My love affair with radishes began when I was six years old and pulled my first baby radish from our city prairie garden. The green leaves popped early, their tiny tips of red tinge bursting warm though the hard dirt. I tugged at the leafy stem. Once out, it looked like a tiny red carrot. … Continue reading
Olivia started it with a gift of a beautiful Spanish fan and a pair of fine leather Spanish gloves. A vial of Spanish saffron from Laura and Miguel with the promise of Miguel’s Paella recipe…. A red and black Spanish apron from Nancy and John with more polka-dots and ruffles than a Carmen Miranda movie! … Continue reading
I am working on the final draft of my book in progress, Italian Handful. I went to the Art Institute Chicago where I could sit in the Ryerson and Burnham library (very silent and the seats have cushions) to read my manuscript undistracted, cover to cover, both feet on the ground, without a pen to … Continue reading
On January 2,2011 I received this notice from WordPress.com. I am thrilled. I wanted to share it with you and thank you for your support: “The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health: The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads WOW. Crunchy … Continue reading
I had a dream of salmon cupcakes floating in the sky. Why??? Hot salmon cupcakes floating in the sky… Delicious, fun and airy, improves your brain, skin, heart and eye! Salmon is rich in Omega-3’s—and studies have shown: “Your mother was right: Fish is brain food. The omega-3’s from fish and fish oil, reduce the … Continue reading
What to say to a Paul Klee In The Magic Mirror day? Red hot and frazzled? Klee calls this “taking a line for a walk.” And what about her tiny blackened heart? Disillusionment? The center of creativity? I take full responsibility for where my thoughts go on the page, but the Muse is another story…and … Continue reading
Tara called and said, “Jump on a train, we’ll try some new recipes and enjoy my garden. We’ll start with Spring Rolls.” I’ve never made Spring Rolls. Alongside the flowers in planters… Tara planted herbs, which we used in the spring rolls. Tara did the cooking. I took pictures, ate, talked, listened and learned. First … Continue reading
Guts. Guts, an American word, a weird word that says so much but sounds and looks ugly. An intrinsic word, indelicate, it’s meaning lost on no one. A good parent or writer needs guts. AKA— courage, pluck, or a high aptitude for risk. I have guts. I say I’m a risk taker, without the poker … Continue reading
My mother told me long ago to travel while “you can still climb the stairs.” She was talking about Europe’s cathedrals and Rome, but I heed her words. Spiraling up Costa Rica’s Guanacaste tree to the zip-line platform over the rain forest, Torrey Pines Beach State Park”s trail traversing to the ocean, the surfer steps … Continue reading
Spring in Chicago brings out the grills. Although, many Chicagoans bundled in jackets, boots and gloves never put their grills away, the sit-outside-season starts with the first sunny-over-60°-day or the onset of the Cubs and White Sox home games. John and Nancy have their garden started under-wraps and the grill going as they bounce on … Continue reading
Italian Handful 