In the Kitchen, at the Table

6 Jun at 8:19 pm

Oh Horrors! There’s Plastic in Our Salt!

Oh, woe is me. Nothing is sacred. Of all the rituals in one’s life, can you think of another more significant, more central, that goes further back in your life than that of sprinkling salt on your breakfast eggs…your luncheon…

27 May at 7:36 pm

The Apple of Big Dreams

In the Kitchen, at the Table, Musings

Have you discovered the great new American apple, COSMIC CRISP? As one who has grown rare heritage apples—American Colonial, English, French, Russian—and tasted gorgeous apples from all over the world—I’m here to tell you that this seedling conceived in 1997…

18 May at 7:46 pm

A Rewarding Way with Solitaire

Musings

Solitaire. The very word—if I let it—would cast shame… A card game played alone… Why would you play a card game all by yourself? Cards are for playing with friends and cohorts—pals, chums, jolly types. Play cards alone? you’ve got…

6 May at 2:38 pm

The Pleasures of Dining From A Handmade Vessel

Musings

I am spoiled in ever so many ways. Presently in mind as I sip my morning coffee is because of my friend Nan… brilliant artist…inspired ceramicist. Coffee tastes richer sipped from her handmade piercing blue mug with a handfeel of…

26 Apr at 3:22 pm

A Wow of A Light Blueberried Polenta Cake after Deborah Madison’s

From the Past, In the Kitchen, at the Table

Fifteen years ago during my singular Ojai period, I discovered this cake. My 5×5 galley kitchen was minimal—but I did have a portable mixer and a toaster oven wherein I baked this cake. It turned out to be a Wow!…

17 Apr at 1:56 pm

So How Do You Face Derision?

Musings

So how do you face derision? …cuffs to the heart… …arrows to the soul… …misreadings of the essence of your being? Me? At first I tried warmth. Interest. Lovingkindness, even. Please. Get out of my face. Then I tried…no I…

8 Apr at 6:38 pm

A 95th Birthday Party ~ and Taking A Stand

In the Kitchen, at the Table, Taking Stock

Last Sunday, April 6th, my husband turned NINETY-FIVE! Pretty terrific, wouldn’t you say? Bill was eighty when we met and married. I’ve been planning his surprise birthday party for weeks and weeks. “You’re not going to have a party for…

19 Mar at 9:20 pm

The Last Half of How We Spent Saint Patrick’s Day ~ And the Blessings Thereof

Aging Ain’t for Sissies

As this space is intended to be assorted musings about life in one’s eighties, I thought I’d quickly mention what happened to us on Monday’s holiday, as our being old was the salient factor. Bill and I are no longer…

13 Mar at 10:06 pm

Celebrate Spring with A Quintessential Springtime Vegetable Soup

From the Past, In the Kitchen, at the Table

This comes from the time I lived in a converted Spanish-style two-car garage. The space was light and airy, out the front door was a small walled garden enfolding silence and beauty, and next door a rooster welcomed mornings. Perfect…

28 Feb at 7:45 pm

Boxes of Memories

Musings

In honor of this year’s Academy Awards, I thought I’d offer this reminiscence from November 2021. When my mother, Gloria Stuart, was nominated for an Academy Award for playing Old Rose in Titanic, occasionally someone asked, What was it like, growing up with…