San Juan Islands Sailing

First of all, I have to tell you guys this has been the most epic summer of my entire life. Better than slip 'n slides and blackberry picking at eight, better than Latin American living at 16, better than hostel jumping at 20, and (maybe) even better than New York City last year. If you've been following this summer, you know that I spent most of my time leading a youth conservation corp team here in Hawaii and camping in some of the most remote places on the Big Island. To top it all off, I spent the last week of summer break sailing in the San Juan Islands in Washington state.

Some of you may know that we plan to drop everything in the very near future in favor of living on a sail boat. We will probably begin our adventures in the Pacific Northwest so we found a charter boat company that offered a "learn and cruise" trip to get some hands-on sailing experience. Through San Juan Sailing we sailed and lived aboard for a week with another couple and a captain who taught us to sail along the way. I am proud to say I am now a legit sailor. LEGIT. And I didn't even get sick once. For the girl who gets nauseous on a playground swing this is big news.

The sailing course included three written exams and a series of practical "tests" that we practiced at sea. Once you pass all three courses you can charter a boat from San Juan Sailing all on your own.

Most nights we anchored in a sheltered bay of one of the small islands where we could row on shore for a little hiking and beach combing. The water was stand-still calm. The other couple cruising with us got their crabbing license so we were lucky enough to have fresh crab on board a couple times. Meals were cooked and eaten family style and luckily all of us got along very well.

We also spent a night at the marina in Friday Harbor, an adorable little port town with scads of art galleries and teeny cafes. We pounded some oysters and sipped on local beer and just about died when the moon rose out of the purple sunset glow. The water is so clear around there, you can see starfish and all sorts of creatures everywhere.

Every morning we would get geared up and sail to a new anchorage. Being out on the water sailing was two parts challenging and two parts fun. I liked learning about navigation and charting and feeling pretty confident that with some practice I'll get the whole sail trimming thing down, too.

Mainly, I'm looking forward to eating fresh crab, fish, clams and mussels often and with gusto.

I spent a lot of time before this trip worrying about being a total sailor failure and letting my husband down. If it weren't for the confidence boost from leading a group of teenagers through a summer of the hardest physical labor ever, well let's just say that boost was needed.

This vacation will sustain me for a good long while.

I can still taste the oysters.

Kaho'olawe

Sunrise over Haleakala from Kaho'olawe

It's hard to explain a place like Kaho'olawe. A place that's been ravaged for so long by bombs and artillery and bullets that in many ways it no longer resembles a place at all. Covered in thorny, invasive kiawe trees and scrubby fountain grass the red hard pan shines through in warning. No rain comes here, the hot hard pan chases the clouds away like bothersome children. The wind whips the red dirt around and around the lava rocks and dry stream beds and eventually out to sea. On land, only hope thrives.

We drive our trucks around the red roads, searching for a place to plant or a place to dig or maybe just a place to weed. These places are sparse because unexploded ordnance litters the island, preventing us from even entering most areas, let alone dig.

The Bell Stone sacred area

In ancient days, Kaho'olawe was known for being the navigational center of the Hawaiian islands. All long voyages began there. Not long ago, the island was used by the military to test bombs and weapons for many, many years. Throughout its history, Kaho'olawe was sparsely populated and after World War II, the islands' only resident leased the land to the military for testing. By that time, Kaho'olawe's plant life had been devastated by feral goats and red dirt swirled and was blown away even then. Local protesters led the fight to reclaim the island in the 1970s, some even lost their lives doing so. Today, the island seems more like a long-lost cousin forgotten or never known. It's cultural significance has not been forgotten, however and there is a strong effort to restore the island.

Crater left by bomb activity

It is an uphill battle with one of the biggest challenges being that only about 10% of the island has been completely cleared of ordnance, making most of the land and coastal areas a real danger. Few out-plantings have been successful with little water and even less soil.

Shadows of our youth

Maybe the youth we brought to see this place will be the ones to save it. One thing is for sure, there is a future for Kaho'olawe. To learn more about the island or to find out how you can volunteer to make a difference, visit: http://kahoolawe.hawaii.gov/. I went there as a team leader for Kupu's summer gateway program. 

Sunrise on Kaho'olawe

Sustainable Camp Eats

Rare and endangered ahina'ahina (silversword)

My HYCC team spent five days camping and doing conservation work at Kona Hema, an 8,000 acre nature preserve stewarded by The Nature Conservancy in south Kona. 

Ancient camp site high above the coastline

We spent most of our work hours fixing the 25 miles of fencing that keeps damaging pigs, goats, and sheep out of the preserve. 

