Real Life

So, you’re driving down the highway, heading to your mom’s, or your aunt’s or your cousins’ for the holidays.  You’ve managed to get the car packed with your luggage, the wrapped presents, the Raspberry Streusel Coffee Cake you promised to bake and bring, and everyone is accounted for, even the dog (who REALLY IS COMPLETELY …

You may have heard of Friendsgiving, that wacky new Thanksgiving trend that’s sweeping the country; basically it’s Thanksgiving with friends instead of family, either instead of the family thing, or in addition to.  And frankly when this started becoming a “thing” I reacted with an eye roll, given that America does love itself a brand …

Some of you reading this have already run through that perennial gauntlet known as the back-to-school period. Some of you may still be reading school supply lists and wondering when you will find the time to get those medical forms signed by your pediatrician. Some of you (read: me) may find yourselves with your fingers …

My newsletters are nothing if not inconsistent (how do you like my flagrant use of the double negative?). Last month, I talked about my recent favorite grain salads. The month before, it was Mother’s Day. The month before that, it was my eighth-grade home ec teacher. I’m telling you, this writing thing is not a bad …

Just kidding. Of course you do. And don’t you wish you could make it really, really well at home? Of course you do. Baking teacher/pizza genius Peter Reinhart is offering an online mini class, Perfect Pizza at Home on Craftsy, and now you can take it for FREE. No more soggy or tough pizza crust, …

Last Friday the inimitable Christopher Idone died after a long battle with cancer, and two years in hospice. He was one of the best cooks I ever knew — decades ago he lived and wrote about much of what we know about authentic, simple, seasonal, and regional cooking today. His cookbooks Glorious Food and Glorious …

Here’s a story that I can’t get tired of sharing, and that just keeps getting better. When I was in the eighth grade, you know, OVER 30 YEARS AGO, I had a home ec teacher who I thought was pretty cool, and she somehow thought I was pretty cool (even though I was a bit, …

I got one of the best texts I’ve ever gotten from my 16-year old son last night. He was on his way home from his first ever Science Olympiad tournament, on the bus with his teammates. Me: “How did it go?” Jack: “Good. I didn’t do amazingly, but I had fun.” Does this look like …

To be candid, I had to ask my husband which teams are playing in the Super Bowl (it’s the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers, in case you were also in the dark), so it’s not exactly like I am a football aficionado. I don’t actually think football fans use the word aficionado very much. Had …

Of all the cooking-related questions I get asked, the most frequent is: “What are your kids’ favorite dinners?” Fair question. Here are a handful of dishes that make frequent appearances at our table. (Sidebar: The other day, a mom asked me for help because her kid won’t eat anything other than  . . . FISH?!?!? Geez, …