Believe the Universe is benevolent and looking out for your greater good. Start each day by asking and answering this question. What are the top ten things I am grateful for today?

Here is my list:

1. The power of creativity.

2. The feeling of tropical breezes blowing on my face.

3. The love of family.

4. The inspiration of friends.

5. The waves in the ocean.

6. The opportunity of free enterprise.

7. The ability to walk.

8. The air I breathe.

9. The scintillation of nighttime stars.

10. The harmony of children’s voices.

About the Author:: Alison Miller is a mind-body wellness expert and Hawaii-based healer who strategically coaches and consults individuals to create the health, relationships and career to which they aspire.  Check out Alison’s blog, Live Inspired, to receive the best information about holistic wellness. To schedule an office, phone or Skype session visit Alison Miller Consulting & Coaching.

Cucumber Kim Chee
This is a great way to make kim chee with no soy, wheat or fish sauce This recipe is from my upcoming veggie heaven cooking class at the University of Hawaii Maui.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Hawaiian sea salt
3 cucumbers
1/2 cup Rice wine vinegar
2 Serrano chilies
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 head Chinese cabbage
1 large yellow Onion sliced
6 heads Garlic
1/4 cup Bean paste

Directions:
Peel cucumbers. Slice lengthwise then remove seeds Slice cucumber 1/4 inch thick then put into a small stainless steel colander. Slice cabbage same thickness then rinse and drain. Add to cucumbers then sprinkle with and toss to coat all.salt. Allow cucumbers and cabbage to drain 30 minutes in the sink. Whisk together remaining ingredients then mix in cabbage/cucumber. Kim Chee can be eaten in 6 hours or stored in refrigerator for up to a month. As it ages it gets more sour and pungent.

About our Swell Chef- A stand out at our SwellWomen retreats is our very own private chef, Chef Phill DeMott. Chef Phill DeMott comes to us with over 35 years of culinary experience ranging from New Orleans to Thailand and everywhere in between.  If you are looking for private chef services, please contact Chef Phill DeMott at 808.283.1425. 

In a nutshell: The biggest wave surfed in the world each year has been at Jaws more than any other place.

Minuses: The access road can be 4WD?Sound-bite: [crashing waves, cheers and helicopters]

If you’re a fan of big-wave tow-in surfing, Jaws is a must-see if you are visiting when one of our winder North Shore monster swells come in.

Tow-in surfing is when the waves are so large that the only way a pro surfer can get in to them (in one piece, anyway) is to be skillfully towed in, and dropped off, via Jet Ski.

Jaws is Maui’s biggest tow-in surfing wave, and the yearly Billabong XXL Global Big Wave contest has listed Jaws as the winning break more than any other place. The top names in surfing flock to Jaws when it is going off – and mere mortals like us follow to watch in awe.

Big wave surfing is something that, when seen in person, allows you to fully appreciate the magnitude of this feat – check out the You Tube video on our full article for better perspective of how big these waves actually are.

The lookout on the Peahi cliffs above the break are the best vantage points outside of a boat or helicopter. Directions and map are on the full article.

Here is the link to the full article: http://mauiguidebook.com/adventures/jaws/

About The Author::
Mark Goldberg lives at the edge of the rainforest along the Road to Hana with his wife and four children. Mark’s captivation with extraordinary environment and people of Maui has inspired his mission to create the most comprehensive and balanced online guide to Maui. [Visit MauiGuidebook.com].

 11 Goals to Aim For to Help Slow Down Aging

1) Avoid eating white food- that means white sugar, white bread, white potatoes or white milk from a black and white cow.
2) Bye Bye Booze. Perhaps a glass of wine 2-3 times a month.
3) Sleeeeeeeeeep. All you have to do is lie down and do nothing for 8 hours.
4) Vitamin C: Vitamin C keeps the skin elasticy and unwrinkled. Also helps us manage stress.
5) Get loads of sunshine! Stay hidden during highest heat but I let that sunshine in!
6) Cut back on toxins on the skin. Look for non-toxic cream, moisturizer, makeup, or suncreeen. 100% edible products are ideal.
7) H20:  Hydration keeps the cells from turning into prune-like wrinkled sacs.
8) Eat what you need, not always what you want, most of the time. The more nutrient packed your meals, the less you eat in the volume- the better for your bod!
9) Breathe Deep. The deeper and longer and slower you breathe the less you age
10) Laugh Often: Laughing lifts stress!
11) Kick the caffeine! Cut back on sucking back those coffees and sodas.

