The Relocation Itch...

I have lived in Utah all of my life. I have never really had a big desire to move but for some reason the last few months I am a devoted "city hunter." I spend every hour of every day reviewing pros and cons of each city that pops into my head for whatever reason. A few weeks ago I was watching Paul Deen on The Food Network and she was in Savannah Georgia. She was surrounded by tall trees, water and smokin southern food. So then I research the city of Savannah and real estate, seriously it's beautiful. So beautiful that I spend an hour talking to Trig about moving there. He comes up with excuses, lots and lots of excuses. The two I remember vaguely were "rednecks" and "mosquitoes." He forgets that I am from Carbon County and will fit right in with the rednecks... :-) Portland, well I've wanted to move there since high school. It's green living has always appealed to me. It's natural beauty, rainy days, grunge style, food, close to ocean etc. etc. Then I always dream about San Diego, but I can't sacrifice a nice home and yard for a $700,000 shack in the slums... Trig likes AZ, but me way too hot, I don't want to melt. Then the kids, Ethan is against leaving his friends unless they move with us which they would to Portland area but no further. He finally told me that if I find him a job in the Portland area we can move. Then I look at the weather daily in Portland and it's rain, rain, rain, with chance of meatballs. The weather isn't ideal but it's so green and "fresh" I can't deal with the snow anymore, my bones start to ache. I will continue the search for the perfect place and let you know when I find it!!

Setas a la Crema

Trig and I first started going to Cafe Madrid about ten years ago. It's a charming and cozy little Cafe off of 3900 South in SLC. The owners serve authentic Spanish cuisine i.e. Lubina en Salsa de Gambas...Fresh Sea Bass served with carmelized onions in a creamy shrimp sauce. All of there entrees are different and taste amazing with their different sauces and ingredients. My favorite though is one of their tapas/appetizer. It's the Setas a le crema. Fresh shiitake mushrooms sauteed in a rich cream sauce with chunks of lean bacon. It is, for a lack of better words, to die for. The salt from the bacon and the richness of the cream sauce with the fresh mushroom taste is just an amazing experience. You have to be careful though, the waiter may try to take your plate before you've licked it clean so keep an eye on it.. So if your ever in the area or want me to take you, I'm in!!

http://www.cafemadrid.net/

Mangos Galore...

Since I found mango's at Costco I've been buying them up and putting them on everything. They are so fresh and versatile, good for you and yummy!! The kids love eating them diced up but I love putting them with food. First we made German Pancakes with diced mango's and drizzled a raspberry lavender syrup that I had brought back from the lavender farms on Maui. It was one sweet breakfast!! Then I had searched allrecipes.com for a mango salsa and found this one:

Ingredients

• 1 mango - peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
• 1 teaspoon salt

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Avocado-Mango-Salsa-2/Detail.aspx

I omitted the red bell pepper and added cilantro. I had never had a mango salsa before so didn't know what to expect. It tasted so fresh and all the flavors complimented each other wonderfully. Trig's dad was in town so we had a special dinner... Mahi Mahi filets on a bed of fresh arugula with plenty of mango avocado salsa. I'm sure it's good on just about everything including chips!!

Everyday Burritos

I've been making these burritos like crazy...why? Because, they are so yummy, SIMPLE and good for you. I didn't know what to make one night and it was almost 6 p.m. so I looked through the fridge and threw together what I had and it was surprisingly wonderful!! The great part is you can use whatever you have on hand. This is what ours had:

1 Can Organic Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
3 Cups of Fresh Spinach
6-8 Mini Sweet Peppers

Mix together over medium heat until peppers are tender. Meanwhile, get your tortilla ready we used the yummy soft whole wheat tortillas from Whole Foods. Sprinkle a little bit of Mozza cheese or whatever you have lying around and cilantro. Instead of using sour cream or mayo I spread a little guacamole on the tortilla just before rolling up. Oh and a little pinch of salt. I've been eating them for lunch too and just put whatever I have rolled up cooked or not... Hope you enjoy!!

Help, I can't take it anymore!!!

