This article of mine was originally printed in The Herb Society of America blog! I hope that you enjoy it! Click the Herb Society link to read it! Continue reading

Every Christmas eve was special when we lived at Windesphere. We had wonderful neighbors who turned into dear friends, and every year we celebrated Christmas eve with them. We'd go down to their house early and drink champagne and stuff ourselves with appetizers and Christmas cookies and then the children would wait impatiently for the clock to strike at midnight so little Jessica could turn the pages of the "Night before Christmas " book while listening to Orson Welles narrate the story. Then we'd open the presents we'd gotten for each other , (Alex always gave Jess a huge box... Continue reading

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Lana Del Rey absolutely slays this Donovan Classic...Enjoy and while you're at it, sing along! "When I look out my window Many sights to see And when I look in my window So many different people to be That is strange So strange You've got to pick up every stitch You've got to pick up every stitch You've got to pick up every stitch Mmm-hmm, must be the season of the witch Must be the season of the witch, yeah Must be the season of the witch When I look over my shoulder What do you think I see? Some... Continue reading

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“ I am inclined to think bathing one of the necessaries of life.” Henry David Thoreau I come from a family that thinks every problem in life can be solved in a warm bath. That may be a little broad perhaps, but I do know that for myself almost anything is a little less daunting after I’ve had a good soak. My mother swore by a hot bath with her Shalimar bath oil first thing in the morning before she went off to work. I loved her Shalimar, I've written about it so many times. My father swore that it... Continue reading

I am trying like hell to channel my rage into action. It isn't easy when I have dear friends who are losing three out of four parents as I type this. This isn't about not trusting your friends and family members...this is about an enemy we cannot see. If your family members think that you don't love them because you insist upon wearing a mask in their presence? Ask them what their definition of love is? Does it include dying for them? Remember please. Stay Home. Stay physically distant. Wash your hands. Wear a mask and a face shield when you have to be inside, in a car together and in public. Continue reading

Fast forward into this century , my brother in law Peter is a quiet, very laid back research scientist. 362 days of the year he is a semi strict vegetarian, who hardly ever touches alcohol, let alone massive amounts of eggs and cream! However on Solstice Eve, Christmas day and New Years eve, he has been known to ask me for this eggnog and being the terrific guy that he is, I never refuse to make it for him! It's simply known in our family as Peter's eggnog and it's delicious! It's so easy to make and it's even better when served in a punchbowl surrounded by spicy yuletide greenery! Continue reading

A cocktail party can easily be transformed into the best holiday gathering (in my mind) of all, a grand dessert buffet that usually starts at around 10:00 pm. I love to meet my guests at the door with a champagne cocktail and I always serve just a few canapés, like a cheese puff or mushroom toast just in case that my guests haven’t had much dinner. The fun of a party like this is in the dramatic way that you present it! Have all of the candles lit in the room, but keep your guests as far away from the table as possible so that they can see the flickering flames of the candles but not the food. I'd pick a fabulous piece of music to be playing (Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy or something wonderful like that!) and at about 11:00 I'd throw open the doors and invite everyone to gather at the dessert table. Continue reading

Gougere are sexy hot little puffs of Pate' Choux , filled with gouda cheese and incredible flavor. The best part, is that they're really easy to make and are a perfect quick appetizer to be served with an impromptu glass of champagne! They're also my favorite comfort food, to be served piping hot with a bowl of tomato bisque that's been liberally laced with a tablespoon or two of fine Madeira! You can also split them open and stuff them with hot chicken or salmon salad or goat cheese. They're basically wee little magically cheesy cream puffs! Continue reading

I love milk punch! This relatively old recipe is one that never seems to lose its intrigue and in my mind is a too often overlooked staple of the holiday season. I'd had it many times, but had forgotten about it over the course of many years as delicious organic eggnog became so readily available in the stores. However my good friend Justin teased me one day with the promise of a homemade milk punch that would swear me off of eggnog forever. I waited and waited and then one day he waltzed into my Solstice party with two bottles of a wonderfully thick looking wintry white drink! Continue reading

I love Christmas trees...Well actually I love everything about Christmas and the holiday season as a rule. When I was a kid growing up, until I was about 6, we didn't have a tree. We really didn't celebrate much of anything because my parents were very reformed Jews, so I never grew up having much connection to Hanukkah either. We lived in Pepper Pike, Ohio, and we were one of only a few Jewish families living there at the time. I still remember the day my older brother and sister came home and told my parents that it was time to get a Christmas Tree..."for Beth so she didn't feel like she didn't belong", but I still remember their smiles as we strung the popcorn, oranges and cranberries to decorate it. Continue reading

I adore the Christmas season and for so many reasons it is so magical to me. There are always several constants like the annual reading of Clement C. Moore’s “The Night before Christmas”, white truffles, lots of chocolate, roasted chestnuts, smoked salmon, New York City and gallons of bourbon milk punch and Champagne. Of course my perfume of choice is Caron’s lovely Nuit de Noel, a fragrance that is completely saturated with the soul and scent of the holiday season. Continue reading

I've always said that if I weren't living in Cleveland and I had my choice of cities to live in, that besides New York, Montreal would be at the top of my list. It's close enough to the border and I could get home to see all my loves easily, but at the same time live someplace where English wasn't the first language. I'm personally of the opinion that every American needs a crash course in living internationally, because nothing expands your worldview like travel and that's a good thing. Right now with the borders closed, I have to dream of the day that I can get back to Montreal and simply recreate the flavors and fragrances here at home. It's not that difficult, because the entire city smells of 4 of the best things in life...Chocolate, freshly baked bread, garlic and white wine. Continue reading

It is once again hot boozy drink season and Wassail is one of my favorites hot mulled punches of the Yule Season. Often drunk from a wassailing bowl, the earliest versions of Wassail were made from warmed mead, ale or hard cider. Continue reading

I love the pre-made holiday coffee creamers that you can find in the store this time of year, but unfortunately they come with so many added ingredients, even the natural ones. After discovering more than a few added into my favorite blends, I decided to just make my own. It so easy, fun and you can create so many different flavors. Continue reading

Christmas is one of my truly favorite holidays because it’s so abundant, elegant and lush. It can also be contemporary, primitive country, hunting lodge rustic or childlike because it is a holiday that can be expressed in a million wonderful and unique ways. It’s a fabulous opportunity to bring fresh creativity to your table and have quite a lot of fun in the process. Continue reading