The pets in our lives have a unique way of making every day better, helping us take ourselves less seriously, and learn to live in the joy of each moment. Last week as I was driving to work, I heard my friend Laura on the radio talk about an organization she works with called Austin Pets Alive! She was talking about a dog that was rescued the day before and was working to raise money to help fix his hind legs that would drag behind him when he walked.
I was …

I was honored to be a judge a couple weeks ago in Jennie Chen’s Cupcake Smackdown at One 2 One bar in downtown Austin and have been meaning to write about the event since then. Below is a cute photo taken by a Statesman A-List photographer of Devrah Otten, winner of the tasting competition portion of That Takes The Cake in 2008 and 2009, me, Jennie, and Natanya Anderson, Fete and Feast blogger and Next Food Network Star hopeful.
I’m not going to get into the results here but some …

Eating a taco from a restaurant that calls itself the Screaming Goat is a daunting proposition as anyone who has overdone it with hot peppers can attest. My thinking was that either the owners have a quirky sense of humor or that they are horrible sadists who were going to make me regret choosing to eat there for the rest of the weekend.
After spending a wonderful morning there followed by a peaceful afternoon at home, I can assure you that you will be smiling happily during and after your meal. …

I just moved into the neighborhood a little over a week ago but I’d wager that the pizza at Cipollina is the best in Clarksville. I’m starting to think that Clarksville is also the best neighborhood in Austin. I love walking my black lab Lucy to the neighborhood dog park or to Pease Park and passing by stately mansions dating back to the 1920’s, cottages from the 1940’s, and eco-friendly modern homes.

Last Sunday, Ilyse came over to check out my new digs. We were both starving — me from unpacking …