Episodes

New ideas for creating a family food tradition that’s right in your back, or front yard. The Growing Craze for Edible Insects: From Crickets to Tarantulas and the health, wellness, and eco-friendly benefits that could help you, your family, neighbors, and the planet. Family Tree Food & Stories, Ep. #46 Tune in as this episode of the Family Tree Food & Stories podcast crawls straight into the fascinating (and sometimes squirm-worthy) world of edible insects. In “Foods That Bug Us,” your co-host...

From presidential obsessions to dog treats, how ide cream has made the dog days cool. What do Thomas Jefferson's 18-step ice cream recipe, Fidel Castro's 18-scoop binges, and a failed assassination attempt have in common? They're all part of ice cream's surprisingly scandalous past that Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely share in this week’s episode of Family Tree Food & Stories. This week we share how ice cream has evolved from when the Egyptian pharaohs made it, to what snow cream is, to how it beca...

The Art, Science, History, and Stories of Sourdough: From the Start to Now In this episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories, we’re rising to a new level with sourdough. What began as an accidental blend of flour and water over 4,500 years ago, sourdough has evolved into a global obsession—and in this episode, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely delve into the rich story of how it all started and its subsequent expansion. From ancient Egyptian brewing methods to quirky pandemic starter names like “Twinkl...

How to Manage an Onslaught of Zucchini and Still Enjoy It! In this episode, we take you into the garden of the mighty Zucchini. From its origins – it’s more interesting than you might think, why they were vital during WWII, to creating a mock apple pie with, yes, zucchini! There’s so much of it in the garden during the summer growing months that knowing what to do with Zucchini might include abandoning it on a neighbor’s porch – there’s a specific day for that, too. Oh, and don’t forget to lis...

How one insult created an entire snack industry, and weird recipes, history, and stories about the $32.2 billion American-born potato chip market. It's delicious! In this episode (#42) of Family Tree, Food & Stories, we’re biting into the crunchy taste of summer picnics and potato chips! Join us, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely as we dip into some of the more interesting history, stories, and a few good recipes about one of our favorite snack foods – the actual American potato chip. Did you kn...

When Food Makes the Trip Worth It: Eat Well and Wander, or Travel Often Have you ever been on a family road trip, staring out the car window, just waiting to see that giant Big Boy sign? You knew it meant one thing—burgers were coming, and they were going to be good. That’s what we, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely, are talking about in this episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories. We’re going back to the days when food made vacations even more fun, from roadside diners and belly clams to those spec...

What Do Hot Dogs, Rum, molasses, and a 250-year-old piece of meat have to do with Independence Day? This isn’t your grade school history lesson. This is the Family Tree Food & Stories Independence Day (or July 4th) holiday episode. In this show, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely take a big bite into the real reasons we celebrate with pie-eating contests, backyard grilling, hot dogs, and enough fireworks that, yes, have their own food origins. In this show, you’ll also learn how food has sparked more t...

What Kids Really Eat at Camp (And Why They, and We Adults, Love It Too!). A Dive into REAL Summer Camp Cuisine. Have you ever eaten eggs on a stick? Or discovered that the Tootsie Rolls from your camp care package mysteriously disappeared (spoiler: it probably wasn’t a raccoon)? In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely dive headfirst into the weird, and often funny, stories of summer camp and food, both for kids and adults. They’re talking about buffalo balls ...

Man's Best Friend: Crazy Dog Stories You've Got to Love~ Hold onto your leashes— because this episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories is going to the dogs in the best (and most hilarious) way possible. Join Nancy May, Sylvia Lovely, and The Mighty Quinn as they all dig into the meaty, messy, and downright outrageous history of what our four-legged friends, our dogs, eat, need to eat to stay healthy, and have eaten—from prehistoric wolf scraps to gourmet meal kits and, yes... even cotton balls soa...

This one's for you (and yep, your dad too) — it's the Family Tree Food & Stories Father’s Day 2025 special. Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely are back, talking all things dad while the grill’s heating up and a cold one is cracking open. They're dishing out a full plate of stories, oddball traditions, and yes — lots of meat talk. Because let’s be real: dads + grills = primal joy. This episode serves up everything from barbecue stats and big green eggs to a 4,000-year-old Father’s Day message carved in...

Planning a wedding doesn’t have to feel like you’re scaling Mount Pinterest? At its heart, weddings are really all about celebrating a love story—yours, or another person you care about. In this F amily Tree, Food & Stories episode, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely pop the champagne and dive into the wild world of weddings with the ever-wise Sara Barton— AKA their Wedding Whisperer and planning guru. Here you’ll go beyond the bouquet toss and dive into the quirky, forgotten, and freshly minted ...

The Farmer’s Market Hustle: What They Don’t Want You to Know, and Why. What do Boston’s Little Italy, bourbon-pickled beans, heirloom tomatoes, and escaped snails have in common with today's farmers' markets? Well, you're about to hear the answer and more in this next episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories ! Nancy May and Sylvia roll up their sleeves and dig deep into the quirky, gritty, and delicious history and evolution of farmers’ markets. From 1600s bartering stalls to today’s “authentic...

