One of my favorite stores of all time is going out of business. I first learned of the existence of Betsey Johnson (and her daughter, Lulu) in an issue of Seventeen magazine when I was about 11. But the first time I walked into a Betsey store was a few years later, in Miami. The […]
What are you doing for your mom for Mother’s Day? Sending flowers? Taking her out to tea? Serving her breakfast in bed? Our mothers have already received the flowers we sent, and we’re getting them some presents. But we can’t exactly take them breakfast in bed, since they both live hundreds of miles away. Of […]
My big sister from my sorority was really big on studying at coffee shops and diners. One of our main sisterly activities was going to Waffle House to spend a few hours studying art history (her) and Russian grammar (me). But I really, really hate Waffle House. (Sorry, everyone in the South, but it’s just […]
A few years ago, I decided it would be a great idea to make bourbon balls for tailgating at the Georgia-Kentucky football game. Toby wasn’t home, so I found a recipe online — epicurious.com or foodnetwork.com, can’t remember which — and followed it. The resulting bourbon balls tasted gross and looked completely disgusting. It was […]
I love Mexican food and margaritas… and mint juleps and chocolate-chip-pecan pie. So it’s problematic for me that the Kentucky Derby is on Cinco de Mayo this year. I still haven’t completely decided what I am going to do, food- and dessert-wise, but we have to go to a thing that evening so I won’t […]
Today was the 30th meeting of St. John’s College and the United States Naval Academy in an epic battle of… croquet. Yeah. And the midshipmen lost for the 25th time. The good news is there were a bunch of amazing outfits. For example: I had gotten a new, super cute Lilly Pulitzer dress to wear […]
Did you know the blue crab population in the Chesapeake Bay is at its highest level since 1993? Did you know blue crabs are blue when they’re alive but turn reddish when you cook them? Did you know that even though my astrological sign is Cancer and I live in Maryland, I will die if […]
I don’t have very highfalutin taste in music, y’all. I love Britney, Gaga and Shakira. I frequently tune the satellite radio to 80s on 8. And I will listen to just about anything (except Ke$ha, Nicki Minaj, Ace of Base and Neil Young. I have my limits). So I was kind of excited when I […]
Here’s the thing: If you had asked me a year or two ago to make a list of the things I could never, ever see myself cooking and blogging about, that list would look something like this. 1. Fish/shellfish 2. Mushrooms 3. Brussels sprouts And yet, here I am. With a bag of Brussels sprouts […]
Let’s be honest: I will eat just about any salsa that’s put in front of me. Yeah, I prefer freshly made and non-chunky kinds, and I generally don’t like fruit salsas (though Flaming Amy’s pineapple salsa is a notable exception), but I will eat it regardless. Restaurant salsa — at least the kind that doesn’t […]