Skip to content

the aesthete and the dilettante

  • Home
  • About
  • Food
    • Cooking
    • Baking
    • Drinks
    • Dining Out
  • Nature
    • Gardening
    • Nature
  • Style
    • Shopping
    • Style
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Interiors
    • Music
    • Events
    • Cultural Institutions
    • Literature
  • Travel
  • Life
    • Fitness
    • Holiday
    • Life

Month: December 2012

It’s Been Quite a Ride

December 30, 2012December 30, 2012 ~ Wendy Franzen ~ 2 Comments

I am ready to close the proverbial door on 2012.  Anyone with me?  It has been a year of great highs and lows both personally and globally, but glass half-full kind of girl that I am, I prefer to reflect on the moments worth celebrating. One of the highlights of my year was launching this … Continue reading It’s Been Quite a Ride

The Perfect Cookie

December 27, 2012March 18, 2013 ~ Wendy Franzen ~ 4 Comments

Okay, so perfect in a cookie is awfully subjective.  But these Ginger Sparkle Cookies are crispy on the outside, moist and chewy on the inside, spicy, sweet, healthy (comparatively speaking), and can easily be made vegan and/or gluten-free.  Phew.  And did I mention that they are insanely delicious?  As in, I cannot stop putting them … Continue reading The Perfect Cookie

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

December 24, 2012December 24, 2012 ~ Wendy Franzen ~ Leave a comment

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; And … Continue reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

What to Do

December 19, 2012December 19, 2012 ~ Wendy Franzen ~ 1 Comment

Last night at my daughter's 5th grade Christmas concert, a collective and profound sadness weighed heavily in the auditorium.  It was impossible to live in the moment and not contemplate the atrocities of last Friday as we waited for our young musicians to take the stage.  When the children began to sing their carols and … Continue reading What to Do

Imagine Waking Up to This

December 14, 2012December 14, 2012 ~ Wendy Franzen ~ Leave a comment

I did.  Two blissful mornings in a row while visiting my sister and her fiancé in Florida.  She gave him the beautiful Alex Duetto II machine below as an engagement gift (have I mentioned how brilliant she is?  I think I have).  The above photo is of the actual cappuccino he made on morning two.  … Continue reading Imagine Waking Up to This

Roasted Pheasants with Dates and Apricots

December 10, 2012December 10, 2012 ~ Wendy Franzen ~ 4 Comments

Roast chicken is a typical Sunday dinner in our home, but this weekend I was lucky enough to make pheasant given to me by a friend who knows I love wild game.  This recipe for Roasted Illinois Scottish Pheasants with Dates and Apricots from my go-to cooking site, Epicurious, turned out beautifully and would work … Continue reading Roasted Pheasants with Dates and Apricots

A Fiery Night Sky

December 3, 2012December 4, 2012 ~ Wendy Franzen ~ 1 Comment

Last night during my flight home from Florida, I witnessed a sunset unlike any I have ever seen. Ember-bright streaks of orange bled into a brilliant yellow swath of sky, creating the illusion of an ocean on fire. Magnifying the effect were clouds saturated in black and dark grey that read like an ominous, smoky … Continue reading A Fiery Night Sky

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent Posts

  • Seeking Calm
  • Celebrating Four Years + Peeking Around the Bend
  • Second Snow
  • California Wine Country
  • Roasted Buttercup Squash and Soba Noodle Salad with Creamy Miso Ginger Dressing

Twitter

Tweets by wendyfranzen
Blog at WordPress.com.
  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • the aesthete and the dilettante
    • Join 253 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • the aesthete and the dilettante
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar

Loading Comments...