I had no idea his invitation was a one-time only opportunity. We were rarely alone, in fact I felt like he had been avoiding me for years. He’d tense up if I tried to hug him, I don’t recall much physical affection between us. Our conversations were brief and mainly perfunctory. He’d tell jokes, make ridiculous puns, […]

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  • June 3, 2015 - 8:09 am

    Quirky Chrissy - This makes me so incredibly sad. You are a beautiful person and he certainly missed out on knowing that. I’m sorry for both of you.ReplyCancel

    • June 3, 2015 - 11:18 am

      nrlowell@comcast.net - Thanks Chrissy. If you had known him you would have found my father kind and funny and thoughtful, it was with those closest to him he maintained a distance.ReplyCancel

  • June 3, 2015 - 8:30 am
  • June 4, 2015 - 4:30 pm

    Pandahaus - Writing down what’s real is a service to the rest of us. Complicated fathers make for a lot of real.ReplyCancel

    • June 4, 2015 - 4:46 pm

      nrlowell@comcast.net - J. Thanks. It certainly helps me 🙂ReplyCancel

  • July 23, 2015 - 5:03 pm

    The Liebster Award | The Every Other Day Diet - […] « Picnic FareOne-time Only » […]ReplyCancel

Bryce Warden from  http://wasthatmyoutloudvoice.com/ a fellow blogger has nominated me for the Liebster Award, and I feel honored, thankful, and relieved to get to write a post answering her 11 questions. It can be daunting to generate three new posts weekly, in fact last week I managed only two. This week I’ll be getting back […]

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  • June 1, 2015 - 11:36 am

    Quirky Chrissy - You can grab three things as you run out of your burning house (all the people/pets are already out) what are you grabbing?
    Family heirloom jewelry
    Non-expiration Disney World passes (My mom wouldn’t have it any other way)
    The Barbie collection I’ve saved for 20 years.
    (Honestly, this was hard for me, because as long as the people are out, almost everything is replaceable/just stuff and photographs/content are backed up online.)

    What would you want for your last meal?
    What song can get you out of any funk?
    Stick or automatic?
    What was the best book you read this year?
    What is your favorite, never miss a post blog?
    Are you messy or tidy; did you make your bed this morning?
    How far from where you live now were you born?
    Do you leave one or two spaces after a period?
    If you have any pets, what are their names?
    What do you do when you’re running dry of ideas?ReplyCancel

  • June 1, 2015 - 11:42 am

    Quirky Chrissy - You can grab three things as you run out of your burning house (all the people/pets are already out) what are you grabbing?
    Family heirloom jewelry
    Non-expiration Disney World passes (My mom wouldn’t have it any other way)
    The Barbie collection I’ve saved for 20 years.
    (Honestly, this was hard for me because as long as the people are out, almost everything is replaceable/just stuff and photographs/content are backed up online.)

    What would you want for your last meal?
    Cheese

    What song can get you out of any funk?
    Santa Monica by Everclear

    Stick or automatic?
    Automatic

    What was the best book you read this year?
    Dear Stephanie by Mandi Castle – SWOON

    What is your favorite, never miss a post blog?
    Hacker.Ninja.Hooker.Spy.

    Are you messy or tidy; did you make your bed this morning?
    Messy. No, although Brian tried…

    How far from where you live now were you born?
    well, I’m 10 minutes from the apartment my parents lived in when I was born. 30 minutes from the hospital. 5 minutes from the home I grew up in/where my parents still live.
    (In Chicago distance is measured in minutes).

    Do you leave one or two spaces after a period?
    One. I never understood the purpose of two.

    If you have any pets, what are their names?
    All imaginary. Though I am a furbaby aunt to dogs (Kira, Boo), a hedgehog (Biscuit), a rabbit (Mr. Brown), and I think a hamster.

    What do you do when you’re running dry of ideas?
    Read. Skip a post. Although to be perfectly honest, I always have a lot of ideas, I just get so exhausted that I skip days of writing in favor of watching TV.ReplyCancel

    • June 2, 2015 - 8:37 am

      nrlowell@comcast.net - Chrissy, great answers! Thanks. I think you’re supposed to post this on your blog, but I don’t make the rules, nor do I enforce them 🙂ReplyCancel

  • June 1, 2015 - 9:16 pm

    Peggy Gilbey McMackin - Hello Nancy, Thank you so kindly for thinking of me and Spiced Peach Blog in the Liebster Award. So, rolling up my sleeves for a moment. Liebster: place I typically enjoy reading the answers about other folks, most of which I could never answer so interestingly, and, I’m not a person who has many single “favorites”- well, all except its sometimes annoying to close friends that I think everything is the ‘best ever.’ That being said, Chefs Last Diet is one of my favorite blogs, so you rank, highly, in my well written blog category. And, I admire how you come up with so many interesting ideas and those well thought out and delivered, and prolifically. Lots of hard work, it shows. A fire, everyone safe, I’d grab my wallet, cell phone, and reading glasses. I don’t know 11 smaller blogs who haven’t been already acknowledged. Last Meal? You mean feast, I already said,I don’t have single “favorites,” but Love dancing and shakin’ the butt to MC Hammer’s ‘Can’t Touch This’ my, my my.. for good spirits. Automatic cars are smoother to get where one is going and catch a few moments to enjoy their favorite books of the year, Julia Child’s My Life in France, Gabrielle Hamilton, Blood Bones & Butter, and I love Ruth Reichl.I never miss a David Lebovitz Post. I make beds in the morning and will not get into an unmade bed if for some reason it there was no time in the morning,it gets made before bed. I cook a lot and I have a food blog, being very tidy- but things go temporarily downhill fast depending on preparations, photo shoot, and dishes. Forty minutes away from where I was born, no pets, Vasca, Portuguese Water Dog died at 17. Walking, being out, produce markets, and reading are all inspirational, generally now one space after a period. Thanks Nancy!ReplyCancel

