Elder Corner — Kinspire™

A sacred space where the recipes, remedies, and wisdom of our elders are preserved forever. Here, we honor the hands that stirred the pots, the voices that told the stories, and the love that built our homes.

From The Table Issue

This Issue's Elder

Mrs. Delores H., New Jersey

The Table That Came With Her

Some furniture is just furniture. This one is a whole life, kept close. Mrs. Delores H. of New Jersey tells the story of the little side table beside her — the one she and her mother picked out more than 50 years ago, when she was a brand-new bride. It stood in the home she built with her late husband, holding the very same lamp it holds today, and when she moved into an adult community, she made sure it came right along with her. Some things you don't leave behind.

From The Color Issue

Aunt Devi’s Kitchen Wisdom

Keeper of Kitchen Wisdom

Fluffy, never crumbly.

We’ve all been there. You cut into a delicious-looking cake and then…crumbs everywhere when it falls apart, leaving more on the plate than in your tummy. But never fear, Aunt Devi has advice on that, too.

From The Clean Issue

Keeping a Clean Home

Wisdom our elders shared on keeping a clean home, inside and out.

Keeper of Kitchen Wisdom

You Do WHAT to Your Cake Pan?

Do this simple trick for 30 minutes and your cake will slide clean out the pan. No non-stick sprays necessary. Learn the trick here.

Aunt Devi

The Freezer Trick for a Clean Cake

Grandpa Duck

A Good Man Keeps His Word

Wisdom in Short Clips

Quick video advice from our elders on cooking, decor, gardening, entertaining, and creating personal spaces.

Keeper of Kitchen Wisdom

How I Make My Baked Beans

The question everybody asks at the cookout — here's how those baked beans come together.

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Keeper of Kitchen Wisdom

Mix It Up: Cooking Different Greens Together

Mustard, collard, and turnip greens all in one pot — the collards are tougher, so I let them go a little longer in the pressure cooker until every leaf is tender.

The Historian

Cooking with Spirits

Even though Grandmama did not imbibe, her teetotaling ways did not extend to the kitchen — especially with Kentucky Butter Cake.

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Keeper of the Garden

Keeping Flowers From Wilting in the Heat

Her summer secret for keeping the porch flowers full and blooming, even when the heat sets in.