Dear Customers, Last week marked the half-way point of 2023.  Today, we start the second six months with quite possibly the biggest summer holiday of the year.  While Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter may be a bigger deal, the 4th of July occurs when schools are closed, and people are traveling.  Whether it be a week-long…

Dear Customers, I’ve written before about the inefficiencies of the Gregorian calendar and how the federal government sometimes “rearranges” it to create “3-Day Federal holidays”.  This year presents a problem in that the Fourth of July will fall on a Tuesday next week.  So, the question arises, this year. . . do most Americans get…

Dear Customers, Oops, I did it again!  No, I’m not referring to the pop hit by Britney Spears, I’m referencing my apparent inability to use a calendar. This past Sunday was Father’s Day and I completely missed it.  That’s inexcusable, particularly since I’ve been one myself for 48 years! When I first started writing “Dear…

Dear Customers, My favorite month of the year is already going to be half over this week!  If only there were a way to slow it down.  I propose that January, February and March each get cut down to two weeks each and that the leftover six weeks get tacked onto June! Cooking outdoors is…

Dear Customers, The first full week of June is when many families with school-aged children leave for vacation.  It’s almost as if they can’t wait another day because the chalk dust from the blackboards hasn’t even settled yet, and for some that’s completely understandable.  The pressures and problems of the past year make a break…

Dear Customers, Every year when June rolls around I’m physically struck by just how beautiful this area we call home can become.  The word, “lush” pops up every time I try to describe the Pennsylvania Wilds to a relative or friend who doesn’t live around here.  We are truly blessed, particularly this time of year. …

Dear Customers, Calendars are a helpful and necessary invention.  Without them, I’d forget appointments, birthdays and assorted celebrations!  They are based upon astronomical cycles according to fixed rules.  For instance, the first day of Winter is on or about December 21st.  Where we live, we’ve had plenty of cold weather and even some snow by…

Dear Customers, The middle of May is one of my favorite times of the year.  The leaves on our huge maple tree are slowly unfurling, providing shade where there hasn’t been any for the past seven months.  Blossoms on the fruit trees my dad planted are opening up to the sunshine and the ministrations of…

Dear Customers, If you are a carnivore, like me, meat is an important and well-loved part of your diet.  There are many, many methods for cooking meat and all of them have their advantages and disadvantages. Among these are steaming, boiling, slow-cooking, stir frying, sauteing, poaching, roasting, broiling, pressure cooking, deep frying and my personal…

Dear Customers, It’s not a contest by any means because I can find something to love about each of the 12 months of the year, but May & June have got to be right up there at the top of the list.  The maple trees are leafing out, the temperatures become more moderate and all…