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I love people who are passionate about food. So when I recently read Jenna Weber's blog Eat.Live.Run about making a home-made peach pie I felt inspired to try her recipe. She has a way of writing that just makes you want to be there in the kitchen with her, baking side-by-side. Jenna is a super popular, 26 year old blogger. I first discovered her when she was a contestant for the wine blogger job at Murphy-Goode . I watched some of the videos people had submitted for the job and something about her personality and style made me want to see more. That was over a year ago. Since then she's moved from the East coast to Northern California. She did not get the Murphy-Goode job, but she got a job at Michel-Schlumberger. She moved to Healdsburg, and then Santa Rosa. She wrote about oatmeal every day for months (she almost lost me in this phase), and she rode a bike in a 100 mile race. She started dating a dude she's nicknamed "Almonzo," (which I find a bit odd)...

You heard it here first. Cheap wine is chic. I'm starting the trend. I'm on a quest to find decent wine that is less than ten bucks. And when I mean decent, I actually mean good wine. Wine that tastes good and doesn't give you a headache in the morning. We should all be able to enjoy the things we love without breaking the bank. So since I love wine, I'm going to find great wine that I can have with great home cooked meals. I know there are great, inexpensive wines out there. I just have to find them. So we can all be très chic!  The key is finding wine that won't give me a headache. I had some cheap wine last Friday afternoon (Rex Goliath Pinot Grigio) that gave me the WORST headache Saturday morning. It really bummed me out and made me wonder why some wines give you a headache and some don't. And why is it usually the cheap wines? Some say it's the tannen. Some say you didn't drink enough water. I don't know. I'm no scientist. All I know is...

Yesterday was Elli's first day of school. She was a little bit nervous in the morning. More excited than scared. But didn't really want to eat breakfast which is huge for her. She always wakes up starving. She couldn't wear the special new outfit she had picked out for the first day because it was 100 degrees out and a plaid FLANNEL shirt with leggings would not be comfortable. We had a ten minute argument discussion about this. As you can see from the photo - - I won.  She was bummed. But she got over it the minute she stepped outside. Elli on the first day of 4th grade. Nice tattoos Elli. She wanted to make sure we got to school early so she could see all her friends. We arrived at 8:05 (school starts at 8:30) and there were a million cars everywhere. We had to park a mile away. Well not really, but it felt like it. It was awesome to see how many moms and dads were there with their kids. Our parent participation is huge. I guess it's not like this eve...

I love fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato and basil salad. Don is not a fan of this type of salad. So I made one for myself last weekend when he was gone. I thought this was very nice of me. It's one of those things that I'll order in a restaurant, but never make at home. But since we're not eating out much anymore I never have the chance to eat it. What's wrong with him anyway? What's not to love? So here's my yummy little salad. Apparently I made a big faux pas and drizzled balsamic vinegar all over it. I like it this way. But according to the food snob on Epicurious it should only be a drizzle of olive oil. Vinegar will destroy the taste of the cheese. Oh well. I like it drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar - and according to the reviews I read on Epicurious I'm not alone. A lot of us like it this way. Ha! Whomever wrote the recipe on  Epicurous is a big-time food snob. It goes back to 1996. Perhaps it's time they updated this post. Yummy tomatoes, ...

Last weekend Don and Elli went camping without me. For those of you who know me, you know I'm not a camper. I'm not really nature girl. But that's not why I didn't go camping. I had a meeting in Sacramento on Friday and I had already promised our neighbor we would cat sit while she was away. So Don and Elli left on Thursday to camp somewhere near Kirkwood ski resort with 3 other families. There would be 5 girls, all good friends. Elli was so excited she could hardly stand it. It would be her first time camping. View from Kirkwood ski resort. We borrowed a tent from one of the families who had recently upgraded tents. Elli wanted to pitch it in our living room and test it out. But Don reassured her he knew how to set up a tent - that they would be fine setting it up once they got to the camp. At 4pm on Thursday I learned I was not going to Sacramento on Friday. It was too late to make any changes. Don and Elli were gone. So I guess I would be home alone all wee...

