Hello from my cozy cold weather kitchen! This is the first year I’ve had a real winter in a very long time, with snow and everything! I traveled to Whistler for New Years and went snowshoeing up to a glacial lake. Growing up in Alaska, I’d forgotten how much I missed seeing epic mountains and powder covered cedars and spruce trees. Then I flew east to the Berkshires for a different …

Today I went to a café with my mom, cozied up with piping hot mug of chai and spent the afternoon doing a ritual we’ve done together almost every year for the last decade. It started in 2010 with the book “Five”, a book of reflective journaling questions that helps you tease out thoughts about what you value, where you’re dreaming and where you’re …

Today is my birthday and I’m officially into my 30’s. 31, to be exact. For years now, I’ve had this funny tradition of baking my own birthday cake, which some people laugh at but most end up loving when they get to eat the leftovers of my recipe testing efforts. This year, I made a carrot cake. This super-moist double-layer carrot cake is spiced with cardamom and covered in a homemade …

I never thought I would say this, but I really missed cozy cold weather and the feel of the holidays. This year, my boyfriend and I are celebrating with my family. We’re all foodies with similar tastes and preferences, and can appreciate a good meal together – something I know is rare when it comes to those two words: family and holidays.

Over the years, I can’t tell you how many …

It’s 18 degrees here in Oklahoma City and I’m sitting with a cat on my lap and a cup of this tahini hot chocolate at my desk. I’m back in my home where many of the recipes on this blog were created, photographed and shared through the years. It feels good to be back in a familiar place, with a kitchen just as I had left it, and two happy …