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Spotted: The First Peonies of the Year
Published on 2012-05-18 09:00:49
I took this picture two weeks ago and have been waiting for the right time to bust it out here. Maybe when I didn’t have anything to say I could just plop this in, or when I’d taken a truly unfortunate-looking picture of something that was actually delicious I could just show you some pretty [...] > read more
Bits and Bobs
Published on 2012-05-11 08:52:44
1. This quote really makes me want to read a novel by Anne Michaels (a new discovery for me). (via) 2. In my bright fantasy kitchen with white subway tile and tons of sunlight, this country farmhouse enamel bakeware fits right in. 3. This lipstick, Heat Wave by Nars, is the surprise of the year [...] > read more
Template Cooking
Published on 2012-05-07 08:58:39
Things in the kitchen have been going uncharacteristically well. In the past, I’ve put a lot of pressure on dinner to transform my days and have stood in deli sections of grocery stores having near meltdowns about what to cook. But lately, I’m happy to report, the matter of dinner has been shockingly easy. You [...] > read more
Currently Obsessed: The House of Eliott
Published on 2012-05-02 08:42:42
It couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. Imagine a free, rainy afternoon brightened by a red envelope appearing in the mailbox, The House of Eliott tucked inside. This show, set in 1920s London, is one of the last BBC shows filmed on video, and you just have to get past that. It looks [...] > read more
Amy Gerstler
Published on 2012-04-30 08:25:35
“In Perpetual Spring” Gardens are also good places to sulk. You pass beds of spiky voodoo lilies and trip over the roots of a sweet gum tree, in search of medieval plants whose leaves, when they drop off turn into birds if they fall on land, and colored carp if they plop into water. Suddenly [...] > read more
Giveaway: At Home on the Range
Published on 2012-04-26 21:50:01
This cookbook, originally published in 1947, is so delightful that its origin story is a mere cherry on top. Elizabeth Gilbert was up in her attic, finally unpacking boxes in a new home, when she unearthed a book by her great-grandmother. Gilbert writes in the introduction: Of course, I’d seen the book on family bookshelves, [...] > read more
On Turning 30
Published on 2012-04-23 08:54:43
I turned thirty last week, which felt like a very big deal in the months leading up to it, and then just like a wonderful thing that happened as soon as it happened. Any big life events–weddings, promotions, babies, round birthdays–arrive with a certain amount of pressure tagging along behind. In this moment, which somehow [...] > read more
Spring Uniform: Work and Play
Published on 2012-04-13 08:59:01
I think my style is progressing backwards. Right after college, one of my dear friends got a job at American Apparel. I remember sitting on my stoop talking to him on the phone about our low-paying jobs, and asking him what I needed from his new gig. “You’re kind of beyond t-shirts,” he said. And [...] > read more
Run On Playlist
Published on 2012-04-06 08:18:12
Discovering I liked hip hop last summer was like tasting ice cream for the first time. This came during a stretch of time where I was dipping my toe into all kids of newness (swimming lessons, playing guitar) that made a life of same old, same old feel wondrously new and fresh again. Despite creaky [...] > read more
Spring Air, and Blossoms
Published on 2012-03-30 09:12:50
photo: raceytay The spring air has been like a character in my life this week, like a messenger. It started to follow me first on Monday, a bright, cold, wind-whipping day. I trudged up a long tunnel of an avenue to get a bowl of spring soup: sweet peas and feathery dill tucked among dark, [...] > read more
What Are Your Favorite Books for Spring?
Published on 2012-03-26 08:30:21
I spent the better part of a lazy weekend in bed reading Come to the Edge. It was one of those rare I-can’t-put-it-down books with the added appeal of being about first love, complete with riding on bicycle handlebars and romantic trips out of town. I felt inspired to hunker down into someone else’s world: [...] > read more
Valerie Worth
Published on 2012-03-20 08:30:51
Peas While the world Spins on Through seas Of perilous stars, Someone is shelling Green peas Into a cracked White bowl. — Valerie Worth > read more
Not Next But Now
Published on 2012-03-16 08:59:19
Last Friday afternoon I was poised as if on a diving board: I wanted to plunge headlong into the weekend and land in a feather bed. The antidote to a bearish week was a bit of a pleasurefest. I had dinner with friends, rustic lamb ragu and rough red wine. I stayed in bed for [...] > read more
I Want to Dress Like Isabelle in Hugo
Published on 2012-03-05 08:59:08
Four very good reasons to see Hugo: Paris… …in the 1930s (The dresses! The hats! The little ladylike shoes!) It’s an enchanting movie with a big, inspiring, I-got-my-cry-on heart. That girl up there. Isabelle embodies everything that is great about young girls. If you’re a fan of plucky heroines like Anne of Green Gables and [...] > read more
Bits and Bobs
Published on 2012-03-02 08:41:33
1. I’ve become a two-coffee-a-day woman, and I don’t know why I resisted so long. In addition to getting to drink a delicious cortado, it’s also a chance to breathe some life into the afternoon: step outside, get some sunshine, have a chat with a barista. {via} 2. Turns out my dream Brigitte Bardot hair [...] > read more
Making Time
Published on 2012-02-29 08:30:48
Random question: How much non-work stuff do you guys get done at home at night? My commute sucks, yes, but I just have a hard time doing anything beyond eating and watching tv most nights. Every once in a while I get inspired and get shit done, but I just hate that about myself? Any [...] > read more
Hervé This’ Chocolate Mousse
Published on 2012-02-22 08:30:48
