tastily touring: visiting bulgaria & organic homemade yogurt

Bulgaria, a Southeastern European country bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south and the Black Sea to the east, is our next stop as we “tour” the world. Bulgaria is one of 7 countries whose borders lie completely within the region known as the Balkan Peninsula. The Bulgars, a central Asian Turkic tribe and the local Slavic inhabitants merged to form the first Bulgarian state in the 7th century. Bulgaria has been a historical crossroads situated between Europe and Asia. Many civilizations have flowed through the region which was marked by fierce fighting as well as rich cultural history due to the many people who came and went. In the 7th century Bulgaria emerged as a state to only have to struggle against the Byzantine Empire and then by the 14th century succumb to the rule of the Ottoman... Read the Rest →

 

life is delicious: strawberry shortcake

It is my pleasure to introduce you to our newest series: Life is Delicious. On the original Strawberry Shortcake poster you will find those words. And, it is so true, isn’t it?! When I was writing the Star Wars post I was looking up other happenings in 1977. I stumbled upon the Strawberry Shortcake character that was designed in 1977 by Muriel Fahrion, a greeting card illustrator at American Greetings. Strawberry Shortcake and her cat, Custard, were originally seen on greeting cards, but the adorable character became a huge hit. She could soon be found on lunch boxes, posters and sticker albums. It was in the 1980’s, though, that Strawberry Shortcake and friends became the big trend with young girls. Eventually Strawberry Shortcake TV specials, video games, and movies were made that included many of the thirty two characters Fahrion created. Each subsequent character had a fruit or dessert themed... Read the Rest →

 

easy desserts & recipes: cream filled chocolate & orange shortbread cookies

It was 1977 and I was 9 years old when my sister took me to the theater and I saw the most amazing special effects movie of my life. I never cared for sci-fi movies as a child because, oddly enough, I found them unrealistic. (Funny, though, I did like the Jetsons, the cartoon about a futuristic family.) I grew up watching the classics from the 1940’s and 1950’s. And, after seeing every action/sci-fi movie ever made (you do that when you have two boys) I still prefer the classics. But, I will always have a fondness for Star Wars. George Lucas’ science fiction extravaganza opened up my eyes to a level of imagination I never considered and the story seemed completely plausible to my 9 year old logic. A whole generation of Star Wars fans was born on May 25, 1977 when the blockbuster movie opened for the first... Read the Rest →

 

beverages & drink recipes: hard lemonade recipe and the lemon sombrero by umbra & the juice lab by beater blade

Everyone has heard the saying: “When fate hands you a lemon, make lemonade.” -Dale Carnegie My son heard another quote that appealed to his capitalistic tendencies: “When life gives you lemonade, corner the market and hike up the prices.” I’m unsure who to credit with this quote, but it certainly spells out Dale Carnegie’s message in a little more detail. Don’t just make lemonade…don’t just survive life’s lemons, take advantage of them… get something more than lemonade. There are some folks out there that who could corner the market with all the lemons life has handed them. They would be billionaires. Life is funny, though. Yes, we get lemons from time to time that seem to come falling from the sky with no reason whatsoever. But, sometimes we have to step back and ask “Did I really have a hand in what is happening? How could my decisions caused this... Read the Rest →

 

appetizers & recipes: spring cleaning woe’s & a quick powerhouse salmon snack on a crostini

The notion of spring cleaning is pretty simple, it’s more like packing up all the winter things into boxes and preparing for spring! There are some people who are so organized they can practically reorganize their home and their wardrobe for a change in season on a whim. I, of course, count myself as one of those people. Okay, don’t get me wrong, I am not so OCD that every guest who enters my home has to be totally disinfected. I can say I am organized when it comes to my home and things. But… and I mean I do have my limitations, next time, we need to hire someone to do some major physical work around the house. It’s not worth bending over for hours on hours in a given week (or day) to get things spic and span for the summer months to come, and have blood rushing... Read the Rest →

 

appetizers & recipes: spring cleaning woe’s & a quick powerhouse salmon snack on a crostini

The notion of spring cleaning is pretty simple, it’s more like packing up all the winter things into boxes and preparing for spring! There are some people who are so organized they can practically reorganize their home and their wardrobe for a change in season on a whim. I, of course, count myself as one of those people. Okay, don’t get me wrong, I am not so OCD that every guest who enters my home has to be totally disinfected. I can say I am organized when it comes to my home and things. But… and I mean I do have my limitations, next time, we need to hire someone to do some major physical work around the house. It’s not worth bending over for hours on hours in a given week (or day) to get things spic and span for the summer months to come, and have blood rushing... Read the Rest →

