Eat your way around the world
In between brushing Ava's hair, making her breakfast and playing with scissors, paper and glue, I like to pretend we're traveling. This week it's all about Lebanon. I tell her about mountains and snow. We look at pictures of bustling city and sleeping country. We watch clips online. We talk about the pretty trees and the winding roads. She responds to it all by saying, in her sweet broken toddler-tongue "I want go, right now." "Where," I ask? I smile, leading her to repeat the … [Read more...]
Let's climb around the mountains of Lebanon, shall we? Depending on the time of year, we might find a heavy haze of snow. In the hush and slush we can work up an appetite. Lebanon's very name is inspired by her snow-capped mountains - Lebanon literally means white land. And, even in the humid summers, when the snow has long since melted, the sandy-sandstone still looks white. Let's pick our way between needly cedars, crumbly rocks, and thin brush, to our first meal. Your … [Read more...]
httpv://youtu.be/bKrEOaKt7Nk 97 Over the last (almost) two years we've eaten meals from 97 countries* of the world. That means we've eaten just about half the world. Deep breath. Smile. Yum. We're on our way. 12 In addition, I've met more than a dozen people exactly when I needed them to help me cook their countries. And when I say exactly, I mean in the week or days leading up to the country in question. Some straight-up knocked on my door, some were my checkout girls at … [Read more...]
While I am a stuff-my-face-with-turkey-and-gratitude kind of gal, I'm decidedly not a get-up-at-three-am-to-go-shopping kind of gal. Still, I love the satisfaction of finding just the right gift for just the right person. After all, what's better than a moment like this, when you open up an entire world with a simple book ... ... or when you can practically smell the flowers of the world when you turn the page... ... or when you get lost in a dream of snuggling in a hammock … [Read more...]
I'd like to frost my hair. Not in the 80's "cool-hip-extra-frosted-spiky-tips" way, but with actual frosting. That way I could nibble on my hair whenever I got peckish. And, if given the choice, I definitely would live in a gingerbread house, like the witch in Hansel and Gretel. But I wouldn't be a witch; I'd simply eat candy all day long. And lots, and lots of frosting. Today, in the spirit of all things frosting and candy, I give you the winner of the local division of our Gingerbread for … [Read more...]
Hi Friends! This week we're taking a break from our A-Z cooking Adventures for the week. I'm not sure what to make of that. I feel sort of exposed. Vulnerable. Like I'm in one of those dreams in which I am not dressed appropriately for the situation. Like... at all. At this point, 2 years into the Adventure, I feel like I should constantly be cooking something crazy wonderful for you to enjoy - for us to enjoy! But, here's the thing... we have several important matters to attend … [Read more...]
THE SCENE: Birth day. Ava's nephew. Keith's grandson. Kaiden Ray. He is here and he is beautiful. The night he was born Ava held this oh-so-new life on her tiny lap, so amazed. Spellbound. Once a few minutes went by, she honed in on her most serious concern for this tiny being. She wanted to know if Kaiden would have toys to play with. "Kaiden have toys?" she asked Alexis, his mother. "He doesn't need toys right now," she smiled, still radiant the way a new mother … [Read more...]
This recipe is so familiar. Each bite feels like a nibble straight out of my childhood. The funny thing is I've never, ever had this recipe. But, with cinnamon, cardamom, apples and pancakes-so-thin-they're-basically-crêpes all rolled together with heaps of honey and yogurt, I can practically see my mom buzzing around the kitchen table. I smell the butter melting, crackling, sizzling, and I go right back to those days when I was too short to see into the mixing bowl. Thanks to this new-to-me … [Read more...]
