When it’s raining outside, the last thing you want to do is run to the store for supplies. Today’s lunch is brought to you by Hurricane Irene and ingredients I keep on hand at all times. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any ginger besides the crystallized variety, but if you have any… Read full post »

Last weekend, I went to my friends’ apartment for a Scotch tasting. Robert is insanely knowledgeable about whiskey, and now I can proudly sort of say that one time someone explained to me the difference between Islay and Speyside Scotch, and how to pronounce La… Read full post »

Thank you, Jon Bon Jovi, for providing my anthem for today. 

Also for posing as sexy Jesus, but that's another conversation entirely.

That's right... the great vegan experiment is halfway over today. Being halfway through it, I'm taking some time to reflect on my first 20 days without m… Read full post »

 Portobello mushrooms are the first great success (and the second petite failure) of my vegan experiment. 

 When people ask me why I'm doing this, I tell them it's a test of willpower and creativity, and to introduce more variety into my diet. So far I've tried new recipes, but not eat… Read full post »

Hell is working in a bakery on your period when you're vegan. 

 Unless you work in a vegan bakery, in which case, bully for you. 

Last night I foraged in our cupboards for something--ANYTHING--junky. Snickers? Milk chocolate. Ice cream? Ha. Goldfish crackers? That's cute. I thought it'… Read full post »

Yesterday was a big day. I planned on making a big pan of potato and kale enchiladas from scratch, thinking they'd make good leftovers for lunches during the week. And they will. But sweet merciful gods of garlic, enchiladas are not for the faint of heart. 

First of all, I forgot… Read full post »

I unlocked the apartment door a half hour ago and the tantalizing yet ambiguous scent of oven rolled into the hallway. "Hi, sweetheart," I called to Jason. "What did you make?" 

Yesterday he'd been talking about making blueberry muffins since we have a carton of farmshare blueberries in the frid… Read full post »

"I'm going to go vegan for a month this summer," I said, all offhand and nonchalant. 

At the time, I was wearing a sweater, drinking hot chocolate, so summer--and my whim to go a month sans bacon--seemed a long way off.  Then about the middle of last month I realized summer… Read full post »

Girl Scout Cookie Season marks the advent of Spring, and this year, like every year, I tried to relive my youth by stuffing my face full of Thin Mints and Samoas (or Caramel deLites, as they are called in some dialects). But in recent years, I seem to be noticing a… Read full post »

Yesterday was Groundhog Day. I'm from Pennsylvania, so the oddity of Punxsutawney's yearly ritual didn't really dawn on me until later than it should have. Men in top hats who give themselves titles like "The Big Windmaker" (heh, bet you are) and "Sky Painter" go grab a poor woodchuck out of… Read full post »

I hit college just about the time Facebook hit the web. So, of course, I signed up for an account as soon as I heard about it. At the time I also used AIM and MySpace--two addictions I've since left behind. But I can't kick the Facebook habit. I've had an… Read full post »

When I was a kid, Thanksgiving was a big deal. Most of my dad's side of the family would gather at my Aunt E and Uncle J's house in West Virginia. It was a mess of food and family, all of us crammed into the dining room. Since the generations in… Read full post »

The cupcake bakery where I work delivers. We have two vehicles for this, an SUV and a Mini Cooper. Neither of which are vehicles I'd ever really feel comfortable driving... SUV too big, Mini too small. When it comes to cars, consider me a six-foot-tall Goldilocks (Rubylocks?), and my partner's Honda… Read full post »

Apologies in advance for the quality of this post... I'm writing mostly because it's been a while, and if I don't post I'll be breaking my promise to myself to write more. So here goes.

 I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about changing, maturing, growing up, selling out, whatever… Read full post »

About ten days ago, I received a mass email from Barnes & Noble. Given that I get four emails a week from them ('Saving 30% Is The Most Un-Scary Part of Halloween!' 'America's Smartest Readers Choose Their 100 Favorite Books!' I checked my trash folder) this one was headed for unread… Read full post »

Imagine this. A mysterious gentleman from another country invites you into his home. When you enter, you find yourself in an elegant living room done up in black silk. Even the walls are covered in silk embroidered with golden flowers. The furniture is all antique. Your host is charming (even if… Read full post »

There are lots of things I should be doing with my time this week. Namely, I should be doing homework. I have a lot of reading for my translation class, not to mention my actual translation of Guy de Maupassant's "La Main" is due to be workshopped on Monday. I keep… Read full post »

My boyfriend, Jason, and I moved to the Boston area about almost two months ago.  Our lease here actually began on July 1, but we moved in shifts—moved some of our stuff mid-July, went back, packed, moved more, finally ended up here for good in early August.  Since then, I have… Read full post »