Updates, happenings, the dirt.

Aloha Amigos!

I've been gone gone gone for a while and now I'm back with a vengeance! I don't really have a good excuse, other than a couple things have happened around these here waters...

* MainSqueeze was in Hawaii, so the only real reason I ever turned my computer on at home was to Skype. Sad but true. Ok I guess there was some Netflix in there too. The winter cold and holidays had me all upside down! 

*MainSqueeze came back to the Mainland and made me the happiest girl in the world.  We're going to be Mr. & Mrs. Sizzle as of June 2015!

So life has been a bit crazy with wedding plans, jobs, moves and excitement. TheSizzle is on the upswing folks!

Just because I've been blog silent doesn't mean we haven't been doing fun stuff! I'll upload some photos here soon and take you on my culinary delight tour! Hawaii, Houston, Austin, Hill Country and my very own kitchen in our very own adorable Montrose home. 

For now, keep following me on instagram and stay tuned for new resto recs and recipes!

Life on the Island

Bonjour amigos! I hope you enjoyed the September Music Sizzle. I'll try to keep posting some musical treats for you. In the meantime, let's pick up where we left off. HAWAII. 

We've been having an absolute blast down here. The picture above was taken at Lanikai beach in Kailua, which is absolutely beautiful. You may know it as "Obama's Beach" but we got to know it as , "Um heaven is that you?" 

Adventure #1. 

Fact: I have a little problem with heights. I never used to be afraid of heights, but one fateful day, I was high up and suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to lay flat and hold onto the ground for dear life. Basically, I get a mean case of vertigo. So now you know. 

MainSqueeze and I decided to hike up Koko Head. It's a very steep "mountain" where the "trail" is made up of a railroad track. Sounds easy enough, right? 

We decided to go at 1:30 pm (also known as the hottest part of the day) and I decided that I should wear a black top and black shorts, because obviously. 

Looks harmless. 

We started up the trail and it seemed easy enough. The steps are pretty huge, so my short legs were werrrrkin hard. Then there's a terrifying part. Where you literally have to get on all fours to climb up the railroad tracks because if you don't, you can fall through the middle and....die? break all appendages? Needless to say, I forgot to breathe during that part and had to stop a little ways up and take a breather. 

Once we made it to the top, the huffing and puffing was WORTH the view. You feel like you're on top of the island. Both of our phones were dead so we can't really prove we were there, but if you ever make it up, you'll see that we wrote our names on the concrete block at the top. So there IS proof. 

Now, I have to get to gettin', but tomorrow I promise to wow you with SWINE. Yes. I will be telling you about a hot restaurant here in Honolulu that was recently voted top 50 in the USA and was nominated for a James Bear award. EXCITING. 

Peace out for now amigos, 

Ears Perked.

Bonjour Sizzlahhhs. I'm enjoying my time here in Hawaii, so much so that I'm absolutely dreaddding coming home. I can't wait to share all my island adventures with you! I've been busy in the kitchen too, so plenty of recipes comin' atcha too!

For now, I want to give you a Monday night ear snack. There are some things I think you need to be listening to. I have embedded some videos for you for songs that are live recordings and won't be available on Spotify/iTunes/etc. Then I'll include a link to the playlist I've been spinning the most these days. 

1.) If you know me, you know I'm a FAN of Jack White. I find him terrifyingly talented. By terrifyingly, I mean that I think I would actually be terrified to meet him in person. I'd melt into a puddle of jelly and lose my ability to speak. I'm also fairly certain he is not totally a human. The video below is of a performance in a French Chateau. Does it get any better? As a self-proclaimed francophile, the answer is a resounding 'non'. You can definitely hear the Nashville creeping into his new album Lazaretto, and Mama likey. Enjoy. 

2.) If you still know me, you also know that it doesn't get much better than Iron & Wine. I was lucky enough to see them at Fitzgerald's a few years back and it was just unreal. I also find him wildy talented and will make my children listen to him. Here's a real treat of him singing in Gruene Hall. I love it. You should too. 

And now for TheSizzles September Sizzle playlist.  CLICK HERE and follow it so you can check out what I add in the coming weeks. September is also my birthday month, so it's just special in general, because DUH. 

So there you have it. A #musicalmonday for you folks. I hope you enjoy and I'll be back this week with a recipe and an adventure! 

happybirthdaymonthtome, 

Lei-ing around in Oahu

Greetings Sizzlers! Now that I'm back (somewhat) in the swing of things, I'm happy to continue chronicling my Hawaiian adventures. Next up after Hawaii is San Diego, followed by some Houston treats, Floridian excitements and an up and coming trip that has me pretty darn pumped. 

Back to Oahu and the thrilling adventures of me & MainSqueeze. 

HAWAII PART THREE:

After our initial culinary adventures of Poke and Sushi, I was really impressed. But there were sights to see, waves to play in and trails to be hiked. 

nice view, eh?

