Funny- that's exactly what we did. My mom and mother in law helped me cook the day before, but I was making stuff weeks ahead. Food for $75: $350. Totally worth it. The food was awesome too! I went...

Yeast is available only during the winter season at Trader Joes. I usually buy extra for the rest of the year. Someone in our corporate office seems to think people only bake in the winter. No pie ...

I've been really into Kefir lately for breakfast on the go. High in protein, and probiotic! My next project is to make my own homemade blackberry kefir after my berries ripen in the yard!

Wow. Lot's of TJ's haters. Can't really hate, as they are my employer. To answer a previous question, yes, there is still white whole wheat and the apf at Trader Joe's. I am not surpri...

It seems like every restaurant we eat it is an inspiration for me- I have a few things that have stuck in my repetoire. The flavors for my crab cake with mango jalapeno salsa are influenced b...

Can't live without mine- I prefer charcoal to propane, and it's fool proof. So much easier than fluid.

Hilarious- I like to just go by myself commando style and dart about through the masses of children. Last week I made it in and out of the market in 15 minutes- and I had more than enough produce ,...

I've been throwing my leftover brown rice into salads- with hardy greens like mustard and kale and tangy vinaigrettes. Yum.

Making dinner with my best friend while our husbands and friends play bocce on the grass. Enjoying said dinner outside in the late evening Seattle sun, the maple leaves gently shaking in the breeze.

I miss the central coast. My family all lives right outside of Castroville. Deep fried artichoke hearts are the greatest food to ever come from the fryer. Seriously.

The swans are a ripoff of a vintage design- my mother gave me a set of plastic vintage ones a few years back. I love them- they nest beautifully and look adorable on my counter, which is good cause...

If it was a deal breaker for me, I could've never bought this house- we have no gas lines out here in my hood (in Seattle). Gas appliances are rare here in this city. I was freaked out at first, bu...

These photos are great, but the only black house I've ever seen in reality is one down the street from us. It does NOT look anywhere near fabulous. More like creepy- but that could also be due to t...

Scrape off a little and have it tested for asbestos. If it comes up negative, scrape it off with water. If it comes up positive- you've got to hire an asbestos abatement company (expensive). We re...

I looked at the site, and it seems they sell the sprayer and pump caps for your own reusable bottles, which is what a few of you were looking for. Pretty cool, I'd say.

Here's a recipe I made for maple banana bread pudding- just eliminate the ice cream and you've got an awesome breakfast!

I'm throwing in another nod to the Rancilio Silvia- just got ours in Nov. after a few years with a gaggia carrezza and a krups before that. There is no comparison between the rancilio and the other...

Our Travis Louie original painting- took 6 months AND a tax return to pay for it. But we're the only ones who have it. And the art problem has since gotten worse. All of our furniture ...

That color looks almost *exactly* like the color we painted a wall in our bedroom. It's a benjamin moore color called deep caribbean water. We got it in Aura paint, and it's fabulous. Gorgeous in o...

I thought I was the only one who had figured this method out. It's also my melon technique! Even a good oxo serrated peeler can't handle those thick squash skins. Chef's knife all the ...