There’s always a green salad with dinner in our house, usually the crunchier the better. If I told you how many hearts of romaine we go through in a week, you’d be unsettled. This salad, originally published in “Dinner Solved!”, is so heartbreakingly pretty that I always want people to come over just to admire […]

When Joanna Vander Plaats moved with her two young daughters to Grand Rapids, Michigan, nearly eight years ago, she wanted to find a friendly and welcoming neighborhood. The family’s move from Kalamazoo, a home they’d always known, was nerve-wracking. They didn’t know a single person in their new city — much less a friend who […]

My grandmother and mom grew roses, even though their roses were often plagued by bugs and diseases. But in recent years the rose industry has produced a number of carefree roses that anyone with six hours of sunshine and even a slightly green thumb can grow. Probably the first place to start a quest for […]

I received some flak after last week’s column in which I lamented the fact that my husband, having ended his last military command, returned home after years of being away, and he brought boxes of stuff with him. Specifically, he brought coffee mugs. Dustin and I have fought about coffee mugs for as long as […]

I roast potatoes all the time, usually taking thin-skinned larger potatoes and cutting them into manageable chunks. Which are delicious, if somewhat utilitarian on the plate. To kick up the presentation a notch, with no extra work, grab a couple of pounds of fingerlings instead. Fingerling potatoes are small, slim, stubby potatoes — finger-shaped, as […]

NEW YORK Stores can’t keep them in stock. Parents are scrambling to find them. And some schools have banned them. The mania for fidget spinners — the 3- inch twirling gadgets taking over classrooms and cubicles — is unlike many other toy crazes. They’re not made by a major company, timed for the holiday season, […]

Maybe you’ve already planted your tomatoes. I have not. I’m waiting until June 10. By then, even in my cold Zone 4 garden, I know there will be no more frost and the ground will be above 60 degrees. And the stars, moon and planets will be aligned from June 10 to 12 to promote […]

A week before Dustin came home for good after being relieved of his last military command, we had a conversation on text that went like this: Me: I can’t wait until you’re here for all the baseball games. Him: Me, too. Me: It’s starting to feel real. Him: Yes. Help me remember that the moving […]

MONTREAL We were looking for a fun, short family vacation, close enough to home that we could drive there, and far enough away that we could savor a bit of a different culture. We decided to head for Montreal. I had visited once before and always wanted to go back. Our two oldest sons (a […]

If you’ve got a powder room, chances are there’s a pedestal sink in it. The lavatory perches have long been the go-to option for small bathrooms, and even for full-size spaces where a less imposing fixture is desired. The simple bowl-on-a-stick concept has been given some imaginative rethinking in recent bath collections, and some are […]