I don't know if there is such thing as passing down a "scaredy-cat" gene but my kids have it. When I was a little girl I was always afraid of monsters and the dark. I shared a room with my sister and we had bunk beds that were side by side. Even though we were in the same room and my parents were maybe ten feet away I would jump on my bed and break it just so I could sleep with my sister. It stuck with me through my adult years but after I was married it kind of went away. Ethan and Eliza are so crippled with fear it is ridiculous. Ethan slept in our room until he was five and now he is seven, a couple of weeks ago he started asking to sleep with us again because he is scared of aliens. Eliza, well now she is a permanent fixture in our bed. We have tried everything, monster spray, leaving hallway light in, books about being scared, praying over them, lighting a peaceful candle in their rooms etc. etc. It has just become so frustrating and I don't know what to do. Eliza holds onto my arm while she sleeps to make sure I can sneak away. They cry and really are scared.. What do I do?

Tastes of Maui..

I have a thing for food. I go back to places, travel long distances, dream about it and live for it. Before we went to Maui I Googled "Top Places to Eat in Maui" I had it on my Iphone saved the whole time for reference. I had conversations with strangers about the food and Top 10 lists etc. It was pretty funny. Best Sushi was in Kihei, luckily we were staying in Kihei part of the time so we were near a lot of the yummy places. Sansei was the sushi place and the last picture features the Tuna roll wrapped in spinach with a crispy outside. It was set in a Wasabi butter and soy sauce. I don't really care for the wasabi but it was amazing, very different from anything I've ever had. We went to Sansei a second time during happy hour, (all the food was 50% so we were able to try several different rolls and then made the mistake of trying their signature dessert. A Granny Smith Apple Tart. Sounds pretty basic but it was anything but. It was almost like a baked scone layered with thin slices of apple, sprinkled with cinnamon and topped off with Vanilla Bean ice cream. It was swimming in a layer of homemade caramel sauce. I consider myself a dessert connoisseur and this was by far the best dessert I have ever had. I went back a third time just for the dessert to Sansei (the sushi place). They had a cookbook so I happened to look it thinking that it was only sushi but hoping, praying that the dessert was in there. Prayers were answered, I didn't buy the cookbook I just took about six pictures of the recipe for the Apple Tart...hee hee. Moving onto lunch. Cafe O'Lei also in Kihei was mentioned for best French Onion Soup. The picture below is it. It had a yummy puff pastry enveloping the yumminess inside. The Gruyere cheese in this soup was amazing it was the best French Onion we have ever had. This cafe also had amazing crabcakes with an lemon aioli drizzle. The first picture is Pineapple Cocunut french toast from Kihei Cafe. They were always packed and for a good reason. Simple foods. Cash only so be prepared. Best Breakfast was actually up in Napili Bay past Kaanapali. A friend recommended The Gazebo before we left but when I saw it on the top ten list it made it a little more important. They had the best Macadamia Nut Pancakes with a Coconut syrup. We waited about 40 minutes but had the best seat in the house with a view of the ocean. Best Seafood was Mama's Fishhouse which we had reservations for about a month before we left. The fish is delish and so fresh. The menu tells you where the fish was caught and by whom. It's pretty pricey and your mostly paying for the ambiance and presentation of the food, the portions are quite small. I had the Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi stuffed with Lobster and the Passion Fruit Creme Brulee for dessert. Last but not least I want to talk about "The Road to Hana" Once you done it once you usually don't do it again. It takes about 3 hours to drive 51 miles on the windiest road you ever been on. We went again because our friends had never been, I'm really glad we did. On our way we stopped at a little smoothie shack called Uncle Harry's. It was just on the side of the road literally in someone's front yard. The smoothie was called "Uncle Harry's Special" and it was really special. The best smoothie I have had in a long time. On our way back from Hana we were starving and stopped at a little place on the side of the road again in someones front yard. There was a surfboard nailed to a tree and on it was "Troy's" the best plate lunch I have had, almost the best meal on Maui..almost. The guy was a chef at the Hana Hotel during the week and on the weekends he pitched a tent and served lunch for $10.00. It included cocunut shrimp, BBQ Pork, macaroni salad (Hawaiian style) and a drink. So if your going to do Road to Hana you've got to stop for the smoothie and the plate style lunch. I don't like to proofread so if I have mispelled words or don't make sense, too bad and get over it!!

