• My Winter Turns to Spring

    My Winter Turns to Spring

    Perhaps because so much out in the world seems uncertain this winter has seemed a bit drear but I always look forward to spring . . . A wind swept beach was my Thanksgiving destination late last November. It was…

  • prepping for the holidays

    Prepping for the Holidays

    Thanksgiving is just about my favorite meal to cook. Under the guidance of my New Orleans born stepfather I cooked my first thanksgiving dinner when I was 9 years old and with few exceptions I’ve cooked one every year for…

  • What to do with what you have Pie

    “What to do with what you have” Pie

    My current binge watch is The Great British Baking Show beginning all the way back with season one. Drooling over all those desserts inspired me to make a pie I’m calling “What to do with what you have” Pie. In…

  • The Challenge of Cooking Over Fire

    The Challenge of Cooking Over Fire

        Fires and hearths are what I’m thinking about this week as I put together my talk for the Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello on Sept 21st!                        …

  • In which a tree falls on the barn

      Here in my neck of the Virginia woods the rain has been far more than plentiful over the summer. The rain soaks the soil and the least wind drops any dead tree standing. In my case that means the…