This week I have to call myself the jet lag chef. We returned from Paris over the weekend and I am still operating on Parisian time. Every morning my daughter and I have been up and bopping around the house at 5am. We aren’t a bit tired and are quite happy to chat, make breakfast, and generally take care of everything we want before my husband and son wake up. I can’t say it is all bad! Naturally, I’ve been using some of my free time as a chance to prep food for later in the day. After all, jet lag means I am sound asleep by 8pm, sharp! This week I started off my making homemade fudge pops based on a recipe my mother cut out for me from The New York Times.
I am going to be taking a little break for the rest of the month and will be back in June. It has been a whirlwind few weeks and I need to stop and catch my breath. I can’t thank you enough for all of the wonderful support regarding the new book and the book tour. I plan to set up a fall tour over the summer so stay tuned for more dates. In the mean time, don’t forget the June 4th signing in Concord, Massachusetts at JMcLaughlin!
Here are a few of my recent favorites from around the web for some fun reading while I am out!
– The Reed is now open. Perfect for adventurers like me.
– I just bought a case of my favorite DMZ rosé to get ready for summer.
– Natalie’s new book is fantastic. Wise, funny, insightful, downright cozy. Highly recommend.
– Plan on wearing this top in light blue with white jeans and pretty sandals all summer long.
– We’ve traveled to Harbour Island a few times and this book brings back so many memories.
It has been two weeks since we returned from Napa Valley and we are still gushing over what an amazing trip it was. Partially because we were without the kids, but also because it was the perfect place for us foodies to visit. Here are a few more details from our awesome trip:
The beauty of the time difference was that we were up and at ’em bright and early every morning. This made it easy to grab one more breakfast at Oxbow Market (we were hooked on the breakfast tacos, chilaquiles, and donuts with lavender sugar) before heading to Mumm Napa to start the day with a little bubbly. It was the first sparkling wine we’d tasted in the region and we were pleasantly surprised. The winemaker is trained in France and they use the same method champenoise in Napa, so the product is very close to its French counterpart. We also tried their sparkling Pinot Noir which we found quite unique.
Once we were fortified with bubbly we decided to break out of Napa and check out Sonoma. It just over the mountain ridge from Napa and was a gorgeous drive. I couldn’t get over all of the amazing vistas and made my husband pull over every mile so I could take a picture until he finally refused out of concern we’d never reach our destination.
Friends of ours recommended visiting Göpfrich Winery. It is a small, boutique winery in the Dry Creek Valley run by Ray Göpfrich. I didn’t get many pictures because it was just my husband and I at the tasting. We chatted with Ray for over an hour about his wine making process and all the nitty gritty details about farming grapes and running a vineyard. It was utterly fascinating and we both agree he was one of the most interesting people we met on our whole trip. I also loved seeing the difference between the boutique vineyards and larger operations like Stag’s Leap. Both are relevant, but we really appreciated the charm of chatting with Ray and tasting his delicious reds.
That afternoon we decided to take it easy and stroll through Healsburg. It is a charming town with a lot of shops and restaurants to try. Next time we go we’ll have to dedicate a whole afternoon to hanging out and staying for dinner.
Since it was our last vacation afternoon we decided to head back to Yountville and take a walk through town. I was particularly fascinated with the French Laundry kitchen garden. I found that lots of restaurants have them since the growing season is so long and the land is ideal for growing edibles. We didn’t eat French Laundry, that will be saved for another trip.
After another wonderful afternoon by the pool (we couldn’t get over the fact that we didn’t have kids on our backs while we swam), we headed for a simple dinner at Bistro Jeanty and off to bed.
On Sunday morning we managed to squeeze in two last excursions that were well worth it. The first was Swanson Vineyards. I’ll admit, I wanted to go because I’d heard about the beautiful interiors and fun Sip Shop. I am a sucker for great design and lush gardens and wanted to see it for myself. I am so glad we did this because the tasting salon was easily the prettiest one I’d seen during our entire trip. Our hostess was charming and informative and the wines were quite delicious. I especially loved the taste of Swanson cavier we were given (served on a potato chip with creme frâiche!). Such a fun treat!
After our visual and edible feast at Swanson it was time to head out. We were, of course, hungry before our flight and stopped at the Fremont Diner for one last decadent meal. As with all great Napa and Sonoma institutions this one featured a fabulous bar (in an airstream trailer out back) stocked with local wines. We chose a bottle of Gloria Ferrer because we didn’t get to visit the winery (they were closed for moving while we were there). It paired beautifully with our fritters and burgers, and the kitchy ambience was a hoot. There was no better way to bid Napa adieu until our next visit.
I’ll be out of town for Memorial Day this year so I am sharing my very favorite for the season with you right now. Berry season is just beginning here in Connecticut and when it comes around I am all about the strawberry shortcake. It is so. darn. good. Of course, you all know how to make shortcake, of course, but here is my special twist: lemon pastry cream. You guys, it is so much better than basic whipped cream and tastes incredible.
This spring I am making for my winter cooped up indoors with some terrific travel opportunities. I feel so lucky and grateful! Last month was Napa Valley, this month I am heading to Paris. The last time I was in Paris I was a 15 year old backpacker with a taste for pain au chocolat. This time I am going with my mother and daughter on a girls trip. I can’t wait! I’ve already chatted with my friend Ellise and plan to meet up with her. And, I have this awesome book that covers nearly everything I need to know, but I’d still love to hear from you. Any recommendations for things I need to see and/or do with Paris with my daughter? She is wrapping up the first grade and loves things like playgrounds, bright, bold paintings, design, chocolate, toys, nature, animals, and adventure walks. I already set aside one of my old point and shoot cameras for her to use as her own. Please, let me know!
Last month my husband and I escaped to Napa Valley for a much needed vacation without the children. We love our little maniacs, but everyone needs a break once in a while! My parents bravely stepped in to care for them while we flew west for some wine and sun.
We decided to use Yountville as our base of operations and stayed at the Bardessono. It is LEED certified and has a fantastic zen, earthy vibe. The moment we drove onto the property we felt calmer. They greeted us with a glass of wine, walked us to our room, showed us how to use all the extremely efficient amenities, and left us to relax. I’ll post more about the hotel itself later this month but, suffice it to say, we loved it. We especially enjoyed that the location enabled us to walk everywhere in town. Plus, there was a garage of bikes at the ready in case we went to explore beyond the sidewalks.
Our stomachs were still on East Coast time so, after we checked in at noon, we descended on Bouchon for what felt like a late lunch. Since it was mid-week we were ushered in immediately and chose to sit at the bar. We love sitting at bars and chatting with bartenders when we don’t have the kids with us. It somehow feels more adult and less formal. The classic French interior was charming and our meal was excellent, especially my asparagus buratta salad paired with a glass of crisp rosé.
I just returned for a wonderful, almost transformative, visit to the west coast and can’t wait to share all of the details with you over the next couple of weeks. To start off with, here is little taste of what I did:
On Tuesday April 28th, the day my book launched, my friend held a book party for me at her house. She was so generous to do this! I made a few dishes from my book to pass: Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Zucchini Applesauce Bread, and Bacon & Green Chili Quiche.
There were lots of lots of gorgeous fresh flowers everywhere. Flowers are the key to livening up any party space!
While we were in San Francisco we hit a few of our favorite spots like Sausalito for fish tacos…
a walk around town, including the pond at the Palace of Fine Arts…
and a quick trip to the lookout over the Golden Gate Bridge.
Mid-week my husband met me in San Francisco and we drove out to Napa Valley for a blissful five day vacation without children. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. Stay tuned for all of the details next week. In the mean time, here are a few pictures to enjoy!
