Snapdragon Inn | East Coast Trip

In the end of March we flew clear across the country and landed in New York, and then made our way up to Vermont. I went to school in MA and Christian did his MA in CT, that's where we met. After getting married we continued to live in the East Coast for two more years, had our first born Enzo, and then moved to HI and after a year came to CA. This year we'll be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary and Enzo was turning 8 and wanted to visit the place where he was born, and the stars aligned with work and school schedules so that we could take a trip back east, play in the snow, see the Palmer branch that lives in NY, and travel around.

First stop Vermont. Snapdragon Inn.

Back in January I went to Alt Summit, a blogging conference in Salt Lake City. There I met some old classmates of Christian who went to school with in him Hawaii. I liked Michelle and Chris instantaneously. They told me about their inn that they renovated in Vermont and invited me to come and spend a weekend with them.

Do you want to know how wonderful, truly wonderful this place is? Imagine a long red eye flight with layover and three kids, one of which is a baby and will not sleep anywhere except her own crib. Staying at the Snapdragon Inn was worth all of that!

This beautiful inn is the sort of place you go to and while you are there you already start concocting a plan to come back, to bring more people with you, to figure out a way if you can move in because this is exactly the type of place you see yourself living the relaxing life you crave. The attention to detail, the warm chocolate chip cookies at night, the elegant rooms, and the subway tiled bathroom with radiant heat floors, makes it the ideal destination for a relaxing getaway. 

We had a lovely time. The kids had a lovely time. And the best part was that we were able to share this experience with Christian's brother, Enoch and his wife Amy and their four kids, because everything becomes even better when there are cousins around. We also had my college friend and her family come up and spend the weekend with us. Yes, it was lovely.

Seems silly to post pictures of snow in May but for us CA residents, snow is a treat and the kids had so much fun playing in the snow.

Another highlight of the trip was visiting Raymond Sugarhouse. Watching husband and wife talk excitedly about their sugarhouse and the process of making maple syrup, and watching their daughter and the grandparents all work together was inspiring. Also, tasting warm fresh maple syrup has gone down on my list of best food experiences.

Lucky us they have an online shop. Maple cream. Maple butter. Maple candy. Thank you maple trees!

I wonder how Vermont is in Spring.
I'm guessing it's lovely.
I can't wait to go back.

Happy 2013

I'm the kind of person that makes resolutions. Most of my resolutions revolve around people I love, and I just so happen to love a lot of people.

It has been an absolute gift to have ended 2012 and started 2013 surrounded by family and friends, in beautiful Hawaii.



All of us in one house, feeding, playing, teasing, cleaning up, messing up, laughing, celebrating, and simply enjoying each other. I've been a part of this for almost 10 years and I'm still amazed that this exists, that we're related, and that we like each other (most of the time).



2012 was a great year. I've never felt more sick (first trimester pregnancy kicked me in the butt), and I've never felt more pain (emergency c-section where the anesthesia doesn't totally kick in), and I've never felt more worried (our baby in the NICU),  than in 2012. However, trials really do come hand in hand with blessings and 2012 brought us lots of blessings.

2012 also marked 5 years of blogging for me. Last year I was a pretty bad blogger. Between feeling super sick, homeschooling in Brazil, moving back to California, working full time, and having a baby, I was anything but consistent with my blog. At the same time 2012 brought unexpected professional opportunities. The Travel Channel hired me for 2 episodes, I did some exciting consulting work for Google, I worked at Glam Media for 3 1/2 months doing something I loved, and I wrote some fun sponsored posts on this here blog. 

Do what you love and love what you do. I live by this rule and I plan on living by this rule for a long time. I see real change when I do what I love, and I also see real change when I love what I do, even if what I do is hard.

My resolution for 2013 is to love what is hard. I will love feeding Maria, my picky Maria. I will love making Enzo's lunch in the morning and If I don't love it then he can eat school lunch, lets be real. Oh, and I will love being sugar free. Adios sugar, I relied on you way too much last year but this year I'm ready to feel my best.

I have a good feeling about this new year. It should be a good one.

P.S. Shout out to my brother-in-law Adam who's been documenting this whole trip with his mad photography skills.

Gourmet McDonalds

So back in April I shot two episodes for the Travel Channel in Brazil. One is airing tonight the other in January. Here is clip. Yes I'll stick to writing and not T.V appearances :)


In other news I'm in Hawaii with the fam, all 17 grandkids and 13 adults. Major fun! See you next year. Happy Holidays!

Vacation is Good for the Soul

Yesterday after a 12 hour drive we made it safely home. Christian's one advice to anyone taking a road trip in Brazil is this - if the map says that the road is paved, it may or may not be paved. In other words take your time, expect surprises and detours, expect beautiful brand new roads one minute and dirt roads the next. It was good practice for our 2014 trip, the one where we want to take 6 months to drive from California to Brazil so we can watch the World Cup in Rio and Sao Paulo.

Remember how we thought we were going to drive back to California, and then I got pregnant? Speaking of pregnancy I've been feeling like myself again, only with popcorn popping inside of me. I love this phase, where the nausea and fatigue is gone and where I can start to feel the little flutters of my little baby.

