At Fran's Table

Baking• Cookies• Holidays• Italian cookies

Even Better Lemon Ricotta Cookies That Make You Feel Like a Genius

April 7, 2025

Ever try a recipe and think, Wow, this is so good, it couldn’t possibly be better? That’s what happened to me in 2014. Then you make the recipe again, change something, and think, Whoa, I am a genius! I had my genius moment with lemon ricotta cookies, a recipe I got years ago from Theresa, my ex’s lovely first wife and all round good human. The first time…

Random Thoughts

Stay Delighted

March 28, 2025

I’ve been enjoying the tentative little tendrils poking their tiny heads out of the ground wondering if it’s OK to be out. They must know these are dangerous times. Old Man Winter can come back and blow through at any moment. But the more days we get in the 50s and 60s, the bolder they get. Daffodils don’t give a damn. As soon as there’s a thaw, they…

Holidays• Random Thoughts

Catholic Guilt Struck Again, But I Mostly Ignored it

March 14, 2025

I was at Giant Eagle today. It’s a strange name for a grocery store and people here often pronounce it as Jiiiihn Iggle, but at least it’s not a Piggly Wiggly. I was browsing because I just got my refund from Social Security and was feeling as flush as a retiree on Social Security can feel, so I decided to stock up a bit. I was looking at…

Baking• Breakfast• Dessert

What Kind of Love Do You Deserve?

February 14, 2025

Happy Valentine’s Day! I wish you happiness on this love-fest of a day, which I detested in college because the parade of flowers always went to the other girls, but never to me or my close friends. Of course I was jealous! Who doesn’t want someone who you’re crazy about to love you back and lavish you with gifts? I’d like to say I’m much more mature now…

Random Thoughts

Phone Contacts I Can’t Delete

January 31, 2025

I was scrolling through my phone today to find the number of someone whose last name I forgot. That doesn’t generally happen so don’t call the dementia squad yet. (I just made that up – and apparently there really IS a Demential Squad…Dear God!) As I was scrolling, hoping this friend’s name would jump out, I saw names in there that made me ask…Who the. hell are you?…

Baking• Cookies

Ted Lasso’s Biscuits

January 26, 2025

Watching Ted Lasso, last fall, I could not shake the image of Ted’s boss sensually biting into the biscuits Ted brought her each morning. The look of satisfied, dare I say, orgasmic pleasure on her face was something I would love to see on my face fairly frequently. As you may recall, I recommended Ted Lasso to you because it renews ones faith in humans, and let’s face…

Random Thoughts

Change What You Can

January 10, 2025

The new year is a great time for beating the crap out of yourself. Lamenting everything you haven’t done, comparing yourself to everyone who seems to be doing better, and then not doing the things you resolved to do because you’ve already thrown in the towel, saying, what difference will it make? I’ve never been known for my wisdom in knowing the difference between things I can change…

Uncategorized

Happy Epiphany, and Thanks for the Orange, La Befana!

January 6, 2025

“We were so poor, I was lucky if I got an orange on Christmas,” my father always told me. He seemed to marvel at his good fortune, via hours of bricklaying work, to be able to give his four kids gifts on Christmas. I never thought twice about getting any toy I saw repeatedly advertised on Saturday morning cartoons. I started begging for my desired prize months ahead…

Family Traditions• Great Memories• Random Thoughts

Anatomy of a Bed by Anderson Mills

December 21, 2024

This week, I’m lucky enough to have Andy, Milena and her boyfriend here for the holidays. I’m in my usual flurry of crazed activity, making last minute cookies and favorite dishes and putting final touches on beds so they look like the perfect beds you see in Pottery Barn catalogues. I’m clearly not taking my own advice about not fretting over how the place looks. Luckily, my sweet…

Uncategorized

They’re Coming to See You, Not Your Decor!

December 10, 2024

This is a re-post of a blog from 2014. The year I started blogging…so Happy Anniversary to me! And thank you to my friend, Linda Friday, who beat me into submission so I would start blogging. I’ve loved sharing my memories and hope you’ve enjoyed them too. A Series of Unfortunate Trees I’ve spent the last week running around furiously trying to get all my shopping done and…

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