Journal

We had our 20-week ultrasound yesterday.  I expected to feel awe or happiness, or perhaps to cry.  But I didn’t anticipate the flood of emotions that washed over me, as a subconscious nagging worry faded to intense relief at seeing fully formed limbs and a beating heart.  Worry transitioned to overwhelming reverence for the incredible […]

 This blog is probably as good a place as any to keep a diary of my pregnancy and share my experience.  I know I’ve eagerly read other blogs and quizzed other mamas in search of answers: Is this normal? Do other people experience this? What should I expect? The internet is both a great resource […]

Earlier this year, when I was trying to decide how to celebrate turning 40, I teasingly said to Elie, “All I want for my birthday is a baby.”

When I was about 13, my Dad got stationed in the Northeast, teaching ROTC at MIT and Harvard.  Instead of living in Boston, he settled in Portsmouth, an idyllic little New England town on New Hampshire's tiny stretch of coast.  My parents had just separated, and so for the next few years my brother and […]

If you start the pizza dough right now, you could be eating this for dinner tonight.  When I'm teaching classes, many people tell me they are afraid of making pizza dough at home. What is the worst thing that could happen?  It might not be perfect the first time, but you'll get better at it. […]

When my Mom and I are travelling together, everyone always asks us if we’re sisters.  It’s happened ever since I was in college when she used to come and visit me for the weekend.  The salesperson at the store, the server at the restaurant—they would look at us and say, “You two are obviously related. […]

We’re lucky enough to live only a little over an hour south of the vibrant city of Vancouver, BC, and we usually head north across the border a few times a month to visit family.  Since we’re in the city so frequently, we often get questions from friends on where to eat. 

Elie knows me so well.  Not long ago, he came home with a gift, the Cookbook Book, a beautiful book about cookbooks and how they shape our lives.  A cookbook offers possibility—of romantic dinners, celebrations, family traditions, memories.  Cookbooks inspire us, allowing us to dream not only of the meal itself but how making food […]

Two weeks ago, I turned 40. If you’ve been reading along, you’ll know that I had planned to be biking through Vietnam on that day, but we had to cancel the trip.  Instead, Elie made sure I was spoiled.  I went to a yoga class with Mom, got pampered at the spa, spent time in […]

I love reading the lists that other bloggers share--what they're reading, eating and thinking about. It's a great way to discover new books, articles or recipes, or nudge me toward new ways of viewing the world or myself. I've been working on a blog post about turning 40, but I haven't yet been able to articulate […]