NEW YORK For most Americans, major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas are an opportunity to gather with family and friends. But some folks choose to spend those holidays alone — not because they have nobody to celebrate with, but as a way of unplugging from busy lives and creating a serene, relaxing day. They might […]

“Salted” and “caramel” are two words that make many people get misty in the eyes and weak in the knees. You can buy lovely salted caramel in the stores to drizzle over ice cream, cake, pie or just your tongue, but you can also make it easily at home, and for a lot less money. […]

It happened almost overnight. One day I sent my husband a text message at work to say that our son was doing something annoying with his voice. “Like, it sounds hoarse or something,” I wrote. And then, three weeks later, that son’s baby voice was gone. He came into the kitchen, said, “Hi, Mom,” with […]

I garden for many reasons. I want to grow my own chemical-free food, to have an excuse to be outside a few hours every day, and to have flowers on my table most of the year. Right now, I have just two out of three. A good batting average for a ballplayer — better than […]