Green Gazpacho

A lesson in self-acceptance and a delightful chilled summer soup that is ridiculously simple to throw together and reflects the vibrant greens of this beautiful season. Sometimes I just need a good swift kick in the pants to get going on something. I think I’ve mentioned before that I began envisioning my food blog over…

The Sloe Carry

Two recipes in one ∼ Homemade aquavit and sloe gin settle in together with smooth sherry and herbaceous Benedictine for a new classic cocktail.  Who doesn’t love a good cocktail?  Not me apparently, judging from all my books on the subject and the many cocktail menus I’ve swiped from restaurants and bars over the years… A couple…

Mushroom Bolognese

Shitake and cremini mushrooms take the place of meat in this surprisingly hearty Mushroom Bolognese that will please even the most diehard meat-eater. Recently I was talking to a coworker about how I don’t eat meat very often and hadn’t cooked it in a while and he got a sad, questioning look on his face…

A Spring Salad

The bright colors and fresh new greens of spring are bolstered with a rich dressing and crunchy shallots in this salad for the season when the weather plays tricks on us. This year it has taken several weeks of gorgeous weather to finally roust me from making my usual winter staples like hearty stews and…

Magical Mood Lifting Breakfast

This delightful concoction of chocolatey overnight oats mixed with almond butter and bananas helped lift my spirits on a grey and cloudy day that started off badly. The other day I developed a bad mood early in the morning.  I don’t really know why, I didn’t wake up that way, but almost as soon as I…

A Lovely Winter Salad

The jewel tones of golden beets, green and pink watermelon radish, pungent black radish and blood oranges scattered together resemble a colorful bouquet of flowers in this mix of winter produce that brightens even the grayest winter day. We recently had several cold grey days in a row here which normally would put me in…

After Christmas Décor and Clean Air

When I was younger and it was time to take down all the colorful, ornate and sometimes over-the-top decorations that go along with the Christmas season I was disappointed that I wouldn’t get to enjoy these beautiful decorations for another year.  More recently though, I’ve found by the first of the new year I’m ready to trade it all for a more simple and natural…