Celebrate Tonight With A Champagne Cocktail
The Oscars are tonight! The last drink in my liquid countdown to The Oscars is a Champagne Cocktail: The Bubbly Maple Leaf Cocktail, in honor of the film Argo. Let’s celebrate all the great films tonight.
Read More...Fancy Fresh Fruit for a Manitoba Potluck BBQ
I’m at my parents’ home in Manitoba where it is *actually* springtime. There’s a crispness to the lilac-scented air that Floridians only ever feel in January (if we’re lucky). The air here is not the only thing spoiling us. My toddler has been showered with toys, jelly beans and attention. And, since my room is [...]
Read More...Wake up to a Mediterranean Sandwich (Recipe from the Falcon Lake Deli)
I just saw a Subway billboard that read, “A great sub ahead of time! Now open at 7am.” I wondered, “Who wants a sub at 7am???” Then I remembered the first Saturday I waited tables at my parents’ Falcon Lake Deli. They wanted me there at 9am. I didn’t have a clue why they needed [...]
Read More...The Pittmans’ Restaurants
The following text appears on the cover of the Pittman’s on 44 menu. I wrote it a few years ago when my brother and his wife took over the restaurant from my parents. (Items in parentheses are my added comments and do not appear on their menu.) Pittman’s On 44 is where it all began [...]
Read More...Melty Brie with Garlic, Red Pepper and a Year in the Life of Pittman’s on 44
My brother Mike and his wife Angela (owners / operators of Pittman’s on 44) spend spring gearing up for summer. They plan new menu items and get the staff (mostly students) into shape before May Long hits. From that weekend on it’s non-stop insanity. I know because I’ve had a spin in the whirlwind of [...]
Read More...When Life Gives You Lemons
One night last week my mom posted on Facebook that she and my dad were cozily waiting out the blizzard that was blowing through Manitoba. I woke the next morning imagining snow on the ground. I looked out the window at lush palm trees with a bright blue backdrop and felt lost. I plastered a [...]
Read More...Thanksgiving Stories
We moved from Canada to Florida nearly two years ago. Last year around this time I wrote the piece found below. The phrase “It IS Thanksgiving Here” is in response to an episode of the podcast Cast On. Cast On is meant to be listened to while knitting (or crocheting or spinning). But this particular [...]
Read More...Baby it’s Warm Outside: Roast Pork and Canadian-Floridian Braised Cabbage
While my friends and family back in Canada look out the window at that storm, I’m sitting in balmy warmth remembering childhood holidays filled with waves upon a tropical shore. The white blanketed images that I’ve seen posted on Facebook (it’s up to your knees out there!) make me want to cook something warm and [...]
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