Few things raise Minnesotans’ collective glee quite like when our frosty state earns mention in the New York Times – particularly when America’s paper of record gets Minnesota very, very wrong. Remember “Mort’s”? And so we greeted with a good deal of mock outrage and secret merriment the Times’ strange assertion, in an article about the Thanksgiving […]

Merry Christmas! Remember our tree? I wanted to make more this year at as gifts but couldn’t wrap my head around how to transport them. Perhaps a very long tube?

As planned, we journeyed to Bide-A-Wee Thursday morning for Thanksgiving. The turkey was the best we’d ever tasted, white and dark meat included. We met Brett’s grouse, of the Grilled Grouse at Bide-A-Wee. It was very soft and its neck still moved. Some of my favorite pictures from the day were of Brett and Mary’s wirehaired […]

There won’t be any dishes to do or wishbones to save at casa Martha & Tom this year. We are headed to Brett & Mary’s, who joined us here last year, for a Bide-a-Wee Thanksgiving. Tom made his pâté, for the third year running, and I made a pumpkin pie. We wish you a wonderful […]

I put away our Christmas ornaments today and disassembled the tree; I packed up the lights around the window, the “candles” in the dining room, and the gingerbread tea light holders. Because we’re not quite finished burning through this year’s Frasier Fir candles, I’ll keep our new Sagaform votive holders out a little longer. The spot where […]

Today is Epiphany, the day the Three Kings reach the manger, or pesebre, to present their gifts to Jesus. I’m not sure to what extent Epiphany is celebrated in the United States* beyond special readings for Catholic masses near the date, but it’s always had significance for my family in that it marks the end […]

Was it the stuffing? The mashed potatoes? No. I’ve realized my favorite parts of Thanksgiving are not so specific as one dish on the table. As Tom and I begin to establish our own Thanksgiving traditions, I’ve become attached to many of them. This was our firstofficialthanksgivingasamarriedcouple and we were lucky to enjoy it with […]

Not exactly my favorite holiday, but I’ll take any excuse to bust out my heart-shaped molds!

Forget the food! Here’s the table setting before we filled every possible surface with a bowlful of stuffing.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. This was the second year in a row in which I was cooking in isolation from my extended family in Michigan since relocating to Minnesota. I miss having my whole family together and all their different contributions to the meal. On the other hand, cooking in Minneapolis for a […]