• Brownies on counter
    Living

    Late Night Cravings

    Conventional wisdom says that if you’d like to avoid extra pounds, keep tempting food out of sight, and certainly don’t bake brownies after 10 p.m. as I did this Tuesday. If your cravings come and go quickly, you probably weren’t all that hungry in the first place. As someone whose counter might be home to just-cooled maple granola or a dessert recipe I plan to share on Thirsty Radish, that just would not be possible, nor would I want it to be. January is a time when we often make health resolutions or bring ourselves back to the basics. You’ll note that I shared a salsa verde recipe last week…

  • Living

    Tea Drinking

    My poem “Tea Drinking” has been published in Juked, and I’m honored that the editors have given it such a good home and header – [kiss and tell]. If you’ve read my poems or participated in one of my poetry workshops, you may be familiar with this form of my writing already. Often I pepper Thirsty Radish with lines of poetry or simply my own prose bending toward the poetic, but sometimes a particular ache or detail, even the path of language itself, leads to a poem such as this one. I’m so happy to share these published pieces with you. Subscribe for recipes, ideas and special announcements delivered straight…

  • Painting of tiny peach
    Living

    Tiny Fruit

    If you’ve been reading and cooking along with me, you may have noticed the painting that squiggles its way between Thirsty and Radish at the top the page. The inspiration for the Thirsty Radish name, it encapsulates a creative approach to life in and out of the kitchen. While that painting is larger than it appears, often I paint tiny fruit. These little rough-edged creations make their way to notes that I write, having no other purpose than brightening the day for the recipient. Once in a while, I plan to share a tiny fruit to brighten your day and let you know how much I cherish our community of…

  • Beach Style Bedroom
    Living

    Wake Up to Beach Style: A Coastal-Inspired Bedroom

    After a restorative vacation, many of us wonder how to hold onto a relaxed feeling as we settle back into our daily routine. If you’ve vacationed near the coastline yet live farther inland, the contrast can be more than a little jarring. Salty ocean air and wave after wave of every blue imaginable promote calm in a way that many other settings just can’t match. Infusing the bedroom with coastal style goes a long way toward recapturing that vacation feeling, and it doesn’t have to involve a single nautical pattern. Instead of relying on themed accents, focus on updates that play to the senses to bring serenity and beachy vibes…

  • Cloisters Metropolitan Museum of Art NY
    Living

    Creative Tips for a Culinary Herb Garden

    Digital image from The Cloisters Collection, 1925, courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Now is the time when a tiny patch of earth seems most full of potential. Among the ruffled blooms and tasty vegetables that may soon fill your yard or community garden, carve a section for culinary herbs, and you might just transform the scent and flavor of your warm weather cooking. Since herbs grow best when snipped often, the more you use your herb garden, the greater the rewards. Plan a Garden Around Favorite Main Dishes When considering which plants to choose, think about the meals that carry you through the spring and summer.…