Christopher Columbus had something to prove, and to do it, he needed to get to India. But he failed. He didn’t get to India. He discovered the American continent and led to several beautiful countries including one of the largest superpowers in human history. On a Friday in September of 1928, someone had accidentally left a Petri dish of Staphylococcus open, and it was moldy. Alexander Fleming made a fortuitous observation about that mold that brought us penicillin. In 1839, Charles Goodyear was trying for years to create a rubber that was durable and could withstand heat and cold after everyone had said rubber would never go anywhere. During experimentation, he accidentally dropped his latest mixture on a hot stove. Weatherproof vulcanized rubber was born and automobiles would never be the same. Later, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was named after Charles. Sometimes there’s a big continent blocking your direct route from Europe to Asia. Sometimes you forget to clean up. Sometimes you’re clumsy and drop things. But Sometimes mistakes lead to the greatest discoveries of all. Continue reading →

For as long as I can remember, chicken soup was the healer of the body and soul. It’s even been called “Jewish Penicillin.” I never really bought that because I personally think ice cream is just as soul-healing, but you don’t see books written about it. I was wrong. Chicken Soup has been healing sickness almost as long as humans have been boiling water. The earliest record of chicken soup as a remedy for illness was in second century BC when the Chinese included it in their medical literature as a curing soup. Continue reading →

My mom was the cinnamon roll queen. I used to watch, fascinated as she slid a string underneath a long cylinder of dough. She’d cross it over and pull, and there you go, a cinnamon roll! It was magic. What other dessert do you cut with a string? As I grew, I began to appreciate more than the magical preparation process. To put it lightly, Mama’s cinnamon rolls were delicious! We didn’t use einkorn, so this recipe is a little different but every bit as delicious. Continue reading →

“In the Lord’s Prayer, the first petition is for daily bread. No one can worship God or love his neighbor on an empty stomach.” Woodrow Wilson’s quote accentuates the most basic of human behavior – eating. We’re generally not great at compassion, loving, listening, moving, or thinking when we’re hungry. Try skipping a couple meals. You’ll see. That’s why Snickers says “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” Continue reading →