What does watermelon have to do with Memorial Day? And how many pounds of hot dogs do we consume over Memorial Day weekend? In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories , Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely take you from old Civil War battlefields to your backyard barbecue. You’ll discover the surprising origins of the Memorial Day holiday when it was first known as Decoration Day, explore the wartime roots of today’s most iconic summer foods—like hot dogs, cornbread, and SPAM—and even a shared...

Aged to Perfection: The Bourbon Episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories! Ever wondered how bourbon became such a staple in old-fashioned American family gatherings and even recipes? In this episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories , co-hosts Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely take you on a journey through the rich history and personal family stories of bourbon. Here they'll take you on a journey of some very interesting "spirited" origins of iconic distilleries like Buffalo Trace, delve into the ...

Mother's Day Celebrations, Meals, Traditions, History, and Stories to Last a Lifetime ! Are you looking for some inspiration to make this Mother's Day 2025 a bit more special? In this next episode of Family Tree Food & Stories , Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely delve into the lost stories behind how Mother's Day food and family traditions, some sweet and others wild and wacky. You’ll learn some lesser-known facts about Mother’s Day, like how the celebration as we know it today originated in a We...

The 151st Kentucky Derby: Foods, Traditions, and Stories You Might Not Know About! Hold onto your hats—or your fascinators—because in this Family Tree Food & Stories episode, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely are taking you to the 151st Kentucky Derby, The Run for the Roses, or Mint Juleps if you prefer! Picture this: You’ve got your mint julep or bourbon in hand, and you’re surrounded by ladies in big hats, and 150,000 of your closest friends, who are all cheering for their favorite horse to win th...

In this episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories, Sylvia Lovely learns that after owning a restaurant for 20 years, how to cook a “simple lasagna”. Her experience in the kitchen takes a few unexpected twists and turns, from battling uncooperative pasta to creating a "lasagna disaster piece" that’s now legendary. Her candid, self-deprecating tell-all may be a dose of reality for some of you who’ve tried to make the perfect lasagna and had your disasters along the way. But all are worth a good laug...

Food, Faith & Acts of Kindness: Father Jim's Spiritual Journey Have you ever considered how deeply food connects to our spiritual lives? In this episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely sit down with Father Jim Sichko, a priest, who tells an extraordinary story of how food became an important part of his ministry. Father Jim shares the story of his mother's weekly tradition of cooking meals for garbage collectors, whom she served at the family's formal dining room tab...

How food changed the career direction of this law-school-bound college student. Have you ever wondered how the foods we eat shape who we are? In this episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely pull their mic up to the table with renowned Kentucky chef Ouita Michel, who takes us on a journey through her culinary heritage – from a community garden to owning eight celebrated restaurants rooted in local tradition. For those unsure of their career direction, you'll hear how ...

A Story for Tracie, and What to do With Leftover Easter Egg Shells. What do a five-year-old’s Easter tale, a magical sugar egg, and a kitchen full of hard-boiled chaos have in common? They’re all part of one rather unforgettable spring food-related memory — a story of how love, loss, and a little imagination helped one family hold on to hope. In this episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories, co-host Nancy May shares a personal story from her childhood, when she was trying to make sense of her yo...

Learn to discover traditions you might not even know you've got! In this episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories, Nancy May, co-host, helps her guests Heather Dyer and Erin Walker of the Three Kitchen's Podcast discover that they have been unwittingly nurturing new family food traditions. Throughout the episode, they uncover in subtle yet significant ways that their treasured memories—like old-fashioned savory, sweet, sticky candy sticks at roadside gift shops or planning comforting meals around ...

Spring Food Traditions You'll Want to Eat In this next episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories co-hosts Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely explore rather different and interesting springtime traditions, sharing some foods that you might never have heard about before. Have you ever wondered if jelly beans could be part of a balanced diet? Or are you curious about the story behind white asparagus that led to a carpool mishap? And what on earth do muskrats, alligators, and beer have to do with Lent? Na...

The Ultimate Guide to Irish Traditions Worth Knowing This St. Patrick's Day Join Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely for a fun-filled St. Patrick's Day special on Family Tree, Food & Stories! This episode takes you beyond the green beer and shamrock decorations to explore different traditions that make Irish culture and St. Patrick’s Day unique. ☘️Ever heard of "drowning the shamrock"? You’ll learn about this quirky tradition: place a shamrock in the bottom of your beer mug, drink it down, and then tos...

This is a Chilling Episode about Food, Family and Refrigeration: Join Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely as they take you on a cool adventure through the history of refrigeration in this episode of Family Tree, Food & Stories about the "Refrigeration Revolution: From Ice Blocks and Straw to TV Dinners." As with each episode, there's always a wild food and family story, but in this show, you'll also learn some really cool things,s including how refrigeration changed food storage, from ice blocks and c...