On any given day, you can find Norah Pritchard teaching English as an adjunct professor at Nazareth College, picking herbs from her garden for the night’s meal, or writing. Her novel, The Other Side of Forever, will be released on June 6th. Originally from Henrietta, Norah is a creative soul, a mother of three, and married to her high school sweetheart. She has a busy schedule, but that doesn’t slow her down. With kindness, a love of connection, and a positive outlook on life, Norah is an inspiration. If one thing is certain, she is just getting started.
Photo by Honest to Goodness Photography.
An Author at Heart
Norah started writing very early in life, often scribbling story ideas and character sketches on index cards. She always knew she wanted to write a book, but little did she know, her first publication would be a cookbook. Dinnertime: Fast and Fresh Family Meals for Every Night of the Week features an incredible variety of recipes that are – as the title suggests – low-maintenance and incorporate the season’s freshest flavors.
Norah just published her first novel, The Other Side of Forever, available June 6th on Amazon. The first book in a series, Norah describes The Other Side of Forever as a heartwarming story about healing and learning to embrace yourself as you are, with a good dose of “swoony happily ever after.” The book is set in a fictional close-knit small town based on Pittsford, New York, where she lives now. You can expect to see some familiar places!
Photo by Kristen Koppers Photography.
Farmers Markets and Home Gardening
Most Saturdays, Norah and her family arrive early at the Fairport Farmers Market to pick up the freshest produce in the area. They visit their favorite vendors and brainstorm ways to use the produce for that evening’s dinner. Between busy work schedules, school, and after-school activities, Norah loves to prepare a healthy, hearty dinner as a meal the whole family will enjoy.
After picking up goods from the market, Norah goes directly into her garden to finish “shopping” for the night’s meal. Her love of cooking naturally progressed into growing a home garden, and for years now, Norah has grown a variety of fruits and vegetables in her own backyard.
Pizza Party from the Garden
If you are looking to enjoy summer’s best flavors, try one of Norah’s homemade pizzas! With a great recipe for the dough found in Dinnertime and on her blog, you can top your pizzas with fresh ingredients from your garden or the local farmers market.
Sausage and Pepper Pizza
Layer tomato sauce, grated, fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced red onions, red and orange peppers, and banana pepper rings over the cheese. Add ground Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled into bite-sized pieces, on top. Bake at 500ºF for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Top with fresh oregano or basil.
Mediterranean Pizza
Place a layer of fresh basil pesto sauce and fresh mozzarella over your favorite crust. Sprinkle with chopped artichoke hearts and kalamata olives. Bake at 500ºF for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Top with fresh basil leaves.
Chicken Bacon Ranch
Spread Alfredo sauce evenly over the pizza crust, top evenly with mozzarella, cooked chicken, and bacon. Bake at 500ºF for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Top with fresh lettuce and tomatoes, and drizzle with ranch dressing.
A Few Gardening Tips
Plant produce that you know you will cook with and enjoy eating.
To get kids involved, plant veggies and fruits they can pick and eat right off the plant.
Start with planting produce that is easy to grow, like tomatoes, zucchinis, and peas.
Make zones in your garden, or small squares of the garden with a theme. Norah says two great zones are “pie” and “salsa” gardens. In each zone, you will grow produce you might need to make a pie (strawberries, rhubarb, and herbs like basil or lavender) or salsa (tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeños).
A Few of Norah’s Local Favorites
The Pittsford Dairy & Schoen Place
Especially on summer evenings, Norah and her family love to grab an ice cream at the Dairy and then go for a nice walk on the canal near Schoen Place. Talk about picturesque!
East Avon Flea Market
There’s nothing like enjoying a sweet lemonade and a bag of kettle corn on a nice summer’s day while perusing the stalls of antiques and trinkets at the market.
The Rochester Red Wings at Innovative Field
Because who doesn’t love a baseball game with some peanuts and cracker jack?
For other ideas and to stay up-to-date with Norah, follow her on Instagram @norahpritchard
