This Blog and Me
This Blog
I never imagined I would start a blog. EVER! Several years ago I really didn't know or care what a blog was.
Then there was that epiphany moment while searching for a recipe on the web that I came across a food blog. I was instantly drawn to the details of this person’s life; her cooking triumphs and failures, her family issues and other mindless, random details. I kept returning to the site and then realized there were other sites like hers out there. EVERYWHERE!
A whole hidden world was taking place everyday on the internet and I had been completely left out of it. There were not only food blogs but wine blogs, lifestyle blogs, mommy blogs and even blogs about how to blog.
I was hooked. Reading blogs went hand in hand with my obsession of reality TV…an escape right at my fingertips that could be reached at any time of the day.
It made me realize I too wanted to blog. I had something to say and wanted to share the mundane, repetitive, boring details of my life. My own place to inspire, share, complain and learn.
So the Noble Pig was born. A place for me to rant about food, family and wine (my interests are too far and wide to be limited to one thing). Welcome to my site and my life.
A whole hidden world was taking place everyday on the internet and I had been completely left out of it. There were not only food blogs but wine blogs, lifestyle blogs, mommy blogs and even blogs about how to blog.
I was hooked. Reading blogs went hand in hand with my obsession of reality TV…an escape right at my fingertips that could be reached at any time of the day.
It made me realize I too wanted to blog. I had something to say and wanted to share the mundane, repetitive, boring details of my life. My own place to inspire, share, complain and learn.
So the Noble Pig was born. A place for me to rant about food, family and wine (my interests are too far and wide to be limited to one thing). Welcome to my site and my life.
About Me
I love to cook but mostly I love to eat. I walk 5.2 miles a day just to be able to chow-down on fattening food while maintaining a normal weight. All of this so my inner thighs remain distant relatives. The problem is I can’t stop eating. My appetite is insatiable and my husband marvels at the quantity of food I am able to ingest and digest on a daily basis. He says I should be in one of those tiny booths at a carnival where you pay a dollar to see a normal sized woman eat ginormous amounts of food in 8.3 seconds. Please join me in my kitchen and life adventures and while you’re here catch up on my progress of muddling my way through the bankrupting trials and tribulations, not to mention horrors, of planting a vineyard and starting a small winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.
My journey began in a small, quirky town in Northern California. My family and I were transplants there (by choice) from Southern California, Orange County area. One day I had this brilliant fantasy of becoming a winemaker and living the rest of my life happily ever-after in one of the wine regions of the world. Wow, easier said than done. However, all in the pursuit of education, we packed up the kids, left our life on the coast and moved to the land-locked, nuclear free, often whacked out zone of a town known as Davis. A town that doesn’t allow businesses that would make life better or easier for the people who live there; places like Target, Costco or Trader Joe’s, have not been allowed to enter the city limits. The folks that run Davis then complain about the lack of funds available for city projects, money that could be raised by sales tax generated by business. I say, “You can’t have it both ways”, they say, “We don’t care, let’s build toad tunnels and become famous for the most minuscule wildlife crossing this world has ever known”. Now, after six years there, things for me have moved along, while things there will always remain the same. And in case you were wondering, you have to leave the city if you want to buy decent underwear; that will never change.
Since moving from “The O.C.” and in case you’re wondering, “The O.C.” really is like the TV show portrayed it, a glamorous area where less is definitely NOT more and lives are made and perpetuated by the privileged who live there. However, I’ve left it all behind in the pursuit of bettering myself and making a good wholesome life for my children. We will nurture and take from the land only what we need, leaving the rest for future generations to cultivate and enjoy. Okay, just kidding, I am NOT, that good, and I love to exaggerate.
