 1

Combine the dry ingredients: flour, oats, salt and soda in a large bowl. Then mix in the sugar and brown sugar followed by the melted butter and vanilla.

Take half of the bar mixture and press it into the bottom of the pan. It's buttery, so your hands won't stick too much. You can always spray your hands, or a flat spatula with cooking spray to help. Bake the bottom crust for 15 minutes.

Make the Filling

Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, juice, zest and yolks in a bowl.

Make the Bars - Part 2

After the bottom crust has baked 15 minutes, pull out of the oven and pour filling over the top. Crumble the remaining bar mixture evenly over the top, then bake 20-22 minutes.

These bars slice better cold and you'll want to store them in the fridge as well. Not that they'll last that long. Especially if you have one for breakfast. They are wonderful with coffee....just saying.

Recipe Source: Dinner Then Dessert

If you love citrus, you'll love these:

Lilikoi Bars

Lilikoi Lime Bars

Meanwhile in San Diego...

Cocktails with Flowers
(Location: BeShock Ramen)

Puffles Exist and are Wonderful
(Location: Boba Bar & Desserts)

Happy Spring!

(and if spring hasn't found you yet...Wisconsin, I'm thinking of you - I hope it comes soon!)

Mint Oreo Brownies

2018-03-17T14:29:00.000-10:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Even if drinking green or wearing green is not your style, eating green can be.

And I'm not talking kale or spinach. Maybe that's for tomorrow's recovery.

It's the weekend, so let's roll with mint oreos. These brownies are simple with minimal ingredients, including a boxed mix. You can indulge in these brownies hot and gooey right out of the pan or cool and slice them for later.

What You Need

1 box Betty Crocker Fudge Molten Lava brownie mix, including the egg, water and oil as listed on the box

7 mint Oreos, cut or broken into pieces

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, divided

What You Do

Preheat the oven per package instructions. Coat a 9x9 pan with cooking spray. I use a silicone pan for ease. Prepare the brownies per package instructions and include 1/4 cup of the mini chocolate chips.

Pour half of the batter into the pan. Squeeze the lava filling included with the brownies onto the batter and top with the oreos and remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Spoon the remaining batter on top of the cookies and chips and bake per instructions for 9x9 pan.

Serve hot or at room temperature - your call. Either way, these brownies will be devoured quickly.

Meanwhile in San Diego

We're having more rain than normal, and in SoCal no one really knows how to drive in the rain.

But, that means the roses at the Balboa Park Rose Garden are starting to bloom.

The cactus garden at the park thrives all year, because that's how cactus do their thing.

What are the signs of spring where you live?

The Glorious Soups of Southeast Asia

2018-03-10T14:36:00.001-10:00

From mid-January to mid-February I took an extended vacation. My co-workers called it a sabbatical, probably because it felt like forever for them. For me, I could have traveled even longer and still been full of joy.

And soup. Let's be honest. I would be full of soup.

I didn't have the proper appreciation for Phở and it's cousins prior to this trip. I do now.

Here were just a few bowls of glorious soup that I enjoyed in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Often at breakfast. Sometimes with a mimosa. Because that's how vacation soup rolls.

First bowl of Phở in Hanoi

Soup aboard the Indochina Sails in Ha Long Bay

Breakfast soup with a watermelon mimosa in Siem Reap

Breakfast soup in Luang Prabang

Do you love soup? What's your favorite?
Have you discovered or rediscovered a favorite food while traveling?

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

2017-09-23T18:45:00.003-10:00

Happy Fall!

Second day of Fall in Oceanside, CA

America in general, particularly on social media, seems to be thinking about sweaters, boots and all things pumpkin spice.

San Diego, meanwhile, is saying "summer isn't over yet."

Summer or Fall, I'm thinking about baking. Especially with chocolate.

Enjoy these chocolate chip oatmeal bars with your coffee, whether you're watching the leaves fall or the waves crash.

What You Need

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups flour

2 cups rolled oats

2 cup chocolate chips, divided

What You Do

Line a 9x13 with foil and coat with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla.

In a another bowl, combine the salt, soda, powder, flour and oats. Slowly add dry ingredients to the butter mixture until combined.

Stir in one cup of the chocolate chips.

Divide the dough in half and spoon half of it into the pan. You may need buttered/floured fingers to press the dough to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the remaining cup of chocolate chips over the dough. Spoon / Drop the remaining dough on top of the chocolate chips and press to create the top layer.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. If you want to slice into a corner while it's still warm for quality control....do what feel right. If you're planning to share, let them cool, pull out of the pan with the foil and slice into bars. Slice them small and your friends won't feel any guilt if they have more than one.

Traveler Out of the Kitchen

In addition to my weekend adventure to Long Beach in June, I also went to San Francisco,Wisconsin, and Colorado. Follow along with all the food and travels on Instagram at @travelerforgood.

Public Art in San Francisco

Door County, Wisconsin (aka 'Up North')

Colorful Colorado

What adventures did you have this summer?

What are you baking this fall?

Spicy Peanut Sauce

2017-06-25T13:11:00.000-10:00

Summer is officially here!

