Easy life with an easy appetizer recipe for Super Bowl Sunday…

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Tom was sitting with a scarecrow at the Kauai Coffee Company, which we toured ten years ago.

It’s exciting that son Greg and his girlfriend Heather will be here in two days. I can hardly wait to see them and for all of us to be together for the first time in years. I am not planning anything and leaving the planning to them. I am so happy that I feel great after finally recovering from the three-week flu, leaving only an occasional cough.

It was fantastic going out to dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. We had a great time each evening. It’s disappointing that we can’t get out the door for under $100, regardless of how casual a restaurant may be. We don’t order more than a few drinks each, no appetizers or desserts. It’s not because we are “cheap.” We just don’t care to eat that much.

Even when preparing our meals, we don’t bother with appetizers (starters) or desserts since we are committed to losing a few pounds. In the past, we’d enjoy a little something after dinner, but we have stopped that bad habit since the first of the year. There’s no need to eat between meals or after dinner. Doing so only adds weight and certainly doesn’t improve our health.

Of course, treats may be on the menu for special occasions, such as the delicious recipe I listed below instead of a photo in the “Photo from ten years ago today.” However, I don’t eat that appetizer because the sweet jam contains lots of sugar. Lately, I’ve tightened my belt and lost some weight by reducing my daily carbs. I feel so much better doing so.

My exercise program is back in full swing as of last Monday, and now, a week later, I’m back to where I left off before I got sick four weeks ago. It feels good to vigorously exercise after being relatively immobile over the past 18 months.

This morning, I chatted with my dear friend Chere from Minnesota. Her busy, semi-retired lifestyle brings her much joy, but I cringe when I hear how much she has to do daily with ten balls in the air at any given time. That used to be me, but not now. How I spend my free time is totally up to me, and my freedom without many obligations is ideal for our unusual lifestyle. We love it this way.

That doesn’t mean we don’t love spending time with family and friends. We do. But, as we travel, our social life is simple and uncomplicated, and our free time is truly treasured. I suppose, in part, the fact we enjoy being together is a huge factor. Neither of us is ever bored with one another or when engaged in our preferred individual activities.

All I have yet to do today is finish prepping for tonight’s dinner and do my exercises. The condo is tidy, and the bedding and other laundry are done. We had bacon and eggs for breakfast and won’t eat again until dinner. Tom is seated at the kitchen island, listening to Garage Logic. We love this easy life.

We hope you have a lovely week, and we will continue to stay in touch even after Greg and Heather arrive.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 4, 2015:

Ten years ago today, we posted the following easy recipe: a great dish to bring to a party or serve on Superbowl Sunday. This recipe is from our dear friend Sue (husband Chip, who has since passed away), our beloved neighbor in our old lives.

Sue’s Lone Star Grill Salsa Dip

8 oz. cream cheese

1 jar Lone Star Grill Raspberry or Pineapple Salsa (or any other sweet salsa)

 3/4 C. cheddar cheese, grated

3/4 C. Monterey Jack Cheese, grated

2 green onions, sliced

1/2 C. sliced black olives

Spread cream cheese in a baking dish or 8″ pie plate. Spread salsa over the cream cheese. Combine the grated cheeses and sprinkle over the salsa. Top with onions and olives. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 – 15 minutes.

Serve with taco chips or crackers.

It’s here…Super Bowl Sunday…

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For those who enjoy US football, have a fun Super Bowl Sunday!

We bolted out of bed this morning, grateful for another day and anxious to start our day. I had a lot of chopping and dicing to get ready for tonight’s flat iron steak stir fry dish with celery, green and red bell peppers, yellow onions, green onions, fresh ginger, garlic, and a wide array of Asian sauces and spices, all topped with dry roasted peanuts.

I don’t have a recipe for this. I throw it all together and season it to taste. I am making a big enough batch to get us through Tuesday since on Wednesday, Valentine’s Day, we’re heading out to dinner down the flight of steps to Luna Rossa (as mentioned in a prior post). We love leftovers, and this particular dish reheats nicely. We only add the peanuts and green onion separately. Each night, so they don’t get soggy in the dish.

As mentioned earlier, we don’t make snacks during the game; instead, we’ll wait for the dinner, which we’ll serve fresh later in the game. We’ll be streaming it on Paramount Plus, so we can move my laptop to the center island and continue to stream the game during dinner so we don’t miss a beat.

At 11:00 am, the pregame show also starts live on Paramount Plus, so I am rushing through today’s post to set up my laptop near the HDMI cord hanging from the back of the TV. This TV doesn’t have the major national networks, and thus, we can’t wait for anything on the major networks.

