What makes a man recover from gallbladder surgery almost instantly? a. The promise of a waiting platter of king crab legs and shrimp b. The promise of pasta with crab sauce c. The promise of scallop pasta with cream sauce d. The promise of an adoring family e. Leftover novenas prayed by his mother. f. All of the above…
I’m still recovering from a week of food preparation and a day of serious hostessing. The heavens smiled on me and food magic happened, which means all my food turned out great, except for the gravy, which was a little iffy. From now on, it’s only flour, no cornstarch in my gravy. My guests were wonderful, there were no awkward pauses in conversation, and my kid’s friends turned…
Kids are so coddled anymore. Halloween used to be a test of your mettle. Now parents go out and buy cute outfits, help their kids get dressed, help with their make-up and follow them along with a flashlight. They check their candy and even force them to say thank you when they’re done. What have we done to our children? When I was a kid in the wild…
In Western Pennsylvania, there are traditions you just have to keep. One is pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day. I may not live there currently, but I’ll be damned if I’m giving up this tradition, it’s too good. It’s said to be good luck to eat pork on New Year’s Day because pigs root forward, so, your year will start in a positive direction, unless you’re a…
You can either live life, or write about it. This year for Christmas, I lived it. The great thing about living is you notice things like little Christmas miracles you might have overlooked. (The bad thing is your blog is late.) I lived it so well that I now have one mother of a head-cold that only responds to hot tea with lemon, honey and Rock n’Rye. I’m…
This post is for anyone stressing out over their house not being perfect for the holidays. Here’s what I know: I don’t ever remember thinking about what our tree looked like when I was very little, except that I liked to sit and watch the colored lights and play with the wise men and Jesus. I do remember our family being together around the table, talking for hours, and…
I just read an article in the LA Times about an Austrian chef who re-creates Christmas dinners like those in his homeland because he has such great memories. I loved that, instead of sinking into a depression over what he’s missing, he’s re-creating it with braised duck and roasted chestnuts. I remember forcing myself to do that the first year I spent Christmas Eve away from my large,…
I have the same battle with myself every day, sometimes several times a day. Last weekend it sounded like this: Conscience: What are you doing? You’re making Thanksgiving dinner for your kids and their friends, three days after Thanksgiving, when you should be working on that book you’re always talking about — or applying for jobs! What’s more important: work or making your daughter’s favorite corn casserole?…
I promised news of the victory in the Annual Cutthroat Tunno Pie Competition and I’m delivering it, but it’s not a surprise. Yes, my nephew Chris somehow pulled off another win. (If we find out he’s putting controlled substances in his pies to make everyone vote for him, he’s in big trouble.) But the big news is the First Runner Up. In second place, was my great-nephew Nate!…
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…