In Search of the Finer Things

In Search of the Finer Things The Finer Things include everything that make life beautiful and worth living. I blog about my community, food, travel, reading, and whatever strikes my fancy.

Web Site: http://insearchofthefinerthings.blogspot.com/


Recipe: Chocolate Oreo pie

Recipe: Chocolate Oreo pie

Chocolate? Store-bought cookies? This recipe is clearly not the norm for me, but sometimes you do what you gotta do for your mom on Mother's Day. And frankly, everyone in the family loved this pie, so I need to write down the recipe because it has a hi...

Big Sur: Check!

Big Sur: Check!

One thing I love about living in California is the repeated experience of discovering something new and wondering: "How have I lived in this state my whole life and never been here before?!" Such was the case in Big Sur.We drove up from Southern Califo...

My First Quarter Progress

Just wanted to include an update on my 30 before 30 list! I haven’t forgotten about my list and am chipping away at it, despite having my first baby shower last weekend and going out of town this weekend for Easter. Here’s what I’ve done so far (...

Recipe: Carrot ginger muffins

Recipe: Carrot ginger muffins

Sigh. How I love muffins. They freeze well and make a perfect breakfast or snack on the go. They're easy to make and easy to make healthy! I just can't get enough.Several months ago, I received the quarterly newspaper from my local Natural Foods Co-Op ...

Hidden Falls Regional Park in Auburn

Hidden Falls Regional Park in Auburn

I'm quite pleased that I have been making progress on my "30 Before 30" list despite being a week away from 6 months pregnant. I've been fortunate to enjoy good health and decent energy levels so far. It turns out that my list, instead of being a distr...

It’s February, and I Miss Tomatoes…

It’s February, and I Miss Tomatoes…

...And therefore, I am busy planning my garden for this summer! I already started my tomatoes,peppers and eggplants a few weeks ago, as pictured above. This year, I used peat pellets, two grow lights, a heated mat, and occasionally a fan (which is supp...

Recipe: The best New York cheesecake

Recipe: The best New York cheesecake

I stumbled upon a recipe for New York Cheesecake from Ruth Reichl, and my interest was piqued.

Recipe: Cuban black beans and rice

Recipe: Cuban black beans and rice

When it comes to cheap meals, beans and rice is a favorite around here. We usually do a Cilantro-Lime Rice and Cafe Rio Black Beans, which are amazing by the way, but take a little bit more effort than my pregnant self was...

Dine Downtown Week: Dinner at Mulvaney’s

Dine Downtown Week: Dinner at Mulvaney’s

I'm slowly working my way towards all of the Sacramento restaurants that have received the Slow Food "Snail of Approval". Last week, I noticed that one of the restaurants I've wanted to try for years, Mulvaney's B&L, had a great-sounding prix fixe ...

Dickens Fair and Russian Food

I haven't posted in some time for a variety of reasons. Reason #1: the first trimester of my first pregnancy hit me hard and I slept during most of my free time for October-December.Reason #2: I was so thrilled to post on my trip to the Dicken's Fair i...