 

tastily touring: visiting brunei with a black rice pudding (bubur ketan hitam)

Brunei Darussalam’s official name is the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace. It is located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia and is bordered by the South China Sea and Malaysia. It is in Southeast Asia that we find ourselves as we continue our tastily touring journey. The Brunei Empire thrived from the 15thcentury to the 17th century. During Brunei’s golden age it controlled the entire island of Borneo and into the Philippines. Chinese and Arabic records show that as early as the seventh or eighth century A.D. an ancient kingdom existed near the Brunei River. After a succession of Empires controlled the area the Brunei Empire emerged to dominate the area. While the rise of European colonialism and influence in the region disrupted the economic trading flow Brunei was able to survive internal battles. However, it became a protectorate of the British... Read the Rest →

 

fudo finds: calbee saya snow pea crisps

Having junk food for a snack is a way of life. C’mon, life’s too short to stay stuck in the band wagon of OCD on the few and simple pleasures of life, including enjoying food that is considered unhealthy. Just remember this simple saying “too much of anything is unhealthy” and you can never go wrong in your decision on what is healthy or not. To eat or not to eat is a question that will no longer plague you. “No TV after 6”, “wash your hands before you eat”, “do your homework”, and “eat your vegetables” are just a few of the more common reminders our parents used to drum into our senses every day of our childhood lives. Once we get to taste freedom from our parents, we still unconsciously try to find ways to rebel against these commandments that shackled us when we were kids. I really... Read the Rest →

 

breads & recipes: challah (brioche)

When I first began making Challah for Shabbat on Friday nights I would have to start thinking about it on Thursday so that I wouldn’t forget. Now it is second nature and as soon as I wake up on Friday I make the dough. I began making the Challah because I wanted to create a family tradition. We don’t belong to a synagogue and it was important for me to set aside the time to recognize what I feel is our most important holiday, Shabbat. Friday night is a time for us to regroup as a family, have a meal together and discuss the weekend, which are often as busy as our weekdays. It is a pause, a breather, a time to reconnect with each other and our faith. The lighting of the Shabbat candles, the prayer over the wine and the bread remind us that we are a part... Read the Rest →

 

breads & recipes: challah (brioche)

When I first began making Challah for Shabbat on Friday nights I would have to start thinking about it on Thursday so that I wouldn’t forget. Now it is second nature and as soon as I wake up on Friday I make the dough. I began making the Challah because I wanted to create a family tradition. We don’t belong to a synagogue and it was important for me to set aside the time to recognize what I feel is our most important holiday, Shabbat. Friday night is a time for us to regroup as a family, have a meal together and discuss the weekend, which are often as busy as our weekdays. It is a pause, a breather, a time to reconnect with each other and our faith. The lighting of the Shabbat candles, the prayer over the wine and the bread remind us that we are a part... Read the Rest →

 

easy desserts & recipes: serious vanilla ice cream recipe by alton brown

We’ve all heard it. As kids we say it and as adults we think it. “I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream.” We are sure that there are some folks out there who don’t care for ice cream. However, ice cream is by far one of our favorite desserts. So, as the weather continues to warm we would like to devote a post or two or three to our all time favorite summer treat: ice cream. Let us take this opportunity to define ice cream and a few other frozen treats. 1. Ice Cream: a frozen food containing cream or milk and butterfat, sugar, flavoring, and sometimes eggs. 2. Gelato: a rich ice cream, made with eggs and usually containing a relatively low percentage of butterfat. 3. Sorbet: a frozen food made from fruit puree that is whipped. 4. Sherbet: a frozen food made from fruit, milk... Read the Rest →

 

easy desserts & recipes: serious vanilla ice cream recipe by alton brown

We’ve all heard it. As kids we say it and as adults we think it. “I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream.” We are sure that there are some folks out there who don’t care for ice cream. However, ice cream is by far one of our favorite desserts. So, as the weather continues to warm we would like to devote a post or two or three to our all time favorite summer treat: ice cream. Let us take this opportunity to define ice cream and a few other frozen treats. 1. Ice Cream: a frozen food containing cream or milk and butterfat, sugar, flavoring, and sometimes eggs. 2. Gelato: a rich ice cream, made with eggs and usually containing a relatively low percentage of butterfat. 3. Sorbet: a frozen food made from fruit puree that is whipped. 4. Sherbet: a frozen food made from fruit, milk... Read the Rest →

 

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