I completed my studies at the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor’s of Science in Viticulture and Enology. I am currently developing 88 acres of dirt in the Willamette Valley of Oregon while residing in McMinnville. Here I will plant my vineyard, build my winery and hone my winemaking skills where Pinot Noir remains supreme. Wow, that makes me feel really important when I say “hone my skills”, like I’m some kind of genius who has discovered a secret formula of how to put yeast and grape juice together to produce alcohol; practicing everyday until I get it just right. And that part about living in a place where Pinot Noir is considered some type of supreme god with iconic status; well, that is true. And yes, this will all take years and years and yes, years. I hope I live through it.
I love to go off on long-winded tangents and write in run-on sentences using hardly any punctuation. I also love to cook, taking difficult recipes and breaking them down into non-intimidating steps that anyone can make, even the most self-proclaimed kitchen nightmare- nincompoop. You have to love that word, nincompoop, it really says it all. So yes, you too can do this, cook that is. Cooking is enjoyable and life is hard but when you return to your home and enter your kitchen you should feel, take your bra off comfortable, and not terrified to try new and exciting things that will impress your family and friends. Hopefully, I can motivate you to do this or you can sit back, be lazy, kick and scream and watch me kill myself while I try to inspire you to get off your tush and make something decent that your family can eat. Imagine taking a food dish to a party and actually being proud of it instead of making excuses that you can’t cook and being alright with that! Throwing cheese and crackers on a plate and calling it a day is no longer an option people; the world expects more of you. I told you about the run-on sentences right, we’ll just refer to it as my stream of consciousness writing from here on out. By the way, did I tell you I am 100% Polish, that will explain a lot and I believe is one of those tangents I was referring to previously.
The Characters in My Life (and that is putting it lightly):
The Husband
Oh he’s a funny one; I’ll call him, “The Wild Boar” as he would prefer to remain slightly anonymous (as you can tell by the picture). And yes, he chose that name for himself. Do you think there is any pathology involved in wanting to be referred to as, THE WILD BOAR? Does it mean he is passionate? Or does it mean he’s an ax murderer? If he’s the "Wild Boar" does that make me the "Pighunter"? I’ll have to look into this more, we might need a psychiatrist.
He loves to eat like me but even more so LOVES to kvetch about what I make. It’s too sweet, too salty, too bitter (always my favorite), too spicy, not spicy enough, too dense, too cold, too hot, oh I could go on and on and on….I call it the Goldilocks Syndrome, his love affair with disharmony. But even with all this complaining I love, love, love him dearly. His constant begging of me not to do certain things only pushes and motivates me even more to do just those things. Things like putting all my energy into a website that will give intimate details of our life together; where things he might say and repeated by me could be taken out of context. But it works for me, our life, his complaining; we’re a team and for the most part he is always ready and willing to go along with all my crazy, life-altering schemes and ideas. For example, when he agreed to take all our money and start a winery and plant a vineyard that could easily fail leaving us bankrupt and destitute and in the streets, yeah…that was a big one, but he jumped right in, no looking back. I respect that. So, I let him get away with these minor kvetching infractions, they are only words, right? I try to look at the bigger picture. However, I’m not sure what that bigger picture is but someday I hope to figure it out.
Hooligan #1
My 9 year old son loves to try new foods and for the most part is willing to taste most things. His favorites, salmon and shrimp, not too exotic but he loves them. He’s a good boy who does well in school and enjoys life, I can’t ask for more than that. He says his mom is a “good cooker” and that works for me and puts a smile on my face. However, while at the dinner table he wields his fork and spoon like they are shovels, rests his chin on the plate and pushes the food in. We really need to work on the table manners before he starts dating. He’s also a master of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, always keeping me on the edge of my seat. I love that.
Hooligan #2
My 8 year old, the pickiest eater I know. It started when he was eight months old in the highchair; he would aggressively push the incoming spoon away with all the strength he could muster. He had a food plan that included only the healthiest of choices. I will name them here for you…Dinosaur Chicken Nuggets (microwaved only), Totino’s Pizza Rolls (microwaved only), green beans (cold, from a can only, not fresh, never heated), pasta (marinara or butter sauce only, with spaghetti sugar a.k.a. parmesan cheese from the green can only), toast (crust removed cut into thin strips), cheese sandwich (crust removed, cut into four squares) hamburger patty (no bun, cut into pieces, ketchup for dipping), french fries (any), macaroni and cheese (from a box only, none of that homemade stuff), pizza (cheese only, not too saucy), juice (apple only, I always buy Treetop®, he can taste the difference if the brand is different and will not drink it).
