Appetizers

My neighbor Mark asked me why I couldn’t just skip the baking soda bath for pretzels. I started to explain why that wouldn’t work — … Read more

My neighbor Carol watched me fumbling with a block of Velveeta on a Tuesday afternoon. I was trying to unwrap the plastic without getting cheese … Read more

There used to be a little sports bar on the corner of Elm and 4th called The Rusty Mug that made the best buffalo chicken … Read more

My husband asked why I couldn’t just pile everything on one big board instead of making separate plates for each of us. I started to … Read more

The Super Bowl party was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. I mean, who does that? My neighbor, Karen, had been planning her buffalo … Read more

This was supposed to be buffalo chicken dip. You know, the classic, gooey, scoop-it-with-a-chip kind. I had the cream cheese softening on the counter, the … Read more

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