When we moved to our current house six years ago, the landscaping required a huge overhaul, and I had romantic notions of filling the backyard with olive trees, their gnarly trunks and branches growing into a graceful bramble shading our yard. I had visions of…
Read MoreIt was still dark when I heard footsteps approach my bed. My daughter crawled in under the comforter and snuggled close, and as I tried to settle back to sleep, I thought of all those nights when I would think, oh my goodness, will my…
Read MoreI think I may have been the only child to never eat a single grilled cheese sandwich growing up. It’s true. My mother never made them, and somehow, I lived a life sheltered from childhood “classics” such as grilled cheese, tomato soup, and macaroni and…
Read MoreThe man to my left opened the window shade, and the brilliant sun shone down on rolling green hills thousands of feet below. As we made our descent into the San Francisco Bay Area this morning, my eyes were soothed by the verdant landscape, the…
Read MoreQue bella! How beautiful! These sweet, doting words followed my little brother and sister as we traveled throughout Italy as children. Being the older one, in that awkward teenage stage, those words were never intended for me. But my siblings, who are seven and eight…
Read MoreSkydiving. The Taj Mahal at daybreak. An African safari. Homemade pasta. What’s on your bucket list? Some life goals are easier to achieve than others. I may never skydive – not because of fear or lack of opportunity, but simply because I know my husband…
Read MoreI vowed I would never become a nurse. I made this pledge at a young age, and based it solely and superficially on the fact that my mom, who was in this noble profession, had hands that were cracked and dry from frequent hand washings.…
Read MoreThe skies have been grey for days, and we Northern Californians have been very polite about it. Oh this weather! Can you believe this rain? Our gripes are quickly followed up with a cheery, But we certainly need it! Despite the gloom, I think we…
Read MoreI cautiously took each step down the stairs with an extra sense of care, still feeling weak from a weekend of nausea. My feet were happy to plant themselves on the solid wood of the first floor. As I walked into the kitchen for the…
Read MoreMeyer lemons are sweet and have a slight orange flavor, which upgrades a good Lemon Coffee Cake into an exceptional Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake.
Read MorePea Shoots in the market are a lovely sign of the beginning of spring, and make a lovely addition to this Tofu Soup with pea shoots and radishes.
Read MoreYou know, mama, rain is good. It makes everything better. Except for picnics. My little guy made me chuckle as he tried to console me as we drove in the heavy rain, our jeans wet on our skin from just a dash across the parking…
Read MoreI was sleepily scrolling through my Facebook feed last week when a link from Happyolks caught my eye. One click, and I found myself nodding along as I read a very honest and thoughtful post on food photography. It was as though someone had taken…
Read MoreMy daughter poised her dainty nose over my wine glass and took a little sniff. I smell bread, she discerned. She and I share a keen sense of smell. I would dare say that our sense of smell is stronger than our sense of taste.…
Read MoreThe birds that greet us in the morning have changed their tune. The chirps are cheerier, their early greetings brighter. I think they feel the change in the air as much as we do. They also see the green hills, the blue skies, and the…
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