Composting is the latest rage- en vogue if you will, kinda like having the urban chicken coop. Some folks I know have been doing it for as long as I can remember, hardly trendy- just plain smart, eco-friendly and easy. My parents (both sets of them) have fabulous composting systems that dubiously feed their prolific gardens year after year. Many of my friends now also have their own systems some of which are simply acting as a decomposition factory for natural waste, not necessarily going back into food production. Some have been hand-fashioned out of wood and chicken wire or old up-cycled city trash bins with the bottoms cut off and some are the fancy version available at hardware stores and on line. Our friends in faraway lands just prefer to dig a big hole in the backyard, dump all the stuff in and hope for the best. Continue reading →

Today was my second day cooking for my new client Bella. The contrast between cooking for a client who could potentially be dissatisfied or demanding if something is not quite right and cooking for a family who is fighting for the life of their precious daughter and appreciates every little thing is staggering. Now I have to say that the pressures of cooking for my clients and their dissatisfaction comes more from my own standards of perfection than from theirs. For the most part I have been blessed with amazing clients to cook for and it is a wonderful way to make a living; doing something that I love that also nourishes others. What I am getting at is that the experience of cooking for Bella and her family is one of pure joy for me, completely unencumbered by perfectionism and my critical mind. Continue reading →

I had a phone call today that could possibly change my life, a phone call that could possibly bestow me the opportunity to change the life of others. Early this morning when it was just barely light I read an inquiry posted in an online community newsletter called Just Ask Boo. A local woman had written requesting any advise and information on a service that could help her provide organic, vegetarian, vegan and sugar free meals for her family of four while they fight the third bout of cancer of their 9 year old daughter Bella. I emailed the mother immediately. She called me within an hour. Continue reading →

AAAAaaahhhhhh so long overdue this post is. The holidays and “real” work got the better of me and I have sadly neglected my cyber outlet. The bright side of this is that I have been cooking a ton and truly enjoying myself. I have had new clients, cooked holiday feasts for work and for pleasure and eaten quite a bit of delicious food…and I cannot seem to stop. One of my favorite new recipes is Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Bread that is to die for if I do say so myself and still appropriate despite the passing of the pumpkin holidays. There have been days that I did not leave the house even and did nothing but hang out in my kitchen with my new kitty Isabel, listen to classical music and “work”. In fact my house and kitchen have had such a hold on me that sometimes I have trouble leaving…although I have loved it, I am not sure that this is a good thing. After all I am a bit too young to be the agoraphobic cat lady who only leaves to buy provisions. At least I have this portal so that if it becomes too bad I can shout for help! Continue reading →

Thanksgiving was wonderful…so much to be thankful for! We had a house full of special friends (when I say “houseful” I mean 5 including us but our place is small and it was full of great energy!), no drama or stress and more food than you can imagine…plenty of reasons to be grateful. The food turned out amazing if I do say so myself especially amazing was the Brussels Sprout Salad with Brown Butter Hazelnut Vinaigrette that came to me at the last minute.  Continue reading →