Home » Author Archives: Claire Ziamandanis

Author Archives: Claire Ziamandanis

I HATE GYMS

treadmills

This is  not new news. In fact, I have blogged about my loathing of gyms in the past.  (Click here.) Right about the time of that 2011 blog post, I rediscovered running. I had sworn off of it in high school, thinking any running that did not include something like a basketball in front of you, or a field hockey stick ... Read More »

TOOTING MY OWN HORN

horn

I’m going to do it. I think. I may never push the PUBLISH button, however. In my family, we have a very difficult time telling others when we have accomplished something we are proud of.  It is, admittedly, a weird family thing: we don’t give importance to those significant moments that highlight our accomplishments. Example: I did not invite my parents to my ... Read More »

PATIENCE, MY DEAR

chop

True to my Northeastern US upbringing, I tend to want things to happen now, if not yesterday.  A common expression in our house when the kids were young was “Chop! Chop!”  It could have meant “If you don’t eat that last shrimp on your plate right now, I just might!”  Or maybe it meant “Bedtime was 2 minutes ago!”  Or even “Let’s ... Read More »

SAUCES ON SAUCED

lobster macncheese

In keeping with our blog name, here are a few killer sauces to keep you warm, now that the chilly weather seems to have settled in. HOMEMADE MAC ‘N CHEESE SAUCE – consider adding lobster or shrimp to this seriously decadent sauce.  I am gluten free, so the flour and the pasta are both gluten free in this house.  Sauté ... Read More »

THANKSGIVING WINNERS

Cooked Lobster

Confession: I usually dislike Thanksgiving.  I like gathering for the holiday, but it is not my favorite.  Why don’t I like it?  Here is the silly reason: its traditional foods are not my favorites.  I like to like what I eat.  It comes with growing up Italian, then marrying into Greek.  Food matters, especially at a holiday table. The one year that ... Read More »

THE STORIES I WRITE IN MY HEAD

yorkie

We are almost a year and a half out of our home, the place where we started our lives together, raised our children, and buried our dogs.  Our new digs give me a new route to the office every day.  Whereas before I drove through bucolic countrysides, I now slog through some heavily trafficked but residential areas, and then the dreaded, please-don’t-make-a-left-turn, ... Read More »

BETTING ON THE FUTURE

bitcoin-1294272_960_720

I may take some heat for this post. Conversely, I may find some like-minded friends, or even motivate others to do some research on the topic. Here goes. I bought some Bitcoin. Then I bought some alt cryptocurrencies: Steem, BAT, Stratis and DigiByte. Yes, I did. My portfolio is up, but I won’t say how much, in case the IRS ... Read More »

EYE CONTACT

eye-contact-2-638

I was working at my favorite Starbucks the other day, a place that allows me to focus and concentrate without the distractions at home.  Okay, I admit it.  Starbucks also provides me a clean table to work at without having to organize my own clutter.  (Where to put it???)  Starbucks also allows me to look around for distraction when I need ... Read More »

NO MATTER HOW YOU SLICE IT…

enchiladas

One of my summer goals was to try some new cooking flavors.  We tend to get stuck in the typical grilled meal mode over the summer.  Come fall, and then throughout the winter, it is the delicious Italian-food rut where we find ourselves.  I will never complain about a red sauce cooking down on a weekend, making a mess on the ... Read More »

RESURRECTING SAUCED

BV Frites

“I don’t read a lot, but I DO read when you blog!” It was a bit of a throw down. Or a shaming. Stephen and I were over at Anna’s BarVino, always a happy event.  Even if we think we will just go for a glass of wine, eventually a small plate comes calling.  Or two.  Or three.  Always frites. ... Read More »

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