BIRDING CAN BE BRUTAL!
Published January 16, 2012 | 
Pelagic Birds & Whales Trip, $75
‘Meet at the Community Center at 6:45am to caravan (50-miles round trip) to the Port San Luis pier by 7:30 am. The boat does not wait for late arrivals. You must be pre-registered. Spend a day in the Pacific with Tom Edell, Brad Schram, Jon Dunn, and Curtis Marantz, searching for albatross, shearwaters, kittiwakes, alcids, jaegers, gray whales, and much more. Dress for cold and wind, including gloves! Weather conditions may cancel. Bring lunch, liquids, sunscreen, and motion sickness medication.”
I signed up for this Saturday trip. WHAT WAS I THINKING?
A Hearty Birding Group, Waiting to Board the Vessel
Birders at the Morro Bay Winter Birds Festival, Bundled Up and Ready-to-Go
Let me explain. I am attending the four-day Morro… Continue reading
M. JACQUES’ ARMAGNAC CHICKEN – French Fridays with Dorie
Published January 13, 2012 | Dorie calls this dish, “une petite merveille” and, that’s just what this chicken roasted in brandy is, a little marvel.
Just out of the Oven, Roasted Chicken with Potatoes, Carrots, and Onions
“It’s one of those remarkable dishes that is comforting, yet more sophisticated than you’d expect (or really have any right to demand, given the basic ingredients and even more basic cooking method),” she says.
Translated, that means four major ingredients, one whopping big pot (I used my Le Creuset 9 1/2 enameled cast-iron Dutch Oven), 1/2 hour of preparation and one hour in a 450-degree oven. In fact, you can find the recipe at the link below:
http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/eurofile-whats-really-cooking-in-paris/
Remove the Chicken from the Pot (Cover with a Foil Tent) while thickening the sauce with the vegetables.
Bowl of Potatoes, Carrots and Onions, ready for the table… Continue reading
SNAP OUT OF IT-Hooray for Hollywood
Published January 12, 2012 | HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD – SNAP #2o
Oscar Statuettes by tallhorsewines@wordpress.com
Even if you aren’t a film buff, this is your one shot each year to revel in what, arguably, is our film industry’s best. Prior to the Golden Globes (Sunday, January 15) and the Oscars (Sunday, February 26), I try to see the films/performances suspected to be award nominees. I make my picks, matching my wits (and, money) against other like-minded cinema groupies. On event nights, have a party, or, if distance is an issue, and, it is for me, keep in touch with film friends via Skype, Cell or E-mail.
This year’s potential award winners are worth the price of the buttered popcorn. A child who resides in a Paris train station, surviving only by wit (Hugo). The compelling visual of a terrified Joey (… Continue reading
Sealed With A Proboscis
Published January 10, 2012 | If this female could speak English, she might describe herself like this:
“Although I live in a harem, with about forty or fifty others, I am an extraordinary woman. Weighing between 1,200 to 2,000 pounds, some might call me pudgy, but I believe my weight is distributed quite nicely over my 10-foot long frame. My face is broad and round. Living near humidity keeps those tell-tale wrinkles away. My hearing is exceptional, perhaps because I lack external ear flaps. Rather than walk, I belly-flop-flop-flop, admittedly, a little ungainly. Every year and, rather abruptly, I replace all my hair and skin with a catastrophic molt. Hobbies? Swimming is my sport of choice. But, really, who has time for play when I give birth annually. Toddlers keep you busy, especially youngsters who are 75 pounds at birth and grow to 250-350 pounds… Continue reading
About Me
A former business journalist and editor, Mary is now writing about the lifestyle she's enjoying which revolves around food, friendship, travel, and creative endeavors. She lives in Aspen, Colorado.