See also: recovering my kitchen mojo.

I've been baking and trying out new dinner recipes, aiming for recipes with more protein and veggies.

As I ponder dinner, spicy peanut sauce sounds good with everything. Meatballs? Stir fry? Chicken wraps? Peanut sauce it ALL.

If peanut saucing it all sounds like a plan, you can have homemade sauce in just a few minutes.

What You Need

5 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons water

5 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

juice of half lime (the other half was sacrificed for my rum & coke)

1/4 cup Huy Fong garlic chili sauce, less if you don't want as much of a kick

1/2 cup peanuts (I used dry roasted)

What You Do

Pull out your trusty food processor. Put all the ingredients except the peanuts in and process for 15-20 seconds to combine everything. Add the peanuts and pulse briefly, so the peanuts pieces are small but not completely obliterated. If you want it completely smooth, keep going until it's the texture you desire.

Pour into a bowl or liquid measuring cup and you're good to go for all your peanut sauce needs.

Recipe adapted from this salad on Pinch of Yum.

In other summer news...

I took a weekend road trip to Long Beach.

I made it to my first Padres game of the season.

I wore bowling shoes for the first time in a long time.

I made this Raspberry Crumb cake.

What good things do you have going on this summer?

Raspberry Crumb Cake

2017-06-19T17:50:00.001-10:00

Summer is the season of eating.

Who am I kidding? Every season is the season of eating. But I've actually been back in my kitchen trying new recipes and baking things over the past month, so that's a win.

In fact, I've been making dinner - thinking that vegetables and protein should probably be a thing. Eating cheese is also a thing, however, there needs to be a balance.

If you're looking for vegetables and protein, can I recommend this recipe for Egg Roll in a Bowl from 40 Aprons? I've made it twice in the past month. Yum!

Now...back to the cake

Cake with berries.

Cake with a cream cheese layer.

Cake with a crumb topping.

Have your breakfast cake and eat it too!

Giving credit where it's due, this delicious crumb cake recipe came from Sally's Baking Addiction. I just traded the blackberries for raspberries. So in the spirit of making a summer breakfast cake that will make you sing into your coffee cup, bust out your springform pan and hop over to the recipe on her page and get on it.

In other summer food news....

Have you tried these Doritos? It's two (count 'em) experiences in one chip.

How do food scientists do it?

You can't just eat a chip, you have to have an experience!

I love ahi.
Sushi - yes
Poke - yes
In this sandwich at Sally's - yes

I went to Long Beach a week ago, and happily stumbled upon the Pie Bar.
Talk about the perfect bar. Hello Mississippi Mud Pie.

I also ate my way through Ecuador in May.

If you ever have the chance to visit, you should go.

Eating in Ecuador

What are you eating this summer? Recipes you love? New things you're trying?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Squares

2017-02-22T20:30:00.000-10:00

How is almost March already? 2017 is moving much faster than I was anticipating!

So far, I've been alternating adventures every other weekend or so: Joshua Tree, Maui, Disneyland, and Rancho Cucamonga. You might have to look up R.C. on the map. I know that I had never heard of it before. If you head into the Inland Empire of California, can I recommend lunch at North Woods Inn? You need the cheese bread and red cabbage salad in your life. Also cheese butter for your baked potatoes? WHAT!

We don't speak of winter much in San Diego so I was excited to go to the snow last Friday!

SNOW!

We went skiing at Snow Summit in Big Bear. My legs remembered what skiing was like, even after four years. As you know, ski trips require snacks and that's where these oat squares come in. A short list of ingredients, no baking required, and you've got peanut butter chocolate goodness in the palm of your hand.

What You Need

1 cup butter/margarine

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup peanut butter (I used natural creamy)

What You Do

Line a 8x8 pan with foil.

In a saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar and vanilla over low heat. Then add the oats, cinnamon and salt. Stir constantly for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and press half the oat mixture into the bottom of the pan.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chocolate and peanut butter. Heat for 30 seconds, stir, and then heat for another 30 seconds (or more) until smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture over the oat layer, reserving a small amount of the chocolate for drizzling over the top.

Spoon / Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate layer, press it down a little if you can, and drizzle with remaining chocolate. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight before cutting into squares.

What are your favorite snacks to make for skiing or other winter fun?

Eating In Hungary

2016-11-01T00:30:00.000-10:00

Vegetables are fun in Hungary

Happy November!

One of my favorite things about travel is enjoying new and different foods. Earlier this fall, I went to visit a friend living in Téglás, Hungary before meeting up with my mom in Budapest. We went to the Cabbage Festival in Hajdúhadház and my friends had me get something from all the food vendors. Best way ever to enjoy the local flavors. If you're heading to Hungary, here are some of the things you might get to try!

Team Cabbage Fest

Kürtőskalács

Defined as a "spit cake." Don't let it deter you. It's a yeast dough wrapped around a wooden spit and roasted over charcoal. This one had cinnamon and sugar on it...yum!

Potato Pancake

Cooked in a pan over a small fire at the festival.

Plus, I got to pose with these party pants.

Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage rolls with sour cream and also cabbage and pork.
What would a cabbage festival be without it?

Apple Strudel
Pastry all the days of my life. Please.

LángosFry bread with sour cream, garlic and cheese. The ultimate fair food.

Coffee
This cappuccino was especially cute. Coffee is often strong in a small cup.
I need my Nescafe fully diluted.

Sausages and Pickled Vegetables
The Wisconsin in me loves a sausage on the grill. Sausage, bread, and big pickles for a solid lunch.
Peppers and pickles stuffed with cabbage from the grocery or deli are also a hit.

School Lunch
When was the last time you had school lunch? I went to school with my friend, a teacher, and enjoyed a filling lunch. If you think this looks like soup with soup? You're right.

Fruit Soup

Why isn't there more fruit soup in life?

Do you have a favorite Hungarian food? Where have your food travels taken you recently?

Raspberry Lilikoi Oatmeal Bars

2016-07-29T18:08:00.002-10:00

I love the San Diego farmers markets.

California grows so much produce that there is so much good, fresh food. And the local markets are my favorite source. I can buy just the quantity I want. If I just want a handful of green beans and a singular pluot? No problem. No judgment.

I can buy one pluot, but I need a whole basket of raspberries

The lilikoi (passionfruit) here are mostly purple on the outside instead of yellow. The insides are the same juice, pulp and seedy mess. A delicious mess.

Cali grown passionfruit

In Maui, I didn't have to buy my lilikoi, they grew in my friend's backyard. Here in San Diego, the market is my source. I've been missing the tropical flavors of Hawaii since my move. How could I fix that? Oh yes, baking.

This recipe uses Maui Upcountry Lilikoi Curd. I may have just moved a jar or two with me to California. You could modify this recipe to be lemon and raspberry by using lemon curd instead if that's easier to find.

What You Need

For the bars:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
pinch of salt
1/4 cup lilikoi curd
1/2 cup (heaping) fresh raspberries

For the lilikoi glaze:
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of fresh lilikoi juice

What You Do

Line an 8x8 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Whisk in the two sugars and the vanilla.

Add the flour, oats and salt, stir to combine. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture.

Press the remainder of the dough into the bottom of the 8x8 pan.

Spread the lilikoi curd on top of the dough. Sprinkle (or deliberately place) the raspberries on top of the lilikoi curd layer.

Break apart the remaining dough in your hands and sprinkle/crumble on top of the raspberries and lilikoi curd.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the topping is set and slightly golden.

Allow bars to cool and then cut into pieces.

To make the glaze, stir together the lilikoi juice and powdered sugar. If there are little lumps of powdered sugar, put the glaze in the microwave for 10 seconds and stir. Those lumps should be gone! Drizzle over the bars and store in the fridge until ready to eat.

Adapted from Averie Cooks

Other Lilikoi Recipes I Love:

Lilikoi Bars

Lilikoi Lime Bars

Now with more San Diego!

2016-06-25T15:06:00.000-10:00

Aloha Friends!

The last three months have sped by at record speed. At the end of March, I started the interview process for a promotion & transfer. In mid-April I had a job offer, and in mid-May all my stuff was put on a ship, they put me on a plane and BAM here I am in San Diego.

Umm...that is the simplified version.
The long version included hugs, tears, cleaning, cocktails, packing, leis, ziplines, volcanoes, teppanyaki and a pie in the face.

The teppanyaki in question
Kobe Japanese Steakhouse, Lahaina

In Maui we, rightfully so, referred to our island home as paradise. Residents of San Diego also consider their home paradise. So which one is it?

Maui

San Diego

I'm going to find out.

If I'm lucky, they are both equally awesome. That's my feeling so far.

Last week, I made my first new recipe in my new kitchen: Coconut Pound Cake. Before I could make anything, I had to stock my new kitchen. The recipe came from The View from Great Island and it was so good.

I've started a new restaurant list for San Diego, of course. There are so many great neighborhoods and I'm excited to explore and dine my way around the city. If you are Maui bound, my restaurant list there is up to date too.

San Diego Eats List
Maui Eats List

This deliciousness can be found at
Mastiff in the Liberty Public Market

If you have recommendations of things I should do or places I should eat in San Diego, send them my way. Thank you for joining me on this new adventure.

Potato Chip Candy Brownies

2016-03-20T19:05:00.002-10:00

Word on the street is that it's spring. Is that true?

We've had more winter-type weather here in Maui, it's been cool and windy.

In fact, I've seen some puffy coats.

We combated the cold last Monday by celebrating National Potato Chip Day in our office. There are 6 of us, and we brought in 13 different flavors of chips to celebrate....everything from Ono Shrimp Chips with Furikake to Grilled Cheese flavored chips. Good times.

I felt that to celebrate properly, I should at least bake something using potato chips.

Let's celebrate, shall we?

What You Need

1 box of brownie mix (1 lb 3.2 oz to make a 9x13 pan) with the necessary eggs, oil and water

3/4 cup M&Ms candy, divided

1 1/4 cup of ridged potato chips, broken by hand

20 Rolos, unwrapped and coarsely chopped

What You Do

Preheat the oven per the brownie mix instructions. Line a 9x13 pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Make the brownie batter per package instructions (I substituted half of the oil with applesauce and it turned out great).

