"...and they ate with gladness and simplicity of heart"
Let’s get frank about our liquor cabinets. Frankly, they are messy. If you thought baking and cooking gadgets were out of control, barware accessories are so ridiculously non-essential for the most part. But I love ‘em. I NEED multiple muddlers, aerators, and decanters. I NEED to keep my late-aunt’s bar recipe books. I NEED the cute bird shaped citrus ream even though I haven’t used it. Yet. There should be no surprise here with today’s de-cluttering tip. I ...
Confession time. I have a secret that explains why my kitchen cabinets are over-the-top uncluttered. It is a realllly simple secret. Ready for it? Everyday items get to live inside with me. Specialty dishes, serving trays, party glasses, randomly used gadgets, and “pretties” have to live outside. In the garage. In see-through tubs All we have to do is dum-de-dum-de-dum stroll a few feet and gaze through the tubs to see what item gets to play inside ...
Have you ever been to a tasting event at a restaurant? Have you ever wondered what goes on at a tasting? Have you ever assumed that a tasting was just a sampling of the menu? Yes, a tasting can be as simple as a menu sampling. YET… If you are lucky… A tasting can be a memorable experience that exposes you to a deeper understanding of a particular genre of food, which is then perfectly pared for a multi-course experience. You go away from the event ready to come back for more ...
This just sounded right the other morning. Dennis was working in the office, paying bills. The fireplace was roaring, crackling with tiny pop, pop, pops as Hudson curled up on his little worn spot on my chair. He chose the perfect in-between spot between himself, the fireplace, and watching me in the kitchen. So yes, I do believe brunch in a bowl made perfect sense to pull together. It looked so lovely and tasted incredibly delightful that I figured I should share it with you. Curl up ...
Organize. Reorganize. Clean out. Purge. De-clutter. Simplify. Let’s look at these action words and apply them to our kitchens, shall we? Organizing, reorganizing, and cleaning out our kitchen cabinets sounds like a valiant activity to put on your to-do list, but is it ultimately as beneficial as you might think? Without purging unused items or truly de-cluttering, all we may be doing is shuffling stuff around. In time, that stuff creeps back on our to-do list and the ...
It is Friday and the weekend is fast approaching. So is getting back into our normal routines of work, school, and finding ways to improve our lives. January is time when many of us “get back on track” with lofty goals of organizing, simplifying, and staying warm. Perhaps today’s five foodie finds will help us in our wintery quest. 1. 2-quart cracker jar with lid. These inexpensive jars from Walmart are perfect for your pantry staples and fill your shelves with order and light. I ...
Hello January. Thank you for enabling me to burn a fire in the fireplace 24/7. The radiant heat pouring forth from beyond the screen is toasty, cozy, and deeeelightful. It’s perfect for curling up with a nice cup of java (mornings) or glass of savory cabernet (evenings) and letting the mind drift away (continually). It’s perfect for reminiscing over memories these past twelve months. What a ride. I just ran through my archives for 2013 and these posts were your ...
All day long we shuffle along without thinking. Blink. Breathe. Walk with our right foot followed by the left one. Open up the computer and check our email’s inbox. Pour another cup of coffee. Slurp it down. Blink again. Now, I am not saying there is anything wrong with going on rote. Sometimes I just wonder why we do the things we do and only stop to question whether to continue when something big interrupts our life or we get bored and want to try something new. Are you one of those ...
After all the insane richness of my food consumption in NYC, the first thing I craved was down-to-earth goodness in the form of roasted chicken and root vegetables. Dennis nodded his head heartily at the mere mention and said, “I need something really simple and clean to eat.” In other words, it was time for us to detox. While gazing out the window in LaGuardia as they deiced the plane, I decided that a whole roaster hen was just the thing and something with sweet potatoes. Most ...
Hello foodie friends. I thought I would bring some of my NYC trip this past week into your inbox. That rich city is abundant with its hidden treasures and I barely scratched the surface. These five foodie finds are just a few of the jewels located within the retailer links. Happy surfing! 1. French decorating knife. Surprise! Something French-made again and wow, this French-made knife is a beauty. Its wooden handle is elegant and the 3.75” steel blade is dainty and exquisite. This ...
A cold front stopped by to visit us and tucked-us-in with her powdery winter blanket. We missed her arrival last week since we were gallivanting all over NYC and intensely bummed that we were missing all the beauty back home. (I know, that sounded like incredibly misplaced whining to me, too.) Full disclosure, Dennis and I are rain and snow people. Big time. We travelled home late Sunday and crashed in a nearby hotel for the night as many of you provided such richly detailed travel ...
The weather is taunting us with its fickleness. Warm. Cold. Warm. Cold. Oh autumn, you are such a tease. Every Friday for the past three weeks I have stepped outside my front door and snapped a photo of the ever-changing kaleidoscope of colors. It is a marvel. As I roll out of the driveway each morning these past few days, the tires of my car go snap, crackle, and pop over thousands of fallen acorns. Are the squirrels on strike, I wonder? Will this be a mild winter so they ...
Pesto. Beautiful vibrant pesto. Whether you like yours made with basil, arugula, sage, spinach, or dandelion greens, one thing remain the same: pesto is beautiful, vibrant, and adds a splash of tasty green. It’s splashlicious. I purchased an abundant bunch of local, certified organic hydroponic Lacinato kale in my last two farmboxdeliveries. Lacinato kale is a smooth leaved kale with dark bluish-green leaves. It is slightly sweeter and has a touch of delicacy compared to its curly ...
Hello foodie friends. Today's finds jump from local Northwest Arkansas to France to Spain. The really cool realization is knowing that even a Frenchman or a Spaniard can have a little bit of Arkansas delivered to them. Enjoy! 1. Arkansas Life. This classy Arkansas lifestyle magazine’s latest issue highlights one of our local Northwest Arkansas food treasures - Chef Miles James from James at the Mill in Johnson and 28 Springs in Siloam Springs. This feature article is over-the-top ...
I have a confession to share. The Kitchen Tour series on this blog originates from purely selfish reasons. You see, kitchens are kinda’ my thing. I don’t know when it started but I do know why they are my thing. It is the place where memories are made, experiments occur, friends and family linger, and the stuff. Oh, the beautiful stuff. Stuff in the form of gadgets, pots, pans, ball of twine, pantry essentials and pantry indulgences. Floor plans and traffic paths in ...
Every dinner party I lug out a random bowl to cradle the dinner salad. Depending on the size of the group, it will range from huge to Goliath-size. I quite possibility may have a phobia dealing with running out of food for my guests so I tend to overdo the portion amount. There are worse phobias to have. How many times have you shut the door after the last guest only to realize that your salad leftovers are overflowing? You would think that is a good thing until you remember ...
Some things in life continually have me scratching my head. Sometimes I feel like I am a spectator in life's journey, constantly analyzing patterns and trends. Constantly trying to figure out “why.” While at the same time enjoying the beauty of it all. I guess that happens when you are the offspring of a technical writer and a poet. After almost twenty-four years married to Dennis, I am afraid I am rubbing off on him. He doesn’t even realize how often he says, “Hmmm, I wonder ...
