My grandma Isabelle use to tell me she was “bone tired.” I did not have a clue what that meant at the time. When I was young my brother and I could play outside all day, building forts, running through the woods, playing in the creek, and basically be busy all day long. At the end of the day I... READ MORE >
I was recently visiting a pet shop in the Cities. They had two big, beautiful cats lying on the counter. I love all animals so I of course started petting them and the owner said that their names were Betty and Veronica. So I said “Oh you’re an Archies fan too?” and the owner said that I was the first... READ MORE >
Jack of all trades, master of none…. when I was growing up my mom said this often. I don’t remember who she was referring to but I remember thinking it was about someone who had a lot of jobs but wasn’t necessarily good at any of them. Now I believe that a person can have several jobs and be fairly... READ MORE >
I recently drove a car to Florida for my in-laws. This is my first cross-country road trip. Of course for me, it’s all about the food. Just another way to say I ate my way across four states. In Iowa I tried bacon jam and garlic bread. This might sound odd but it was amazing. The chef generously offered to... READ MORE >
I recently read an article about raising children that feel secure and loved. The article claimed that there are nine crucial minutes in every child’s day where they need special attention. Could it really be this simple? Yes I think it can. The first three minutes after they wake up are the most important… this time needs to be relaxed... READ MORE >
Dessert first… 2016 will mark 10 years since I wrote the first column. That would be over 260 columns published, almost 800 recipes tasted and memories galore put into print. You and I have shared births, deaths, vacations, mission trips, graduations, weddings, parties and pets. I just heard the term “chick and bunny” journalism. I guess that would apply to... READ MORE >
“I love you to the moon and back” is a favorite line from the classic children’s book Guess How Much I Love You. I must have read this book 500 times to my three children over the years. We moms love our children more than anything but when you realize that the distance to the moon and back is 477,800... READ MORE >
I was asked last week if I had to choose one food to eat for the rest of my life would it be chips or chocolate? I thought long and hard and then I chose butter. Is there a food any better than butter? It can be sweet or savory…. butter chocolate frosting or hot buttered popcorn… how can one... READ MORE >
One of my daughter Zoe’s favorite cartoons was PB and Otter. Whenever they had a problem to solve the otters would do a “Noodle Dance” to “use their noodles” (i.e., brains). Many times over the years I have had the Noodle Song pop into my head. I think we all will suffer in the future from the lack of us... READ MORE >
I recently spent five days on the North Shore with three very good friends. Two are related to me, my mom and my sister-cousin, but I would choose them to be my friends even if we didn’t share the Allard bloodline. My third friend is Gloria. She generously offered to host a woman wellness weekend at her former Lake Superior... READ MORE >