The gorgeous ohia lehua

We also found some time to admire the pristine forest around us, including the biggest koa tree in the world and many rare and endangered plants. We were able to pick plums (non-native) an I attempted to make a pie with them, see pictured. How lucky is that? 

Plum pie attempt, topped with instant oatmeal packets

I've harped on this before and I'll do it again, it has been super important to me that my team eats as sustainably as possible on our camping trips being that we are a conservation group and all. Luckily KTA has a slew of locally grown and made products, so I've done all my shopping with them. In case you're wondering where else to find local food products in the Kona area, Sack n Save and Costco also have plenty of choices. The farmers' market wasn't an option (this year) because I only had a credit card to buy food with. 

Meals with a * by them were made using locally grown or produced ingredients. A list of locally made products I purchased for this trip is below the menu. 

Day	Meal
Monday	*Dinner: Spaghetti & salad
Tuesday	*Breakfast: Portuguese sausage, eggs, rice
	Lunch: sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies
	*Dinner: Pork adobo with veggies & rice
Wednesday	Breakfast: Yogurt, oatmeal, fruit
	Lunch: sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies
	*Dinner: Burgers w/sweet potatoes & chips
Thursday	*Breakfast: eggs, toast, fruit
	Lunch: sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies
	*Dinner: Beef stew & rice
Friday	Breakfast: oatmeal, yogurt, fruit
	Lunch: sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies

Locally made products purchased for this camping trip at KTA:

Grass-fed beef (ground and stew meat)

Pork belly

Eggs

Lettuce

Sprouts

Cucumber

Bananas

Kale

Yogurt

Sweet potatoes

Taro

Bread

Pu'uwa'awa'a Camping and Conservation

Sunset from the Lake House at Pu'uwa'awa'a

Last week I spend five days camping with four teenagers with Kupu, a youth conservation organization at Pu'uwa'awa'a, a few miles north of Kona on the upper road to Waimea.

View from the top of the puu

We spent most of our time planting native trees, removing invasive species, and collecting seeds.

Sunrise from the Lake House at Pu'uwa'awa'a, nene geese in the water

I've learned so much already, it feels so good to get this chance to give back to the 'aina.

Mountain views for days

Not to mention all the amazing places we've been privy to, and all the rare species of plants and animals we've seen.

Sunrise again and more nene

Of course, my first priority when it comes to camping is food. Because we are a conservation group, I feel it's important to try to eat as sustainably as possible. The menu below shows a break down of what we prepared each day, the meals that are starred were made with locally grown or produced products. I was able to purchase locally grown/made meat, fruits, vegetables, tortillas, eggs, shoyu, and tofu. Most of the meals went over pretty well with the team, except the tofu curry, they were not so hot on meatless meals.

Day	Meal	KP
Monday	*Dinner: Fish Tacos*	Cook: N, A
		Clean: J, J
Tuesday	*Breakfast: burritos*	Cook: Gwen
		Clean: N, A
	Lunch: sandwiches, chips, fruit	Gwen
	*Dinner: Teri beef stir-fry w/ rice*	Cook: J, J Clean: Gwen
Wednesday	Breakfast: bagels/yogurt/fruit	A, N
	Lunch: sandwiches, chips, fruit	Gwen
	*Dinner: Kalua pork sandwiches w/ slaw & sweet potatoes*	Cook: A, N Clean: J, J
Thursday	Breakfast: bagels/yogurt/fruit	J, J
	Lunch: leftovers, chips, fruit	Gwen
	*Dinner: tofu curry with rice*	Cook: Gwen Clean: N, A
Friday	Breakfast: bagels/yogurt/fruit	J, J
	Lunch: sandwiches, chips, fruit	Gwen

Hawaiian Asparagus

Zesty ho'i'o salad with a side of poi

Some call it fiddlehead fern, some call it ho'i'o, Maui folks call it pohole, and still more call it warabi. Whatever you call it, this very special foraged green is similar in taste and texture to asparagus.

I recently snagged some at the Hilo farmer's market and promptly made a zesty salad. I hope you can find some near you, buy stalks that are firm and green, avoid the wilted ones with tops that have opened considerably. Prepare it like you would asparagus, but be sure rinse well and blanch no matter how you decide to eat them, this helps to remove the little hairs that cover the stalks. My recipe is below and there is another version here: Fern Shoot Salad. If you like green papaya salad, you'll love this recipe.

