Little Coffee Beans

catching up with a {this moment}

Hello friends! Wow, a break from the internet, cell phone and all that connects us from here to there. It's been a nice break but I thought it time I drag the chair out to the one little corner of the yard that our wireless card works to say a quick hello.

Our days revolve around the beach, lunch, beers and foraged and locally grown food (more on that soon) and we couldn't be happier. This is paradise after all. I'm losing track of days and time and we're trying to just follow our own little island rhythm. 

Here's a little glimpse into last night's end-of-day love fest...

Joining Amanda at SouleMama

in her words... {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, {extra}ordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Love, from Maui

ox

good eats

Even the simplest of meals is so much better when enjoyed outside. And with good company.

The ocean view, sound of crashing waves and sweet smells of the jungle below aren't bad either. 

Cheers!

love, from Maui.

beach toes

There's something in the breeze this morning. Something intoxicatingly sweet, blowing in from the sea. Blowing in from the jungle. Greeting us as we start this day.

with love, from Maui ox

 

aloha living

We're here. It's awesome. 

Zinnia has taken to the ocean just like a little fish, jumping in head first and coming up laughing. The girl is in heaven and so are we.

Connectivity is sketchy, to say the least, but we are in the jungle after all. In fact this post is taking more time to load than should be legal. From here on out I may just be sending virtual "postcards". 

Off to the beach!

Love, from Maui.

 

808

And we're off...

We worked our house-swap juju again and manifested a return trip to the 808.

Fall and fleeces, you'll just have to wait. It's swim suits and bare feet for the next three weeks!

More from our favorite Hawai'ian paradise on Monday.

ox

{this moment}

Joining Amanda at SouleMama

in her words... {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, {extra}ordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

 If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. 

:: around the garden :: chiles

Thai. Ordono. Zia pueblo. Jalapeno. Tarahumara. Negro de Valle. Sinahuisa. Poblano. Serrano. Vallero. Kori Sitakame. Cayenne. Hungarian wax. 

In other words...chiles!

September is chile season.

To say that Steve is a chile-fanatic is the understatement of the day. The man is cra-zy for chiles. He starts his "babies" from seed under grow lamps every year on the Winter Solstice and he lovingly tends to them over the next nine months, until harvest time. 

We grow the full spectrum on the heat index - sweet, mild, warm, spicy, and plain ol' hot. 

Over the last few days he's been harvesting and preserving his bounty. It is the end of the season after all (sigh). Yesterday was grilling day and my man must have grilled four loads of sweet, mild and spicy chiles while Zinnia, my mom and I played in the garden.

There may or may not have been some beer drinking as well.

You see this bowl of grilled delectables? We ate the whole thing in one sitting. Yep, the whole thing. The other three bowls we froze for winter burritos and nacho nights.

Zinnia loves them too (the sweet and mild ones, of course).

Then we have the Thais. You have to be careful when handling these babies and just as cautious when eating them (and apparently just as careful when going to the bathroom after handling them... ahem. Someone has learned to wear latex gloves when cutting them.). Stevie gulps these down without a single wince. He's been pickling and eating them by the spoonful over just about everything he eats.

Last night we he picked and pickled the last of the spicy fruit, the Ordonos, which are beautifully rainbow colored - yellow, red and purple. To perfect the color scheme he added a few Thais to give a splash of green to the jars. These might just show up as Solstice gifts, you know, and pretty is important.

And in the middle of the pickling frenzy he made us one of our favorite chile meals - Poblanos stuffed with black beans, cheese and topped with homemade salsa with a side of seasoned quinoa. Love.

How's your garden winding down?

Happy gardening and happy healthy eating!

share the love

Three generations.

Together. Holding. Sharing. 

May the love that is in my heart pass from my hand to yours.

(Untitled blessing from the book A Grateful Heart, M.J. Ryan)

 

 

 

seven things ::

Seven simple things I'm thankful for today...

the creek that runs through town, and my goodness, does my girl love that water ::

a big ol bowl full of tomatoes ::

balance, in all its manifestations ::

our favorite neighborhood walk ::

the creativity coming from these small hands ::

this crazy cat named Dale ::

friends, lending a hand ::

What simple things are you thankful for today?

remembering :: peace

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness. ~ Dalai Lama

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. ~ Mother Teresa

Do not return evil for evil. Avenge not yourselves, but rather give way to wrath; for it is written, vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsts, give him drink: for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  ~ Romans 12:17-21

What actions are most excellent? To gladden the heart of a human being. To feed the hungry. To help the afflicted. To lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful. To remove the wrongs of the injured. That person is the most beloved of God who does most good to God's creatures. ~ The Prophet Muhammad

 

I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent. ~ Mahatma Gandhi