Carrot cake is my favorite. I especially like this recipe, not only because of the taste, but it only makes a small 9×9 cake, so I don’t have to worry about too many left-overs. Rebecca
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Do you know what liverwurst is? It’s a thick, paste-like sausage made from pig’s liver, pork and spices. It comes in these tubes that you squeeze it from (or cut a slice if you’re a little less lazy). And it was my absolute favorite lunch when I was a kid.

Spread it thick on hearty bread with a squirt of mustard and I was in heaven. Sometimes it was lunch 5 days in a row. Read more »

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The fall season brings thoughts of cooler weather, falling leaves and perhaps apple season. Autumn is synonymous with apple harvesting. Apples are grown in all 50 states, so no matter where you have moved, apple picking should be within your reach. Apple picking is a great family activity that allows us to be outdoors and then actually experience the fruits of our labors. It’s a wonderful way to spend the day and when you return home, you won’t be empty handed. Apples are very nutritious. They are great eaten alone as well as a very versatile ingredient. Never peel your apples. Two-thirds of the fiber and lots of antioxidants are found in the peel. One medium apple is about 80 calories and contains no fat or sodium.
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Here’s the great thing about being an uncle: you are practically EXPECTED to break the rules. Case in point: my six year old neice Abby has been at my apartment for barely more than an hour, but already I’ve handed her a sharp knife, helped her make an absolute mess in the dining room, and am about to go show her a scary movie.

My cousin and her husband are off to a grownups-only Halloween party tonight. So the second they left, Abby and I marched to the grocery store down the street to pick out pumpkins. I picked out a symmetrical, deep orange pumpkin with a perfect stem sticking out of the top. Abby picked out a lumpy monstrosity that weighed about a thousand pounds. I had to carry both of them home.
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My father was the king of weekend breakfast. Lunch and dinner were my mom’s domain, and breakfast on the weekdays was a quick bowl of cereal. But when Saturday morning rolled around, it was his time to shine.

Fluffy scrambled eggs, creamy polenta, and eggs in a basket that oozed yolk when you cut into them all made a regular appearance on the breakfast table. But the most frequent guest, and the one my dad had down to a science, was a steaming stack of perfect pancakes. Read more »

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Honor Flight Chicago is a charity organization that flies World War II veterans to Washington DC for the day. While there, they get to visit the memorial built in their honor, and on the flight back, they get letters from friends and family thanking them for their service.

My grandparents served in the war, and recently were given the opportunity to ride with Honor Flight. I wrote a letter thanking them for their service. In the spirit of Memorial Day, and in honor of all of those who have served in our armed forces, I want to share that letter. It’s personal between my grandparents and I, but I’m sure the friends and families of all our veterans could write similar letters of thanks.

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