What does a family of New York (once or twice removed) Jews do when Chanukah falls right around Christmas? We carve out some family time. You can’t have a Chanukah party two weeks before Chanukah starts because waiting for the first night will be an eternity for the kids. It is bad enough that they…
Author: City Living (Boston)
I am a writer and cook. I write about city living, travel, food, the arts and family. I raise my family in Cambridge & Boston and share tips for throwing cocktail parties, packing lunches, having fun on the weekend without going broke or losing your sanity.
Sustainable Saturday
(I know today is Friday, but I’ll be away from my computer on Saturday so just close your eyes until then or click on another article and save this for tomorrow.) The next secretary of agriculture will soon be chosen. If you would like to read a little about what the issues are and have…
Holiday Survival Series: Breakfast For Dinner
Okay parents. It is that time of year. We’re festive, we’re fun, we’re decorating, we’re shopping a little, we’re planning, we’re travelling, and we’re starting to get tired and cranky already. Take a deep breath. I decided that I would re-evaluate everything I am doing right now. First I think: Is it necessary? Yes, I…
Oatmeal Cookie Mix
This is taken from Canadian Living. It was a holiday insert of theirs from a couple years ago. The ingredients are layared into a clear jar. Be sure to attach the instructions for cooking. If you want to take it up a notch, get a basket to put the “fresh” ingredients in along with the mix….
Gifts From the Kitchen: Save a Penny, Please Many
Every year, we try to make at least some home-made gifts. The kids love to make things and I do too. I think there is intrinsic value in a homemade gift and thus intrinsic value in making them especially with my children. I often invite friends to help, especially friends who describe themselves as craftaphobic…
Kendall Square Ice Rink: All You Need is Hot Cocoa
The perfect winter day for me requires three main ingredients: snow an outdoor activity hot chocolate Well the snow has made a few appearances. As my daughter says, “Jack Frost was here!”. We have finally unearthed all the winter hats, scarves, mittens and under layers. There is not enough snow for great skiing, but surprisingly…
Girls’ Night In…the Kitchen
We have yet to set one up, but to me girls’ night in involves some cocktails a few appetizers and chocolate of some sort. Kicking back with our feet up, the children elsewhere, and a non-family related activity: a movie, an art project, music, shopping from home, a book, or just a good chat. Cooking…
Top Gifts for Cooks, Foodies & Your Little Sous Chefs
Eco-Friendly Pans On my gift wish list this year I have two items: green pans and some smaller cast iron pans. I cook primarily with one of our Teflon pans or our only large, extremely heavy cast iron pan. There is a time and ingredient for each of these. The problem is that I have…
Sofra: The Details
My favourite new coffee spot and bakery/cafe is Sofra and I’ve written about it briefly, but now you can get the details. The bakery is a great place to stop for breakfast as an alternative to a large chain. The quality of the coffee and food and in particular the flavours are hard to come…
Move Over Poultry Here Comes Pasta
My husband came home with a plea for no more poultry. We don’t eat a lot of red meat because it is expensive and not our favourite food. We usually cook quite a bit of vegetarian and fish dishes, but I haven’t made it to the fish monger or the produce section of the grocery…
Calendar Days: Who’s Your Farmer?
As we count down the days for this year everything seems to snowball. Suddenly, the parties, the holiday cards (I say skip them…it’s more eco-friendly), the thank you cards, the school events, the recitals, and of course every day life seems to pick up speed and barrel down the hill throwing you out at hyperspeed…
Repeal Day Celebration: The Roaring 20’s Party at Eastern Standard
If you’re looking for something to celebrate…I think you can’t beat this one for fashion, drink and nibbles. The Eastern Standard, is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition tonight. If you don’t have a sitter or the energy to go out, just take out some cheese from the fridge, a box of…
Leah's Life: Pearls and Oysters 