The Santa Ana winds were gusting Sunday night,  and just as I had predicted, the power went out.  Likely to find myself in the dark before the evening was over, I had lit candles throughout the house and tucked a … Continue reading →

It’s official!  I finally had my first beer –  in a cake that is.  😉  In all the hundreds of cakes I have eaten to date, not one had beer in it.  My Dad was an incredible cake baker, and … Continue reading →

More than any other year I can remember since moving West have I longed for the Fall weather I knew growing up in Kentucky.  I want to shiver in the mornings as I slip from underneath my down comforter and … Continue reading →

Once upon a time I was intimidated by the prospect of making caramel from scratch.  A pot of boiling hot sugar can induce fear in even the most accomplished of cooks and bakers.  I can’t recall my first successful caramel … Continue reading →

I’m pretending it feels like Autumn around here even though the temperatures are rising instead of falling. I’ve lost patience waiting for cooler weather so I’ve been making lots of big hearty meals and tummy warming soups in spite of … Continue reading →