Pour the batter in the pan. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the M&Ms over the brownie batter, then sprinkle the potato chips. Sprinkle remaining M&Ms over the chips.

Bake per instructions (normally 24-26 minutes). Take the brownies out 5 minutes early and sprinkle the Rolos on top, then put back in the oven for the last 5 minutes.

Let brownies cool before slicing. Enjoy that sweet and salty combination!

Meanwhile in Maui

I went on a snorkel trip to Lanai last weekend and we saw so many spinner dolphins. AWESOME!

Lilikoi Lime Bars

2016-02-21T16:41:00.001-10:00

Last Monday I brought these bars in to work. One of my coworkers in another department sees me with the container while I'm checking out my keys and give me the "I want one" eye. One bite and she was sold...bringing by a friend from her department to get in on the Lilikoi Lime Bars before they were all gone.

And they were gone within one day. Truly the sign of a winning recipe.

For those of you who don't recognize the word lilikoi, it's the Hawaiian word for passion fruit. Here, they are yellow (in the picture, the upper right), but you might find purple ones in the store near you. I've heard rumors that they might be $3 a piece on the mainland, but here, they grow in the backyard.

This recipe is similar in ingredients to Easy Key Lime Pie. Graham cracker crust, juice, egg yolk, and sweetened condensed milk make up the majority of the ingredients.

What You Need

Crust
12 graham cracker sheets (or 24 squares), crushed
5 tablespoons melted butter/margarine4 tablespoons brown sugar
pinch of salt

Filling
zest of one lime
6 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1/3 cup fresh lilikoi (passion fruit) juice
3 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg yolk

What You Do

Preheat the oven to 325. Line a 9x9 pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.

To make the crust:

Use a food processor to crush the graham crackers into crumbs easily. Combine crumbs with melted butter and brown sugar. Press the crust in the bottom of the pan and bake for 15 minutes. Cool while making the filling.

To make the filling:

In a medium bowl, zest your lime. Then juice that lime, and one other, to get your 6 tablespoons of lime juice. Whisk together the lime juice, zest, lilikoi juice, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and egg yolk together until smooth (or smooth as possible....cream cheese might leave a few small lumps).

Pour the filling over the baked crust and bake for 20-25 minutes until filling is set (no jiggling in the middle). Chill in the refrigerator before cutting and serving.

Notes

If you'd like a thicker crust and filling layer, try an 8x8 pan.

If you've never tried getting juice from a lilikoi...it's full of seeds. You'll want to use a strainer to push as much juice and pulp through without getting any of the black seeds. Depending on the size of your fruit, you might need 3-5 lilikoi to get 1/3 cup juice.

If you're feeling tropical, you might enjoy:

Lilikoi Bars

Mango Lemonade

Meanwhile in Maui

I have a friend from Colorado visiting and yesterday we did the road to Hana (and past Hana for that matter). Each time I explore, I find new places to enjoy, like this quiet pool.

Lilikoi Bars

2016-01-31T18:54:00.000-10:00

In the two plus years that I've lived in Hawaii, I've learned new words, eaten different foods, worn fewer clothes, and gained an appreciation for SPAM.

My first month on Maui, I went to a party and was introduced to lilikoi margaritas. I had no idea what a lilikoi was other than it grew on their fence and it was mighty tasty with tequila over ice.

Lilikoi is the Hawaiian word for passion fruit. Here it's popular as a syrup for shave ice and in cocktails. Lilikoi is not something you'll often find in the grocery store (but maybe at a farm stand)...more likely you'll get them from friends and neighbors.

There is a young lilikoi vine growing in my backyard. I've gotten six fruits from it this month. Friends and neighbors took care of the rest....and they consider it a fair trade - fresh produce for baked goods.

Backyard produce

I've mentioned the size of Maui produce before, including the epic Haiku avocados and farmers market lemons the size of softballs. I just picked up this giant lemon at the market. I used the zest from the whole thing, but only used juice from half (about 4 tablespoons). The rest of the lemon was put to good use in lemonade.

Lemons the size of kindles

I found the recipe for these bars over on The Little Ferraro Kitchen, plus great instructions on how to actually get juice from the fruit. So amazing in every way!

What You Need

Crust:

1 cup (half pound) butter, softened at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups of flour, sifted

1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:

6 eggs, room temperature

2 cups sugar

1 cup lilikoi juice (10-12 lilikoi, depending on their size)

1 cup flour

4 tablespoons lemon juice (half of the monster lemon above)

zest of 1 lemon

What You Do

Line a 13x9 pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350. You can wait a little on the oven, as the dough needs to chill, and if you haven't prepared the lilikoi juice, that will take a few minutes as well.

To get the lilikoi juice, you have to do a little work. Slice the fruit in half and scoop the juice, pulp and seeds into the food processor. Pulse briefly, 20-30 seconds just to help separate the pulp from the seeds. Pour the contents of the food processor into a strainer over a glass liquid measuring cup. Use the back of a spoon to push as much juice as possible through the strainer.

