At Home Radio with Kate Jones & Friends

Kathy Caputo and Rachel Friedman talk about training service dogs.

Andrea Kott talks about her memoir, “Salt On A Robin’s Tail: An Unlikely Jewish Journey Through Childhood, Forgiveness and Hope."  

Andrea's book is a beautifully and sensitively written story of hope and resilience. Dealing with loss and heartbreak, it ultimately concludes with an understanding of the joys of being alive. 

Andrea had two older brothers who were out of the house for much of Andrea's childhood. That left Andrea alone with her mom, who had an intolerance to alcohol yet depended on it to ease hurts that had never healed. And although Andrea's mother worked, money was tight, and there was shame involved with that.

Theirs was not a traditional Jewish household, yet despite their problems, Andrea's mom soldiered on. She was a survivor; she had hope even in the worst of times. "Tomorrow's a new day," she would say. Andrea eventually came to appreciate that about her mom, who was in some ways a woman before her time. A woman who had no expectations of her only daughter except happiness

In her book, Andrea has many charming passages that offset the sadder ones. Like her mom, she also persevered. Andrea went on to earn a Master of Public Health degree. She's a freelance public health writer who also writes essays on the publishing platform medium.com. She and her husband live in Sleepy Hollow, New York, and in 2020 celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary. They have two adult children.

“Salt On A Robin’s Tail: An Unlikely Jewish Journey Through Childhood, Forgiveness and Hope" was published in May 2020 by Blyden Square Books. 

Ohiotraveler.com celebrates the home state of Frank Satullo, who excels at making great discoveries and sharing them on his website. He also sends out a free  e-newsletter summarizing the stories of the month.

Megan Lavins, a financial analyst for J.P. Morgan Chase, came in second among about 7,500 women in the 2020 Boston Marathon, which was held virtually in September. Megan clearly loves to run. In this podcast, she explains why.

Bob Goerke and Tish Poling founded International Products Group (IPG) in 2004. In 2020, their company, based near Salt Lake City, ranked 1,231 on Inc. magazine's annual Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest-growing companies. They have a compelling niche: formulating natural and effective beauty products without parabens or other harmful ingredients, and doing this as behind-the-scenes partners for other companies and individuals. They also focus on sustainability: using biodegradable packaging and buying locally in the U.S. whenever possible. 

When Amy Witzigrueter created a healthy granola for her youngest son, who was born with gastrointestinal problems, it not only enhanced his health, it turned into a business for Amy. Witzi's Raw Granola has no sugar, gluten, soy or dairy, and the grains and nuts are soaked for easier digestion. The result is a crunchy and tasty treat to eat at breakfast or as a snack. Witzi's also has a mission: training and employing young people with autism.  Witzi's Raw Granola is available on Amazon, at witzisrawgranola.com and at select stores and farmers' markets.

Christina Hidek practiced law for 14 years before deciding that she prefers helping people organize their lives. Now the owner of Streamlined Living Ohio, she is a professional home and office organizer who helps people vanquish the clutter in their lives. You can listen to her story here. To reach Christina, visit her website, streamlinedlivingoh.com. 

Filmmaker and content creator Zane DeLong talks about the films featured in the latest episode of his YouTube series, Movies from the Deep. In this episode, titled "Great Walls of Cinema History," his philosophical, humorous and even poetic commentary focuses on five films: "Lifeforce" (also referred to as "Space Vampires"), "Stalker," "Paison," "Possession" and "Lady Vengeance." The episode is the fourth in the Movies from the Deep series, and Zane is working on the fifth, in which he'll review "Army of Shadows," about the French Resistance during World War 2. You'll find all the episodes, as well as a music video that Zane directed, on the YouTube channel Welcome to the Mess Lab.

Capri S. Cafaro has a motto: "Pie Fixes Everything." The former Minority Leader of the Ohio Senate has a penchant for using food to bring people together, and she says that she regularly brought in baked goods when she and her Senate colleagues worked together on bills. 

Since term limits ended her time in the Ohio Statehouse, she's taught public policy at the university level, including at American University in Washington, D.C.

She also published her very first cookbook, "United We Eat," which has recipes representing all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. The full-color book includes submissions from both sides of the aisle, including Zucchini & Eggs from U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, 13th District; Sourdough Bread from Gov. Mark Gordon, R-Wyoming; Tuna Noodle Casserole from Former Rep. and U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-North Dakota; and Grilled Cheeseburgers from former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, R-Virginia. Capri also researched the foods of states and adapted many recipes herself. 

Her book, available on Amazon, is a testament to Capri's belief that food is a great unifier.

Unmi Abkin is a James Beard-nominated chef and co-owner with her husband, Chef Roger Taylor, of Coco & The Cellar Bar, a restaurant named after their daughter. It's located in Easthampton, Mass., which also is home to The Treehouse Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to ensure that children who experience foster care find lifelong families in supportive communities, enabling them to lead fulfilling and productive lives.

Unmi puts on a fundraiser for Treehouse every year, although 2020's event went virtual because of the pandemic.  It's now a series of 15 videos of chefs preparing dishes geared for home cooks. Luckily for everyone who's interested in making great food, the videos will be accessible indefinitely on https://www.stirupsomelove.com/.

Unmi and Roger's video shows you how to prepare Honey Miso Noodle Salad, a customer favorite at Coco's and one of their daughter's favorite dishes as well. In other videos, you'll learn how to make Pasta Carbonara, Salad Niçoise, Highbrow Sticky Ribs, Cod Cakes with Remoulade, Salsa Verde with Chicken and Rice, Ricotta Dumpling Cacio e Pepe, Focaccia, Jambalaya, Eggplant Italiano on Ciabatta, Pork Mofongo, Chicken Scarpariella with Sicilian Zucchini, and Pan-fried Hake with Creamed Corn. You'll also learn how to decorate a cake and make the Best.Popcorn.Ever.

Whether you purchase one video ($20) or all 15 ($275), you'll be supporting restaurants in Western Massachusetts and, of course, The Treehouse Foundation. 

Best of all, this is only Season 1. Unmi says they're already planning another series with more tantalizing dishes stirred up with love.