food detective
On the news they said that this week is the least that you will weigh all year long. Well if that’s not enough to put the fright into your Halloween I don’t know what is? This past summer the vet said I had to put my little Norwich terrier on a drastic diet. He’s down from 18.6 pounds to 15.4. I had lofty goals that we would both be lean and mean
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food detective
I love reading the food section of the New York Times. It’s a welcome break to the whirl of today’s headlines. Turning the pages I’m thrilled to discover a recipe for something that should be relatively easy to make, but for some reason never quite turns out. Imagine my excitement when I saw a feature article for the perfect Caesar salad. I’ve
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
I have to be honest- my past experience with Ball jars was to either use one as a vase or as a glass for a dark and stormy. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever consider actually canning something. I was afraid that I wouldn’t sterilize the jars properly, seal the lids correctly, and whoever consumed what was in them might
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entertaining with style- making it work for you
Sometimes the key to a fabulous flower arrangement is in the container. Right now the sunflowers are in full bloom in Yellow Springs, Ohio. The waves of bright yellow faces looking up are truly a sight to behold. One of the amazing perks of living in Southwest Ohio is that there are actual fields of corn, soybeans, oats, and yes, sunflowers
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food detective
Labor Day is upon us and that means that corn season is almost over. I am a huge fan of the Yankee Street Market’s corn cart that’s parked on Stroop Road in Dayton, Ohio. Every day they sell freshly picked sweet corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, zucchinis, and a variety of melons. It’s so convenient that I swing by almost every day. I almost
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fête fact
As an empty nester it’s an odd thing to be waiting behind a school bus. The first thing that comes to my mind is where has the time gone. Then if it’s a particularly long delay with seemingly first-time parents saying good-bye to their little ones I usually get a bit misty-eyed and nostalgic. How many back-to-school-eves have I helped my daughters
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food detective
My husband and I could eat fresh-picked sweet corn every single day. But just like those truly vine ripened tomatoes the season will soon be over. So I was super excited when I discovered a new way to enjoy these fresh picked ears in the New York Times. The food section had an intriguing recipe featuring orecchiette with a fresh corn sauce. Orecch
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Cocktails in the garden- what fun! But for a midweek party do you simply serve a nibble and a drink or do you offer up something a little more substantial? When you’re having a larger group for cocktails it’s sometimes hard to navigate how much food to serve. The answer came to me on a recent trip to a party supply store. As I was looking for
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
When my adult children come home I find myself wanting to resurrect our old family memories. Breakfasts were always a big deal for my girls growing up at our small breakfast table for three. Chocolate chip pancakes, steel cut oatmeal, smoked salmon on bagels, and the ever-present poached egg. It used to drive
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entertaining with style- making it work for you
The past few months I’ve been on the flower show circuit as a photography judge. Walking through the floral design entries I’m continually blown away by their sheer beauty, creativity and inventiveness. Flower shows for me are what five-star restaurants are to others. I’d love to try to replicate what I see at home but I’m confident it’s most likel
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Wherever I find myself, I’m happiest with a full dining room table. As a former professional chef and caterer I want to share what I’ve learned over the past three decades of entertaining. On this site you’ll find tricks of the trade to help even the most harried of you pull off a seemingly seamless fête. Come join the conversation! read more →