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Episode Details:

Air date: November 29, 2017

Guest: Rachel Kuberry

Runtime: 30 minutes, 32 seconds

Summary: In our ninth episode, Jen and Rachel discuss the joys and pitfalls of making gifts during the holidays. What makes a gift a hit? What are some memorable gifts they’ve made and received? How are handmade gifts received?

Links of Interest: 

Jen’s go-to holiday Fudge recipe – I use this as the base for all of my varieties

What I Made This Week:

From the transcript: “And now I’d like to tell you about something I made this week. It’s hard to pick just one thing for this episode. I’ve been making so much lately. Homemade sauerkraut, stock from our Thanksgiving leftovers, so much bread. So I’ll go with the most relevant thing I’ve made. This past weekend, our family went out to pick up our Christmas tree. Since then, I’ve spent several days making the garlands for our home. I started doing this last year and absolutely love the effect. I went to a local church that was selling trees and asked if they had any extra boughs. They gave me two giant boxes and I went back home and started building yards upon yards of garland. I couldn’t be more pleased with how our home looks .” Continue reading “How to Make Gifts for the Holidays”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:08 — 30.4MB)

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Episode Details:

Air date: November 1, 2017

Guest: Lisa Adil

Runtime: 28 minutes, 08 seconds

Summary: In the podcast’s 7th episode, Jen has a chat with her friend Lisa about writing romantic poetry and learning to cook Bengali food. Lisa advocates for taking risks and being vulnerable. Jen embraces awkward teenage poetry.

Links of Interest: 

Blueberry Banana Cake recipe
Chicken Biryani recipe

What I Made This Week:

From the transcript: “And now I’d like to tell you about something I made this week. Yesterday was Halloween and I’ve spent the past few weeks making our family’s costumes in preparation for a party that we threw this past weekend to coincide with Emma’s third birthday. I also made her birthday cake, so it’s been a particularly busy and productive time for me. The cake I chose was blueberry and banana flavored with cream-cheese frosting. Emma directed me to dye the frosting blue and it was a big hit with all of our guests. I will never get tired of watching people enjoy the food I make.” Continue reading “How to Make a Fool of Yourself”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:59 — 31.4MB)

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Episode Details:

Air date: October 18, 2017

Guest: Gabriel Charter

Runtime: 30 minutes, 59 seconds

Summary: In this episode, Jen chats with her friend Gabe about an immersive role playing game he has created and run for the past two years.

Links of Interest: 

The Adventure Zone – If you want to listen to grown men play D&D
Hearthside Throw knitting pattern
Music Box by Amigos Amigos

What I Made This Week:

From the transcript: “And now I’d like to tell you about something I made this week. By the time you hear this episode, I will hopefully have wrapped up the creation of a wedding gift for some very close friends of mine. They were married last November, so I’m nearing the one-year mark. I’ve spent around 80 hours knitting them a deep-green cabled throw. I’m going to be seeing them this weekend at another wedding and wanted to deliver it in person since they live several hours away. As of this moment I still have two balls of yarn to go so I’d better get going.” Continue reading “How to Make Games for Your Friends”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:42 — 34.0MB)

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Episode Details:

Air date: October 3, 2017

Guest: Rebecca Shamblin

Runtime: 30 minutes, 42 seconds

Summary: In our fifth episode, Jen chats with her friend Rebecca about her career change into the world of newborn baby photography. Rebecca sheds some light on how all those poses are achieved, making babies look serene, and how to build a photography studio from scratch. Spoiler: marry a wood worker!

Links of Interest: 

Life Remembered
A tour of Rebecca’s studio
Rebecca’s Harry Potter Nursery
Cheesy Broccoli Bites
Crispy Bean Tots

What I Made This Week:

From the transcript: “And now I’d like to tell you about something I made this week. This past weekend, I worked with my daughter to make toddler friendly lunches for the week. She helped me measure out all of the ingredients and make little round broccoli bites. We also made some chickpea bites that are very similar to falafel. Working on this together was a great afternoon activity for us and as soon as these super healthy snacks came out of the oven, she couldn’t wait to try them. There’s nothing like getting a picky eater excited about cooking to help them try out new and healthy foods.” Continue reading “How to Make a Baby Smile”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:54 — 27.3MB)

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Episode Details:

Air date: September 13, 2017

Guest: Chuck Salamone

Runtime: 29 minutes, 54 seconds

Summary: Everyone has some music in them. In this week’s episode, Jen is joined by her brother Chuck about his career as a music instructor. They also discuss his process in creating the theme music for the podcast.

