Fixin' Leaks and Leeks

Blizzards of powdered sugar are in the forecast, and I suspect that a chef’s apron will be useless against the onslaught. So I’m donning a ski suit to breeze past gum drop forests and slide across buttered Bundt pans to land face first in a cookie jar. The first rule of landing face first in… Continue reading Cooky Cookie Christmas Countdown

Thanksgiving is a Boeing 777X, screeching to a halt, and my kitchen is the runway. The pressure is on. I’ll be starting a new job, which means that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I’ll begin meal preparations later than I’ve ever done before. Also, Alex invited his college friends from China to spend their first-ever Thanksgiving… Continue reading Pre-Thanksgiving Cocktail

Faulty file cabinets are threatening to ruin Thanksgiving in our house this year. They have been crammed with so many things I thought I needed to keep “on file,” that they are heavy enough to come crashing down, through the ceiling, into the gravy boat, and crush the delicate “handprint” turkey centerpiece we made as… Continue reading Fall Project: Getting the File Cabinets to Close

A sheet pan of lasagna, wrapped in a cape of bubbly cheese, is just the superhero needed to save a group of roommates, trapped in the dorm on a Sunday night, commiserating over tough classes and a high-stakes video game tournament that took a nosedive into a steaming landfill. Alex, the only child of the… Continue reading Lasagna to the Rescue!

If screaming-hot popcorn kernels, catapulted from the eerie bowels of an air popper, are just the thrill you need this Halloween, mosey on up to the Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks kitchen for an extra-special treat. Ghosts are haunting this joint, and they’ve spun themselves into marshmallow-sugar balls to terrify your insides. But don’t worry, they’re… Continue reading Ghost Popcorn Balls

The craft alarm, today, sounded like shipping containers in distress—filled with festive kraken parts—plopping into the Pacific Ocean during a bomb-cyclone-atmospheric-river-event. However, this member of the Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks Team is safe inside, doing a craft that’s quick; involves just a few markers; and does not require a crane, the United States Coast Guard,… Continue reading Craft Alert: Haunted House Craft

DIY Ghost Stories—Year Number Five! If ghosts and monsters want to jump out at me from under the stairs or a garbage disposal, I should at least not have to pay for such a thing. It’s my philosophy that getting scared during Halloween—or any other time of the year—should not cost a thing. Each year,… Continue reading DIY Ghost Stories: Year Number 5!

When the bottoms of pumpkin spice marshmallows billow out in spooky ways, sinking into the abyss of my hot apple cider, I know that it’s finally time to put dead-looking things in the yard and stuff candy corn in all of my pockets. It’s also time for mad-scientist-style kitchen experiments while Nate’s settled in, watching… Continue reading Pumpkin Spice Marshmallow Experiment

Hum-drum errands lists can sizzle with sinister vibes with just a little tweaking. This October, put that run-for-your-life feeling into your run-to-the-store, and enjoy spine-tingling jitters that last all month long. For instance, if your child breaks a guitar string in their dorm room, tell them it’s not their fault. Their dorm room is haunted… Continue reading Scary October Errands List

If bruschetta had an evil twin, it would be a Ritz cracker topped with a slice of tomato and melted cheddar cheese. At least, that’s what Nate thought when I brought up my favorite snacky-snack of all times, last night, when we sat down to watch Malignant. Me: Ritz cracker snacks are the best—so buttery—and… Continue reading Bruschetta Movie Night: Malignant