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It’s time for my annual Christmas story. Before I begin, let’s set the stage … [embed] https://www.youtube.com/embed/a8n7NR5lK30[Embed] The above, in all its needle-felted adorableness, is courtesy of Dairy Farmers of Canada. I can’t figure out how they animated wool, but the video captures the feeling I had in...

Many children sport t-shirts that say, “Mother’s Little Darling.” Mine should have read, “Ruining Christmas Parties Since 1965.” I made a case for myself when I was 2 and disappeared at a Christmas open house. I sent everyone into a panic, only to be found...

May I present to you Mushroom & Chevre Hand Pies. These piping hot appetizers feature the often-ignored, much under-rated white button mushroom. Sure, a mushroom by any other name would sound more interesting, but why stuff a pricey, short-seasoned morel into pastry where it’s battling cheese,...

I’m in denial. It’s not October. The leaves are not turning colour. The nights do not have a chilly nip to them. And Thanksgiving is definitely not next week. My calendar begs to differ. On the plus side, with the holidays on the horizon, turkey is on...

Family Day is the perfect date to throw a baby shower. Mardi of eat. live. travel. write organized a virtual shower for Jan of Family Bites to coincide with this national holiday, so everyone could attend. The internet renders the vast stretches of geography irrelevant, and ensures no snow boots or hats are required...

The weather has cooled just as I feel squashed against the ceiling of my baking limit. At a time when I can’t face another bag of flour or brick of butter, the overnight temperatures dip to chilly, pull-up-the-blankets digits. I awake to the hum of the furnace, the tip of...

So, Eric Idle came to dinner and was seated beside me. We were going to entertain the other guests with a ripping rendition of The Dead Parrot skit. Only I was so busy thinking up clever tweets I forgot my lines. So I went upstairs to...

When I was very little, I thought my mother knew everything. Absolutely everything. If I had a question, she had an answer. If I had a problem, she had a solution. She cured my near-fatal bout of the mumps with teeny-tiny vanilla cupcakes. She could...

Seasons jumble in my head. Apricots and black currants are oh-so summer, except when the apricots are peaches and the currants are jam. Then it’s late fall -- Thanksgiving to be specific. Confused? So am I. I started out with two tasks on my agenda 1) make...

Writing a book is a lot like working in theatre. “Hurry up and wait!” is the mantra. You learn your lines (or write them in this case), hit your marks (deadlines) and then wait. For months. You watch the clock, the calendar and your nails...