Twin Falls

In a nutshell: Twin Falls is the first easily accessible string of waterfalls and pools on the Road to Hana. It also has one of the better snack stands on the journey. Twin falls is typically underrated by guidebooks, and is a worthy stop.
Minuses: You must budget your time properly here if you are cramming the Road to Hana into only one day.
Sound-bite: “How much further to the falls?”

Twin Falls has an access road that makes hiking easy, This travels the better part of a mile alongside Ho’olawa Stream. A jungle largely restored by the residents over years of loving care accompanies you as you hike uphill on the well maintained graded and graveled path/road. After about a half mile or so, the wide path splits off into two foot-paths that fork in the general direction of Ho’olawa’s two main tributary streams. To the left lies Ho’olawa li’ili’i (Little Ho’olawa) Stream, and to the right Ho’olawa nui (Big Ho’olawa) Stream. Both streams are tapped at this point by EMI irrigation ditches.

The snack stand is right in the parking lot, and is really worth a stop. They have tasty and fresh home-grown fruits (many grown right on this land), smoothies, cane juice, and home-made baked goods, to name a few.

Tips:
Wear clothes and shoes that you can get dirty.
Bring a towel.
Wear swim gear.
There are several falls.

Link to article & photo: http://mauiguidebook.com/adventures/twin-falls-tips/

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].

High Country Kombucha

If I am not drinking water, coconut water, or a green smoothie, I am drinking Kombucha!  If  you have never heard of Kombucha, it is an effervescent tea based fermented beverage which is drunk for its anecdotal health benefits or medicinal purposes.

I am lucky to be good friends with the owner of High Country Kombucha, Steve Dickman.  He and I became good friends almost 8 years ago when we worked together at a health food store in Vail, Colorado.  Steve started brewing this tea and sharing it with his close friends and others in the community, who all immediately began having different benefits, based on their own experience.

A few of these benefits include:
Weight Loss
Energy Boost
Stress Release
Aides Digestion
Help with Candida Overgrowth
Clears and Improves Skin
Reduced Blood Pressure
Healthier Hair and Nails
Improved Eyesight
Cleanses Toxins from the Body

I order Kombucha by the case so I can receive a discount.  I like to enjoy Kombucha after yoga, after I eat, as a replacement at sunset for an alcoholic beverage, and in the evening!  Any time is a good time when it comes to High Country 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

Thai Coconut Corn Soup

Ingredients:
2 cloves Garlic
2 tablespoons Salad oil
1 Fresh chili peppers *note*
1 stalk Lemongrass
1 cup diced red onion
1 tablespoons fermented tofu (bean curd)
2 tablespoons salted yellow beans
2 ears Corn on the Cobb
2 – 11 ounce cans coconut milk
1 teaspoon Hawaiian sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup Cilantro leaves
1/4 cup Thai basil leaves
1 tablespoon minced Garlic chives

*note* use your favorite chili pepper to add level of heat that you enjoy.

Directions:
Pre-heat a thick bottom sauce pan, add oil and heat. Sauté garlic in oil until golden brown, then remove with a skimmer spoon to paper towels. Pour out most of the remaining oil (leave about a tablespoon to sauté with) and save oil for veggie stir frying. Return pan to heat. Add chilies, lemongrass, onion, bean curd and yellow beans, sauté over high heat until lightly browned. Add corn and cook in 1 minute. Add coconut milk, salt, pepper and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer about 15 to 20 minutes, until corn is soft. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro, basil and chives.

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. 

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.