I have been a member here for many years.   I came to read blogs from family members and became a fan of many other bloggers on this site.   I like it here.   So, while I have often been encouraged to write a blog of my own, I never was much inspired to do so.   Until now.   (There is a point coming, I promise.) I recently came to the realization that I am happiest when I am busy.   Maybe I am just now coming to this realization because my 3rd child start...

  French Onion Soup.  My favorite soup ever. I wasn’t feeling too ambitious with my choice to make French Onion Soup first.   I figured the hardest part would be slicing that many onions.   But, when I got to the store to get my ingredients, I balked at the price of beef stock. My penny-pinching side took over and I figured why not jump in with both feet.     So I made the bold decision to make beef stock From Scratch.   (A phrase I like...

I heard that Sophia Loren said: “ Spaghetti can be eaten most successfully if you inhale it like a vacuum cleaner.”   Whether she actually said it or not makes no difference, I still agree with the statement.   I love pasta.   Some days I think I’d rather have a second bowl of noodles than dessert.   I have wanted to try making my own pasta for a while, now.   I blame Mario Batali, the Iron Chef.   Actually, I’m a big fan. &nb...

There is a show on the Travel Channel (I think) called Man vs. Food.   It kind of felt like that in my kitchen last week: Mamie vs. Cheesecake.   I wasn’t   sure who would win… I am not really a huge fan of cheesecake.   I don’t like it plain, and I don’t like chocolate-y interpretations, either.   However, a while back I tried a berry cheesecake that won me over.   It was quite good. I had never made a cheesecake.   Not ...