There was a time, not so long ago, when we could do whatever we wanted at our humble domicile. But then our avian friends arrived, and they decided that “Su casa es mi casa.” They just moved right in, without even asking permission.. In fact, they seem to have quite the attitude, as though we …
Our little corner of the world
We hail from different hemispheres of the globe. I am a New England boy and Sherry, although born in Canada, claims Mauritius as her homeland. For those of you who don't know, the island nation of Mauritius lies smack dab in the middle of the Indian Ocean. After Sherry and I met, traveled the world, …
Ooh, baby, it’s a wild world
If you look closely, you will see evidence of an aphid attack on our new rose blooms. https://videopress.com/v/TGy1FMhp?preloadContent=metadata A hawk dogfight. OUR BACK YARD seamlessly flows into open space, and from our vantage point on the patio, it’s one big high-def, wrap-around entertainment center for watching nature at work. While sipping coffee, a coyote might …
The best-tasting oatmeal, without even cooking
When I was a kid, my younger brother disliked two things: school and oatmeal. In a brilliant use of reverse psychology, dear old Dad told him: “If you don’t eat your oatmeal, you’re not going to school.” It worked. It turns out Little Brother was not the only human to scoff at consuming what is …
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Spring has sprung
Here in Southern California, the weather is sunny and mild and things are blossoming all around. Sherry had planted a row of daffodils and tulips. Daffodils are out. Tulips are still sleeping in.
Sourdough croissants can’t be beat
Is there any thing better than croissant? Je crois que non! But there is, in my opinion, an improvement on the original recipe for the quintessential French pastry, and that is to use sourdough as the leavening agent. Patience may be a virtue, but it is an absolute necessity here. I’ve written before about the …
Sourdough and the sweet smell of success
You might have been watching from the sidelines for the past year, as friends, relatives and celebrities tweeted about their sourdough bread baking. We certainly sat out the fad. But then, we're not new to baking our own bread, or attempting to coax the all-natural yeast to life. Our previous attempts at sourdough, all in …
From gluten-free to free gluten
It was baking day today, and so I decided to experiment with both ends of the gluten spectrum, which means from gluten-free (no gluten) to free gluten (added gluten at no extra charge to you). I started with the now tried-and-true ciabatta bread. This recipe is about as simple as it gets: 3.25 cups of …
California, there I went
It was a bright, warm morning in January when we crossed the border from Yuma, Arizona into California. As we descended the mountain range, the vast, open, lush landscape of the Imperial Valley laid out before us. I was on a cross-country trip with my friend Arthur. The year was 1976. We had traversed from …