The trouble with having a real-life blog as opposed to a slick, editorial calendar, planning-ahead blog, is that here it is on February 22nd, and I’d like to tell you about a perfect Valentine’s Day dessert. What can I say? I made this last Tuesday to follow Manhattans and steak au poivre. The cocktail assisted [...] > read more
POP Profile: Sarah of Yes and Yes
Published on 2012-02-17 08:50:31
Tell us about your blog, Yes and Yes. I started writing my blog after reading blogs for years and years. There was a pretty specific type of blog that I was always looking for – something funny and smart with really varied content. Sort of like a magazine curated by a super cool friend. I [...] > read more
On Style and Systems
Published on 2012-02-14 08:35:21
I used to read (and never comment) on a blog by a woman in Boston who took a picture of her outfit everyday in her full-length mirror. I felt creepy about my silent spying, but I couldn’t stop. Her systems fascinated me. She always turned out one leg at the same 45-degree angle. She wore [...] > read more
Wintery Mix
Published on 2012-02-10 08:30:37
Yesterday, my doctor told me winter’s almost over, but I feel a little dubious about that. I never even got my winter look down (unless you count wearing the same J. Crew outlet striped tunic t-shirt with rotating bottoms). So until the crocuses start coming up for real, not in this totally misguided and confused [...] > read more
Winter Wellness Guide
Published on 2012-02-01 08:30:20
I think a lot about the creative process: how there are sparks of ideas and bursts of activity followed by periods of inaction. That period of inertia is what always drove me mad. What are we doing if not getting better and moving forward? Something important, it turns out. Like a field that’s given up [...] > read more
Winter Budget Meals (Is It Payday Yet?)
Published on 2012-01-27 08:39:00
Winter Quiet
Published on 2012-01-25 08:30:39
Photos: 1. Nordic trees linen napkins, 2. cabin in the snow, 3. soup, 4. fireplace in the bedroom, 5. how to do a self-portrait, 6. candles, 7. birch logs, 8. felt coffee cozies, 9. tea Words have felt like quite a lot of bother lately, but pictures–pictures feel good. I’ve fallen deeply and quietly into [...] > read more
French Friday Giveaway: The Bonne Femme Cookbook
Published on 2012-01-20 08:30:29
As soon as I read the subtitle I knew it was for us: Simple, Splendid Food that French Women Cook Every Day. Yes, please! This is a cookbook that eschews grand to-dos and difficult preparations in favor of bringing the special into the everyday, or as author Wini Moranville puts it, ce soir. Cassoulet is [...] > read more
Bits and Bobs
Published on 2012-01-18 09:08:47
One of my projects for the new year is to give my cubicle a makeover. If I can’t manage to get together all the ingredients myself, I’m loving these terrarium kits on Etsy. Have you tried whole parsley leaves in your salads (as in this kale salad)? In winter salads, its fresh grassiness is a [...] > read more
Detox Recipes That Taste Really Good
Published on 2012-01-11 09:03:20
After my usual holiday over-doing it, It feels good to board the healthy eating bandwagon. And while it’s probably not the best habit to bounce from extremes (steak, bourbon, gravy to kale, green tea, soup), it does make me very eager for the change. I was stuffed with cookies and cheese; it felt good to [...] > read more
Back to Basics
Published on 2012-01-05 08:30:49
It is hard to come back after vacation, isn’t it? To see those free, expansive days end is a kind of cruelty. But I came back to our little apartment after a holiday break, happy to be home. Even with the Christmas tree still standing and brittle and our suitcases strewn on the floor in [...] > read more
Mix Tape: Heartbreak Hayride
Published on 2011-06-30 16:22:18
Country tunes have gotten me through the week, and the timing seems perfect: is there anything more American than a broken heart set to steel guitar? This would make a good soundtrack for backyard barbecues, a game of horseshoes, and a bottle of beer > read more
Weeknight Solution: Fish Tacos with Cabbage and Lime
Published on 2011-06-28 08:23:29
My friend L is always joking that she makes tacos about three times a week. And to admit my own thick-headedness, it was a joke I didn’t quite get: tacos are so fiddly, with so many little pieces, and they always fall apart, and the tortillas n > read more
I’ve Been Thinking About Picnics
Published on 2011-06-24 11:21:17
Clockwise from top-left: 1. picnic basket; 2. foldable picnic blanket; 3. Bass sandals; 4. rosé 5. Picardie glasses; 6. screen-printed napkins; 7. bocce set; 8. grill Right after my 29th birthday in April, I was tempted to make one of those “3 > read more
Cold-Pressed Coffee
Published on 2011-06-23 08:37:54
I look back at a lot of the rituals I had in college and think that even at 19, I had a few things figured out. Nearly every day I managed to make it to my favorite coffee shop to sit in front of the big picture windows and read. (I especially rememb > read more
Little Lifesavers
Published on 2011-06-20 12:10:57
I’m still adapting to some of the ways my schedule has changed in the past couple months, and I’m none too quick to adjust to the changes. My life feels like an experiment: week after week, I’m running tests and collecting data on w > read more
Quinoa with Grilled Zucchini, Chickpeas and Cumin
Published on 2011-06-14 14:25:19
At first I didn’t think I was going to tell you about this recipe at all. I ate it one evening, on the couch, served alongside a veggie burger, and the whole experience was desperately underwhelming. But then the pot of leftovers sat in the fri > read more
Agnes de Mille
Published on 2011-06-13 07:53:51
Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how…We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark. — Agnes de Mille > read more
Can We Bring Back the Wine Spritzer?
