This salad is bright and light, perfect for a breezy summer picnic. The brilliant citrus hues are the epitome of summer and a visually gorgeous addition to your picnic spread. The salad works well with any citrus fruits you have on hand. The bitterness of the fennel beautifully balances the sweetness of the fruit for pure sunshine on a plate!

It’s no wonder that rosé is an absolute favorite to serve at a picnic. Bright, fun, and pairs elegantly with a variety of foods, it’s a delight to serve anytime of the year. Ranging from fruity to floral in a spectrum of blush pinks, peaches, and corals, it’s a delicious addition to any picnic. It just makes eating outside all the more fun with a pink sip!

A sweet treat for this Valentine’s — fresh Hawaiian coconut macaroons with dark chocolate. I adore anything coconut and topped with dark chocolate, these are hard to resist! For something so simple and small, they are truly rewarding.

We are blessed with an abundance of fresh honey from our bees in the backyard. We have a few bee boxes and they produce year round given the temperate climate. Paired with citrus and olive oil, this honey cake is absolutely delicious for an afternoon treat or outdoor gathering. Sprinkle with almonds and powdered sugar, it’s delight for any weeknight impromptu dinner.

Turnovers and hand pies are the ideal picnic food. They are easy to make, transport, and with little need for extra dishes or serveware. Wrap them in a tea towel in small basket and your good to go. Not only are they practical, they are just enough of a serving for one person which helps when planning for a larger or even smaller gathering.

The past few months, I’ve been working on developing a short ebook of visual stories and recipes. It’s a compilation of three stories around food from growing up in Vermont and moving to Maui. Each story has a seasonal and complementary recipe. Quite frankly, it’s the start of something bigger I’m developing. I find that cooking and picnicking has much for nostalgic meaning for me than I realized. I bet it does for you too.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I’ve been thinking of new and old traditions. Given that I am away from my family back in Vermont for the holiday, it’s even more important to me to carry on the family traditions and favorite recipes. Even if it’s just the two of us, I’m still planning to cook the whole meal! Traditions are important to me and I feel disconnected without them.

It was a gorgeous afternoon and no one was about since it was mid week. Luckily even in Maui, you can find little stretches of beaches all to yourself. The water was a brilliant turquoise and there was gentle breeze. There were a few small waves to be had even as the seasons change. Even though it’s November, it still feels like summer in my mind!