All the Feelings are Making Me Worn Out
We were in Kansas for Grandpa’s funeral over the weekend, and though the trip was hard, it was also wonderful to be with family, remembering Keith together. Grief came in waves to Ben and to us all. The visitation and burial seemed hardest. At a certain point, Ben flopped down on Grandma’s couch and summed…
Spanning Millennia – Remembering Grandpa Sprunger
On Sunday, we lost Ben’s grandfather, Keith Sprunger. What he was, to all of us in our own ways, cannot actually be summed up with mere words, but Keith was a man of words, a true scholar, so we will try. Before he was my father-in-law, Keith was my history professor at Bethel College, where…
Texas Roadhouse, Y’all!
Don’t You Carrot All For Cake?
For Easter, Ben and I planned to make carrot cake. To be more specific, I’ve been craving carrot cake for about 20 years, and Ben agreed to assist me. For some reason, I just couldn’t face making it Saturday, so I got up early Sunday morning and took on the task alone. Ben conveniently woke…
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Phil was away, visiting his parents, when we cooked up this week’s Ben’s Day Wednesday meal, so we decided to dedicate this post to Ben’s grandparents’ culinary specialties, and how our parents have influenced our cooking. If you were expecting mildly inappropriate content from our title, you’ll likely be disappointed. Ben’s grandparents raised us in…
When I Vont Cheese I Vont Cheese!
When my mom was young, she worked in the kitchen of a Mennonite retirement home, where the head cook was an older Conservative (plainer than Mennonite) woman. “Vernie” hailed from Holmes County, Ohio, and had the accent to prove it. One of my mom’s duties was cutting the cheese (which, I guess, explains Ben’s affinity…
Once in a Lifetime
When we were in college, my brother, Fred, and I started every road trip home in our shared 1967 Ford Galaxie the same way. The car only had an AM radio, so I brought my boombox stocked with new D batteries. We found ourselves behind the wheel of a large automobile for our 18-hour journey…
Happy as a Clam (for not a lot of clams)
This week’s main dish was not only tasty, but also easy on the pocketbook. We used Katie Lee’s recipe for spaghetti with canned clams: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/katie-lee/spaghetti-with-canned-clams-9629262 and we found it to be pretty good, and definitely satisfying. Canned clams weighed in at $1.89 a can, so if you are looking for a quick, easy, economical pantry…
It’s a Long Way to Tipperary
…but my carbs are right there. To celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, Ben and I concocted an “Irish Breakfast Pizza” that took its inspiration from a delicious breakfast pizza served at Basil Wood Fired Kitchen and Lounge, and from a whole wheat vegan potato pizza recipe that we make sometimes when we are feeling virtuous. Of…