LeAnn R. Ralph

Early in May here in west central Wisconsin, I can count on seeing a Ruby Throated Hummingbird hovering in front of my kitchen window, flitting back and forth, as if to say, "there was a hummingbird feeder RIGHT HERE last year.

Bottom Layer: 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 cup sugar 2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup milk 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanillaCream shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs and stir in milk. Add dry ingredients.

COLFAX, WISCONSIN — June is Dairy Month and what better way to celebrate than with homemade ice cream?When I was growing up on our small family dairy farm in west central Wisconsin 40 years ago, my dad would make homemade ice cream using cream...

Eight o’clock on a beautiful June morning in southern Wisconsin. The sun was shining. The birds were singing. And I was on my way to the stable where I boarded my two horses.

Over the last 15 years, I have raised nine orphaned kittens. Four of them were two weeks old when their mother was killed; three others were only hours old when their mother died; two more kittens fell out of the nest in our barn when they were only...

Although the phrase, "everybody has a story to tell" may sound like a cliche, it's true. And after working as a newspaper reporter for nine years, I know that everyone does, indeed, have a story to tell, including your family...

Every fall, millions of lady bugs (or what seems like millions) swarm around my house here in west central Wisconsin, looking for a place to spend the winter.Actually, they are not "true" lady bugs.

If your burner pans and covered casserole dishes look like mine did, they've got baked-on spots that no amount of scrubbing will remove. And if you're like me, even the thought of using chemical cleaners brings tears to your eyes and makes...

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a dozen times: "Make homemade cinnamon rolls? From scratch? Are you crazy? That takes all day!"Actually, it depends upon the recipe.

Do you remember how sensitive you felt about being "different" in some way when you were kid?Maybe you were shorter than your classmates. Or taller. Or had darker hair, or lighter hair. Or maybe you wore glasses.Well…my difference was...