Victoria Wesseler
Let Us Eat Cake
Years ago, a friend of mine gave me a recipe for a no fat, low calorie, quick and easy pineapple angel food cake. The best part, according to my friend, was that it only used two ingredients: a box of...
Strawberries and Leather
Everyone is always looking for the “next big thing”. And I think this is especially true in the culinary world. Faced with what some perceive as our easily bored and fickle palates, chefs seem to...
Asparagus and . . .
At some point during the day, most of us will ask the question “What’s for dinner tonight?” For the past six weeks, I knew with a good degree of certainty that my answer to that question would be...
The Only Guacamole and Margarita Recipes You'll Ever Need
A popular culinary magazine has a feature where they ask someone who they would invite, from the past or present, to a dinner party and what the person would cook for the meal. It’s a fun question to...
Patio Produce: Tomatoes
“Rufus, what do you have in your mouth? Oh, no…Rufus, give…” I could hear my husband’s voice booming across the property. What could that dog possibly have in his mouth this time? Please don’t...
An Ordinary Man
The proudest day of his life was the day he became an American citizen. He'd come to America from Poland after the war. He knew some English, a skill which he believed kept him alive in the concentration...
Patio Produce: Potatoes
Maybe it has something to do with Mr. Potato Head being my favorite toy when I was growing up; but I just love potatoes. The brief time I spent on very low or no carbohydrate diets was pure hell. I missed...
Patio Produce: Lettuce
You don't need acres of land to grow your own fresh, healthy and delicious produce. In fact, you don't need any land at all. If you have a sunny spot on a patio, you're in business. And while you aren't...
Are Grilled Foods Hazardous to Your Health?
True or False: Eating grilled meats can increase your risk of cancer.
Conventional wisdom says that grilling is a healthy way to prepare foods. But, you might be surprised at what Colleen Doyle, M.S.,...
Sauerkraut--Sweet Memories
When you meet a man in his early 40s, he usually comes with baggage. By then, we all have some. But when I met Robert, he didn't have any baggage. Instead, he had crocks. Huge gray crocks.
My husband...
Eat Dessert
"Should we order dessert?" I asked my mother as we scanned the menu the waiter handed me. We were enjoying our Saturday shopping and lunch afternoon at a favorite Italian restaurant and although we generally...
Chive Talkin'
Sometimes I sit in amazement and wonder about how a girl from the small industrial town of Naugatuck, Connecticut ever ended up living on seven acres in rural America. When I left the East Coast to attend...
Take A Healthy Bite!
I grew up in a Polish-Italian American family. We had spaghetti with various high-fat meats swimming in tomato sauce several times a week. We snacked on pepperoni wrapped with slices of white squishy...