Memorial Weekend marks the beginning of summer and I am ready! We don’t have any plans for the three-day weekend, except waking up at 6:00 a.m. to greet the early birds at our everything-must-go moving sale on Saturday – oh joy đŸ™‚  Whether you’re just kicking back to enjoy an extra day off or rounding […]
Veggies
SOL’s Sweet Potato and Black Bean Taco
In February, I attended a party at SOL COCINA to celebrate Chef Deborah Schneider and her Baja-style tacos being featured in Oprah’s O Magazine! (February issue). Writer Julie Powell declares a Taco Fiesta: the Easiest Dinner Party You’ll Ever Throw; there’s no argument from me that a taco bar with an array of fillings and toppings is a […]
Chinese Medicine and Radishes
I’ve been MIA for a couple of days because of some major happenings on the home front. Yesterday, after going back and forth a few times, we accepted a buyer’s offer and sold our home of 15 years – making our move to the beach a done deal. A huge inner sigh of relief was […]
Kitchen Aid with White on Rice Couple, Cristina Ferrare + Joy the Baker!
When you’re invited to an afternoon with Cristina Ferrare and Joy the Baker at the studio/kitchen of Diane Cu and Todd Porter – the White on Rice Couple – Â co-hosted by Kitchen Aid, you know you’re in for a deliciously fun time! Throw in meeting many of the talented and creative food bloggers from LA, […]
5 Star Makeover: Beets
This month’s 5 Star Makeover Challenge is BEETS. Beets are at peak season in the winter months and our challenge is to make them shine in ways you may never have considered. Five Star Makeover is hosted by the lovely and talented Natasha of 5 Star Foodie and Laz, the creative mastermind behind Lazaro Cooks. […]
Mushroom, Apple and Sage Stuffed Red Onions
While everyone’s been baking their little hearts out; tempting readers with homey gingerbread cakes, elegant pavlovas, and every deletable cookie imaginable, I’ve been busy experimenting with low-sodium, heart healthy, savory side dishes that will flatter the main attraction at your holiday table. Always mindful of making meals that delight your taste buds while nurturing your […]
Recipe for Carrot Pumpkin; Sauce or Soup
Happy Halloween !!! From ghoulies and ghosties and long leggety beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord deliver us! … Scottish saying Whatever you feel about the “holiday” – love it or hate it, costume or not, lights on or lights off – it’s an opportunity to revel in the pumpkin. […]
Carrot Pumpkin; Sauce or Soup
Are you as thrilled as I am that fall has arrived? All apples, cinnamon and pumpkins, brisk mornings, cozy fires, Halloween excitement, the hills dotted with hints of the brilliant colors to come… This past weekend I made a batch of sweet and savory baked apples for a little harvest party at Rustic Garden Bistro‘s […]
Classic Pairing for Gruner Veltliner
With the heat of summer behind us, we welcome the balmy days and cool nights of autumn and harvest season! And, what better theme for September’s 5 Star Makeover Challenge and this beautiful time of year than cooking with wine! But, I cannot tell a lie – somehow, over the past month, I got it […]
Tomato Mango Ketchup
Since I started writing about food and cooking almost two years ago, I’ve only used what’s referred to as a P&S (point and shoot) camera – a Canon PowerShot SX200IS to be specific – and was damn proud of the photos I produced with my cute blue camera. I’ve always been a tiny bit envious […]