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"Sandy, the aurora's rising behind us, the pier lights our carnival life on the water." ----Bruce Springsteen, Fourth of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) For years, we’ve been hearing the news: Asbury...
Vegetarian travel gets easier in the summer, when farmers markets and their bounteous produce draw tourists and local chefs. Summer is also know for outdoor eating, and New York City...
When we travel thoughts of disasters are far from our mind. But with the news of natural disasters, especially numerous tornadoes in Oklahoma and the Midwest -- as well as...
Father's Day can be a great day to get out in nature and take a special hike or walk, like this family is doing at San Elijo Lagoon, in San...
How do you keep the kids -- and yourself -- healthy and happy when traveling? Do you look for hotels that provide special activities that keep your kids active and...
When planningyour summer road trip don't overlook Devil's Tower, Wyoming. It is one of my favorite side trips and possibly one of the most overlooked National Parks. The first time...
Martinique Beach Provincial Park is a treasure of the Eastern Shore in Nova Scotia, and is one of many delightful discoveries I made during a road trip along Marine Drive...
Memorial Day Weekend kicks off the summer season for Disney Parks everywhere. My family and I recently managed to get to three Disney Parks in three weeks, finishing with a...
Planning your family vacation can be overwhelming--where to go, what to do, how to get there, you name it. There are a lot of details to planning a summer vacation....
Billing itself as “The Best Free Show on Broadway,” n’s Stardust Dineras been open since the 80’s, but it’s décor, memorabilia and food will take you back to the 50’s. However, what are you really going to see at this popular tourist destination in the heart of Times Square? [ ... ]
Relax at the Qua Bath and Spa, play the slots and dress to the nines to party at the Pool After Dark. This is just part of a Caesers Atlantic City girlfriend getaway. Located on the Boardwalk and the Atlantic Ocean, Caesers offers entertainment and fabulous dining.
Reserve a room, depending on the [ ... ]
Cozy is the word my son used to describe our room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Not the first word that usually comes to mind when you describe a 22-acre property with 3,500 rooms. It’s a testament to Hilton’s commitment to creating a family friendly environment at their enormous p [ ... ]
Disney makes the magic look easy, but there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes. I am always inspired by the team of people who create the masterful new Disney experiences. One of the pleasures of my job is getting to spend time talking with and learning from these incredibly creative [ ... ]
Who says you can’t surf in the desert? The Kierland FlowRider opened last year at the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s the first of its kind in Arizona and one of the main reasons why I think the Westin Kierland rocks for kids and anyone else that loves to have fun. Kierl [ ... ]
Context Travel is a Rome-based tour company that offers educational walking tours for a number of European destinations. What makes Context Travel unique is its intellectual and educational focus, with experts from a variety of disciplines, including literature, history and art, leading the tours an [ ... ]
Most of us have a memory of getting lost as a young child. I remember the first time I couldn’t find my parents. I was probably about six years old and I was playing in the Barbie section at K-Mart. My Mom kept telling me it was time to go but obviously, as a five-year-old child, I was too b [ ... ]
If the dressing defines a family’s Thanksgiving dinner, then I can only figure mine is a stew. Most branches of the Southern family I married into 34 years ago know precisely whether cornbread dressing is best, or oyster. Moist to serve with a tablespoon or firm needing a spatula.
Comfort foods, these are, evoking childhood and traditions.
Appreciation of each is all I can add to spirited dressing debates because my New Jersey mother prepared Pepperidge Farm Stuffing: open the bag and dump into boiling water with butter.
Land O’Lakes was her butter brand but that hardly qualifies me for a discussion of gourmet preferences even though I’ve seen their Wisconsin farms.
Generally it’s best for Blended Family Mom to set the tables and handle the logistics instead of the menu.
That’s practical for big occasion dinner parties, and also a pretty good metaphor for complicated relationships.
Honoring taste buds tied to memories seems to me one of the wonderful opportunities with Thanksgiving dinners and if we can achieve that on iconic holidays, good chance the habit will stick year-round.
Traveling foodie children of Blended Family Mom: Andrew and Lisa, on holiday in Uruguay, bringing for Thanksgiving homemade prosciutto, personally cured bacon and muffins following the Paleo plan.
Of course, it can be tricky if everyone coming to my house wants to bring their perfect dressing! We rarely set a table with fewer than a dozen places and sometimes as many as 40.
Nice secondary benefit of welcoming the foods prepared by all those who know in their heart-of-hearts what tastes best: leftovers.
Christmas dinner dressing gets ready, too, because those who cook with confidence generally prepare way too much.
So where exactly do we merge our commitment to growing our own food and eating local for Thanksgiving?
We’ll have eggs from backyard chickens thanks to children and grandchildren and in our garden we still have sweet potatoes and peppers for the big meal.
Top photo: Some of this blended family’s members who are expected for Thanksgiving dinner.
One glimpse of Skagway and it’s easy to see why this quaint Alaskan town is a popular port for cruise ships sailing along Alaska’s Inside Passage. Skagway offers beautiful [ ... ]
I may be a bit biased, but I think Texas has the most beautiful Capitol building in the country. Built almost entirely out of Texas Hill Country red granite and sitting taller [ ... ]
Blue Star Museums is returning this year for the 4th summer in a row to offer military families free admission to museums all across the country. Starting Memorial Day May 27, [ ... ]
