I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! What made ours even warmer was the gorgeous weather in Charlotte. It felt like spring time! This was a very special Thanksgiving because my parents and sister and her family all relocated to Charlotte earlier this year. We had a great potluck spread and my sister hosted. [...]

There was a time when extra overripe bananas meant the pleasure or pressure to bake. Once I made the banana ice scream recipe from the Vitamix cookbook, I realized that bananas were just as useful frozen as any other frozen fruit. This is an easy way to preserve those spare bananas without them sticking together! [...]

Another Labor Day weekend is upon us and marks the end of most swimming pool seasons and the last of cookout get togethers. I’m always glad for a long weekend but never ready for summer to slip away! Let us be positive and reflect on how much gratitude we hold for the American work force and ethic. [...]