Year: 2015

healthy cooking to healthy choices to healthy you

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Funny, how in the 50’s and 60’s all the way to about early 2013-2014, it was all about canned goods, frozen packaged foods, and boxed goodies here in the U.S. (I can’t really speak for the rest of the world). Although disappointingly, I found the same sort of push in most of Europe, tapping heavy into working couples who have no time to make anything from scratch. Now we have nothing but information, about what to eat and what to avoid. Sometimes too much information confusing us into making bad choices, or even the choices once reported as good choices, we learn on Facebook and Twitter to being suddenly bad choices. (Are you confused? Good, that’s the point. Anyway, we can’t be sure of anything. But my motto is-if you are not sure, go the moderation route. If you are somewhat sure, then click on each photo to learn about the best choices. {Click here to get there – Heidi Swanson} From Amazon:  San Francisco-based photographer and cookbook author Heidi Swanson is the creator of …

High Protein Recipes I can’t get enough Of

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My regime is something like this. Get up at five every day, drink 16oz of bottled water. Work out at home or gym, and then proceed with my day. Breakfast consists of oatmeal or 2 boiled eggs and a cup of espresso.  Then snack at nine, yogurt or a fruit or a handful of almonds. Lunch is about the proteins, and dinner sometimes a protein drink or a freshly pureed juice with fruits  and veggies.  A sliver of dark chocolate if I crave it, and more water throughout the day. I don’t deviate much from the plan  no matter how tempting. Only if I am at a special event or on vacation do I make exceptions.  So I am glad to have found this amazing blog, where I go to for all of my recipes, outside, of course, from all of my mediterranean cooking.  

fashion: I have to admit i kind of love this

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I haven’t been able to shake off the French Riviera, mostly the fashion statement each and every woman makes there. More particularly in Cannes, Monaco and St. Tropez. The sad thing is, we cannot duplicate such fashion here in San Francisco.  The interesting pieces are more welcomed in  Los Angeles, Florida, and possibly New York. But not here. Although I do wonder how it would be if one SUNNY day I venture out into the street wearing one of Moschino’s latest collection,  or maybe I simply have to move to the French Riviera.  

fashion: sarah jessica parker shoes at bloomingdale’s

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Naturally, Sarah Jessica Parker and shoes go hand in hand, or shall I say, foot in foot (sorry couldn’t resist). So Bloomy’s has paired up with the fashionista who I admire greatly in style and acting, and they have introduced SJP shoes. Here’s a glimpse. {photo source and credit}

decor: for the loft in you

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More and more I’ve been wanting to streamline my home. I downgraded five years ago from a five bedroom two-story in the country to a studio in the city-San Francisco. I made the transition, at the time, not sure where I wanted to live, besides Paris. Since I couldn’t get it together fast enough, I stayed put, aiming eventually to end up in a loft. I love the idea of open concept living, where everything is on display, providing you are a neat and organized individual. The only trouble is, I still want to move to Paris, and my other half isn’t yet ready… In the meantime, I am sharing with you some of my favorite ideas for loft living from one of my favorite blog.

what is it about rooftop restaurants

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I have a favorite, which I’ve been to many time. It’s in Rome, in Piazza Navona at a five-star hotel – Hotel Raphael. This location I used in my first novel, it has much meaning to me and I spend an evening dining there every chance I get when I am in Rome. There are rooftop restaurants everywhere, and according to Bazaar online, here’s their list:

travel: let’s meet at the seine river

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Every trip to Europe I discover something new. This could very well be because I go different times of the year. I’ve done February -October so far. So I am looking forward to the winter months, or maybe not. Anyway, this trip was in May (wow, was in May), and I have to say I loved the idea of flowers in full bloom, or starting to. I love the idea of outdoor cafes turning down their heat lamps, and most of all in Paris, I love walking along the Seine River, and discovering so much happening in one of my favorite parts of Paris. After walking from our hotel to the Eifel Tower, I descend the stairs leading to the river. Not to take a cruise mind you, but to walk along the water, to a different perspective about the city I love so much. The water’s edge is quieter, compared to the bustling city life several feet above, with the continuous flow of cars, buses, and always ambulances. Although there are cruise boats, and various stationary …

healthy recipe: pho – vietnamese noodle soup

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I had the best pho in Madrid (so far), I should say… We asked our hotel concierge for somewhere to eat, Italian we said, when he asked our preference. I was craving pasta. What can I say.  Anyway, the man behind the podium in the lobby stepped out of the hotel to curbside and pointed in the direction we needed to go to find the only Italian restaurant in the area. We walked a few blocks, through the narrow streets and stumbled upon such a restaurant. Except that it was closed.  From sheer frustration,  we kept walking further, trying to figure out where to eat. Our clocks were off naturally and all of the restaurants didn’t open until much later. To make a long story short, we saw an Asian restaurant, by that I mean it was actually called Asian restaurant.  I was feeling a little under the weather, so I ordered Pho=soup, and so the story goes. Since I’ve been back, I have gone to three restaurants in the city (being San Francisco) and have …

busy promoting my novels around the globe and a new look

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I was in Europe for two weeks, then the Book Expo America in New York for a few days, and now in San Francisco making my rounds here and there to promote the novels I’ve written.  Although it may not be a solid excuse for not keeping up with my favorite blog here of course, it is the only one I have keeping me extra busy these days. At the same time all of this is going on, I am in the middle of designing a fresh look for rawsilkandsaffron.  So stay tune. I am excited to share with you soon the new look. Anyway, if you happen to be in San Francisco, by all means drop me a line, and we can connect at any one of these book promotion locations: I will be at the following events and locations in San Francisco in the month of June-July 2015. June 6th & June 7th at Union Street Festival – Chronicle Books from 1-2p.m. June 13th & June 14Th North Beach Festival – City Lights …

here’s what happened in paris

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I end my holidays in Paris, always.Simply because I feel I belong there, and maybe one day I will… Anyway, I stay in the same hotel for a week, near the Arc de Triumph, and on day one hardly leave my room, just sitting at the desk, and writing, while staring at the Eifel Tower and the Arc. It doesn’t get any better than that, I assure you or those who have the same feeling about Paris. Day two I force myself to leave the room, and venture down Champ des Élysée, just strolling towards the gardens, eventually ending up at the Louvre. I always go down inside the main entrance area, and walk about the shops. Just in case you are wondering, I’ve been to the museum countless times, so on my most recent trips to Paris, I decided not to go inside the salons (Salle) to view the artwork, and fascinating artifacts and such. There is a shop right behind the information booth, I realized on this visit, that it was closed, boarded …