I have given an extensive amount of thought to chicken pot pie. No one should publicly admit to something like this, I realize. But here is my oh-so-pressing dilemma: I love rich, comforting, freshly baked chicken pot pie. But it takes a lot of work to make it from scratch. And it also takes a lot of calories and saturated fat to make that old-fashioned…
What causes a seemingly ordinary, commonplace experience to live on and become legend – told and then repeated again and again, slightly altered, lightly exaggerated – when family gathers? Here is one from my family: When we were young, my cousin Kristin and I were invited on 4-day vacation to Canada with our grandparents. Our parents gave each of us a small stipend of cash to spend on souvenirs and…