Save me from this child. However, I’m learning to embrace his picky palate. I fantasize about his palate evolving into a world-class, disconcerting, articulate, takes no nonsense, winemaking, super-tasting phenomena. He could be a winemaking star, picking out microscopic wine flaws in single tastes. It’s his mission. The problem is, he has no idea what his mission is. Will he accept it? Or will he cast that journey aside as a job of non-importance to the greater good, as if not saving the wine is not a job for the greater good…okay, okay I’ll stop.
I am also a contributing writer for the Los Angeles based magazine One For The Table as well as a food writer and food photographer for Davis Life Magazine. My work has also appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times and the Huffington Post.
You are HILARIOUS! My new fave blog...and maybe, just maybe I'll learn how to love cooking...
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Welcome to the blogosphere--we've got you now! Muahahahahaha!
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Obviously you've been doing more than eating over there!!! when will we hear about the rocks left for the maids? off to a great start!!!
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Times like this make me realize how much I really miss you! BTW, I am inspired to get off my tush and cook! Partly because of your blog partly because there's no one around to do it for me anymore! I do miss "The O.C." sometimes...just sometimes though
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Cathy, Once again you brought tears to my eyes..and yes they are tears of laughter! Did you share this with the rest of the crazy Polish family. XOXO -- ME
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cathy, thanks for dropping by my blog! i've read this post and am wondering if you've almost here (in Oregon, that is) for your wineyard. are you going to move to OR? love to visit the wineyard when it's ready
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Cathy- You rock! I am so impressed; you are taking over as the numbero uno place to visit when on the web (our other fun blog-site could fall by the wayside). This is too much fun & you are one talented chick. One more great thing to talk about on those cold morning walks.
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Neat blog, ma'am. I suspect it's just your reflection.
Your hubby may be wrongly referenced (the wild boar). Unless my (really old) memory fails me, it wasn't Goldilocks that did all the griping. It was the bears.
I'll stop there, before I get into trouble.
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I love this blog! I added you to my blogroll!
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Wonderful 'about me' section!
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I am just discovering your site; great stuff! What an amazing dream you have - a winery in the greatest wine region of Oregon! As a wine industry person languishing in the East, I am hungry to hear more about your adventures. Thanks for sharing!
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i was wondering why i like your sense of humor, but it's all clear, your European, Polska
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I love your humor, looking forward to more...you're a talented writer.
P.S. The cake was awesome!
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Starting a small vineyard and winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon? How wonderful!
One of my favorite white wines comes from that area..Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris (never tried their Pinot Noir though.)
I wish you the best of luck in your new adventure. Creating/planting a vineyard is so much work, unless you're hiring out the labor. I helped a friend get started once, and it was the 2nd most tiring/rewarding thing I've ever done!
I really enjoy the presentation of your blog--you have an approachable and humorous voice, and I don't mind the occasional rambling at all! (I have a Polish grandfather--so go figure! Must be in the DNA.)
Keep up the good work (and try to keep blogging when the vineyard gets going. You'll be so busy!)
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My whole family was laughing about how you introduced the cake page and why to make it. I just came stumpled upon your page and we all just loved it. Will enjoy reading your blog. Keep up the funny and good work.
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You have been officially blogrolled on my newbie site as the first of "food blogs I love." I am so excited that you have property for a winery in the Willamette Valley. My family's favorite vacation spot is on the coast near Tilamook, and sometimes we take the long, long way and go through the Willamette Valley.
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Hey! Great learning more about you...I love this!
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And I'm so glad you decided to blog! Your comment about your sensory evaluation class at UCD made me say, "hey, I didn't know she went to UCD" . . . so I'm happy you wrote this page so I could learn more about you!
