News & Notes

Star of Wonder, Star of Night

January 6 marks the Epiphany and the 12th day of Christmas. I took this picture a few weeks ago at the ranch and it made me think of the Star of Bethlehem and the wise men following it. Matthew is the only one of the gospels to mention the wise men, but it’s a pretty… Continue reading Star of Wonder, Star of Night

Hacienda de los Santos – Mexico – Part 2

As promised, here is the exquisite Hacienda de los Santos in Alamos, Mexico, where we visited during New Year’s. In case you missed, here is Thursday’s Mexico Part 1. We did not stay at the Hacienda but the lovely owners are friends and we ate there every night. It does not hurt that playing at dinner is a very… Continue reading Hacienda de los Santos – Mexico – Part 2

Hola de Mexico! – Part 1

Prospero Año de Mexico! After a wonderful Christmas visit with family in Atlanta, we flew back west to Mexico to ring in the New Year–a little off the beaten path. Not Cabo or Cozumel, mind you, but an old Colonial city called Alamos, founded in the 17th century in the western Sierra Madre, following the… Continue reading Hola de Mexico! – Part 1

How Green Is Our Valley?

How green is our valley? Green. When the Santa Ynez Valley turns gloomy and rainy, which it does in winter though not often, everything turns green. It happens almost instantly. You go to sleep in oak savanna and wake up in Ireland. It’s a miracle. Nature is miraculous, of course, in all its heart-stopping beauty and staggering… Continue reading How Green Is Our Valley?

Nativity Scene No Place for a Peanut: Part II – I Take It Back

For not the first time, a reader has proven me wrong. Jewelry designer Sissy Watson wrote in response to Tuesday’s post, Nativity Scene No Place for a Peanut that I might want to reconsider that headline, because she in fact had a crêche with all the characters made from peanuts. I asked her please to send a… Continue reading Nativity Scene No Place for a Peanut: Part II – I Take It Back

The Hors d’Oeuvre of Your Dreams

Seriously. Simple. Classic. And just in time for the (alco)holidays. I’m talking about gougères, yum. Coming from a Southerner with the best cheese straws you ever ate, this is saying something. Gougères are just the right amount of crispy-gooey-crunchy-soft. Kind of a savory version of those gold-foil-wrapped Rocher chocolates. A girl could exist on gougères alone,… Continue reading The Hors d’Oeuvre of Your Dreams

Gingerbread Houses of the Solvang Bakery… and a Suspenseful Tale

I love nothing more than a pretty house. Especially one I can eat. Bringing delicious definition to the term “eye candy” are the gingerbread houses of our beloved Santa Ynez Valley Solvang Bakery. But don’t take my word for it. Ask the movie stars and super-celebs who beat the door down to get their holiday orders in… Continue reading Gingerbread Houses of the Solvang Bakery… and a Suspenseful Tale

A New Book I Love: Decades, by Cameron Silver

Any book that begins, “I started my career as an interpreter of verboten Weimar cabaret songs” gets my attention right off the bat. Seriously? Alas Cameron Silver ended his singing career to pursue a passion for vintage fashion and is the author of a magnificent new book called Decades, after the name of his famed… Continue reading A New Book I Love: Decades, by Cameron Silver

When Turkey and White Bean Chili Is Just the Thing

You may not want to think about cooking for a while, but if you make this chili and freeze part of it, you’ll have banked at least one night off. Comes in handy over the holidays. Also the perfect thing just when you can’t eat one more sweet potato casserole, slab of stuffing, or stick… Continue reading When Turkey and White Bean Chili Is Just the Thing

Happy Thanksgiving From Rancho La Zaca

Cowboy, aka His Grace my husband, said he reckons there is not a pumpkin left in the Santa Ynez Valley. Would you believe after the car load I bought Tuesday (see last post) I had to go back for more? It takes an awful lot of pumpkins to decorate this here house, is all I… Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving From Rancho La Zaca