I have always approached life as a celebration, regardless of the stage. I believe it is important to truly cherish the positive instead of getting entrenched in the negativity. And so I am single and I have been for quite some time. It is not that I am a man hater, haven't dated or wouldn't enjoy "Mr. Right," it is just that I am in the stage of my life where it is my time to kiss some frogs as I wait for the Prince. And so I want to take a moment to celebrate being single. Let me tell you a few things that are worth celebrating about being single:

1. I can be a starfish in the bed and no one complains that I am taking up the whole bed.
2. Along the same line as #1 I can hog all of the covers
3. I can have cereal, salami and cheese or a glass of wine for dinner
4. I don't have to fake headaches...hell I don't have to fake anything for that matter (yeah your mind can go in the gutter for a second)
5. I can keep a stack of magazines next to the bed without anyone getting angry about magazine clutter...and I can choose whether or not I want to read them
6. I can decide whether or not my jeans make my butt look big because I don't have to get a second opinion
7. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, without consulting another person
8. Every night can be a girls night out, if I so choose
9. I can buy shoes or clothes or handbags and not worry about how to sneak them into the house
10. I can cook because I am passionate about being in the kitchen, not because I have to


I love to make random things for dinner...because I can. It is common for me to make a side dish or an appetizer and call it dinner. So most recently, I decided to make Saffron Rice and call it dinner. Sure I also sauteed some spinach and steamed some asparagus, but really that was only to justify the fact that I wanted to really carb load off rice. In the past, I have always purchased Saffron Rice in a bag, ya know the kind that has all of the spices mixed into the rice for you. However, the other night I decided to make it on my own. And it was really good! I love the flavor of saffron and this rice recipe is much more subtle than the packaged kind. It also tastes more nutty and real, probably because it doesn't have all of the infusion of preservatives. This dish would be the perfect side dish for grilled chicken or fish!


To begin with take 10 1/2 ounces chicken broth and 1/8 tsp ground saffron and place in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat to keep warm. Saffron is expensive and it is potent so you do not need a lot of it. And I just love that the saffron I purchased is packaged in a bindle that resembles narcotics sales...interesting.

Next cook 1 cup long grain rice and 2T olive oil in a separate pan. Cook until the rice is golden, this is the process that gives the rice a nutty earthy flavor. Add 1/2 cup minced onion and cook for 4-5 minutes.

Add the broth mixture to the rice. Also add 3/4 cup water and 1/3 cup dry white wine. Yes, a perfect excuse to open a bottle of wine, not because you want to drink it, just because you need it to cook...and oops sometimes it ends up in a wine glass and hence on your dining room table. That is what I call a win/win!!

Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. The rice should also have a pretty yellowish hue.


Hope you all have an incredible weekend! Cheers!