beverages

  • Winter is coming

    But really, it’s here. Last weekend Josh and I hosted two separate gatherings of friends to play the Game of Thrones board game. This is a complicated, multiplayer game where folks play as the houses (House Stark, for example) from… Continue reading

  • Dining at Downton: Champagne julep

    There’s something I’ve been keeping under my hat for a while, and it’s time you knew: Josh and I are engaged! We’re thrilled, and despite all the chaos of starting a new school year, we couldn’t be happier. We’re also… Continue reading

  • Brewing and distilling the old-fashioned way

    Turns out cooking from historical recipes isn’t the only way to play with food and history. There’s a new trend brewing in the alcoholic beverage world (sorry, couldn’t resist). Cleveland’s Great Lakes Brewing Company, maker of some of the best… Continue reading

  • Dining at Downton: Flying Scotchman Cocktail

    I don’t know about you, but I’m still recovering from the season 3 finale of Downton Abbey. To be fair, I’d had some warning; my sister told me of Dan Stevens’ plans to leave the show long before that last… Continue reading

  • Dining at Downton: Mulled wine

    It’s getting to be that time when I start glancing at the calendar to see how many days are left. Not before Christmas (though that’s another kind of concern) but before the premiere. Yes, you know. The U.S. premiere of… Continue reading

  • Dining at Downton: Afternoon tea

    When I graduated from college, I moved to New York City to work at a children’s literary agency. I knew almost no one and quickly discovered that I am really not cut out for big city living. While I quietly… Continue reading

  • Dining at Downton: The perfect cup of tea

    You know you’re in a committed relationship when you start buying the foods your significant other likes. When Josh and I started dating, we quickly discovered that while we both enjoy tea, there are a few major differences in our… Continue reading

  • Lemonade

    High summer in Rhode Island. The days are long and sticky and oppressive (but not as humid as Ohio, where summer can feel like you’re swimming through tar). Although the mornings are cool and breezy, they burn off quickly once… Continue reading

  • Flaxseed tea

    There can be hidden gems in old cookbooks. Like last week’s kuchen tarts, or the Little House apple turnovers, or the Old Virginia pancakes. Come to think of it, those hidden gems all have to do with baking or flour-based deliciousness.… Continue reading

  • Mint julep

    Now that summer (with all its heat and humidity) is in full swing, my sister Lissa has been contemplating what would make the weather more bearable. There’s swimming, long afternoons in Starbucks, evenings at the air-conditioned movie theater.* There’s also… Continue reading