FRIDA: Her Food & Recipes

Mary Cassatt wrote that women must choose between Art or Family & Hearth.  That Mind and Soul cannot properly support both. As an early 20 something, I dismissed that as antiquated. Fast forward 20 years, to me as mother, cook, and painter, I understand. How the Heart and Mind struggle to create each side of itself equally. Frida navigated […]

Once in a Great While, Your Favorite New Dessert Hugs you “Hello!”

And this is that very moment. Crisps are long time Farmhouse favorites.  Easy to make.  Everybody loves them.  If you char it a touch? Eh, what the hell — Add great quality vanilla ice cream. Do me a favor? Use Light Muscovado sugar.  It really is a divine supplement to traditional brown sugar…which I find […]

Gingerbread House Adventures – Part I

Friend Maureen convinced me in a less hectic-Holiday time (i.e. 2 weeks ago) to compete in a Gingerbread House Building Competition amongst all of the Wineries.  For the entire Sonoma Valley.  With the confection structures to be publicly displayed at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn.  I thought, “sure! why not? Blue ribbon all the way!” […]

Big Swede’s Chocolate Truffle Toffee

Every Fall, lovebirds visit us from Texas.  When Sharon and Robert (aka the “Big Swede”) Gustavsson visit, a weekend of fun always unfolds.  Robert and Dean met in some dusty South American town while Dean was on one of his fabulously epic, cross continent motorcycle adventures. Robert was building a power plant. And they have been […]