Nothing compares to fall in New England. While we lived there, we were able to experience the explosive fall colors that painted the landscape from Massachusetts to Maine. In New England, they take Thanksgiving pretty seriously. After all, it is where it all began. The holiday feast dates back to November 1621, when the newly…
When I became engaged, I made the decision to convert to Judaism. I attended weekly meetings with our rabbi for several months, leading up to my conversion ceremony when I officially became a Jew. However, it wasn’t until a trip to Israel a year later that I made the decision to become a b’nai mitzvah….
As a columnist, my deadline runs about a month before this magazine goes to print. As I begin to pen this article about the warm days of summer, I am sitting in front of my computer wearing a fleecy sweatshirt and sweat pants with a comfy blanket wrapped around my legs. It’s a damp and…
Physical activity has always been an important part of my life. Over the years I have benefited from everything from aerobics to Zumba. As I get older, I realize how valuable regular exercise is to my overall well-being. Along with making me physically stronger, it helps me mentally by reducing stress and promoting a more…
I love entertaining, therefore the task of having a large group to share a Passover seder is never a daunting one. Whenever we entertain, my husband pleads with me to “just keep it simple.” He tells me that it’s perfectly fine that everything isn’t made from scratch, and I don’t need to serve several courses…
Lately, I have become a little obsessed with a TV show on HGTV called “Fixer Upper.” The hosts of the show are funny man and veteran home builder Chip Gaines and his extraordinarily talented designer and “straight man” wife, Joanna. In each episode the pair selects three properties for their potential buyers to choose from….
First comes love, then comes marriage. I have often said, tongue in cheek of course, that GETTING married is a lot more fun than BEING married. The excitement of planning a wedding is intoxicating. Newlyweds are bathed in the bliss of anticipating their new lives together. Marriage is what comes after the party is over….
As we enter into a new calendar year we instinctively feel that it is time again for us to make a mental list of New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, we may spend only a couple of months adhering to them. It’s funny to me that the ringing in of the New Year seems to give some…
When I teach cooking classes I usually explain to my students that there are basically three ways to cook almost anything. The first method is direct heat, which includes grilling, searing or pan sautéing. The second is indirect heat, meaning that the food is surrounded by dry heat that does not come into direct contact…
We all remember a time when we couldn’t wait to be older. Rites of passage like getting a license to drive, graduation, our first apartment, marriage and children led to the feeling of being a “grownup.” We were on our own and able to take care of ourselves. We made our own choices and decisions…
