I had a bit of an unusual upbringing. My father worked for a boarding school when I was young, so I grew up on the campus as a faculty kid. The students who later became classmates were from all over the world. It was a fabulous lesson in not judging a book by its cover. I learned all about different cultures and religions. I love the idea of teaching my children the same acceptance and tolerance of others. In sharing [...]

Making lunches gets old day after day, even for me. I enjoy making fun, colorful lunches when I find the time, but like any parent, there are days when I feel I’ve lost my mojo. I look for inspiration from other ideas, and then make them my own. I stumbled across this recipe from Six Sisters’ Stuff Spicy Rice and Bean Wraps on Pinterest, and decided to make my own version with leftovers.  Everything in our house has been meat [...]

- As featured in Williamson Social Magazine - November marks the beginning of holiday entertaining, family gatherings and a time overall to make celebrations just a little more special. How to do that, you might ask, when you have neither the time nor the budget to spend on decor? Visit Pinterest and you’ll find an endless array of simple and affordable decorating ideas. At the Loveless Barn, we provide the canvas for wonderful events such as tables, linens, chairs, silver and glassware and we then watch [...]

- As Featured in Williamson Social Magazine - Only in the South is there such thing as Tailgating Season, and although some would say it’s all about the game, others will be quick to suggest it’s really about the party. Over the years, the old staples have come and gone, but our team has tossed together some of our personal favorites — perfect for your next pigskin party! Enjoy the suggestions below, but think about how you could take your favorite item and [...]

I realize it’s been many moons since I’ve written anything here, but it’s a new season and school is in full swing, and I feel like talking about photosynthesis. Summer is over. What did I do? I learned how to surf like an amateur; I drove myself and a surfboard up to a fundraiser farm-to-table dinner party at Happy Girl Kitchen in Pacific Grove; I surfed Big Sur on my way home and learned an important lesson in surfing etiquette [...]

My neighbor and I struggled last year about how to feed our kids’ little tummies with healthy food before the candyfest on Halloween. We decided to throw a neighborhood party for the little ones to encourage them to fill up on vegetables and sandwiches. We are doing the same party in the front lawn again this year with a similar menu because it was such a success. We divided up duties between us and made a fun and healthier feast [...]

- As Featured in Williamson Social Magazine - Nothing shows more hospitality at an event than showing you’ve planned every detail from top to bottom. Regardless of whether you’re having a few couples over for dinner, organizing a charity event in your home or planning a child’s birthday party, taking the time to think through the following steps will help you entertain with grace and poise. Budget While it certainly may be the least fun aspect of planning a party, a [...]

Slow Food of Greater Sarasota will host Food Day on Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at King Family Farm (4630 60th St. E/Caruso Rd.) in Bradenton, Fla. This event is a great opportunity to bring the kids and grandparents for a day at the farm. There will be live music, gardening workshops, a farm tour, hayride, corn and flower harvesting and a number of vendors focused on sustainable living. Local farmers and food producers will be offering samples and selling their products. [...]

In a rush for fun lunches? My go-to idea is always the stash of cookie cutters I keep in the pantry. These sandwiches are plain sandwich bread stamped from linzer cookie cutters, which have interchangeable shapes in the middle. As far as children go, they aren’t any different from adults. They like their food to be pleasing to the eyes. If it looks fun and colorful, they are more likely to try it and eat it! Above is my four-year-old [...]