Lucy got her braces off and we celebrated with corn on the cob (Elote style) and caramel apples- two foods that aren’t possible with braces! I wanted to make real caramel rather than store bought, but I always struggle with getting it to stay on the apples. Braces Off Day! Elote! I wanted to spend time … Continue reading Caramel Apples- Autumn is Near & Braces Are Off!
When I was a kid we would sometimes make Fruit Pizza, which was basically a "crust" made out of a tube of Pillsbury sugar cookie dough rolled into a round pizza pan, topped with "sauce" made out of a sweetened cream cheese mixture, topped with cut fruit. It was fun and pretty and yummy. The … Continue reading Fruit Pizza Cookies
Summertime means salad time. To me, salads are to summer like soups are to winter. I could eat salad every day of these hot months. This week we just pulled out everything we could find to make a salad bar for dinner. Dressings are the element that can take things up a level. My family … Continue reading Summertime: Salads & Book Stacks
There is nothing like food, in my opinion, to transport you to another place. Whether it is a food memory from a place I've been that lodges so deeply in my mind, or whether it is a food that is shared locally by a person from a far off land as an introduction to their … Continue reading Eton Mess: A Recent Introduction to an English Classic
I don’t understand TikTok. It entered my life a couple of years ago through my niece and daughter setting up their phones in random spots (in the kitchen, in the target aisle, in the park) to video record dance sequences and lip sync. They would do said dance moves while at the dinner table, while … Continue reading TikTok Cooking Inspiration: Chocolate Krinkle Cookies
This cake is a great one. It is simple and versatile; special yet easy. It's an Olive Oil Cake from the Italian restaurant, Maialino in New York City. (Though I have never experienced this firsthand.) A couple of summers ago my friend Carly brought this incredibly moist, citrus-infused cake to book club. She served it … Continue reading Italian Citrus Cake (A.K.A Maialino’s Olive Oil Cake)
Julia Turshen’s new cookbook just came out- Simply Julia: 110 Easy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food. I love her book, Small Victories and have used many of the recipes on repeat in my kitchen. I wrote about her perfect eggs HERE. Julia is a very accomplished cook and recipe writer. She is also a very … Continue reading Julia Turshen’s New Cookbook, Best Black Beans with Avocado Salad Recipe & a List of Tips and Tools
About 23 years ago I went on a day trip with my team from the non-profit organization where I worked. We went whitewater rafting on the Nantahala River in North Carolina. I'm not a thrill-seeker by nature, but rafting with a group of friends/coworkers is something I'm in for. In fact, I would join most … Continue reading Cool Jules: A Food Memory I Can’t Shake
Sometimes it just takes a simple new something to bring some freshness and pleasure to life. When approaching the one year-mark of living in a pandemic, these things are especially welcomed. Can you believe we have been living in this twilight zone for a year? Some students and I were talking this week about how … Continue reading Simple Pleasures: Melissa’s Lemony Massaged Kale Salad, Good Pens & a Gratitude Prompt
I know my last post was a soup recipe, but it's really all I want to make and eat right now. Actually, soup and dessert. 🙂 This chowder has become one of my go-to soups. I never think of soup as a summer dish, but the first time I made it was when I had … Continue reading A Soup for All Seasons: Sweet Potato Roasted Corn Chowder
Community Table 