Scroll down for links to my articles & stories — I’ve categorized my stories for easy access: Here are some short (based on truth) stories. Here is my blog Hunger-to-Belong which celebrates food’s intrinsic ability to bring people together to…

Actions may speak louder than words, but words are powerful, too — We all hunger to belong. Fostering new social connections and improving the quality of our social networks help us to live longer and happier lives. Did you know that we yearn for social interactions in the same region of our brains where we crave food? And that we feel the…

It doesn’t matter what we call them, pancakes can help build community — With a dozen 16-year-old girls in front of half as many griddles, the typically spacious kitchen was filled to capacity. Echoes of giggles bounced off the walls, drowning out the soft sizzling of the butter and batter. Every so often a newly filled mixing bowl of batter spilling over the…

How no-stress home-cooked meals add diversity to your menu — I turned from the narrow street into the congested parking lot, not sure where I should go next. After some contemplation, I squeezed my beat-up blue mom-mobile into spot #13 between two towering SUVs. I reached for my phone to text my contact, as I slid from behind the steering…

The plight of unloved food in your cupboard — There is something very satisfying to me when my trash barrel is not full enough to drag out to the curb on a Sunday evening. An almost empty barrel can mean a few things. I may have been too busy to cull through the mail piled high on my counter…

When it comes to food, we speak the… —

Connecting With Our Words, On and Off Medium — Every so often you hear about an idea that makes you stop in your tracks and ask, “Why didn’t I think of that?” For me, Ali Hall’s Happy Bright Travelling Books is one of those ideas. I became acquainted with Ali’s project when I was tagged on this platform by…

Sharing our comfort foods and cooking experiences magnifies the power of edible love — Two spoons and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s may be the universal definition of comfort through food. To you, comfort may taste like the piping hot creamy mac ‘n cheese that your mother used to make, or the plate of mashed potatoes oozing bits of excess butter served at…

The tale of two dogs — Hello, my name is Oophie. I am a mixed breed domesticated canine living in a small pack in Hicksville, USA. I live with four ‘littles’ and two ‘bigs’. Our pack has been living together for a long time. I am not a guard dog, but I am loyal to my…