one more check off my bucket list

allyMarch 21, 2017

When President Bill Clinton, Hillary and Chelsea first saw the Great Wall of China, all he could say was 'Amazing, amazing'. Maybe for him it was one more check... Read More...

boho livingStorytelling2 Comments4 views 0

dim sum dumpling making

allyMarch 16, 2017

They say that one of the hardest parts of dim sum making or dim sum dumpling making is in the folding and creation of the little dough filled critters that ... Read More...

boho livingStorytelling12 Comments8 views 0

first impressions

allyMarch 10, 2017

First impressions. You've heard the saying about those initial moments of meeting someone new or trying something you've never tried before. The first impressio... Read More...

Storytelling8 Comments0 views 1

talk in the kitchen

allyMarch 9, 2017

This post will be kind of different from most of my posts. Why? Because it won't be finished and complete. I'll keep adding to it almost daily talking to you ab... Read More...

Storytelling8 Comments1 views 0

tasting singapore

allyMarch 1, 2017

Sometimes dreams do come true. And, what I mean is I've always dreamed of going to Asia. Visiting China and Singapore. And, now I'm heading there!! Not only wil... Read More...

Storytelling4 Comments2 views 1

hassan & tea

allyJanuary 22, 2017

I have this really great Army green vintage jacket that I found in a boutique in Crested Butte, Colorado. When I saw it, I knew it was mine and I had to have it... Read More...

Storytelling4 Comments6 views 0

when you think you can’t, you do

allyOctober 19, 2016

Our dock nearly submerged, and it's not even high tide yet. Sometimes you just have no idea how much you can dig down and draw from your inner self. Your ba... Read More...

Storytelling8 Comments3 views 0

sprinkle mind glitter

allySeptember 19, 2016

Glitter. It's that shiny stuff that makes you smile. It's something that adds sparkle and pizaaazzz to your life. It's shiny. It's happy. It's magical. I believ... Read More...

Storytelling0 Comments1 views 0

appalachian good eats

AllyAugust 10, 2016

The Hatfields & McCoys feud is probably the most famous in American history.  If you don’t know anything about it, then you are missing out on a treasured g... Read More...

24/7 ViveLiving FullyStorytelling2 Comments1 views 0

heirloom tomato onion tarte tatin

allyJuly 31, 2016

Some behind the scenes storytelling always makes for good reading. When I'm in my recipe creation frame of mind, there are lots of things that I consider when c... Read More...

memorable dinner dishessparkling side dishesStorytelling11 Comments16 views 1

your reality escape

allyJune 27, 2016

“Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” — Pablo Picasso Your imagination is a powerful thing. It's the brain's way of seeing what the possi... Read More...

appetizers & nibblesStorytelling2 Comments4 views 0

my son’s wedding: the journey begins

allyApril 7, 2016

When I was having babies, I never thought about them growing up. Becoming adults. Getting married. Actually, all I thought about was getting through the day, fe... Read More...

Storytelling0 Comments9 views 0

grandma’s porch

allyDecember 19, 2015

When I was a littl' girl in elementary school, which went to 6th grade,I couldn't wait for school to be out every day. As a seven-year-old, the most fun thing f... Read More...

Storytelling4 Comments1 views 0

cramcation: 10 guidelines for success

allySeptember 28, 2015

I can’t remember taking real vacations as a kid. Mom and Dad, and later just Mom because Dad died when I was 10, didn’t have the money or time. Life was hard, w... Read More...

Storytelling0 Comments2 views 0

free spirited bohemian camping

allySeptember 19, 2015

As I've gotten more time under my belt with this thing called living and life, I've come to realize that sometimes there could be just this one chance. That som... Read More...

Storytelling2 Comments2 views 0

my huge failure=big success

allyJuly 31, 2015

Rose-colored glasses. Yes, that's what happens when you think others are like you and want only the best for you, are being genuine and truly have an honorable ... Read More...

