Note: I first wrote this post in 2008, when the U.S. had been at war in Afghanistan for seven years. Now it is 2021, thirteen years have passed, and we are finally leaving Afghanistan. But the price paid by all for war is not over. And never will be. The fall of Kabul on August … More Afghanistan … Where the Enchanted Snows Fall
To paraphrase Charles Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was when I strolled through the grocery store, leisurely, a flâneur shopping for food with nary a care in the world.” Of course, many cares dominated my life – family, health, concern about the future of the planet. But grocery shopping, or browsing as … More What I Miss Most about My Pre-Pandemic Life
It’s early, and I apologize for the blatant plug for my newest book – Meatballs & Lefse: Memories and Recipes from a Scandinavian-American Farming Life. The thing is, the printer recently announced that they are already overwhelmed by the Christmas rush and orders for any books ordered after Thanksgiving just might not reach you in … More Yes, it’s Early, But …
The dog shit scene did it for me. When Emily, in Netflix’s new series – “Emily in Paris” – steps in the do-do, her immaculate pink shoes squishing with that “Oh no, ugh!” sound, I laughed out loud. You see, that happened to me as well. Rounding the corner one gorgeous late fall morning, headed … More I’ll Always Have Paris
I walk in my neighborhood every day, twice a day. After breakfast, which for me usually takes place around 6:30 a.m. And after dinner, so I am out on the road when most people will be fixing dinner, close to 12 hours after my breakfast time. Dogs bark, cats scurry under beauty-berry bushes, people wave … More Do You Smell Anything Cooking?
The other day, a glossy yellow leaf swirled to the ground as I trudged through my neighborhood in hot, steaming north Florida. I sighed as I stepped over hard magnolia seed pods littering the road. And, for a split second, I thought of the change of seasons, of how they used to mark my years, … More Changing Seasons in the Kitchen: Dealing with Summer Heat
A sneak preview of the cover of my upcoming book, filled with comfort food and memories, a culinary memoir inspired by my mother-in-law. Cover design by Cathy Gibbons Reedy