hmmm. Frugal Living Community - Frugal is the new black. That sounds depressing. Something about the word frugal just doesn't work for me. Frugal. It reminds me of someone old, grumpy, gray, plain, simple, uninteresting, traditional, and boring. I do not associate one positive happy word with the word frugal. I even have a sad face when I say it. Go ahead, say it out loud. Froooogal. Ick. I don't like it. The phrase "Frugal is the new black." is referring to a new trend. Then and now. I get it. I just don't like it. And I don't really want to be part of it. Unfortunately, I am part of it big time. We are living more frugally now than ever before. We still have a long way to go to really learn how to live frugally. But we're getting there. I wish they called it "Smart Living Community" where frugal is the new black. That would work much better for me. Because smart is a happier word than frugal. I know. I just need to accept it. And t...

Who do your kids look up to and consider a role model? Elli idolizes some of the kids she sees on TV. But she really looks up to some of the women she has met from hanging out with me and Don at work. Elli came to work with us a lot this summer. As in, she was with one of us almost every day. So she got to know a lot of my colleagues and our customers at the store. Her summer break is about 10 weeks long. She went to camp for three weeks. And spent the remaining 7 weeks with us. It's been a long summer. She's been a real trooper through it all. And so has Don. Since she was with him most of the time. She created a fort at the store under our big table in the showroom where she could hang out. She went on appointments with Don and got to know a lot of his great customers. Thank goodness they all like kids and dogs because we are a real family-friendly company. One of his customers even sent home a goody bag for Elli with little trinkets she had collected from her travels a...

In my fantasy life I am decked out in all the latest fashions. In reality, I'm wearing the same things I bought in 2005 and I'm trying to make myself look stylish and current. The new Garnet Hill Catalog has tips sprinkled throughout called TREND WATCH . Love this! Quick little tips on how to be current and now. Yeah! Tell me what I need to know so I don't look like a dork. Eileen Fisher dress @ GarnetHill.com TIP #1 - Equestrian Style. As in super cool boots. I have really nice brown suede Cole Haan boots I bought a few years ago that I love. Excellent. TIP #2 - The "feel good" factor. Fabrics that feel good like cashmere. Check. Got that too. TIP #3 - Eco-conscious style. Hmmmm. Not buying anything new that was made eco-friendly. But I suppose wearing what you have IS eco conscious. So I'm good here. As long as it's not the blazer with shoulder pads from 1991. TIP #4 - The cinched waist. I can do this. But oh, it's not nearly as comf...

Yesterday we celebrated Elli's 8th "Gotcha Day." It's a very special day in our family - it's the day she was adopted and became part of our family. We always do something to celebrate family, and her Chinese heritage. We read through the diary that I kept when we were in China and looked through old pictures when she was a baby. Someday Don will edit our video. It's a monumental task. But I'd love to see it. We went into San Francisco and had dinner at House of Nanking . Then went and had frozen yogurt at her favorite yogurt place. When we got home we gave her two gifts that we bought for her when we were in China. The first was a hand-painted sun umbrella. And the second was a paper fish kite that is really cool, and incredibly fragile. We'll see how long it lasts. Don and I count our blessings everyday that Elli is in our family. She brightens our lives when everything else seems to be falling apart around us. Lili Smith (Elli's f...

Did you know that people have been debating the proper way to make a Nicoise Salad for decades? I know, can you believe it. (ha, just kidding) It's been the topic of conversation with chefs, critics and foodies for a very long time. I had no idea until now. I read an article in the September issue of Wine Enthusiast about the "real" way to make Salad Nicoise. Certain people say the salad must not have any cooked elements, the tomatoes must be quartered, the original recipe doesn't include lettuce, and the biggest debate of all is around the tuna - canned tuna or seared Ahi tuna. According to the author, David Rosengarten, it's not really a Nicoise salad unless you use canned tuna. Really? Really???? That's dedication to a salad. Whoa. It's a salad people! So it got me thinking. What does it mean to be an authentic recipe? I get what it means to authenticate a painting or a gold coin. But how do you authenticate a recipe? It's possible we have the...

