Things were heating up this past weekend – figuratively and literally. We came upon our first hot and humid day which also meant the first hot day in our new house without air conditioning.  It all sounded so manageable when we were buying the house in the crisp October air! The heat deterred me from […]

Lessons from a Life Well Lived Today I attended the funeral of a woman I never met and was reminded that in the end, nothing is more important than how one makes people feel. It was a sad day for many, but also a joyous one because it was unquestionable that this woman lived fully […]

My mother put the fear of God in me about pie crust. I only remember her making pie at Thanksgiving and if my memory serves me correctly, it was a “thing”. The pie crust recipe would come out and she would fret over if the consistency was right and if the dough would roll and […]

Cherry Pie is My Mom’s Pie Sour cherry pie is my mom’s pie. Long before pie was my thing, my mom was filling the freezer with cherry pies. I didn’t even like them until well into my adulthood and don’t remember my mom making any other fruit pies. “Why can’t you make apple?” I protested. […]

Very early in my first pregnancy (I credit the hormones!), I willingly abandoned the pursuit of perfection and I’ve been actively pursuing and appreciating imperfection as a sort of spirituality ever since. Our imperfections define and give us dimension, and I find myself forming the deepest relationships and feeling the strongest affinity for those brave […]

First a Cook  I love ritual, especially those involving food and connection with family and friends. My favorite ritual is Friday night Shabbat dinners. It’s quite lovely when we get together with extended family for Shabbat, but I am especially fond of those that we share quietly in our dining room as a family of […]

Strawberry rhubarb pie is MY pie. The one that I would choose over all others. The one that I wait 10 months out of the year for and spend the other two hoarding rhubarb as if the apocalypse is upon us. I grow it, I buy it, I steal it from neighbors’ yards. Nothing stands […]

If you have some apples hanging around like we do (like, 21 pounds), make these. I swear – this takes a much lower skill level than pie and is surprisingly simple. I have posted before, using different flavor preserves or Nutella.  This time, though, I used fresh thinly sliced apples instead of preserves. AMAZING. Seriously […]

The Privilege of Helping My name is Emily and I am a chronic helper. Anyone who has been the recipient of my gestures can attest – I am well intentioned, but I am an eager, enthusiastic helper who though genuine, can run the risk of over-helping. Back in grade school, it was a minor holiday […]

I don’t regard myself as an entertainer. I lack the skill or the energy to plan parties with thematic decor, parchment wrapped mini sandwiches, and coordinating signs on chalk boards. In fact, I get very overwhelmed when I see blog posts or magazine articles telling me how easy it is to create the perfect summer […]

These cookies are hearty and spicy and make you think of gingerbread houses and small German villages.  I’m obsessed with them and have added them to the mandatory rotation of family Christmas cookies.  Like all recipes, I followed Eva’s notes and then made some of my own adjustments like adding some salt and vanilla and […]

I’m on lock-down. A one year lock-down from initiating any change that adversely affects our family financially. This lock-down, imposed by my husband, feels a bit like being grounded from hanging out with my friends. I feel restrained and am trying my best to infuse some interest and energy into my life within the boundaries […]