So much for good intentions! I thought I’d find a renewed interest in completing the blog when classes kicked off again, but life got in the way.  Now, life gave me a hard kick in the stomach and I find I’m returning to the blog for solace.  One of my closest friends for about 19 years dropped dead suddenly at work, just two weeks shy of her 48th birthday.  She was a rocket scientist.  Really.  But she was incredibly involved in her family’s daily life before and after her workday at NASA.  It made me realize that cooking for your family and eating together is a way of staying connected and grounded in what’s really important.

So, it’s back to the blog and eating better than when I was too busy to shop and cook.  Don’t be surprised to see some of Susie’s recipes appearing in the future.  Her grilled pizzas and  orange ginger chicken are already here and I’m working up to  a recipe she used on our ski trip: it was featured in the Chronicle’s Parade Magazine and called Southwest Shepherd Pie.