family

  • Harvest

    Suddenly it’s fall. Vendors’ stands overflow with corn and pumpkins and squash and apples at the farmers’ market. Mornings are chilly enough to put on a warm sweater. Starbucks has switched over to Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Salted Caramel Mochas. Saver’s now… Continue reading

  • Supposedly delicious (II)

    As I mentioned earlier, I love perusing the old cookbooks at the cottage to see what earlier generations enjoyed eating. People of my great-grandparents’ generation apparently cooked with quite a lot of lard in the 1930s, while those of my… Continue reading

  • Special vacation edition: Cinnamon buns, or snails

    During my mom’s senior year of high school, her family hosted a Norwegian exchange student, and they’ve stayed in touch with her ever since. Fast-forward many years later to when I was in middle school: we were lucky enough to… Continue reading

  • Special vacation edition: Brown sugar blueberry pie

    We’ve just returned from a relaxing week with family on Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada. My mom’s side of the family has been spending summers up here since the 1940s, when my great-grandfather (appropriately named “Granddaddy”) built a boathouse on… Continue reading

  • Away

    For the next week, I’ll be enjoying some time with family in Ontario, Canada. There will be lots of swimming, canoeing, picnicking, reading, and, of course, cooking. I’ll be back soon with more recipes and stories. Hope you’re all enjoying… Continue reading

  • Kitchen garden (IV)

    It’s been pointed out to me since last week’s post that my memory is playing tricks. We didn’t sing “Summertime” in high school, we sang it in middle school…with my friends, not my sister. Maybe it’s because I’m too busy… Continue reading

  • Mint julep

    Now that summer (with all its heat and humidity) is in full swing, my sister Lissa has been contemplating what would make the weather more bearable. There’s swimming, long afternoons in Starbucks, evenings at the air-conditioned movie theater.* There’s also… Continue reading

  • Fourth of July Kuchen tarts

    Right now I’m in Cleveland, enjoying a week with family and quiet mornings of blazing heat. While I love Providence, it’s wonderful to escape from a city (even a small one) for a time. I get to remember what it’s… Continue reading

  • Entire wheat bread

    Growing up, my parents shared parenting and household responsibilities pretty equally. But there were a few things that only my dad did (and still does): grill tap trees and boil sap for maple syrup (though we all helped) bake bread… Continue reading