Planning a menu is one of my favorite parts about hosting an event (and it usually does not happen until a few days before the meal) but I promise, it is for a good reason....

Setting the table was one of my first jobs to do at home when I was young. Every evening it was a way that I could be involved, make my own decisions on what plates...

Through out the year, I love hiking on the ranch. It allows me to clear my mind and helps me to process all the things that are going on around Rancho San Julian. Often I...

Celebrating all the festivities around Easter is a big tradition on the ranch. For decades we’ve invited friends from neighboring ranches, towns, and from afar to join us for a large potluck lunch under the Casa’s old...

If you ever want a guest to come into your kitchen and immediately say, “Wow, it smells so good!”, here is how you can get that done. Cut up an onion, put it in a...

All pure honey will at some point crystallize. It means you have the good stuff! So you are not alone if your honey ever hardens a bit or gets a little "crystalized" look.  You might...

  There is a spot in the back of the ranch where every year around this time, a field of narcissus blooms. It almost feels unreal, if not magical, since this field is in such...

If you know me, you know I love food and flowers. Put them together and you get my kind of heaven. Here is a list of flowers that I love adding to my cakes, breads,...

You know when you get a head of lettuce from the market and within a day or two it looks wilted and so sad? Let’s not do that anymore! Here is a trick that helps...