manresaclara

Mother-in-law’s chocolate cake

Back in 2006, when I was still getting to know my mother-in-law, she emailed me this recipe for a simple chocolate cake. This is the sort of chocolate cake that you might serve at casual gatherings when house guest comes over for tea. It is likely a chocolate cake that she served me on aContinue reading “Mother-in-law’s chocolate cake”

Rain & Sprout

Despite the recent inaccurate weather forecasts, it rained today – just a sprinkle. If there’s one mixed cocktail of blessing and curse that comes with California winter rain, it’s the constant emergence of new Bermuda grass seedlings in our backyard. While we are lucky to have the mild weather in California, rain, weeds and wildflowersContinue reading “Rain & Sprout”

Green Onions in the Garden

Last year, Dany built me a garden box out of redwood fence posts. It sits right outside of our kitchen sink window. It’s the perfect spot. Any time that I needed some extra herbs, I can easily step outside barefoot to grab some fresh seasoning while I am cooking. It has saved us a fewContinue reading “Green Onions in the Garden”

Meet our New Pet

It’s the first of the year, and we have a new pet. We know a few friends and family who have adopted dogs during the pandemic. We know others who are growing vegetables; we have tried that too. Our new pet has a personality of its own. It is a little bit unpredictable and weContinue reading “Meet our New Pet”

Our Weekend Breakfast: French-Canadian Crepes

Weekends are a luxury – I get a break from my usual routine of waking up the entire household at 7 a.m, and I get to sleep in. A “late” morning is until about 9 a.m. On a usual Sunday, our kids are likely to wake up before us. My oldest, Little A, will likelyContinue reading “Our Weekend Breakfast: French-Canadian Crepes”

Garden Stepping Stones

There are always projects in our house. I can’t help myself sometimes, I tend to over-commit to new hobbies. Still, this one was extra special and it took extra love. I had seen a Facebook friend create one of these mosaic stepping stones, and I knew that I had to make one. It helped thatContinue reading “Garden Stepping Stones”

I have wavy hair

This week, I cut my hair myself. (File that under “coronavirus haircuts.”) It was past my shoulders and getting a bit too long for my liking. To my surprise, even though I cut it at shoulder length, it’s curled up to below my ears. Meaning: a very short, wavy hair cut. I’ve always had wavyContinue reading “I have wavy hair”