by Mary | Jul 21, 2022 | Desserts, Italy, Italy Travels, Sicily
Just this week, my fig tree delivered its first ripe fruit of the season. Every year it produces more and more figs, and besides giving them away to friends and neighbors, I’m finding new ways to use this special, luscious fruit. Last year I made fig and ginger...
by Mary | Sep 16, 2020 | Main Dishes
Now starring…drumroll, please. The lovely eggplant: cloaked in a deepest jewel-tone purple, satiny, with unblemished skin, sleek in figure adorned by an evergreen crown cap. She is royalty and commands a striking presence in my garden. I’d almost rather leave...
by Mary | Aug 20, 2020 | Fruit
My fig tree not only bestows me with gorgeous summer fruit but presents a nature show all year long. In the fall and winter, it loses its leaves to reveal bare-naked limbs. Small green buds evolve into broad, finger-like leaves while nubs form on its skinny branches...
by Mary | Aug 5, 2020 | All Food, Garden, Stories From My Heart
Despite the pandemic daze I often find myself in, being cooped up has reignited a flame in my cooking life, using seasonal ingredients in imaginative ways. My over-grown garden of veggies nudged my palate to explore new tastes and combinations that permeated further...
by Mary | Jun 10, 2020 | Desserts, Italy Travels, Personalities
Let me introduce my writing friend, colleague, and guest blogger, Jolie Tunnell. Jolie is witty, sassy, and knows how to tell a story. Her blog at JolieTunnell.com shares humerous tales of her five children, husband, and new kitten and is always a fun read. She’s got...
by Mary | Apr 28, 2020 | Garden, Stories From My Heart
Amidst all this self-isolation, I’ve discovered new ways to keep from going crazy, which has happened a few times. The unexpected evolution of these new hobbies are spin-offs of my gardening and cooking passions. They are bird watching and bread-making, one...
by Mary | Feb 5, 2020 | Desserts, Italy
To me, chocolate represents everything good in life. It has helped me through my darkest hours, given me clarity when I am indecisive, and won hearts when it counts. That is why I cannot imagine Valentine’s Day without chocolate. Whether you are wooing a...
by Mary | Jan 24, 2020 | Life Moments, Stories From My Heart
The Sparkle in my Life March 2009 to October 2019 My dearest Sparky, Even though you have crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, I feel your warm spirit and vibrant energy beside me. Oh, the adventures we had! From the oceans to the desert and the mountains. Joy was our...
by Mary | Jan 13, 2020 | Desserts
My Gramma has done it again: delivered a recipe with oranges that sounded so incredibly good that I made it immediately and now cannot stop snacking. I came across it during my annual January purge. This year, my studio, which is jammed with multiple writing...