Why is there smoke coming out of my computer speakers? Because I’m playing the new CD by Alice Russell, “To Dust”. If you like Adele, KT Tunstall or Annie Lennox, you’ll love Alice’s smoky, soulful vocals.
I think your sing-a-long Summertime soundtrack just arrived. Enjoy!
Are you ready for Mother’s Day on Sunday? Or maybe you have a Mom or wife who takes the weekend off and breakfast is up to you? Or maybe your Mom lives far away like mine does, and you get all the pancakes to yourself!
There are a lot of good recipes to try in the links below. If you’re erring on the lighter side of things, how about the four berry salad or make ahead blueberry cornmeal muffins from Whole Living? Or if you have a bridal or baby shower this Summer, you may want to bookmark the Lemon Curd Tart at Williams-Sonoma. If you’re trying to impress without making a big fuss, try the Goat Cheese and Leek Quiche from Whole Foods – it’s a snap and easily customizable. (I like to add some red pepper for color and texture.)
Fresh produce is starting to pop, so be sure to check out the farm stands that may be opening in your city. And love yo Mama – she loves you!
Enjoy!
Food Network – Mother’s Day Recipes
Whole Living – Mother’s Day Brunch using seasonal foods
It’s the first weekend of May AND it’s supposed to be an unheard of 77 degrees on Sunday. (Last year Seattle didn’t go above 60 degrees until June.) That kind of weather means a fiesta for sure on Cinco de Mayo. And yes, you can get the party started a little early if you’re watching the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
Here’s a fun fact – the Kentucky Derby winner always receives a big blanket of pink lilies. Either serve a pink colored dessert on Saturday, or simply fire up a pitcher of the delicious Pink Grapefruit Margaritas from the Barefoot Contessa and just keep pouring into Sunday. (Kidding, kidding.) I’m keeping it simple this weekend by grilling up some chicken and throwing together fresh salsa and guacamole for street tacos.
Enjoy!
Williams-Sonoma Cinco de Mayo Taco Party
Mexico One Plate At a Time Recipes (Rick Bayless)
I don’t know about you, but I’m worn out after the last couple of weeks. So emotional! Just when I was about to throw up my hands, this delightful video of Tilda Swinton showed up on my Twitter feed. It was so joyous that I had to watch it again and again. Most of all, I loved watching Roger Ebert’s widow, Chaz, looking beautiful as she danced along.
If you’re feeling drained, here’s 6 minutes to fill you back up. As Tilda said, “No observers!”
I was in a restaurant with big screen TVs on Monday for lunch. In the middle of a fun conversation, the headlines from Boston flashed up on the screen. Our whole table was stunned. Suddenly nothing else was important. Did you feel the same way when you heard the news?
One of the best ideas I heard this week to help out was “take a first aid course”. It’s depressing to think of needing first aid for a terrorist attack. On the other hand, consider all the other times you may need to have some survival skills. During a natural disaster. With an aging family member. Or if someone has an emergency during a school event. So many people helped others avoid worse injuries, including hemorrhaging to death, by having some basic medical knowledge.
On Monday evening, one of my favorite tweets came from El Palon Taqueria: “Open wifi, place to charge cell, or just don’t want to be alone, food and drinks, – pay only if you can.” In just a few words, they beautifully captured the generous spirit that often comes during disasters. It’s a spirit worth carrying forward.
The events in Boston have even inspired some people to dust off their running shoes. This was my favorite quote from the link below: “I ran to clear my head, but it didn’t work. So I ran because I could. Because the freedom of running wasn’t taken away from me. Because the running community stretches to all cities and all places, and I’m glad to be part of it.”
This Friday, I hope you’ve found your own expression to support Boston. If even the Yankees can pause to sing “Sweet Caroline”, so can you. Enjoy!
I saw a piece of “Paris Je T’Aime” about a month ago, so I knew I had to DVR it when it came up on the grid again. Paris Je T’Aime is a collection of 18 short stories by different writers and directors. The segments run the gamut: fantasy, romance, comedy and heart-pounding drama. The structure sounds disconnected and possibly frantic, but I loved it. If you don’t like a particular story, there’s a new one right around the corner. In addition to all the colorful characters you’ll meet, Paris itself plays a predominant role. You’ll travel from the beautiful and elegant sections to some of the most seedy and unpredictable.
If you’re longing for an incredible Spring Break like I am, take some time to watch Paris Je T’aime (currently playing on the Sundance Channel). As a lady in one of my favorite stories says, “That was the moment when I fell in love with Paris. And Paris fell in love with me.” After watching this beautiful film, I could only smile and whisper, “Oui, oui.”
Enjoy!
You’ve had a good kick-off to Spring celebrating the holidays, but oh, the clean-up. Are you a little confused about what should be on your clean-up list? Me, too!
Truth be told, my Mom wasn’t the greatest housekeeper. The silver lining is that I’ve been able to take a lot of suggestions from organizing and cleaning columns without having ideas etched in stone about “this is the only way to do it”. Get started with the links below – your place will be spotless for all the fun parties this Summer.
Enjoy!
Clean Mama’s 10 Musts for Spring Cleaning
Donna Brazile tweeted the URL below, and it left me speechless. I can’t think of a better Good Find Friday post this week; what a perfect match for the style icons column. Thank you, Anti-Defamation League, for creating this beautiful expression.
Here’s the link if you’d like to share the love with your Facebook and Twitter friends: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KyvlMJefR4
It’s an unusual year – Passover and Easter fall in the same week. We still have a couple of days before the holidays hit, so here’s your last chance to get that boring slab of ham off the table and try some new dishes. There are even some really interesting gluten and dairy free options listed.
Over the years I’ve started to serve a Passover dish or two at my Easter table in a nod to the Jewish roots of my Christian heritage. You have a pass to skip the gefilte fish, but if you do nothing else, try making haroset. This apple salad symbolizes mortar used by the Jews to build Egyptian pyramids. The link below provides several variations, all easy and quick to make, by famous and charming food writer Joan Nathan.
I’ll be watching Charlton Heston part the Red Sea for the hundredth time next weekend. Have a wonderful holiday!
Are you ready for March Madness? I’ve said it before and I stick by it – sports is the best reality TV there is. I’ve been watching some of the college basketball games lately, and they all seem to be going down to the last buzzer. Unfortunately I’m not sharp enough to strategize a bracket. What do you expect from a girl who picks teams by the mascot? If you’re interested, though, ESPN has one ready to fill out.
I would be remiss if I didn’t give a hat tip to the wonderful John Wooden, former coach of the renowned UCLA Bruins. Bill Walton wasn’t one of his greatest students, but Coach Wooden’s pet phrases made enough of an impression for Bill to write a note or two on the brown bag as he packed lunch for his boys:
Need more inspiration? Be sure to check out the famous John Wooden Pyramid of Success.
I’m looking forward to some exciting games in the weeks to come. As Coach Wooden would shout, “Goodness, gracious, sakes alive!”
