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Recent Articles

6
Dec

Chicken Pasta Soup

Chicken pasta soup is a family favorite in our home – everyone loves this soup. Simple to make and great tasting, the ingredients can easily be varied based on preferences.  My recipe below is heavy on the vegetables (especially the carrots), seasoning (parsley), and pasta but light on the chicken so if your preference is for more chicken, increase the amount. Read more »
4
Dec

“Sarah’s Key”

A few weeks ago, a friend recommended seeing a movie called “Sarah’s Key” so I went to my favorite movie review website:  www.rottentomatoes.com – which gave the movie a 74% rating by critics and an 85% by the public so this was obviously a movie to see.  I also learned the movie was an adaptation from a book by the same title and since I’ve rarely seen a movie as good as a book (“The Road” by Cormac McCarthy being the exception where the movie was every bit as good as the book), I decided to buy the book and read “Sarah’s Key” before seeing the movie. Read more »
2
Dec

Exploring La Antigua, Guatemala

La Antigua, Guatemala is located in southern Guatemala about 40 kilometers (24 miles) southwest of Guatemala City although most people refer to La Antigua as Antigua and the location as being in the central highlands of the country because of the mountainous region and vegetation. La Antigua, Guatemala means “the old Guatemala” and was established as the third capital of the country in the middle of the 16th century by the Spanish conquistadors after two other sites were abandoned. In the 18th century after several earthquakes, the capital was moved to the present site – Guatemala City – although Antigua was never abandoned completely by its citizens. Read more »

30
Nov

The Changing Role of Motherhood: Life With a Teenage Daughter

My 15-year old daughter recently asked me if I missed the old days when she was little and although my brain was screaming “YES, YES, YES, ” I calmly admitted to sometimes missing those days we spent together running errands, seeing Disney on Ice, having lunch together, and reading a book before bedtime (6:30 pm back then). Right now I would go so far as to admit that I would welcome seeing “Barney’s Big Adventure” again (and I’ve seen it at least four times and each time was more painful than the previous). Read more »

28
Nov

Gold’n Krackle

Years ago, I would drive to a hole in the wall place called the Middle East Bakery and Grocery Store on Fifth Street in downtown West Palm Beach to buy Gold’n Krackle – crispy flatbread that looked like whole and broken pieces of pita bread that had been baked to a crunchy cracker texture. Gold’n Krackle is made in seven flavors: Read more »

26
Nov

Hartford, Connecticut With Kids

Navigating and figuring out how to entertain kids in a city is always a challenge.  Harford, Connecticut has five great places to take kids:

  • The Connecticut Science Center
  • Mark Twain House and Museum
  • The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum
  • Bushnell Performing Arts Center
  • XL Center Read more »
24
Nov

Holiday Mail Order Sweets

There are certain foods – usually sweets – that we buy or receive once a year around the holidays that lend nostalgia to the season (and a few inches to the waistline).  In our home, we usually kick off the season in mid-November with the purchase of a sweet Italian cake called Pandoro that my daughter sprinkles confectionary sugar over. Read more »

22
Nov

Special Places in Switzerland: Bonmont in Cheserex

There are several well-known cities in Switzerland but there are also many small towns off the beaten path that offer a retreat from traffic, shopping, and noise.  The Chateau de Bonmont in Cheserex is one of those places. Located about 20 minutes north of Geneva, the Chateau de Bonmont is also known as the “Golf and Country Club Bonmont”  or simply the “Golf Hotel Bonmont” because this place is both a club and hotel – but guests do not have to be a member of the club to stay at the hotel. Read more »
20
Nov

Ciudad Rodrigo, Spain

Ciudad Rodrigo is one of my favorite places in Spain because the old part of the town is a fortified walled city with an amazing cathedral and parador that possess a charm that has not been ruined by tourism and t-shirt shops.  Located on the central western border of Spain and Portugal, most people bypass this area in favor of the more popular destinations in Spain: Madrid, Barcelona, Toledo, Sevilla, San Sebastian, the sunny beaches and islands of southern Spain, and the Basque country. But, if you want a quiet, relaxing weekend in a historical Spanish town off the beaten path, make plans to visit Ciudad Rodrigo. Read more »
18
Nov

Roasted Autumn Vegetables

There seems to be a lot of chatter about root vegetables in the Autumn and there is no better selection than this time of year.  Root vegetables are not the most colorful or attractive items in the produce section (and actually, some root vegetables are quite ugly) but if you take the time to peel, slice, and mix them with some old standbys (carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, and leeks), add some olive oil and seasoning, a delicious side dish emerges. Read more »