To make the crust, beat butter with a hand mixer. Add sugar and cream until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt until just mixed. Turn the dough out onto a floured cutting board, form into a ball and then flatten dough in preparation for putting in the pan.

When the dough is in the bottom of the pan, use floured fingers to push it all the way to the edge and to build a little lip all the way around (to help hold in the filling). Put the pan with dough into the freezer for 15-20 minutes while you're making the filling. (Now is a good time to preheat the oven if you haven't already)

To make the filling, whisk the eggs, sugar, flour, lilikoi juice, lemon juice and lemon zest, until combined. It will smell wonderful. When the crust is done chilling, and the oven is preheated, pour the filling over the crust.

Bake 30-35 minutes until the filling is set. I set my timer for 30 minutes and the middle was still jiggly, so I ended up baking for 35 minutes.

Cool before slicing.

I put my bars in the refrigerator to chill before slicing and then for storage afterwards.

You won't have to store them long...they're that good!

Meanwhile in Maui

It's whale season again. Hooray!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2016-01-17T09:54:00.001-10:00

It may come as a surprise to those enjoying a solid cold winter elsewhere, but we do get winter weather here in Hawaii. It's in the low 70s (or gasp, the high 60s) at night, at sea level. If you live upcountry, it's even cooler. When I read all the cold weather, slow cooker recipes, I want to get in on the fun, even if I'm not wearing socks or sitting by the fireplace.

I don't miss many restaurant chains from the mainland, but there are times where soup in a bread bowl from Panera would be the perfect meal. This soup makes me think of sitting by the fireplace at the Panera in the DTC back in Colorado on cold winter day.

What You Need

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts,- two large ones will do it and frozen worked just fine

1 cup uncooked wild rice, I used Lundberg Wild Blend Rice experimenting from the bulk bin at the natural food store

2 cups, total, of chopped celery, carrot and onion

6 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (or improv here with sage, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg, salt and pepper)

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup flour

2 cups 2% milk (the original recipe called for whole, but I don't usually have that on hand...I did know that my normal choice of skim milk wouldn't make the soup as creamy as I'd like, so 2% was my personal soup compromise of the day)

3 tablespoons white wine

salt and pepper to taste

What You Do

Why I loved this recipe so much was that it really was easy. Take the whole chicken breasts, rice, veggies, chicken broth and seasoning and put it in the slow cooker on low for 7-8 hours.

Walk away. Go to work, walk the dog, take a nap, hit the beach, read a good book, visit with your neighbors, or curl up by the fireplace.

Come back and use tongs to pull the chicken breasts from the pot. Use two forks to shred them and then put the chicken back in the pot.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and let it bubble for a minute. Add the milk, and whisk the mixture together. Then add the wine (if you're drinking it at the same time, that's totally fine....especially if it's cold out). Add this roux to the soup going in the slow cooker. If you want to change the consistency of the soup, you can add additional milk at this time. Let it cook a little longer so that it's all combined and full of hearty goodness, then dig in.

Bonus if you have a bread bowl on hand.

Recipe source: This soup recipe comes from Pinch of Yum, one of my favorite food blogs to follow

Meanwhile in Maui

Friday night's sunset was glorious.
If you're thinking that Hawaii is calling your name in 2016, come.

Other soups you might enjoy:

Tuscan Garbanzo Bean Soup

Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup

Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

Chicken and Tortellini Soup

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Traveling the World and Eating Potato Chips

2015-12-15T21:57:00.002-10:00

Here's the truth. I want to travel the world and eat chips.

When I'm on vacation, I enjoy eating. Including fine snacks purchased at the local mini-mart or 7-Eleven.

On our recent family trip to Myanmar and Thailand, my sister and I were on the lookout for chips...in addition to all the elephant pants in all the land. I think I came home with the fewest pairs of pants. 1 pair of elephant pants and 2 pairs of elephant shorts - since I live in a tropical climate.

I digress. This should be all about the chips. Not pictured are the chicken satay and scallop butter garlic chips that made it through 4 airports and the longest Saturday ever of flying.

Potato Fritter - Purchased on a quick escape from our horse cart in Myanmar. After eating these, they are henceforth called Mouth on Fire Chips.

Chiang Mai Corner Mini Mart Assortment - The first bag of Lays has no English whatsoever. The best vote from my friends on Facebook was Creepy Lip Flavor. In reality.....lime and something else. The center bag was french fries with chili sauce. The chips were shaped like fries and the chili sauce came in a separate packet. The bag on the right was Sweet Basil. It was hard gauge the flavor since there were only 6 chips in the bag. Really.

Namtok Hotpot Lays - A tasty find in the Chiang Mai Airport and a solid accompaniment to our iced coffee. I'm guessing that the man on the label is a celebrity chef. Is it just me, or are Hotpot flavored chips in short supply in the US?

What's your favorite way to snack on vacation?

Easy Four Berry Cobbler

2015-11-09T20:04:00.002-10:00

Last week my sweet tooth got the better of me. This cobbler was the result.

