You don’t have to be a fan of the Bard – or even familiar with Shakespeare’s plays – to enjoy HAMNET by Maggie O’Farrell. The writing and sensory description is incredibly effective, the emotion palpable. While this novel should have been called Agnes, because this is clearly her story – […]
Perfect Summer Bread — Italian Focaccia
Looking for just the right bread to serve during the summer? Here is a recipe for an easy-to-make Focaccia — an Italian bread that is perfect with salads and grilled entrees, or as an appetizer or snack. ###
For The Joy of Animals: The Magpie Whisperer’s Charm
There are many collective nouns used to describe a group of magpies — congregation, gulp, murder, tiding, tittering, etc — but after watching this video about one woman’s interactions with these birds, the most appropriate term would seem to be “Charm” — The Magpie Whisperer’s Charm. In case you’re curious […]
Book Review: THE YIELD by Tara June Winch
I’m not sure where to start with THE YIELD. It struck many a nerve for me. Even though the setting is Australia, so many of the concerns past and present are mirrored in America (and the natural resource issues parallel my very own home town where, each year, there is […]
Enjoy Homemade Italian Biscotti
In the mood for a dessert but you don’t want a lot of calories or a very involved recipe? Biscotti is just the right dessert to make. Traditional biscotti recipes do not have a funny fat and they are easy to make. ###
PSA: Helmet Has Always Been A Good Idea
To helmet or not to helmet? That question was long ago decided in favor of helmets at least in the US where our streets and traffic are less than friendly to cyclists. But, apparently Denmark is still making a push to get people to helmet up and facing great resistance. […]
Music: Singtree by Solar Quest
I’m not sure how I stumbled across Singtree by Solar Quest on Youtube, but it immediately resonated with me and quickly became one of my go-to pieces of music to listen to when I want to relax and unwind. (Another favorite is Celeste by Brian Eno.) According to a Solar […]
Happiness Isn’t Something To Earn
Happiness isn’t earned. This seems like a radical thought when the universal law of happiness, deeply embedded in our psyche from day one, is — “You need to work harder to be more successful, because the more success you achieve, the happier you will be.” But, Shawn Achor (happiness researcher, […]
Artisan Braided Squash Bread
Did you know that you can bake bread with yellow squash? During the summer squash season, when this vegetable is abundant, I like to make a variety of bread and muffins. This Artisan Braided Squash Bread recipe is a favorite of ours. Summer squash has a lot of water in […]
Book Review: THE THIRTY NAMES OF NIGHT by Zeyn Joukhadar
I knew I needed to read THE THIRTY NAMES OF NIGHT by Zeyn Joukhadar the minute I saw the artwork. Yep. A gorgeously rendered, watercolor bird wing. Pair that (and an elusive bird thought not to exist by science) with breathtaking writing, and I was a goner. A description of […]
Tickets To A Really Good Day
Did you ever have a “Best Day”? Perhaps you’ve been blessed to have a number of Really Good Days? Well, I’ve been blessed over my many years to have quite a few. The following is a tale of one such “Really Good Day”: The time and place was August, 1999, […]
Pastiera Napoletana — A Classic Italian Spring Dessert
The Pastiera Napoletana (Neapolitan Wheat Berry Pie) has ancient origins in pagan rituals that celebrated the arrival of spring. Legend tells us, the mermaid Parthenope lived in the Gulf of Naples, and every spring she emerged from the waters to entertain people on the shore with love songs. To thank […]
Nature’s Yard Art
Who doesn’t have childhoods memories of laying on the ground, gazing up at the clouds, and discovering the white and gray painted images against the blue sky — a long tailed dog, a floppy eared rabbit, a winged elephant, a man smoking a cigar… Lets face it, when it comes […]
Book REVIEW: FALL BACK DOWN WHEN I DIE by Joe Wilkins
This book — FALL BACK DOWN WHEN I DIE by Joe Wilkins… What a masterful blend of character-driven, literary fiction (with poetic, melt-in-your-mouth sentences). Combined with the intense pacing of more commercial fiction, this is a book you don’t want to set down. This novel was remarkable in several ways, […]
Lemon Parsley Pesto
Are you thinking springtime meals and lighter dishes but the weather isn’t right for growing basil to make pesto. You can make pesto from other herbs and nuts that will be just as tasty. And nothing says spring like the juice of a lemon. Try this lemon parsley pesto. It […]
Nature’s Neon Lights: Aurora Borealis & Aurora Australis
Beautiful, magical, eerie, surreal, awe-inspiring… It’s hard to come up with adjectives to adequately capture the sight of the colorful, glowing, shifting curtains of light we know as the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and Aurora Australis (Southern Lights). In ancient times, their appearance was both feared and revered. And while […]
Hearty Minestrone With Meatballs
Minestrone is a thick Italian vegetable soup containing dried beans and pasta. For me, it is often the soup I make when I have a number of vegetables I want to use before they spoil. This is the soup you make when it is cold outside and it is filling […]
Book: MIGRATIONS by Charlotte McConaghy
MIGRATIONS by Charlotte McConaghy is the kind of book that is the reason why I read: to slip into the skin of a character and fully inhabit her anguish, joys, thoughts, fears… to be transported to a different setting that I can experience in every possible sensory way. And, frankly, […]
An Easy But Elegant Dessert — Cheesecake Pie
In the mood for a luscious dessert but not for all the work that goes into such a recipe? Try this easy, low sugar recipe that combines some simple pantry ingredients with some fresh dairy for this tasty cheesecake pie. Find more great recipes — HERE ###
Words: “The Ultimate Weakness of Violence …”
From the last book written by Martin Luther King, Jr. — WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE: Chaos or Community? (Beacon Press 2010 edition) two passages confirming his continued relevance in todays world, pointing us in the right direction — regarding “the ultimate weakness of violence” — and giving hope… […]
Christmas Morning Coffee Cake
This coffee cake is perfect for Christmas morning to snack on while you sip your coffee and open presents. The filling is rich and creamy and the shape of the cake lends itself to festive decorations, such as candied cherries, colored sprinkles, or tinted frosting. The cake can be made […]
Book: THE MERCIES by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Oh, my… this novel — THE MERCIES! The atmospheric setting, the writing, the characterization, the story… I was swept away and transported from the first lovely sentences: Last night Maren dreamt a whale beached itself on the rocks outside her house. She climbed down the cliff to its heaving body […]
Tiramisu Parfaits: Fun, Festive, Flavorful
You love Tiramisu but don’t want a large tray of this tasty Italian dessert? Well, make Tiramisu Parfaits instead and enjoy all the flavors of this well-known dessert. This is also an excellent dessert to serve after dinner when entertaining. ###
For The Joy of Animals: Gardening For Groundhogs
Anyone who has grown a vegetable garden knows it is first and foremost a labor of love. You LOVE watching things grow and reaping your home grown harvest, but it take a tremendous amount of physical LABOR. And, yes, the rewards can be amazing, but they can also be extremely […]
Book Review: THE FOREVER FRIEND by Suzie Ivy
To the delight of fans, Detective Laci Jolett is back in action in Book/novella #3 of Suzie Ivy’s K9 Forever Series — THE FOREVER FRIEND. This time it’s drugs in the local high school that has two students in the hospital and Detective Laci Jolett on the case with her K9 partner […]