My Private Wobegon

stories from home

The Cooking Circle
By Elizabeth Galo

I must have inherited
My baking prowess by osmosis.
For I cannot remember my mother
Introducing me to the chemistry
Of yeasts and flours,
Of sugar, brown and white,
And vanilla, real or imitation.
There exists not one Betty Crocker cookbook
Among my cooking soul sisters.
We share our neighborly talents
With wine and Budweiser,
Succulent pork roasts
And occasionally at three am,
Hash browns and eggs.
Together we are main course girls.
For garlic, cumin and sage
Seem better suited
To our weighty talk.
Desserts have been relegated
To Nutella with bread
And Janet's chocolate chunk cookies.
Still holidays inspire me
To rise early and bake.
Nutmeg and cinammon for pumpkin and apple pastry,
Powdered sugar and molasses,
Till the air smells more like
My mother's kitchen
Than my own.
So, my memories of the mysterious
Art of sweet things
Are like a kaliedescope,
Consisting of floury hands,
My grandmother's kolach,
And the fact that I will never top
My mother's lemon meringue pie.


Elizabeth Galo
Elizabeth currently resides in Baltimore, MD where she masquerades as an optician during the day. For her, poetry is a labor of love requiring nothing more than a pen and desire.

At the present moment she is working on a poetry collection entitled "The Glassphalt Requiem" and collaborating with another writer on an original play.

Old Sweet Songs: A Prairie Home Companion 1974-1976

Old Sweet Songs

Lovingly selected from the earliest archives of A Prairie Home Companion, this heirloom collection represents the music from earliest years of the now legendary show: 1974–1976. With songs and tunes from jazz pianist Butch Thompson, mandolin maestro Peter Ostroushko, Dakota Dave Hull and the first house band, The Powdermilk Biscuit Band (Adam Granger, Bob Douglas and Mary DuShane).

Available now»

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