Jump on your holiday gift buying now and spend December eating bonbons by the fire. …
Yesterday I was on a brisk walk in windy, 50 degree weather, perfect for the first day of fall, when an acorn flew out of a tree and smacked me hard on the hand. I actually yelped. It seemed appropriate that a reckless acorn would usher in my favorite season. Just like everything in life, you get what you love along with a little bit of pain. I’m…
Patrick really honed his cooking in Italy and often starts with a base of garlic, lots of olive oil, celery, onions and carrots. It's a great base for soups or pastas. It's called soffrito in Italian cooking. The French call it mirepoix and use butter. …
To say that these women are the backbone of America would be a serious understatement. Where would we be without all the selfless givers among us? I never truly appreciated that sentiment until I experienced it firsthand.…
I’m giving you this fabulous Lemon Mascarpone Tart recipe because once you taste it, you’ll forget that I’ve abandoned you for two months. Here’s my excuse list: I started a full-time job. I moved twice. I unpacked like a madwoman for 20 days so my apartment would feel like home to my visiting daughter. We attended family gatherings. We went on a roadtrip to the Adirondacks visiting lifelong…
At the beginning of a new romance, everything’s dreamy until reality sets in and you start noticing things. You know, like the noise he makes when he eats, or the dishes he never does, or the make up she gets on the steering wheel, or her incessant talking on the phone…need I go on? Western Pennsylvania is beautiful and would be perfect if it wasn’t for the humidity.…
I'm still not over the happiness of being here. I love that my cousin and I regularly walk through Beaver, where I lust over all the gorgeous homes. I love that my uncle, siblings and nephews are all a drive away. …
As the daughter of a woman who entered every possible contest, and won a few, I have weak moments. So when a friend, who works for San Marzano tomatoes, asked if I would post a contest in my blog so that (potentially) one of my lucky readers might win a dinner at a local restaurant valued at $250 dollars, I said, "Heck yeah!" …
Lyle Lovett’s Pontiac brought us together, but I think my favorite moment was when we bonded over "Let’s Get Excited" by the Pointer Sisters. I was impressed and only somewhat concerned that Andy knew all the words, but we really belted it out.…
I've been watching episodes of NCIS to get me through packing. I'm on season six and still packing, but my eyes are wide open to the many ways someone could do me in. This knowledge will come in handy while driving across the country in a car with 186,000 miles on it.…