Since my daughters’ orthodontist was located in the Bloomfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh, I’ve spent many hours, wandering around the area waiting for various dental appliances – expanders, retainers, braces – to be put in and taken off. So one would think that I would’ve explored every nook and cranny of this primarily Italian neighborhood.
But last [...]

A few months ago, I went on a search for some real Pittsburgh “church lady” pierogies. You know, the type  made by hand by devoted church members in their parish basement.  The kind that don’t come from a cardboard box in the freezer section of the supermarket. Tender, butter and onion topped,  potato filled packets. [...]

I love wandering about, getting a bit off the beaten path looking for fun food finds. Due to a vivid memory of my dad getting very lost driving around South Philly, forty years later, I was still a little iffy about tackling the area myself.  So, during a trip to the eastern part of our [...]

Sugar and spice and everything nice. That’s how the poem goes, but it’s also the smell that flows out onto the street every time I pass The Enrico Biscotti Company in Pittsburgh’s Strip District.  Even when there’s nothing I need, I loop through the shop just to get a more intense whiff of the sweet [...]

The Philadelphia Flower Show is a grown-up gardener’s paradise, and it can be a wonderland of discovery and delight for children as well. The larger-than-life displays offer a unique setting in which to engage youngsters in the beauty of the natural world and ignite a lifelong passion for its precious plant life. The theme for [...]

In the last week, a good portion of Pennsylvania has seen a significant amount of snowfall. While the snow can be pretty, it can also mean that you become stuck in your own home for days at a time while waiting to be plowed out. And, while the first couple of hours can be fun, [...]

My sister Abby came to visit me this past weekend. I knew she was arriving Friday night, but I wasn’t sure what time, so I planned to go out to eat with her. She ended up not getting in until later, so we just ordered pizza, and decided to go out for lunch on Saturday!
I [...]

A few months ago, the wonderful folks from Alouette cheeses found my blog and offered me some free samples of their products to cook with and review. I then recently found out that Alouette is a French-owned company with its North American headquarters and plant in New Holland, PA.  Alouette has a large variety of products [...]

Two of my favorite back road stores to visit in Lancaster County are Country Housewares Store near New Holland and Miller’s Natural Foods in Bird-in-Hand. Both are Amish owned and operated.

I’ve been visiting Miller’s Natural Foods since the early 1980s. My uncle frequently bought antiques from a man named Eli Miller on Miller Lane in [...]

Recently, a friend introduced me to a very special cookbook that I not only enjoy reading for scrumptious recipes but for stories of our great Commonwealth. Settings: A Cookbook by Julie Sullivan is a well organized collection of culinary treasures from talented kitchen artists throughout PA. With each recipe, Ms. Sullivan does a great job [...]