As I write this, I am looking forward to the Thanksgiving feast to be enjoyed at daughter Cris'. I am taking a ton of mac and cheese (her kids love it) and maybe a surprise. We'll see. Of course, by the time you read this, Thanksgiving will have passed. After I finish this week's Re......

I guess this is my last of my biweekly columns before Thanksgiving. Can't believe it's almost Christmas. As I work, the leaves are still beautiful and blazing, even though falling. My grandsons were here and got the deck cleared of debris and the table and chairs covered for the rough months ah......

Dear Linda:
I had an occasion to be in an Amish home for dinner. One of the dishes served was a tomato cheese pie that was delicious. It was a pie crust filled with a custard/cheese mixture with chunks of tomato baked into it. The custard was very soft but held its shape when d......

Boy! I flew from the past to the future in a flash recently. Early on a Tuesday morning, hubby and I went to the Corn Crib, New Danville, and got our pumpkins ($1 each), a giant head of cauliflower ($1) and a cabbage the size of a basketball (75 cents). We walked in the unpaved lot and talked to the...

Good morning, Exchangers. Today, I'm going to talk about a favorite subject: Virginia. Or more specifically, Richmond, my hometown. A longtime Lancaster friend, Cathy Farmer, called me a few weeks back; she said she was clearing the basement and found a file box from the Museum of the Conf......

Exchangers, I was up and at this column at 7 a.m. It is now almost 11 a.m. Sometimes this computer and I just don't see eye-to-eye and I have no tech support like I did when I was in the office. It was a productive weekend. My work-a-bee grandsons were here Sunday to help inside and out. Ma......

I had an afternoon of swimming-pool fun planned for the day I'm writing this column; but, even though it's in the neighborhood of 80 degrees, the air is cool, crisp and there's a breeze. Feels like a day for outdoor activities other than the water to me. We have had some beautiful weather lately but...

Hard to believe, the unofficial end of summer is next week — Labor Day weekend. Most kids are headed back to school tomorrow; and, with that, comes the flurry of after-hour activities: sports, clubs, Scouts and so on. Schedules for parents become hectic as they drive their students to all......

Dear Linda:
... My dear friend, Loni Landis, gave me this recipe about a year ago and I hope you will find it a delicious way to use some of the bounty of zucchini that we all get blessed with during the summer months. I have tweaked it just a bit, as we love more robust ......

Sing along! The corn is as high as an — oh, you know! From the musical "Oklahoma!" And, I am having my fill of the delicious white, sweet ears of corn. Each year, as I tire of it, I freeze a little corn for the winter and try some new ways of using it. So, today, I'm passing along so......

Hope you all had a nice Fourth of July weekend. Mine was quiet, but good. Today, we are continuing talk of barbecue. Where I grew up in Richmond, Va., that meant going to Bill's BBQ, a fast-food-type place for what around here is called pulled pork on a roll, with Bill's special seasonings and ......

It's grilling season and the neighborhood grills are fired up. Respondents featured in today's column deal with barbecue — on the grill or in the oven — and granola. There will be more next time. In the meantime, this letter is one to enjoy!

Dear Linda:...

Hot enough for you? The humidity and pollen are not conducive to my breathing these days, so I am missing all the good sunshine and swimming-pool days. Maybe soon — I hope. We did grill Memorial Day and had the family and a few friends to share. It was the regular fare of burgers and......

"Rhubarb pie. Rhubarb pie. It might rain tomorrow. Better get some before I die." — John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival)

Saturday, May 17, Living section editor Anne Koenig was up to her elbows in rhubarb as she and others judged the Kitchen Kettle Village ......

I went to the "Go Red for Women" luncheon sponsored by the American Heart Association two Fridays ago — in the pouring rain. Inside, at Lancaster Country Club, however, the scene was bright and cheery. There was a silent auction, fashions, lots of chit-chat and, of course, food....

There are several signs each year that tell me spring is here. The cherry trees bloom along with the dogwoods and my front yard is a palette of pink, oh so pretty; my husband, Dave, is once again mowing the lawn; we and some of our friends are enjoying fresh asparagus from the garden — and bak...

In my last Recipe Exchange column, I ran a request for instructions for cooking rice. I received this answer.

Hi, Linda:
On April 6th, you requested tips for cooking "perfect" rice. I don't claim that this method is "perfect," but it makes ver......

The signs of spring are here. Even the cooler mornings smell like spring to me. And, I know it must be because husband Dave and daughter Cris' husband Ed have tilled the gardens and Dave and Cris have put in the early seeds. I cannot wait for radishes and scallions. They just taste so much bett......

Happy Easter, friends. Today is a grand celebration with our family — church services individually and then together for food, a nice dinner, usually featuring ham. I have recipes for you and Tom Tamski (who was featured last time); these should jazz up green beans, which Tom ranks as bla......

Exchangers, if you didn't move your clocks forward last night or at 2 a.m. today, don't forget to do it this morning and avoid problems all day! I have been out of play due to health reasons, but am now back full-blast, I hope. I have missed doing the column and thank those of you who called wi......

As I write this, it is the Sunday after Thanksgiving — hope you had as nice a day as I did. We were at my daughter's; there were about 15 people. She did the whole turkey deal and then brought out some leftovers for my out-of-town guests to have the next day. My husband insists on hav......

The temperatures have really dropped as I write this, and I have more soup recipes for you. 'Tis the time of year for soup. The best is prime rib vegetable! Once in a while, we have prime rib — we buy one rib, eat the centers of the two pieces and the rest is saved for the best vegetable s...

We have just concluded our family lobster fest, a tradition that grew out of visiting Uncle Charlie Collingwood in Maine. My husband makes a point of seeing him once a year. Lobster is generally very low in cost compared to what we get here and the best thing is there is an abundance of larger ......

Hi Linda:
Just wanted to let you know how delighted I was to read your article in the Sunday paper Sept. 9 on the Trinity Bread tradition. We receive part of our Sunday paper on Saturdays, so I was reading [your column] after just making a batch of the same bread for the church......

Trinity Bread lives! In East Petersburg, that is, at Trinity United Church of Christ, 2340 State St. A tradition that began 30 years ago is still going strong at the church, where women unite to make the bread that is given to newcomers as a sign of welcome and friendship. The goal then an......

Hard to believe, but Labor Day is upon us; kids soon will be boarding yellow buses; the days will be cooler and the nights frosty. This usually inspires cooking and baking for those of us who indulge in such efforts. The lazy days of summer and haphazard meals are behind us. We will still grill......