Do you ever see a book and realize it’s the book you would have liked to write? Sometimes it happens to me with non-fiction, but the occasional children’s book slips in there, too. I’m not saying could have, just would have.
“Part cookbook, part travelogue,” Sunset’s Eating Up the West Coast follows Brigit Binns on a 42-day culinary adventure to “some 75 hidden eateries that showcase local flavors, then provides easy-to-follow recipes for over 125 of the very best dishes.” Wouldn’t you like to write that one, too?
I’ve been paying particular attention to the spots she visits in California: dishes are shared from Ojai to Los Olivos (where we got married), Point Reyes to Bodega, and in and around Big Sur.
This dish, a “Garden Goddess Breakfast ‘Burrito'” from the Seaside Cafe & Bakery of Shell Beach, has been on repeat ever since the book arrived. Keep Reading >
When we were in New York, it was not uncommon to find yourself invited into a 200-or-so square foot apartment, books piled under a kitchen sink that had toothbrushes beside it, belying its double-duty. It was always a thrill to see how friends and acquaintances managed to make these tiny spaces into homes.
Our own studio apartment felt grand by comparison, all 55o-square-feet. It’s hard to imagine all three of us fitting now—now that there are four of us and a dog. We seem to accumulate toys the way the latter’s fur can attract foxgloves in an empty field (hardly trying). So I’m always particularly interested and inspired by tiny-home-dwellers who can truly call themselves minimalists.
Shayne’s story goes a (giant) step beyond: She built it!
I asked Shayne Hodgkin if she would be willing to share how she came to build a home atop a 15′ by 8’6” car trailer and thankfully she obliged…
Hope those of you who stood to advantage from a three-day-weekend had a great one! The 4th of July has always been a favorite holiday of mine because it, like many good birthday parties, tends to include friends and family and good food—and it’s in the summer!
But I especially enjoy our Davis celebrations of late: the day begins with a very Americana kiddie parade (this was our second year) and some bike races that leave you with that “I love this little town”-feeling; and then we cool off in the pool with friends before walking over to community park to catch the fireworks.
Our day this year had some unexpected twists, but overall was a great one. Here are some photos…
