Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. Ecclesiastes 9: 7 Why are we baking when the world is on fire? Nourishment, obviously, but also the belief that life continues, even while we try and find a new normal, the belief… Continue reading Joyful bread
Why you and I should make jam
Because it’s wonderful. Because it’s not that difficult once you have the right gear and a work flow. Because I’m going to give you both of those. Because preserves make great gifts. Because when you’re done, you’ll have something to show for your work, something to put on the shelves and admire. Gear begins, obviously,… Continue reading Why you and I should make jam
And now for something a little different — and simple
This 2008 Better Homes & Gardens prizewinner requires something which is probably a pantry staple, one burner and no oven. Child shut-ins can help organize the graham crackers, spread the filling and stir the no-cook icing. You could omit the toasted pecans for anyone who is allergic or maybe just put them in half the… Continue reading And now for something a little different — and simple
Lemony shrimp and bean stew — a mouthful of sunshine
It’s an easy, healthy supper with a taste like a mouthful of sunshine — bright, in other words — and perfect for isolating at my country house (also my only house).
You say frittaa-ta, I say frittah-da
I am home-schooling only three dogs and five cats, but that’s plenty with the all-day in-and-out, in-and-out, in-and-out.
Cornbread for quarantine
The little blue and white boxes full of sawdust are fine for “normal” times, but hard times demand the taste of browned butter ricocheting around your mouth like the silver shot in an old pinball machine.
I have turned into my dog
It’s true. I eat, I sleep and I am beyond excited when I to go for a car ride. That’s how I happened to try a 1997 Progressive Farmer recipe for Sweet Potato Bread in Week 4 of social distancing. I’m glad I kept it — it’s every bit as tasty and moist as the… Continue reading I have turned into my dog
Baking our way through the apocalypse — Amish cinnamon bread
I know I’m not alone in this. The second day of our being in the house I started. Baking, that is. With and without yeast. Sweet and savory. My movie-star glamorous cousin Amy says the “Quaranfifteen” will prove as universal as the “Freshman Fifteen.” This sweet bread recipe was posted by Kitchen Goddess Eleanor. When… Continue reading Baking our way through the apocalypse — Amish cinnamon bread
Figgy jam
When they simmer for a little more than an hour with sugar, lemon juice and zest, something mysterious hangs in the background, behind the smell of sweetness. Something dark, serpents in the trees and jungle-y
A dearth of dessert can lead to overdoing it on sugar; apple raspberry crisp
Believe me or don’t, I don’t make a lot of desserts. We “shouldn’t” eat them; we don’t “need” them. Eventually, though, I’ll stay up too late, meditating on something sweet. Then I’ll eat too much junk (although there’s not very much of that around here anymore) because no small serving of something sensational has appeared… Continue reading A dearth of dessert can lead to overdoing it on sugar; apple raspberry crisp
