Fixin' Leaks and Leeks

Bananas and ice cream are missing from the grocery store shelves in the Greater Seattle area because we are experiencing an extremely rare, but “catastrophic” snow event that has turned nearly everyone stark raving mad. And I am one of them. Without bananas and ice cream, Nate, Alex, and I are left alone in this… Continue reading Emergency Preparations for When the Sky is Falling

Breathing into a paper bag is the only way I know how to welcome an air fryer into my kitchen. I’m just so darned “hyperventilating excited.” Nate bought me an air fryer for my birthday last month and I. Cannot. Control. Myself. It’s like I’m in the studio audience of a daytime talk show and… Continue reading Ode to the Air Fryer

The “Spring Break, Do Not Enter” sign is on the home office door, along with a Hawaiian lei for special effect—because I have a sun lamp. I’m hoping this lamp will be powerful enough to project an in-your-face “beachy sun,” which is extremely rare in the Pacific Northwest this time of year. Sometimes, I spend… Continue reading “Light Therapy” of Spring Break Proportions

The Fixin’ Leaks and Leeks kitchen, over the years, has squirmed with live shrimp, bubbled with casseroles of outlandishly cheesy proportions, and ridden out the “flournado” storm of pie-making attempts. Time and again, I swear that the kitchen appliances have looked at me as if to say, “What in the *!!## are you doing and… Continue reading Made My Dish Award!

Pizza Pasta Panic is a chaotic, yet tasty blend of bow-tie pasta elegance and pepperoni pizza. It also perfectly describes my state of mind when I was making this casserole: Confused. Very confused, but determined because I signed up to bring a pasta dish to a swim team pre-meet potluck, which is very, very intimidating.… Continue reading Pizza Pasta Panic

When bowling teams cry out in desperation, “Help! We’re winning too many points! Who will save us?”—I know just what to do. Bowling like a wild tornado that rips through gutters and puts a hole in the floor is my superpower. But I’ve not used my powers often enough and I’ve felt this gnawing feeling—like… Continue reading Bowl Like Everyone is Watching

Escaping unnecessarily invasive space aliens was high on my list of goals for 2018 and I’m happy to report that I prevailed. Whew! Here’s to prudent goal setting! Cheers! However, I know that I must up my game because “playing it safe” is kind of boring. Every year I put the same thing on my… Continue reading Upping the Goal-Setting Game for 2019: I Will Dance in a Parade!

The butter situation in the state of Washington is out of control and I’m losing my Betty Crocker mind. “You must face your dairy demons alone,” Betty says in a dream-like haze. “This is how you learn.” And this is what I’ve learned: If I use a cup of butter made or packaged here in… Continue reading Butter Bumbles and Cookie Crumbles

When rum balls and gingerbread are bursting at the delicate seams of your holiday guests’ insides, a touching “Hallmark-style” recitation is just the tonic they need. I know this for sure because recently, after starchy meals, I’ve just started watching the Christmas specials on the Hallmark Channel and I’ve been pleasantly surprised. This season, when… Continue reading Create a Hallmark Special Christmas Story to Recite at Parties

“Interviewing” trees at the local U-cut farm is a grueling process because, in order to be the crowning gem of a memorable holiday hoopla in our house, the tree must have sticky-out branches with the ability to unravel ugly sweaters, goose the cat, and make mischievous, merry, and bright well past the new year. Being… Continue reading Mischievous, Merry, and Bright