Year: 2019

Sunday Edition – Grab A Cup of Coffee and Read On

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Don’t you love it, that over the course of the week you make plans for the weekend, and by the time Saturday rolls around, you find yourself lingering in bed, or even getting a slow start to organizing a breakfast outside of an energy bar, or a fruit or a yogurt you grab on your way out the door every single day of the week? Well, that happened to me on Saturday to the point, I stayed in my pajamas and vegged out. I guess my body needed to recoup from something – perhaps the winter blues – or just the fact, I spent a month away from home in December travelling and haven’t yet recovered. This morning, while sitting perched with my back  against my pillows in bed, tapping on my iPad at a paint-by-numbers app I downloaded, hoping to calm my anxiety, which it does, I started thinking about a few topics – which ironically fit in line with a novel I’ve been  working on in a much slower pace than I care …

Food: In Search Of Olive Oil and Lemon Cake

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I had a recipe a decade ago that I seem to have misplaced. It was a simple cake, baked in one round pan and no frosting. I mean who really needs frosting? Not Europeans and not me, especially if the cake is the best of flavors combined. A few days ago, while in an assembly belt style restaurant, where you pass by a dozen dishes and pick and choose what your eyes think your stomach can handle, and end up ordering too much – sort of place. But it was organic, freshly made variety of proteins, and side dishes, and very creative salads which changes using seasonal veggies and fruits. So, I queued up, and with my eyes opened wide, and my mouth-watering, ordered more than I needed to and by the time I reached the cash register, I noticed a lemon cake made with olive oil and I pointed to the very slice I wanted – making the person behind the counter laugh at my reaction of pure joy. The cake was good enough, …

Decor: A House on A Lake

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I have been tossing around the idea of buying a house, not a big one, but rather a one or two bedroom chalet with views of Lake Thun in Switzerland or Lake Como, in Italy, and when I do, the renovations would lean towards modern, with windows so grand, to take in all of the surrounding views: For more lake side living and home renovations – go here {article photo source}

Food: Dinner Tonight – Chicken Soup With Orzo Included

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On Monday, I announced to my family that I would be making chicken soup for dinner – except, when I got home from work, I realized I did not have the chicken broth in the cupboard as I imagined I did while on the commuter train. And since then, I’ve been too lazy to go to the supermarket and get the one important ingredient to make the soup I’d been craving for four days now. Yes, I do know I can make my own chicken broth simply by using the water the chicken was boiled in, which I do. But store bought chicken brought adds just the right zing or heartiness my taste buds crave. So, to the supermarket after work it is and home to make this delicious version of chicken soup: INGREDIENTS 2 chicken breasts (about 1 pound) kosher salt and black pepper 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 8-12 large cloves of garlic, smashed (use to your taste) 6 carrots, chopped  {my go to is parsnip, I prefer the taste more}  1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves kosher salt and …

Decor: Orange Is The Old and The New

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During the winter months I crave color – orange is one I’ve come full circle  – in 2002 decorating my bedroom in burnt orange and other lighter hues perfectly extended to throughout other parts of the house, which at the time worked well with the Tuscan exterior style, track home we purchased in Sacramento. Since then, I’ve toned down my colors to more shabby chic tones – grays, stone, ivory, sage, and light blue, as I mentioned here. But while making my rounds on Saturday to here, here, and here, I realize I may need to incorporate an orange accent pillow with my colors scheme. And this one will do just fine to achieve the above bedding ensemble And in case you are equally interested in orange – but not necessarily for the bedroom – here are some great ideas to consider. {photo source}

Wednesday Topics of Interest Or At Least I Think So

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I have to admit; I am loving the downpour in the city. Especially in the early morning hours, where I am forced to wake up, thanks to my aging dog, who needs to eat at 0400 – otherwise all hell will break loose with him screaming – it feels like to a sleeping human. But I don’t mind really. I love the early hours in the day, where there isn’t a sound outside my window except for the gentle rustling of the leaves and the lulling sounds of the ocean. The house is even quieter, except for a few seconds, when the thermostat kicks in.  As usual, I feed my dog, and switch on the coffee machine and then crawl back into bed, and I lay there for a bit, obeying the quiet, until my mind wanders off to – this particular morning remembering a decade ago in Austria. Where my hubs and I, with luggage in tow, in the very late hours of the night, walked in the pouring rain, from the train station …

Lifestyle: Where Would You Celebrate A Milestone Anniversary

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The bigger question is where would you celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary or a birthday? I am a firm believer that milestone birthdays and anniversaries should be spent in style. I am not one who likes parties, so a private getaway with my family is the perfect celebration. I guess I am taking a survey as to where that celebration would be for you?

Food: Cauliflower in Full Bloom

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I ordered a side of cauliflower the other day while lunching with a friend at Stanford Shopping Mall. We were aiming for a quick bite since we each had other engagements to attend in the evening. So we walked into my favorite eatery and in addition to a fried chicken sandwich, which I highly recommend, I opted for steamed cauliflower, which I didn’t realize until I took a bite, it was curry flavored. I don’t know about you, but although I love curry mixed with veggies, and some form of protein, I don’t care for it on cauliflower. Since cauliflower has a unique taste and one it takes time getting used to, adding the wrong flavors tend to play tricks on your taste buds and curry with cauliflower is just not the best of combo in my opinion based on decades of enjoying my family’s Mediterranean cuisine . But that’s me. You might think otherwise and that’s perfectly fine. But since Saturday, I’ve craved cauliflower, grilled to perfection in the oven and tossed around or …