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March 02, 2021
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

I've always liked that my mom and Dr. Seuss (Thoedore Suess Geisel) had the same birthday. He was born in 1904, she in 1929. Obviously, my mom had way more significance in my life, but Dr. Suess books have been a source of great joy for me.

I honestly don't know what the racist content is in the books which Dr. Seuss Enterprises has decided to cease publishing. A couple of them were favorites of ours, especially If I Ran the Zoo. I suppose there were a few things that raised my eyebrows when reading them to my girls, but that's true of any books or movies that were made in a time where racism was widely accepted. Instead of censoring them as some form of "protection" I embraced a teaching moment for my young kids when we came across racist or sexist (way more of that, by the way) content. They would roll their eyes and giggle and know that, of course, those values were not ones we shared. I fear that erasing important lessons from history only tempts it to repeat itself.

Throwing out the positive messages from the empowering (Oh, the Places You'll Go!), to the call for caring about the environment (The Lorax), to the value of silliness (all of the books) by tainting his image in nonsense to me. Because, although not all of his books are on the chopping block, there will be lasting negativity. And once the purging begins, where does it end?

What a bunch of nonsense my mom would think is happening these days! And not the good kind. I'm sending up a prayer today (I've been praying a lot lately for someone who is not religious) that our society can get back its sense of humor. Also, that we can look at history through a lens that acknowledges the missteps and mistakes without erasing all the good, which really does outweigh the bad in most cases. 🙏

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life's realities.”
― Dr. Seuss

https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/dr-seuss-books-publication-racist-images-1.5933033

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April 15, 2023
Cookbook preview

If I had to ballpark a timeline, I’d say I should have my book, Living Legacy: Stories of a Restaurant Family ready for purchase by the end of May. 🤞 I was really hoping to have it finished in time for Mother’s Day but everything is taking longer than I anticipated. I’m self-publishing and I uploaded the pdf’s for the interior and cover today. Now I’ll wait to see if there are any issues with the files (fingers crossed I fixed them already!) and to receive a printed copy I can look over before I release it to the public.

It’s been a huge learning curve, but I’ve enjoyed (almost) every frustrating minute because now I know how to write and design a cookbook. I’m not sure what my next one will feature but it will definitely have some lighter recipes after fixing and eating all of the rich restaurant food, delicious as it was. I’m excited to get back into more recipe development of my own!

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November 18, 2022
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November 15, 2022
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When I got back from a trip this week, my garden had exploded and all my arugula bolted. So I made this: https://auntiechatter.com/recipes/sides-salads-and-soups/salads/arugula-salad-corn-avocado-tomato/

We had it with grilled chicken and polenta that I remembered I had in the freezer. The polenta soaked up the dressing and it was so yummy!

Molly, I hope you’re well!💗

August 15, 2023
Cookbook Launch!!!

Hi all. I'm excited to announce my cookbook, Living Legacy: Stories of a Restaurant Family, is available now at https://witandthyme.com.

Thanks for your patience and support through my writing and cooking journey 🧡 I'm really proud of how it turned out and can't wait for everyone to try the
recipes!

July 18, 2023
Back online!

AuntieChatter.com is back! 😅 ⁠
Thanks for your patience while the site was down. I am now in complete control of my domain (if not at home, at least on the internet 😂), so there should be no recurrence. Hot tip: If you sell a business, make sure your other domain names don't go along with it 🙃. ⁠

I'm greatly relieved to have it back since it's plastered on all of the Living Legacy cookbooks that are currently printing. That would have been super fun to deal with. ⁠

I'll get to work on a new post soon. Meanwhile, visit auntiechatter.com to find new and old favorite recipes! ⁠

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October 10, 2022
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Spice Mixes
Seasoned Salt, Italian Seasoning, Southwest Seasoning

I use one of these three mixes almost every time I cook! 

I think you will find it's a little more budget-friendly to take individual herbs and spices and combine them into a custom mix than it is to purchase premade mixes. They make great homemade gifts too. I used little jars of the Seasoned Salt as party favors for my niece's bridal shower a couple of years ago and, several months later, received requests for the recipe as the jars were empty and the people wanted more. I love it when that happens. 

Enjoy!

Seasoned Salt

Great for chicken, fish, salad dressings/dips, soups, eggs, etc.

1/4 cup kosher salt or sea salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried  thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried lemon peel

Combine all of the ingredients and store the mix in a small mason jar or similar container.

 

Italian Seasoning

Works well in pasta sauces, soups, salad dressing, and garlic oil, as well as on pizza and garlic bread

3 tablespoons dried basil

3 tablespoons dried oregano

3 tablespoons dried parsley

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon celery seeds

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Combine all of the ingredients and store the mix in a small mason jar or similar container. If you have a mortar & pestle, grind the celery seed, fennel seed, and red pepper flakes first to release the flavors.

 

Southwest Seasoning

Use in tacos, chili, tortilla soup, dressings/dips, burritos, enchiladas, etc.

1/4 cup dried ground ancho chiles

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

2 tablespoons granulated garlic

2 tablespoons dried Mexican Oregano

1 tablespoon dried cilantro

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all of the ingredients and store the mix in a small mason jar or similar container.

 

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