Russ and I were extremely fortunate to visit Melbourne, Australia last week! What an amazing time!  Melbourne is situated around the Yarra River and adorned by many parks and walkways making it a great city to walk or bike throughout to enjoy all the city has to offer.  If I had to summarize what I […]

You may say, what the heck  are FODMAPs?  And I would tell you ALL about FODMAPs, in fact, I would tell you more than you may want to hear.  You see, FODMAPs are a group of carbohydrates and fibers found in many common healthy foods such as watermelon, onions, garlic, wheat, apples and pears to […]

Today I decided to pick some fresh flowers from a local farm, Tangerini’s farm in Millis.  I have joined the CSA here at Tangerini’s and every week when I come to pick up my share of produce, I can’t help but take a peek at the beautiful flowers growing  before my eyes.  Today, it was […]

Anyone that has used fresh herbs in cooking knows that the flavor of your food POPS and makes almost any dish more special.  The same can be said when you get creative with dried herbs and spices. I love perusing magazines and online for interesting recipes.  Lately I have been drawn to recipes made with […]

We joined a local community supported agriculture (CSA) program this year at Tangerini’s Farm in Millis.  There is nothing quite like the taste and nutritional value of fresh picked produce! Monday’s is our day to pick up our share of veggies!  Usually I can get one of my kids to join me for the pick […]

Every weekend, Russ and I make it a point to start our day with a run that winds up at Starbucks for a nice cold iced coffee.  It’s a good way to kick off our weekend.   This weekend was jammed packed with so many great events.   Friday night we attended our first Greek […]

With all the wonderful fresh berries I have been picking, I decided to make some fruit tarts!  Fruit tarts are a relatively easy dessert to make and truly look almost too good to eat.  My daughter and I have been having fun making different tarts.  Check out our first batch…. This recipe I found via […]

My dad, Hans Effgen immigrated to America from Germany as a very young boy. He and his mother Anna arrived in the US when she was just 28 and my dad only 1 years old. Here is the documentation of their arrival sailing from Hamburg on ship named, Reliance on May 13, 1925. Anna was […]

Lessons I have learned from our chocolate lab, Lucy… Who knew a dog could teach me a few things about how to live a well-balanced life but lo and behold, along came LUCY! Lucy was just 7 weeks when we brought her into our home…how cute, huh? Walking today with my furry girlfriend, I thought […]