Every-once-in-a-while, Lydia and I have the same day off. Most often it happens to be a weekend day, and there are all the weekend tasks to manage that don’t get managed during the week. This week, we fortuitously had a week day off together. And somehow it just didn’t feel…
Over the holidays a friend brought us a Hanukkah gift of some fantastic Mirasol red pepper bisque. I don’t know what he put in it, but it really was fantastic, and I was inspired to try my own. Now, I normally like a little more substance to my soup. Because really, how are…
Every year my Mom’s family has their annual Christmas soup supper, and I of course have to bring something different every year. Partly because I like to try new things, and partly because dairy and I don’t get along, and generally all the soups provided are loaded with dairy of…
It’s getting near to Christmas. And we all have our traditions that help us remember the holiday and what it stands for. Even if it isn’t a religious thing for you, if nothing else, it is a time for family and friends, and probably some fun traditions. So whether it’s…
One of my go to dishes at our favorite local Mexican restaurant is their Cochinita Pibil. I enjoy it almost every time we go there. I only learned what it was from watching a Robert Rodriguez film where Johnny Depp’s character orders the dish everywhere he goes. In the DVD extras,…
Several years ago, the economy tanked, thousands of people lost their jobs, including Lydia and me. Lydia had been working as the Community Relations Manager for Barnes & Noble for several years and was making decent money. I had been working as a commercial escrow assistant for several years for…
I have always been a fan of stew. Maybe it is that whole one pot meal thing, but I like the variety of flavors all melding into one. Anytime I make it, the whole house smells fantastic. I don’t know that I make it regularly, but maybe semi-regularly. But I…
This week is all about Thanksgiving. And, as I already shared my pumpkin pie secrets, I am going to share another secret, albeit not my own. Sweet potatoes are a given at Thanksgiving whether you like them or not. I’ll be honest, I was a picky eater as a kid,…
‘Tis pumpkin season. Thanksgiving is moving our way, and one of the only things I feel like I make well for Thanksgiving, is pumpkin pie. I actually made my first pumpkin pie when I was living in Russia way back when. Some friends and I decided we were going to…
So, once upon a time I was living in Russia, and a friend there asked me my thoughts on the power of music. That question is one that still regularly comes back to me. I am not a musician, and I don’t have a great understanding of music theory. I…