Ten Days in Paradise....

Wow, what can I say. I Love Maui..the food, the sunsets, the natives, the flowers, the waterfalls, etc. etc. etc. Trig and I just got back from our first long trip without the kiddos. Trig's mom offered right away to come and stay with them so we could go on a much needed vacation for 10 long days...Bless her heart!! We were able to see and do so much that I am forever grateful for the memories. We schedule 3 guided trips the first being a half day hike through the "rainforest." We were really lucky to get some amazing guides. Ray, with Hike Maui took us on an amazing hike through the jungle gathering papaya, passion fruit, bananas, and guava as we walked along the trails tasting as we went. We came to a beautiful waterfall which is pictured and I had to get in and swing from the rope...it was freezing cold but worth it. I have always daydreamed about swimming in a sparkling pool as water drizzled from the sky... We then went through a few more falls, jumped from cliffs and continued to taste nature. The next adventure was kayaking off Makena Landing down past Wailea.. We had an amazing guide, an extreme native of Hawaii, Kaleo was his name and I would highly recommend him. He took us out maybe 1/2 mile into the Ocean and we watched for Whales, no whales so we went snorkeling. I told him I wanted to see a sea turtle.. a few minutes later he tapped me on the shoulder and pointed. I looked over my shoulder and a sea turtle was swimming not even two feet away. What an amazing moment. He brought to the surface a "shark pillow" brittle starfish, sea cucumber, and last but not least a little baby octopus. He put the octopus on my leg and it was releasing his "ink" freaked me out a bit hence the screaming. We snorkeled for about 1/2 hour then headed back to shore. I think the company was Maui Kayaks, if you go to Maui it's a must!! Then we did a 7 hour tour out to Molokini to snorkel and then the island of Lanai to snorkel and see dolphins which we did and beautiful tropical fish along the reef. A yummy bbq lunch and drinks and breakfast was served. This tour was through the Pacific Whale Foundation. All proceeds go back to research etc. We also did a Whale watch the PWF, had a whale swim right under our boat and saw many baby whales breach. They call it "Whale Soup" because of the high number of whales in the water. The captain put something down in the water so that we could hear their "song". The Whales song changes from year to year which is amazing to me, the language they sing... We had a lot of funny just body boarding on the beach and spend a day Upcountry at the Lavender Farms and Botanical Garden. It was so peaceful and such a relaxing trip. The food was amazing and I will devote and whole post to the food, including pictures that Trig makes fun of me for taking...what can I say. I AM A FOODIE!! I love food and trying new things.. We ate at Sansei 3 different occasions which is a Sushi place in Kihei that was rated best sushi on the island.. We even went on a Monday between 5-6 it is happy hour for the locals so all food is 50% off. So we got there at 4 p.m. and lined up with the locals to wait to be seated. The line was so long they have to turn people away. So we ate between the two of us $140 worth of sushi and dessert for $70.00...aye aye aye... I ended up going to one more time for their signature dessert, they knew me by name. We did again do the Road to Hana but this time it was a disappointment when we got to the Seven Sacred Pools (Which come to find out aren't even sacred) They had not had enough rainfall so the pools were stagnant bits of water so no swimming and the falls weren't "falling" Our friends had never been there so they enjoyed the beautiful drive itself. I came home inspired and rested and overjoyed to see my babies that I had missed so much. I told Liza about the baby Octopus (on the phone before we came home) she started crying because she thought the Octopus was going to eat me. Such a little sweet heart.. Well that's all for now, if anyone is going to Maui let me know. I have lots of tips on food etc... Mahalo!!

Little Ballerina etc..

The Moment I've Been Waiting For....

My sister and I are best friends, we do everything together and we have since she was born. Growing up she always said she would never get married and would NEVER have children. I remember thinking how sad it would be to watch her grow old alone, childless, bored... Well it was all talk, she was married two years ago and had her first baby in November. It was much anticipated...baby Carmella that is. We (Ethan, Eliza and I) were sooo excited and just couldn't wait.. Carmella was here a few weeks early she was born on November 18th.. It was a beautiful day to celebrate and I cried as soon as they wheeled her into the room.. she is a little tiny angel and I can't wait to watch her grow up... Carmella Nicole Woods.