The church potluck was in three hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing their signature dishes—Aunt Marie’s legendary seven-layer dip, the Johnson … Read more
My aunt claimed she hated blondies for fifteen years. Fifteen years! She’d pass the dessert tray at every family gathering with a little wave of … Read more
My neighbor Karen wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a ladder—our gutters were overflowing with leaves—and the smell hit me before … Read more
I wasn’t expecting to get pie advice from a taxi driver, but there I was, stuck in traffic on the way home from the airport, … Read more
This was supposed to be a full-blown, deep-dish bourbon pecan pie. I had the pie plate buttered, the crust chilling in the fridge, and I … Read more
My daughter asked why I couldn’t just mash the bananas right in the bowl with the flour. I started to explain why that wouldn’t work … Read more
I was standing in line at the DMV—the one place on earth where time goes to die—when the woman ahead of me, clutching a folder … Read more
I was standing at the checkout counter of a hardware store—of all places—last October, holding a new light fixture I definitely didn’t need, when the … Read more
My roommate asked why I couldn’t just skip the stand mixer and stir everything by hand in one bowl. I started to explain why that … Read more
The woman at the community garden plot next to mine watched me fumbling with a bag of pumpkin seeds and a jar of peanut butter … Read more
