Baking

Baking• Family Traditions• Holidays• Pies• Thanksgiving• Thoughts on Life

The Cutthroat Annual Tunno Pumpkin Pie Contest

November 26, 2014

Remember the nice story I wrote last week about my family loving each other because my mom was a great cook and so nurturing and wonderful? Most of the time that’s true, until it’s time for the cutthroat Annual Tunno Pumpkin Pie Contest. It commences right after Thanksgiving dinner, which is a good thing because we’re all too full to move, let alone hurt each other. I’ve only…

Cookies• Italian Cookies• Thoughts on Life

Lemon Ricotta Cookies – My New Love

October 7, 2014

Dating can be so difficult. Does he like me, or doesn’t he? Why doesn’t he call? Should I call him? Why isn’t he emotionally available? As my mom used to say, “Who loves you comes after you.” She was right — and that’s all you need to know about relationships. Unfortunately, this means I am in love with a cookie.…

Baking• Dipping Sauces, Spreads, Marinades and Salad Dressings• Italian Mom Stories• Pizza• Thoughts on Life

The Power of Pizza

September 18, 2014

My daughter just started college a few weeks ago. I hate to admit it, but it’s nice to be able to take a break from my indentured servitude with the PTA. I think I served for 12 years. PTA years are like dog years, so that’s close to an average life expectancy I put in. I did what I had time to do, but there were women and…

Baking• Italian Mom Stories• Pies• Thoughts on Life

Pies and Virginity

July 25, 2014

Summer means fruit pie season and I am a ho for fruit pies and crisps — especially right out of the oven with vanilla ice cream on top. Every time I overeat, then vow to cut out sweets completely (this happens weekly) I realize I could never do it if it meant not having fruit pie again. This is clearly genetic. My brothers are both ho’s for blackberry…

Baking• Cakes• Italian Mom Stories

Happy Birt-a-day Mom!

July 4, 2014

I love the Fourth of July. Even its name shows it’s a holiday to be reckoned with. No holiday gets the number first, not even Christmas. I also LOVE fireworks. They’re all the excitement of lightning without the house burning down part. And mostly, I love the Fourth of July because it was my mom’s birthday.…

Baking• Cookies• Italian Mom Stories

Mix Trootfully Wedding Cookies

June 17, 2014

On June 21st, my brother, Bernie and and sister-in-law, Donna will celebrate their 45th Anniversary. I find that impressive because even if I got married right now; the best I could hope for would be maybe 40 years and that’s only if I live to be 98 and marry an infant. My brother Bob and his wife Patty just celebrated their 40th last year with a great surprise…

Baking• Cookies• Thoughts on Life

The Power of a Sugar Cookie

June 9, 2014

I’ve been using cookies as communication devices for years. The College of Cardinals uses a smoke signal to tell us there’s a new pope, and I use cookies to send messages too. They can say: I love you, I miss you, or Happy Birthday. After I left Pennsylvania in the early ’80s, I knew I’d lose touch with my family and my young nephews if I didn’t connect.…

Baking• Bread• Thoughts on Life

I'm Not Ellen Degeneres and Maybe That's OK

May 12, 2014

I’ve always thought that one day I’d do something that would make me exceptional. But I’m 59 years old and am not exceptional yet, so things aren’t looking terribly promising.…

Baking• Muffins

Carrot Muffin Madness

May 5, 2014

I don’t know what comes over me sometimes. Maybe it was the frozen coffee drink I had at Costco this afternoon (never even equated the coffee flavor with the possibility of caffeine) – DOH.…

Baking• Cakes

The Carrot Cake Off

April 7, 2014

Pretty much every baker in the United States has a carrot cake recipe. Each one is convinced that hers/his is the absolute best. Clearly, this can’t be true because mine is actually the best. It wasn’t always the best, but I’ve finessed and finessed it and now I’d put it up against anyone’s carrot cake recipe, even Joan, the queen of cakes. (My sister-in-law, Donna is going to…

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