What’s New
Strawberry Shortcake Season Is Here!
Strawberry season is here! In honor of these few weeks strawberry lovers dream about most of the year, (and because I've been traveling and haven't had time to test a new recipe or write a post) here's the dairy-free version of Grandma Josie's recipe for strawberry...
Top Ten Reasons to Make Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
10. Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies are ammunition in my secret campaign to persuade the government to declare oatmeal as a food group. 9. Making chocolate chip cookies is a fun way to avoid writing a top ten list. 8. Costco makes dairy-free chocolate chips. 7. ...
Remember the Children
After a three day weekend comprised of a writers' conference, a wedding, and a high school class reunion–all in different Iowa towns–being back in my own home has rarely looked so good. The future's looking pretty good too, if what I observed at the different events...
Frugality Lessons from the Masters
Frugality Thriftiness Penny-pinching Never-spend-a-nickel-if you-can-keep-it-in-your-pocket is a defining trait of my mother's branch of the family. The trait once again came into sharp focus when Mom, the man of steel and I spent the night with Mom's sister and...
Grilled Pork with Cilantro and Lime Marinade
Welcome to Cilantro Grand Central! For the third week running, the featured recipe features the zippy herb. Look for that to change in the near future when warmer weather hits, the cilantro bolts, and other herbs, fruits, and veggies find a seat in the summertime...
Top Ten 2014 Hess Cousin Reunion Highlights
This past Saturday, many of the descendents of my mother's parents, Vernon and Josie Hess (pictured above) gathered for the annual Hess Cousins Reunion. These are ten of the top highlights of the day. 10. The potluck dessert to salad ratio was about 5 to 1, which...