>I finally got to see Julie and Julia at the movies this holiday weekend. What a culinary delight! And I have to say, I identified with both characters – Julia Child of the 1950s and Julie Powell, a young wife in today’s New York. As each of them tried to make sense of their lives, they wondered, “What now?” and …
>CAFE SPECIAL OF THE WEEK – Baked Walnut Fudge
>CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???? It’s been more than a month since I’ve featured chocolate here at the Café.Shame on me! Take heart—this week’s recipe is a simple, gooey, divine treat that whips up in seconds and is the perfect finish to just about anything – breakfast, an afternoon nap, a candlelight dinner. You name it, this recipe works! The hardest …
>ONE OF LIFE’S SIMPLE PLEASURES: HUMMINGBIRDS
>Last weekend, my sister, Donna, found this little fella slumped over on a plant stand in her underground garage. Surprised that it was a hummingbird, she took it up to her patio, where she saw that it was alive . . . just barely. Cupping it tenderly in her hand, she held it up to the hummingbird feeder on her …
>CAFE SPECIAL OF THE WEEK – The Joy of Pesto
>Used to be, when I read “pesto” as an ingredient in recipes, I skipped over it. I didn’t know what it was – a spice? Something that comes in a little jar in the condiment section of the store? Something from a foreign market? I’m not sure when I discovered pesto as being one of those divine little “additions” that …
>CAFE SPECIAL OF THE WEEK – Allison’s Perfect Guacamole
>This week’s special comes from my daughter-in-law, Allison. Born and raised in Orange County, CA, she’s been an avocado / guacamole aficionado since the cradle. Her dad (waving to Jan!) had an avocado tree in his yard as a kid. Talk about heaven on earth. I, on the other hand, grew up a thousand miles from California and only knew …
>SAY WHAT? Historical Tidbits on Language and Tradition
>My thanks to my good friend, Debbie, who sends me all kinds of mesmerizing, worthwhile emails. This one’s a keeper. Ever wonder where some of our unusual phrases and traditions came from? Take a step back to 1500 and read on . . . Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they …
>CAFE SPECIAL OF THE WEEK – My Sister Donna’s Special Salsa
>I just returned from a mini-reunion of sorts. Some California relatives ventured to Oklahoma (and my dad’s house) so on Saturday, some of the local kinfolk joined us. My sisters were there and one of my boys and two grandsons. All in all, a very fun day. Everyone helped out with either the cooking or making some of our favorite …
>CAFE SPECIAL OF THE WEEK – Savory Oyster Crackers
> We’re still in the too-hot-to-be-cooking mode here, so this week’s special is another simple, no-fuss treat compliments of my sister, Marsha. She comes up with some unique and delicious recipes—perhaps from her Bunko pals, who definitely know good eats and how to have fun. Savory Oyster Crackers go great with iced cold drinks or lemonade and are a great …
>CAFE SPECIAL OF THE WEEK – Snickerlicious Chocolate Chip Cookies
> If you’ve been stopping in at the Cafe for a while, you know I like no-fuss, yummy comfort foods. Today’s special does the trick for me. Melt-in-your mouth chocolate (ahhhhhh . . .) and so simple even a caveman could do it, providing of course, he could figure out how to rub the sticks together to start a fire. …
>One WICKED Show
> We’ve had our theater tickets for months! I’m a huge fan of Broadway musicals, and after hearing my daughter-in-law rave about WICKED, we coughed up the $$ for five tickets. Hubby and me, our son and daughter-in-law (Happy early birthday Allison), and our twelve-year-old grandson. The three-hour show was even better than all the hype, so without giving anything …