I love to take Friday afternoon off work, stay home to clean the house and prepare a special meal for the family. For a mom of a pre-teen and a young teen, being all alone in a quiet house is a rare treat. I get to choose the music, and I make tea while I clean, cook and bake. When I saw the Pineapple Rum Tart featured on the web site, I decided to try it. The recipe was simple, yet the presentation was fun and festive — a perfect way to kick off the weekend! (more…)
With such a long and drawn out winter in Indiana this year, it seems as though spring will never arrive. Flowers, baby animals, and plenty of sunshine - ah, the joys of springtime! (more…)
With the craziness (and expense) of raising four children, my parents usually celebrated Valentine’s Day with a special meal at home. The most vivid recollection I have of this was when I was in middle school - the year that my mom arranged for us kids to be the chefs and servers. (more…)
I grew up with a mom who made homemade caramels often, always saying they were so easy. She even made them at my house when my kids were little, and every time they turned out perfect. When I tried them on my own a few years ago, I ended up overcooking the caramel mixture — ending up with delicious caramel hard candy, but not the chewy homemade caramels I loved! I tried again with the same unfortunate result. (more…)
When I take a moment to consider my favorite parts of the Holiday season, it’s the memories with my family that always rise to the surface. More specifically, I treasure the way we celebrate Christmas Eve together. (more…)
Ever since our family traveled to Julian — a charming historic town near San Diego, California, known for its apple pie — my kids have been excited to make a pie of our own. We even bought a pie crust cutter that cuts hearts into the top crust. (more…)
I love fall. Have I made that clear yet? What I may not have mentioned yet is that I also LOVE girls’ nights! (more…)
My mom is an unbelievable baker and cook. One of her specialties is pie. Each year as we make plans to gather at my parents’ house to celebrate Thanksgiving, I offer to bring something. (more…)
Fall is definitely in the air! Cooler weather, changing leaves, hot cider, fresh apples, and plenty of comfort food…I love every bit of it! Now that school is in full swing, I have been busier than ever. Many of the fall activities at our school are underway, so my responsibilities as Vice-President of the PTO and Head Parent for Sydney’s 3rd grade class have kept me beyond busy. Between redesigning the PTO website, planning fundraisers, and getting parties planned for Sydney’s classroom (in addition to everything I do as a stay-at-home mom), I don’t have much free time. But who’s complaining? I really do love it! (more…)
