Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Mondays with five things/ideas/events for the week:I. Now that the holidays are over, table settings will take a decidedly boring turn. Where there once were garlands, poinsettias, ornaments, pine cones, and pumpkins, there are now plain plates and salt and pepper shakers (if you’re lucky). To up your tablescape ante, you don’t have to go out and purchase a...
Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Mondays with five things/ideas/events for the week:I. Of all the ways to celebrate New Years Eve, a lavish dinner party with friends has always been my favorite (surprise, surprise). I adore making the guest list filled with people I love, finding the perfect recipes, ordering cheesy top hats, tiaras, and noisemakers, making resolutions together, and drinking...
Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Mondays with five things/ideas/events for the week:I. I truly cannot remember the last time it rained for days on end like this in San Francisco. Yesterday, I used it as a delicious excuse to play in my kitchen. Somehow, I’ve never made chicken noodle soup from anything other than a Campbell’s tin can, and decided it was the perfect time to put my spin on the...
Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Mondays with five things/ideas/events for the week:I. In honor of the last day of Hanukkah, I’m making my Flourless Chocolate Cakewith a touch of gelt. Traditional meals during the Jewish Festival of Lights include fried potato latkes, noodle kugel, and brisket. To counter the heavier dishes, I love making this chocolate cake, which becomes significantly...
Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Mondays with five things/ideas/events for the week:I. Tasked with bringing dessert to a friend’s dinner party this week, I’m relying on my extremely simple (and extremely delicious) recipe for Chocolate Layer Cake with Vanilla Buttercream. Cakes made from scratch can be overly tedious, and with a million things on my To-Do List this week, I love the fact that...
Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Mondays with five things/ideas/events for the week:I. Let’s collectively admit that one of the best parts of the holidays is the indulgences they allow. Like decadent rich milk chocolate hot cocoa topped with chocolate marshmallows. You would never catch me casually drinking something of this caloric nature come springtime, but in December it’s par for the...
Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Mondays with five things/ideas/events for the week:I. November is flying by so quickly, somehow it’s already time for Christmas trees and I still have gold-dipped Halloween pumpkins on my kitchen counter. Walking through my neighborhood this weekend, I realized that not one - but two tree lots are up and running (Guardsmen and Marina Middle School). With the...
Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Mondays with five things/ideas/events for the week:I. My parents aren’t particularly fond of the outdoors, which meant that I never went on a hike in my entire life until I was an adult. Now one of my favorite past-times, I’m always looking for new trails in Santa Cruz, Marin, and Lake Tahoe. To cap off my weekend yesterday, I stuck with a Bay Area classic and...
Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Mondays with five things/ideas/events for the week:I. There’s something notably spectacular about waking up to the sound raindrops splashing against your window panes. (Especially if you live in the desert that has become California). Though it was tempting to call in sick today, put on a pot of tea, and spend hours tucked in bed with a book (or SVU marathon),...
