Aidan’s 3rd birthday, a late June celebration, will be a very happy day for me and my family.
Our high-spirited son made us whole. He came into this world on the night of a massive thunder/lightning storm in Washington D.C. The storm knocked the power out of the city. Aidan’s name in Irish means the Celtic God of Fire. Coincidence? I think not. This kid has been a firecracker since the moment he came into this world. Continue reading
Last Friday I destroyed my kitchen. There is nothing like a full day of rain, coupled with a public holiday in which every indoor play ground is closed, to force you into extreme measures to entertain your child.
Flour. Everywhere. Broken egg shells. Everywhere. Powdered sugar. Everywhere. Continue reading
Springtime has hit Switzerland in full force. The blossoms are blanketing park benches. The pick-your-own tulip fields are in bloom. And seasonal fruits and vegetables are making their yearly appearances in our many farmers’ markets. Continue reading
Hello Spring. It’s good to see you out and about.
I love this time of year. There is nothing better than waking up in the morning to that small chink of sunlight cascading across your bed, summoning you out and into the stretching day.
It’s a fantastic feeling. Spring. Everything seems to come to life around us. Including me. In goes my winter gear, my boots, my heavy coats. Out comes my jogging shoes, my sundresses, and of course, my shades. Continue reading
A few Easters ago, my family and I were lucky enough to spend the holiday at my mother-in-law’s home in Ireland (and yes, I do say “lucky”, because yes, I do think my mother-in-law is pretty darn great).
I love the excitement this holiday brings to children. It’s also the only time of year where everyone collectively gets together to wear pastel colours. And well, that’s just pretty funny if you ask me. Continue reading
Earlier this month I challenged myself. I took on another wall stencilling project, this time in a different home altogether.
I met Jessica through my blog. She contacted me late last year after I had posted my work on my kitchen stencil. A U.S. native herself, Jessica and her French-born husband had recently renovated their two-story home in St. Louis, France, a small town just over the border from Basel. She was looking to bring some colour into her place, particularly on their newly painted white walls. Continue reading
A Japanese friend of mine once told me that in her house “Gyoza Night” was family night. The evening had one very strict rule. Every single member of the family who wanted to eat these amazingly flavourful dumplings, from the grandparents down to the small kids, had to take part in the “gyozo chain”. Continue reading
During his adolescent years my father lived with his grandfather, a chef who worked at the historic Drake Hotel atop Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. He learned the tricks of the cooking trade largely from him; the 101 basics, plus all the trimmings. Continue reading
Dear Chicago,
For the last few years I’ve been visiting you in February. I know what you’re thinking, Chicago. Why in the world would anyone visit you during this time of year?
I am fully aware that I am likely to encounter door-jamming snow drifts, frost-bitten cheeks, and as my son called it several times during the course of our visit — “very dirty snow.” Continue reading
I miss being in an office. A real, bustling office, where my colleagues run back and forth screaming out breaking news, where we challenge each other to write better and report better, and where, at the end of the day, we walk out of the building, hang up our writer’s hats, and call it a day. Continue reading
chasing thyme 