    • June 2, 2015 - 8:39 am

      nrlowell@comcast.net - Wow Peggy, I feel like I just took a roller coaster ride through your brain! FUN! Love your answers.ReplyCancel

  • June 4, 2015 - 9:18 pm

    11 Random Things About Me (Liebster Award) - […] are my responses to Nancy’s […]ReplyCancel

    • June 5, 2015 - 7:10 am

      nrlowell@comcast.net - Suheiry, Thanks for being the ONLY one of my Liebster nominees to play! Loved your answers.ReplyCancel

  • July 8, 2015 - 9:30 am

    The Liebster Award | Dukan Diet – US - […] Share|Tweet Post|Pin Post|+1 […]ReplyCancel

  • July 23, 2015 - 5:00 pm

    The Liebster Award | The TQI Diet - […] Share|Tweet Post|Pin Post|+1 […]ReplyCancel

  • July 23, 2015 - 5:02 pm

    The Liebster Award | The Every Other Day Diet - […] Share|Tweet Post|Pin Post|+1 […]ReplyCancel

I love picnic fare, and though I can’t recall the last time I picnicked that doesn’t stop me from eating foods I associate with summer, picnics, and barbecues. You may consider grilled meats the star of the show, but how often do you find yourself biting into dry chicken, burned hot dogs or burgers like […]

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  • May 29, 2015 - 7:05 am

    Quirky Chrissy - I love 7 layer salad with the bacon and the cheese and the peas and green onions and mayo and lettuce and one other thing I forgot…

    I love fruit salad with lots of berries. My grandma’s recipe for potato salad (which mom’s bff uses now too). Affy tapple salad. Anything with cream cheese. My mom’s romaine, tomato, avocado, olive, feta salad with her homemade vinaigrette. I just love party food.ReplyCancel

    • May 29, 2015 - 9:01 am

      nrlowell@comcast.net - Chrissy, all I can say is WOW! And what the heck is Affy tapple salad?ReplyCancel

  • May 29, 2015 - 9:29 am

    Peggy Gilbey McMackin - Hi Nancy, fun Post and I like the use of the peas in your potato salad. My Grandmom (Grams) used to make macaroni salad with the same ingredients! Well, all except she added chopped parsley. I feel a dish popping up. On grilling, must say Bob really tries hard and does a good job (with my constant reminding- lol.) On the hot dogs, they can almost never, I say almost never, be too over- grilled, love em with a little black around the skin! Must have a juicy burger or just forget it. Have a great weekend.ReplyCancel

    • May 29, 2015 - 9:53 am

      nrlowell@comcast.net - Peggy I’m with you on the blackened dogs, and the juicy burger (much harder to attain!). When I was a teenager I took over grilling from my dad. Perhaps a future post… always searching for grist for my mill 🙂ReplyCancel

Since the weather has turned ridiculously hot warm I have been making smoothies for breakfast, but when I wake up really hungry on a Saturday or Sunday I have but one thought weekend breakfast!!! Weekend breakfast can be almost anything from corn clafouti, to blueberry pancakes to venturing out to one of my favorite breakfast […]

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  • May 25, 2015 - 10:10 am

    Quirky Chrissy - You are a woman after my own heart! This looks amazing!ReplyCancel

    • May 25, 2015 - 4:33 pm

      nrlowell@comcast.net - Chrissy, glad you like it!ReplyCancel

  • May 27, 2015 - 8:45 pm

    Chasing Joy - I don’t think I’ve ever had a scone. I didn’t even know they could be savory.ReplyCancel

    • May 27, 2015 - 9:17 pm

      nrlowell@comcast.net - Arlett, a scone is similar to a biscuit, or it can be. Cream scones are made with heavy cream, and are traditionally made with currants. This is a scone that could easily pass for a biscuit. Call it whatever you want, it’s delish!ReplyCancel

  • May 28, 2015 - 5:18 am

    Contestchef - Your blog is impressive, thanks to the quality of your recipes & other content. We would be glad if you would participate on Contestchef so that your quality recipes can contest with other such bloggers/ recipe creators and win accolades from various players in the global food industry.

    Contestchef is a global forum for food/ recipe bloggers to showcase their skills to the world. This is a one of a kind concept and backed by food conglomerates around the world. Several recipe creators/bloggers are already contesting on Contestchef.
    Click to join Contestchef
    Sincerely,
    Nandy
    ContestchefReplyCancel

Roasted tomatoes are as beautiful as they are delicious, and you can put them into almost anything. If you are lucky enough to have a garden with sun (sadly I do not) and find yourself with too many tomatoes, roasting them is a great way to keep that summer flavor into the winter. For roasting […]

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  • May 22, 2015 - 7:37 am

    Valerie J Newman - Simple, easy, delicious. My favorite kind of recipes.ReplyCancel

  • May 22, 2015 - 8:18 am

    Quirky Chrissy - yum! That looks like sun dried, but from the oven?ReplyCancel

    • May 22, 2015 - 8:30 am

      nrlowell@comcast.net - Chrissy, they’re similar, but much less salty, they are scrumptious, truly! (BTW I am in the middle of reading your post!)ReplyCancel

  • May 22, 2015 - 8:58 pm

    Chasing Joy - Putting the tuna in the colander is so smart. I’m going to start using that technique.ReplyCancel

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