Tag: from the heart
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 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 28: Peppers and the Past
For most people, Grandma (or in my case, Nana) is synonymous with warmth, tenderness, well-worn aprons, fresh-baked cookies, snuggles, silly games, and front-row cheering during school concerts. While I have every intention of making sure that image is true for my grandchildren, this was not the case with me and my mom’s mother, my Nana. […]
Week 16: Italian Easter Pie and Finding Religion
I don’t recall going to church before the age of 12. Then suddenly, my mom found religion and we started going to an Episcopal church that was part of the born-again movement of the 70’s. The first time I attended, I was dressed in my red and white Cowboy cheer uniform, because there was a game […]
Week 3 : Tuna Casserole Comfort
It’s only week 2 and I’ve already run into a scheduling challenge. I’m actually writing this post on Wednesday and scheduling it for Saturday. As this post goes live, I’ll be in D.C. for the women’s post-inauguration March on Washington. It’s fitting because my mother would be proud to know I’m hitting the pavement in […]
Week 2: Corn Muffin Success and Sadness
Last Saturday, I began what will be a year-long process of sorting through my mother’s recipes, selecting one per week, adapting it to a healthier version, and then posting the updated recipe the following week. In this, my first of 52 weeks, I find myself excited, touched by the support of family and friends, and […]