Published on 2011-06-10 13:58:33
When it is crazy, crazy hot outside, I get specific about what kind of delicious beverage I want. In the morning: Iced coffee, preferably cold-press, or a triple iced Americano. In the afternoon: iced tea or Diet Dr. Pepper. And at night? I really lo > read more
Open-Faced Turkey Burgers with Gruyère, Mushrooms & Arugula Salad
Published on 2011-06-09 12:32:30
I think my favorite kind of recipes are ones where a few complimentary ingredients are thrown together in a slightly restrained, elegant way and the result is just lovely. Like mint, fava bean, and parmesan bruschetta or radishes with dill, shallots, > read more
What Was Your Best Summer Read Ever?
Published on 2011-06-07 10:14:29
I have a memory of lying in the sunshine on a towel spread over the small patch of gritty, damp sand beside Square Lake, my wet hair dripping over my shoulders. I was reading a thick hardcover copy of Valley of the Dolls (no jacket) checked out from > read more
Potato and Pea Curry
Published on 2011-06-06 10:42:51
Even though we’ve rolled into June and you might be mostly interested in crisp salads and bright-eyed, open-faced sandwiches, the truth is that there are still some nights, like this past Saturday night, when there’s a nip in the air and > read more
Mary Oliver, “The Summer Day”
Published on 2011-06-02 11:12:34
Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper? This grasshopper, I mean— the one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving her jaws back and forth instead > read more
Asian Chicken Salad with Snap Peas and Bok Choy
Published on 2011-06-01 08:30:54
The second reason why perhaps a whole chicken roasted in the oven to golden, unctuous perfection is the perfect meal is this: chicken salad. I’ve waxed poetic before about how a great chicken salad recipe can make you feel utterly lady-like or > read more
Saying Yes
Published on 2011-05-31 12:30:14
Although there is some pain to rejoining the workaday world after a long holiday weekend, there’s also a little more room for something nice. Last night I got into bed and started in on a typical Sunday-night whine of resistance: “I don&# > read more
Mix Tape: Put On Your Sunglasses
Published on 2011-05-27 14:30:37
For a while there, I loved asking people what would be the opening song for their life movie. When I first heard Brenton Wood’s “Oogum Boogum,” it was one of the first sunny days of spring, and I was walking in my neighborhood in su > read more
Quick Roast Chicken
Published on 2011-05-26 17:37:13
7:17pm on a Wednesday evening, and I am home approximately 32 minutes later than I anticipated. There’s a whole chicken on the bottom shelf of the fridge, a bag of potatoes in the lower-right drawer, and not the hour-and-a-half ’till dinn > read more
Rumi
Published on 2011-05-25 08:35:45
A strange passion is moving in my head. My heart has become a bird Which searches in the sky. Every part of me goes in different directions. Is it really so That the one I love is everywhere? — Rumi > read more
Penne with Charred Tomatoes and Hummus (and Taking One Small Step)
Published on 2011-05-23 08:24:17
You know what I love? That by putting it out there––I am feeling overwhelmed––a chorus of voices rose up in response. Online and off, friends said, “I’m in that same ‘spread thin,’ place.” And while I would prefe > read more
Egg Salad with Greek Yogurt and Dill and Feeling Spread Thin
Published on 2011-05-17 12:26:35
It has been three weekdays since I last checked in here, and that breaks my heart a little bit. There were new responsibilities at work to contend with, and a weekend trip to a house in the Texas hill country, where a pale dock jutted into our own pr > read more
On Softness
Published on 2011-05-11 08:28:06
Last week I had a conflict with someone I care deeply about. Let’s call him my husband. Emotions were running high, and I wanted to be able to disagree without escalating the conversation. This went on for days, and my approach wasn’t wor > read more
Farro Salad with Pea Shoots and Goat Cheese
Published on 2011-05-10 11:12:23
It’s a shame this photo doesn’t more accurately convey what a vibrant salad this is. It was long past twilight by the time we sat down to eat. My friend and I had been sitting on the couch with a drink, while our dinner sat at the ready o > read more
Style Inspiration: Cagney & Lacey
Published on 2011-05-09 19:17:09
Something horrible happened to me a couple weeks ago. I feel in love with the first few episodes of Cagney & Lacey (“It’s like a cross between Mary Tyler Moore and Law & Order SVU,” Sebastian smartly observed), only to watch > read more
Happy Hour at Home: Old Cuban Cocktails and Radishes with Dill Butter
Published on 2011-05-06 11:36:27
On a warm spring day recently, my husband and I decided to meet at the long wooden bar of a neighborhood cocktail joint to celebrate the cherry blossoms. I ordered an Old Cuban, thinking its combination of rum and mint sounded decidely springy. I was > read more
Rice Bowl with Spinach and Smoked Trout
Published on 2011-05-05 12:47:43