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Wait. You're planting a vineyard in Willamette Valley??? How did I not know this!! You are officially the coolest person I know.
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I enjoyed reading about you & your lovely family! I will certainly be back to check out all that's new & the food.
We have a few things in common - loving to eat (but I don't think I can like you mention you do), loving to cook, and run-on sentences with no punctuation. Cheers!
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Best blog I've come across by far. Enjoyed reading your words (run on as they may) and look forward to more. I love to eat and drink wine as well.
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i'm assuming your husband is a dr and that you're jewish. just an assumption based on well, everything. i am only 3/4 polish - one grandparent being hungarian. i'm a nyc jew living in -ready? - nashville, tn. yep. the buckle of the bible belt...
your blog is wonderful. i'm your latest greatest fan...
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Just couldn't pass up such a really neat person, who loves to cook and eat, who has a precious family, who really doesn't need another admirer to boost her self-esteem....but she's got one.
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Alright, it's official: I've got a blogcrush. xoxo
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Happily subscribing to this blog. Loving the articles AND the recipes.
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you have a marvelous and totally fun website!!!! Glad to have stumbled across it!!!!
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Your Hooligan #2 actually eats a greater variety than my Drama Girl and she's 11! Some kids are just major "overtasters" - if you know the term. I'm subscribing just to see if you can coax him to try more things. Love your blog!
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What an amazing site that you have! You are funny, a great writer, and your recipes are so sinful that just reading them may ahve damned me for eternity! So since I am already damned, I might as well just try them all. Now need some brown sugar, bananas, chocolate chips, and marshmallows for recipe #1. Cheers!
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Wow, I now love your blog and add into my blogroll. Congrat on purchasing a land in Williamlett. Great place to grow Pinot Noir. I have been thinking about talking wine making course at UC Davis. Your story is very inspiring. Can't wait to try your wine one day.
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You should publish a cookbook! Your photography is absolute perfection! I am impressed. Thanks for sharing on your blog. I will be an avid reader from this point on. Good luck with the winery. BTW, I love wine, but know very little about it. I will take your advice on wine and live by it. Someone sent me your blog regarding Clafoutis and that is what got me started. I will try it now while cherries are in season here in S. Texas. Barbie
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I really like your blog, and your self-description. Very nicely done.
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Hey! We're getting a Target! And, you can buy underwear at Gottschalks until then!
Did you know the toads don't even use the tunnel?
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I have come out from under the dust cloud in my studio and discovered blogs ~ who knew??? I am a fan!
I love that the Hooligan's like sticks ~ I still collect them and have placed them strategically throughout my garden, along with my rocks I pick up. Blah. blah, blah... You ROCK Cathy! Happy days...
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I've heard about you and your blog. Your writing style is very entertaining - thanks for making us laugh! Welcome to DLM; you're a great addition!
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Totally hillarious you are...I shot a wild boar once...it made an excellent pappardelle con cinghiale (don't grade my spelling). Glad to have found you.
Marc
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Your younger son sounds like my oldest grandson, almost 3. Very particular about food and who does what with it, like he needs to put on the ketchup. As for me, food and wine, who needs anything else?
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Food and wine and children with peculiar and particular tastes. Sounds like my life.
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So I have no recollection of how I heard about your blog, but man-oh-man I am so glad I did. You are officially my new favorite blog and I will add you to my links and tell readers on my blog to come and visit you. You are hillarious and a wonderful writer and my new escape during the work day. I love it!
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I just came across your blog for the first time- only to find a wonderful blog but also Nararro. I was borne and raised in Fort Brag, I now live in the Bay Area, still fining myself up North as my family is all there and I find it quite refreshing to go home. Please consider me one more fan.
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I love you blog!!!
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I'm so glad that I finally got around to reading your about page! I love your sense of humour. Husbands, don'tcha love 'em?
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Love your blog! I'm pasting a link on mine so others can feel the love!
