Baking 101…with Mom!

When my sweet aunt was ill, my cousin visited her bedside in the hospital. He thought his Mom’s appetite would improve if she could enjoy some home-made chicken soup. So, he asked his Mom for her recipe. Her reply? “You’re asking me NOW??” My aunt was 99 years old at the time. I could just…

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…

BBQ Season Finale

“Tell people someone tried to take out Big Ant’s BBQ!” Big Ant works security at Caesars Windsor. He also helps out at a homeless shelter. I’m not sure of his title but he oversees operations several days a week. His claim to fame though is his cooking, specifically, his love of barbequing! When Big Ant’s…

Every Life Counts!

“The man’s lips and fingertips were blue and he was unresponsive. He was slumped in the backseat of a car where he and two buddies were smoking Fentanyl. His friend ran into the AIDS Committee’s office. A person working there had just what was needed: Narcan. He injected the lifeless man with Narcan. After three…

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…

Hope for the Homeless

  This week I spotted chamomile growing in the alley near the homeless shelter. Always a little beauty to be found among the weeds and concrete. Chicken and penne were served for lunch. When they were depleted, a big stock pot of hearty vegetable soup was available, plus crackers. Big Ant and I cut up…

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…