Links of Interest: 

His & Hers Music
Amigos, Amigos
Alice’s Restaurant

What I Made This Week:

From the transcript: “And now I’d like to tell you about something I made this week. Since this episode had a musical theme, it was a happy coincidence that I found myself making some music a few days ago. My mother-in-law has a retirement party for a colleague coming up this week and she requested my help with a musical spoof. She gave me some lyrics that had been written to the tune of ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ and I sat down with a karaoke track and recorded them for her. It was a fun, quick little project that I know will make her and her co-workers smile this week. I love that my family and friends think of me for projects like this one.” Continue reading “How to Make Musicians”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:39 — 41.1MB)

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Episode Details:

Air date: August 30, 2017

Guest: Sam Bettencourt

Runtime: 33 minutes, 39 seconds

Summary: In our third episode, Jen learns about a very old and coveted banana bread recipe from Sam.

Links of Interest: 

Classic Sourdough Pancakes
Sourdough Starter Instructions
Jen’s go-to Banana Bread Recipe – did you think Sam would give his away?

What I Made This Week:

From the transcript: “And now I’d like to tell you about something I made this week. Well, not this week specifically, because this is something I make just about every week. Since Sam talked about his family’s Banana Bread, I thought I’d tell you about my cinnamon banana pancakes. I’ve been on a search for over ten years for the perfect pancake recipe. And after much trial and error, I finally got them just right. The flavor is all thanks to the sour dough starter that I’ve been lovingly feeding for over a year and a half.”

To make these pancakes, follow the recipe for “Classic Sourdough Pancakes” and add 1-2 mashed ripe bananas and cinnamon & vanilla to taste. Continue reading “How to Make Banana Bread”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:37 — 37.9MB)

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Episode Details:

Air date: August 15, 2017

Guest: Savanah Eichfeld

Runtime: 29 minutes, 37 seconds

Summary: In our second episode, Jen discusses the joys of knitting with Savanah. The conversation starts off predictably enough, exploring new motherhood and knitting as meditation. But before long, Savanah gets into the nitty gritty of competitive adult gymnastics.

Links of Interest: 

Cozy Corners Crib Blanket
Cambridge Community Gymnastics
The Almost Lost Washcloth Pattern

What I Made This Week:

From the transcript below: I’d like to tell you a little bit about something I made this week. I traveled down to Martha’s Vineyard for a bridal shower and wanted to bring something special and useful for the bride-to-be. I found some beautiful and hearty recycled denim yarn at my local craft shop and knit up three washcloths. The pattern, while simple, creates a piece that is eye-catching and appealing. They should be resilient enough to withstand dishwashing but are delicate enough to be displayed. I love this pattern and will definitely go back to it for future gifts. You can find a link to the pattern in the show notes. Continue reading “How to Make a Baby Blanket”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:00 — 43.5MB)

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Episode Details:

Air date: August 1, 2017

Guest: Aliyah Bilal-Gore

Runtime: 29 minutes

Summary: In our first episode, Jen sits down with Aliyah to discuss making Southern food. Aliyah’s journey takes her from South Carolina to Berlin and teaches her about her family and identity. It’s a story that is fascinating and moving.

Links of Interest: 

Old Fashioned Southern Cornbread recipe
The Dutch Snackbar
Reveal: Losing Ground
Joey’s Chocolate Birthday Cake recipe

What I Made This Week:

 From the transcript below: “Before I wrap up, I’d like to tell you a little bit about something I made this week. A few days ago, my son turned one and we had a barbecue for family and friends to celebrate. I love making food for my family, especially my children. Watching them enjoy something that I’ve created for them gives me so much joy. So I used the opportunity to bake him a big

chocolate cake. There were lots of children at the party, so I made sure that it was on the healthy side, getting much of its sweetness from bananas. He had a big piece all to himself and made sure to get lots of it on his face and in his hair. He looked so pleased with himself by the end.” Continue reading “How to Make Southern Food”