Posts Categorized: Family Ritual Series

Holiday Mission: Filling in Some Blanks

This Thanksgiving, after the turkey goes in the oven and before the potatoes get mashed, I’m going to interview my parents. I’ve been promising myself I’d do this ever since my friend Ingrid told me about Story Corps, the app that helps you record meaningful conversations (with anyone — parents, grandparents, friends, kids, anyone) then archives those conversations in the… Read more »

A Family House Tour

. I’ve been addicted to Cup of Jo’s house tours for as long as I can remember, and today I’m pleased to announce that I had the chance to work on one myself, interviewing Brooklyn mom/stylist/brand new author LaTonya Yvette. My favorite reader comment so far is “This is not a house tour, it’s a soul tour” and it’s so true! These posts at their… Read more »

Mushroom Moussaka & New Traditions

It’s September, which means it’s time for another recipe from Leah Koenig, my go-to source for the Jewish holidays and beyond. (Remember her fattoush? I make that throughout tomato season.) I’m pleased to let you know that this year, Leah herself is making a cameo on DALS, talking about a favorite topic of mine (family traditions) along with what is soon… Read more »

What We Can Learn from “Family Meal”

When it comes to entertaining, I go through phases. Some nights I am the cook who craves adventure, who embraces an all-day culinary bacchanlia. More frequently I’m the kind of cook who just wants to keep things simple, the one who emails a friend a few hours before dinner “Come over for some spaghetti and meatballs,” because spaghetti and meatballs are… Read more »

Bruce Springsteen’s Family Ritual

And now, introducing the latest entry in DALS’s Family Rituals Series, a ritual I dug up in the most unlikely of places: Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography, Born to Run. I think I might’ve mentioned to you that I was reading and loving the book — there were some major voids in my Springsteen education — and imagine my delight to find… Read more »

Your Doorway into Christmas

Jeanette Winterson, the British author perhaps most well-known for her coming-of-age autobiographical novel Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, has a sacred Christmas ritual. Every Christmas Eve, at 3pm, she listens to a service on BBC radio, broadcast live from Kings College in Cambridge. There are Bible readings from the Old and New Testament and in between, the choir sings carols… Read more »

Turkey, Speed, and…Action

Those of you who have read How to Celebrate Everything know that our rituals go into overdrive this time of year. One of my favorites (probably because I have nothing to do with it) is the play that my girls and their four cousins perform for the grown-ups as soon as we wrap up our Thanksgiving feast. They’ve been doing it for… Read more »

Luisa Weiss’s “Humble” Birthday Cake

My Family Rituals Series continues with author Luisa Weiss, who some of you probably know as The Wednesday Chef, or, if you’re a blogger like me, as “one of the originals.” Luisa grew up shuttling back and forth between Boston and Berlin, and it’s Berlin where she’s made a home with her husband and young son, Hugo. Not content merely to write… Read more »

The Sweetest Dinner Ritual

I am so excited to continue my Family Rituals Series featuring the one and only Joanna Goddard. You probably know her as the creator/empress behind Cup of Jo, which is not so much a lifestyle blog as it is a thrice-daily fix that her zillion zealous fans (including yours truly) crave like junkies. I am grateful to her for that, of course,… Read more »

Uri Scheft’s Shabbat Dinner

I’m so pleased to feature Uri Scheft in my ongoing DALS family ritual series. You might know Scheft as the man behind cult-favorite Breads Bakery in New York (and Lehamim in Tel Aviv), or because you were smart and listened to me last year when I demanded you mail-order his world-famous chocolate babka. But if you didn’t, fear not, you have… Read more »

Yay! It’s Wednesday Cake!

I have been waiting so long to write these words: Catherine Newman, of Ben & Birdy fame, of Catastrophic Hapiness fame, is the author of this week’s guest-post on family rituals. I’m not sure there is any tradition that embodies the concept of my new book more than her Yay, It’s Wednesday Cake. I’ll let her tell you all about… Read more »

Friday Movie Night

Today, I’m so pleased to continue the DALS Family Rituals Series with funny lady Robin O’Bryant, New York Times Bestselling author of Ketchup is a Vegetable and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves. She lives in Greenwood, Mississippi with her three daughters (Aubrey, 11, Emma, 10, Sadie, 7) and husband, Zeb and has one of the more hilarious Facebook feeds out there. Take it away, Robin. It… Read more »

Eating in Front of the TV

Of all the rituals we have in our house—and we have a lot of them—the hands-down family favorite has got to be eating dinner in front of the TV. (What the what??) To hear all about it, head over to Food52. They’ve excerpted the story from How to Celebrate Everything, which is out in four short days! (And this delicious looking Chickpea,… Read more »

When Was The Last Time You Felt Like This?

You are looking at the winner of DALS’s first ever summer photo contest. This shot arrived in my inbox last week with very little information, but as with all the best photographs, it didn’t need any. The sundress-clad girl’s happiness was my happiness almost instantly — calling up that feeling of leaning way too far out the car window, and… Read more »

In Praise of Pavlova

I’ve worked with a lot of creative people in my life, but right up there at the top of the list is Vanessa Holden, who I met when she was creative director of Real Simple, and who went on to become editor-in-chief of Martha Stewart and creative director at West Elm. Her most impressive credential, though, might be Soul Safari, the conference-slash-revolution… Read more »

Shauna Niequist’s Blueberry Crisp

I’m so happy to welcome Shauna Niequist to DALS’s guest series on family rituals. You most likely know Shauna from her blog and bestselling books about food, family and faith. Her latest, Present Over Perfect, is a poetic manifesto about slowing down, saying no, choosing messiness over perfection and, as she writes, “turning her life around from the inside out” to make time for what matters. (I’m… Read more »

Page 1 Page 2