One Stop Shopping...

Found a lovely rack for my morning toast at an estate sale yesterday...

along with some even lovelier, paper-thin, pieces of pottery created by some of our own exceptional local talent...

Coffee...Tea... or Cookies?

I've been searching for some jasmine tea... my favorite... and finally ended up at a new tea shop at the Mall... where I purchased some amazing jasmine pearls... for an unGodly amount of money... in order to counter balance this pricey purchase... on the way home I dutifully skipped my Starbucks and stopped instead at a McDonald's McCafe for my afternoon java jolt... which boasts a surprisingly tasty sugar-free vanilla shot... who knew? Oh, and apparently some to-die-for oatmeal cookies, which I hear are, quite often, still warm from the oven... now that I did not need to know...

Skip The Menu...I Know What I Want...

I happened to catch Alton Brown on his America's Best: Top 10 Comfort Foods on the Food Channel and you see what greeted me... if you are lucky enough to reside in Philadelphia you are hopefully heading to the Famous 4th Street Delicatessen on a regular basis for their famous chicken soup... If not, you might at least consider adopting me... I would be more than happy to make that trip for you...

Ladies Who Lunch...

Ah, the good old days... before tapas... sushi... apple martinis...

where a hotdog was a whole dog... forget the amuse-bouche...

Cat in the Hat...

My cat is acting strangely...

I never know where I'll find her lately...

Her favorite comfy chair has lost its charm...

The cushioned coziness of the windowseat with its

down-filled pillows has lost its appeal as well...

Who knew a bowl of chunky potpourri was the best seat in the house?

Slow News Day...

"Great people talk about ideas...

Average people talk about things...

Small people talk about other people."

~Author Unknown

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Okay...it's not officially Autumn yet... but I am just soooo ready to be done with this putrid Summer of relentless humidity... bugs... humidity... burnt out grass... humidity... and sweat... (did I mention humidity?) that I wanted to celebrate a bit early and have rushed Summer out the door, all the while anticipating the next glorious season... cool, crisp days with even cooler, snuggly, sleepable nights... long walks amongst the gorgeous colors of Autumn.... cookies hot from the oven... apple cider... a big steaming bowl of homemade soup...

Food for the Soul...

When I was young, I read and re-read "Stone Soup"... the premise just fascinated me. A book recently recommended by a friend, "Cherries in Winter," holds the same charm... it's witty and wonderfully food-driven... with my family being serious foodies... I can totally identify...

after all, there's not much that life can toss your way that cannot be better handled with a hearty pot of soup... warm, crusty bread... and a nice dab of butter...