Zesty Ho'i'o Salad
serves 4-6

1 bunch ho'i'o ferns, about 3 lbs (can also be called pohole, warabi, fiddlehead fern, or pako)
2 green onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
sesame seeds, for garnish

For the dressing:
4 TBL fish sauce
4 TBL lime juice
2 TBL agave or honey
1 tsp chili garlic paste, if desired

Chop ferns into two inch pieces, discarding about 2 inches of the ends as you would asparagus. Rinch ferns well in cold water. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Blanch the ferns in the boiling water for no more than 3 minutes, or until they turn bring green. Strain into a colander and immediately run cold water over them to stop the cooking process until cool to the touch.

In a large bowl mix together dressing ingredients with a fork. Add cooled ferns, chopped green onion, and chopped tomato to the bowl and toss well. It's best if you can allow it to sit for 15 minutes or so, but is also good kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. Top with sesame seeds for garnish. Enjoy!

Vintage Honolulu

We snuck in a couple vaca days in Honolulu before I had to report to work at my summer job this week. I'll be leading a team of 17 and 18 year olds on camping adventures on the Kona side of the Big Island, where I live. Along the way, we will be doing conservation work like building trails, planting native trees, and removing invasive species. I am more than stoked.

We stayed in Waikiki and just chilled since Dustin had hurt his back. This was totally fine with me having just finished a nightmare 2012-2013 school year, I needed some downtime.

Everywhere we went in Honolulu clues from the past kept popping up. I couldn't help but wonder what Waikiki would have been like in the '60s.

We also took some time to look at a few sailboats, we'd like to buy one next summer and plan so do a little world cruising. For real.

Aloha vintage Honolulu!

My friend Danielle introduced me to the La Mariana Sailing Club tiki bar. It is fully decked out in tiki regalia, complete with dive bar status. If you have never been, it is a must.

Of course we had SPAM musubis for breakfast, this one has bacon and egg. Nom.

For Memorial Day, Magic Island hosts an annual lantern lighting ceremony in which a message is placed in a lantern for a lost loved one, lit and set free in the ocean. (Don't worry, the lanterns are collected so they won't harm the environment). It is a beautiful way to remember and honor those that have gone before us.

We enjoyed some classy drinks poolside at The Modern Honolulu including a fab deconstructed mai tai garnished with a shiso leaf.

Even the carpet patterns are vintage.

Love the turquoise.

A rare snapshot of me. Hi!

How To Get Dinner on the Table

A lot of people have asked me how I have the time and energy to put beautiful food on the table every night. First of all, I don't have kids, so the pace of my life allows for a little more stretch. Second, the reality is I don't put beautiful food on the table every night. We eat pizza more often than I care to admit  and the tuna melt plays a supporting role in our meal rotation.

Eating healthy is a priority in my life so we do eat at home at least 5-6 days a week. I find it very difficult to find healthy choices when eating out, but that's a whole other post for another day.

Although we are not strictly vegetarian, the majority of our food is plant-based. I have found that if I start meal planning with the vegetables in mind it helps me avoid the meat-starch-side of veg rut. Just in case I haven't harped on this enough to you people, it is a myth that you need to serve a protein with every meal as vegetables and grains also have plenty of protein, enough to keep you healthy. We consider meat a delicacy in our home and eat very little of it.

So what the heck do we eat? Below is a list of my go-to recipes that I make over and over again and feel great eating over and over again. I rarely spend more than an hour preparing dinner.

Gwen's Go-To Dinners

Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Oil from Smitten Kitchen. I like to add avocado, tomato, and asparagus to this pasta as well. You can add whatever veggies you like.

Potato, Orange and Arugula Salad by Giada de Laurentiis.

Tacos. A little beans, a little salsa, a little avocado, a little cabbage, a little sauteed onion and peppers = dinner in less than 15 minutes. Get creative!

Pasta with pesto sauce. I figured out that pesto can be made from virtually any green leafy substance and can be whipped up in the time it takes to cook the pasta. Here are some variations: traditional, arugula, sun-dried tomato, kitchen sink pesto.

Multi-grain risotto. Wonderful with squash, kale, chard, or asparagus. Use whatever blend of grains you have that have similar cook times.

Soup. Such an underrated meal and so easy to throw together with whatever you have. Ideas: Sausage, potato, and lima bean, hearty miso soup, curried carrot soup, broccoli soup, split pea.

Last but not least, SALAD. Honestly, this option goes last on my list because more often than not, I prefer a hot meal for dinner. But in a pinch, I'll toss together whatever greens I have along with some tomatoes, avocado, hard-boild egg, nuts, beans, even some microwaved sweet potato. I always make my own dressing with a little olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, and salt & pepper.

That's it for now, remember, it's all about the veggies!