American Gothic House: It Was a Magical Four Years
(Scroll down for pictures of the interior of the house.) After four magical years, I have moved out of the American Gothic House. When asked why, the easiest answer to give is that one can only live in a tourist attraction for so long. My friends and Facebook fans (follow me here) have responded that […]
An Ode to My Four Years in Iowa (AViD Speech, 12 August 2014)
Four years ago almost to the day I arrived in Des Moines Iowa for the first time in 30 years. I was born and raised in Iowa. I was born in Ottumwa and lived there until I was 12. Then we moved to Davenport where I graduated early from high school at 17 and announced […]
The Adventures of The Pie Lady — A Cartoon Strip by Dave Pittman
Artists give the BEST birthday presents ever. This cartoon strip is by the brilliantly talented Dave Pittman. He captured every single detail so perfectly — down to Daisy’s hair, the Mini Cooper loaded to the max, Jack hogging the front seat, The Binoculars, the snake (he’s there twice, can you find him?), my “creative use […]
RV Book Tour So Far — Phoenix to Austin
Nancy plans to get an RV of her ownso this is good practice! I am sitting in the back of the RV while my friend from Dallas, Nancy Moffat, is driving. What a luxury! Not to mention, she is a superb driver which is why I feel relaxed enough to hang out in the back […]
My Cookbook is Alive and Doing Well!
I‘m so happy (and relieved) that my second book is finally out (no more “Gulp” stage, phew!) Not only that, I am getting such a positive response to it. It’s debuting at #2 on the bestseller list of pie books — and it’s only been out 2 days!“It’s so pretty,” is what I’m hearing. “I can’t […]
The Gulp: Waiting for my Cookbook to Launch
My cookbook, “Ms. American Pie: Buttery Good Pie Recipes and Bold Tales from the American Gothic House,” comes out in just a few weeks. I got the book deal exactly one year ago and started writing it last April. I worked on the recipes all summer. I did the photo shoot in June and July. […]
Pi Day Giveaway! Win a Copy of my Cookbook
It’s National Pi Day (3.14)! Let’s celebrate the infinite ways that pie can make the world a better place. For starters, WIN A COPY OF “MS. AMERICAN PIE.” My new cookbook will be in stores April 15, but you can get it sooner and for free by entering to win! Also included is a copy […]
Happy Author, Happy FedEx Guy
When I made that strawberry crumble pie on Friday, I had the idea to share a slice of it with the FedEx guy when he delivered my cookbook. On Monday morning at 10 a.m. I just happened to open the door and saw the FedEx truck parked. I summed up the situation: FedEx Driver. Check. […]
Isn’t It Ironic?
Daisy. Posing on the front porch of the American Gothic House.This photo appears in my new cookbook, “Ms. American Pie.” I bought myself a bottle of my favorite white wine, La Crema Chardonnay, in anticipation of celebrating the end of a long, productive week. But as they day wore on and cocktail hour approached, I […]
Sneak Preview: The Intro to my Cookbook “Ms. American Pie” (In stores April 2014)
My second book, “Ms. American Pie,” will be in stores in another month. Giving birth to a book for the second time is just as scary as it was the first. It involves all the same labor pains and anticipation I felt before. You would think it would be easier knowing how well “Making Piece” […]