Completely unrelated to cooking, I’ve gotten several questions from my friends and followers about how I get my hair to curl so well. I’d love to say I get it done at the salon everyday but that’s far from the truth. Honestly, once I figured out how to do my hair at home, I prefer doing it myself than having a salon touch it. My biggest frustration is when they concentrate on getting my bangs perfectly placed and I end up with over-hair sprayed strings hanging down the side of my face. (more…)
It’s pumpkin season. Not that it wasn’t already made obvious by the Halloween and pumpkin decorations all over the Metro DC area. I’ve finally given in, and treated myself to a pumpkin spice latte (tall, skinny). It’s insane how into pumpkins we are around here! And yet, October would not be complete without a trip to the pumpkin farm. I haven’t been out to the pumpkin farm since I was a kid … and let me tell you, you are never too old to enjoy the hay rides, the face paint, the slides and the hot apple cider. Even in my late 20s, I’m transformed into a small child the minute I get near the pumpkin farm — go figure! (more…)
In December 2010, my mom and I took a mother-daughter vacation in Europe. We took advantage of Christmas break to tour four European countries in the span of two weeks.
We started our adventure in Italy, starting in historic Rome and made our way to Venice and Florence, where we splurged on Italian leather, gelato and espresso. Then we spent some time in Switzerland, mainly Lugano, and Lucerne where we spent Christmas Eve and reveled in Swiss breads, cheese and chocolates. We made our way through the snowy Swiss Alps to Paris, where we spent magical nights at the Eiffel Tower and the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. From Paris, we took the Eurostar to London. We extended our stay to spend New Year’s Eve in Westminster to watch the fireworks on the Thames with the backdrop of the London Eye. It was one of the best vacations I’ve taken. Aside from the historic wonders of each location, we were given the opportunity to try specialty foods in each of the four countries. (more…)
Shakshouka originated in North Africa. For those more geographically-impaired, that would mean the countries of Tunisia, Libya, Algeria and Morocco. It’s also become popular in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, with restaurants in those parts popping up solely to serving up the dish. Shakshouka means “a mixture.” And that’s exactly what this dish is, it’s a delicious mix of tomatoes, peppers, eggs and cheese. (more…)
Every year it seems like the seasons change too quickly for me to keep up. It had to be late July when everyone seemed to be excited for the fall. I hadn’t even had my fill of the summer when I started getting pre-fall sale emails featuring sweaters and jackets. And then, once September rolls around, the pools close and kids go back to school and all of a sudden we’ve skipped August altogether and moved straight into pumpkin-everything season.
It’s early September and it’s still 80 degrees out in DC – warm enough for the pools to stay open, but who am I to make the rules. And yet, Starbucks has already started selling their pumpkin spice lattes! There we go skipping all of September and jumping straight into October. Some of my friends have already started picking up said pumpkin spice lattes on their way to work … but I refuse to let go of the summer and indulge in my favorite fall coffee until it’s at least cool enough to strut a sweater and my boots. (more…)
There are a few times a year when it seems almost obligatory to BBQ – either BBQ yourself or attend one. And those times are Memorial Day weekend, July 4, and Labor Day weekend. That’s not to say you can’t BBQ all summer long, if you so desire. But it’s around those holidays that you see the grocery stores pull all their grilling items to the front of the store so you can’t miss the charcoal, the sodas and the chips and dip. (more…)
