Family meal time. What images do those words conjure up? A relaxed gathering among friends and family, or a fierce battle versus small opponents from start to finish? If it’s the latter, read on. (If not, indulge me and read on anyway.) Remember mealtimes when you were a kid? If your childhood was anything like…
Recent Stories
The Texture of Generations
Browned liver and onions, turnips smothered in Mama’s well-seasoned black cast iron pan—these aren’t foods normally accepted by children, but I ate them doggedly, without complaint. I ate cauliflower covered with cheese and mayonnaise, a strange combination; only criticizing it when the mayo drowned the dish. I even ate the more adventurous Cajun dishes Mama…
Watermelon Mush
When I was a new mother and had a six-month-old who had begun trying solid foods, some overly concerned women who worked with my husband exclaimed, “She’s home all day and doesn’t make her own baby food?” He relayed that conversation to me with a shrug and support, “You know I don’t care if you make…
New Recipes

Venetian Cookies: On Baking and Breaking with Tradition
A few winters ago, in a moment of whimsy, I changed the color of my family’s rainbow cookies. Instead of the traditional red, white, and green layers found in Italian bakery cases everywhere, I made two batches: one layered red-white-red and one green-white-green. The colors really popped that year, owing to my mother-in-law’s excellent suggestion…
Try this Allergy-Friendly Taco Salad
Gluten-free, corn-free Taco Salad Our family has been through one heck of a year! I was diagnosed with chronic illness last summer, and I’ve had a quick progression, with my husband taking up all of my slack at times. Mom’s style of cooking and Dad’s style of cooking vary greatly, but when I’m exhausted or…

“Faux” Dough: My Gluten-Free Guilty Pleasure
I have a new found obsession: cookie dough. But not the real stuff, “faux dough.” I found the recipe on a beat up page that I ripped from a parenting magazine years ago. “Why did I never make this before?” I asked myself as I stood at the refrigerator with the doors open spooning it…