St. Patrick’s Day caused me to spiral into a self-induced carb coma. Lent felt like too much restraint. And when I pulled the Irish soda bread, out of the oven, the aroma of the bread dotted with sweet studs of currants weakened my resolve. I couldn’t fight it any longer and ate half the loaf….
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Photo Gallery for Five Things You Really Didn’t Know About Christmas
Inspiration for Christmas Newsletter
Add a Sicilian fig cookie to your life
Cuccidati Italian fig cookies recipe Cuccidati, or Italian fig cookies are traditional treats made during the Christmas season. Ingredients 2 sticks unsalted butter softened 4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup confectioner’s sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh 1/4 cup nonpareils colored sprinkles 2 cups dried figs 1 cup raisins 1 cup dates optional 3/4 cup walnuts 3/4 cup toasted almonds 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup orange marmalade 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips…
Another Five Things you didn’t know about Thanksgiving
They say it was Jack. The history of pardoning turkeys is somewhat patchy. The most favorite began with Tad Lincoln’s pet Jack. In 1863, President Lincoln was gifted a live turkey for Christmas. Eight-year-old Tad adopted the bird and taught him to follow behind as he hiked around the White House grounds. The President told…
Bad Vibes The Bob Dylan and Joan Baez tragic romance
Nearly every Halloween, my handsome but sometimes clueless partner comes up with ideas for a couple’s costume. I put the kibosh on his suggestion for this year-Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. He’d found a messy brown-haired wig in the attic along with an abandoned guitar, put them on, and played some duets the couple sang…
Hot off the press August Newsletter
It’s been quite a summer. How was yours? I took a road trip with my husband and drove across the country. It took seven days. Every night, we slept in a different state, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, crossing the vast Sonoran and Mojave deserts in late JULY!!! It was crazy…
Splurge on the last Zucchini
Zucchinis–about 2 large or 3 regular size. Shred with a mandolin, grater, or food processor. 1 medium potato, shredded. Salt to taste freshly ground black pepper 1 egg, beaten 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup of grated Romano cheese 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 green onion, half shallot, and/or 1 garlic clove, finely chopped ⅓ cup…
Bob Dylan is The Best Musician of the 20th Century
Bob Dylan is one of my favorite musicians. I’ve been working on a human-interest story about him. He’s believed to be one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 20th century. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016. Dylan’s music left a footprint in the blues, country, rock and roll, and folk music…
March Newsletter
Coming Soon––Free ebook for subscribers––excerpt below Smarty Pants by K. Nilsson I walked into the bar like I owned it. It wasn’t an attitude but my nature. My coworker and I attended a power moves conference in Houston, Texas. Gaslighting––I could have written a book on the topic. The axiom, ‘nice girls don’t manipulate,’ was…
Italian Magazines And What I’m Streaming, Reading, And Cooking
Over the past few weeks, I have leaped wholeheartedly back into the process of creating. In light of the disastrous events of last year, the pandemic, riots, I found that a warm cup of coffee and an empty notebook inspired just the right mindset for ideas to take shape. Bloggers from the past book tour,…