Not to be obsessive over arugula – last week I wrote about making Arugula & Goat Cheese Pasta Salad – but when arugula wants to bolt there’s no stopping it! Since one of our arugula patches is on its way out, we’ve been using it like crazy. After searching for more uses for arugula, I came across another Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe – from the January issue.…
#57 on my 101 Things in 1,001 Days List was to read all of Seth Godin’s books. I was already about halfway done, when I added this to my list, but then he just kept on writing books! Give a girl a break, and let me catch up! ;) If you’re unfamiliar with Godin, he’s a best-selling marketing and business author who writes “bite size” marketing books and…
The Frugal Traveler (NY Times) posted an interesting Q&A with Beth Whitman, from Wanderlust & Lipstick about solo, female travel. I agree with her on most of her advice. Except I’ve definitely thought “Oh God, I wish I was a man in this situation!” Some of the comments from NYT readers are getting a little nasty though. Ouch! Anyway, here are a few of my tips for traveling…
Arugula, a mustardy green originally from the Mediterranean, is the latest harvest from our container garden! Sometimes referred to as roquette or rocket, it makes the perfect addition to salads or pesto. I spotted an arugula pasta salad recipe in the June issue of Everyday Food magazine, and I thought it would be a great chance to try arugula a little differently: gemelli pasta, cannellini beans, fresh goat…
Bright, red radishes were the first official vegetable (basil was disqualified, on grounds of being an herb) to be harvested from our container garden! As the vegetable with the shortest seed to harvest time (a quick 3 weeks from germination), I was excited to get cooking with radishes. I’ve never been a huge fan of radishes, but a dish I really love is Radish Avocado Salsa over black…
This week, I wrote about my travels through Bulgaria last fall. I loved Bulgaria for the amazing history and gorgeous outdoors. Sofia was a surprisingly interesting capital city and I loved being able to get outside and hike in Bansko. If I visit Bulgaria again, I would love to go in winter and see Sofia, the Rila Mountains and Monastery and Bansko. 7 Days in Bulgaria: Bucharest, Romania to Veliko Tarnovo…
Tomato Ladder or tomato cage? The great debate. I have been obsessing over the idea of making a ladder trellis for tomato plants, rather than cages this year. I’ve heard they’re great for smaller spaces (like raised beds) because they help the plant grow up rather than out. I had my eye on these beautiful red tomato ladders from Gardener’s Supply, but at $50 for a set of…
After spotting a basil plant at Trader Joes – for the lovable price of $2.99 – homemade pizza was definitely in order. We already planted basil (from seed) in our container garden, but it has a few more months until it’s usable. My favorite recipe that uses a lot of basil is the classic Pizza Margherita. While you could just buy a pizza crust if you’re short on…
Greece is the 20th most popular tourist destination for Americans. And thanks to the picturesque island of Santorini, one of the top honeymoon spots. There are still deals to be found and [almost] desolate beaches to explore. On my round the world trip, I accidentally spent about a month in Greece. It was September, and I planned to stay for one week. I arrived on Santorini and left via…
If strawberries are the rock stars of June produce, then rhubarb is totally the little brother. Whether it’s with strawberries and raspberries or with ginger, like the Brits, I’ve always been a huge rhubarb fan. I was excited to find some growing in the wild, (otherwise known as my sister’s yard). And since free is a pretty good price, we decided to put some of that rhubarb to good use. First, we had to…
I’ve been sharecropping for several weeks now, and although I tried to steer us closer to veggies that were suitable for children to grow, we ended up with 3 container gardens full of veggies and herbs. Hot damn, I’m practically a farmer! Here’s the soybean with another post. The plants and seeds made it into the ground two weeks ago and we just can’t contain our excitement. So…
A year ago this month, I was traveling in Malaysia, so I thought I would share my favorite bits of Malaysia. In no particular order here are 10 things that make me happy about Malaysia… Culture contrast: Malaysia is a truly unique country, with a mix of three very different cultures – Malay, Indian and Chinese – along with their respective religions – Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist. It’s…