I keep asking myself, “Where has the time gone?” Labor Day, the unofficial end to summer, is one week from today, and I already see signs of autumn. Leaves are falling here and there, and my garden is slowing down; even the zucchini plants are barely producing anything. Another word for labor is “work.” I picked a whole lot of green beans last week; not only did I spend a great deal of time in the garden, I also washed,…..
Last week I finally managed to make a food donation to the Shelbyville/Shelby County Animal Shelter. It is something I have meant to do since I managed to purchase several 4-packs of the wrong flavor of canned cat food. I also took the towels I used to dry my dog, as he is no longer with me. My cat Zander is extremely picky about what moist dinner he will eat. It has to be morsels, not paté. He does not…..
June is a popular month for weddings. A glance at my monthly calendar reminded me that thirty-one years ago, my youngest sister, Melissa, chose the 25th of June for her marriage ceremony. For some reason, memories of that time came in like a flood. Melissa chose a country theme for her nuptials and asked me to make her dress. There was a slight problem with this – she lived in Tennessee, and I lived in Indiana. Thankfully, we were pretty…..
Unless Easter happens to fall in March, the only holiday really celebrated during the month is St. Patrick’s Day, which is not that big of a deal. Unlike the major holidays, it doesn’t merit a day off work, and the mail is still delivered. One thing we associate with St. Patrick’s Day is the color green. During this almost-spring time of year, the proliferation of green is something we anticipate. I recently underwent my own bout with the color mentioned…..
This past Sunday (January 13th) was one of those days I felt like I needed to bake a cake. It was my late husband’s birthday, and for many years it was my practice to make him a sweet treat in celebration. I had not done so for quite some time (it was the seventh one since he graduated to Heaven); however, I decided to make the best of a hard day and remember the blessing of having such a wonderful…..
Many of my readers have commented about how much they enjoy stories about my grandchildren. When I first started writing Cooks’ Corner, I only had one granddaughter; now I have three, plus four grandsons. Maggie stories permeated my earliest columns. Then Vivian, Lincoln (Maggie’s brother), and Liam arrived within six months of each other. Melody (Maggie’s sister) was the last girl; she was followed by Elijah (Vivian’s brother) and Colton (Liam’s brother). Maggie is a teenager now, and Vivian, Lincoln,…..
October has arrived! For me, the month always begins with a celebration for my granddaughter, Vivian, who was born on the first. This year she turned seven. I went to her birthday party on Saturday; it was held a day early to make it easier for out-of-town family to attend. Several years ago, a family friend made a cloth dollhouse for my daughter Molly. Well-loved through the years, it is now enjoyed by my grandchildren, especially Vivian. I found a…..
The month of May is almost over; however, I would say that its status as National Strawberry Month can bleed over into June. That is only my opinion, but those who enjoy strawberries would agree wholeheartedly. I was searching for recipes on a completely different topic when I found several recipes that are worth including in my column once again. Strawberry Crunch Cake is one I had marked in a cookbook to try, but before I could manage to do…..