As multifarious flower blossoms blanket Pennsylvania and Mother’s Day passes, I’ve got Lucy on my mind. I know I’m not the only one. My dad lost his mom Lucy in late March, and life seems wistfully still without her. With her garden flourishing in her absence, it’s a struggle to accept that she is truly … Continue Reading
Much time has elapsed since my last Costa Rica post, but I am finally sitting down to write the finale, which we shall deem “the caboose.” A month before I traveled to Costa Rica, I met a fantastic lass in Ecuador who re-ignited my curiosity about the Central American hotspot. Prior to meeting her, I … Continue Reading
I liken myself to a modern day Chas Dickens. Just kidding, I don’t. It is, however, rather difficult to ignore our two very striking similarities, which are: 1. Our unruly hair (I’m the one on the right). And, 2. Our affinity for Christmas. Dickens wrote, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try … Continue Reading
It started off like any other Sunday night. Our bellies freshly full o’ supper, the men were in the living room watching football as the women sat chattering the night away in the adjacent dining room. This particular Sunday, Christmas lights were twinkling in the periphery, making the whole scene not unlike a Hallmark holiday … Continue Reading
‘Tis the season to paint the town orange, apparently, and frankly I feel like I am being pummeled by one giant pumpkin every time I leave the house. To my right is a pumpkin-infused this, to my left is a pumpkin-flavored that, and straight ahead is a mound of pumpkins in the flesh, begging to … Continue Reading
Yeah, I just used a redundant negative like that. What can I say? I’m a rebel without a cause. Who happens to like quinoa. A LOT. Have you met quinoa? If not, please allow me the honor of introducing the two of you. This, my friend, is quinoa (or quinua, in Spanish):
As a follow-up to my Father’s Day entry, I am posting two recipes that I learned from my dad, both of which have become Light family classics. People get irrationally irritated if these aren’t present at our family gatherings, and when I say “people,” I obviously mean me.
As promised in my last entry, here is my favorite cupcake recipe. Mexican Hot Cocoa Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing This recipe makes about 24 cupcakes. The sour cream keeps them moist and the chili powder adds an unexpected but delicious kick to the cake. I made them again last week and in the spirit … Continue Reading
“It matters because food matters, and because the stories that are served with food matter. These stories bind our family together, and bind our family to others. Stories about food are stories about us- our history and our values. Within my family’s Jewish tradition, I came to learn that food serves two parallel purposes: it … Continue Reading
However shall I paint it? I suppose it’s only appropriate to start from the beginning: June 12, 1982, my DOB. Like other babies, I mingled with the occasional mashed banana, experimented with liquefied chicken and rice, and flirted with my fair share of smashed sweet potatoes. And sometimes, I ate cake/smeared it on my face. … Continue Reading
