When the smell of bread baking is present, it is impossible to have bad thoughts. Perhaps it is that the soul remembers the happy times when bread fed both the body and its soul. Last week, my recipe for rich, tangy, chocolatey sourdough brownies appeared in the Franklin Journal and is now available on my […]

The long awaited 4th of July weekend is here! Work weeks haven’t looked the same in a long time but there is something about this week that spells V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N! The kids are keeping us busy and showing us the joy of summertime fun. Take a minute to stop and enjoy a measuring lesson, science in […]

Many Sunday afternoons we would pile into the old Willis jeep and head off on an adventure. The jeep had two front seats; dad drove and mom sat beside him and held baby Hunky on her lap. My oldest sister Rita and the twins Donna and Doug and I sat on the iron benches over […]

NORTH LIVERMORE — June 28 service. “How Big is Your God,” was the title of today’s message with Isaiah 43:1-5 the scripture. Everyday we should take the time to be still and know our God; to thank Him for all He has done in our lives. No matter what is happening in our lives, good […]

It’s Strawberry Season! What is more delicious than fresh strawberries picked at peak perfection? Strawberries can be used to make jam, pies, juice, ice cream, milkshakes and chocolates, among other things. Today in an effort to use fewer synthetics in commonly used products such as lipsticks, soaps, and perfume, there are dozens of uses for this […]

Picnics in the park, family reunions, and religious celebrations bring people together to share food and create memories of smiling faces and happy hearts. Are there times when bringing people together around food is not so joyous an occasion? I reflected on middle school cafeteria lunchtime. My mother stuck heroically to a food budget. Yet, […]

Happy Father’s Day! Today’s scripture reading, John 13:12-17 with the message titled, “Are you an Example?” Today we recognize and honor those men who have acted as fathers in our lives, however, we must also honor our Father in heaven. In the scripture today Jesus is giving us an example of how we are to […]

Summer is the time when we all enjoy picnics and BBQ’s but the warmer weather and food left out of the refrigerator can become a problem. Always use a cooler for meats, even those that have been cooked. Two hours out of the cooler could possibly be enough time for contamination. Before preparing food, wash […]

Who ever heard of a vice-presidential race? Who could possibly care if there was one? No one has ever held the office in respect. “Cactus Jack” Garner, Roosevelt’s first vice president, concluded that the office wasn’t “worth a pitcher of warm spit.” Some say that Jack actually filled that pitcher with a different bodily fluid. […]

Like many of us during the time of this coronavirus, I am feeling “jaggedy”. So I bake and share food. Many people are feeling this therapeutic calling to bake. I’m especially intrigued that many people are baking sourdough bread. There doesn’t seem to be an obvious answer as to why people begin their cooking experience […]