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Anne and Grace shiver in August which is not unusual for New England. The wind off the ocean picks up and the clouds roll in under a hazy, smoke-filled sky. Wildfires eat the land to the north and west again, now a yearly occurrence. The sisters gaze at their children playing chase around the playground’s perimeter. The boys run and snake around each other unsure of how to interact now that…

Wilson pumped gas under the overhead fluorescent light. Large snowflakes fell highlighted by the overbearing light as if on a stage. His cheap wool hat held them for a minute before melting. Last customer of the day before flipping off the lights, locking the door, and walking across the yard. The gas station stood unchanged for forty years, thirty yards from the front door of his home. A simple…

Simple is often best Anne thought and yet everything had felt more complex since Christmas. The holidays had drained Anne leaving her exhausted when the new year began. This wasn’t unusual. In fact, Anne couldn’t recall a time when the holidays didn’t completely overwhelm her. Tess had always placed so much importance on them. Anne resented her for it even in death. When Tess died it was a relief…

I found this whoopie pie recipe among the many recipes my grandmother left behind. It is easy to whip up and sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. The cake is light and perfectly chocolatey and the filling is not overly sweet despite the addition of marshmallow fluff. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. Be sure to check out the whoopie pie links listed below. More stories to come… Jerry’s…

The robin makes eye contact with me. Our neighbor’s porch light illuminates half of her body, the other half is consumed by the night. It is 1 am. Dirty water bottles sit in the sink, and half-eaten airport snacks decorate the counter along with boarding passes we no longer need. I stare at the robin from inside, a closed window separating us. She watches me and cocks her head to the side as she…

I found this cake recipe in my grandmother’s binder of saved recipes. This recipe was likely cut out of newspaper- maybe The Boston Globe or the Lowell Sun. It appealed to her and she kept it. I wish I knew more about her process of what hold onto and what to release. Not just her recipes. Drawings, cards, photos, and holiday crafts given to her as a present. Clothes, jewelry, and books. Mass…

Chocolate Chiffon Cake & Pistachio Ice Cream + 5 Quick Desserts for Back to School

I found this chocolate chiffon cake recipe while shuffling through some of my grandmother’s recipes Though I do not remember her making it she had it cut out and taped to a weathered and stained piece of paper. Maybe she hoped to make it one day, maybe there would be an occasion for it, or maybe she intended to make it on an ordinary day that called for chocolate cake. I don’t remember it though…

No Muss No Fuss Chocolate Sheet Cake + 5 Spring Cake Links

“Hold your breath…good.” “Breathe.” “Doing ok Ann?” Not really. Four MRIs in a year, same result, still no answers. “I’m good.” “Ok, almost done. You’re doing great.” Ann forced her eyes closed.  Staring at the white ceiling just a foot from her nose was more than she could handle at 6am on a Tuesday morning.  Maybe it was the exhaustion from the 4:30am wake-up time or the restless sleep…

Dark Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies + 5 Cookie Links

My classes have started again so I have less time for writing but will get back to it soon. I made these cookies three times over the last three weeks. They are big, chewy, and full of chocolate flavor. You will not be disappointed! Dark Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies Makes 2 dozen Recipe adapted from Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking Ingredients: 2 cups unbleached,…

Cashew Chocolate Squares+ 5 Sweet Links to Start 2022

Ann ended 2021 similar to the way she began 2021 in bed at 9:30. A few drinks eased the annoyance of the holiday but didn’t compel her to watch the ball drop in Times Square. Twenty years ago she loved New Year’s Eve, celebrating with friends, bar hopping, and drunkenly making out with her husband. Out with the old and in with the new. And yet twenty years later out with the old and in with the…

Oreo Coffee Ice Cream Cake + 5 Frozen Treat Links

This ice cream cake is based off the of my grandmother’s coffee ice cream recipe. Though I always enjoyed her pistachio ice cream the most, her version of coffee ice cream is excellent. This version of coffee ice cream is for coffee lovers. The flavor is strong but not overwhelming. The addition of the Oreos is inspired by my youngest son’s love of coffee Oreo ice cream. He has a surprisingly…

Egg Yolk Cake + 5 Vintage Cake Links

“Nostalgia, to me, is not the emotion that follows longing for something you lost. It’s the feeling that overcomes you when some minor vanished beauty of the world is restored…the ache that arises from the consciousness of lost connection.” Michael Chabon Ann called the number, a number she knew as well as her birth date or social security number, knowing no one was on the other end to pickup.…

March came and went too fast. I promised myself I would post once a month but that seemed nearly impossible this month. Between remote/hybrid learning, my own coursework, and recovering from COVID I didn’t have energy for much baking. I did manage to bake this Irish soda bread, a recipe straight from Jerry’s collection of goodies. This bread is super simple to make but unfortunately I couldn’t…

Baked Vodka Pasta +5 Cozy Pasta + Dessert Recipes To Get You Through The Rest of Winter

I had this recipe ready to go a couple of weeks ago but then COVID hit our house. We are all recovering now but we had a rough go of it. This baked vodka pasta is comfort in a bowl. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did…before we lost our sense of taste and smell. I’m looking forward to spring. More recipes and writing to come. Stay healthy and safe! Baked Vodka Pasta Recipe adapted from…

Blueberry Blackberry Spoon Cake + 5 2021 Random Recipes I Need to Make

“There can be no rebirth without a dark night of the soul, a total annihilation of all that you believed in and thought that you were.” Hazart Inayat Khan 2021 is finally here. I have been away from this space for far too long with no real excuse other than not making it a priority. I plan on returning monthly in 2021. I hope this year brings you good health, hope, and peace. More writing and…

Vanilla Raspberry Swirl Ice cream Pie + 5 Frozen Sweet Links

A single bright crimson raspberry remained in the thicket where many once grew. The garden now overgrown and barren showed no signs of returning to its once fertile state. Weeds the size of dinner plates flourished, broken twigs from storms pushed out to sea decorated the garden like sprinkles on a cupcake, and crushed dried leaves from previous autumns remained untouched, deteriorating, nearly…