Thousand Word Thursdays #200

I’ve been combing Mom’s recipe collection to print out recipes for my two daughters for Christmas. What a surprise to find a recipe Gramma submitted to the local paper and won as Recipe of the Week! Here is the recipe (saved for too many years to remember) complete with spelling errors. Plus, a bonus photo!…

Imperfect Baking!

There are three types of people in the world. Those who embrace baking cookies for Christmas and excel at it. Those who don’t have time to bother and think nothing of buying Christmas goodies. And then there’s a group of people that think, “Oh, it would be great to bake cookies!”—despite it being a challenge…

Easter Dinner Planning 101

Life is busy but holidays come regardless, don’t they? A time to relax with family over a shared feast is something we all look forward to enjoying. Yet, sometimes life does get in the way of grocery shopping for those big feasts. I had purchased most of the groceries ahead of time but needed to…

Baked With Love!

Comfort foods. We all have them. One taste and nerves are calmed. Brings you to a higher place. Makes you feel good regardless of whatever else is happening in your life. That’s what Nonna’s Christmas cake is like for me. There are two types of people in the world. Those who love fruit cake and…

Behind Blue Eyes

  “You’ve got the most beautiful blue eyes!…I’d think with eyes like that, doors would open for you!” “Yeah, well, looks can be deceiving. I’m having a rough day.” Her rough day was a lot different than a rough day for you or me. If her friend decided not to let her stay in her…

Pepper Mania!

It started innocently enough. Space was available in the garden for a few more plants. Surely, pepper plants wouldn’t take up much room. I went a little nuts at the garden centre. Yup, I bought Orange Blaze, Cute Stuff Red, Sweet Banana, Hungarian Wax and Jalapeno peppers. It was fun watching them develop into tiny…

A Considerate Approach

Cheerful Brown-Eyed Susans greeted me as I walked through the alley to the homeless shelter. There’s always beauty in unexpected places. You just have to search for it. Not a lot of food on the menu today. However, in spite of there being only pasta, three types were available. Penne plus two pastas that looked…

A Raincoat of Hope

If there’s beauty to be found in an alley with broken pavement near a shelter full of people with broken dreams, trust me to find it. Today, there was a strawberry yarrow plant growing wild. I’m not going to tell you how much I paid for a similar plant at a garden centre! It brightened…

Faith

She spoke barely any English, and when she did it was in a quiet, soft voice. Like how you’d speak if you’re unsure of correct pronunciation. She was a young woman, dressed in a black floor-length, flowing dress with a matching hijab. I assumed she was married, with children. You see, the amount of food…

Three Tough Taste-Testers!

Busy day at the homeless shelter! But, a great Monday with a steady stream of folks coming by, all in an upbeat mood. I think the good weather helps, for sure.  Lots of dishes today for me; I missed my dishwashing partner! He’s home from vacation but had to work at his regular job today. Luckily,…