Aprons and Uff-da Days
Why do some women love to cook? Because behind their skill deciphering a recipe and prowess with a mixer is the hidden secret of their talent: a darling apron.
In the Kitchen
Storied Aprons
They hang there in my kitchen. Often hidden by the bathroom door. Overflowing off a double hook screwed to the pantry cupboard. My aprons. All seven of them—and counting. They hang under the double-sided spice chart telling me which herb to choose for poultry or for beef. Adding to the vintage look of that corner…
Grandma’s Aprons
There is a row of hooks behind the door in my grandmother’s walk-in pantry. Each hook holds a hanger upon which is carefully hung an apron. The pantry is in a newly remodeled section of the house, but the aprons speak of vintage kitchens in older homes of previous generations. Oh the stories they could tell!
iced coffee
Four things have happened since I posted my favorite frappuccino recipe: My almost-2-year-old developed a terrible fear of loud noises, including my Cuisinart blender. I tried eliminating some dairy (mostly milk and yogurt) from my diet to help with my almost-4-month-old’s reflux symptoms. I realized I could cut my (sugary) calories a bit and start…
Oatmeal Candy Cane Cookies
My first Christmas with my husband’s family, I discovered that not everyone has the same definition for “candy cane cookies.” When my husband requested them, I made my family’s favorite recipe: a hearty, oatmeal cookie filled with candy cane chunks and glazed with powdered sugar and crushed candy cane. We’d gotten the recipe from another…
open-face sandwiches
We revisited the deliciousness the summer my cousin Abbie was here. It wasn’t as if I had never had a BLT before, but these things that Abbie called “open-faced sandwiches”—a staple in her family—were amazing, especially on my sister-in-law’s homemade bread with fresh ground wheat. And, the best part of all was that Abbie’s open-faced…
homemade potato bread
My recipe book falls open to page 402 every time, the page with our new favorite recipe: potato bread. Homemade bread made with homegrown potatoes—you can’t get much better than that! And we love to make at least one of the loaves each batch into a cinnamon swirl loaf my daughter calls “Cinn’ Bread.” The…
whatcha got a-cookin’
Hey, Hey, Good Lookin’, whatcha got cookin’ How’s about cookin’ somethin’ up with me Hey, sweet baby, don’t you think maybe We could find us a brand new reci-pe. Hank Williams Jr. Hey Good Lookin’ Husband of Mine! I wish I could remember which visit it was that I first saw this little oven and…
tomato soup
Our favorite tomato soup recipe turned out extra-pretty this week with the addition of yellow heirloom tomatoes. It’s a simple recipe: just saute diced onion and garlic in butter. Then add diced tomatoes and a bit of beef broth, then salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley to taste. Simmer for a few minutes and it’s the…
of homegrown tomato sauce
Have you ever tasted homemade tomato sauce? From tomatoes grown in the dirt around your home. Tomatoes that have been chopped on your kitchen counter. Tomatoes that have simmered for hours on your kitchen stove. Until the extra liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes have reached the smooth perfection of…homemade tomato sauce. Last week I…
I love my oven
If you know my sister-in-law Marlys or me, you know we love to cook. But a cook without an oven is a very sad cook. Just ask Marlys. She finally has a working oven again. A brand new Wolfe! After their Heartland oven’s most recent break-down, the new part (that took over a week to…
My Cookbook Shelf
“Food prepared with a light heart and in a happy frame of mind is often the best food. Preparing the special foods that are favorites of those you love…making just a little effort to garnish the salad with a sprig of parsley, a bit of grated cheese, or a wild strawberry from the nearby meadow….
The End.
The End.