Remembering our friend Carl Luning, known here as Carl the Roaster: a warm, funny, generous man who savored coffee, wine, food, music, family, friendship and every good story along the way.

A search for peach recipes leads to a Summer Days cocktail, treasured photographs and warm memories of a cherished colleague and friend.

Four unforgettable days in Mendocino, California — celebrating friendship, food, and a birthday by the sea. A charming white-picket-fence town where coastal breezes, laughter, and even ravens add their own kind of magic.

A deeply personal tribute to my childhood friend Tracy on what would have been his 62nd birthday, reflecting on our shared roots in Gilchrist, Texas—a town erased by Hurricane Ike—and the indelible imprints left on our hearts by those we love. This remembrance honors friendship, loss, and the echoes of childhood that never fade.

A story of a hat and a shared sense of identity borne of innocent and playful times spent with friends while growing up at the beach.

An evening in South Queensferry in view of its magnificent bridges was golden: culture, ambiance, views, food and history were plentiful and we felt blessed.

This is a wonderful article about a couple of terrific people I am very blessed to know. Tom and Marti embody open-mindedness, curiosity and the wisdom that comes from seeking knowledge and letting your understanding of the world evolve.

A peaceful picture of simple pleasures painted with words and images from a friend in Round Top, Texas.

Everything in nature this spring seems brighter, fresher, more vibrant than usual. Like these turtle pals.

Headed out to the Round Top Chili Cookoff with friends today, I’m inspired to reblog this post from last year. It’s a tale of a chili cook-off fundraiser in a tiny Texas town, two friends, five gallons of spilled chili, dozens of kind people and…

If you’ve been following Glover Gardens this week, you know that it is really cold here.  Freaky cold. Snow and ice and sleet, oh my! It just makes you want to stay inside, drink hot chocolate by the fire and have comfort food for all your…

Reflections on a lovely meal with friends at Wilson Creek Winery, and how the people and the place are just as important as the food.

Hey 19! Colorado Road Trip:
my week with 3 19-year-olds from the University of Texas; millennials who love each other and might one day rule the world.

A tiny dinner party with the Grill-Meister’s international colleague landed me a new friend in his wife, a luminous, authentic, lovely lady. Thus the haiku.

A tale of a chili cook-off fundraiser in a tiny Texas town, two friends, five gallons of spilled chili, dozens of kind people and a chance meeting with the governor.

Wine Spectator provides a perfect “cooking with friends” menu with duck and root vegetables. Try this at home with friends.

My neighbor is a smart and funny Southern woman, a successful writer of romantic and teen fiction, a devoted wife, mother and friend, and a wonderful hostess.  She also makes the best pound cake I’ve ever eaten. Christie recently served her homemade sour cream pound cake at…

I want to go to Sweden and have barbecue at Ben’s house!

As I visit my Dad in the hospital each day, I realize how much I take the simple things in life for granted. Like this weeknight dinner party.

In honor of Mother’s Day, I’m reposting this little story about my adventures with another mom during a time of uncertainty.  Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there, and if you have small children, my wish for you is that you have…