Spring is the perfect season to celebrate Hildegard of Bingen, the medieval Rhineland mystic, naturalist, seer, writer, gardener, composer, and physician. The world is leaping to life in every color of green, a celebration of Hildegard’s central concept of viriditas–the “greening finger” of the divine in all of life. I’ve …
Netherfield Ball +200: The BBC is staging a re-creating an entire Regency ball – to mark the 200th anniversary of Pride And Prejudice. I have always been enamored of the mannered domesticity in Miss Austen’s novels. In a 90-minute special, experts will re-stage the planning and rehearsals for an early …
It was time to take the pumpkin out of the pot and eat it. In the final analysis, that was what solved these big problems of life. You could think and think and get nowhere, but you still had to eat your pumpkin. That brought you down to earth. That …
I confess to having a slight cookbook addiction, one I have no intention of giving up. I keep cookbooks by my bed and read them like novels. My kitchen bookshelves are overflowing, and whenever someone wants to buy me something for my birthday, somehow I just can’t keep from asking …
Dear me, I meant to write this post for this month’s full moon, but since we are getting ready to dye eggs for Easter today, I suppose this is just as well: In colonial America, the full moons of early spring were called Egg Moons. The longer days and increased …
This morning I had a million things to do, but there was sun was shining into the kitchen for the first time in days, and it felt so warm and welcoming. All I needed for complete happiness was a basket of something delicious to go alongside my cup of tea. …
I’ve carried a tattered little card with this recipe for rice and raisin “porridge” on it around with me since college. What a simple, quick, nourishing, yummy way to start the day, use leftover brown rice, and avoid the expense and waste of boxed cereal. After all, how much oatmeal …
November 2nd marks the Mexican Day of the Dead–Dia de los Muertos–a time for honoring and celebrating the memory of departed loved ones. Skeletons are everywhere in the artwork that attends the festivities, all dressed up as they would be in life–making music, baking break, riding horseback… This year Claire …
I have received more comments about this shirt than any piece of clothing I have ever owned: my spiffy, turquoise EAT MORE KALE t-shirt. People stare, laugh, turn their heads to watch me pass on the street, nudge their companions, make grimmacing kale-is-yucky expressions, and–best of all–stop to talk. I …
We are huge breakfast muffin fans around here, especially now–during fresh, local berry season. My absolute favorite muffin recipe is one of Martha Stewart’s, loaded with butter, sugar, buttermilk, and other lovely things. The muffins weigh about a pound each, and come out of the tins almost dripping with melted …