Blog Posts by Sunset Magazine

Easter comes just as farmers' markets are crowded with new asparagus, fresh-dug carrots, and the first foraged wild mushrooms. These flavors usher in the new season, and they're the inspiration for our simple, elegant holiday feast.

Classic Baked Ham with Maple-Mustard Glaze
Classic Baked Ham
Ham is the centerpiece of any Easter meal; it's quick to prepare and easily serves a crowd. A simple maple-mustard glaze delivers the sweetness of traditional pineapple rings and maraschino cherries, but adds a layer of spice.
Ingredients
1 cooked, bone-in half ham (about 7 to 8 lbs.)
15 whole cloves
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Cut off the tough, leatherlike skin from ham (if it has it; some hams will not), and score the fat in a crosshatch pattern. Stud ham all over with cloves, put in a large roasting pan, and loosely tent with foil. Bake until a thermometer inserted in center of thickest part (not touching the

Where to walk through wildflowers, bike by the sea, take in waterfalls and gardens, and sample the flavors of the West while the world is in bloom.

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Walk through Albuquerque's EDo
Spring is the best time for a stroll through Albuquerque's food loving neighborhood, just east of downtown (EDo, get it?).

Phoenix, Arizona
Stock up on native plants in Phoenix
Spring in Phoenix is prime time for nursery shopping. Pick your plants, then either follow your nose to the heavenly scent of citrus groves in bloom, or head for a hike with breathtaking city views.

Boise, Idaho
Cruise around Boise
This city is made for cyclists―and spring is an especially great time to visit, with leafy streets, wildflower-lined trails, and cool high-desert air.
Stretching 29.7 miles along the beautiful Boise River waterfront, the Boise River Greenbelt offers pretty, mellow riding suitable for all setups, with fun and food along the way.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Hike Yellowstone National Park
Geysers, mountain peaks, meadows,

Our guide to favorite varieties in pinks, reds, yellows, and more

'Bartzella' Itoh hybrid peony
Bright yellow double blooms have a spicy scent. Stems are sturdy and foliage is lush and dark green.
A new introduction, 'Bartzella' is especially vigorous, blooms in late spring, and grows 2½ to 3 feet tall and wide.

'Blaze' Herbaceous peony
With ruffled red petals around a yellow center, these single blooms resemble fluffy bowls atop erect stems on a 2-foot-tall and 2½-foot-wide plant.
Grow it behind spring bulbs or as an accent in perennial borders (blue-flowered Campanula glomerata makes a pretty companion). Bloom time is mid- to late spring.

20 colorful plants for shade gardens

'Bowl of Beauty' Herbaceous peony
Bowl-shaped, fuchsia-pink blooms have tufts of creamy white petals in the center; the fragrant flowers start opening in midspring on plants 1½ to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.

'Buckeye Belle' Herbaceous peony
A semidouble variety with velvety, dark red blooms atop sturdy stems, this stunner makes a showy cut flower. It grows 1½ to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.

'Cora Louise' Itoh hybrid peony'
Fragrant, white

New gardener Reed Davis chronicles each step, misstep, and big juicy victory as he turns a small patch of soil into a bountiful vegetable garden.

More from Sunset:

10 raised bed garden ideas

Garden-to-table guide to tomatoes

Top 10 gardening innovations

The food cart revolution just keeps on going. The newest spin: vehicles designed to serve a single perfect food.

Sweet Lucie's
Sweet Lucie's, Los Angeles
Specialty: Organic ice cream made in and served from a 1950s truck. Owners Geri and Mike Czako (she has an MBA; he works in advertising) refurbished the truck after buying it from a retiring ice cream man.
Forget vanilla: Dreamy flavors include pistachio with truffle-caramel swirl and Earl Grey. And you can thank pregnancy cravings for that: A few years ago, pregnant and on an organic diet, Geri found "there wasn't much organic ice cream available and [it was in] very limited flavors." She started making it at home, and when their daughter, Lucie, was born, so was the business. ilovelucies.com
21 Ice Cream Recipes

The Grilled Cheese Grill
The Grilled Cheese Grill, Portland
Specialty: Twenty kinds of grilled cheese served inside a 1954 double-decker former Mount St. Helens tour bus that owner Matt Breslow outfitted with tables and painted on the sides to look like a

We've got a lineup of some of the most classic must-visit restaurants that weave together culture, atmosphere, and the best ingredients.

A resourceful Portland designer reawakened her Victorian kitchen by combining the best of old and new. Try your hand at juxtaposing vintage design and modern utility using her kitchen as your guide.

More from Sunset:

Kitchens: Before and After

60 Kitchen Design Ideas

Decorate With Family Finds

Stroll out your door and into paradise from these well-situated lodges.

More from Sunset:

20 Ultimate Fantasy Towns

The West's Best Places to Live

Favorite Small Towns for Getting Outdoors