I wanted something sweet. I scouted the fridge. The freezer. The cabinet. Nothing jumped out at me. Surely there had to be something that could be quickly and easily put together.

Back to the freezer. A bag of mixed berries. A bag of cranberries.

Cobblertown, here we come!

What You Need

For the fruit layer
3 cups of frozen berries - 2 cups of mixed (blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry) and 1 cup of cranberries {any berry combination of your choice will be delicious}
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cobbler topping
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup oats - I used old fashioned
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

What You Do

Preheat the oven to 375.
Coat an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl combine the frozen berries, sugar, starch, water and cinnamon. Stir until any corn starch chunks are broken down. Pour into the 8x8 pan.

In a small to medium bowl, cream sugar and butter. Stir in the milk and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder and salt, then add to the butter and sugar. Stir to mix into a batter. Spoon the cobbler topping over the fruit layer. It won't cover everything, but it will be close.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until topping is baked and the fruit is bubbling hot. I highly recommend eating it straight out of the oven. And then for breakfast until pan is empty.

Meanwhile in Maui

We had managers outing a few weeks ago and went out on a sunset sail. Such a beautiful evening!

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

2015-10-17T14:27:00.003-10:00

My neighbors have a banana tree. Proof that I'm not in Colorado any more, right?

Their tree was going crazy and they gifted me with some of their bounty. I couldn't eat them all at the time, so I put a few in the freezer for smoothies or baking.

Baking won out. Surprise, surprise!

I've used the same base recipe for years, Basic Banana Bread, from Cooking Light magazine. It's great on its own or with any mix-ins or toppings that you want to put with it.

This time, I opted for a cream cheese, cheesecake-esque, layer in the middle.

What You Need

Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (2 or 3 bananas - you can measure or just go with what you have on hand)
1/3 cup plain (or vanilla) fat-free yogurt
5 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Cream Cheese Filling
1 egg
1/4 cup reduced fat cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour

Combine filling ingredients in a small bowl and beat until smooth. Then you're ready when it's time.
(filling recipe from Averie Cooks)

What You Do

Preheat oven to 350 and spray silicone 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray. If you're using a metal or glass loaf pan, I would encourage you to line it with foil and then spray.

In a large mixing bowl, beat bananas, yogurt, butter and eggs. Add sugars and beat until combined.

Combine all dry ingredients (flax through allspice) in a separate bowl and whisk together.

Add dry ingredients to banana mixture until just blended.

Pour 2/3 of the banana bread batter into your loaf pan.

Gently pour and smooth the cream cheese filling over the batter layer. Use a rubber spatula to get the cream cheese filling to all the corners. Pour remaining banana bread layer on top, making sure that the cream cheese layer is covered.

Bake for 55 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool in pan on a rack for at least 10 minutes.
Gently remove bread from pan (which is why I love my silicone pan...makes this so easy) and continue to cool.

Enjoy when you are ready. There is no wrong time for banana bread.

Meanwhile in Maui

Good friends of mine from Colorado were visiting this week, so we explored all over the island.

Pictured: Haleakala National Park

Do you have a go to banana bread recipe? Please share!

Caramel Apple Bars

2015-10-10T18:07:00.000-10:00

The world of pumpkin spice has gone insane!

I was in Target this week just counting all the different things that have been spiced...whether they need to be or not. Coffee, creamers, baking mixes, M&M's, candy corn, Oreo's, nuts, you name it, it's been PS'd.

My sister is so annoyed by the PS'ing of everything that her Facebook wall has been taken over by her friends posting every random PS thing they find.

They find a lot.

Apples are different. They take the stage with pumpkin in the fall, but in reality, apple treats are delicious year round and don't need to be defined by a season. And with PS being a pushy diva, poor apples aren't center stage, but are reduced to singing in the chorus.

I'm not having that. Not. At. All.

So here, we give the apple it's time in the sun. Shine, apple, shine.

What You Need

For the bars:

1 stick salted butter or margarine, melted and cooled

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

½ cup chopped pecans, plus ¼ cup whole pecans (for the top)

2 large apples, I used Braeburn, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (roughly...no strict measuring was going on here

For the caramel topping:

½ cup of Kraft caramel baking bits

1 teaspoon heavy cream

What You Do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I used a little cooking spray on my 9x9 silicone baking pan. If you're using a metal or glass pan, I would recommend lining with foil and then greasing it.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl beat together butter, sugar and egg with a hand mixer until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add chopped pecans and apples, and stir by hand until combined. Add flour mixture, and stir until combined.

Spread batter in pan. In a small microwave safe bowl, combine caramel baking bits and heavy cream. Microwave for 30 seconds, remove and stir. Heat for another 30 seconds if necessary.

Drizzle the caramel over the batter and then strategically place your pecans wherever you want them to go.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then cut into bars. These are also great right out of the oven while still warm, they will just be a little messier when you cut into them. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Recipe Source: Foodie Crush

Meanwhile in Travel

When I went to Colorado on vacation last month, I finally hiked the Hanging Lake Trail.

