Having lived in California for 28 years with no family at all to celebrate holidays with, I firmly believe in the importance of creating your own family traditions. But I also find comfort in the past and feel that, especially these days, with family members often scattered far and wide, sharing memories from your childhood […]
She's Cookin'
My Riff on Chef Priscilla’s Dish
On November 20th, Hyatt Chef Priscilla Willis performed a cooking demonstration to a select group of Orange County bloggers in honor of American Diabetes Month. She prepared a three course light lunch for the lucky ladies. The first course was a Nori Wrap appetizer which I tested and tweeked in the TM Kitchen. The second […]
Chicken Soup for a Soggy Soul
It’s a cold and gray Chicago California morn and the perfect thing to warm your soul and your tummy is some good ole chicken soup. My daughter’s favorite soup was, and still is (at 18 years of age), Chicken Soup with Rice. This is in large part due to a book of months by Maurice […]
Boutique Breakfast
Every December, for the past 10 years or so, my friend and former neighbor, Marina, hosts a Holiday Boutique on a Thursday night and the following Friday morning. I miss having Marina as a neighbor – she’s always doing something fun, knows probably half the people in Huntington Beach AND she loves to socialize and […]
Turning Japanese, I Really Think So
Wow, I feel so healthy! This week I dined at Au Lac in Fountain Valley, a restaurant that specializes in what they call Humanese cuisine with an extensive menu of raw and vegan Asian dishes with a few Italian and American staples such as spaghetti, pizza, and burgers. Au Lac has been serving healthy vegan […]
Not Just About Thanksgiving
Much of November is dedicated to all things Thanksgiving, but it is also American Diabetes Month. This year the American Diabetes Association asked Americans to “take a bolder, more audacious approach to American Diabetes Month” and consider that: 24 million children and adults in the United States live with diabetes 57 million Americans are at […]
The Three P’s: Pizza=Party=Perfect
Guests in town for the holidays? There are times when it’s just easier to stay at home and entertain – it’s more casual, you don’t have to stress about having a large party or poor service, or worry about how long the food is taking or splitting the bill, it can accommodate nap times, and […]
Turkey Time!
Cooking Thanksgiving dinner can be stressful and in my previous post I shared TWO TIPS to help the day go smoother: 1. Read your recipes and directions carefully. 2. Cook side dishes in advance (esp. if you’re like me and have only ONE oven). I considered adding a third tip: don’t do anything different, but […]
Brussels Sprouts Grow on Trees
There’s been a lot of talk about brussels sprouts this past week: about children wanting to eat them (for real!) and a mom who just can’t stomach it, to Thanksgiving recipes for the cruciferous veggie (how did brussels sprouts become a Thanksgiving tradition anyway?). In response to the parents commenting on the PBS Whrll slideshow, […]
Two Tips for Tackling Turkey
Making Thanksgiving dinner on your own can be a daunting task – even for your more experienced cooks. Just because I’m a cooking blogger doesn’t mean that all my meals turn out perfect, or that I’m an expert in all things culinary, or that I have some awesome Viking professional kitchen…. And the Thanksgiving dinner […]