FORTY. I didn’t freak out in the way I did when I turned thirty. I feel so good and confident in my skin that I know forty can’t be all that bad. I threw myself a fabulous birthday party (more on that later), and I did some thinking. Thinking about what I want from […]

The Monkey Family spent the last week in Florida’s panhandle, visiting with family and recharging our batteries.  The Boy and The Girl spent several days with their grandparents, and The Daddy Monkey and I had our first ever kid-free getaway, in seven years of parenting.  It was pretty nice.  The photo from Friday’s this moment […]

Last Saturday, I cooked a steak for the very first time. Romantic Dinner for Two Harthill Farm Cabernet Sauvignon New York Strip Steak au Poivre Organic Green Beans Ina’s Potatoes Organic Spinach and Romaine Salad with Fig Vinaigrette Ghirardelli Twilight Delight Chocolate I was curious to try the method from Julia and Jacques Cooking at […]

Here’s this week’s Date Night menu: Smoking Loon Cabernet Sauvignon Duck Breasts with Mushrooms Mashed Potatoes Steamed Carrots Fresh Organic Greens with Balsamic Honey Vinaigrette Lindt Chili Chocolate My bastardized duck recipe is based on the one in Paula Wolfert’s Cooking of South-West France.  The first time I ever cooked duck it was from this […]

I got lucky at the grocery store, and found lamb chops for $9.99 a pound instead of the usual $19.99 a pound. Saturday’s Grownup Date Night menu: Smoking Loon Cabernet Sauvignon Broiled Lamb Chops with Lemon Zest, Garlic, and Rosemary Yukon Gold Potatoes with Dill Broiled Zucchini, Yellow Squash, and Onion Fresh Organic Greens and […]

Last Saturday, The Daddy Monkey and I had our first at-home-date night since before The Girl was born, and it was wonderful. On the menu: Smoking Loon Cabernet Sauvignon Grilled Sirloin Steak New Potatoes with Thyme Broccoli with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Red Pepper Flakes Fresh Local Greens, Chevre, and Homegrown Nasturtiums with White Balsamic […]