About the Author:: Summer Peters lives on Maui and offers services in Yoga, Massage, Surf Lessons, and Nutrition.  For information visit Summer’s Green Smoothies.  Also, follow Summer’s blog as she travels, hosts seasonal cleanses and shares healthy vitality recipes.

These links are…..www.summersgreensmoothies.com
and the blog is….http://surfyogamaui.wordpress.com

Spicy Herbal Granola for Salads

Ingredients:
4 cups puffed rice
2 cup oatmeal
2 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup agave syrup
4 tablespoons melted margarine
12 tablespoon minced Jalepeno
1 tablespoon dried basil seeds
Pinch of sea salt
5 turns pepper grinder
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoon honey
12 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

Directions:
Bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add honey and cranberries, bring back to a boil then turn off heat. Let cranberries soak 3 minutes then.

Sprinkle a tablespoon or two on your favorite salad to liven it up or as a crouton substitute Especially great with tomato salad, pickled beet salad and/or romaine lettuce.

About our Swell Chef- A stand out at our SwellWomen retreats is our very own private chef, Chef Phill DeMott. Chef Phill DeMott comes to us with over 35 years of culinary experience ranging from New Orleans to Thailand and everywhere in between.  If you are looking for private chef services, please contact Chef Phill DeMott at 808.283.1425. 

Mindfulness Minutes: Happiness Meditation

Are you ready to transform your life? Release pain and suffering? Are you ready for joy? It’s easier than you might think. Even the most difficult of life traumas and challenges can be healed through the power of happiness meditations. The antidotes to unhappiness are compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, and humility. Grow these qualities through meditation practice while revitalizing and restoring your natural connection to your own happiness, health, and healing. Make a minute to be mindful every hour of each day to focus on happiness. It’s who you are. A rose is always a rose no matter its condition. Happiness is who you are, no matter your current state of mind or situation. A rose flourishes with attention, nutrition, and care. Grow your happiness with the care of forgiveness, nutrition of compassion, and the care of humility.

About the Author:: Alison Miller is a mind-body wellness expert and Hawaii-based healer who strategically coaches and consults individuals to create the health, relationships and career to which they aspire.  Check out Alison’s blog, Live Inspired, to receive the best information about holistic wellness. To schedule an office, phone or Skype session visit Alison Miller Consulting & Coaching.

Japanese Furikake Seasoning Rub for BBQ Chicken

This recipe is from my upcoming classes at Maui College Edventure Program

1 whole chicken cut up into legs, thighs, wings and breasts

Marinade: 1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoons Hawaiian sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
1/4 teaspoons Chinese Ground mustard powder
1 tablespoons Rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Sesame oil

Garnish:
1 tablespoon Sesame seeds
1 tablespoon Nori seaweed flakes

Mix all marinade ingredients together well. Place chicken in a gallon ziplock bag, pour in marinade, seal and mix well. Marinate for at least 1 hour but no more then 4 hours. Add garnish ingredients, mix well to coat evenly.
Grill skin side down on high heat on your grill for 5 minutes each side, then turn heat down to low and cook (turn every 5 minutes) until internal temperature of 165 degrees, Approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
This marinade also is great with fish, pork chops or your favorite grilling vegetables!

About our Swell Chef- A stand out at our SwellWomen retreats is our very own private chef, Chef Phill DeMott. Chef Phill DeMott comes to us with over 35 years of culinary experience ranging from New Orleans to Thailand and everywhere in between.  If you are looking for private chef services, please contact Chef Phill DeMott at 808.283.1425. 

In a nutshell: If you like the road less traveled, continuing on past Hana around Haleakala is an adventure worth taking. In about the same amount of time as it would take you to go back the way you came, you can see a side of Maui most are persuaded to miss.

?Minuses: The road becomes rough for portions and rental car companies say “you’re on your own.”
Most visitors will travel toward Hana in a clockwise direction, and when they reach Hana, they’ll turn around and head back the way they came.