Thanks for the inspiration!
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Love your blog! I'm pasting a link on mine so others can be equally entertained and inspired.
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Wow! Your 6 year old's description sounds exactly like me! I may not have the same discerning palate, but I am picky and choosy.
Seen you around the blogosphere, now I'm here at your excellent blog.
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Wonderful blog. I am happy to be aboard!
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I love to visit your blog several times during the week. Your recipes are fantastic and simple all at the same time, and you have a great sense of humor. Good luck on the vineyard!
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Escelente
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WOW...I'm speechless! I have never subscribed to anything, but after being inspired by your fantastic recipes, superb pics and overall flare of your blog I JUST HAD TO SEE MORE!!! LUV LUV LUV LUV your blog...and I look forward to more great stuff!!!!
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Great blog, look forward to more.
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I'm glad to have found you and your blog. Count me in!
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See, I'm totally enjoying your blog. Snooping around everywhere.
Ramble on, girl! You do it well.
Melissa
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I just came across your site today! I love it! I will be coming back to visit!
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Hello, I also just came across this site (link from davis life magazine) and am really intrigued!my friends and i are all really big food fanatics so we're excited about trying all your recipes! thanks & keep on posting =)
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I just laughed and laughed. I, too, am new to blogging and you have may more figured out than I do. I am trying to figure out how to customize my blog page with element other than presented at blogger. I enjoy your header-the name is what led me to check it out from another person's blog. I'm adding you to my favorite and linking on my blog just in case anyone ever reads it-hehehe. I ramble too, so feel free to ramble on-it all makes sense to me! Oregon, oh I would love to go live there. I have heard from many how beautiful it is. May need to go check out those vineyards.
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I just came across your blog completely randomly doing a recipe search. I am so glad I found you. I love your style! The airplane incident you described cracked me up! I know exactly how you feel although I'm obnoxious enough to say "hey get the heck out of my area buddy!". I'll be reading your posts regularly. I feel your pain about Davis my best friend lives there and always tells me horror stories. Also I can relate as I'm from an even smaller, quirkier town from even farther North in CA. Good luck with your winery adventure. Oregon is a wonderful place too. I think you would love Ashland which is very near the Willamette Valley. Also a quirky, small town but in a hip kind of way.
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Ah, a true soul mate! Food, wine and crazy men. And Jewish! We are discussing the change of life thing too. Food related. Oregon, hmmm? My sons are older, but one eats everything, the other is as picky as yours. I love eating, cooking and baking, reading about and talking about food, too, so I'll be popping by here for a chat regularly. I'd love for you to visit me over at mine one day!
Happy Holidays, Happy New Year!
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I love your blog!
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Hi Fellow Davisite...
I just ran across your blog tonight...referred by Sass and Veracity, I think. It was the scallops and champagne grapes recipe that drew me in.
I'm a former store owner in Davis...Tarika and then when I retired, I opened All Things Right and Relevant with a non-profit group. I've really retired now...just tutor children who are having a difficult time learning to read and/or write/math, etc.
Enjoyed reading about your winery aspirations. Have a home in Ashland, Or., as well as Davis.
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I call my fiance the wild boar too!
I love your blog! Looking forward to ur future posts.
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I love your blog....do you happen to live anywhere near Red Bluff, CA? It almost sounds like that town. The Willamette Valley is so beautiful--sounds like a person after my own heart. If you're ever looking for a teacher who also works as a nanny and loves adventure and working with children---???
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I love your blog....do you happen to live anywhere near Red Bluff, CA? It almost sounds like that town. The Willamette Valley is so beautiful--sounds like a person after my own heart. If you're ever looking for a teacher who also works as a nanny and loves adventure and working with children??? Also, I enjoy vermiculture...for better soil and alternative energy, growing things, especially organic, etc.
Thank you for such a fun blog and a so yummy recipe!
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i apologize for the double post.
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Hi Cathy .. love the names, love the description & I look forward to following you through your vineyard years .. have fun -I know you will - Hilary
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I love your blog!
