10. You weren’t a daring cook (a depression child, you couldn’t bring yourself to spend money on luxuries), but you had interesting tastes. You loved blue cheese, olives, and mushrooms. Thanks to you, I do too. 9. You weren’t afraid to make The Ask. Remember helping me sell all those cases of World’s Finest Chocolate-Covered

The winner of the Whole Family Cookbooks is Kirsten. We hope your day of pampering was fun and that the kitchen being off limits to you went well! Last year it was Sharon who wrote our Mother’s Day post. It was so beautifully written it made Mom cry (and I got misty-eyed). I can’t live

My first memory of Mother’s Day is the year that Maggy and I were old enough to orchestrate “breakfast in bed.” We told Mom to stay under the covers while we tottered in with a precariously balanced tray of toast, fruit salad, homemade cards, and a fresh-cut flower. We were proud. I think she was,

Last fall Todd Porter and Diane Cu (from the blog White on Rice Couple) came for a visit. Their house gift was teaching us three how to make fresh spring rolls. We ran their recipe on our site awhile back with portabella mushrooms. Today we’re re-running the recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, the way

Easter was especially joyful this year. After a hard winter and a month of raw rainy days, Sunday morning was storybook warm and sunny. For the first time in months I wore a short-sleeved shirt on my run—one of many happy moments throughout the day. Our Easter meal was another. Each year this traditional feast

I have a confession to make. Andy and I went out for brunch this weekend…twice! How utterly indulgentof us! I’m sort of ashamed, but with all the amazing choices in New York City, I can hardly help myself. I’m simply in love with brunch. But it’s not just us. All the restaurants we passed had

Before I moved to New York City, I thought Central Park was just another ‘must see’ tourist spot. But when I moved here last year, my perspective quickly changed. I understood the necessity of this park—the true meaning it held for the people who live here. I am eternally grateful to the people who had

I’ve never been big on technology. I was the last of my friends to get a cell phone or an iPod. (And even now, much to everyone’s chagrin, I am likely to be caught without them.) I came late to the whole “texting” thing and was the last kid in my college dorm to join

(Photo by Amanda:  Dessert Truck Works) A few weeks ago, my friend Amanda (from Kevin and Amanda) wrote me an e-mail to let me know she was going to be in New York City for a blogging event (and meeting Bobby Flay!). She said she had some free time on the Sunday and would love to

To me the best lemon bar must consist of a tender, buttery crust and a soft, intensely lemony filling. One other thing…it must be simple to make. In this week’s USA Weekend video, we demonstrate our perfect recipe for these irresistible sweet treats. With Easter, Mother’s Day, picnics and parties coming up, keep this recipe

I woke up—somewhat reluctantly—at 5:45 this morning. The smell of freshly brewed coffee (thank God for the automated coffeemaker!) wafting through the air and the first rays of sunshine finding their way through the bedroom curtains quickly soothed my wrong-side-of-the-bed attitude. After days and days of hazy low-hanging clouds and a constant chilly drizzle, this

There is much to love about being a blogger. It keeps me in touch with Mom and Sharon, it keeps me writing and cooking every day and it keeps me engaged with a community of like-minded people. It has also connected our family to wonderful people from our past and present in a new way.

A scant two weeks of serious touring in Israel and Palestine, we have a free day. How to spend it? Some of us head for the desert. We arrive early morning just in time to climb a sand dune and watch the sun slowly rise above the thick, low clouds on the eastern horizon. We

I’m in Israel for two weeks. At first I considered myself a tourist. Turns out I’m a pilgrim. Until now I thought pilgrimages were Bucket List top ten for the superstitious hyper-religious. It’s way too early to say how this trip will impact my life, but having spent a week here now, I know one