What's Gaby Cooking: Meeting Gaby Dalkin

I was a wonderful to meet Gaby, author of Take It Easy: Recipes for Zero Stress Deliciousness, but the cookbook signing event itself could have been so much more fun. When you decide to go to an event, you want things to be great and this event was lacking the extras that become the talking points you tell people after a great outing. I know that they didn't plan on having Gabi cook or talk to the crowd, but I would have loved to shop a table of her favorite kitchen products. They could have had little place card markers with Gabi quotes "I've had a similar Crate & Barrel bowl set since I got married" or "I actually keep 3 sets of these measuring spoons in my kitchen to keep up with my big batch cooking." Something personal and unique to Gabi/Crate & Barrel and that we hadn't seen before.

I have followed What's Gaby Cooking for about 2 years now, ever since my cousin Carol served her oh-so delicious Avocado Peach Summer Salad. I read her Instagram posts and try her recipes all the time. It was big news when she announced Seattle's University Village as one of the few stops on her book tour. My friend Darcie and I made plans to go and then I found out that the Junior League of Seattle Sustainer group was going to attend this event as a social night. Fun! 

I knew people all over the enormous line of Gabi's fans, which was great, but why did we have to wait outside the store for 2 hours, instead of shopping as we waited (maybe with a number?) inside the store loaded with new holiday merchandise? It was puzzling to all of us.

It was great to meet Gaby. She was so kind and relaxed. My friends and I shared a few moments talking with her and she was wonderful.  

It was fine, but it could have been so much more fun if we could have had the store's new holiday product to admire and discuss while we waited. The cookbook looks great and I can't wait to try out her new recipes. 

And guess what was just announced? Gabi is going to have her own tv cooking show called My Best Friend's Kitchen! The promo was released on her social media channels, and it looks very well done. I can't wait. Good luck, Gabi!

Queen Anne Book Company: A Sucessful Reading and Book Signing

I want to send out a huge thank you to the Queen Anne Book Company for hosting my first book reading and signing in Seattle. I told stories from all three of my books and I'm happy to say that the audience was laughing and hooting along with me. It was a beautiful evening on their private patio and I loved every minute of it.

Currently my books are available online:

Moments of Delight

Paris: Delight in the City of Light

Finding Delight: Ideas & Inspiration to Enhance Everyday Life

I will start work on my 4th title, Finding Delight in the Pacific Northwest, this summer. My mind is whirling with content and I can't wait to share it with you.

Kelli Estes: Author of The Girl Who Wrote in Silk Visits Our Book Club

I've joined a book club in Seattle. I love to read and always like a lively discussion about plots and characters. As a member of the Junior League of Seattle (I transferred from Birmingham, MI), I am eligible to join their sustainer (alumnae) book club which meets monthly.

Since I have been travelling back and forth, I have only been able to attend a few discussions so far, but I made it to their year end meeting which featured a special guest, the author of the book we just read, The Girl Who Wrote in Silk!

Isn't that neat? I've never had the chance to speak with an author about their book before and it was a marvelous discussion. Author Kelli Estes wrote a compelling novel that is part historical fiction, part romance novel. Not to heavy, not too serious, but very interesting and captivating from the start.

In one story-line, the main character copes with racism and the realities of life in the late 1880's, while the other narrative revolves around a well educated and well off girl in a modern and thriving Seattle. Kelli spoke of researching and imagining life at another time and the challenge of juxtaposing, yet interweaving the lives of two very different women. We had a great discussion and I appreciate Kelli being so generous with her time. The Girl Who Wrote In Silk is a great book club book.

Beekman Boys Heirloom Dessert Cookbook

If you are new to my blog, "Welcome!" I have been blogging 5 days a week for 6 years about the beauty of everyday life. I write about how visual images, tasty treats and simple storytelling can enhance the human experience. 

The impact of flowers; the joy of friendship; the satisfaction of 

collecting – these ideas are the foundation of my first book, "Moments of Delight" and my blog.  Explore the sidebar to see posts by month and my City Series.

This is to catch you up on my recent Beekman adventures. Remember my visit to Sharon Springs and their Beekman 1802 mercantile? And my tour of the farm? It was a wonderful trip and I am so happy that we had a chance to visit again so soon.

As for this last weekend with The Beekman Boys...I've been recruited!  I will be participating in the "Bake Like A Beekman" blog where we will bake our way through the new Beekman 1802 Heirloom cookbook.  Doesn't that sound wonderful?  I'm a baker at heart and I have the apron collection to prove it.

Dan and I drove to Lansing on Sunday to and support Josh and Brent on their cookbook tour.  I finally have a copy of their long-anticipated desserts cookbook and I got to spend some quality time with my friends. I was so happy that Tracy was able to make it to the book signing from Grand Rapids. If only Kerry could have come up from Tennessee! Next time! The four of us haven't been in the same place in 20 years. 

The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Desserts cookbook is just beautiful - perfect to display on the cookbook stand in your kitchen. I can't wait to make the Roasted Caramel Pears and the Lemon Lavender Squares.  Yum! The bonus of this great day was that I was able to meet some of Josh and Brent's other friends and realize how much we all have in common.  Like baking...

A Trip to the General Store

The best thing about Nelly Olson (on Little House on the Prairie) was that her parents owned a General Store and whenever she was on screen I got to take a peek behind her at the store. I love General Stores and have wanted to build a dollhouse replica of one for as long as I can remember.

You know, one with glass cabinets full of sewing notions and tiny open sacks of grain sitting on the floorboards. I'd line the walls with wooden shelves full of canned goods and bolts of calico fabric. (Okay, now I can't stop....) And I'd have matching glass jars full of penny candy and a big barrel of pickles..and a basket of kittens. Seriously, maybe it is time to start this project. I obviously know exactly what I want to create...

Anyhoo, equal to my passion for General Store dollhouses, is my Mom's passion for the real thing. Pretty much any abandoned building with a porch will garner a comment about how that would make a great General Store. So, in 2005, when we discovered Beeker's General Store in Pemberville, Ohio, we were hooked.

That is what made my book signing event in conjunction with their "Progressive Tea" all the more sweet. I took the photo above before the event started. I was really fun and exactly where I wanted to be. Thank you, Beekers!

Book Signing

Do you remember the page "Pilgrimage to Pemberville" in my book, Moments of Delight? The pilgrimage is to Beeker's General Store in northern Ohio where I love to shop for interesting and nostalgic gifts. I will be doing a book signing there on Saturday, April 25th as part of a progressive tea event. Love it!