The food is amazing! Love the pics that go with it too. You'll love Oregon! I use to live in Eugene, we make great wine!
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DAVIS!!!
I'm up the street in Roseville!
Very entertaining and informative!
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Just found your blog, love it! Take heart about your picky eater. Don't make it an issue, and he'll end up just fine. I had an even pickier one, and now she has eaten everything from haggis in
Edinburgh to fish eyes in Sarajevo and is the most adventurous eater I know.
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I used to live in OC. I escaped to nashville and I always complain about the "chain stores." Your boys are gorgeous. Can boys be gorgeous? I often watch my neighbor's twin boys who from BIRTH have pushed away food. I felt like I won a prize when they ate my pasta with eggs. Maybe number 2 will be the wine drinker. Enjoyed your story.
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hiya..I just "stumbled" onto your blog I am a foodie and love other foodie blogs..I have tried to do my own but am totally useless..your recipes are scrumptious and the photos are brilliant
I will give you a thumb up and come here often..
ps I love to cook
sandra from the UK
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Love your writing, and would like to subscribe to your blog. Can one subscribe to a blog? I'm new to this. Thank you.
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i just started reading your blog and was mesmerized by the pasta pie in the spring form pan. i can't wait to make that after i get one of those pans.
thanks for a great read!
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Wow, I've been coming here for a while now and I've never read this! Thanks for letting us in! Your blog is an endless source for excellent recipes, food for thought, and lots of laughs! I love it!
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Miss, you are amazing! I love to cook, and your blog is full of my favourite ingredients, and food I know I'll love. I was reading your recipes; there are cool! I always get confused about if it's the right colour, the right texture... but you are very clear and you make things look easy, too. So thank you. You do it in a wonderful way.
Greetings from Chile!
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I stumbled across your blog and read that you lived in Northern California, as do I. Upon further examination of your explanation of the town it sounds like Arcata.
I understand privacy so conformation isnt necessary. I just thought it was interesting and cool that I could stumble upon and great food blog right from my area.
Keep up the fabulous pictures!
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I just found your blog and am rewriting my grocery list as I am skimming through it. So many great ideas. We frequent the McMinnville area, love the Oregon Hotel and the wineries. Hope you will be planting soon and bottling! Can't wait to follow your winery adventures. Best of luck, especially with the reds!
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Hi Cathy,
greetings from Germany. I'm sure you'll be amused to hear that toad-tunnels are nothing out-of-the-ordinary over here
Great blog, nice pictures!
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I happened to stumble upon your blog and WOW! I've read through it and this is really the most awesome blog i've read. You are so funny! I absolutely love it. AND, i've got a couple of kiddos myself. One being a VERY picky eater. I am writing down things to get at the store for my visit tomorrow! LOVE your ideas and can't wait to try making the food!
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I was on stumbleupon.com and your site came up (congrats). I love the matza recipes and the pie in the sky. I sent it around to everyone. Great site. Funny sense of humor. Thank you.
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I love to cook, love to eat, love wine. Two sons. One eats everything the other eats nothing. We could have been separated at birth except I'm over 50, French and live in British Columbia. But other than that, I'm just saying.
Maybe I can visit your winery one day. I just did a review of a local one up here two weeks ago. Best of luck.
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Just looking for Ham w/ Coke Glaze, and I found this place. Remarkable. You go to such great effort to express what you see and feel in an inspiring and memorable way. And it made the end of this day memorable for me. Thank you.
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I love your blog! You're just so witty, humorous, interesting and I'd love to visit your winery one day.
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I found your site on a random search, and love it! I live in the Willamette Valley--slightly due east of prime grape-growing region,although the vines are joyfully encroaching on the Christmas tree and berry fields of my locale--but spent 4 years living in the town where you can't buy underwear. You can however, get a fantastic bagel, and underwear seems to be optional in that town anyway. Prior to that, most of my days were spent in "The Valley Of The Moon" (born and raised, actually. So, I am looking forward to reading you on a regular basis. Thanks for the entertainment!
