Finally, the election is over and we can turn to something we can all agree on: food, glorious food.

A truly delicious meal can bring nearly anyone together; it can reach across the aisles of political parties, religions, even generations, delighting taste buds and conjuring warm, fuzzy feelings. I should...

All those who believe that health care should be a right and not a privilege: you are excused. All the rest of you, please get your credit cards ready.

In my spin class this morning my instructor announced a fundraiser next Saturday for one of the gym's employees, a sweet...

I live in a wonderful community. When someone gets cancer, has a death in the family, or gets ankle surgery, friends and neighbors are there for each other. Upon learning of a tough situation, someone sends an email out, and within minutes, a long list of folks have signed up...

I am a white-knuckled traveler.

This may be no big deal to you, but for one who writes travel articles, it's a bit embarrassing to admit. Like many, I love and hate to travel, with equal passion.

I have no problem with automobiles, trains or boats. It's airplane travel that...

They told us not to go.

Not to Morocco, they said. Not now.

With uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa, Morocco might not have seemed like the obvious choice for a "girl's trip," at least to some.

"Morocco is...

Oak, apple or alder wood? Gas, Weber or... Tuscan Grill? Baste or dry rub? Grill, barbecue or smoke?

Huh?

I have a secret, one I've never shared until now.

I can't grill. Or barbecue. And I certainly cannot smoke.

They told us not to do it.

They told us and they told us and they told us, "Whatever you do, do not take the back road from Hana."

If you've been to Maui, you know that the first thing people tell you is, "You have to take the...

Mercury Insurance is so generous.

On Tuesday, California voters will get the chance to vote on Prop 17, which Mercury, out of the goodness of their hearts, has spent some $10 million on. Those crazy kids. All to save us money.

Unless you...

"Jennifer, is Kellen gifted?" The question comes from my son's eight year-old buddy Alan* (*not his real name), who is sitting next to him in the back seat.

I turn to face the two boys. "Of course he's gifted. Just like you."

"No," says Alan, correcting me with a shake...

What a difference geography makes.

Many Republicans are in an uproar, convinced that Congress has gone against the American people's wishes in passing the health care bill. The thing is, they haven't. Let's face it: 53% of Americans voted for Obama, who made it crystal clear during his campaign...

(Warning: what you are about to read may make you uncomfortable.)

What's the difference between a cleaning lady who desperately needs a job and a prominent executive who desperately needs a job? If you think it has anything to do with their salaries, you're dead wrong. The difference is that...

I just read the story about Brandon Patrick, the 23 year-old Tulsa man who was viciously attacked because of his sexual orientation. Apparently, just walking down the street invoked such hostility among his attackers that they screamed homophobic slurs at him before viciously attacking him, ultimately sending him to the...

Why are we so fat? That's easy, you say. We're fat because we are lazy; because popping through the Taco Bell drive-thru for some Supreme action is so much easier than going home to cook a well-balanced meal. Okay, that's fine for you -- maybe you don't have that many...

I have to be honest - I am jealous of Julie Powell. You know, the girl who wrote the blog and book about how she cooked her way through Julia Child's recipes, which became the basis for the film "Julie and Julia." I'm jealous, of course, because I didn't come...