The long-term loan of an Irish kitchen table (from a friend who doesn’t have room for it in her house and doesn’t want it sitting in her the barn during the winter months) has encouraged me to do some redecorating in my apartment. Luckily, my roommate’s been on-hand for the heavy lifting. One of the changes we made was to ... Read More »
When I said “I do” nineteen years ago, it was with full knowledge that I was marrying a hunter. Stephen had two uncles in particular who loved fishing and hunting, and he accompanied them many times out onto lakes and into woods, usually at ungodly hours of the day, or in unpleasant weather conditions. Our second date may have been ... Read More »
I have never seen this much poop before! Wait… Something is coming back to me… AHHHHH! That’s it – I have seen this much poop before – on the lawn of our camp! Now welcoming you to the the austere and dignified center of learning that is the The College of Saint Rose: incalculable amounts of droppings centered around three ... Read More »
I mentioned in my last post that I had been put in charge of cocktails for Thanksgiving. After scouring some of my favorite sources for cocktails online, I decided to attempt the following: Rosemary infused vodka with cranberry simple syrup and seltzer Whisky sours with homemade sour mix Bourbon with vanilla pear nectar and hard cider While the cranberry simple ... Read More »
It is said that one can grow wine in any location where a weed can grow (think of the Gruet, a wonderful sparkling wine from New Mexico), but in California, it just seems too easy. Holly’s mother in Santa Cruz has pear trees, persimmon trees and lemon trees that just seem to thrive without much attention. Her brother’s house is ... Read More »
I must confess to a whole bunch of whining in the past about Thanksgiving. It is not one of my favorite celebrations. The family time is great, but the meal… the meal… Much like my issues with ham, turkey just does not make me say “YUM!” We’ve had it deep fried (nearly set my parents’ 150 year old home on fire), ... Read More »
I’ve recently been attacked by the green-eyed monster.1 My friend Elizabeth has left once again for adventure in a foreign land. She taught in Thailand for over a year and recently spent 8 months in Peru teaching English. Now she’s in Costa Rica, searching for a job amidst the sunshine and surf. The week of Thanksgiving seems an inopportune time ... Read More »
I never liked dolls when I was a young girl. In fact, I would usually bite their fingers off when I got them as gifts. I know. Ungrateful brat. Here is a great gift for the little girls you may know: Goldie Blox. (Watch the video – it’s worth the time.) Wow! Goldie Blox are in production already, with estimated ... Read More »
Tonight’s dinner: Valdeón blue cheese, Serrano ham and fresh bread. In my glass: 2010 Quinta de Gomariz Alvarinho, a Portuguese version of the Spanish Albariño wine. Rich, fresh, utterly delicious. When I first studied in Spain, I remember feeling somewhat perplexed with the idea of dinner at 10 pm. On top of that, “dinner” was almost nothing, no series of ... Read More »
I just bought the November issue of Vanity Fair magazine, lured by Daniel Craig’s ice blue gaze and slightly smug expression on the cover, and a very long line at the grocery store. The Daniel Craig interview was a bit brief for my tastes (although he did seem like a guy who’d be fun to have a beer with), but on page ... Read More »
Sauced In New York Sometimes the food is in the sauce, sometimes we are