In my blog post yesterday about the invasion of Ukraine, I confessed my sorrow about the start of a new war and my lack of knowledge about how I as a private citizen can do much to alleviate the situtation. Later that day, I happened upon this video by Hank Green, one of the much-beloved … More What To Do When You Feel Helpless
As I write this post this morning, my heart is heavy, knowing the beautiful city show above, Kyiv (often also Westernized as Kiev), is under attack by Russian troops seeking to take over the country. There have been explosions and fighting and already hundreds of deaths and casualities, many if not most of them among … More Heroes
That is the name of the book I’ve just finished reading, the latest publication by Alice Waters, the chef and founder/owner of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California (a pioneer in the farm to table restauarant concept). It’s full title is actually We Are What We Eat: A Slow Food Manifesto. It is her latest attempt … More We Are What We Eat
It may not surprise you that George W. Bush is not my favorite of the living US ex-Presidents. Except for yesterday. Yesterday, he was ex-President #1 in my opinion. Yesterday, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon building outside Washington DC, all the living Presidents/ex-Presidents attended memorial services … More What We Really Need to Remember from 9/11
NOTE: Today’s blog post comes courtesy of the UNC-Duke Area Studies Centers, which sponsored a series of WONDERFUL live webinars showcasing recipes and food traditions from other countries in a Cultural Kitchen Series. More on that later. First, I apologize for the break in posts. I was taking advantage of summer opportunities and the relatively … More Meatless Monday: Pupusas (with a Side of Social Justice)
As I’ve said multiple times on this blog, I love to celebrate every occasion. On this blog, that usually is manifested through a special meal I make for that day. But in my actual life, I always strive for our celebrations to also have something to do with the meaning of the holiday. This year, … More A 2021 Fourth of July Reflection: Watch This Video
The picture above shows my Juneteenth present for my tea-loving son: a blend called Alhambra 1400, one of the Time Travel series of teas created by the Raleigh Tea Company, available every week at the Cary Downtown Farmers Market. I chose that for two reasons (besides the fact he loves exotic teas and pretty much … More Celebrating Juneteenth
I’ve been waiting for this day for years––literally years. Since 2016, actually, when it was announced that Lin-Manuel Miranda, who was the toast of Broadway with his blockbuster Hamilton, would co-produce a movie version of his first musical, In the Heights. There were a few detours along the way; it was originally going to be … More It’s Finally Here! THE Movie Event of My Summer
For the first Meatless Monday in June, it seems appropriate to have a rainbow meal in honor of Gay Pride Month. While neither I nor any of my immediate family are LGBTQIA+ (as far as I know in this moment), I have dear friends who identify with each of those letters, so I celebrate our … More Meatless Mondays: Gay Pride Rainbow Meal
Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that when Deepak Chopra announces one of his free 21 day meditation series, I sign up right away. Health, abundance, grace, peace, whatever the topic, I figure I could use some assistance on growing in that area through meditation. Last month, Chopra … More Am I Being Sexist?
