Another Tourney Contender

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Don’t you just love a good idyllic day – especially in the midst of chaos and stress? The kids and I had one of those days today. It was just a sweet, happy and an all around good day. Nothing particularly of note happened, we didn’t travel anywhere exciting or do anything out of the ordinary. It was just one of those good days that reminds you what it’s all really about.

I had one of those moments in Hawaii too. I went for a run one morning and on the return trip I was running toward the ocean. The view, as you can imagine, was breathtaking. I was soaking it all in when a whale jumped out of the water right in my line of vision. It was incredible and again one of those moments that serves as a gentle reminder that while it’s the little things in life, life is also so much bigger than my daily stresses and hurdles. After that run I sat and stared at the ocean for quite sometime. It was a perfect morning.

My perfect morning was then followed by a trip to our favorite breakfast place where I enjoyed some delicious Hawaiian-style French toast. So what better recipe to include as our next contender for the best French toast, but Hawaiian French Toast?! We first gathered our ingredients which included eggs, milk, vanilla, fresh pineapple and macadamia nuts. So far so good right?!  Continue reading →

Pass the Tea Please

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Tonight we wrap up our Armenian adventure with an interesting little dessert. I don’t think we’ve ever done a cookie on one of our international and stateside adventures. In fact, I think the only cookies that we have showcased on the blog are my mom’s from the holidays and Miss A’s birthday cookie request.

So when we came across the recipe for Armenian Cookies, we knew we had to give them a shot. Plus they gave me a chance to use my stand mixer and I like excuses to use my stand mixer. We started by creaming the butter and sugar.  Continue reading →

Flowing with the Currant

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We’re back to our Armenian adventures and cooking up one of our favorite foods. Mussels!! Now many of you may remember that back in the summer, on our epic road trip to Maine, we harvested and cooked mussels right from our own backyard. 

It remains one of our favorite memories from that vacation. Not to mention one of our favorite recipes. 

From the time Mr. N was 3, and Miss A was 3 as well, both of the kids have loved mussels. As a parent I always found this a little odd. I mean mussels aren’t exactly the prettiest of foods and not something you find most kids willing to try. Our little guys though – can’t get enough. So when we found the recipe for midia dolma, or stuffed mussels, we knew this was one we had to try. So we picked up some fresh mussels from the Italian grocer.  Continue reading →

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

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First and foremost I want to offer a brief, but sincerely heartfelt, thank you for everyone that left comments or sent me messages this past week. It’s been a difficult time, but the warm words and support were truly helpful. Thank you.

As I mentioned in our last post, Grandpa would not have wanted us to mourn for long. So it’s time to get back in the kitchen, and I know he would have enjoyed this next stateside series…It’s time for our recipes from Hawaii to begin!

Over the next few weeks we’re going to try to replicate some of our island favorites. This particular recipe was hands-down the one I looked forward to recreating the most. The first time I came across this dish was at the Kalaheo Cafe & Coffee Company. I wanted something fresh and light to contrast the heavy resort and restaurant food we had been enjoying, and the Anahola Granola looked perfect.  Continue reading →

Feeling Blue – A Tribute

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I had intended to post our first Hawaiian recipe today, but it will have to wait a bit. You see the past few weeks I have thought about how much I miss my Grandma’s kitchen. Not her actual kitchen, but the warmth, the aromas, the laughter, the sound of the dishwasher running and the little toys that sat for me on  a shelf. My Grandma passed several years ago, but those memories have been incredibly vivid to me recently, so much so that when Mr. N and I went out to breakfast last Sunday morning, the smell of bacon sent us on an impromptu visit to see my Grandpa.

You see one of the strongest memories I have is how my Grandma would often make bacon and eggs for my Grandpa. It’s a smell I still associate with their kitchen. So Mr. N and I wrapped up breakfast and decided to bring “Pops” his Sunday paper. We had a nice visit talking about life, the kids, Hawaii and of course, politics. He always talked politics and whether I agreed with him or not, I always enjoyed those conversations. But above all he reveled in watching Mr. N bounce around his room. We left after an hour or so, joking that the next time we’d see him would be when we sprung him from rehab (He’s been in rehab building up his strength to return home after a recent illness.).

However, as is the way with life, things never quite seem to go as planned. Pops passed away yesterday afternoon. It was unexpected, but it was quick and painless, likely having happened as he dozed off after his lunch. In my opinion, if you’re going to go, it’s the best way to go. And what’s even better he saw all of his children and many of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren within the past few days. He was a man surrounded by love.  Continue reading →

Hold the Cheese Please

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On Sunday afternoon last week, Mike and Miss A went on a little father-daughter excursion. Miss A wore her favorite “fancy” dress and Mike put on a button down shirt, and the two headed out to see a dance recital version of the Wizard of Oz. Miss A was absolutely in her glory. (I think Mike was too. 😉 )

So while Mike and Miss A were off for an afternoon on the town, Mr. N and I took on our next Armenian recipe, an Armenian Lahmajoun. The lahmajoun is similar to a pizza, but without the cheese. We started the recipe with an onion, butter and garlic. Continue reading →