September in Michigan

Summer is coming to an end, along with cooking dinner outside.
Not only is it cooler, the sun sets earlier and earlier.

In the Kitchen 

We included a few interesting foods, but mostly old favorites. 

An omelet on a Micky Mouse plate; shrimp and rice; Dan Dan noodles; another omelet with salad.

Indoors and Out

One New Kitchen Item

New dish-drying mat in a funny color.

More Cooking and Eating

Fresh figs.

My long-time favorite cereal at Elaine’s house in Lafayette.
When we came back, Len bought me two boxes of Special K Red Berries.

A Trader Joe’s croissant and some blueberries. 

In Lafayette; Elaine’s delicious Apple Pie.

Back home 10 days later: time for more pie by Len.

Labor Day Barbecue.

Chicken from our grill, which will soon need to be put away for winter.

A delicious chicken and olive dish that Carol made for us.

Lamb steak with a salad of peaches, feta cheese, and pine nuts.

Potatoes in olive oil with capers (Pommes à l’huile).

Chicken in tahini sauce and a salad with corn, peppers, and lettuce.

Outside the Kitchen: An Ice Cream in Dexter

Dexter is the next town from Ann Arbor. It has a perfect small-town Midwest vibe.

The last Sunday of the month: a beautiful day for a drive and an outdoor ice cream.

A Fall Display Near the Park

Far Away From Us

From Alice’s trip to Germany

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Not quite so far we visited Elaine in Indiana. Here she is with Len, in her kitchen.
See above for her apple pie!

Blog post © 2026 mae sander

Round things in my kitchen

In my kitchen this month I have many round and spherical things, and I don’t mean just round plates! Here are photos to share with the once-a-month link-up sponsored by Sherry at the blog Sherry’s Pickings, We cooked lots of good things for ourselves this month, and for our guests during the last week in June. Also, they cooked many good things for us. However, I decided to write and photograph something different for this month’s wrap-up.

Blueberries and Trader Joe’s candy — little spheres.

A somewhat rounded cardamom roll that Len baked.

Dough for the cardamom rolls rising in a round bowl and making a dome.

Cupcakes

Waffles

Candy (actually spherical)

English muffins and egg yolks.

Evelyn and Tom’s Anniversary cheesecake.

Half a tomato.

A muffin (from Trader Joe’s)

Pizza (technically this is in Alice’s kitchen).

Pots and pans

Water bottles

Pie weights for baking a shell to be filled later. I rarely use these.

Potatoes — not quite spherical.

Beyond my kitchen…

Ice Cream

A highlight of June has been a visit from several relatives. Yesterday, to wrap up, we had ice cream at Argus cafe with Alice and Miriam. All our visitors have now left Ann Arbor.

Blog post  © 2026 mae sander

A Few Classic Foods

 Classic Cinnamon Rolls

Len made them on Saturday. We enjoyed them for afternoon tea and for breakfast.
I find it amusing that the spiral design on the plate looks like the spiral on the roll.

Classic Pommes à l’Huile

French-style oil and vinegar potato salad is another classic dish that we love.
I’ve blogged about this often — especially when I make Salade Niçoise in which it is a key feature.
Tonight we ate it as a side dish with shrimp.

Classic Shrimp Scampi

Recipe from New York Times Cooking

Ingredients ready to cook. Cooking only takes a few minutes.

Saturday Lunch at Everest Sherpa Restaurant

The owner of Everest Sherpa restaurant is from Nepal, and the decor includes photos
of the Himalayas and of famous mountain climbers. The restaurant serves Nepalese and Indian cuisine.
The founding owner of the restaurant was one of the first to climb Everest.

Crispy dumplings called MoMo.

Curried chicken served with rice. The restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes.

Photos © 2026 mae sander