As a child happiness was as easy as pie—chocolate to be exact with homemade chocolate pudding and a meringue topping. My mom would make a flaky crust and then roll the extra dough out on a cookie sheet, sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar and we’d have a snack while she was finishing the pie filling. I think back to... READ MORE >
I inherited several traits from my mother, her eyes and her chin but one trait I have only recently realized— her thriftiness. It used to bug me. Tearing paper towels in half because most jobs don’t require a whole paper towel…. Seriously? How about rinsing out baggies and pinning them in the cupboard door to dry…. nope not a big... READ MORE >
When I was in grade school, without a doubt spring was the best time of year. After months and months of dreary winter weather, mud and slush, we were finally able to take the bread sacks and snowmobile boots off our feet and wear our tennis shoes. No more coats, hats and watery wool mittens to weigh us down…. it... READ MORE >
Spring is fast approaching, though you’d never know it by our weather here in Minnesota. With it comes the thought of digging out the summer wardrobe. Is it a bit tighter than last year? For most of us this has been a long hard cold winter without a lot of exercise so now it’s time to “pay the piper.” I... READ MORE >
As I grow closer and closer to my 50th birthday I am thinking about “What to do with the rest of my life?” I am becoming more contemplative, yet I am concerned that I am losing my memory. My mom always claimed that she had a really good memory, it was just really short. Now I know exactly what she... READ MORE >
Recently Mike and I made a trip to San Antonio, Texas to visit the Riverwalk area. My husband travels quite often but since leaving my job 12 years ago I now only travel for vacations. Friend let me tell you, communication has changed! As we waited at the gate to board our plane I noticed everyone was talking, but not... READ MORE >
In case you hadn’t heard…. “Mini” is in. Don’t panic, I am not talking about a hemline! It is mini foods. I promise everywhere you go this year you will find mini desserts, mini sandwiches and mini meals. It’s kind of like “Super Size Me” in reverse. I started to suspect this trend when I ordered a yogurt parfait off... READ MORE >
I will now admit it to you and to my family….I was a spoiled child. Not in the way you might think. I didn’t get my way when I threw a fit. Between you and me if I had ever thrown a fit I would have had a sore bottom to remind me that there were better ways to express... READ MORE >
I used to get a little frustrated that our family “sit down” dinners didn’t last nearly as long as it took me to cook them. Everyone seemed to bolt down their dinner in 20 minutes or less to return to the TV or their sport of choice. I wanted more discussion, more sharing—or as my husband would call it, more... READ MORE >
The older I get the more I appreciate all the comforts life has to offer. Oh sure, I can rough it like the best of them, sleeping on the ground in the Boundary Waters or in a metal tent surrounded by wildlife in the African outback, but seriously, is there anything better than a warm bed, soft sheets and best... READ MORE >
