Time for an oil change?

Have you ever been startled by the unpleasant aroma of a previously opened container of oil or solid shortening? I have a recipe that works best with a particular type of solid shortening. I hadn’t made the recipe for several months, so I reached into the cupboard and pulled out the container. When I opened[...]

Does sleep evade you on some nights?

I opened the hotel room door and glanced around the room. I rolled my suitcase in and parked it by the window. Then I took some things out of the suitcase to bring to the bathroom. On the way, I noticed an empty water bottle lying on the floor. Oh, the maid missed it, I[...]


Eat your asparagus

I opened the refrigerator and noted the large bunch of dark-green asparagus. I had purchased two bunches of asparagus recently and used one of them. We rinsed and trimmed the ends of the first bunch of asparagus, then we drizzled it with olive oil and grilled it on a perforated grilling pan. It cooked quickly[...]

Reap the benefits of family mealtimes

Should we go see a hawk?” my son asked after we finished eating dinner with the rest of our family. He was about 11 at the time. “Sure. Maybe we will see Spock on the way,” I replied. Back then, my son and I had to be a little devious about using words that rhymed[...]


Table etiquette 101

Mom, just because they put it on your plate doesn’t mean you have to eat it,” my 12-year-old commented as we sat at a table at a culinary college in another state. Every time I finished a slice of fresh bread, one of the attentive culinary students placed another slice on my plate. I finally[...]

How much food do you toss?

A few years ago, I found a container of frosting in my cupboard that required a ladder to retrieve. I had completely forgotten that I had it. When I opened the container, the frosting had the consistency and colour of a tire. The rich brown chocolate was now black. That container ended up in the[...]


Stay active and healthy in the new year

I found a supreme parking spot!” my husband noted as he arrived at the mall with our younger daughter. She nodded and grinned. Then she began eyeing the food court for a snack. Parking a distance from your destination is a common recommendation for increasing your physical activity. Winter tends to push that recommendation out[...]

Does timing of meals affect health?

They’re cagey. I fed them at 3 a.m.,” he noted. “You already fed them? Jake was barking, so I got up and fed them at 4:30 so you could sleep,” I responded. Yes, our three dachshunds are like infants who demand early-morning feedings. I got up with our three human kids when they were babies,[...]


Be aware of grocery store psychology

I think I will curl up by a pallet of baked beans and take a nap,” my husband commented. I think he was in a “food coma.” My husband and I had just completed a hearty breakfast at a nearby restaurant. We followed our breakfast with a trip to a warehouse-type grocery store. “I don’t[...]

Have you enjoyed an egg lately?

When I was young, my family often purchased eggs from a local farmer. He knew that I really liked brown eggs. I think he enjoyed seeing me run to the door and open the cartons. I grinned broadly when the cartons were populated with brown eggs. I thought brown eggs tasted better in my favourite[...]