• Farm Stories

    A Paean to Pie

    Growing up in the Midwest farmland of the 1950s meant that I was living in the pie capital of the world. In most homes, it was the dessert of choice. In my grandmother’s time, pie suppers, where the local bakers’…

  • Food Stories

    Here Comes the Fudge

    Whatever happened to fudge? That question occurred to me since it’s Valentine’s Day – which usually means chocolate. And what could be more chocolate than fudge? When I was growing up in the 1950s, it seemed that a lot of…

  • Food Stories

    Simple and Quick Go-To Recipes

    I’m guessing that many of us are feeling a little burned out on cooking, and there are evenings when we just want an easy menu that will satisfy the family. I’ve felt that way more than once over the past…

  • Food Stories

    Make a Main Dish for Peanuts

    I have a long relationship with peanut butter. It began with breakfasts of toast with peanut butter and jelly. Once I was in grade school, the centerpiece in my Roy Rogers lunch box was a PB&J sandwich. As I grew…

  • Food Stories

    You Don’t Know Beans

    Growing up, I never would have expected to sing the praises of beans. But, of late, I’ve come to admire the lowly pods of protein and carbohydrates first domesticated in South America 10,000 years ago. Compare them with a hamburger.…

  • Food Stories

    Stewing About the Cold Weather

    This time of year, most of us start thinking about a stew. It’s cold and rainy outside, we can’t go anywhere, and we’re yearning for a simple, satisfying meal. A good stew has that satisfying warmth that fits the bill.…