How to Find and Cook an Organic Turkey
November 16, 2009
As Barbra Kingsolver writes so charmingly in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, turkey farming is a brutal business—unless you can find an organic, preferably small-farm, source. My mother raises turkeys every year on her farm, and the birds are surprisingly sociable, friendly, and enjoyable to watch. It almost makes me feel bad about eating them. But then I think of the crispy wings and rich gravy and I’m over it. (If anyone thinks organic foods are “smaller” than nonorganic foods, you… more
Comments (8)The Great Thanksgiving Countdown
November 13, 2009
If you are not hosting everyone at your house, consider yourself lucky. You don’t have to clean up the whole house, manage all the expectations, or think about whether or not everything can fit in your stove at the same time. I feel lucky this year because I am going to my brother and sister-in-laws’ house for Thanksgiving. Although luck is a weather-dependent word—they live right outside of Buffalo, NY, and one… more
Comments (1)‘Tis the Season for Hot Apple Cider
November 11, 2009
Actually, the season is almost over. That’s why we have to enjoy every second left of apple season, and with it, apple cider both cold and hot. Here in Pennsylvania the leaves have already fallen, and the frost has killed off everything in the garden except for the kale, garlic, and celery (which, honestly, I did not plant—I think my husband snuck it in—but it’s looking really good).
All my kids (and my niece Shelbi, too!) love my hot cider. And it’s so easy to make. The key is starting… more
Comments (5)The End of Farmer’s Market Season…Waaaaaaah!
November 9, 2009
November is here, and the last farmer’s market of the season in Emmaus is on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. This week things are already winding down. The vendors are thinning out, and the crowds are filled with hard-core regulars rather than the summertime occasional shoppers.
In the few short years that this market has been going on, I realize just how much it’s become an integral part of my life, and of my joy in life and in food. It’s not just about the food…although it is about… more
Comments (6)How to Get Your Kids to Read
November 6, 2009
It occurs to me that I might have found the secret formula for getting kids to read. While the media and teachers complain that kids don’t read anymore, I can’t get my kids to stop. Even Lucia, who is too young to read, is a voracious reader. I jokingly yell at Eve (age 12), “How many times do I have to tell you to STOP reading!” She would read while walking and eating if we would let her. And not only is Maya (age 27) a published romance novelist, but she’s about to get her master’s degree… more
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