I was torn about telling you these unbelievable cookies were vegan, worried it would put off the bacon-cheeseburger set (of which I, too, am a member). But these are so dang good I feel a sudden urge to wear Birkenstocks–which I pray will pass. Recipe by Stephanie Valentine, below. Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies Vegan or… Continue reading Chocolate Chip Cookies To Die, and Vegan, too! Updated April 2020
News & Notes
Country Life and the Chicken Catalog
Have I been in the country too long, or is it normal to be mesmerized by the newly arrived McMurray Hatchery catalog? “The World’s Rare Breed Poultry Headquarters,” it says. It’s fabulous. For new readers, I am a small town Southern girl who lived in Atlanta during the ’90s and in New York City since… Continue reading Country Life and the Chicken Catalog
Flowers and Leaves by Nina Rumbough
How about a breath of spring in these depths of January, just to remind us that it WILL come? How beautiful is this? And this? The artist and photographer is Nina Rumbough, who I am happy to say is my friend, and who is as lovely as her work. See more of it at her… Continue reading Flowers and Leaves by Nina Rumbough
Nina Griscom’s Chic Manhattan Townhouse
Note: When I first posted this with photos I received a stern email from Conde Nast requesting removal of all photos, the head of my first born child, etc etc. I thought it was weird since I had carefully credited all photos, and, uh, photos from magazines are all over the place and then some,… Continue reading Nina Griscom’s Chic Manhattan Townhouse
One Little Thing: Holding a Grudge
Oh we all get our knickers in a knot every now and then. Lord knows I do. Yes even sweet little me. And the old me used to carry her anger around for way longer than necessary. Pouting, by any other name. Unattractive in a child; ridiculous in a grown-up. My sister and I used… Continue reading One Little Thing: Holding a Grudge
Killer Cauliflower Soup, Seriously
How exciting can it be, cauliflower soup? Well you just make this and see. You’ll be doing a great service for yourself and your family, possibly the country, the world… The recipe comes from our sublime cook at Rancho La Zaca, Chef Stephanie Valentine. You might think “chef” sounds pretentious but that is what she… Continue reading Killer Cauliflower Soup, Seriously
A South Texas Sojourn-Part 2
Like I was saying yesterday…In the winter months, during quail season in South Texas, they all go to one another’s places on the weekends to shoot and have a good time. We were lucky enough to be invited last weekend. Our hosts, whose middle name is Hospitality and whose other middle names are Cute, Fun,… Continue reading A South Texas Sojourn-Part 2
A South Texas Sojourn
My mother once said casually, but as if bestowing the greatest compliment, “Texas people are cute; they’re a lot like people from North Carolina.” Yes, I answered, but they have better jewelry. They have ranches, too. People in Texas have ranches like people in North Carolina have azaleas. His Grace and I were lucky to… Continue reading A South Texas Sojourn
One Little Thing: Making the Magician’s Choice
Author, speaker, and self-described late-bloomer Jerry Posner tells of a seemingly random experience he had on an airplane that got his attention in a good way. Heaven knows we’ll take what silver linings we can get from commercial flights these days. Jerry speaks regularly at Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires, and that’s where I heard… Continue reading One Little Thing: Making the Magician’s Choice
Light as a Butterfly
Is this the coolest? This Butterfly Lamp flew out at me from a Facebook post the other day by EcoFirstArt. Hand crafted of steamed, bent wood by British craftsman Tom Raffield, its playful, graceful shape is inspired by the movement of a butterfly in flight and, says the artist, “intercepts the light making intricate shadows… Continue reading Light as a Butterfly
New Fashion Vibe? Carrie Bradshaw Meets Grace Kelly
Is this striking a chord in the spring fashion melody? In a recent and fleeting foray onto Rodeo Drive last week, I was struck by this mannequin at Prada. Well I was struck by whole Prada thing period, but that’s another story. Anyway, there she sat, all prim and yet a tad edgy at the… Continue reading New Fashion Vibe? Carrie Bradshaw Meets Grace Kelly
At the Beginning and at the End
Resolutions are well and good but have a way of running off the road and into a ditch. What about, as an alternative, the cultivation of one positive habit? It does require a touch of discipline but no gyms or diets. Interested? In searching for a message to share with you and to begin my… Continue reading At the Beginning and at the End