Party on a Plate

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday; family and friends, good food, fellowship, no gifts.I think it’s that last piece that I find so freeing. I’ve never been a good shopper, don’t enjoy it as a way to socialize – heck, just ask my family – when they do receive gifts, sometimes they’re not even wrapped!fullsizeoutput_1bd1

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End of the Season

“It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops … And summer is gone.” – A. BARTLETT GIAMATTI

My Favorite Baseball Player

My Favorite Baseball Player

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Conquering Cold Season

I said the words too quickly and too confidently, “I haven’t had a cold in years.” Thinking back, it may have been six or seven years ago and then, after a weekend that allowed too little sleep, I woke with an angry scratch in the back of my throat. I don’t want to be sick, don’t have time to be sick and frankly am a bit peeved about it. I know that my immune system is diminished without ample sleep and here I am.

Spoiled by the Abundance of Citrus

Spoiled by the Abundance of Citrus

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The Pull of Polenta

This is the most glorious time in the Valley of the Sun. We’ve tunneled through desert frost into celebrated golf temps that teeter on the verge of spring training. The acacia are blooming with a Sonoran strangeness that is both tropical and sweet and carries into the cooler night time air. And the fair weather winterers are donning the final days of boots and vests pretending that we are still at least somewhat attached to winter.

The Pull of Polenta

The Pull of Polenta

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Yesterday’s Wine

In 1971, country western singer, Willie Nelson had no hits. He and his wife had divorced, his Tennessee ranch had burned to the ground and he’d lost any money from his song-writing due to unsuccessful music tours. Nelson moved to a new ranch and went to a recording studio to record a couple of new songs. The concept album, as it was called was about the Imperfect Man and it contained the song, Yesterday’s Wine.

Day After Savory Bread Pudding
Day After Savory Bread Pudding

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Laboring Last Labor Day

Let’s face it, we all believe that every weekend should be at least three days long. There’s the unwinding and then the settling followed by the satori-moment when we catch our wave and finally, the gearing back up. Isn’t it odd how even the most mundane of tasks can translate from labor to a zen-like repetition under the right circumstances?

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Egging it on

It is that time of year. Relentless heat still pounding down upon us while we are setting up and settling in to the back to school routine. I’m ready for autumn to be here while holding onto the sweet memories of our summer and not wanting to wish time away any faster than it is currently clicking. My oldest is a high school senior and our remaining weekends before he ventures out likely total less than 50.

Shakshuka - a seasonal transition meal

Shakshuka – a seasonal transition meal

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Stay Flexible – Going Gratin

Earlier this year, I took a new job. I liked the job I had at the time, wasn’t planning on making any changes and certainly wasn’t looking for anything new. The fact is, an opportunity was presented to me one morning in an inviting manner and after the shock and surprise settled, I accepted the challenge.

Being Flexible can Bring Great Results

Being Flexible can Bring Great Results

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What’s in a Name?

There is something about a wrong label that invites us to take a second glance. It can be one of those odd names like the main character in Michael Dorris’ novel Yellow Raft on Blue Water. Her name? Rayona – captured when her birth mother glanced at the rayon zipper on the front of her nightie. It can also be a error in facts like the one in the AZ Republic that described my friend Jim Mapstead as Frank Mapstead yesterday or when a lanky bachelor farmer decided to name a rutabaga after himself but labeled it as the Gilfeather Turnip.

The Veg Goddess herself, Deborah Madison, showing a Gilfeather Turnip

The Veg Goddess herself, Deborah Madison, showing off a Gilfeather Turnip

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Dads and Home

Wherever I looked yesterday and today, I was reminded of something that we were or ought to be celebrating. Yesterday was Flag Day, Juneteenth, National Bourbon Day, Family History Day, and World Blood Donor Day. Today we’re greeted with the World Cup, Magna Carta Day, National Lobster Day and of course, the homage to our male lineage – Father’s Day.

Father Daughter Lecture out by the Chopping Block

Father Daughter Lecture out by the Chopping Block

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