MainSqueeze and I are adventure hunters, if you will. So we decided to stretch our adventure legs and get a little taste of a Hawaiian hike. We packed our backpacks (nerd alert) filled up our Nalgenes, packed some provisions and headed out to Diamond Head Crater. The hike takes you up the volcano crater by way of stairways, tunnels, a tight spiral staircase, and very close proximity to sweaty fellow hikers. It only takes about 30 minutes to get to the top, but the views are well worth the burn. This is a great hike for beginners who are testing the adventure waters. 

Memorial day wave catching.

We got to spend Memorial Day on a great local beach. We drove up and down the West side of the Island on Farrington Highway, cruised by "Electric Beach" and settled on a local beach. Do you see how white the water is? That's because the water was CHURNING. I consider myself a strong swimmer and you would not catch me dead in those waters. Experienced surfers took their chances against the tide and rocks, and we cracked open a few cold ones and gaped. 

The Land Before Time. 

Next up, we traveled to the North Shore and snuck into Waimea Valley. It's a popular tourist attraction but the park was closed for a graduation party and we decided to...adventure and walk right on through. It was incredible, it felt like a step back into the Jurassic times; I kept expecting Pterodactyls and  other creatures to peek out of the absolutely lush scenery. The hike up ends at the waterfall, which is beautiful, peaceful and totally pristine. Well worth the risk my friends. 

Ko Olina lagoon. Where relaxation itself comes to relax. 

And now I give you home base. Our "neighborhood beach". I know, right? This gem is a mere 3 minute walk from the front door. If you can ignore the occasional screeching child, it's idyllic. Soft sand, clear water and cool breeze. L-I-V-I-N amigos. It might be a little "resort-y" but hey, it could be a whole lot worse. 

In a nutshell, the trip was incredible. And guess what? I'll be there again...soon. I know. Contain yourself! 

Next up: San Diego adventures!

A Tropical Storm called Life...

Aloha amigos. So here we are. Life is a series of twists and turns, ups and downs, forks and narrows; and it's a beautiful thing. There has been packing, unpacking, repacking, transitioning, staying put, and moving forward. And this is all good. So I hope you're all good too. 

But let's get back to what TheSizzle is really all about. Really good thangs. Food, tunes, treats, surprises, trips, adventures and the ever so random post. 

About a bajillion years ago, I brought you Hawaii Part 1. Well folks, it's time for Part 2. And so we begin:

Hawaii Part Deux:

My mind was already blown from the absolute perfection I experience at Ono Seafood. I still crave that Poke on.the.reg. But MS had more in store for moi. We lazed on the beach in Waikiki, had a few cold cocktails, and watched the world go by. But then it was time. For SASABUNE. 

I'm a sushi person. And I feel like a lot of people say that, but I think my appreciation goes a little deeper than the average bear. 

MS and I decided to walk to our dinner destination. We found a groovy little spot on the way, stopped and had a cocktail to rev up our appetites. Pint + Jigger was a great place, low key vibe with #nomz that looked quite tempting. But we pressed on and refused food to save room for sushi. 

MS had made a reservation at Sasabune and we decided to order "omakase" style. Where you sit, and they bring you food. Forever. And you want it to stop because you're so full, but you don't want it to stop because it's just UNreal. 

COURSE 1: Albacore Tuna Sashimi Style. Creamy rich albacore served in a delicate, light ponzu sauce. I'm hooked already. 

Course 2: California baby squid stuffed with blue crab. Tender, sweet, NOT chewy WHATsoever. The dream continues...

COURSE 3: Toro. What else can I say other than it's a fatty part of the Tuna that literally melts in your mouth. Divine. There were two sauces glazed on top, but my eyes were totally glazed themselves and I couldn't type it into my notes fast enough (cold sake wasn't helping my motor skills much either...)

COURSE 4: Halibut and Red Snapper (from left to right). Fresh, light, incredible. Again, I couldn't type the sauce quickly enough. So feast your eyes....

COURSE 5: Hamachi 2 ways. Whatever ways these were, these were one of the highlights of the meal. Perfectly creamy and buttery. I'm pretty sure the left piece had a ponzu ginger concoction but I was having a hard time keeping up with the amazingness. 

AND THEN MY PHONE DIED. I'm not kidding. And we needed to conserve MS's battery to get us home. SOOO......I didn't take any more pics and I decided I really just wanted to enjoy the experience and enjoy the company. Amazing. 

If you get to Honolulu, you've got to try this place. It's small, unassuming, and only takes reservations. The waiters know their stuff, and they take their sushi seriously.

FOR EXAMPLE:

At one point, I was getting so full, that I was about to pull the fish off the rice, and go riceless. The waiter SWOOPED over, and said "Maa'm, please do not upset the chef. Eat the whole piece, it's an insult." So I felt silly and wasteful, and put the whole thing in my mouth and thought I was going to burst. But it was worth it. Later on, we had South African Rock Lobster, sweet Japanese shrimp, hand rolls, and more incredible culinary delights.

MS and I left thoroughly impressed, full as ticks and already looking forward to doing it all over again. 

Next on TheSizzle.... Hawaiian Delights, sneaking into state parks, and being rrrrreally awkaward around a (notveryfamous) celebrity right before running 13.1 miles. Oh and some pretty #nomtastic San Diegan (is that a word?) meals....Until then, adios amigos.