Welcome to Washington

This year, my family will be celebrating Thanksgiving in our nation's Capital. I've been busy cooking, baking, cleaning and preparing to see my family for the first time in over three months! I'm so excited! Aside from eating, I'm planning to show them around my new hometown, do some shopping, sightseeing, and a museum or two. After an extremely busy couple of months, I'm looking forward to having some relaxing family time.

Enjoy your turkey and time off! Happy Thanksgiving!

Welcome to the Fam!

Here "he" is -- the newest addition to my humble household. I see many adventures in his future. Won't you come along for a ride?

A Brush With Fame

This past week, I spent two hours of my life waiting in a long line with my new friend Joan and hundreds of other people.

It wasn't just any line. We were all anxiously awaiting our turn to see a very important person.

The line started outside, then wound its way through Sur La Table, (one of my favorite kitchen stores). Anticipation built as we got nearer to the end...

There she is! The very important person we'd been waiting to see!

Oh, hello Ina. So nice to see you!

Thanks for stopping by. And for signing my cookbook. And making those two hours worth it.

It Is Official

Fall has arrived in Northern Virginia. You can't really tell by looking outside, but there's a chill in the air. Finally.
I celebrated by baking an apple crisp, after finding a great deal on less-than-perfect looking Golden Delicious apples at the market. Who cares what they look like when they just get chopped up and baked into a delicious, aromatic treat? The combination of the baked apples, spices, and vanilla ice cream worked their magic, evoking the warmth and coziness of a perfect fall evening. Finally.

Like Etsy Come to Life

With the best intentions, I ventured into the city on Saturday to attend a festival that's been high up on my list of THINGS TO DO IN WASHINGTON. Prior to going, I pictured a nice, leisurely Saturday morning strolling through the vendors, Frances in tow, checking out a bunch of Etsy sellers. What actually happened involved a huge traffic jam, a parking nightmare, and an extremely high level of frustration. Thanks to a wonderful friend -- I owe you one! -- I was bailed out of the mess I found myself in, and eventually made it to the festival, two hours later and sans Frances. Which turned out to be a good thing because the crowds were out in full force.
I'm a huge fan of Etsy.com, and love the idea of supporting local artisans.



I didn't end up buying anything, but it was fun to look. And I learned a big lesson, in the process: always check the traffic before heading into the city! Seriously, I should know better by now, right?

Farm Fresh

In my ongoing attempts to find fresh, local produce, I'm happy to say that I've finally hit the jackpot! Close to home, there's a wonderful farmer's market every Saturday morning that I've ventured to twice now. It's in the historic part of town -- extremely quaint and picturesque -- and full of little treasures. Artisans and farmers, florists and bakers all set up shop before the sun, (and tourists) rise. Shoppers stop by with cups of coffee in hand to stroll through the open air market and to see what a new week brings from the farm.
Two weeks in a row now, I've had luck finding pretty flowers. These hydrangeas are sitting on my dining table, and are the perfect late summer / early fall centerpiece.

And last night I made a farm fresh dinner, complete with tomatoes, eggplant, garlic and zucchini all from the market. It was a good choice on a rainy night: hearty and delicious, and smelled absolutely divine while cooking in the oven.

I'm hoping to continue the tradition of early Saturday morning trips to the market. It just feels good to be up early, enjoying the fresh air, taking in the sights of beautiful farm fare, and then reaping the benefits all week long. For me, it is the perfect start to the weekend.

Up Close and Personal

It's not everyday I have a brush with celebrity. So it's pretty exciting when I do have the chance to meet someone famous. Even more exciting when that person is the author of my favorite book! Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife, was in Washington, DC recently for an appearance at a local bookstore. She read from her new book and made time for questions.
She took a question from me!
And then signed my book! I was delighted!