Hump Day: My Kinda Zin

As I mentioned on Monday, we had an awesome wine with our dinner at Maverick last Friday.  As soon as I tasted it I said aloud, "Now this is my kinda Zin!"  The 2007 Ridge Vineyards "Lytton Springs" Dry Creek Zinfandel is full bodied, tasting of dark fruits, spice and a hint of vanilla.  It's super smooth and oaky with a beautiful finish.  I have been told before that "my kinda Zins" can often be...

CrockPot Creations Part 3: Pork Carnitas with Green Apple Slaw

My first week back to work was a hectic one and left me with very little time at home for cooking.  I managed to throw together a few meals, but one night The Hub and I decided to turn to our trusty friend, The Crockpot, for help.   We had bought a 3 lb. pork shoulder over the weekend and decided to make some tasty Pork Carnitas We had also bought a giant bag of Granny Smith apples over the weekend and needed...

Date Night with The Hub

When The Hub and I found out in October that the next step in our Life Plan had been indefinitely postponed, I knew that my gig as a full-time housewife was coming to an end.  We live in an expensive city, and at that point I had been unemployed for over 5 months.  It was time to get back in the job market.  I found a great opportunity contracting for an old client of mine until our Life Plan gets back on track,...

New Feature: Fig’s Weekly Bed Beard

If you didn't know already, The Hub and I have another awesome member of our little family:  our dog, Figaro. One of my favorite stories to tell is about how Fig and The Hub became acquainted.  But to tell you that story, I have to first tell you how the The Hub and I met. Back in the spring of 2005, I decided that I had finally had enough of living in Boston.  I was ready for a change and got the...

Holiday Host Gift Guide

As you know by now, I firmly believe in the etiquette of bringing a little something for your host or hostess when you arrive to a party.  With the holidays in full swing, it's fun to go above and beyond the typical gifts like a bottle of wine or bouquet of flowers. Earlier this week I shared my idea of preparing a pretty mason jar full of Spicy and Sweet Glazed Nuts.  Here are a few other gift ideas I've come...

Hump Day: Festive Holiday Cocktails

Happy Hump Day everyone!  It's official, the holidays are in full swing.  Tomorrow I'll be attending my first of many holiday parties this season and to get in the spirit, I thought I'd share some pretty delicious looking and festive cocktails that I found.  I can't wait to try these out .  What's your favorite holiday cocktail? Peppermint Patty You'll Need: - 1 oz. Smirnoff Vodka - 1 oz. Peppermint...

A Midwest Delight: Mom’s Pinecone Dip

One of my favorite things about this time of year is that I can make my mom's adorable Pinecone Dip. I'm not sure where she found this recipe, but it's totally a Midwestern thing, right up there with the Jell-O Pudding Chocolate Eclair that I'll share with you sometime when summer returns. The Pinecone Dip is super easy to make and looks so fabulous that you'll impress everyone you serve it to.  I have been...

Holiday Host Gift: Sweet & Spicy Glazed Nuts

As the holidays approach, our calendar is filling up with parties!  White Elephant parties, Ugly Sweater parties, and Work parties.  Each year The Hub's company hosts a fabulous holiday party at an awesome venue with a fun theme.  They've done Vegas, Roaring '20s, '80s Prom, 1979, and this year's theme:  Truman Capote's 1966 Black & White Ball. We had to do some research to figure out what this meant. ...

Georgetown Cupcakes

The cupcake craze seems to be coming to a close here in San Francisco (we have moved onto doughnuts now) but as you can see from the picture below, it is alive and well in Washington D.C.! During my Halloween trip to visit my bff Devon, we made a stop at Georgetown Cupcake...more than once!  Founded by two sisters in early 2008, this adorable cupcakerie rose to fame after winning D.C.'s 2008 Cupcake War and...

Sick on Hump Day: Hot Toddy, Fact or Fiction?

It seems like everyone is sick right now.  I think it's a combination of the weather changing and the stress of the year.  I started feeling something coming on Thanksgiving night and have been guzzling Zinc and Vitamin C ever since.  I've managed to keep illness at bay, but I can feel it lying in wait ready to strike at any minute! That got me thinking about being sick on Hump Day.  Which got me thinking of...