This week, we have been all about using up the the last bits of foods that aren’t getting any fresher. We even managed to put away some in the freezer for an undisclosed date in the future (of course, in a container that has seen so many iterations that three dishes ago I Sharpied in…
Total Eclipse of the Tart
With all the hubbub surrounding Monday’s eclipse, I have been taking a stroll down memory lane. Stop number one: 1979. I was in seventh grade during that eclipse, and we made pinhole cameras to observe it. I didn’t really know what I was doing so I didn’t see much of anything, but we had been…
Benchiladas
Have you ever wondered, when you’re staring into the gaping maw that is your family’s ravenous hunger, what would Ben do? Well, wonder no more. This is what Ben would (and did) do. Benchiladas. If, like us these days, you aren’t quite up to doing all that, Benchiladas are the perfect solution when you need…
I’m Not Foolin’ Around
On Saturday, Ben got up before we did and made coffee. When I ambled downstairs, he heard me on the stairs and poured me a cup of coffee. Handing it to me, he said, “Here’s coffee. I’m not foolin’ around.” I surveyed the kitchen and realized that he had all ingredients for “special breakfast” out…
Onion Cake (and other improbable things)
This week, we were inspired by Ben’s Aunt Mary to try her recipe for zwiebelkuchen, a German dish which translates as onion cake, but is more like a cross between a savory tart, pizza, and quiche. So, while “onion cake” may sound like the last thing on earth you would want to try, we assure…
Shoot from the Hip
Let’s start with this: Ben is doing well. Hip shmip. Urological concerns meant he spent a week at home with a catheter, but now he is foot-loose and fancy-free. We even got to finally (fourth time’s a charm) visit my parents in Virginia, a trip that had been put off three times. We are striving…
Until Then, Keep on Traveling (Or not!)
This story has its start 30 years ago, when Phil and I went to his sister’s wedding in Amsterdam, and followed it by accompanying Mary and Rachid on a trip to Morocco, where Rachid grew up. Between Holland and Morocco, we traveled through Brussels, Belgium with them plus their friends who also made the trip…
Hip, Hip, Hooray! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Ben is recovering beautifully from his hip replacement and we are all tickled pink that he is home now, growing stronger every day. Frankly, the only thing holding him back is his killjoy parents who continue trying to keep him from overdoing it! He spends his days with his companions, is doing the exercises recommended…
#Hipster
Thank you all so much for the love, support, prayers, and offers to help! This has been a really tough week, and most of the time, we couldn’t even take you up on your kind offers to help because Ben just needed us with him, providing comfort and overseeing his care. We do deeply appreciate,…
The Hip Bone’s Connected to the Heart String
As many of our readers already know, Ben had a seizure on Friday with spasms so intense that his right hip dislocated and the ball of the hip joint was broken off. He had hip problems as a toddler, but had never had a seizure before. A lengthy, complicated surgery on Sunday gave him a…