I’ve fallen a little bit in love with Martha Rose Schulman’s recipes for the New York Times. Like our beloved Heidi Swanson, she manages to make healthy food feel vibrant and modern––a far, distant cry from tofu eggplant bakes. Martha > read more
e.e. cummings
Published on 2011-05-04 09:00:56
let it go – the smashed word broken open vow or the oath cracked length wise – let it go it was sworn to go let them go – the truthful liars and the false fair friends and the boths and neithers – you must let them go they were born to go let > read more
Giveaway: Built by Wendy Coats and Jackets
Published on 2011-05-03 08:17:03
I’m a sucker for these Built by Wendy sewing books because I am a sucker for Built by Wendy. Not only are her clothes cool, pretty, and effortless, but Wendy Mullin is like the WordPress of designers: with these sewing books, she’s open-s > read more
Split Pea Soup with Brown Butter, Coconut Milk & Chives
Published on 2011-05-02 11:38:11
It’s always immensely entertaining––and perhaps a tad unnerving––to have any firmly-held ideas of who you are and what you like turned upside-down. Take cooking: I think of myself as a bit of traditionalist. In restaurants, I’ll o > read more
French Friday: Kid Stuff
Published on 2011-04-29 13:33:35
I think old stuff is charming––the junkier, the better. This makes it very hard for me to cover ground on road trips because every giant billboard on a lonely stretch of country road for flea markets and antique malls makes me want to pull off at > read more
Blueberry Banana Buckwheat Pancakes
Published on 2011-04-28 09:49:38
I didn’t grow up in a house with a Saturday morning pancake tradition, but I’ve always been sweet on the idea. In my house now, Sebastian is the one with the golden pancake touch. And every time he announces that he’s stepping up to > read more
Spring Wreaths
Published on 2011-04-26 08:28:28
I think these yarn wreaths are just about some of the cheerfullest spring decor items I’ve ever seen. I like how they are both cozy and sweetly fresh, just like season itself. The most seasonal decorating I ever do is bringing in lilacs instead > read more
Roasted Potatoes with Lemon and Dill
Published on 2011-04-25 10:45:26
The dance of spring vegetables is the subtlest of all the seasons. They come in on tiptoes, and I find myself clamoring for asparagus and artichokes long before they’ve made their entrance. This recipe seems to bridge the gap between the lightn > read more
French Friday: String Shopping Bags
Published on 2011-04-22 09:59:22
Do you ever have such a vivid picture in your mind’s eye, even thought you know you’ve never actually seen it in real life? When I see these string shopping bags, I can smell the salty air. A woman is in the sunny South of France, or mayb > read more
Marcus Aurelius
Published on 2011-04-22 08:18:03
Remember this, that very little is needed to make a happy life. — Marcus Aurelius > read more
Playing, Not Perfecting
Published on 2011-04-21 10:55:44
When my sister first sent me the details of our yoga retreat, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go. Hanuman, the monkey god, was the weekend’s theme, and while he might be a fine guy, I couldn’t get Hanumanasana, his namesake pose, out of m > read more
Fava Bean Stew
Published on 2011-04-20 08:39:27
It’s definitely cheating to use the photograph from the New York Times to illustrate this recipe, but my reasons are twofold: 1) my stew did not look nearly this photogenic and 2) I ate it all before I snapped a picture. Well, that happens some > read more
Giveaway: The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking
Published on 2011-04-19 07:58:11
I have long had a blog crush on the The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking, and now, happily, I have a book crush. In the The Hip Girls Guide to Homemaking, Kate Payne speaks to that fun, creative desire for pleasure-filled, budget-friendly, mindfu > read more
French Friday: Herb Roasted Lamb Chops
Published on 2011-04-15 13:51:27
It is beginning to really feel like spring around here. Yesterday my newly-painted toes peeped out from my sandals; finally, after weeks of waiting, I had full execution of my spring look. The air is brisk in the morning, but by high afternoon has re > read more
Swami Muktananda
Published on 2011-04-15 08:15:05
Do not become an assassin of the soul by thinking that you are just ordinary. — Swami Muktananda > read more
The Perfect Pale Pink Nail Polish
Published on 2011-04-14 08:29:41
I interrupt your thoughts about spiritual and emotional growth to share with you what I think just might be the prettiest pale pink polish I’ve ever seen. It’s like a ballerina’s tutu, more pink than white (as so many pale pinks can > read more
Pasta with Peas, Asparagus, Butter Lettuce and Prosciutto
Published on 2011-04-13 08:23:19
If you were to take the wintery dish of pasta with cream, peas and prosciutto and blast it with the cold, brisk air of spring and the earthiness of new vegetables pulled from the damp, musky soil, this is what you’d get. It’s got the rich > read more
What Is Growing Within You This Spring?
