The Spirit World

A year ago I introduced you to the Happy Hour at Home concept - drinks and cocktails meant to be created at home and presented along with some sort of appetizer to accompany them. In that very first introductory column I gave you the recipe for a Hot Buttered Rum batter that has become […]

This weekend I will be celebrating the holiday with my family. Yes it’s still a week until Christmas but years ago we started this tradition of gathering the weekend before Christmas to celebrate. That way no one has to travel on the holiday (we are spread out over a 300+ mile stretch along […]

It’s the time of the year when our thoughts turn to keeping warm and cozy - and that includes while we are outside enjoying holiday activities. Whether it’s a trip to the mountains to cut a tree, a spin around a frozen pond or skating rink or enjoying traditions in your area, such as […]

When I originally put this post topic on the calendar I had no idea that Seattle would be covered in snow today but it is so fitting! Even last night although the snow was supposed to turn to rain it didn’t - at least not at my house. Enough snow came down to […]

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the US! 
At some point this weekend, you’ll realize that all there is to eat in the house is leftovers.  Lots of turkey leftovers…. and do I have a great use for that turkey for you!  But as we normally do, let’s start with our cocktail. 
If you do a web search […]

It’s stormy outside, Thanksgiving is next week and I’ve just come back from a wonderful weekend in the snow.  All of these things are leading me to a cozy and warming menu for this week’s Happy Hour at Home. 
Before going to Whistler last weekend I whipped up a batch of Hot Buttered Rum batter.  It’s […]

I’m heading up to Whistler this weekend. It’s too early for skiing but I’ll be attending Cornucopia, an annual food and wine festival held in the village.  Today’s Happy Hour at Home recipes are based on Whistler memories. 
The cocktail, the Holiday Starr, is one of a series of cocktails I created a few years ago.  […]

This weekend I’ll be celebrating a milestone birthday. And, as is usual, I’ll be competing with the rest of the world who will be celebrating Halloween - at least in those countries where Halloween or All Souls Day is celebrated. Over the years I’ve gotten used to sharing the event but just for […]

By the time you read this post, or shortly thereafter, I should be arriving at JFK airport, after a hopefully restful red-eye flight, and making my way into the city. This is my mostly annual trip to the city to celebrate my birthday. This year, as in some previous years, my best friend […]

Most people know about hard apple cider - apple cider or juice that has been allowed to ferment to produce a lightly alcoholic beverage on par with beer - normally somewhere around the 5% range. But many people are not aware there is another common hard cider, perry or hard pear cider.
The […]