Life is good again.

Last year when we did our long road trip through the West Coast of the United States Christian and I discovered audio books. It makes the drive go by so much faster. Last year we were enthralled with the Hunger Games saga, this year we listened to The Happiness Project. I'm semi-skeptical of such books and Christian is ultra-skeptical, but we both really enjoyed it. It was pretty fitting to be on vacation, driving through beautiful places contemplating happiness. It's a good read (or listen) and I strongly recommend it.

One of the things that makes me happy is being a mom. It's also what makes me most tired, most impatient, and most enraged. But right now I'm really enjoying parenting Enzo and Maria even if I still do get impatient with them. It was so hard feeling so sick during my first trimester and not being able to do basic things. Getting up to get a cup of water for Maria seemed like an unsurmountable task, I really couldn't get myself to do it.

It felt so good being able to chase them around, go swimming with them in caves and waterfalls, and just feel like their mom again.

Chapada Diamantina | Palmer Family Vacation

Every year Christian and I (mostly Christian) plan a family vacation. The first time we did it Enzo was just shy of turning 1. We went to Maui and camped at a volcano. I'm sure we saw other things in Maui but I mostly just remember the volcano, and Enzo being little. I also remember thinking, "this is beautiful" at least a hundred times during our vacation. Christian is really good about taking us to beautiful places. There are lots of things I like about Christian, but his love for the outdoors and his patience to take us with him is one of my favorite things about him for sure.

Growing up I had heard of Chapada Diamantina and remember seeing the steep cliffs, the majestic waterfalls, and the caves on T.V. Consequently it feels a little unreal to be here. It is more beautiful than I could ever imagine. I have taken lots of pictures. None of them do this place justice. Never the less here are a few.

Iemanja's Birthday

I took these pictures in the beginning of February. It was Iemanja's, the goddess of the sea, birthday and people were celebrating. I went with Christian and the kids to dance a little and shoot some pictures. It was a nice afternoon.

I need to remember that nice afternoons happened.

I've been in the worst funk. Lately I haven't been liking Itacare very much. I just want to leave. It's partly because of the absurd heat but really it's about me feeling so sick. I don't leave the house for days. In fact most days I just lay on my bed or on the hammock.

When you're in a rut it's easy to feel like you've always been in a rut. Right now I'm mad at Itacare because it's so hot, so smelly, and the heat and the smell is driving me insane.

Pregnancy is tricky. You're so excited and so happy about the new addition and at the same time you're so tired and so nauseas and if you're me you're so weak and so dizzy it makes you loose your mind. I know there are women out there who have it worse to the point where they're hospitalized because they throw up so much. If that happened to me I would never have any kids. Good thing God knows how heavy a load we can carry.

We bought our tickets back to California. We leave in August. It's still a ways away and even though I'm thrilled to be leaving I know that once I start feeling better and enjoying myself again I'm going to really miss this place.

A Brazilian Birthday Party

Brazilian birthday parties are a big deal. The decoration revolves around the cake table, with mini rolled up fudge balls (brigadeiros) covered in sprinkles and other little treats. 

Rosita had her first Brazilian birthday party last month.

Rosita was born in Italy. A little over a year ago she moved to Itacare with her father who married a native of Itacare, a wonderful hear dresser, and my sweet friend. Rosita's step-mother wanted to throw Rosita a birthday party fit for a princess. Here are the pictures from Rosita's special day.

Have you ever been to a Brazilian style birthday party, if so what did you think?

p.s. Speaking of party did you know the whole country is in one big party right now? It's Carnaval! 

Morro de São Paulo

This year  was my turn to plan our Valentine's Day celebration, so I planned a little getaway to an island off the coast of Bahia. Have you ever heard of Morro de São Paulo?

272 km from Salvador Bahia is an island called Tinharé, and Morro de São Paulo is one of 5 villages that make up Tinharé.

The only way to get to the island is by boat or by private plane, and since cars are forbidden to enter the island the only mode of transportation is by tractor, bikes, horses, or carriages. We took the carriages. We also walked a lot.

The beaches are very different form Itacare, where we currently live. Because of the reefs you get these warm natural pools that form during low tide. We did some snorkeling and saw some amazing fish. Christian saw a black fish with bright blue dots. I saw a fish that was transparent, with big bulging eyes. Does anyone knows the names of these two mysterious fish?

During the colonial period, Tinharé was often under attack either by the French or by the Dutch, due to it's distinct geographical location. The Portuguese build forts in Tinharé in order to keep the enemy from advancing into Salvador Bahia, which at the time was the capital of Brazil. There were many battles fought in Morro de São Paulo. Did you know the Northeast of Brazil was under Dutch rule for 24 years?  

The Fort in Morro de São Paulo dates back to 1630. There are old rusted cannons just laying around and big ornate pieces or what I think could have been an old fountain. Exploring the Fort was our favorite, that and spending time together of course.

