• Raspberry Macarons
    Food,  Something That Could Change Your Life

    Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day and Neither Were Good Macarons.

    I’ve been slacking on my journey towards mastering the art of making French macarons, but I finally made my latest attempt. Raspberry seemed like the perfect flavor for summer and the color is so pretty, so I made plans to give it a go…a month ago. I’d throw my hands in the air and say that “It’s just the stress of everything having to do with the pandemic!” that caused me to put off what is supposed to be an enjoyable activity, but if I’m being completely honest with myself (and you), I felt like my last attempt, lemon, was such a failure (not really that bad though, shrug) that…

  • Wells Family Favorites inside
    Am Reading,  Best Thing Ever,  Family Fun,  Food,  I've Got Mad Skillz,  Reflections on Parenting,  Tradition

    My GoodReads Reading Challenge Goal was Thwarted by…a Book.

    Last year I decided to spend more time doing something I had let fall by the wayside since I was a kid: read books. I got active on GoodReads and made a fairly ambitious (for me) reading challenge goal for 2018: 26 books. I fell short, reading “only” 22 books but was proud just the same. I probably hadn’t read 22 books in the ten years before that, all put together. It’s not that I don’t enjoy reading; I just used my free time for other creative pursuits. I decided to keep the same goal for 2019 and was projecting to achieve it easily when I took at look at…

  • strawberries
    Blessings,  Food

    Enjoying the Ritual

    One of the things I’m known for is the ability to be highly productive. I may procrastinate like nobody’s business, but typically I don’t let most people see me sweat. I’m excellent with deadlines and lists, and I like to think I multi-task fairly well, even though the truth is that nobody really multi-tasks well. It’s been about a year and a half since I worked full time (plus more, with the Listen To Your Mother show). I’m freelancing right now and contracted with a hospital in Ohio on a very part-time basis. Oddly enough, my productivity has suffered. Actually, it’s not odd to me: I have known the truth…

  • Review

    Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt: Okay, YUM.

    Ever since I was in the hospital for pancreatitis this summer I have been doing my best to follow a low-fat diet, with little treats thrown in now and then because one must enjoy life, am I right? Admittedly the whole eating thing can be a challenge at our house, because while I try to follow a low-fat, low-sodium diet, Jim has to follow a low-sugar diet. Unfortunately some of the very best foods for me are the very things he has to avoid, and vice versa, so it’s a balancing act. When the folks at Healthy Choice asked me to do a series of reviews for them, I quickly…

  • Review

    Is It Possible That Food Could Taste TOO Good? Nah.

    With all of the hub-bub surrounding the LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER show, I fell sadly behind on posting about a few other experiences I’ve had over the past couple of weeks. I’m back though, and getting back on the wagon… I don’t keep it a secret that I love to grocery shop. Not only am I a big fan of eating, but I also enjoy the actual act of grocery shopping, especially when I’ve got the time to do it right and as long as nobody touches my meat, because we all know what happens then. (It’s not pretty). It really helps when the store is a pleasure to visit.…

  • Fun in Chicago,  Skydeck Chicago

    Breakfast On The Ledge! Yoga On The Ledge!

    As most of you know, this summer I am a Skydeck Chicago Ambassador. It’s been really fun so far, being associated with the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower, one of the great buildings of the world! Although I’m not being financially compensated for this program, one of my benefits was the opportunity to enjoy “Breakfast on The Ledge”, and I took advantage of it on Monday. My companion for breakfast? My older son, D. Breakfast on The Ledge is a celebrity-style experience in which you eat a catered breakfast up on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower before Skydeck Chicago is open to the public. We started getting excited when…