We actually went to our local Mexican restaurant last week - where they had set up a large outdoor patio. The food there is...okay. It was nice to get out, but it reminded me how I don’t miss the restaurant food so much as the “getting out” part. I can’t think of any restaurant meal I crave. We usually only eat at…

Can. Not. Stand. My adored mother died last year and the only bright light I can find is that I will never have to visit the Kohl’s return counter ever again.

I’m not super sensitive to MSG, but when I overdo it - like, licking the Maggi measuring spoon (which you definitely shouldn’t do, so why do I keep doing it?) - I am prone to getting an ocular migraine.

Lots of berries in the stores are tasteless, so frozen fruit makes so much sense in terms of flavor and accessibility and price.

A soft pretzel - takes waaaaay too long to make them when you’re wanting salty carbs, cheese and mustard RIGHT NOW. And a good soft pretzel is rare and far between.  Plus, one of those nacho cheese pumps like they have at gas stations. 

I still have my mother’s pink and black original JC Penney card from the 60s or 70s. Even she eventually abandoned them for Kohls,. We also used to shop at Sears, Montgomery Ward, Parisians, Gayfers and Gaylords. Only a recent funeral forced me to the local Dillards for a dress. Otherwise, NOPE.

I am not a sweets person, but I’m a pretty good baker. So I’ve distilled my baking options down to two or three options in every category. I have found or developed MY recipes and I do not experiment anymore. My two cobblers are: raspberry rhubarb and blackberry peach. These fruits can be found nearly year-round in…

Interesting! I use Mortons kosher for everything. But I will look for Diamond just to test it out.

That makes sense. Just one more thing to break, too. I’m not really a big gadget person. I’ve thought about redoing our kitchen - but I’m a cheapo at heart and this kitchen works great (black marbled countertops, white cabinets and slate floors with warm French blue walls), so I’d probably just recreate the same look…

A sort of vacuum attachment that sucks food scraps off your cutting board and either into a compost bowl or garbage disposal.

It was definitely easier to plan and make meals when the traditional “meat and two sides” was an option. Now, I think of meals as a composed plate. If you’re looking for healthy options, what’s worked for me has been making sure I have one or two jars of homemade soup in the fridge. It’s easy to make soups vegetarian…

We went pescatarian (mostly vegetarian) almost 20 years ago. My husband will eat land animals on occasion - I just don’t cook them at home. The transition was pretty painless. I don’t think I could go full vegan. I love fish, cheese and eggs too much. But lots of things I cook are accidentally vegan: Southern…

This looks great! And I love peas! Unfortunately...marriage. What is it about men and peas? I’ve never met a man who loves peas. My next husband will love peas and squash.

Is anyone else getting really tired of cooking? I made a Greek mezze platter last night with babaganoush, roasted red pepper and feta spread, flatbread, quinoa tabouleh and garlic, paprika shrimp. (Yes I made my own Mother’s Day dinner.) We had the leftovers for lunch. NOW...

I remember watching this back in the day. His pure awe and delight was funny and also deeply touching. 

Annie’s Goddess dressing + a little bit of Marie’s ranch to cut the acidity of Annie’s Goddess. That’s the dressing of MY LIFE.

Yes, they do look fried and also delicious! I guess what I miss in air fried dishes is the indulgence of the grease to accompany the crunch. When I had one, the counterspace issue annoyed me, and without the greasy-crunch payoff I found I’d rather use my small actual fryer or use my oven.

Buy yerself a Fry Daddy or a Presto. You fill it with peanut oil. Fry stuff at will. Let the oil cool and put the plastic lid on. It has a small counterspace footprint too. When the oil gets dark - pour it into an old pickle jar. Let the crumbs sink to the bottom. Wipe out the interior of the fryer and clean the sides.…

My husband and I met one another in the foyer last week at lunchtime - coming from our individual offices. We were both wearing pajamas. I said, “Oh...I guess it’s Pajama Day at school.” Then we started cooking up other outfits - Western Wear Day, where you wear your same pajamas and a bandanna around your neck.…

I use two thin king size goosedown comforter/blankets and fold each in half - one for each side of our king size bed. Blanket tugging, sheet untucking solved. The thin comforters easily fit into the washing machine and are washed each time we wash sheets. Garnet Hill has the best thinner, cotton percale comforters…