If you want to know more about this hike, read more here.

Whether you are in the apple or pumpkin camp, I hope you're getting as much as your heart desires this fall!

Everything is Better with Praline on Top

2015-10-01T19:10:00.001-10:00

Praline Brownies

This week I have determined that everything is better with praline on top.

What is praline? The dictionary says a confection made with nuts and sugar. Most often, it's brown sugar and pecans. If you hit up gas stations in the southern part of the US, you may run across them right by the checkout lane.

I made praline candies when I lived in Indianapolis. Successfully.

When I moved to Colorado, I managed to ruin them twice due to the altitude and my candy thermometer my first year. After wasting money in pecans and heavy cream, I decided that pralines were no longer on my Christmas candy list.

Back at sea level, I'm willing to go at it again.

And why limit my praline-ing to just brownies?

Praline Pancakes

Don't pancakes deserve the pecan, butter, cream and sugar confection?

Of course they do!

Sometimes, I just confection myself by eating it straight out of the bowl. Sugar really does melt in your mouth.

So if you want to praline things....here's what you need to know.

What You Need

6 tablespoons of butter, sliced
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped

What You Do

In a medium sauce pan, combine the butter, whipping cream, brown sugar and salt over medium heat. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Stir frequently.

Remove from heat, add the vanilla and powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Stir in pecans.

Let the sugary goodness sit for five minutes. The sugar on the top might harden a little, but not to worry. Pour the praline mixture over the treats of your choice - brownies, cookies, pancakes, etc.

Praline Brownies

Praline brownies were devoured in record time at my office this week. Make your favorite brownie recipe. I used the Ghiradelli dark chocolate brownie mix and made a 8x8 pan of brownies. After the brownies cool completely, make the praline topping and pour over the top.

The topping makes plenty, so you can have a thick layer of praline, or reserve some for other things. Like pancakes. Or eating with a spoon.

I was completely inspired to praline things after reading this recipe over on Cookies and Cups. Check it out!

When was the last time you had a praline?

Rice Cracker Ranch Popcorn

2015-07-12T16:00:00.002-10:00

Happy Aloha Sunday!

For an island that has pretty consistent weather all year long, we've hit a heat wave where the temperature is over 90 and the humidity is over 90% as well. It's time to hole up in the shade, a cool room, or an even cooler movie theater.

Here in Hawaii, a favorite addition to popcorn is arare, or rice crackers. Arare comes in all different shapes and flavors. Smuggling a bag into the theater to mix with your popcorn is just what some people do. I may have become some people.

For movie night at home, just pop some corn, add some arare, and if you're feeling especially bold, kick it up with some ranch seasoning.

What You Need

5-6 cups popped corn (1/4 cup kernels before popping)

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon ranch dressing mix (powder)

1/2 cup arare (rice crackers)

What You Do

Pop your popcorn however you'd like. When your popcorn is ready, add the arare. Drizzle the melted butter and toss to coat. Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix over the top and toss to coat again.

Hide someplace cool and enjoy.

Wondering what else would be good on Hawaiian-style popcorn? Try li hing mui powder or furikake (seaweed flakes).

How to you dress up your popcorn?

Meanwhile in Maui

Another place to go in the heat is the Aquarium. Hello hammerhead!

Mango Lemonade

2015-06-11T17:40:00.000-10:00

Summer is here!

In Maui that means it is mango season. At the farmers market over the weekend, I picked up two lemons the size of softballs with the intention of making lemonade. Then there were the mangos. Mangos all ready to go. Ready to go into lemonade, that is.

Check out these lemons!

Gourmet lemonade is a thing here on Maui - one of my periodic splurges is going to Wow Wow Lemonade and getting a hand made lemonade full of local flavors. The farmers market inspired to make a gourmet lemonade of my own.

My Wow Wow Aloha jar

Are you ready to make some lemonade? Let's do this summer!

What You Need

1/2 cup lemon juice, from one giant softball size lemon, if you have one on hand
1 mango, pureed (mine yielded 2/3 cup)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 cups water, divided
Mint for garnish, if desired

What You Do

Squeeze your lemons. Pulp is okay....seeds not so much.
Peel and slice your mango. It doesn't have to be pretty because you're going to put it in the food processor to puree it into smooth mango goodness.

In a small sauce pan, combine 1/3 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and the lemons that you juiced. It's a chance to infuse a little more lemon goodness into the simple syrup. Bring the sugar, water and lemons to a boil. Remove from heat. Strain the syrup, keeping the lemons and any bonus seeds out of your syrup.

In a pitcher, combine the lemon juice, simple syrup, and mango puree. Add the other 2 cups of water. Stir to combine. Fill your lemonade glass, or jar, with ice and then pour the lemonade over the top. Garnish with mint. Or flowers.

Makes 1 quart.

Do you like flavored lemonade? What's your favorite?

Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

2015-05-29T20:40:00.001-10:00

Aloha Friends!

Are you fully committed to summer? Do you have a summer bucket list? {I do, right here}
I've taken two trips off island in the past month, both equally short and sweet. I went to Monterey, California for a family reunion and then spent a weekend under the laziness cloud (and in a hammock) on the island of Kaua'i.

