One of my favorite forms of chocolate is a fudgy brownie. And here’s a funny story. My mom taught me to make cookies from “scratch”, which means gathering ingredients from the refrigerator and cupboards to make a cooky dough to bake into cookies. But making a cake or baking brownies always started with a boxed …
I remember my mom making chicken and dumplings while I was growing up. What fun it was to have a big dumpling in your soup bowl! But turning up as cook in the kitchen, I wasn’t pleased with chicken and dumpling recipes. I wanted a thicker soup and more dumplings than the diameter of the …
This time last year we excitedly welcomed 2020…a new year and decade, full of hopes and dreams for our future. Little did we all know what changes and challenges would come upon us. There’s no doubt about it, 2020 was a rough year. But even so there were bright spots in the year, with things …
Cell phones are great tools, when used properly. So are hammers. But put a hammer in the hands of someone without the proper knowledge or intent and the results could be devastating. Think: Vandal with a hammer. Not good. Cell phones provide easy access for communication, allow you to keep track of appointments, make lists …
Whenever I think “Chocolate Cream Pie”, there’s an echo that goes off in my head: “Chocolate Cream Pie, Chocolate DREAM Pie”. Truly, that’s how I feel about this nothing other than delicious dessert. It’s a dream. Apparently, I’m not the only one who feels this way as several people in our family have requested this …
Everyone has their favorite holiday dish. The dressing has always been a favorite of mine. My mother made dressing from bread cubes. And my first experience with cornbread dressing had been at someone else’s house. The cornbread was an orangish color (too much soda) and burnt. Ugh. You can imagine my alarm when Tom declared …
Historically, interesting times are not unique to this time in history. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was …
Since 2005 we’ve had German Shepherds trained for the personal protection of our family. The training requires their obedience which results in their devotion to our family. Our first German Shepherd, Schatzi, had an excellent nose. The kids would put her on a stay command, and then run and hide. Once hidden they would shout …
Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I love changing decorations around the home to reflect the season that embrace us with a warm welcome as the crisp, chilly air sends us indoors. Although it may not be cool enough for a warming fire yet, warm drinks are welcome. Which makes me …
My grandma was born in Tomah, Wisconsin. I inherited her mother’s cookbook, The Tomah Cook Book, second edition, 1914. Under Vegetables, it says, “We now come to the root of matters.” Cute. Then it goes on, “The rule for vegetables is always the same. Wash in cold water, cook in boiling water.” What a hoot! …
Hopefully, you’ve made your home environment to nurture your children’s minds and creativity. Varied real life experiences provide your children with subject matter to contemplate and play. Let your children participate in what you enjoy and you will teach your children to enjoy those things. Besides real-life experiences, books are also great resources for active …
My mother came away with a variation of this recipe from her high school home economics class. It was one of my favorites, even a birthday request. Making this recipe for my family has brought some additional sweet memories. Such as Jesse, at age 3, asking if we could have some more of that black …
