Günter Grass: 1927-2015
Günter Grass, the German novelist, poet, playwright, artist, and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature died yesterday at the age of 87. Last month, a story was posted about Gunter Grass and one of his most controversial poems: What Must Be Said, which is reprinted below:
Grass is best known for his novels including The Tin Drum (1959), Cat and Mouse (1963), Dog Years (1965), and his memoirs: Peeling the Onion (2007), The Box (2010), and Grimm’s Words: A Declaration of Love (2010) but he is also known as the author of the controversial poem What Must Be Said (2012) – which reveals the hypocrisy of the German military when they decided to sell and deliver a submarine that could be used to launch nuclear warheads against Iran. Read more 
The Vanilla Queen’s Vanilla Extract
Flavorful. Sustainable. Simply the best. ~The Vanilla Queen
Years ago, an article in Cooks Illustrated convinced me to do a taste test between real and artificial vanilla extracts. The conclusion: always choose pure vanilla extract over artificial vanilla extract because of the flavor difference. Real vanilla extract (and there are many types – each with its own nuanced flavor) is rich and a bit creamy, smooth, slightly sweet, fruity, and cherry-like with a floral fragrance whereas the imitation lacks these qualities. Read more
For the Shakespeare Inspired
Buying just the right card for that special someone usually involves a trip to Hallmark, Target, CVS or the supermarket where the selection includes the humorous (which seems to be subjective) or cards filled with flowery language that simply say too much. Simplicity in a card is almost always the best choice but finding a card that has just the right message is challenging (and nearly impossible) at the last-minute unless a supply of Bard’s Cards is on hand. Read more
Whose Your Daddio?
If aluminum is good then anodized aluminum is perfection.
Natural aluminum bakeware has been the standard for commercial bakeries for decades because of its strength and durability. By reflecting heat rather than absorbing heat, aluminum reaches baking temperatures faster and cools quicker (dark steel or heavy weight metal bakeware retains heat and continues baking long after the pan has been removed from the oven). However, aluminum is porous and will absorb fats, sugar, oil, dish soap, and detergents. The solution? Anodized aluminum. Read more
The St. James Nautical Breton Shirt
What is more French than La Mariniére?
Saint-James, France – a small town in the Normandy region of France established by William the Conquerer in the 11th century – is where the iconic St. James Nautical Breton Shirt has been manufactured for more than 140 years.
Originally developed as a sweater for the sailors in the French navy who hailed from Brittany (hence the name “Breton”), the original La Mariniére (“the French sailor shirt”) had three distinguishing features: a boat neck, long sleeves, and navy stripes that were perfectly aligned from front to back (making it easier to see sailors who fell overboard) – and 21 of them (reported to signify Napoleon’s naval fleet victories over the British). Read more
“The Easter Parade”
I say,….Straight ahead. No Looking back; no looking sideways – ….Straight ahead.
When our nation celebrated it’s bicentennial nearly 40 years ago in 1976, the country was in the midst of a major shift in gender rights. Although the feminist movement began to gain momentum in the 1970’s and the United Nations had just declared the decade 1976 – 1985 as the UN Decade for Women, the reality was that women were still unable to break through the glass ceiling in certain fields and only earned 62% of what men earned making them either dependent upon men or limited economically. Read more
The KeepCup
How do you measure the impact of not doing something?
Most parents, if asked, would say that one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century is the Sippy Cup – a spill-proof cup designed for toddlers. When my daughter was a little, she loved her Sippy Cup because she could drink from any number of angles and never spill a drop. I loved it for the same reasons – especially in the car, on a plane, or when she was sitting on a piece of upholstered furniture. She continued to use her Sippy Cup for years after toddlerhood and her reluctance to give it up never bothered me. In fact, I used to tell anyone who would listen, that the Sippy Cup is truly one of the best inventions ever and that Sippy Cups for adults would be the next great invention. Read more
Fullei Fresh Spicy Sprouts
Fullei Fresh Spicy Sprouts will liven up any sandwich, wrap, or salad on your menu. Grown hydroponically indoors in a controlled, sanitary environment without the use of any pesticides, additives, or preservatives in Miami, Florida, Fullei Fresh Spicy Sprouts are made of three super fresh ingredients: alfalfa, clover, and radish. Read more
15 Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers
Whether you prefer chocolate bars with 56%, 70%, 80%, 82%, or even 90% cacao, there are real bean-to-bar chocolate makers who understand and strive to provide a pure chocolate experience for those of us who still love to rip open a chocolate bar when the craving hits.
A real chocolate maker produces chocolate from raw cacao beans and goes through eight (8) processes (along with many subprocesses) – selecting, roasting, winnowing, refining, milling, conching, tempering, and molding – to make a rich, earthy bar with very subtle flavors of nuts or fruits: Remember that. There’s a test at the end of this post. Read more
649 Bars of Soap
What is elegance? Soap and water. ~Cecil Beaton
A bar of soap seems like one of the simplest things in the world. Just add water, lather, and wash away dirt, germs, and oil but soap can do so much more than leave skin clean. A truly great bar of soap can also make skin soft and smell wonderful for many hours making creamy, lightly scented soap one of life’s true luxuries.
At Smallflower (www.smallflower.com) – an on-line apothecary (pharmacy) established by the 140-year old Chicago-based Merz Apothecary, shoppers can choose among 649 different bars of soap. Choose among 115 brands and 135 different scents from 24 countries. Read more
Paddock Post 