Week 42: Mongolian Lentil Stew Leaves Me Speechless
52 Saturdays left me feeling baffled this week. First, the recipe that I selected last week, while it said it was easy, seemed kind of disgusting and there was no way I was going to try to make a healthier version of it, so I switched recipes midway through the process. That recipe (which has […]
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 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 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 […]
Week 35: My Little Tomato Pie
This week, on the 35th Saturday, I’ve cooked up some cuteness! After a rough week, I am incredibly grateful to have my daughter and my grandson here visiting for a few days to nourish my heart and soul. There’s NO WAY that I am going to use this precious time to grocery shop, cook, process photos, write, […]
Week 34: Go, Go, Gadget Shrimp Supreme
If I were a superhero, I’d be a combination of Catwoman—for sassiness—Wonder Woman—because who wouldn’t want to be Wonder Woman—and Inspector Gadget. While Inspector Gadget is not an official superhero, he’s resourceful and has the perfect tool for each and every possible occurrence. Twenty-foot wall to scale? No problem, he’s got Gadget Springs in his […]
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 […]