living-life-forte

[living-life-forte]

Easy Blueberry Hand Pies

This is the story of having “eyes bigger than my stomach.” One of my favorite breakfasts is a scoop of Greek yogurt topped with fresh blueberries. I’m a sucker for a sale at the market, but it’s hard to eat 2 lbs of blueberries faster than they ripen. That’s when this recipe comes in handy. Those not-so-perfect berries are perfect for a luscious pie filling, and the small hand pies can be frozen…

[living-life-forte]

Water Series: Nuthatch Evening Bath

The nuthatch came to the birdbath like an old man visiting the seaside. Beak upturned and heavy brow, he measured the angle of the sun. Checked the depth of the water. Tossed a beakful into the air to measure the temp. He waded up to his knees. Stood thoughtfully, then took a quick plunge and a splash. His bath finished, he stepped out. Shoulders hunched. Brow furrowed. I wished for a tiny towel…

[living-life-forte]

Solo

The other evening, I stood outside, embraced by the cool fog that gently rolled in. A profound stillness settled over the land, with every bird and beast quiet in the twilight. I shared this tranquil moment with a lone turkey vulture, its dark silhouette gracefully circling the canyon before gliding west into the mountains for the night.

[living-life-forte]

Lighten up a Classic: Chicken Bolognese

I’m a sucker for a sale. 5 for $5 in the meat department means I’m buying 5 of something I most likely don’t have room for in the freezer. This fact will be repeatedly noted by my beloved. “There’s ground chicken in the freezer.” Yes. There was. I bought it to replace ground turkey in our taco salads, but the June gloom had started and I wanted something more comforting–so chicken bolognese. I…

[living-life-forte]

The Luck o'the (1/4) Irish

I am a descendant of the Fanning clan. Our people came to the “New World” in time to fight in the Revolutionary War. And while they are just a quarter of who I am, I am fascinated by their history and who they became in their new homeland. So, on March 17th each year, I suddenly become 100% Irish instead of just a little bit. And this year, I served my non-Irish partner his first taste of Irish…

[living-life-forte]

Brie Pasta with Duck Confit & Yuzu Marmalade

In April, we had spent the evening grazing through the menu at a destination restaurant in Sonoma. The night was rice and wonderful. After dinner, we left with two boxes of tidbits. In one box was a duck leg confit. There wasn’t enough for a meal, so we transformed it into an indulgent pasta dish. Combining the rich, tender duck with creamy brie, this recipe was a new level of decadence. Serves…

[living-life-forte]

Don't Think Less of Him

Late in the day, there was a break in the rain. The drumming of raindrops was quickly replaced by chirps, chitters, and birdsong. I looked up from my computer to see rays of light catching on a small spot of yellow — a lesser goldfinch. He sat stoically while his olive mate foraged for the best seeds on the far side of the feeder. Was he basking in the moment of warmth? guarding his bride? or…

[living-life-forte]

Back in Flight

Thankfully, months of hard work with the right physician, the right physical therapist, the right occupational therapist (and the right budtender) has diminished pain to a manageable stage. And I have brought out the camera again.

I put my DSLR away in 2019. 2019 was bad. The loss of my godmother and father, frightening family trauma, and the end of 10 years of employment sent me into a mental and emotional tailspin. Soon my physical health faced the same fate. A small pain in my shoulder that started in late 2018 became intolerable and spread to my arm and lymph nodes. By 2021, no position allowed me to sit or sleep for…

[living-life-forte]

Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches

For the Cookies 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal For the Cream Filling 15 unsalted butter, softened 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted 1 1/2…

[living-life-forte]

Mixed Mushroom Lasagna w/Red Wine

This recipe is a riff on one I learned in a cooking class led by Liz Sofo –a gourmet wiz in the Greater Toledo area–in the late 90s. A local gourmet shop had a wonderful demonstration kitchen, and Liz was a dynamic teacher who mixed storytelling and humor as easily as she whisked sauces. I hadn’t made this recipe in over 15 years, and with my newfound skills, I was able to make it my own. Though…

[living-life-forte]

Stovetop Golden Smothered Pork Chops

Smothered pork chops are not a food of my partner’s culture, but they are definitely part of my Midwestern childhood. When I first served baked smothered pork chops from the oven with the layers of chops and onions and creamy white mushroom sauce, it blew my partner’s mind. Two weeks ago, he began mentioning that there were pork chops in the freezer that “need to be eaten” followed by “smothered…

[living-life-forte]

Old School Chicken and Dumplings (soup style)

December 2023 called for comfort food. Plus, we needed to use our new Lodge Dutch oven. I had been thinking about the dumplings of my childhood and thought this fit the bill. We were very happy with the results and has that soothing old-fashioned flavor. It tastes even better the second day when the dumplings have had a chance to soak up all of the wonderful juices. Creamy Chicken…

[living-life-forte]

Dreaming of Summer: Spicy Gazpacho

Whenever I make gazpacho for my family or friends, I tell them a joke that is older than I am: A man calls the server over to his table at the restaurant. Man: Waiter, my soup is cold. Server: It’s gazpacho. Man: Ok. Gazpacho, my soup is cold. But I digress. One of my favorite gazpachos is made by Rosie’s Italian Grille in Toledo, Ohio. There is nothing that beats a cool and spicy bowl to…

[living-life-forte]

What's cooking for Lent? Vegetarian Black Bean Chili with Chipotle and Orange in the Slow Cooker

Chili when you’re chilly makes sense. And this is hearty even without the meat. Here we are in the Lenten season again. For the two of us, this means meatless meals on Fridays. I take this as a personal challenge to spread my culinary wings to make something tasty and fulfilling. As a subscriber to all things Food & Wine magazine, a recent recipe inspired me to spin my own two-person chili…

[living-life-forte]

"Inauthentic" Shrimp Po'Boys

Now that you have extra brioche hotdog buns … We all know that hotdogs and buns never come out even. And that is even more true when there are just two people. So here we sat with extra buns. A snoop through the freezer revealed shrimp that we had left over from my mom’s visit. Time for po’boys. This was an update from my oyster version a while ago, and the changes came because I wanted to use…

[living-life-forte]

Adventures in Education

I thought that I would share a little of the assignments that I am completing to help spark those of your who are also on an educational adventure--or simply want to know that an old dog can learn new tricks. These aren't pretty. It is just my dialogue wi

Using Music with ELL Students If you didn’t know, one of my gigs is as a writing lecturer at the university level. Being a lecturer is far more uncertain than my days as a tenured secondary school teacher. There is a great deal of grappling for classes, worrying about healthcare, and simply staying relevant in the ever-changing world of academia–especially for those of us nearer to retirement…

[living-life-forte]

Rolling in the Dough ... and salt

Rolling in the Dough … and salt

Soft Pretzel Bites In the time B.C.19, I traveled to Pacific Palisades to help wish my niece good travels as she returned to Australia for vet school. One evening, the family visited a neighbor’s home where I encountered a blast from my 70’s childhood: cheese fondue. But it was never as amazing as this. Smooth raclette cheese was paired with fresh vegetables and a local shop’s unbelievable…