Published on 2011-04-12 11:11:22
This weekend, I went on my first yoga retreat. There were so many themes brought up over two days in the mountains that I couldn’t wait to bring back here, and I plan on teasing these out over several posts. (It’s just too juicy to smash > read more
Giveaway: Sewn by Hand
Published on 2011-04-11 09:31:25
One of the greatest impediments to my sewing is the hauling-out-and-threading-of-the-sewing machine. Each time, I have to read the directions and take it one slow step at a time. Sewn by Hand is the very beautiful antidote to that. Another antidote: > read more
French Friday: Mustard Pork with Carrots and Lentils
Published on 2011-04-08 10:51:50
Initially, I didn’t know if I should tell you about this recipe. But the truth is my complaints are a little akin to those Epicurious reviewers who give a recipe one star and then explain why: “I didn’t have duck confit, so I substi > read more
Stephen Batcheler
Published on 2011-04-08 10:24:55
The first step in this practice of mindful awareness is radical self-acceptance. — Stephen Batcheler > read more
A Nook of One’s Own
Published on 2011-04-07 10:56:40
1. print, Etsy; 2. Jade yoga mat, 3. Ganapati statue; 4. succulents; 5. kilim, Ebay; 6. yellow desk lamp, West Elm; 7. Seda Japanese Quince candle; 8. pink stool, Ikea; 9. pennant throw pillow, Etsy; 10. reading chair, West Elm This story begins in t > read more
Asparagus, Fingerling Potato & Goat Cheese Pizza
Published on 2011-04-05 10:16:31
If you are due for a treat in your life––perhaps work has been brutal or you can’t remember when you last had your friends over for a meal––or if you just want to celebrate spring by eating something really delicious, I really do think > read more
“Firstlings,” Louise Imogen Guiney
Published on 2011-04-04 10:14:15
(January 7, 1915) In the dregs of the year, all steam and rain, In the timid time of the heart again, When indecision is bold and thorough, And action dreams of a dawn in vain, I saw high up over Bloxham vale The ploughshare tilt to the next long tra > read more
French Friday: Anna Karina Tote Bags
Published on 2011-04-01 08:45:39
I have not cooked a French recipe in several weeks, so we will just have to delight ourselves today not with food but with darling tote bags. I like to keep a tote bag (filled with yet more tote bags) hanging by the front door for carrying library bo > read more
Red Lentil Soup with Spinach and Lemon
Published on 2011-03-30 11:46:15
Is it just me, or it as hard to properly eat this time of year as it is to get dressed? One day we’re bundling up in our down coats and craving spaghetti and meatballs, and the next day the scent of hyacinths is in the air and we’re cravi > read more
Lark Rise to Candleford: The One Reason I’m Not Ready for Spring
Published on 2011-03-29 11:54:54
It arrived in a plain box from Amazon, mistaken as the arrival of a yoga book I had ordered. But when I opened up the package, there was the show I had been asking Alison to lend me for months: Lark Rise to Candleford. The timing couldn’t have > read more
Mary Oliver
Published on 2011-03-29 07:30:34
I’ve always wanted to write poems and nothing else. There were times over the years when life was not easy, but if you’re working a few hours a day and you’ve got a good book to read, and you can go outside to the beach and dig for > read more
A Valiant Embrace
Published on 2011-03-28 13:43:04
The potentiality of death crept into my life last week, and it turned my whole priority system upside-down. How silly it suddenly seemed, I thought, to be smitten with the season’s first strawberries, to swoon over fresh flowers, to look for de > read more
Grilled Glazed Steak and Asparagus and Our Vulnerable, Open Hearts
Published on 2011-03-24 15:30:37
I have had my nose right up against the glass of life this week. Usually, I like to sit a little further back, so that I am able to whisper observations and silly jokes to the person sitting next to me (that person is often you, and this practice is > read more
The Secret Garden
Published on 2011-03-21 11:32:30
Mary went out in the the garden as quickly as possible, and the first thing she did was to run round and round the fountain flower garden ten times. She counted the times carefully and when she had finished she felt in better spirits. The sunshine ma > read more
French Friday: Lillet Champagne Cocktail
Published on 2011-03-18 12:21:48
“I’d like to live in the sort of house,” Sebastian told me last week, “where we always have a bottle of Lillet in the fridge.” Well, you don’t have to tell me twice! As soon as the weather warms––even a smidge > read more
Welcoming Spring’s Wardrobe
Published on 2011-03-17 12:13:25
1. Vintage denim wrap skirt pattern; 2. Vintage trench; 3. Tortoiseshell cateye sunglasses; 4. Essie Canyon Coral; 5. Gold nail head studs; 6. Floral scarf; 7. Worishofer lace-up slingbacks; 8. Scoopneck t-shirt; 9. Ruched-sleeve striped top There is > read more
“After the Winter,” Claude McKay
Published on 2011-03-16 09:00:04
Some day, when trees have shed their leaves And against the morning’s white The shivering birds beneath the eaves Have sheltered for the night, We’ll turn our faces southward, love, Toward the summer isle Where bamboos spire to shafted gr > read more
Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (They’re Gluten-Free!)
