The Girl just turned two!  I will dispense with the “oh my how did this ever happen” and “they grow up so fast.”  But really.  Two? All signs of babyness are gone.  She is smart, strong, and sweet, and most definitely two.
Last year we had a very sweet and simple party.  Being the inveterate party-planner [...]

Happy Winter Solstice to you!

The gingerbread house is done.

Cookie production is in full swing.

The last candle on our Advent wreath was lit tonight.
And the temperature is dropping, finally!
A wonderful, beautiful, cozy Sunday spent at home.

Hope you are having a lovely Thanksgiving weekend!
Although I’m aware that it’s a bit late to be sharing my recipe for cranberry sauce, you can really make this year-round, if you have cranberries in your freezer.  Now is the time to stock up!
This cranberry sauce is absolutely perfect, if I may say so myself. It [...]

I have been wanting to make Kirsten’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies for ages and what better excuse then Halloween Day?  So, I give you Rose’s version of the Tollipop Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, written Kirsten style:
Since it is Halloween Day, Ask The Boy if he wants to make cookies with you while The Girl naps.
Realize [...]

After watching Julie & Julia, I think everyone was making poached eggs.  I’ll admit, I even gave it a try, but the results were far too disastrous to share here.  Yes, I stirred my water vigorously. Yes, I used farm fresh local eggs.  But poached eggs and I just aren’t meant to be.
So I have [...]

I live in the south and it is hot.  Really hot.  But I really want it to be fall.  This time of year has me making things like pumpkin custard with the optimism that the cooler days will come eventually.  Usually, just when I think I just can’t handle the heat any longer, it gets [...]

Years ago The Daddy Monkey used to make crepes with chocolate sauce for me when I worked nights.  I’ve been thinking of them a lot lately, and I decided to whip some up. I do not own any teflon anymore, so I needed the right pan.
I know it’s completely ridiculous to buy a special pan [...]

Last Saturday, I cooked a steak for the very first time.
Romantic Dinner for Two
Harthill Farm Cabernet Sauvignon
New York Strip Steak au Poivre
Organic Green Beans
Ina’s Potatoes
Organic Spinach and Romaine Salad with Fig Vinaigrette
Ghirardelli Twilight Delight Chocolate

I was curious to try the method from Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home by Julia Child and Jacques Pepin.  Steak [...]