Snickerdoodles – and staying.

Every single time I make Snickerdoodles for some sort of gathering or event, someone says “Snickerdoodles are my favorite!” Every. Single. Time. Snickerdoodles are unique because of (at least) three things: Cream of Tartar for that distinct tang. A cinnamon sugar coating. And crispy edges due to a 400 degree baking temperature. To whom do […]
Giving 17 its moment.

In psychological experiments where people are asked to pick a random number between 1 and 20, 17 is chosen far more than any other number. This happens so much that 17 has come to be known as the least random number. A valid Sudoku puzzle cannot be made with fewer than 17 clues. A traditional […]
Robert Frost – and 7 things that make decisions feel harder.

I have more than once in this space told you of my love for the book (and movie — and now musical!) The Outsiders. And part of what I love about it is the poem Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost. When I read it in the ’80s, it was my first introduction to […]
Olly Olly Oxen Nope (the fish follow-up!)

Exactly a year ago, I wrote about a childhood game of hide and seek – and about a belief I wanted to let go of: “I can’t change.” To make it tangible (and a little silly), I gave myself a goal:Learn to like seafood. More specifically: become the kind of person who doesn’t automatically say […]
Checking in without Checking out

This may come as a surprise to some of you but I’m not much of a goal-setter in the traditional sense of the word. I am much less of a five-year plan, color-coded spreadsheet, every to-do written down gal and much more of a let’s make a vision board or journal on a worksheet gal. […]
Plussing it.

Did you know that Walt Disney loved making motion pictures but didn’t love his ‘pictures’ being finished? Fascinating, right? Most of us love things being finished. In his own words: “A picture is a thing that once you wrap it up and turn it over to Technicolor, you’re through. Snow White is a dead issue […]
What the heck is Parkin Cake?

I am fully immersed in the latest season of The Great British Baking Show, like many of you! And maybe it’s due to my OCD tendencies, but the part I love best is the Technical Challenge. During the Technical Challenge, all the bakers are asked to bake the same surprise something (often several of […]
Red, Dad, and Blue – and Utah’s Holy War.

I grew up in a split home. No, not that kind of split. Let me explain. There’s a college rivalry in our state that dates back – depending on who you ask – at least to 1922, maybe earlier. We’re talking over A HUNDRED YEARS. It’s the face-off between the University of Utah and Brigham […]
Rim to Rim and a big ‘ole belief.

A great big group of my greatest bestest friends are doing something Great and Big next week: they will take lots of water, layers of clothing, trekking poles, and nutritious snacks and hike the Grand Canyon – a strenuous 20 miles from Rim to Rim. I have 0% desire to take on this particular […]
Darren’s one of these. Are you?

We just passed the end of the month. In our house the end of the month comes with comments and discussions that sound like this… “Well, I’ve got 3 days before I know about my month….” Or“I’m 15% over my month…” Or “It looks like I’m going to hit my month…” Etc. Darren is a […]