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How to Cure a Homemade Cookie Craving Without Turning on the Oven
by Katherine Neer | December 13, 2011
For many of us, the holidays can make us nostalgic. It’s the perfect time of year to reminisce about family, friends, past holiday celebrations and favorite joyful traditions. Over the years as we grow and change, we forge new festive practices with our nearest and dearest, but we also hang on to certain tried and true ones, some of which involve favorite recipes. Get more, including a tasty recipe, after the jump.
It’s inevitable — if you have a pet, at some time you’re going to have to face the loss of that pet. There are countless articles containing suggestions on how to prepare for that loss and how to cope once it’s happened. But there don’t seem to be that many that cover how to know when it’s time to bring a new pet into your home. I know this because I’ve been looking for some guidance in this area.
As I write this, it’s been exactly four months and four days since our dog succumbed to cancer. She was just one week from reaching her 11th birthday, and she’d spent pretty much all of her almost-11 years as part of our family. Well, if truth be told, she wasn’t just a part of our family; she completed it.
If you’re lucky enough to have your own garden, then you know the full joy of planting, tending to, picking and then preparing the fresh fruits (or veggies) of your labor. Sadly, I’ve not got anything resembling a green thumb. But I can (happily!) rely on the kindness of gardening friends, farmer’s markets and pick-your-own places for just-picked goodness. And, loving to cook and bake, I know some pretty tasty ways to put all this good stuff to use. Mouth-watering apple pie info after the jump …
Now I’m not going to necessarily advocate the stance that a vacation must follow a rigorous itinerary — we stayed at a fancy resort for three days during our vacation largely lounging at the beach and the pool, after all, and it was fantastically relaxing to just kick back and not have to follow any schedule apart from that which our own levels of laziness dictated — but there is something to be said for doing some mapping out in advance. More after the jump.
So. I’ve been on a bit of a blogging hiatus, I’m sorry, I know, but that was because the preparations for my two-week-across-the-world-mega-trip were approaching the home stretch and in serious crunch mode, making my regular stress levels soar to round the clock fight or flight type freak-out mode, and something had to give. Happily, all those efforts paid off, and the trip was amazing. Apart from the fantastic ruins, fast foreign cars, delicious food, glorious sunsets, sun-soaked beaches and many other captivating sights, I also came away with several interesting travel insights. The first? How to get the first tray of food on an airplane.
I’m one of those fortunate people who are surrounded by creative (think imaginative, artistic, inspired and inspiring) people in both my work and personal life. They’re all amazing — some are talented artists, some are impeccable storytellers, some are gifted craftsmen (and women), some make robots and some simply have incredibly creative minds; they seem to approach everything in life with creativity. And then there are a few people I know who aren’t so creative … yet. You see, I think anyone can be creative — it’s just a matter of finding your inspirational niche.
How to Make a Pair of Earrings in 5 Minutes (or Less)
by Katherine Neer | August 23, 2011
The perfect shoes: check. Best jeans ever: check. Fabulous new top: check. And just in time to go out tonight. But wait, what about the accessories? You’ve scoured your stuff and nothing’s quite right. All isn’t lost. Find out how to make a pair of earrings in 5 minutes flat … after the jump.
How to Keep Kids (and Everyone Else) Happy on a Road Trip
by Katherine Neer | August 5, 2011
Are we there yet? When are we going to stop? It seems like we’ve been in the car for 30 hours already. I need to go to the bathroom. I’m hungry. I’m thirsty. I think I’m carsick. Why do we have to go to [insert destination here]? Are we going to have fun when we get there? — If you’re going on a road trip, you’re likely to hear at least a few of these … and just wait until the kids chime in.
I recently “inherited” a terracotta army, unfortunately not of the ancient warrior persuasion. (How cool would it be to have a few of those as yard ornaments? Really says: “Stay off the lawn!” like you mean it.) But no, this troop of terracotta is of the standard garden pot variety, in a wide range of shapes and sizes. So while I love to garden — and won’t turn down free stuff lightly — this slightly worse-for-the-wear collection was a little drab for my taste and I decided to take some time to pretty them up.
Last week, I attempted to make my first lasagna. No particular reason I’d never tried to scare up a lasagna from scratch before, it had just never really crossed my mind. I was short on kitchen staff during the majority of the process, but I did have some preflight assistance. Unfortunately, much of that helpful chopping went largely forgotten after the Great Noodle Screw-up of 2011 went down. More after the jump.
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