Is it possible that I’m too predictable? When Thanksgiving rolled around this year, my aunt – who hosts – was assigning sides for people to bring, and I was given Brussels sprouts. Maybe it’s just known that I love them. I do cook with them often enough that it would be known. I’m pretty sure […]
Side dishes
Recipes – Thanksgiving Foods

This year for the first time ever, I hosted Thanksgiving. “But wait,” you say, “Thanksgiving isn’t until Thursday!” Ah, my friend, but you know about how the growing trend of Friendsgivings, right? Well, my young adults group at church has been having a Friendsgiving dinner for the past three years, and this year I volunteered […]
Recipe – Easy Cheesy Broccoli Rice

Usually when I choose a recipe, I feel quite clever and quite sure about myself. “This will be perfect,” I think to myself, and even if it’s not perfectly made or perfectly beautiful, it tends to be tasty and perfect for what I needed it to be. This recipe was not one of those times. […]
Recipe – Yorkshire Pudding

The holidays are almost upon us, and I am so excited. Yes, presents are fun, but oh my goodness – my family will be in town! And there will be so much good food! And relaxing and laughing and … well, it’s going to be good. We have various traditions: fondue on Christmas Eve, monkey […]
Book – Off to Be the Wizard

Happy…Black Friday? No. That sounds wrong. I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Mine was full of turkey trotting through DC, where I made this face in front of the Capitol: I know. Sexy, right? And then we watched the end of the Macy’s Parade, and watched most of the dog show, and I prepped […]
Recipe – Maple Brown Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes

One of the big events that my 20s and 30s group at church does (apart from our monthly brunches which are the best!), is a “Friendsgiving” feast. It’s a way for us to get together, bring delicious food, and relax ahead of the holiday. I hosted at my mom’s house last year and cooked turkey for […]
Recipe – Skillet Corn With Bacon and Sour Cream

It’s that time of year again, the time when my college friends and I get together and have a potluck. I’m very lucky that we are all so physically close, and still so emotionally close, and that we have fun getting together, sharing food, catching up, and playing games. I also like the new format […]
Recipe – One-Pan Lemon-Parmesan Chicken and Asparagus

I was going to write a different post today, but my computer borked out on me yesterday, and I wasn’t able to send the pictures to myself. Tragedy! Fortunately, yesterday was a productive day. I visited the new Aldi in my neighborhood, and since I had a $10 off $40 purchase coupon, I wanted to […]
Recipe – Spicy Honey-Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

We all forget to do things occasionally. Things that seem critical will slip out of our minds in the regular course of business and leave us either standing and wondering what we were meant to be doing, or else we continue on as if nothing is missing (because we don’t yet realize our mistake). For […]
Recipe – Cauliflower and Broccoli Flan with Spinach Bechamel

I like a party with a theme. It helps me to gather my thoughts and to organize food, decor, and whatever else needs doing. Like my Oscars party – that’s pretty specific, so you’ve got a starting point for any ideas on what to do and prepare. Lucky for me, my friends are the same […]