We had an absolutely fabulous weekend along the Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail. Who knew central Pennsylvania grew such good grapes? Seriously, we tasted some really robust wines and experienced firsthand the love that goes into each bottle. I plan to do full recaps on each of the seven wineries we visited. Until then, here is a “sip” of the fun... Read more
I don’t claim to be a wine connoisseur, and I do hope to learn something this weekend while exploring the Susquehanna Heartland Trail. Over the course of the next two days, we’ll be visiting the following central Pennsylvania wineries: Brookmere Winery Seven Mountain Wine Cellars Mount Nittany Vineyard & Winery Shade Mountain Vineyards Spyglass Ridge Winery Benigna’s Winery Hunters Valley... Read more
A successful dinner party begins with a well-planned menu. And so on the occasion of our first dinner party in our new home, we spent more time choosing the dishes than we spent preparing them. (We also spent a lot of time cleaning and organizing the first floor to make it presentable for company. I strategically photographed from angles that... Read more
The second side dish for our spring dinner party was a spontaneous one. The previous day I had picked up a bag of fresh green beans, and I was determined to find a simple recipe to boost their natural flavor. I turned to Mark Bittman for help. His slow-cooked green beans did not disappoint. A great way to get kids... Read more
A successful dinner party begins with a well-planned menu. And so on the occasion of our first dinner party in our new home, I spent more time choosing the dishes than I spent preparing them. For the main course, I turned to a simple favorite: mustard-baked chicken with pretzel crust. But rather than using the chicken breasts we typically use... Read more
My self diagnosis was correct. I have an inflamed iliotibial band. So what does that mean, exactly? Well, IT Band Syndrome is very common among runners, so I’m not alone. From Wikipedia: “The band stretches from the thigh to the calf and is crucial in supporting the knee during running. However, repeated friction and extension of the knee during running... Read more
(Thanks to everyone who left encouraging comments on my previous post. Wish me luck with the doctor tomorrow!) Last weekend Nick and I invited our dear friends and their sweet little girl for dinner and dessert. We were dog sitting for my British bound parents, and the canines enjoyed the extra company, too. Within minutes of their arrival, it became... Read more
I want to run a marathon. It’s on my bucket list. And I want to run one in the rock ‘n’ roll series. Because, really, what could be more motivation than live music at every mile marker and a party at the end? Oh, maybe microbrews and salmon and Mt. Rainier cherries? Sign me up! And sign up I did.... Read more
The work day is more fun when there’s chili involved. Yesterday my office organized a chili cook-off — perhaps not the best plan for a 75-degree spring day, but nevertheless. There was taco chili, vegetarian chili, green chili stew, five pepper chili, and chicken chipotle chili. There were at least three types of cornbread and brownies for dessert. I contributed... Read more
I grew up with Chris Ness. He lived up the street and rode his bike to our house to trade baseball cards with my brother, Andrew, and shoot paintball guns in the backyard. He played video games with my sister, Laura, and took me to our freshman homecoming dance. Earlier this month we all traveled to Philadelphia to celebrate the... Read more