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Mushroom Tart
They were on sale, the shiitakes. The baby bellas were too. I had to buy them, two pints of mushrooms. The problem is…I’m alone in my affection for mushrooms around here. This left me with a lot of mushrooms and not even a little bit of help eating them. I figured I should figure something out. And I did: Pinterest. That’s where I saw a multitude of recipes but the pastries inspired me so here’s what I came up with. This tart has nice blend of earthy, buttery goodness mixed with the right bit of brightness brought in by the lemon juice and fresh thyme I used. I ate it…
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Black Bean Soup
I love it when a whim turns into something great. I had a few cans of black beans one winter day and felt like making the usual black beans and rice was just not enough. Nope. Not on this particular day. What we needed around here was some soup. Steamy, smokey, and flavor-packed.
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Farewell to Summer
It took me a few days, but I’m here. Acceptance. I’ve been working through some strong feelings during this first week of the school year. I’ve felt annoyed by the demands of work, and home. I felt resentful of my responsibilities. And it’s taken me most of the week to figure out why, but here we go. I’ve been grieving the loss of my summer freedom. The structure of the school year is in direct contrast to the casual pace of summer. And my Summer ’22 has been oh so good. Really it was just so so so so very good. Summer was a supple peach, and I was eating…
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Good Conditions for Traditions
It’s Christmas Eve and matching pajamas are lined up in matching gift bags beneath the tree. We’re ready! In a year full of uncertainty it feels restorative to embrace things that are certain. Insert our traditions. The day after Thanksgiving we rolled out the Christmas welcome carpet to usher in the most wonderful time of the year. At my house, this ritual includes the following: Playing Soulful Christmas Music (i.e. Stevie Wonder, Donnie Hathaway) Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies Decorating the Tree Having these rituals makes sure we don’t let the occasions slip by unnoticed. The traditions slow us down long enough to notice each other, too – providing a pace…
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Mushroom & Italian Sausage Frittata
I love breakfast and brunch foods. I think it’s because I really like mornings. And a proper hot breakfast that includes eggs is the way I prefer to start my day. Fritattas are a go-to favorite. It’s like a baked omelette or a crustless quiche and very portable so if I make it ahead, I have a delightful breakfast option that I can simply heat and eat in the morning. This is very practical on weekdays when I have to get the little ones dropped off before work, there’s not always time to cook a fresh breakfast or sit down to eat at home. It’s a good breakfast staple to have in your…
