I’ve struggled over the years with the definition of coffeecake. Generally speaking, it’s cake that is meant to be enjoyed with coffee and doesn’t actually contain any. But then I run into a recipe like I made for this week, which is a coffee cake—a cake that includes coffee. We hosted an event at the …
Continue reading “Every night is date night with this great coffee cake”
I love acts of subtle service. You know, acts that are seemingly so ordinary that, to someone who has never struggled with that particular essential, it’s almost an invisible need in their day-to-day lives. One subtle act that I really like is an event that takes place every Thursday in Newton, Kansas, called “Laundry Love.” …
Continue reading “‘Nut’ing compares to eating dessert for a good cause”
It must have been sometime when I was in middle school that a family acquaintance gifted us with a basket of homemade goodies during the holidays. Most of the items were run-of-the-mill, well-done treats, but there was one none of us could identify initially. Upon further inspection, we discovered a sweet that none of us …
Continue reading “Overcome old assumptions with something sc‘rum’ptious”
One of my favorite parts of December this year has been the honor of being able to try out four different reader-submitted recipes—one for each week. I have often said that I think sharing food—whether in physical or recipe form—is a kind of love we show to each other. I think that’s especially true of …
Continue reading “Be a chip off the old block and bake a family pie”
When I was a teacher, I often said that I wished I could have a day or so to audit my colleagues’ classes, just to get a feel for their style and methods. I had a bucket list of people I would have loved to sit in on to learn some tricks of the trade. …
Continue reading “This is a really ‘yammy’ way to eat sweet potatoes”
It’s Friendsgiving season for Joey and me, so that means I’m playing around with some new pie recipes. Our poor friends never know what to expect when I show up, but being the troopers they are, I haven’t heard too many complaints, either. This comes from the Milk Bar website. You can find the original …
Continue reading “Oh, my ‘ganache.’ This pie is absolutely incredible!”
One of the benefits of being married for as long as Joey and I have is that there are times when I can perfectly judge what his reaction to a recipe will be before I even make it. When I spotted this week’s recipe—featuring cherries, coconut and pecans—online, I knew I had a hit on …
Continue reading “‘Chews’ something sweet and nutty this week”
I am not my dog’s favorite person at the moment. K.C., despite being 15 years old, still has a great set of teeth, and her all-time favorite food to snack on is carrots. I know, it’s a little strange. We joke that she would walk right past a steak if she eyed a plate of …
Continue reading “Once you try it, you won’t ‘carrot’ all that this pie is a little weird”
There are certain dishes that maintain a sort of lore I have built up in my mind for one reason or another. One of those is crepes, which I have always viewed as a fussy, difficult food that only graces the tables of fancy French restaurants. In doing some research, I discovered that the origin …
Continue reading “Holy ‘crepe,’ everyone, this French dish is a must try”
As I promised, I’m back in this week’s column with the second recipe in my raspberry series. After my triumph over Joey and his usual dislike of raspberries with last week’s recipe, I was feeling pretty confident about the others I picked out to try on him. People often tell Joey just how lucky he …
Continue reading “No one will razz you about these yummy cookies”