I thought I was the only one who got ecstatic at the first sign of life in the garden, then my friend called yesterday to tell me her big news: she got her first strawberry! “We got our first tomato!” I exclaimed.
Hallllleeeluuuja!!
We’ve had a couple of false starts. You see, we have many pesky blackbirds [...]

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This year’s all-women blogging convention, BlogHer, successfully wrapped up yesterday and, let me tell you, the estrogen level was fierce!
I must say, it was empowering to see that many women (and a handful of brave men!) come together to discuss issues from their kid’s peanut allergy to race and gender in politics. Watch out, non-participating [...]

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It was very kind and considerate of the organizers of the all-women BlogHer to invite celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito as a guest presenter. Most of the women here were purring his name Rrrrrroco, and I must agree, he is pretty easy on the eyes.
If you were an attendee, and can’t remember what he cooked [...]

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Today’s a quickie as I’m attending my first BlogHer Conference in San Francisco, CA. Upon arriving I felt a bit homesick for the Bay Area, fog and all. I actually had to change from my Capri pants and sandals to jeans and closed-toe shoes (with socks!!) in the Nordstrom ladies’ room. Brrrrr! Mark Twain was [...]

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In December of 1989, just after Christmas, my father and step-mother dropped me off at a little pensione in Siena, Italy where I was to meet my study-abroad group. I knew no one. We said our goodbyes, and I watched them fold themselves back into their tiny rented Fiat Uno and drive off. I stood [...]

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Ceviche has been an “it” food for quite awhile now, but I never tire of this South American dish in summer. If you’re too hot to stand over a hot barbecue, or are just in the mood for something light and fresh, try this citrus-marinated seafood salad.
The hot and humid evening decided our dinner menu [...]

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I miss the days when our food was safe to eat. What is going on!? Last year it was packaged spinach, now it’s tomatoes. It’s said that salmonella, the big wave that’s rocking the boat, is caused by fecal matter. Fecal matter! In layman’s terms: poop. Now that just gives a crappy meal a whole [...]

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It’s spring and I woke up with a sore throat. You shouldn’t be able to get sick in warm months. That’s what winter is for. We suffer the cold weather and the spreading of germs, then the sun comes out and we get a reprieve from carrying tissues and sucking on lozenges. Wouldn’t it be [...]

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I know I just wrote about cauliflower and the beautiful colors we are now seeing, - golden, green, purple - but I never actually cooked any. So tonight, since Barnaby has been gone for eight days now, I thought something along the lines of comfort food would do nicely: mashed cauliflower.
If you’ve never had mashed [...]

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I grew up in a little resort called Sunriver in Central Oregon. It’s beautiful, and I was so fortunate to have been exposed from an early age to the outdoors: cross-country and downhill skiing, tennis, canoeing, swimming, biking. But the closest town, Bend, at the time was significantly limited in its cuisines. And I use [...]

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