Start Your Own Native Garden

With water becoming ever more expensive and San Diego seemingly chronically in drought, it can feel harder to justify planting a garden filled with thirsty species. The great news is that there are plenty of resources for both homeowners and renters who want to migrate to growing native plants, and it doesn’t have to be an either/or decision. If you understand your plants’ needs, you can grow natives and have a vegetable garden, citrus trees or ornamentals that you love.

I spoke with several local experts who gave me truly helpful advice on how to do this—and all their insights and tips are in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home and Garden section. This is the perfect time to get started, so jump on in!

Creating a Dream Room for Guests

The holidays are approaching and if you’re hosting guests for a night or two — or more — how comfy is your guest room? Even if the room is on the small side or shared with a home office, ideally you want your guests to feel welcome, to sleep well at night, have space to put their belongings and not have to worry about disturbing you.

If you’re just starting out with your own home or are decorating a new space, I’ve got some suggestions by experts on where to start in my latest story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home and Garden section.

Vegan Cookies for the Holidays

The holidays are creeping up. Many of us are already planning what kinds of cookies we’re going to make for holiday parties or cookie exchanges. But now, not only do we have to decide between family favorites and trying some cool-looking new recipes we saw on Instagram or TikTok, but we may also need to adapt because we’re vegan, have egg allergies or are gluten-free — or have family or guests who are. Now what?

The great news is that if you want to accommodate those who are vegan, it’s very easy to make vegan cookies with readily available ingredients. Plus, you aren’t giving up any of the flavor and texture you love in your traditional recipes. For my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section, Maya Madsen, founder and CEO of Maya’s Cookies, has shared a couple of her recipes and explained how simple it is to make scrumptious cookies that anyone will enjoy, even those who aren’t vegan.

Zhuzhing Up Your Dining Area

Will you be hosting holiday gatherings this year? Do you host intimate weekend meals for friends and family? Eat meals daily at a table with your family or roommates? Heck, where do you eat when you’re at home?

I spoke with three San Diego-based designers for my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home and Garden section who have created beautiful and imaginative solutions for dining spaces — some defined and others that are part of great rooms — to get ideas and some general rules for outfitting a dining area.

Wellness Spaces at Home

Feeling stressed? Overwhelmed? Wishing you had a sanctuary where you could escape from the stresses of the day to decompress and recenter yourself?

You don’t have to get in the car and drive in traffic to a spa or studio or gym. You could create a space in your own home, either in a dedicated room or a part of a room that incorporates the elements of the space you want — whether for meditation, yoga, working out, soothing your tired body, listening to music or reading. Learn how in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home and Garden section.

Enter the world of "The Blue Food Cookbook"

Chefs Andrew Zimmern and Barton Seaver are releasing their new seafood cookbook later this month. “The Blue Food Cookbook” is filled with hugely useful information on how to buy and store sustainable seafood, where to shop, types of seafood and how they might taste, pantry and equipment suggestions and cooking techniques. Then come the recipes—delightful and inspiring recipes that include but go beyond clam chowder, bouillabaisse and linguini with clam sauce to include a gorgeous butternut squash and mussel soup, scallop aguachile (inspired by San Diego chef Claudette Zepeda) and steamed black bass with ginger, garlic and scallions. I spoke with Zimmern for my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s food section and he offered advice on making these dishes. You’ll want these recipes—they’re in my story. Hey, you’ll want the book!