My Real Italian Kitchen: Polenta and Sauce

WinCo is still one of my favorite places ever. My last two grocery shopping trips stocked my pantry so thoroughly, I’ve not been back for well over a month. When you’re on a budget for time as well as money, that’s a big deal.

Last month, I picked up a tube of ready-made polenta, with absolutely no idea what to do with it. It stared at me from the refrigerator drawer every morning. It begged me for attention every evening. I still wasn’t sure how to prepare it. Luckily, WinCo directed me to their polenta recipes on their website, including … read the rest. . .

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I Wore a Dress. And I Wore a Hat.

A few posts ago, I wrote about watching Under the Tuscan Sun and how I desperately want the white dress.

Well. I bought myself a dress. It’s not white. There’s no black belt. Am I’m a few sizes bigger than Diane Lane. But I bought a dress.

And I love it.

I wore it for the first time today.

I’ve struggled with my hair since getting it cut last week. Melanie always does such an amazing job. But I couldn’t duplicate the salon style in my own home. Then we caught The Great Gatsby at the theater this weekend, … read the rest. . .

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Five Things Friday – TRAVEL

Two weeks ago I posted the first of what I hope to be a long running series, The Friday Five. Once or twice a month you can share Five Things about yourself.

With Memorial Day just around the corner bringing with it the start of summer, this week’s theme is about Travel. Have some amazing travel memories or a trip on your bucket list? Share them here. Be sure to check back often and encourage your friends to add their own Friday Five!

And now, the Mojo Friday Five Things: My Travel.

1. I love all things Italy. Even … read the rest. . .

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She Wore a White Dress. And She Wore a Hat.

I’m always surprised (although it’s obvious that I shouldn’t be) that the storylines I’m most attracted to are those with writers as the protagonist. Whether it’s a book, television show or movie… if there’s a writer involved, it holds a certain magic that I can’t find anywhere else.

John-Boy Walton was my first love. The episode “The Achievement” is still an all-time favorite. Richard Thomas, the actor, later portrayed another writer in one of my guilty pleasure films, Stephen King’s IT.

Jo March of Little Women lives my life. An awkward tomboy, dreaming of something beyond her home, she … read the rest. . .

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My Housing Project: The Tree Stump Garden

When I first bought Bedford Manor, there were three trees in the front yard.

Before moving in, I had the overgrown Juniper shrubs, Lily garden and miscellaneous items removed. The Fruitless Mulberry closest to the driveway grew so quickly, there were times driving into the garage felt like a trip on Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise. We made the decision last year to have it cut down [you can read about it here].

That resulted in the stump that I surrounded with scalloped brick and tried to utilize as a flower garden.

Unfortunately, Southern California just went through one of the … read the rest. . .

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