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You are hilarious. I am definitely not into checking blogs, but must make an exception in your case. My daughter loves to cook and she needs a better inspiration than I have been lately.
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Honey - get yourself on twitter. I have foodies there waiting for you!
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Hi Cathy
Well, this isn't Elra - it's her husband. I'm waiting for Elra to get out of the shower so i thought I'd pay another visit to you site. Actually, I'm quite curious about your winery and also about the Willamette valley. Wonderful to see you pursue your dreams. Elra and I dream of retiring to a winery in Santa Barbara - actually, this is my dream - orchards, olives and wine. Elra prefers to be within yelling distance of her neighbors; i need enough time to get the shotgun after the dogs start barking.
Anyway, for now we are stuck in the bay area; actually, shouldn't complain. i'm doing a startup and enjoying it (except for the fund-raising aspect). If it succeeds then off to santa barbara, although with all the wildfires Elra isn't sure about this anymore.
Well, time to go off to dinner. Thanks for keeping us entertained.
J
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Great reading your blog. I love your pictures, food recipes, and a lot of nothings. Live, work, and play in OC and would love to create some of your cookie recipes to sell in my store. Looking forward to reading about your future adventures.
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My brother ("Bob"--from icookstuff) sent me over here to check out your snickerdoodle ice cream, which I will definitely be making. But it's the description of your family I especially love! Your hooligan #2 needs to get together with my hooligan #3, who will only eat about half of your son's list. Where did I get such a culinary heathen??
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Cathy - Your brother, Paul, told me about your site. My employer is one of his clients. Paul must know us all TOO well to suggest your site, which is wonderful and your life is exactly what we dream about as we run our calculators. Keep up the good work!
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I live in Oregon too!!
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I love hearing about your "hooligans"! My Hooligan 2 is just about s picky as yours. He just turned 6 and as much as I try to get him to try new things, he is totally stuck on spaghetti from a can, chicken nuggets with no sauce, french fries with no sauce, toast with no butter, hot dogs cold in stale pita with no sauce and cocoa pops with no milk. UGHHHHHHHH!
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So glad I found your blog! I discovered you because I love pigs and pork (yes, both), and because I almost thought you'd escaped the town I live in now: Berkeley. As you probably know Berkeley suffers from the same idiosyncrasies as Davis, even down to the frog-slaughter phobia, except ours is newts. Yup, our South Park Drive (no pun intended) is closed for newt migration from November to April every year. Also my husband suffers from Goldilocks Syndrome, so much so that if you say it around him he will not only know what you mean but he will assume you are referring to him. Oh, and I also happen to be a glutton of the first order, but that's less unique.
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Hi Cathy,
Love your blog, you seem like a really nice person. I am also like you a food-wine-life lover he he,
If you want to know more about our cuisine, recepies and wines let me know! Greeting from Croatia
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"And in case you were wondering, you have to leave the city if you want to buy decent underwear; that will never change."
Not true anymore. There is now a Target on 2nd street just west of Mace.
While I had not heard of the toad tunnel until now, when I read your description I immediately thought Davis! I don't live in Davis, I just work there. And yes, it is exactly as quirky as you say.
I am baking your lemon square/bar recipe right now. They are smelling wonderful. Thanks for the great recipe!
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Cathy,
I too am a graduate of Davis! When I left with a BA in Fine Arts in 1996-there wasn't much except a quirky town with a noise ordinance for snoring and some great burritos at Dos Quiotes! Stumbled across your blog-nice to find a fellow foodie and Davis alum! I now own a cupcake business and wanted to wish a fellow business owner good luck! Check out my site at www.katiskupcakes.com
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Love your blog. I am going to try that apple upside down pie. It looks really yummy.
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Cathy,
Found your website by using stumble; glad I did! Your photos are beautiful, and Ienjoy your writing very much. I am going to try cranberry chutney; can't resist Pilgrims meet Bollywood; but I do live in LA after all...
