entertaining with style- making it work for you
Sometimes the key to a fabulous flower arrangement is in the container. Right now the sunflowers are in full bloom in Yellow Springs, Ohio. The waves of bright yellow faces looking up are truly a sight to behold. One of the amazing perks of living in Southwest Ohio is that
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food detective
Labor Day is upon us and that means that corn season is almost over. I am a huge fan of the Yankee Street Market’s corn cart that’s parked on Stroop Road in Dayton, Ohio. Every day they sell freshly picked sweet corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, zucchinis, and a variety of
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fête fact
As an empty nester it’s an odd thing to be waiting behind a school bus. The first thing that comes to my mind is where has the time gone. Then if it’s a particularly long delay with seemingly first-time parents saying good-bye to their little ones I usually get a
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food detective
My husband and I could eat fresh-picked sweet corn every single day. But just like those truly vine ripened tomatoes the season will soon be over. So I was super excited when I discovered a new way to enjoy these fresh picked ears in the New York Times. The food
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Cocktails in the garden- what fun! But for a midweek party do you simply serve a nibble and a drink or do you offer up something a little more substantial? When you’re having a larger group for cocktails it’s sometimes hard to navigate how much food to serve. The answer
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
When my adult children come home I find myself wanting to resurrect our old family memories. Breakfasts were always a big deal for my girls growing up at our small breakfast table for three. Chocolate chip pancakes, steel cut oatmeal, smoked salmon on bagels, and the ever-present poached egg. It
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entertaining with style- making it work for you
The past few months I’ve been on the flower show circuit as a photography judge. Walking through the floral design entries I’m continually blown away by their sheer beauty, creativity and inventiveness. Flower shows for me are what five-star restaurants are to others. I’d love to try to replicate what
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Lately my husband has been such a sweetheart I thought I’d bake him a pie. Wait a minute- me make a homemade pie? Those of you who know me know that I’m not very skilled when it comes to baking. But just because I’m not terribly accomplished at something doesn’t
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Some times life contains a lot of “too”, as in “and she cooks too”. The national flower show I was co-chairing blew in like a southern storm, then shone brightly on our city, and left as quickly as it came. It was such an incredible event. We had twenty-six judges
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
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Here’s a fresh and vibrant salad that I am going to convert into a side dish. I got the recipe in my daily feed from Bon Appétit; after a couple tweaks it’s sure to be my wingman throughout the summer. While it makes a tremendous luncheon salad, I love it
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Wherever I find myself, I’m happiest with a full dining room table. As a former professional chef and caterer I want to share what I’ve learned over the past three decades of entertaining. On this site you’ll find tricks of the trade to help even the most harried of you pull off a seemingly seamless fête. Come join the conversation! read more →