As I’ve mentioned prior, I cannot drink gin due to an allergy.  For many years, this was not a problem.  And then, one day, gin became popular again.  Suddenly, I found myself either asking for substitutions (which can be dangerous since vodka and gin are both clear) or drinking Bourbon.  But sometimes, a gin cocktail […]

I’m usually down on Spokane.  But I will admit, this fall was beautiful.  A long, mild October surrounded by fall colors was a gift.  So when the snow showed up yesterday, it was tremendously unfortunate.  And it got me thinking of warm cocktails.

There are two kinds of people in this world: People who eat cake on their birthdays and people who don’t.  And some of the weirdos in the latter category (I said what I said) eat pie as an alternative.  So if you’re a “birthday pie” eater with a late summer celebration coming up, may I […]

Every summer, the BBQ circuit takes full effect.  And while the cookout classics — potato salad, macaroni salad, broccoli salad — are always welcome, wouldn’t it be nice to have something different on the table?

Who amongst us has not been personally victimized by tequila?  Maybe in college or on a trip to Mexico or sitting by the lake with friends at 37, having never had more than one margarita in a sitting and being completely unpracticed at surviving the agave assault?  But tequila in summer can be refreshing, even […]

This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about birthday cake.  When I was young, birthday cakes were usually home made, often from a mix, or ordered from a grocery store bakery.  They came in simple flavors like white and chocolate.  Maybe, if you were lucky (or begged really hard), confetti.  But thanks to Food Network […]

The Pacific Northwest left a seemingly endless winter just two weeks ago.  Now, thanks to wildfires burning in Canada, we are socked in with smoke.  It’s so thick in Helena that you can’t see the sun.  And in Spokane, while the haze is lighter, it’s over 90-degrees outside.  So no one, including me, feels like […]

This week, my friend Sarah came to visit.  It was wonderful to see her, since the last time we were together was at my wedding…four years ago.  So it had been a minute.  But in true friend fashion, we picked up right where we left off.

For several years, my wedding plans included 12 people at a Taco Bell.  But, like most women, when presented with the opportunity to put all of our friends and loved ones into one place, I took it.  I wish we’d done something smaller.  So I was so glad to see this comment from a bride […]