Snowshoeing

Okay, so we finally got to try out our snowshoes!  We were in Mexico during the last snowstorms so didn't get the chance.  I was surprised at how easy it was, although I expected to actually walk on top of the snow, don't ask me why I thought that. 

Tablecloths

Besides dishes and recipes, I seem to collect tablecloths.  I have so many of them with beautiful colors and patterns, but I don't seem to use many them often, if at all (some remain in their original packaging, unopened).

An Irish Blessing

This is not the Irish Blessing you might be thinking of, although I should include one of those as well.  This Irish Blessing is my original St. Patrick's Day cocktail developed while sitting at the bar at Mattar's in Allamuchy Township here in New Jersey. 

Making Progress

Today is Day 2 of the basement organization project. But, I'm sitting here in my cozy kitchen with a cup of tea procrastinating, and of course, thinking about dinner and what I'll be cooking for my very handsome husband.

The Organizer

One thing I like to do, I mean really like to do, is organize things.... drawers, closets, rooms, whatever. Today's chore is to begin going through these boxes and piles of books and various other things collected over 28 years in public education.

I Love Cashmere Socks!

There's something about wearing a pair of cashmere socks that's decadent to me - I didn't even know they made cashmere socks until last winter, when I found a pair in Marshall's for $4. Now I'm hooked.

Too Much Anchovy!!

There must be about 50 Italian cookbooks on the shelves of my stepback cupboard, and I have been working on looking through some of my favorites to develop a collection of recipes for Italian aperitivo.

Frog Hollow Farm Girl is not a Techie

Hi everyone, I am not a a person who is very knowledgeable or enthusiastic about technology and have been on an on-line chat with Hewlett-Packard all morning. Both times the HP techies Sean and Sandy, tried to help, but Sandy, the second tech, actually had connection difficulties on her end and kept getting bumped off of the chat page. Can you believe it?

Aperitivo

I am determined to begin learning more about Italian aperitivo. Aperitivo in Italy is usually a pre-dinner drink, meant to “open” the palate and give you a chance to socialize, relax, and nibble as dinner approaches or is overlooked altogether.

Back Home

Hi everyone, we're back from Mexico and the snow here on the ground is as blinding as the sunshine in Cancun! Of course we had a great time, as we always do when we travel with our wonderful group of friends - everyone can do their own thing and there's no pressure from anyone.

Caribbean here we come!

My husband and I are flying to the Caribbean for a week with friends. This is the third year that this particular group of friends have headed to Mexico for a winter break, and the second year we have been able to join them. We stay at one of the couple's time-shares right on the water - it's a beautiful location on a wide, sandy beach.

Going Backwards

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like things go backwards here in our home. For example, we had renovated our basement and turned it into a very functional two-room office space for my husband's business. The office has an outside entrance off of the side of our home and worked beautifully for many years, until the business expanded to the point where a larger space was needed.

Lunch with a Good Friend

I'm heading over to visit with a very good friend of mine, and bringing along lunch and dessert so she won' t have to fuss about anything. However, she very kindly offered to vacuum the rugs because of my allergy to her golden retriever named Scout.

A Morning Surprise

Woke up this morning ready for the installation of the new propane stove in the conservatory but was surprised by the snow-covered ground outside. One day later would have made things perfect; the stove would have been installed and we would be watching the snowfall from the conservatory this morning.

Absolutely Loving Retirement

I just love waking up and having the day ahead of me to prepare a great dinner with new delicious recipes and without the stress of having worked all day.

A Glass Less Than Half Full

Actually, that's a good thing because I'm talking about the glass of red wine sitting to my left on our round, pumpkin pine kitchen table. I love having a glass of wine (doesn't everybody?), especially when sitting with my husband Frank on our back porch in the summer or in front of a roaring fire in the winter.

The 4th Monday

Today is the 4th Monday of my retirement - that wonderful fact meant that I didn't have to set the alarm clock or think about anything except scheduling things that I wanted to do. As it turned out I was up at 5:30am anyway, some habits are hard to break.