A Nostalgic Tradition Worth Reviving In the Midwest, the relish tray wasn’t a trend — it was a ritual. It appeared at every gathering, no matter the occasion. Before the meal, before the main event, there it was: a platter of small bites meant to welcome you in. I grew up with the same ingredients […]
A Love Letter When my husband, Scot, and I first visited the Texas Hill Country in 2017, we fell in love. You’d think it was the wine that captured our hearts — and truthfully, the wine is wonderful — but what really drew us in were the people. There’s a generosity of spirit here, a […]
A Hill Country Summer in Italy There are some trips that stay with you long after the bags are unpacked and the laundry is done. My recent journey to Italy was one of those — not just a vacation, but a reminder of why I fell in love with food, travel, and sharing both with […]
Hosting a dinner party can feel daunting, but what if you turned it into a regular, relaxed affair with friends? Enter the supper club: a rotating dinner party where friends take turns hosting intimate gatherings. It’s a fantastic way to build deeper connections, explore new cuisines, and rediscover the joy of shared meals. When I […]
Hello my friend and welcome to the inaugural week of Mastering the Ease of Home Cooking ™! I am so excited that you are here and have found the answer to the most annoying question, “what’s for dinner?”. Let me tell you a bit of how the idea for this came to be. In September […]
Albert Einstein once said “When you stop learning, you start dying.” I will be honest with you, I was not a fan of school. For me, school was what happened in between sporting events and dances. I enjoyed attending college and did actually learn a lot. However, it was not my favorite thing. As I’ve […]
I decided it was time to expand Over a year ago my friend Anna told me that her husband was very into reading things on Substack. Being a Gen Xer and not knowing what she was even talking about, I decided I had too much to think about and said, “I would think about it”. […]
Wine and Cheese Day Happy Wine and Cheese Day 2023! Honestly, it is just an excuse for me to share one of my favorite things to do! Eat cheese and drink wine. Cheese and wine go together like peas and carrots. One makes the other so much better and that makes for a great pairing. […]
I love a good sale! Especially when it is on something that I have had my eye on for quite awhile. Most of the things that I am interested in make my life a bit better. Little fans to keep flies off of my food outdoors, or something to satisfy my morning addiction, a Nespresso […]
Above and beyond Life as a Bon Vivant, well for me anyways, includes learning all about food and wine. How to best pair them together, how the grapes are grown and even enjoying a cigar in the vines. I am excited to share with you some of my favorite elevated wine experiences in the Texas […]