I will always be a Badger. UW-Madison was an amazing place to go to school. It was beyond cold, but that aside, it is an incredible school. The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded when Wisconsin achieved statehood in 1848, UW–Madison is the official state university of Wisconsin […]

The days were long in lockdown. As a result, people drank substantially more than usual and I’m guilty of that. We were all trying to get by. In many ways, we still are. But the reality is not everyone drinks alcoholic drinks. Pre-Covid, the trend was showing that younger people (millennials) were consuming less alcohol […]

Moms are amazing. And I think it’s fair to say, being a mom is one of the hardest jobs there is. But the truth is, no one tells you that before you have kids, only once you’ve had them. But being a mom, I get it. It’s a learn-as-you-go, hope you don’t mess up too […]

Cookies are a wonderful thing.  I have mentioned this before, but at 49, I can tell you, I still enjoy a great cookie every so often.  And while I’ll never turn down an amazing chocolate chip cookie, I also enjoy interesting other flavors, when I can find them. These are my chocolate malted milk cookies, […]

Beef with broccoli reminds me of my childhood. My mom never made it from scratch, but we ordered it often when we ordered Chinese food and it remains, to this day, a favorite. And while this beloved Chinese-American dish graces the menu of almost every Chinese restaurant I’ve been to over the years, I never […]

The first thing my boys said to me when I made Easter bread for the first time, was; why the heck are you baking Easter eggs into the challah? Those, are Jewish kids for you. I had a good laugh, but in fairness to them, I get it. When you break it down, Easter bread […]

A no-bake, chocolate matzo icebox cake, layered with whipped cream and chocolate is the Passover-friendly, no-bake dessert I should have thought up years ago. I am mean seriously, with all the many things I have made with matzo over the years, how the heck did I not think of this sooner? This matzo icebox cake […]

I doubted this was even possible, but boy, was I pleased with the outcome. Vegan chocolate croissants, made with homemade, dairy-free puff pasty. Yes, you read that correctly, these are vegan. This recipe is for my remarkable niece Maddie who loves sweets but must navigate, the often challenging, world of food allergies. Traditional Puff Pastry […]

I never liked orange marmalade, until I made it myself. And to be clear, no, orange marmalade is not simply orange jam. Nor does the homemade version look nearly as scary as those little square packets that came with your hotel room service back in the 70s. But what is marmalade exactly and what makes […]

This is a perfect Buddha bowl to me. I mean seriously, what’s not to love about flavorful, crispy beef and lentils?  Truth be told, I can’t claim credit for this incredibly wonderful bowl, but I had to share it, because I absolutely adore it. This recipe is lightly adapted from a new cookbook called, Flavors of […]

Ms. Wood, that was the name of my boys’ first-grade teacher. Ms. Wood was the quintessential elementary school teacher; kind, patient, and incredibly warm. Ms. Wood was also fun. Looking back, I can tell you my first-grade teacher was not nearly as wonderful as Ms. Wood, I think my boys truly lucked out. Ms. Wood […]

Its original name in Italian is minestra maritata, which translates to “wedding soup”. But some say a more appropriate name would be, “wedded broths”—as in leafy green vegetables (minestra) blended with meat (maritata). The marriage in this soup isn’t referring to the marriage between two people like many believe, but rather to the dish’s nuanced flavors between […]

Pound cake is a wonderful thing and if you ask me, it’s not made often enough. So, here’s my ultimate favorite; a ricotta pound cake, that bakes up perfectly and is moist and buttery as can be. The origins of pound cake lie in Northern Europe and date back to the early 18th century.  The name itself, […]

This cabbage and kale slaw is all about simple flavors I love, and can’t get enough of. Sadly, despite its run of fame, kale still gets a bit of a bad rap. But to be frank, I think that has to do with two things in particular: (1) cleaning it and (2) good flavor balance. […]

Are you a carb counter? No judgment if you are, I know many. While I don’t classify myself as one, I have certainly become much more aware of carbs over the years. I still believe in having it all in moderation, and with that comes choices. And I can’t lie, I like pasta. But not […]