For those seeking adventure, this open-vista driving tour is a fitting finale to a Road to Hana adventure. The trip will proceed through several climate zones as the scenery transforms from the lush jungle of Kipahulu, through ranchland, dry grasslands, lavascapes, and ultimately back into lush green views of cloud-forest.  You will also have the opportunity to see historic heiau’s, Charles Lindburgh’s grave, historic churches and petroglyphs (if you can find them!)

Caveat Emptor ?This drive is not for everyone. While there are recently just-resurfaced glassy-smooth stretches of asphalt, significant sections of the road are still relentlessly bumpy, having evolved over time into a sloppy mosaic of asphalt patches.

Here is the link to the full article with photos: http://mauiguidebook.com/adventures/haleakala-backside-kipahulu-to-ulapapakua/ 

About The Author::
Mark Goldberg lives at the edge of the rainforest along the Road to Hana with his wife and four children. Mark’s captivation with extraordinary environment and people of Maui has inspired his mission to create the most comprehensive and balanced online guide to Maui. [Visit MauiGuidebook.com].

 7 Ways to Add Whole Foods to Your Diet

The more we learn about nutrition, the more it seems we need to eat the way people did a hundred years ago. Recent research seems to be pointing us in the direction of eating mostly “whole foods” – that is, foods that are as close to their natural form as possible.

Many health experts believe that eating more whole foods is our best bet for improving health and preventing disease.

1. The easiest and most delicious way is to start drinking Green Smoothies daily.  You can learn how to get started and get recipes here.
2. Choose products with 100% whole grains whenever possible.
3. Replace half the white flour called for in your recipes with whole-wheat flour.
4. Eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. Try to include them in almost every meal and snack.
5. Include beans in your meals and snacks more often. They are a great source of plant protein, fiber, phytochemicals, and other nutrients.
6. Eat fewer convenience and processed foods. They’re often loaded with added fat, sugar, salt, and additives.
7. Go for options such as water, mineral water, fresh fruit juice, coconut water, and kombucha.

About the Author:: Summer Peters lives on Maui and offers services in Yoga, Massage, Surf Lessons, and Nutrition.  For information visit Summer’s Green Smoothies.  Also, follow Summer’s blog as she travels, hosts seasonal cleanses and shares healthy vitality recipes.

These links are…..www.summersgreensmoothies.com
and the blog is….http://surfyogamaui.wordpress.com

How to Roast the Very Best Chicken

For the chicken:
1 4-lb. roasting chicken, giblets removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

For the pan sauce (optional):
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs. cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
Freshly ground black pepper

Roast the chicken:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.

Put the chicken breast side up on a roasting rack in a medium (9×13-inch or similar) flameproof baking dish or roasting pan. Tuck the wing tips behind the neck and loosely tie the legs together with a piece of kitchen twine. Season the breast all over with 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Turn the chicken over. Season the back all over with 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Drizzle the oil evenly over the back of the chicken.

Roast the chicken breast side down for 30 minutes. Turn it over by inserting sturdy tongs into the cavity and flipping it. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 165° to 170°F, an additional 30 to 35 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, loosely tent it with foil, and let it rest for 15 minutes.

If you’re making the pan sauce:
While the chicken rests, remove the roasting rack from the pan and let the pan sit for 10 minutes to slightly cool the pan juices. Tilt the pan so the juices run to one corner. Use a large soup spoon to skim off and discard as much of the clear fat as possible.

Position the pan over a large burner on high heat. Pour the wine into the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Add 3/4 cup water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer. If the liquid does not cover the entire bottom of your pan, tilt the pan to move the liquid around. Continue scraping up all of the bits, using the back of the spoon to dissolve as much of the browned bits as you can, until the sauce reduces to about 1/3 cup and is a deep mahogany color, 8 to 10 minutes.

Take the pan off the heat, add the parsley, and swirl in the cold butter until it melts. Season to taste with pepper and transfer the sauce to a pitcher or bowl for serving.

To serve: Snip the twine from the chicken’s legs, carve the chicken, and serve.

About our Swell Chef- A stand out at our SwellWomen retreats is our very own private chef, Chef Phill DeMott. Chef Phill DeMott comes to us with over 35 years of culinary experience ranging from New Orleans to Thailand and everywhere in between.  If you are looking for private chef services, please contact Chef Phill DeMott at 808.283.1425.