Last Sunday Don and I were relaxing in the living room. I was typing away on my computer, as usual, and Don was watching something on National Geographic . I wasn't watching. It was just noise in the background. When suddenly Bentley, our little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, started barking and growling at the TV. What the heck? "Don, what is he barking at?" I say.  "The TV. He's barking at the dogs on TV." Ha! He was actually watching TV. He was mesmerized by the action. His head and eyes were following the dog from left to right, and when they barked, he barked. Too funny. Now Don has someone to watch animal shows with. Look at this sweet little face. Now picture him growling and barking at these cute dogs and kids!! They were watching a show called And Man Created Dog on National Geographic. Don loves these shows. Actually Don likes any and all shows with animals - dogs, sharks, whales - he's kind of obsessed. So Bentley has plenty of op...

I heart bacon. Have you ever tried to cook bacon without eating any? OK, maybe those of you that don't eat bacon can resist. (But you wouldn't be cooking it anyway.) For those of that eat bacon - it is nearly impossible to keep your hands off the bacon bits. And for those of you that don't eat bacon - what's up with that?  If it's for religious reasons I would petition someone to change the "rules" and ban liver or lima beans. Banning bacon is just cruel. You'll never experience a spinach salad with crispy bacon bits, a fillet wrapped with bacon, a BLT with fresh heirloom tomato, crisp lettuce and bacon, bacon wrapped scallops, bacon wrapped shrimp, chocolate and bacon cupcakes, a triple decker club sandwich, or a basic cheese omelet with crispy bacon strips on the side. Maple Bacon Bar @Voodoo Doughnut I even saw a donut on TV recently with bacon. Voodoo Doughnut shop in Oregon makes a donut called the Maple Bacon Bar. It's a yeast donu...

We ran out of napkins a few weeks ago so I pulled out some cloth napkins I have until I went to the store. Then I realized that I like using cloth napkins. Something about using pretty cloth napkins just feels fancy and special. Even if you're just eating cereal. We toss them in the laundry room when we're done. They get laundered with all our other laundry. We're not throwing anything away.  They fold nicely and are stored in our napkin holder just like the old paper napkins. It's better for the planet. And frankly, they are much nicer to use than paper, so it's a win-win. So this got me thinking. How about paper towels? We have a ton of dish cloths and towels. Maybe we can get rid of them too. So we're giving it a try. We'll see how it goes. So far it's fine. Since I'm on a roll (ha, ha) what else can get I rid of that just gets thrown away?   Ziplocks. Check. They are pretty much gone from our house. I use the gallon size bags to ...

I don't know about you, but I don't wash anything by hand. Everything goes in the dishwasher. Glasses, plates, pots, pans, knives, wooden spoons, Everything. Ok. 95% of it goes in the dishwasher. The only things I don't put in the dishwasher are my wooden cutting boards, my cookie sheets (because they don't fit) and certain metal pans because it does something weird to the metal, so they have to be hand washed. Bottomline, I stink at washing dishes. So I count on my dishwasher and the detergent to get those dishes clean. For years, and years, and years, I used Cascade dishwashing soap and had squeeky clean dishes all the time. Then all the organic and earth friendly products started getting introduced so I switched to the Bright Green brand of dishwasher soap. It felt like the right thing to do. All was well for a while. Then I started noticing that my drinking glasses were getting cloudy. The glasses looked terrible - all spotty and streaky. Just awful. So I add...

I recently read a blog someone wrote about how much stuff we have in our cabinets (kitchen and bath) that if you actually went through it all - as in used everything - you could save yourself a ton of money. She has a good point. We often buy new things because we're tired of what we already have. Or we buy something new because we have plans to do something with that ingredient, say Molasses or old fashioned oatmeal and corn meal. But then never actually make anything with it, or only use a little and there it sits in the pantry. I usually find this random stuff with an expiration date way past it's prime. So it goes in the trash. So I've decided to do start using what I have to make stuff. And the goal is to find recipes where I have all the ingredients on hand. I have a new jar of molasses, 1/2 container of old fashioned oats and 3 containers of corn meal. I do believe we have some muffins and cornbread in our future!! So that's how we get Gingerbread Cookies i...