Published on 2011-03-15 08:10:26
I’ve been wondering what will come next. Cupcakes have had their day. Pies currently rule the school, but really, how long can that last? At first I thought I’d move to nominate the humble cookie. It’s simple, it’s unassuming, > read more
Margaret Bonanno
Published on 2011-03-15 07:38:58
It is only possible to live happily ever after on a daily basis. — Margaret Bonanno > read more
Giveaway: An Extravagant Hunger
Published on 2011-03-14 10:15:29
This seems like a fine spring book, doesn’t it? I have mentioned before how important and beloved Mary Frances’s writing is to me. So much of my love of her work is about the exquisite timing of it. Just when I was forming my ideas of how > read more
French Friday: Vegetarian Cassoulet (and My New Approach to Bad Moods)
Published on 2011-03-11 08:18:03
We’re on day two of no sunshine in my part of the world, and I am very much feeling the effects. Despite the neon daffodils in the bedroom and the fragrant pink hyacinths on the dinner table perfuming the entire apartment, these are dark days. > read more
“Meditations from the Mat” by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison
Published on 2011-03-09 08:10:16
As we wade through the challenges, the opportunities, the joys, and the sorrows of our everyday lives, we must also honor our need to look upon our lives with new eyes. And the opportunity is always there. One morning spent in silence, an evening at > read more
Grilled Gruyère and Red Onion Sandwiches
Published on 2011-03-08 07:54:25
Sometimes the trouble with dinner, is that you want someone else to do it. And it’s not necessarily because you are bone-tired and can’t stomach the idea of standing at the stove. It’s because after a day in the world, you crave the > read more
Ready for Spring
Published on 2011-03-07 08:14:07
I blame the bulb show. In a recreation of one of my favorite illustrations from Miss Rumphius, I walked into a greenhouse yesterday afternoon. It was a brisk and rainy day. The collar of the jacket was wet, and I stood in a doorway shaking out my umb > read more
Penne with Greens and Garlic
Published on 2011-03-02 19:56:09
I learned a lot when we had our talk about the trials of weeknight dinners. It was a kind of “whoa there, Nelly” moment for me: it’s okay to defrost a veggie burger. In fact, it’s perfectly fine. Since then, I have taken it as > read more
Roasted Potatoes with Wilted Kale and Creamy Tahini Dressing
Published on 2011-03-01 08:28:28
it’s a messy, untamed looking dish, isn’t it? Do you ever cook something, half your heart knowing it won’t be a hit with the family and friends you’re cooking for? That’s what was happening as I separated the kale leaves > read more
Giveaway: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden-Fresh Cookbook
Published on 2011-02-28 15:10:58
This is a very sweet cookbook about the rhythms of the seasons and all of nature’s bounty. It taps into all my homesteading fantasies with its sections on an edible flower garden and a beginner’s vegetable garden but still appeals to mode > read more
French Friday: Mushroom and Greens Gratin
Published on 2011-02-25 07:48:15
It is very gray, rainy day here in Brooklyn. So gray in fact, that if I walked up to the corner of 15th Street and Prospect Park West, where the street curves into a traffic circle and the dun-brown façade of a large apartment building curves along > read more
Honeysuckle: Because I Said So
Published on 2011-02-24 12:27:00
Because my new job has me partly editing a fashion and beauty blog, I have recently learned that honeysuckle is the color of 2011. Problem is, people can’t seem to decide exactly what honeysuckle looks like. Is it a pale pinky coral, like Cathe > read more
Ginger Molasses Cookies
Published on 2011-02-23 07:48:41
At my yoga studio we are greeted with hot tea and dark, dense bite-sized cookies after class. They are crunchy––my friend says she tastes caramel––with hints of ginger and molasses. They put me in a state. What I mean to say is that I donR > read more
Giveaway: And I Shall Have Some Peace There
Published on 2011-02-22 07:40:27
Last week we spoke briefly about women who are generous with their wisdom and knowledge. If there is someone who has given freely to me with her advice, her guidance and her support, it’s Margaret Roach. We met over turkey sandwiches at a long > read more
French Friday: Wild Mushroom Ragout
Published on 2011-02-18 12:08:28
A few years ago, when our upstairs neighbors were moving out, they invited me upstairs to rifle through a tall stack of cookbooks and take what I like. I spotted The Vegetarian Table: France by Georgeanne Brennan and snagged it. It wasn’t the v > read more
Soup Swap
Published on 2011-02-17 08:11:37
My mom always had a knack for parties. There was my dress-as-your-favorite Barbie birthday party (peaches and cream, naturally) and, before my time, the teddy bear picnic my sister still talks about. But one of my happiest childhood memories was the > read more
Roasted Cauliflower with Fish Sauce and Chili
Published on 2011-02-16 07:20:49
Sebastian introduced me to one of my favorite restaurants early in our relationship. In the summer there, I like tall cold glasses of hefeweizen in the still air of their gravel-covered garden. And in winter, we tuck ourselves between ’60s pin- > read more
How to Find Calm in the Work Day
Published on 2011-02-15 11:33:49
I have had a hell of a time adjusting to my new job, but it’s not because of the job itself. I just have a hell of a time adjusting to any change, even of the delightful and longed-for variety. And this makes perfect sense to me: when you are a > read more
Radiant Health Millet Bowl
Published on 2011-02-14 07:51:01
How is this for a thought process: This morning when I sat down to the computer I first decreed, “We shall begin the week with cookies!” But then, in a quick 180, looking at a list of recipes I’ve made but not yet written about, I s > read more
