Many years ago, my mother, Anne Marie, debuted her Tomato & Basil Tart appetizer--affectionately known as "Anne's Famous Tomato Pie"--at a family party and we were all hooked! It's filled with juicy tomatoes, fragrant basil, garlic & a medley of cheeses. Guests were smitten and asked for more... if her Tomato Pie wasn't at a particular party, it was requested for the next. Super easy & delicious, don't make one... make 2 and dazzle your guests...they will ask what it is, and

Sixteen-and-a-half years ago, I gave birth to my 1st child, a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy named Andrew. When he was born, he had the typical blue eyes that newborns often have but that I thought would eventually turn to brown as he got older. Well, fast forward to his 1st birthday, he continued to have the most piercing blue eyes that often made me question how in the world did 2 brown-eyed parents make a blue-eyed baby (the genetic lottery, of course!) So, okay he’s got blue

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have 3 children, in fact, I waited 8 years after marriage to even have my first child, so there really wasn’t a lot of time before I got too old to have 2 children, let alone 3. But 3 children is exactly what I had: thus the middle child was born. Literally, when he was born, my mother commented that I shouldn’t have another child after him because then this one would be the “middle child,” like he’d be wearing a scarlet “M”, lik

…said no one ever. Who wants to be fired from a job in the middle of a global pandemic when you have a mortgage to pay, kids to feed, & bills that have due dates? But actually… that’s exactly what I thought…. I was glad I got fired. I was at my sales job that I loved for exactly 10 years, 4 months, 1 week, 4 days and 7 hours (and probably a second or 2, but who’s counting???) when I got the call. I had already had a feeling it was going to happen, I had been dreading it for w

Traveling these days does present its challenges. While we are all having a bit of cabin fever, it’s important to remember we can't travel like we did pre-pandemic. However, with a little ingenuity and creativity, and a whole lot of safety precautions, you can get away while still being safe. So, while you are waiting for the green light to travel again, start making a list of places you want to go and put Montauk, New York on that list. What’s so great about Montauk, New Yor