A perfect storm of arrogance, insecurity, compassion and humor, I often go too far, am too nice, too cocky, or pay too much attention, to everything. It never goes well when I reach that point, the run screaming from the room point, which I once believed to be only a metaphor. I first suspected menopause…
Sesame Ginger Sriracha Cilantro Mint Basil with SEV!
This is a great salad. For two months out of the year we have a very hot house so we eat salads and everyone from Louisiana knows that spices can cool you down. I love this salad. The Dressing 1/2 cup oil3-4 Tbsp sweetener (brown sugar, honey, maple syrup or stevia)2 Tbsp finely grated ginger1/4…
Chili Crisp
Is it sweet or hot? Surprising or comforting? Crisped onions, garlic, flaked chilies teased with brown sugar, ginger, soy, anise … whatever spice you like. Creamy sauces, cheese, toothy bread become more with a drizzle of this stuff. Keep in the fridge for two weeks, but you’ll use it up by then. Try it, adjust…
Knitting with pencils
Okay, so it was actually ball point pens. Blue ones. I learned to knit last fall. The whole idea appealed to me. The color and texture of the yarn and the needles, the gifts I could make for people, stitch by stitch, to make them feel special. Once I was knitting, however, the whole process…
Methinks I am undone.
how writing a fantasy novel is an epic adventure in itself When the pandemic hit, my employer made me stay home with pay for 6 weeks before returning full time. I knew this was not a situation which was likely to happen again so I decided to try and double down on my effort to…
How dreams may actually work
OR, HOW TO MAKE THE BEST COLD DRIP COFFEE When you want to tackle your dreams or, say, unleash your inner gryphon for a bit, a spot of caffeine may be just the toe hold you need to launch into the air. FIRST, the surprisingly simple recipe with no expensive equipment necessary: In a clean…
not your everyday lunch salad
When you have a day job, you only have so much free time. To minimize the time I spend thinking about logistics, I do things like tie my keys to my belt loop, try to keep things in the same place and almost always have the same thing for lunch. After lo these many years…
A roundabout way.
I recently bought my first BCP. We had a copy of the Book of Common Prayer in the house years ago, but I can’t find it. My husband liberated it from an Episcopal church in Athens, Georgia about the time R.E.M. and the B52s were finding their feet. The only book I recall taking without…
A Less Ersatz Banh Mi
For the last couple of years, we’ve been trying to eat less meat. One of the places I missed meat most was in sandwiches. The problem is texture. Most meat dishes can’t be replicated because the texture isn’t right. During a visit to our eldest in NYC, we walked over the Brooklyn Bridge (God bless…
Ultraman, at middle-age
At 7 in the morning recently, while my tea was steeping, I was on the rug in front of the stove doing that exercise where you extend one arm and the opposite leg out into space, change sides then repeat. My husband barked a tiny laugh and said, “You look like Ultraman.” “But with one…