Being okay with the everyday

I can hear laughing in the background.  Well, not really. I can imagine laughter in the background. Why? To be honest, I am not always "okay with the everyday". While from my exterior I might simply appear sweet and kind (which sure, I am), I am actually a highly competitive person, too. A cabled sweater I …

Easy Venice-inspired rice and spinach

The number of times I've thought back to that amazing concoction of rice and spinach made by a Veneto province local is uncertain. What isn't uncertain is how wonderful it was.Thinking back, I can still see it in my mind's eye... I can almost taste it still. So, I recreated the dish. I'm not 100% …

Carrot apple salad with lemon dressing

This salad is very refreshing and also slightly sweet. I learned the recipe from a woman while I was staying temporarily in Belgrade, Serbia for a few weeks, although originally she had gotten it from a Polish lady. Now it's yours, as well! Ingredients carrotsapplesyellow raisinssugarlemon juice Instructions Add about 1/2 - 1 Tbsp sugar …

The wonder that is Christmas

Christmas has always felt special to me. As a child I lived in a very snowy area of the US and enjoyed the winter every bit as much as the other seasons. Each day after school I would excitedly bundle up in my many layers of pants, snow pants, sweaters, coat, mittens, scarf, hat, and …

Risotto recipe: plain, simple, and distinctive

Some years ago there was a sumptuous banquet in a place far away. The banquet was found in a land of mountainous beauty, and the meal echoed that beauty with its rich and abundant fare. A little house in the Piedmont region of Italy.* In other words, I attended a lovely dinner party in the …

Sleeping in the car the night before my interview at Yale

Aren't road trips great? A few years ago I drove out to Connecticut for an interview at Yale. I know, crazy. What was I doing there? I was a somewhat non-traditional college student, starting my studies in my mid-twenties, instead of the typical late-teens. The first two years of my four-year college education began at …

Classic children’s cardigan and matching winter hat

When my daughter was still a tiny little thing I knit her a matching cardigan and hat for the fall and winter. Being a daring lady, I chose baby blue as the color, ignoring the traditional girly pinks. The yarn is a super wash wool, very soft and warm. It really looks gorgeous on her! …

Pasta asciutta with walnuts, shallots, and cranberries

This delightful pasta dish is rich and flavorful and boasts toasted walnuts, shallots and the zing of cranberries.

Fresh cranberry shortbread bars

Before Thanksgiving I bought a very large bag of cranberries, with the goal of using them in holiday baking and cooking This delightful  fresh cranberry bars recipe was a perfect choice because of it's simplicity, ease of preparation, and the delightful combination of both buttery and zinging flavors. Many thanks to Sue and The View …

Christmas around the corner

Christmas is really coming up fast. Thoughts of fir trees, red bows, and holiday baking have been dancing in my head. While autumn is my favorite season of the year, Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday. I know it's still a bit early to get going on some  of my Christmas preparations. It's definitely not …