Storytelling48 Comments0 views 0

be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

allyJuly 24, 2015

With each passing year of my life, I go backwards. Kind of like the movie 'Back to the Future'. You see, I find myself embracing and coveting all that was good ... Read More...

Storytelling6 Comments1 views 0

harley tales

allyJuly 19, 2015

You never know what will happen when you’re riding a Harley.  You never know what will happen when you’re on an adventure! I call them 'harley tales.' So, Ben a... Read More...

Storytelling14 Comments0 views 0

the clothesline talks

allyJuly 12, 2015

Backroads when driving offer the most charming glimpses into history and the past. Unless you’re really in a hurry to get somewhere, I say avoid those big highw... Read More...

Storytelling8 Comments0 views 0

the passing of a kitchen 

allyJune 18, 2015

The word ‘death’ seems too final, as if it’s totally over, gone, forever buried and never to be again. I prefer to say ‘passing’ when someone leaves Earth and i... Read More...

Storytelling8 Comments3 views 0

the art of grandmothering

allyMay 17, 2015

I grew up during a time when grandchildren were to be seen not heard. And, this was no more evident than when we had big family gatheringss at my grandmother Al... Read More...

Storytelling9 Comments1 views 0

is there a heart in seafood

AllyMarch 5, 2015

Archaeology digs uncover history, cultures, people, lifestyles and more. They’re usually painstakingly detailed and timely. When you go to the Gulf coast, it do... Read More...

food travelsStorytelling0 Comments1 views 0

the art of the small things

allyFebruary 23, 2015

Little things, yes, small things, in life can bring such pleasure, satisfaction and happiness. Doesn't take much other than maybe some effort and thoughtfulness... Read More...

Storytelling0 Comments2 views 0

the eagle has landed

AllyNovember 21, 2014

This may be the shortest post I've ever written~~my cookbook's now on Amazon & you can pre-order!! I'm so exhilarated!! I even went to Amazon.com and ordere... Read More...

Storytelling0 Comments0 views 0

0.0

sisterhood of the foodies

allyAugust 24, 2014

Clubs, circles, groups and cliques. We know them. We’ve grown up with them since childhood. Usually like-minded people who come together because of a common int... Read More...

Storytelling0 Comments1 views 0

blow me away

AllyJuly 28, 2014

Sometimes people just blow me away! Meeting spirited folks on Google+ and other social media who just adore food like I do is like having a safe deposit box ful... Read More...

Storytelling0 Comments0 views 0

i believe in God winks

AllyJuly 20, 2014

Yeah, I'm talking about getting a cookbook contract~~pretty far-fetched I thought, but let me share with you how all of this came about! Do you believe in God w... Read More...

Storytelling0 Comments1 views 0

paris~my wonderings & wanderings

AllyMay 24, 2014

Two of the things that I love best about traveling in Europe are the people and the bicycles!  The people in Paris enchant me as they go about their days~~it se... Read More...

Storytelling0 Comments0 views 0

the happiness factor

AllyMay 14, 2014

I Googled this question—‘what creates happiness’? And, you know how many hits I got—over 22 million! There’s obviously a lot of people writing about happiness, ... Read More...

Storytelling1 Comment0 views 0

Just the Two of Us—The Changing Face of Holidays

AllyNovember 14, 2013

This post is brought to you by Target, however, all the opinions & thoughts are ally’s~~follow along with #MyKindofHoliday #mkoh About 5 years ago, I sta... Read More...

Storytelling10 Comments0 views 0

world food championships~~streams of consciousness

AllyNovember 12, 2013

Not sure where to start sharing with you about this 2013 WFC competition—I think I’ll just do some streams of consciousness and illuminate random thoughts for y... Read More...

Storytelling4 Comments1 views 0

Thoughts from a 25k Grand Winner—Dole California Cook-Off—Read #2

AllyJuly 6, 2013

Psssssst~~If you haven't read the first part, swing by and check it out~~read more~~ Once upon a time~~blah blah blah, maybe a blip or glitch or two, then it... Read More...

