Aug 9, 2012
Jul 22, 2012
Maine
I was blueberry picking in Maine last week. Hidden Pond Resort in Kennebunkport has little blueberry bushes all over the resort and a large vegetable garden, they allow their guests to forage in. I really enjoy it and I hope it will be a newly popular trend at hotels and resorts worldwide. I've been to only one other resort, Carneros Inn, Napa Valley California, where this is a hotel amenity. Maine was lovely btw even though it was mostly a business trip. I hope you are enjoying the fruits of the season wherever you are.
Jun 19, 2012
House Tour
time for a house tour, this is our house in new england, connecticut coastal woodland. i've been slowly puttering and decorating and gardening since we moved in 5 years ago. this is our most traditional house so far, which i found challenging in a completely new way. i love to mix the old and the new and i am pleased it's finally coming together.
our prior house, on the west coast, was modern and colorful, overlooking san francisco bay and the golden gate. this one is opposite house in so many ways. coasts, style, setting, a more grown-up house since the kids are now teens. it's good to have new challenges, different problems to solve. when decorating, i like to work slow because it is more affordable, and i think you get a better result if you collect things over time. i am always rearranging things, revising, improving little by little. this allows me to take advantage of great finds when i travel or happen upon a great deal. understand the space and light a bit better. my favorite things about this house are the five fireplaces. not much use in the summer i'm afraid, but i so love having them the rest of the year. i always dreamed of having a dining room with a fireplace, and that one came true in this house. it turns out this particular fireplace puts out way way too much heat to dine comfortably, and if you sit by the fireplace with the fire roaring, you quickly feel a prickly heat and a sudden fear you might be roasting to death. (if you look closely in the dining room picture you can see one side of the table is practically in the fireplace.) a smaller fireplace or a bigger dining room would might solve the problem, maybe in the next house. my best advice on decorating is take it slow, don't rush in, live with the space a while.
Jun 17, 2012
May 24, 2012
completely tumbled
it's been a while. to be honest, i've been completely tumbled. hooked on tumblr that is. been having loads of fun looking at art and artists from all over the world. sharing images. very inspiring. and sending me in this direction is the simple fact i've sort of lost interest in food since i became newly allergic to dairy products last winter. without cheese, milk, butter, cream, i've found i'd rather not think about food too much. the adjustment to diet and menu has me flummoxed most days.
i have had some great successes. for example, it turns out that oatmeal chocolate chip cookies made with palm oil are just as, if not more, delicious than ones made with butter. really. recipe coming soon. the texture, all light and crispy, is phenomenal. and presumably better for you health-wise. vegan lasagna and vegan ravioli were not winners on any scale. on the plus side soy milk makes a great substitute for yogurt in a smoothie. but otherwise cheese-less pizza is okay. tacos and burritos are fine. japanese, thai, chinese and vietnamese foods never had dairy in the first place. plenty of diary free chocolate out there in all shapes and sizes. so all the news is not too bad.
it's all about changing habits. until i can adjust completely i am taking things slow in the kitchen. of course i'm still living with 3 cheese heads, people who can still eat dairy, so i'm the anomaly, which adds to the alien terrain. all i can say is i'm working on it.
in the meantime, there is always tumblr. check it out.
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