I don’t like surprises. They make me nervous, no matter how sweet and well-intentioned the gift. But thinking back, here are a few of my most memorable gifts. A J Peterman black linen dress. To have absolutely nothing else to do on a pre-Christmas snowy afternoon so that I can watch the black and white [...]
Full Story »
I really don’t think it has a thing to do with the fact that we once cut our own tree and every needle fell off two weeks before Christmas, and just like The Grinch, we had to take every single ornament off the tree, but the boys really want an artificial tree this year. Three [...]
Full Story »
The fact that this picture is fuzzy is ironic. This was taken during a fuzzy time in our household. The day this picture was taken, I came home from the grocery store; a sitter was here to watch everyone so that I could buy the groceries. I was bleary-eyed from lack of sleep from nursing [...]
Full Story »
The first thing I like to do on Friday after Thanksgiving is to clear the decks of the orange and browns of Thanksgiving and usher in the beautiful bright colors of Christmas as soon as possible. I have a ritual for this — I make cookie dough. I didn’t say I make cookies — I [...]
Full Story »
you would have heard the little boy ask, “Can you cut me off a piece of chicken from that turkey?” Also, the baked sweet potatoes would have been very, very chewy. At my house, there are baked sweet potatoes every year. Not candied yams, or sweet potatoes covered in marshmallows, just plain and simple baked [...]
Full Story »
The Bread Baker’s Apprentice will help get you through a bleak dry winter. This cookbook has true baking secrets. Like, did you know it’s better to let bread rise cold, rather than warm, overnight? This will bring out more flavor. If BBA is not in your kitchen yet, put this book on your Christmas Wish [...]
Full Story »
The kindergartners put together a Thanksgiving recipe book. I’ll share some of the gems here: Recipe for Turkey Cut off feet and bones Pour 10 pounds of pizza sauce on top Add lemon Add 3 cups of sugar Add 10 pepperonis Cook for 24 hours at a temperature hotter than the sun Pumpkin Pie Take [...]
Full Story »
