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Friday’s Fresh Five! (12/19/14)
Holidays bring cherished memories, family traditions, favorite foods, festive decorations, and opportunities to gather together. This is true across the world. Hanging this wreath on my front door is...
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Holiday Recipe Round-Up
It’s down to the wire in Santa’s Kitchen and I’m helping him sort through popular holiday recipes featured in this blog. Reminiscing about these dishes, we force ourselves to stop salivating and start...
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When Charlotte Visits: A New Grandmother’s Checklist
While watching my infant granddaughter suck on her little jacket, I think about all of the fun we will share in the coming days and years. I dream of blowing giant bubbles with her, of making pies out...
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Friday’s Fresh Five! (1/9/15)
In the stillness of a winter garden, where many plants rest to conserve their energy, songbirds flit here and there while singing their songs. When skies are more grey than blue and when landscapes...
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From Old Sweater to New Beanie Cap
The model napped during the construction and fitting of the garment, so a giraffe graciously stepped in to help. What? After using a sweater to make a Christmas stocking last month, I wanted to learn...
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Friday’s Fresh Five! (1/16/15)
What do the books laying around your home reveal about you? Plenty. Are you a romantic, a gardener, a do-it-yourself-type of person? Looking at this short stack of my books, can you tell that I read...
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Homemade Granola Bars
Dressed in my “Gram-glam,” which consists of fitted sweatpants with pockets, a soft t-shirt worn under a flannel shirt, and sheepskin boots, I grab a homemade granola bar in one hand while carrying my...
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Friday’s Fresh Five! (1/23/15)
Waiting patiently in the gentle breeze, the white hair-like tufts of salsify plants sway to and fro. Suddenly, a perfect gust of wind releases them from their mother plant and they float effortlessly...
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Poblano-Cheddar Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
What do you think of when you read the following words: belly, chop block, chuck, crab, cut back, dash, hash, rub, scoop, scramble, spread, turnover, and wishbone? I think about cooking and eating,...
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Friday’s Fresh Five! (1/30/15)
My camera lens focuses on the distant reaches of my backyard. Trying to capture an image of a particular bird, I’ve been sitting motionless on a rock for about 10 minutes. I sense movement to my right...
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Friday’s Fresh Five! (2/6/15)
Calls of “shaack shaack shaack!” interrupt the peace and quiet of the creek area behind my house. My eyes follow the sound and see blue-feathered birds swoop elegantly from tree branch to tree branch....
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Baked Cake Doughnuts With Chocolate Glaze
“Can I have a doughnut with my sprinkles, please?” To anyone who drools over doughnuts in bakery cases, there is no denying that sprinkles put the happy in these circular wonders. This past Christmas...
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Friday’s Fresh Five! (2/13/15)
Oh, we’re going to a hukilau A huki, huki, huki, huki, hukilau Ev’rybody loves a hukilau Where the laulau is the kau kau at the big luau Oh, we’ll throw our nets out into the sea And all the ama ama...
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Friday’s Fresh Five! (2/20/15)
Why do socks never stay on a baby’s feet? Here are a few of my observations. Being super flexible, babies can bring their feet all the way up to their faces. They then can pull off their socks and...
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A Taste of Nostalgia: Chinese Steamed Pork Turnovers
My Yin Yin, my father’s mother, calls out my name in Chinese and I drop what I am doing and run to the kitchen. I know that a fresh batch of homemade Fun Guaw, savory Chinese turnovers, have finished...
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Friday’s Fresh Five! (2/27/15)
What if letters or packages sent to people used complimentary adjectives in lieu of proper titles? For example, a letter to Mrs. Abigail Jones, might be addressed to “Lovely Abigail Jones.” A package...
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Bavarian Pretzels
One bite into a warm homemade pretzel and I was hooked. Like so many other baked items, pretzels are so much better when they’re made from scratch. Bearing a plate of freshly-baked pretzels, my friend...
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Friday’s Fresh Five! (3/6/15)
Model Tyra Banks coined the word “smize.” According to one of her websites, the word means: a fierce, sizzling eye expression, typically with the eyes squinting with maximum focus and intensity; the...
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Friday’s Fresh Five! (3/13/15)
A sunny high-rise home with an ocean view and plenty of fresh air ventilation sounds like a perfect place to rest a spell and, perhaps, even raise a family. That’s what this seagull thought as it sat...
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Decorating With Teacups: Springtime Floral Centerpiece
When looking for ways to decorate your home, look no further than your own collections. Whether your collections consist of books, copper molds, or vintage dolls, try incorporating them into your...
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