It’s crazy to think that I’ve hit the age where something happened fifteen years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. About that time I was getting on a plane to Mexico for a family emergency with my mom. Having never been to visit her side of the family, I had no idea what
Weekly Love Letter for Friday, November 14th
[ezcol_1half] “Guys, I’m really having a hard time with all of this Christmas stuff everywhere. Commercials, decorations, music…ugh. This is happening even in Tokyo, where they don’t actually celebrate Christmas! I can’t even THINK about it until after Thanksgiving but I feel like I’m the only person alive who feels this way. I’m still savoring
Vanilla Bean and Spiced Pear Hand Pies
I’ve been dying to make hand pies for a while now. There’s just something about individual, hand-held rounds of flaky pastry hiding morsels of sweet fruit and spices that makes me happy. Also, they’re so cute! And you don’t even need to wash a fork!
Weekly Love Letter for Friday, November 7th
[ezcol_1half] “It’s definitely fall here in Tokyo now. The weather has turned chilly (no more random 80 degree days), the sun sets significantly earlier and the leaves are changing. We took a trip farther north to see the spectacular reds of Japanese maples and yellows of gingko trees. They complement elaborate, colorful temples and serene
Fantastic Fall Fizz (a Bourbon and Ginger Ale Cocktail!)
The Fantastic Fall Fizz is apple picking, jumping in leaf piles and hay rides in a glass. For grownups. The warm vanilla and caramel notes of oaky bourbon dominate the drink, while spicy ginger cuts through the sweetness. With a hint of apple and a whisper of cinnamon, and this drink is perfect for cocktail
Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup with Rosemary & Garlic
This recipe takes off-peak tomatoes and roasts them to coax out their sweetness and intensify their flavor. It’s a fall, winter or spring tomato kind of recipe, when they’re not quite sweet or juicy enough to stand on their own. For that reason, we’ll add rosemary and garlic for dimension. And a touch of cream for richness and
DIY Photo (or Place Card!) Holders
Let’s say you just moved to a new job and you love your cubicle neighbors, but your desk is a little sterile. Or, maybe you like to display holiday photos and switch them out on a seasonal basis, but frames make the job more tedious than you’d like. Oooh, OR, you LOVE parties and like
Gruyere Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Sage & Garlic
I’m pretty sure that I’ve never met a grilled cheese sandwich I didn’t like. But there are definitely levels of grilled cheese. There’s the traditional comfort food of Kraft singles on white bread. There are tricked out grilled cheese sandwiches with bacon, avocado or pepperoni. There are sweet versions, like my Brie and fig jam