Family

For the cream puffs: 1 C. Water 1/2 C. shortening 1/8 t. salt 1 C. flour 3 eggs 1 T. sugar 1 T. grated lemon rind 1 T. grated orange rind For the filling, mix the following ingredients: one 15 oz. container ricotta cheese 1/2 C sugar 1/4 C…

by Danielle Bean When my son Eamon was about 2 years old, we sat near the window together, watching a lightning storm. When one especially loud clap of thunder boomed in the sky, he turned to me with large eyes. “Papa!” he gasped. In our…

“Hi, Jesus! I love you, too, Jesus! Mmm …” my oldest daughter blows Jesus a kiss as we drive past a Catholic church on the way to a play date. Normally, I initiate the ritual, but she does it on her own today. The motion is natural to her,…

½ cup balsamic vinegar 12 slices Italian bread 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound strawberries, washed and diced 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving 1 cup goat cheese, room temperature salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste…

On April 20 this year, around the world all of Christendom will be united in spirit in celebration of the Resurrection of Our Lord. We reach beyond frontiers both natural and man-made in common jubilee. Here in America, I’ll be attending…

April showers bring May flowers, as the saying goes. And here in southern Louisiana, that is certainly true. We also get a little extra here because April showers tend to bring more May showers. But that’s OK. Living in a tropical climate…

In 1977 my mom and dad took me and my younger sister to see the original Star Wars movie on the big screen at Cortana Mall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which housed a new theater that had just opened a few months earlier. I was almost 7 years…

Pity the potato. It seldom gets the respect it deserves. A case in point is Mr. Potato Head, the toy with the goofy face that suggests potatoes are to be played with, not savored. Or consider the phrase “couch potato,” associating the tuber…

With all the loud and crowded parades, green beer, leprechauns, and kelly-colored costumes, it can be easy to forget that St. Patrick’s Day commemorates a real man, and that the feast of St. Patrick — March 17 — marks the day of his death.…

According to television and the internet, St. Patrick’s Day was made for the 21-and-over crowd and is best celebrated with green beer. But, if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ve got children or grandchildren. And since you’re…