Tuscan Women Cook :: My Italian Cooking School Dream Adventure!

February 28, 2020July 3, 2017

Tuscan Women Cook My Italian Cooking School adventure

Tuscan Women Cook - an Italian cooking school — One of the stunning views from La Chiusa and Tuscan Women Cook in Montefollonico, Italy

Staying & eating & learning at La Chiusa with Tuscan Women Cook ~

When I sat down to write about my experience attending an Italian cooking school called Tuscan Women Cook, I honestly struggled with where to begin. There were so many incredible experiences, new friends, Italian hospitality and food and wine so good it could make you cry, which makes describing it all a challenge! We visited historic churches and cathedrals, family wineries, cheese and wine shops, local restaurants, walled medieval cities and managed to take a shopping trip or two!

An Exciting Empty Nester Adventure in Europe

February 28, 2020June 8, 2017

Our adventure in Europe ~

Hi Friends!

Tomorrow I take off for my adventure in Europe. If you recall, I was invited to attend Tuscan Women Cook, an Italian cooking school in the hills of Tuscany. Yes, it is a pinch me moment.

I am grateful and excited to be invited and I can’t wait to share it with all of you!

15 Amazing Restaurants in San Francisco to Visit Today!

February 28, 2020June 6, 2017

Where to find the most amazing restaurants in San Francisco – We did all the “work” for you!

Searching for popular restaurants in the cities where we travel is one of my favorite activities! Every food and travel blogger likes to offer his or her own take on where to go, but more often than not, there are so many to choose from that their choices may not even be on my list. So… I wanted to share my current “favorites list” for the most amazing restaurants in San Francisco.

My husband Craig’s company is located in the Bay Area and working there is just part of his routine. So luckily for me, we have been traveling to San Francisco for quite some time. However, the restaurant scene of today is far more sophisticated and creative and dining out is more popular than it ever has been.

As hungry diners, our choices now are nearly infinite in the City by the Bay. Local chefs create original, tasty food that makes your heart sing and fulfills the current foodie frenzy. It seems that everyone is following the food and restaurant news and a laser-focused interest in popular cuisine is at an all time high.

Walking Through Japan: Along the Nakasendo Way

February 28, 2020May 26, 2017

Please welcome back Guest Adventurer, Angela Light, my college roommate and dear friend. She and her husband Jon are avid world travelers and the minute I heard about their most recent travel adventure, walking through Japan, I asked her to share it with you! Thank you Angela!

Walking Through Japan ~

Last year my then-59-year-old husband announced, “I don’t want a big party for my 60^th! I just want to go somewhere with you. “ Jon is an avid sushi fan and a lover of the Japanese culture, so Japan it was. We decided on a three-week journey around spring break that would include two weeks in Japan and a “relaxation” week in Hawaii on the way home.

We had hiked with Backroads in Iceland the summer of 2015 and absolutely loved it. Jon wanted to duplicate that kind of experience in Japan. We love resorts, cities, fancy restaurants and hotels, and lots of culture, but we had recently discovered that we also enjoy another kind of adventure.

A Farm to Table Dinner in Big Sur With Outstanding in the Field

February 28, 2020May 22, 2017

“We are Outstanding In The Field: Setting tables at the source of ingredients, serving from farm to table across the country.”

Last year we attended an Outstanding in the Field farm to table dinner on the beach, at the Secret Sea Cove, in Santa Cruz, at the longest dinner table you have ever seen. The sunset unexpectedly turned bright pink as we ate crab and avocado salad, drank buttery Chardonnay and talked with guests from around the world.

What is Outstanding in the Field?

“Since 1999 we have set the long table at rural farms and urban gardens, on mountain tops and in sea caves, on islands and ranches. Occasionally the table is set indoors: a beautiful refurbished barn, a cool greenhouse or a stately museum. Wherever the location, the theme of each dinner is to honor the people whose good work brings nourishment to the table.”

Tales from our trip to Austin + an elegant & (possibly) haunted hotel

February 28, 2020May 18, 2017

Fun times on our trip to Austin ~

Our trip to Austin was filled with several unique, new adventures, not the least of which was a stay in a haunted hotel. What? Some say that The Driskill, which was built in 1886, with an obviously rich and compelling history, may possibly have some uninvited guests!. Read below for more about this…

The Driskill

As you walk in to the grand marble lobby with towering columns and spectacular stained glass dome, you sense that you have somehow stepped back in time. Luxurious and opulent, with a magnificent staircase on one side, you can almost smell the history in the room.

Dreams Do Come True, It Can Happen To You!

February 28, 2020May 12, 2017

Really, they do. Dreams do come true. In just a few weeks, I will be traveling to Italy to attend the Tuscan Women Cook culinary program in the Tuscan hill town of Montefollonico. I am so grateful for the invitation from Rhonda and Coleen, the two Southern California entrepreneurs who purchased this unique, established cooking school about one year ago.

Coleen and I connected through an article that I had written and have been fast friends ever since. I plan to share my experience in Italy through video, right here on the blog and through other midlife travel bloggers. So please check here and on Instagram, as well as Facebook for some fun photos and juicy details. For this trip I will be traveling without my empty nester partner Craig, but will try to enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunity. (LOL) Are you kidding? I can hardly sleep!

I have loved to cook since I was a young girl and having the opportunity to learn from real Italian nonni (grandmothers in Italian) and cooking their personal recipes is immeasurable.

Our Super Fun Trip to Magnolia Market in Waco

February 28, 2020May 8, 2017

Our trip to Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas ~

Magnolia Market is a dreamy home design “theme park” suited for everyone! This unique destination is a bit of a cultural phenomenon drawing visitors from all over the world. I was prepared to enjoy myself, but pleasantly surprised to absolutely love every detail of this one of a kind spot!

A Pasadena Showcase House of Design Adventure

February 28, 2020April 27, 2017

This is not a sponsored post. I just wanted to share my enthusiasm for architecture and design as well as promoting a worthy fundraising event. This is a HUGE experience in my town of Pasadena, CA.

Pasadena Showcase House of Design 2017 – This year’s Tudor estate looks especially over the top fantastic.

In the article Behind the Scenes: The making of the Pasadena Showcase House of Design written by Bonnie McCarthy of the Los Angeles Times, she offers a detailed behind the scenes peek inside the project. She shares that it is “recognized as one of the oldest and most successful not-for-profit showcase houses in the country and the showcase will see more than 35,000 visitors. It’s a chance for the public to see what’s on the style radar in the months to come and meet and speak with the designers about their work.”

For many years Mom and I would make the drive from Orange County (about 60 miles) to visit the next masterpiece. Ironically, this year’s design house is literally in my neighborhood! I live on one of the “smaller house” tree-lined streets nearby. 🙂

So Many Great Restaurants in Washington D.C. – Not Enough Time!

February 28, 2020April 18, 2017

Just several of the many great restaurants in Washington D.C.

When the list of great restaurants in Washington D.C. contains at least one hundred possibilities, how do you choose? I know…first world problems, but seriously it wasn’t easy!

I scoured DC Eater, Washington D.C. and the detailed list that my traveling-foodie-friend Angela gave me and then made some hard choices. Our longtime friends Angela and Jon enjoy lively restaurants and delicious chef-inspired dishes as much as we do. The four of us had a blast and ate our way through New Orleans a few months ago and we barely dented our list.