City Living (Boston)

Dirty, Fresh, Summer

Today was a perfect summer (almost summer) morning. I worked at our farm share/CSA farm because part of membership is that every adult works 4hrs. each season. The weather is cool and the earth is soft and damp after yesterday’s storm. I harvested garlic scapes and green onions (aka scallions) and my hands have the…

Father’s Day: No Crumbs in the Bed

It turns out that dad is not that into breakfast in bed. In fact I’m our family, the idea totally repulses him. My children’s father is fully dressed before he leaves the bedroom and a bit fastidious about his morning routine. The idea of having breakfast in pajamas of any sort with the potential chance…

Lettuce Wraps for a Party

Whether I’m throwing a party for toddlers, a holiday party, a thank you party, a cocktail for colleagues without the children, or `a water gun fight/party for the whole family, I have a few rules. The party has to have good food for everyone so everyone can eat and enjoy themselves. This includes taking into…

Peanut Dipping Sauce (Recipe)

I used this peanut sauce most recently. It is my favourite so far, but you can always “Google” around and find one that has ingredients you like. The last time I made this sauce I was out of hoisin sauce so I substituted a Vermont Maple bbq sauce and it worked out great. Vietnamese Soft…

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce (Recipe)

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce 1/4 cup of rice vinegar (also known as rice wine vinegar) 1/2 cup of hot tap water 2 TBSP of fish sauce 1 – 1 1/2 limes juiced 2 cloves of garlic minced 1 tsp of red chili paste In a jar or mixing bowl add all the ingredients. Shake it…

Chicken for Lettuce Wraps (Recipe)

You can get creative with this, but for a basic chicken mix for lettuce wraps this is what I like to do. You could also use this for a bahn mi sandwich, or an Asian chicken salad base too. Chicken: 1 rotisserie chicken 1 bunch of green onions/scallions 1 bunch of cilantro 1 lime 1…

Quick Pickled Cucumbers (Recipe)

Cucumber quick pickles & Crunchy Veg.: 1 bag of bean sprouts 1 bag of julienned or shredded carrots or 3-4 large carrots 1 large English cucumber or 4-5 smaller Armenian or Chinese cucumbers. 1/3 cup of rice vinegar (also know as rice wine vinegar) 1/4 cup of water 3 TBSP of white granulated sugar 1/4…

The elusive perfect Father’s Day Gift

Part of what make’s finding the perfect Father’s Day gift so hard is that more often than not, it isn’t a particular thing that dad wants or needs. More often than not what dad needs is more time, more sleep, more flexible income, more time with his buddies, more time with his kids, more time…

A docent is a prof: A dosant should not exist

I’m supposed to be writing about father’s day, or at least that is the post I had planned, but something horrible is happening and as a croissant lover, I feel I need to do something. Let us begin with this simple equation: a croissant + a donut = nothing at all unless this is perhaps…

Newborn Cries

I love babies. I always have. As a child as soon as I was strong enough to hold a baby I would. The cries did not deter me, I just wanted to soothe and hold the little beings. As a mother, I was exhausted, overwhelmed and head over heels in love with my newborns. But…

Pride: Boston Pride

Today, Saturday June 8th, is Boston’s Gay Pride parade. It is an event the my children’s old school attends every year and it is something that is significant to many of my friends and community. I have been to many gay pride all school meetings but I don’t think I’ve ever been to the parade….

Donut Day: It is a national holiday

These days, every day is a special holiday of some sort, and it kind of drives me crazy. But since it is a cold rainy, cozy day and the Boston area has so many great donut spots I just couldn’t resist guiding you to some of my favorites. Sofra is the place to go if…