“Are You Happy Now? The New Science of Happiness and Wellbeing,” Stanford University convened a panel of psychologists, neuroscientists and business experts to discuss what makes people happy. Their message: Pursuing meaning in one’s life is the key to establishing sustained happiness. I stumbled upon the “Stanford Roundtable 2013″ discussion on happiness last month on […]
A perfectly roast chicken is plump, juicy, with crispy, well-seasoned skin, and is the ultimate comfort food. Yes, you can buy rotisserie chickens at the grocery store (sometimes for cheaper) that are quite good (I do sometimes, too) but nothing compares to the absolute loveliness of a home-roasted bird. This is how you say “I […]
Yes, healthy frosting does exist! Greek yogurt is a great alternative to using butter as a base for frosting. It is thick, creamy and has a wonderful tangy taste that can be enhanced by adding just a little honey, sugar and vanilla. Healthy Frosting using Greek Yogurt Start with about a cup of Greek yogurt. […]
Making an authentic king cake is a lot of work, and if I’m going to be totally honest… I’ve never really loved the results. We got home from a road trip 2 days before Mardi Gras, so I had to pull off a quick and easy family party. Everything was easy and we had a […]
Happy Mardi Gras, friends! It may be just a rainy Tuesday here in California, but we’re lettin’ the good times roll in this house, we LOVE us some Mardi Gras! We pulled out the beads and masks will soon be dancing around to some sweet Dixie Jazz. I always make a big deal at Mardi […]
Everything about making homemade chicken stock is wonderful. You know exactly what’s in it (and what is not), it adds incredible flavor to your dishes, your home smells cozier than Grandma’s, and it is very, very easy. I roast a lot of chickens, therefore I make a great deal of chicken stock. Freeze the chicken […]
Chicken tortilla soup is a favorite around our house, the kids love to pick out their “fix-in’s” and I love to make a simple meal from leftovers that will last a few more days. This soup warms the soul on a dreary winter day and is filling enough to be a hearty meal. Roast […]
“A burn day waits for no one”, says Lia. “I’ll bring the hotdogs!” Or, actually Joel will when he comes down for a lunch break. Now that we’ve had a little rain, and Calfire is permitting limited burn days, it is time to finally get some winter clean-up done. The kids spent the entire day […]
We’ve been crouching down and looking low for the tiniest signs of spring. Here on the mountain, spring comes late… about 6 weeks behind the valleys of the Bay Area. The gray days of a long winter can get a little depressing, so we eagerly search for Mother Nature’s tender sprouts of new life. The […]
Have you been to the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco? They say it is one of the top 10 parades in the world! I have been many times in my life and I assure you it is worth every effort to get there. The floats, the bands, the children performing in Chinese costumes, […]