Fixin' Leaks and Leeks

When a ceviche photo flashed across my phone’s screen, even the sandwich I was eating at work did a double take. “Well, hello there, lovely!” it said. And that’s where it ended because I closed my screen before my sandwich could run off to a deserted island with the ceviche—all while making bad puns, such… Continue reading Plenty of Ceviche in the Sea

During a zombie invasion, my best defense is a hatchet. This is what I learned when the Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks Team visited Dave and Buster’s restaurant and video arcade for the first time last weekend. Up until that moment, we were most likely avoiding the strobe lights, alarms, and perhaps the random Skee-Ball we… Continue reading Ready, Set, Throw!

As the soft whir of propellers from neighborhood drones drifts over the fence in the backyard, I’ve discovered that finally getting that hot tub does not attract space aliens. It attracts other things with cameras, spinning them into your orbit. And all you can do is wave and hope that the footage it produces goes… Continue reading Grabbing a Towel to Wrap Up: 2022 in Review

Bundle up with booze in your cup! The cookies are stacked in jars in a row, but the presents need wrapped with a shiny bow, and I just don’t have patience for one more thing, so pour me some cocoa with a peppermint zing. And that’s how I’ll dash to the finish this holiday season,… Continue reading Pour on the Cheer: Peppermint Schnapps Hot Cocoa

Pave the road to good intentions with swirls of caramel leading straight to an open bar! A bar cookie, that is—a really, really good bar cookie recipe I found in an old Cooking Light magazine circa 2003. After fixing dinner Friday night, I turned on the Tropical Holiday music station, threw caution to the wind—and… Continue reading Hit the Bar! Caramel Bar Cookies

Crafty shenanigans abound at the place where I work, so the craft alarm is always ringing—or on the fritz. I work with artists, so even lunch breaks turn into feasts of glitter and glue and all kinds of fun surprises—and here’s one thing I’ve learned: even in the hustle and bustle of the season, it’s… Continue reading Going Out on a Limb: Decorating Ornaments

Candy pellet casualties and frosting flops are part of the wonder and joy of watching the Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks gingerbread train careen down the tracks. What you see here results from a moment of weakness while grocery shopping at night. Nate and I were picking up a few odds and ends at the store… Continue reading Chugga Chugga Chew! Chew!

Pass the turkey with a heaping side of gratitude—or else. That’s the message behind Pilgrim, a horror film on Hulu, which is now a holiday tradition at our house. Nate, Alex, and I watched it while cuddled up with Thanksgiving leftovers and a weighted blanket for comfort. This film is definitely not intended for small… Continue reading Thanksgiving Dinner and a Movie: Pilgrim

In a frenzy of fall-themed fever dreams, where pumpkins and napkin holders blurred together, slid under the door, and reconstituted themselves as Butterball turkeys, I thought: Why not introduce a color I really associate with Thanksgiving: Pepto-Bismol pink? Feathers flew, and that’s when I ended up with the Hand-Turkey-that-Doesn’t-Resemble Fall-but-Maybe-it-Does-After-All. I was flipping through the… Continue reading Handy Turkey Table Decor

Baking a pie is like rearranging the furniture with two sticks and a bowling ball. For me it is, anyway. I start out precisely enough, but then I just throw the whole thing into a pie plate, press the dough down really hard, stick it in the oven, and hope for the best. Usually, I… Continue reading Meet Me for Mincemeat Ginger Snaps