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Like others before me I just stumbled onto your blog while looking for Thai food in Portland.... I have never read a blog before and am I ever thankful that yours was the first! We appear to have much in common. I, too, raised my two children in the Willamette Valley (they are much older than yours - like almost 35 and raising their own children) - I also love run on sentences - butter - mayonnaise - and Jewish men (I married into a whole family of them). We are also a HUGE food family. My most picky eater ever, my son (he grew up on Beefaroni, Ravilios, and Top Ramen) grew up to be an amazing chef who has go on to work for many great restaurants over the years and is currently plying his trade - specializing if fresh Northwest seafood, on the Washington coast (so have faith - they do grow up and someday, like mine, yours will realize that he really does like spicy food or fish). My lovely husband (who packed up and left Oregon to follow me around for the last seven years because I thought that working in Wyoming and Nevada sounded entertaining) and I are currently back home in Oregon and happily cooking our way through life at the beach (just south of Manzanita). I feel like I met you by reading your blog and am thankful for the meeting. I'll stop back by and see how life is turning out for you and if you're ever coming down to the beach let me know and we'll make sure you eat well while you're here! Thanks again. Stevie
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I am totally in love with this blog.
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I love love LOVE your site! I'm a vegetarian married to a meat-a-vore, and have used TONS of your recipes for our whole family! Thanks for the food, the laughs, the sighs and the awwwwww's.
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In the last paragraph on your younger son, I think you mean "discerning" where you have "disconcerting."
That said, I just discovered your blog and am extremely excited to make some of these recipes - the little rolls with eggs baked into them? genius! Also: I heartily second your love of Alton Brown. My hubby loves him so much he has an AB t-shirt that says "Science: it's what's for dinner"
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I love anyone who follows their bliss. Pig is the other white meat. Ha!
I am missing the Pacific Northwest.
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my boyfriend found your recipe for eggs in a breadbowl online on "stumbleupon" and we began reading your blog together. thanks so much for the great recipes, wine advice and laughs!
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Just what I needed - recipes, reviews, virtual tastings, and aesthetics all on one interesting blog. I am too dependent on French wine, namely Merlot, and would like to break out and understand more wines.
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I loved reading about you, your stream of thoughts, and of course, your "get back in the kitchen and cook" inspiring recipes!
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I was totally taken with your post on Baked eggs in Bread bowls. I love making baked eggs with spinach and bacon for weekend brunches...but somehow never even thought to put them into bread bowls. Ur post has been truly inspiring!
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LOVE AT FIRST SITE!
You had me at ranch dressing macaroni and cheese.
I would love to post some of your recipes with credit and link to you on my blog. Is that ok with you?
Warmly,
xoxo
Jessica
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I just Stumbled across your site, and I'm glad I did. Any blog that combines food and words like nincompoop are definitely worth reading through!
Looking forward to reading more... Cheers!
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We LOVE your recipes and pixs! Just shared with our grown kids. Thanks so much!
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hi! love your blog. i've just started a food blog too. i was inspired to do it because of your blog and others like you.
like some of your readers, i will be trying out your recipes (will credit and link you of course) soon.
cheers!
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I recently disccovered your blog and pictures! They are both terrific and I intend to try many, many of your recipes as soon as possible! Your pictures are professional quality and make my mouth water every time I check in to see the latest dish!
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LOVE your blog. Thanks for the laughs.
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Hi. I just read your blog for the first time. Love it. Very funny. You remind me of me! Ha. My Adoptablogger#4 newbie tipped me on to you. She thought I would enjoy your writing and she's right. Look forward to more recipes and a few laughs!
Cheers.
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You are amazing following your dreams, not many people get to do that. Best of luck.
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Great blog....Husband and followed our dream from Central Texas to the beaches of Florida! Loving life...cooking...and having fun!
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YAY!, I have a new foodie site to go to....shared with my friends too...Christine
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