Note from Pam: Sharon sent me her Christmas Eve sermon for preaching class at seminary. The story moved me so that I asked if we could post it here. She reluctantly agreed and wanted you all to know that the inspiration for it came from Luanne Panarotti. After reading Sharon’s sermon my assistant, Kirsty Hughan

The following is a guest post by my  fiance, Anthony Damelio… As an Italian-American, lasagna and its myriad baked pasta relatives have always been close to my heart and stomach. I adore the freedom of being able to combine whatever seasonable vegetables I might have on hand with any type of short pasta, using a

Our family has been nothing short of crazed these last few weeks (maybe months!). Mom has been traveling and on book tour, Maggy has been working like a dog, Dad has been holding down the fort at home and gearing up for a minister’s busiest season: Advent and Christmas! With finals hot on my heels

Creamy Butterscotch Pudding Serves 4 to 6 In all the times I tested this recipe, it came out smooth as a baby’s bottom. But, if you get any lumps, just strain your pudding through a fine mesh sieve. I like to serve with sliced bananas and a little whipped cream. 1/4 cup cornstarch 3 cups

Quick Tortilla Soup Serves 6 to 8 Top soup with any or all of the following: grated pepper Jack cheese, diced avocados, light sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, hot red pepper sauce. 1 pound (2 large) boneless chicken breasts, halved cross-wise to form two thin cutlets 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, separated 1/2 teaspoon salt

I think my fiance Anthony and I went to our first real grown-up dinner party last night. Sure, we’ve been over to friends’ houses for dinner and we’ve hosted quite a few get-togethers at our place. But this was the first time we’ve be invited to someone’s house (who we don’t know that well) to

Roasted Sugar Pumpkins with “Cheese Fondue” This recipe is adapted from Gourmet magazine. Serves 6 to 8 3/4 of a 15-inch baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices 3 (2-pound) sugar pumpkins Salt and ground black pepper 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg 2 cups each: coarsely grated

I’ve always thought of sangria as a summer thing. Which, in most places, it is. But when I think about the fruit I usually see floating in my sangria—apples, oranges, lemons—it seems much more appropriate for fall. In truth, I think you can make it all year round. It can be cool and refreshing or

Galicia is a region in northwestern Spain where this empanada is a popular street food. Here, an empanada is not the hand-held food some of us are used to, but rather a baked pastry not unlike a calzone. I just got my first roasting pan last Christmas, so if you don’t have one…don’t be deterred!

The night I fell in love with England my parents dragged me (and my sister Maggy) kicking and screaming to the local “art house” movie theater. Ever committed to our cultural edification, Mom and Dad regularly mandated our attendance at plays, museums, and the occasional film not starring Leonardo DiCaprio or Freddie Prinze Jr. (much

This simple Italian dish is great the first night, and possibly even better the next day. We like to put leftover sauce on hunks of toasted bread, melt mozzarella over it, and top it all off with a fried egg. (So. Good.) Serves 4 – 6, with leftover sauce. 2 medium eggplants, rinsed and cut

This morning the breeze wafting through our bedroom window was a little crisper than it was last week, and Anthony and I skipped our morning run in favor of a long hike in the state park behind our place. As the trail winds through the woods and up to the summit, it provides a few

Some people have a shopping problem, some struggle with a chocolate addiction, and still others nurse a coffee habit. Anthony and I have a local produce problem. This love of local goodies is not that big a deal when we’re home. We know the little old ladies who make jam, we know the ex-businessman who

Serves 4-6 Since pork sausage tends to be very lean these days, we started this dish by cooking up some bacon and browned the sausage in the drippings (yum!). This step is optional, but highly recommended! If you prefer not to use bacon, you can substitute a drizzle of olive oil. Try to use the