Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, US Civil War Surgeon and suffragist — Isn’t it amazing that only one woman has ever been awarded the Medal of Honor? This woman was quite a character and a true non-conformist, especially for her time. She advocated for women’s rights and served her country as a doctor, war-time surgeon and women’s advocate. She created quite a…

Your wife might disagree. — The other day, a man I know laughed about some videos that he watches regularly on YouTube. He enjoys seeing the reactions of people from other countries and cultures to American food and products. On this day, he laughed about their reactions to some American jokes. In one video, a…

My secret weapon guarantees consistent success. — Sourdough bread is hard to make, or so I thought after I made several failed loaves. I began my starter at the beginning of the pandemic so that I would have bread to feed my family. For some reason, I couldn’t recreate the loaves all the professionals make in the…

Bake it in a woodfired pizza oven or your home oven. — Happy National Pizza Day! When we first moved into our house, our neighborhood was active. Children ran from door to door collecting their friends for Nerf battles and water gun fights. Parents sat outside and watched their children, sharing an adult version of child’s play. One of my neighbors, Sue…

Once you’ve had these, you’ll never buy them again. — My mother had several recipes that she only made at the holidays. She made divinity, a date log, gingerbread houses and pralines. We rarely ate out, but when we did, it was often Mexican food. At the checkout counter, these restaurants sold pralines that always disappointed me. None of them…

This sourdough adaptation is delicious. — I love kolaches. Anytime we drive by The Czech Stop in West, Texas on a road trip to Austin or San Antonio, we must stop to get them. We buy a box to snack on in the car and one to eat later. On the return trip home, we have…

Apples, not spices and sugar, are the star in this pie! — My grandma lived with my family as I grew up. She taught me to bake apple pies and other lovely desserts. I still cherish those times spent working in the garden and kitchen with her, taking walks through the woods and wandering down long country lanes. We often found surprise…

When life gives you lemons, make this moist, tangy cake. — When I was a little girl, I loved lemons. I’d eat them by themselves, in hot tea, in iced tea, and in pie. I couldn’t wait until summertime to wow the neighbor kids with my ability to not make a sour face when I sucked on a fat wedge. Every…

A recipe for making joy filled memories. — When I was a kid, my mother handed me her giant cookbook ‘bible’ opened to a page where she had written down a “Thumbprint Cookie” recipe. I made this recipe many times because I enjoyed my success in measuring, mixing, and baking these cookies. As a teen, I picked up…