Category — RECOMMENDATIONS

I don’t post that many craft projects on this blog, although I do a fair amount of crafting. This one was easy and turned out pretty well so I thought I would share it. I had a vision of white picture frame ledges on a white wall with frames in varying shades of gold and cream. After a relatively cheap and easy project, I was really happy with the end result:

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When cold winter is at its worst, I try to recall the sultry, summery days and nights in Taormina, Sicily – one of the most picturesque, fun, and delicious beach towns in the whole world. Oh, and there are some pretty incredible ancient ruins right in town, too. 

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Last year, in London, I ate a fabulous meal of North African tapas at Morito, a sultry wine bar with knee-to-knee barstools. One of the most memorable small plates that night was a simple plate of spiced fried chickpeas with little nuggets of  preserved lemon dotted throughout. Since then I’ve been meaning to try and recreate them in my kitchen, and finally got around to figuring out the perfect recipe. I think they’re great as a bar snack with a pre-dinner cocktail or glass of wine, but you can also serve them as a tapa or a side dish.

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Every year on Memorial Day, there is a huge Floating Lantern Festival at Ala Moana Park in Honolulu. People make paper lanterns to commemorate loved ones who have passed away, and at sunset they light a candle with each lantern and set them into the ocean. It is a moving experience that is aesthetically and emotionally very beautiful. For more information, check this website. You can find more of my Oahu and Honolulu recommendations here. 

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Handsome devils, aren’t they? And the setting ain’t too shabby, either. This is your ten second vacation for today! And if you like these pictures, you can see a couple more posts about Egypt here and here.

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My mom often made this dish for company when I was growing up. In a big pretty bowl, over a bed of fragrant basmati rice, it looks beautiful and impressive despite being pretty easy to make. It sort of gives off the impression that you’ve been cooking all day, when in reality, you can cook the whole dinner from start to finish in less than an hour.

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It’s Monday morning – so if you’re like me, you might need a 10 second vacation to chase the blahs away. Today, I offer you some scenes from the hot, steamy, sunny, shadowy walled city in Cartagena Colombia. Enjoy!

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Last month, I hit up Thailand for a quick trip on the way to and from Bhutan. I had been forewarned that Bangkok was a big, messy, dirty place, but once I got a little beneath the surface, I found there was a lot to love about it. Here are eight fun things I recommend you try if you find yourself in Bangkok!

Eight Fun Things to Do in Bangkok

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Do you remember eating sesame candy as a kid? I used to love the sticky little rectangles of sesame seeds suspended in a honey-sweet bar. Great news: it’s actually pretty easy to make at home, and you can add a bit of grated ginger to make it even tastier.

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Last week I did a roundup of my previous adventures in non-traditional gingerbreading, and I’m excited to show you what we made this year: The Snowy Japanese Gingerbread Pagoda.

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