This morning, while I chopped and diced, we streamed “Sunday Morning” directly from the CBS website, which is available to stream as soon as the show ends in New York, which was a good distraction while I prepped the vegetables. I could see the TV from the spot at the center island where I prep food each day, keeping me entertained.

This upcoming week will be fun with Valentine’s Day, and the following week will be my birthday on the 20th. On the 21st, we’ll be celebrating with Richard and his girlfriend, who is hosting an extraordinary event on the Strip, details of which we’ll share when it gets closer and with photos after the event.

A fair amount of walking will be required for that event, so I started ramping up my walking program yesterday with a plan to beat the number of steps on my Fitbit daily. Today, I will walk the long hallways before the game begins, which is different from walking on the treadmill.

With all this in mind, I am stopping here a little earlier than usual and will return tomorrow with more. For football fans in the US and outside the US, we hope you have a fun day cheering on your team. We certainly plan to!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 11, 2014:

This tree frog on the rafters on the veranda has been watching us all day, occasionally sticking out her tongue in a feeble attempt to grasp a flying insect. We laughed at how she stayed there, at least during the days we stayed at the African Reunion house for the entire few weeks. For more, please click here.

Fun!…Fun!…Fun…Until her daddy took her…Great Super Bowl party…

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After considerable research, we believe this is a female House Finch. Note the nesting material in her mouth. She’s well hidden in the similarly colored background.

Remember that song? Gosh, these old songs date us, don’t they? But, no matter how old we become, we’re always able to have fun. And, yesterday, we did.

The Super Bowl party at the Makai Golf Club didn’t disappoint. Tom drank four Mai Tai’s and got relatively sloshed, having not had one of those syrupy sweet, heavy-on-the-rum drinks in over 40 years. I held down the fort.

Most of the participants were in our age group.

Seated at our reserved table with two friendly women, after we’d offered to share the two remaining seats proved to only add to the festive atmosphere in the outdoor dining area of the club, The Makai Grill.

The $30 per person fee included one tropical drink and dinner, a well-done taco buffet. With tasty chunks of grilled steak, chicken, and all the sides including some fabulous guacamole, as it turned out, I was able to pile my plate high with the beef, salsa, cheese and guac. 

Tom had an excellent time at the event.

Tom, (a different Tom), the club manager, assured me that the items I chose were all-grain, sugar and starch free when he was the official chef for the event. 

The other Tom, my Tom, was excited to be able to splurge off our way of eating for a day scarfing up the carbs including the tortilla chips and soft taco shells. Of course, adding the massive amount of sugar in those drinks, he was high just from the sugar, let alone the alcohol.

The Makai Grill is located next to the tennis courts at the golf club.

As I’ve often mentioned, I don’t drink alcohol. However, I’d brought along my two mugs of iced tea which they didn’t mind a bit, giving Tom my included cocktail. Good thing I’d done so since they had no ice tea, only plain bottled water. Honestly, it’s too boring for me to drink plain water at social occasions.

Another view of the group of football fans at the Makai Grill.

The company at our table, Kathy and Carol, couldn’t have been more fun. Of course, the conversation was limited at times when we all wanted to watch the commercials, the half time shows, and of course, parts of the game. In any case, it all was a great time.

Returning home before 6:00 pm, I changed into warmer clothes and we ventured across the road to whale watch as do many people in the area. It’s the most perfect spot in Princeville to gaze at the sea without climbing on cliffs and then sitting in the sand. 

Later, back home, we caught a glimpse of the rising moon.

With multiple stone benches, it’s easy to sit back and relax while peeking at the sunset to our left and the roaring sea in front of us. We usually spot a few blow holes but last night, the pickings were slim. 

Instead, we chatted with others, both travelers and locals, who’ve also found this spot to provide the best leisure time activity in Princeville. We certainly agree.

Sunset on a cloudy evening.

As darkness fell, we headed home. Tom, still reeling from his drinks, didn’t feel up to watching a movie on my laptop, so I watched “Dawn of Planets of the Apes,” enjoying every moment. 

We sat next to one another on the sofa each wrapped up in our own form of entertainment, his Facebook and Ancestry.com and mine, the movie, and a snack of raw nuts.

Hawaiian plants often have pods, many of which are difficult to identify.  We captured these pods in the park gardens when we were across the street overlooking the ocean.

Today, with clouds looming, we’re hanging tight to see what we’d like to do. It may prove to be “nothing.” Or, it may be a drive to find more unbelievable scenery. We shall see.

Have a great Monday!

                                            Photo from one year ago today, February 2, 2014:

After moving to Khaya Umdani, we were happy to see how many visitors came to call. For more photos and details from that date, please click here.