Storytelling13 Comments0 views 0

Grill a Winner from the DOLE California Cook Off!

AllyJuly 1, 2013

Probably the best things about competitive cooking and making it to these events whether as a viewer, contestant, judge, or just visitor is meeting the people! ... Read More...

Storytelling2 Comments0 views 0

my roots: a century later

AllyJune 13, 2013

The First 5 Piccolo Chapters~Read On Chapter Six~~The Village of Disnik It’s strange how mistakes, wrong turns, and blunders can turn out to be exactly ri... Read More...

Storytelling14 Comments2 views 0

my roots: searching croatia

AllyJune 7, 2013

Wearing my Oz red shoes and riding on my magic carpet, I had a real-life fairy-tale! Like a Nicholas Sparks' novel, a Lifetime movie or, better yet, the movie, ... Read More...

Storytelling2 Comments1 views 0

10 ways to totally embarrass your kids on social media

AllyFebruary 22, 2013

Social media is here to stay, and, as such, we as parents and grandparents have to figure out how to navigate the cyber-universe and not make total fools of our... Read More...

Storytelling2 Comments4 views 0

your kids are not you

AllyDecember 27, 2012

I usually don't even make New Years' resolutions because one,  I don't think they work and, two, I usually work on things in my life as they crop up.  But, this... Read More...

Storytelling31 Comments0 views 0

dreams do come true~a love letter

AllyNovember 13, 2012

My dear friends... I write this letter dreams do come true~a love letter  because I want to share some of my emotions and thoughts on this very momentous luc... Read More...

Storytelling95 Comments1 views 0

home alone on my birthday

AllyOctober 28, 2012

This morning I awoke, yes, home alone on my birthday, and found myself one year older—63—it sounds so eerie to me! It’s kind of a strange birthday, too, becaus... Read More...

Storytelling61 Comments2 views 0

cast iron skillet memories

AllySeptember 20, 2012

You just never know what’s going to rouse Facebook folks to comment on your fan page.  I mean some of the things I post that I think are really cool go dead in ... Read More...

Storytelling2 Comments0 views 0

The Fairy Tale…Making Ganache

AllyAugust 12, 2012

What’s making ganache and a fairy tale have to do with each other.  The short version is that I’ve always wanted to be up close and personal watching a professi... Read More...

Storytelling3 Comments1 views 0

The Fairy Tale…The Picture Storybook

AllyAugust 9, 2012

Remember the movie 'Pretty Woman?'   Remember, Vivian's line (Julia Roberts) when she looked at Richard Gere and said, 'I want the fairy tale.'  Well, I GOT the... Read More...

Storytelling13 Comments0 views 0

The Fairy Tale…The Beginning

AllyAugust 8, 2012

I’m documenting this while my brain’s still groggy, foggy and operating on slow motion mode after only a few hours of sleep recently.  It’s hard to capture the ... Read More...

Storytelling1 Comment1 views 0

My Bohemian Life…The Making of One Picture

AllyMay 22, 2012

One picture needed...so, you may be thinking, just point and shoot, right?  Au contraire. Hours of preparation months, weeks & days before the shoot and ... Read More...

Storytelling0 Comments0 views 0

in memory of patches

AllyApril 16, 2012

If you are a pet lover, then you'll probably really love this post 'in memory of patches'because you'll dig deep in your gut of emotions and relate.  If you're ... Read More...

Storytelling15 Comments1 views 0

the traveling nomad 2

AllyMarch 30, 2012

Sayings and truisms—we’ve all grown up hearing them, and most of us probably use them now as adults—you know what I’m talking about—things like ‘Don’t kick a gi... Read More...

Storytelling16 Comments2 views 0

the traveling nomad

AllyMarch 28, 2012

I am a nomad. A traveler. My life is like a rolling stone, it gathers no moss.  I’m a tumbleweed that rolls and blows through places and spaces.  Until recently... Read More...

Storytelling20 Comments1 views 0