Vegan Recipe
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 47: AND Vegan Creamed Green Beans and Onions
This OR that. Happy OR sad. Old OR new. Love OR hate. Friend OR foe. Grateful OR wanting. Good OR bad. I venture to guess that most of us have been taught to make such distinctions, and choose between the two. But, more often than not, the opposing sides exist at the same time, and […]
Week 46: Grateful for Slow Cooked Sweet Potato Soup
Thanksgiving sucks! Actually, I don’t really feel that way, but I figured it would get your attention, and, as I’m writing in this moment right now, it’s exactly how I feel. I’ve had 54 years of Thanksgiving celebrations and no two have been the same. As a kid, there were years where our huge dining table […]
Week 39: A Jerk Two Ways
“I need help.” Why are these three words so difficult to say? Is it an admission of weakness? Is it that you don’t want to be a bother, or take precious time from those you care about? Is it pride, shame, or guilt? It used to be really hard for me to ask for help, […]
Week 38 : Preppy Apple Cake
As a New England academic and Sacred Heart School alumni, Mom was a big fan of private schools; in fact, my sister Kristin graduated from a Sacred Heart school. My sister Kim (who is another long story for another time) went to a private school, but mostly because my mom was desperately trying to figure […]
Week 33: Ice Cream Sprinkled with Forgiveness
Tragic world events that are heartbreaking, frightening and infuriating; difficult personal challenges; memories of childhood pain and loss; and 32 weeks of feeling connected to my mom whose birthday was this week, has left me feeling a bit more emotional than usual. The morning of her birthday—Tuesday, August 15th—I decided to devote more time to […]
Week 29: Maine, Chocolate and a Mystery
A few months before my mom died, she sent Kara a gift—an author signed book titled Miss Rumphius—to celebrate her 5th birthday. As I’ve mentioned before, my mother valued words, reading, and books above most things, therefore most gifts given to my kids were books. At that time, she was living in subsidized housing in New […]
Week 25: Truth, Dare and Grapefruit Salad
What would you do if I dared you to… Skinny dip? Eat something disgusting? Streak through your neighborhood? Kiss or hug a stranger? Jump in freezing cold water? Sing a song on a city sidewalk? Wear something ridiculous to work, church, or a social function? I know exactly what I’d do… because I’ve done all […]
Week 21: Nana Loves Chocolate Fondue and YOU
Meet my grandson! I have no words to describe what I’m feeling! He’s adorable and delicious (isn’t it odd that we use cannibalistic terms like yummy and delicious when we discuss babies?), My daughter is a brave warrior goddess and her partner was amazing! I couldn’t be happier… my heart is exploding! After 48 […]
Week 20: Waiting for the Little Sweet Potato
Any day now my daughter’s life is about to change forever and she’ll be a Mother. We’re all in that expectant holding pattern where there’s lots of love, support, excitement and some anxiety as we wait for the Little Sweet Potato to arrive. The next few posts are likely going to be very short like this one, […]