I'm putting more pictures of our trip on my Facebook page. Do check it out, there are some cool old fountains, and quite a bit of historical monuments all surrounded by beautiful beaches. If you come to Brazil and you have the chance to visit Morro de São Paulo here are some things to consider,

What Breakfast in Bahia Looks Like

When people ask me what a typical American breakfast is like I say pancakes, eggs, bacon. You know. But if you come to my house I'll probably just feed you cold cereal.

People ask what breakfast is like in Bahia. If you come to my house breakfast is just a paozinho (small French bread), some juice, and fruit. But, if you want a traditional breakfast it's more than that. It's fruit and a lots of things made from tapioca.

It's seriously, delicious.

1- Pao de queijo - small cheese breads made with tapioca flour. Easy to make, I promise.
2- Cuscuz de tapioca- tapioca couscous made with coconut milk and fresh shredded coconut.
3- Bolinho de estudante - deep fried tapioca couscous sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
4- Banana da terra frita - fried plantains, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
5- Rabanada - Basically, deep fried French toast.

It's like Christian says, most things are way better fried and if you add sugar and cinnamon it's a win.

We were able to eat well in Morro de Sao Paulo.
Tomorrow I'll show pictures from our trip.

10 little monkeys jumping on the hammock, and eating bananas of course.

We have a new neighbor, and it's a baby monkey! Normally I don't let the kids feed the monkeys but today the pack of monkeys organized, hung out on our varanda, and literally kept pushing the baby monkey into our house. The baby Monkey came in and tried to run off with a banana. I scared him away. Then I felt bad so I let the kids feed the monkeys. Here is a little video I took of the event. 

In other words, this is what our mornings look like because no matter how much I try to be strict with all this monkey business, I always seem to surrender and let them have a banana or two. 

ps. The little puddle of water you see is not monkey pee, it's just water.

pps. Baby Maria has only one volume. Loud. We're working on it.

xoxo

Food at Rio de Contas

I hope you had a lovely weekend. Our weekend was filled with sunshine, family time, and a lot of eating. On Saturday we went on a canoe ride up the river, Rio de Contas, to visit a waterfall. The river boarders the Atlantic Rainforest and the whole thing is truly majestic.



It's fun seeing the fishing boats and the canoes go by bringing fruits and other foods to neighboring towns and villages.

Another fun thing about the river are the islands, and the restaurants on the islands, open aired restaurants serving fresh fish, fresh yucca, fresh coconut, and fresh bananas.

Basically, this is what our weekend looked and tasted like.

Ten points for you if you know the name of that fruit above. 

Eating my way through Itacare | Tio Gu Creperia

Making lists is a very good thing. It forces me to actually do what I want to do and not just complain about not getting things done. One of the things I want to do before I leave Itacare is eat at every single restaurant on my street. There are tons. Lucky me right? 

On Saturday my little sister Iris, Enzo, and I hit the first spot on my list, Tio Gu Creperia, a crepe Cafe that is literally next door to our house. Every afternoon around 4:00pm we start hearing music come from the restaurant. The crew starts prepping for the night and the smells starts invading my house. 

Iris went straight for the dessert crepe, chocolate with Kiwi, and I went straight for the meat crepe, fillet  with cheddar and caramelized onions. Tonight I'm making crepes for dinner because I am totally intrigued with the thickness and consistency of Tio Gu's crepes. It's chewy to perfection.

Enzo had an early dinner at home so all he wanted was soda. Luis, one of the waiters, convinced him to have Kale juice instead. I'm thinking of hiring Luis to be my parenting coach. 

I'm glad Enzo gave it a try because the juice was super good, filled with mint and crushed ice and yes I want them to give me the recipe for their juice as well.

All in all a delicious night. 

Next up will be McA1, the knock off McDonalds run by a Swedish guy and a Brazilian woman. Think tiny shack painted in red and orange, with hamburgers that have pineapples and fried that are double fried. 

Garapa | Sugar-Cane Juice

Sometimes all it takes is leaving the house to be reminded of good-great-wonderful things. Some of my favorite things to eat I can't make at home. And that's a good thing, because it forces me to get out more.

I've always been a big fan of garapa, sugar-cane juice. I told Christian that I wanted to do a sugar free month, but then I remembered that I'm addicted to sugar-cane juice. There goes that ideas.

There's this guy (yes, the dude above) who makes an exceptional garapa. When he puts the sugar cane through the press he throws in a thick slice of ginger and half of a lime. Holy. Smokes. I can't even tell you how refreshing it is to drink this special ginger-y, Lime-y, sugar-cane juice, filled with ice, when we leave the beach.

Thank you Brazil for being so wonderful.

In other news

// We got a bike. A most excellent purchase.
// The town has been buzzing with camera crews filming a surf reality show.
// Christian is happy. He said he had the best surf session today since we moved here.
// Maria tried to convince a total stranger to taker her surfing. And he almost did!
// Playing in the sand never gets old. Why is that? I am so content with a plastic shovel in my hand.
// I married a guy who likes to dance and there are plenty of opportunities to go dancing here. Tomorrow we shall dance.