Appetizers

My friend Jenna asked why I couldn’t just throw all the buffalo chicken dip ingredients into one bowl and bake it, rather than dirtying every … Read more

The neighborhood Halloween party was in four hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing those elaborate themed desserts—you know, the ones that … Read more

I was supposed to be making a “Witches’ Brew” cheese ball for a Halloween party. You know the kind—covered in black pepper and pretzel sticks … Read more

My niece asked why I couldn’t just use a loaf of pumpernickel bread as the “dirt” for the Halloween board. I started to explain why … Read more

I used to think themed snacks were more trouble than they were worth. Honestly, the idea of cutting little faces into things or arranging food … Read more

I wasn’t trying to make hot sauce that day. Honestly, I’d stopped by my neighbor’s garage sale—just to grab a cheap lamp for my office—and … Read more

The plumber was hunched over my kitchen sink, muttering something about a pipe that had seen better days. I was two hours into a tailgate … Read more

I grabbed the wrong cream cheese. That’s how this whole thing started. It was the morning of the biggest game of the season, and I … Read more

There used to be a tiny deli in a strip mall off Route 9 that made the most incredible pickles. When they closed suddenly three … Read more

I wasn’t expecting lunchbox advice from my accountant, but there I was, knee-deep in tax paperwork, listening to him describe exactly how to make these … Read more