Hammock view - for reals

My neighbors, who live in Australia in the winter, arrived back in Maui and hosted a big BBQ a few weeks ago. Bringing dessert is what I do.....and making these toffee bars is what I did. They were a hit with the BBQ crew.

What You Need

2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 egg
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts, I used half macadamia nuts and half walnuts
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 (8oz) bag Heath Bits O Brickle toffee bits, divided

What You Do

Line a 13x9 inch pan with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour and sugar in a large bowl. Cut in butter using two knives (or a pastry cutter, if you have one handy) until crumbly. Add egg and mix well.

Combine the chocolate chips and nuts together. Reserve a heaping half cup of the mixture for later, and add the rest to the crumb mixture.

Press crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the hot crust. Reserving a 1/4 cup of the toffee bits for later, sprinkle the rest over the milk layer. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over the top and then add the remainder of the chocolate chip and nut mixture.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and add remaining 1/4 cup of toffee bits on top. Cool completely before cutting into bars. These are rich, so you can cut them small.

Recipe source: Hershey's

What did you take the last time you went to a BBQ or picnic?

Dill Pickle Dip

2015-03-28T09:59:00.001-10:00

We made it to the weekend!
So reassuring that it happens every week.

Working in the service industry, everyone has a weekend, but it's not always Saturday and Sunday. I said "Happy Friday" to a friend at work yesterday and her response was "It's not my Friday." True.

When it's your weekend, it's time for your favorite treats and snacks. And I was thinking dip. I don't make dip very often, but inspired by recently having Dill Pickle Soup, I was pondering what else could be dill-pickled. If you love pickles, you'll love this.

What You Need

1 (8oz) block of reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1 (1oz) packet of ranch dressing mix
6 dill pickle spears (approx 1 cup) chopped
1 tablespoon dill pickle juice

What You Do

Combine the cream cheese, yogurt and ranch dressing mix in a medium bowl. Mix with an electric hand mixer until smooth and combined.

Add the chopped pickles and pickle juice. Mix until pickles and juice are incorporated.

It's good to go right after making it, but if you'd like to give the flavors some more time to do their thing, let it chill in the refrigerator until you're ready to dive in.

Serve with chips, crackers or veggies or use it as a spread on sandwiches or burgers.

Meanwhile in Maui

It's still whale season.

HOORAY!

Blondie Pie and Hong Kong Eats

2015-03-15T17:42:00.000-10:00

All week I've been fighting jet lag and the general tiredness that comes with a full week of work after a full week of vacation. Pi Day (3.14) almost escaped me. That would have been a crime. A world full of people eating pie and missing out? Not having it.

Coming in to save the day was blondie pie. Take your favorite blondie recipe that you would use in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan, bake it in a 8 inch springform pan and you have blondie pie!

I haven't lived someplace with a Trader Joe's since 2005. The TJ's in Denver opened after I moved to Maui and the odds of one opening here are pretty slim. TJ's always has that element of special - I have to go on a road trip or vacation to go shopping there, or someone has to bring it to me. I used a box of my imported TJ Blondie mix to make this pie. No regrets.

What You Need

1 box of Trader Joe's Blondie Mix (with the butter and egg required) or your favorite blondie batter
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup Kraft Caramel Bits
optional 1/4 cup chocolate chips (TJ blondie mix has chocolate chips included already, so I didn't need to add any more)

What You Do

Preheat the oven to 350. Coat an 8 inch springform pan with cooking spray.

Prepare your blondie batter, either from a box mix or your own recipe. Add the butterscotch chips, caramel bits, or mix-ins of your choosing.

Pour batter into springform pan. Bake for 28 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. If you want your blondie pie warm, there's no shame in that either.

Use a knife to separate the edge of the blondies from the pan before releasing the spring on the pan.
Slice into wedges. Serve alone or with ice cream and hot fudge sauce. It's a win either way.

Meanwhile in Travel...

I spent the first week of March in Hong Kong. I started thinking about a trip in December and reached out to some friends to see if anyone was interested in a spring trip. A friend from Wisconsin took me up on the offer and we walked and ate our way through the city. I love it when travel plans come together like that!

Hong Kong was still decorated for the Chinese New Year with lots of lanterns and all things for the year of the Sheep/Ram/Goat. So festive!

Display in Tsim Sha Tsui

Display at Holywood Park

We also ate. A lot. We had a great time taking the Hong Kong Foodie Tasting Tour of Central and Sheung Wan. We went into small, independent restaurants and tried some of their specialties. We also got a walking tour of the neighborhoods and recommendations of other places to eat (how else would we have known to order Hong Kong French Toast?). I enjoyed it so much that on my last day in Hong Kong, when my traveling friend had already left for the airport, that I took their other food tour of Sham Shui Po. All. The. Food.

Amazing baked BBQ pork buns

Giant homemade wontons

In honor of Pi Day, what's your favorite kind of pie?

Is there a destination you would recommend just based on how good their food is?
Please share in the comments or on Facebook.