Family
Week 52: I Did It! A Recipe for Reflection
In the past 52 weeks, I have experienced “accidental transformation” in ways that I could never have anticipated.
Week 51: Santa Goes Vegan and Yuletide Gelatin
For the month of December, I thought 52 Saturdays would be jam-packed with Christmas cookies, sweets, breads, festive menu items, and beverages—but, life had a different plan… My Christmas kind of imploded! I’m sad. I don’t want to make Christmas cookies for myself. I don’t want to make Christmas cookies for others. I don’t even […]
Week 50: There Once Was a Gingerbread Village
I really wanted to make gingerbread cookies this week. I bought all of the ingredients, but I’m having some issues with my stomach and the thought of researching recipes and baking literally resulted in nausea. I also have an earlier deadline this week, which meant that waiting for my stomach to settle and trying to […]
Week 49: Holiday Hearth and Home Bread
When did December become a month that I dreaded? For most of my adult life, the month of December (albeit stressful) was filled with joy, sparkle, music, magic, generosity, decorations, surprises, big hearts, friends, and family. In fact, most years my home looked as though it had been pulled off the set of Radio City Music […]
Week 48: Boozy Bourbon Balls With a Shot of Joy
‘Tis the season to reflect. I’m pretty sure that the Ghost of Christmas Past will be visiting with a vengeance this year. And, while I’m hoping to keep my cool with the Ghost of Christmas Present, the Ghost of Christmas Future needs to leave me the f—k alone! I desperately wanted to find my mothers […]
Week 44: Boo Hoo and Spiced Maple Popcorn Balls
This Halloween left me as gloomy as a ghost with no house to haunt. Even with adorable kids parading around in costumes, treats to enjoy, and parties to attend, this All Hallows Eve I was visited by the ghosts from my past and spooked by the skeletons in my closet. I found myself craving the […]
Week 41: Being Italian-ish
Help, I’m in the deep end of the gene pool without a flotation device! When asked about my ancestral heritage, I’ve always proudly responded, “I’m Irish-Italian, with all of the traits to match”. But, in actuality, I have many reasons to question my Italian heritage. I was told there were very few pictures of me […]
Week 40: Mangia, Mangia!
This project has definitely shone a spotlight on the fact that I’m much more like my mother than I care to admit. It’s not that I believe that my mother was a horrible person, rather it’s just that I’ve spent a great deal of energy trying to create a life that was different than hers. […]
Week 37: There Is Always Chocolate
My mother, Suzanne Devine, had a razor-sharp tongue. When she was impassioned or provoked to anger, she could hit below the belt like nothing I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, this week I took after my mother in that respect, and said mean things to someone I care about. I’m mortified! Hopefully, someday the victim of my […]
Week 36: The Ugly Tomato Tart
“The federal government has sponsored research that has produced a tomato that is perfect in every respect, except that you can’t eat it. We should make every effort to make sure this disease, often referred to as ‘progress’, doesn’t spread.” ~ Andy Rooney What kind of tomatoes did you eat as a child? The tomatoes […]