~ wellness, wonder, words ~
The first time I tasted hachiya persimmon, I gagged profusely and then proceeded to spit every ounce of it back up on the kitchen counter. My cheeks felt like they had been vacuum packed, my tongue went numb and I thought I might be going into anaphylactic shock.
(have I got you excited about the recipe yet?) …
Northern friends, if you’ve been wondering where the cold weather is, wonder not. It’s here in sunny California where we’ve been freezing our tushies off ~ (my sons say I’ve gone soft).
Warming things up over here however are these fragrant little bites.
Some of my favorite meal experiences have been built from appetizers. Sometimes it’s by design but more commonly, it happens when we visit an eatery and everything on the menu sounds so good that we literally can’t decide on that singular appetizer – and nor do we want to! Happen to you too? …
As I write this entry, the rain is pounding on my window and the wind is lashing against our back door. It’s not snow but I love it just the same. I’ve got a candle flickering beside me, the warmth of my dog underfoot and a cozy blanket wrapped around my body (I’m also craving penne arrabbiata – extra picante – but that’s another story).
December is settling in and in the spirit of celebration, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite holiday decorating and gift-giving inspiration with you. …
Imagine soft succulent morsels of butternut squash braised in the warming spices of ginger, turmeric, chili & cumin and tucked into a bed of tzatziki-style sauce and you will have an inkling of the culinary pleasure that is Kadoo Boranee.
This Afghan style braised butternut squash is quite simply the most memorable dish I’ve eaten in the past couple of years and my new favorite way to enjoy seasonal squash.
My husband and I discovered it at this restaurant when we were celebrating our 19th year wedding anniversary this past summer. If you’re ever visiting the beautiful Santa Cruz area, I highly recommend it for its outstanding food, friendly and attentive service, intimate courtyard and proximate views. …
It’s no fun being sick. We’ve all experienced the nasty symptoms that can accompany a cold or flu and know how difficult it can be to carry out our day to day functions. Reoccurring and enduring illness can also impact our ability to care for our loved ones and manage our work responsibilities.
By building a strong immune system, we put ourselves in the best position to stay well during flu season and lessen the frequency and duration of illness when it does set in.
Beyond exercising appropriate personal hygiene (our first defense against colds and flu), here are some of my favorite strategies for staying healthy through the long winter months. …
Growing up in the country with miles between houses, trick-or-treating by foot was not really feasible (nor was biking in a costume). Instead, my Dad would drive my younger brother and I along the country roads making as many stops as he could and waiting in the car as we knocked on doors and worked our magic. We would travel around 3 different lakes before retiring back at home to spill our pillowcases full of candy (yes, pillowcases!). My brother, clever as a fox, always ended up with more loot than me. He figured out that if he left his pillowcase in the car and went to the door with a tiny Jack-o-latern pail (which he usually left empty or with one or two feeble candies) it would look pathetic next to my massive and bursting-full pillowcase and the neighbors would naturally take pity on him and give him twice the amount of candy. It worked like a charm. Back in the car, he would dump his loot into his pillowcase and start all over again with an empty bucket at the next house.
All I could do was admire the kid’s ingenuity (although I really should have been asking for a cut of the spoils since his success depended on my compliance – I was half the act). …
I’m practicing.
If I were to go by today’s weather I would be making you iced tea with a sprig or two of fresh rosemary while sporting a bikini but that’s not happening because I’m practicing — practicing and preparing for El Niño.
We’ve been promised (again mind you) a long wet winter here in drought-ravaged California and I’m getting ready with some warming comfort food worthy of a proper fall. …
Checking out of the Safeway this weekend (the undisputed hub of sociological observation), I was reminded that fall means different things to different people.
I’ve already confessed not knowing very much about this well-loved game, but I nevertheless relish every bit of lively banter emerging from the lips of patrons and clerks as I catch snippets of information and predictions. I also find myself anticipating the somewhat corny but hopelessly contagious sounds of the high school marching band booming across the street from us during Friday night home games. …
Every once in a while it’s nice to be reminded that the universe is working in your favor; even when it comes to something as seemingly insignificant as a fig.
And so it was on an early Saturday morning when I was preparing to head across town in pursuit of the not-so-common, common fig.
I had just made a similar trip the week before and was feeling a bit sheepish about the expense and the weekend departure from the family when the doorbell rang. …
I had planned a warming porridge for this past week’s post but a combination of weather (oppressively hot) and a new baby (not mine) queered the pitch.
That’s alright because in the process of being derailed, I discovered these obscenely delicious cookies. So I hope you don’t mind me interrupting your Sunday evening to bring them to you. …