Mixtape: Full-Spectrum Love Songs
Published on 2011-02-10 09:50:53
I think of Valentine’s Day as an excuse to buy more expensive groceries than usual (lamb chops, here we come!) and be the beneficiary of fresh flowers and handmade chocolates. But having just read a devastating article about how death can sweep > read more
Roman-Style Broccoli and the Trials of Weeknight Dinners
Published on 2011-02-09 11:26:53
A couple weeks ago, I stood in the deli section of the grocery store between the hot dogs and the fancy cheese and wondered how women do it. There I was, tired from only a job and a zumba class, in the midst of a complete “what’s for dinn > read more
Just One of Those Days
Published on 2011-02-08 15:44:23
I just glanced down to right of my keyboard see a to do list I wrote first thing this morning. The final item of a short list says, “Find quiet within the day, even during work.” Perhaps I should have taped this list to my forehead. All d > read more
Fake It Till You Make It
Published on 2011-02-07 08:12:35
How do you feel about starting Monday morning with a little thought experiment? On the post on keeping a journal, one reader left a very interesting comment. She practices a journal technique in which she writes as if she already has whatever it is s > read more
Kobi Yamada
Published on 2011-02-07 08:05:43
She decided to start living the life she imagined. — Kobi Yamada > read more
French Friday: La Petite Vie
Published on 2011-02-04 08:31:49
I’m pretty speechless from the outpouring of kindness that flooded into the comments yesterday. Thank you for that unexpected appreciation and support. I’m telling you guys: there’s really something special going on here and I’ > read more
Happy 5th Birthday
Published on 2011-02-03 09:41:37
Let’s think back to January of 2006. Where were you? I was living in a basement apartment with my boyfriend who, one day as we were walking around the reservoir in Central Park, proposed the idea for a video blog. I was feeling very lost at the > read more
Pride and Prejudice Valentine Garland
Published on 2011-02-02 11:14:11
I fell in love with these Valentine’s Day garlands made from old copies of Pride and Prejudice when I saw them on A Rambling Fancy and vowed to craft my own. But then I realized I’d need a cool hole punch and to haul out the sewing machin > read more
Grace Schulman
Published on 2011-02-01 07:51:27
Crossing the Square Squinting through eye-slits in our balaclavas, we lurch across Washington Square Park hunched against the wind, two hooded figures caught in the monochrome, carrying sacks of fruit, as we’ve done for years. The frosted, starch- > read more
Seeded Oat Soda Bread
Published on 2011-01-31 08:10:14
Here we are at the tail end of a cold and snowy January and until yesterday, I hadn’t baked a loaf of bread. But yesterday was the perfect time to do it. I was having one of those days where everything is hard––tupperware tumbling out of ov > read more
French Friday: Best Friends Necklace for Grown-Ups
Published on 2011-01-28 07:47:45
I remember being on the playground in elementary school wearing saddle shoes (everyone else had Keds) and seeing girls wearing those brokenhearted “best friends” necklaces. It seemed like a secret, highly-exclusive club: who had the other > read more
Do You Keep a Journal?
Published on 2011-01-27 08:20:05
Mine started in first grade with the sentence, “May funny boy way who?” and embarked on a nonsensical meditation on a boy in my class named Clinton, with whom I was in love. I wrote a cast of characters on the inside cover (“MomR > read more
Shepherd’s Pie with Caramelized Onions and Cheddar Mash
Published on 2011-01-26 14:29:59
Because it is snowing––again––today seems like a perfect day to tell you about this shepherd’s pie. But first, I think, I should tell you about the cookbook I made it from. Cooking with Shelburne Farms is one of those cookbooks that ful > read more
What Are Your Winter Wardrobe Essentials?
Published on 2011-01-25 14:33:34
1. stripey puff-sleeve top 2. duck boots 3. Annick Goutal Gardenia Passion 4. France and Hammer necklace 5. Benetint 6. gray cowl 7. jeggings One of the few times I read Goop, I picked up a pretty sage piece of advice: build yourself a uniform. Unifo > read more
Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Pistachios and the Making of a Working Stiff
Published on 2011-01-24 15:36:13
I’m afraid if I admit what I’m about to admit, you will call me out for having been––for a brief period, at least––deeply, ridiculously spoiled. Does it make a difference if I know it? To paint the picture, I’ll tell you for > read more
Surrendering to (Im)Balance
Published on 2011-01-24 08:11:36
Last week I lost my footing. It would be strange, I reasoned, to start a new job and not feel overwhelmed. I was learning something new, and moving at a snail’s pace. It took 110% of my focus to make sure I was getting all the details squared a > read more
Mixtape: Sunny, Sunny Snow Day
Published on 2011-01-20 08:51:16
This year I have officially decided: if it has to be winter, than I’d like there to be snow. There is something unflappably cheerful about the sun reflecting off all that white, bouncing into our faces and into our homes. And when the weather i > read more
Radical Self-Care
Published on 2011-01-19 16:04:03
It started just as a detox, a simple way to ring in the new year with a clean slate. But the results have been so far-reaching I’m having kind of a weird I-see-the-light moment. In fact, I’m worried about sounding like a proselytizer. But > read more
Giveaway: Pretty Wall Decals
Published on 2011-01-19 08:00:57
There are few things as soullessly austere as a home with blank walls. Figuring out how to add personality and pretties to your walls (while staying on a budget) is no small task. One solution: giant, striking wall decals. Perfect for rental apartmen > read more
Winter Antidotes Nos. 2 & 3, or Tagine Tuesday
