Kitchen Essentials

This weeks' comic is a bonus for the extra Wednesday in October and talks about some essential tools to supply your kitchen with. Happy Halloween!

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

What would October be without baking pumpkin flavored things? This weeks' recipe at Cooking Up Comics is for Vegan Pumpkin Muffins! You may have noticed I gave the blog a little makeover. I also started using Big Cartel to sell my print comics. Check it out and let me know what you think!

City of Refuge and Kona Airport

On the advice of our guide from the horseback ride, we spent our last day in Hawaii at Pu`uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park. Known as the City of Refuge, if you had broken a sacred Kapu law, this was the only place you were exempt from the death sentence. The giant lava wall was still in place around the site and several buildings had been reconstructed in late 1800s style. It was another beautiful afternoon and fairly low on tourist activity in the park since most tourists were snorkeling off the beach just outside of the park.

One of the giant carved ki'i that stood near the reconstructed temple.

I'll go ahead and say that the outdoor Kona airport is the neatest one I've ever been to. The gates were covered, but most of the courtyard was open air.

Allan and I had a wonderful time visiting the Big Island of Hawaii and look forward to going back to explore the other Hawaiian Islands someday!

Spaghetti Squash recipe

This week, learn a bunch of ways to season spaghetti squash at Cooking Up Comics. I also posted some photos from New York Comic Con and started a Pinterest board for my recipe comics.

Kealakekua beach and a parking lot tree

May 3rd was an awesome horseback ride along the Kings' Trail, in southern Kona. I didn't attempt any sketching from horseback, but I did a sketch when we broke for lunch and snorkeling at the lava beach of Kealakekua. It was my first time snorkeling and a really cool experience to float and watch the schools of colorful fish swim around. It was an amazing secluded location, just Allan, myself, the guide, the horses and two dogs along with the beautiful landscape. I couldn't have dreamed of a more wonderful place to accept a marriage proposal. :)

May 4th was a relaxing morning and a late afternoon tour up to the top of volcano Mauna Kea, the highest peak in Hawaii. I sketched this while waiting outside of a bakery called "Buns in the Sun" for our shuttle bus to arrive. There are several observatories on top of Mauna Kea where we stood to watch the sun set. On the way back down the mountain, we did some star gazing with the help of the tour guides and powerful portable telescopes.

Creamy Potato Soup and a mural project

On today's menu is Creamy Potato Soup like my Mom used to make when I was a kid! I also posted some photos and thoughts about the mural project I helped Allan and his coworkers complete over the past two weeks for kids in Long Island City.

Homemade Granola and some site updates

Today's recipe comic will tell you how to make Homemade Granola just how you like it. Yum! I also made a new header for the Fall and a few other little updates to the Cooking Up Comics website. Click the link above to check it out!