Category — PLACES

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. 

[Read more →]

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.

[Read more →]

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. 

[Read more →]

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.

[Read more →]

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!

[Read more →]

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

[Read more →]

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.

[Read more →]

I had grandiose plans to do a Thanksgiving round-up talking all about my favorite pie recipes and so forth, but I have been totally slammed from all sides so that is not going to happen. But I think I can offer you something else: about 20 seconds’ worth of fall photos to de-stress you. Just looking at them makes me feel like I have a force-field protecting me from any worries or negativity that might try to encroach.

I mean, sure, I should be making grocery lists, doing the laundry, packing my suitcase, and printing out recipes. But instead, I will look at this multi-hued vineyard. Ahhhhh.

[Read more →]

Last year around this time, I was heading to Guatemala to check an amazing event off my bucket list: the graveyard kite festival in Santiago de Sacatepequez that occurs every year on November 1st to celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead.)

[Read more →]

To get there, you take a little 7-seater prop plane from Vancouver, which lands at an airport that is approximately the size of your house. As you fly in, you see the incredible landscape of Clayoquot Sound and the countless inlets, bays, and islands that define the landscape.