Published on 2011-01-18 15:00:24
The theme of the day is banishing the bleak midwinter feeling. But before we get to the recipes, I feel the need to share some practical cold weather advice. This year, inspired by that old Swedish proverb (“There is no bad weather, only bad cl > read more
Winter Antidote No. 1
Published on 2011-01-18 11:49:45
Today is the reason people hate winter. The world has turned depressing shade of gray-brown and the finest tree branches are entirely encased in ice. Christmas trees splay abandoned, curbside, and the precipitation falling from a sky of doom and gloo > read more
“Social Animal” by David Brooks, The New Yorker
Published on 2011-01-18 08:07:25
There’s a debate in our culture abut what really makes us happy, which is summarized by, on the one hand, the book On the Road and, on the other, the movie It’s a Wonderful Life. The former celebrates the life of freedom and adventure. Th > read more
French Friday: Fennel and Apple Meatloaf
Published on 2011-01-14 09:20:13
If it seems like a stretch to call a meatloaf French, I hope you’ll permit the reach. Fennel and apple seem like a dignified way to class up this ’50s housewife favorite, and did I mention the gruyère? That practically makes it bona fide > read more
Kurt Vonnegut
Published on 2011-01-14 09:19:27
What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured. — Kurt Vonnegut > read more
Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash
Published on 2011-01-13 16:34:51
All my old ideas are dying hard. First there was the discovery that puréed cauliflower is good enough to fool even a meat-and-potatoes-loving husband. And now this! I used to feel categorically against spaghetti squash in place of proper noodles. It > read more
Today is Super
Published on 2011-01-13 09:22:41
My book club did a modest little gift exchange for the holidays (meeting: At Large and At Small). We had a limit of $10 and the gifts were universally awesome: a handmade magnet with one of my favorite words, Saipua soap, fancy food stuffs like artis > read more
Snow Day
Published on 2011-01-12 14:00:17
It wasn’t the snow day we had hoped for. Yes, it did snow, and a thick white blanket covered town giving garbage cans queenly crowns. But there was still work to be done, and there were no pork fried dumplings to be had. Truth be told, I felt a > read more
If You Like Modcloth, You’ll Dig Spotted Moth
Published on 2011-01-12 08:00:35
You might have seen my tweet about this yesterday, but with the sale (!) and cute finds, I thought this deserved a post all its own. Like Modcloth, not everything on Spotted Moth is a bargain worth squealing about, but there are some very decently p > read more
Winter Greens with Smoked Paprika and Almonds
Published on 2011-01-11 15:11:01
Right now we are hunkered down in preparation for a snowstorm. I have candles at the ready, flannel pajamas freshly laundered, and a big hulking novel on the bedside table. There might even be a romantic comedy or two I’ve got my eye on in the > read more
Carl Jung
Published on 2011-01-11 08:22:12
The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it. — Carl Jung > read more
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?
Published on 2011-01-10 08:39:32
Once when I was in college, I sat on my wooden desk chair holding the lipstick red cordless telephone to my ear, listening to a friend from high school. He was trying to impress me with stories of school in Montreal, how he could smoke pot on the sid > read more
French Friday: Pretty Parisian Laptop Case
Published on 2011-01-07 09:10:53
Years ago, I bought a laptop case on Etsy. The fabric was a woodland scene––nibbling squirrels and jaunty-looking mushrooms––with bright red buttons and winding twine as a closure. The interior was a soft, robin’s egg blue flannel. I bo > read more
Almond Chicken Soup
Published on 2011-01-06 13:00:25
So, I’ve mentioned I’m on a detox. I know, I know––it’s so predictable it’s almost embarrassing. How utterly ordinary to swing from boozing till the wee hours and devouring giant steaks in December to drinking green tea an > read more
2011 is Going To Be Groovetastic
Published on 2011-01-06 09:09:50
This mix started on a night out with my friend, Alison. We were celebrating the holidays with apple smashes, and the bar we were in kept playing the most groovetastic songs. Why isn’t anyone dancing? we wondered. Well, probably because they had > read more
Homemade Banana Bread Larabars
Published on 2011-01-05 15:21:12
I’m not saying they’re pretty. In fact, they look more like a play-doh experiment gone wrong than a delightful tea time snack. But I will proudly assert that these taste shockingly like the genuine article. I made my own because I fear I > read more
Giveaway: How to Build a Fire
Published on 2011-01-05 09:10:41
One loving husband I know calls his wife his “Pioneer Girl.” I am not-so-secretly jealous of this nickname. If there’s one thing I love, it’s that quality that causes me to buy Girl Scout Handbooks from the 1930s in junk store > read more
What’s Working?
Published on 2011-01-04 12:53:31
In yoga, teachers will often ask you to set an intention for the class, or they’ll gently provide one, often in the form of a theme to consider. What they don’t say is, “What’s your resolution for this class? Are you finally g > read more
Back to Healthy: Bulgur Wheat & Pomegranate Salad with Walnut Crusted Chicken Breasts
Published on 2011-01-03 13:28:54
Here it is: long-awaited, hoped-for 2011. We rang you in with rich meals eaten with friends and families, drinks, more drinks, staying up too late and sleeping in. And now, of course, in our extreme-like fashion, we’d like to continue the welco > read more
Mary Oliver
Published on 2011-01-03 10:03:16
The Journey One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice– though the whole house began to tremble and you felt the old tug at your ankles. “Mend my life!” each v > read more