Fantastic Fruit Filled Green Salad
Fantastic Fruit Filled Green Salad Even in the midst of the winter chill I still often crave a crisp, cold salad. Fresh fruit all year long is a must. Between the soups and the hot comfort food, sometimes a super healthy combination of vegetables sounds so good. This time I decided to combine the two for a delicious, sweet taste. Many of us have had salads with strawberries tossed with spinach, or Mandarin oranges found in an Asian...
Masterpieces – Five Songs about Art
There was a bit of a fad for singing songs about film stars and artists back in the early seventies, and once or twice such songs burst onto the radio. As a kid I found this fascinating, even when the songs were a little bit saccharine. There was Elton’s Candle in the Wind, an ode to Marilyn Monroe long before the late Lady Di got her posthumous hands on it. There was You’re So Vain, Carly Simon’s beautifully...
Kruger National Park Safaris
Kruger National Park Safaris My quest to find fantastic adventure travel and vacations online that are both responsible and sustainable has led me to Africa! Like many people I love the idea of going on safari and I think the only real way of doing this responsibly is by going with companies like G Adventures or Intrepid Travel because they endorse sustainability, these links will take you to their sites where you’ll be able to read...
David Rosenfelt’s Real Life Tara Foundation
David Rosenfelt’s Real Life Tara Foundation If you are a fan of David Rosenfelt’s wonderful mystery series, you will recognize the Tara Foundation. The series, featuring attorney Andy Carpenter, has a loyal and growing following. I sure wouldn’t miss one! In the first book of the series, Open and Shut, when Andy comes into a bit of money (about twenty-two million), he and a new friend set up the Tara Foundation, named after...
Prince Charles – New biography
Charles: Heart of a King The author of this new biography about Prince Charles claims that it was authorised and that she had exclusive access to the prince and to members of his household at Clarence House. The BBC is reporting that this simply isn’t true. They say that they have been informed directly from Clarence House that the book certainly wasn’t authorised by the prince, the palace or the royal family. The book,...
Yorkshire Cooking: Parkin
Yorkshire Parkin. Parkin is a delicious ginger flavoured sponge cake associated with the north of England, particularly Lancashire and Yorkshire. There are regional variations, particularly with the use of spices and sugars – but this recipe keeps it simple and confines the spice to just powdered ginger. Every Yorkshire family that’s worth its salt can make Parkin (sometimes called ‘Tharf cake’), and this is my mother-in-law’s recipe....
Yorkshire Cooking: Mint Pastry
Yorkshire Mint Pastry. A Hidden Yorkshire Recipe Gem. This is a recipe from Yorkshire that tends to get passed down through families, rather than written in cookery books. It is a combination of garden mint with currants (or raisins) in a plain pastry tart that offers a taste surprise. The blend works surprisingly well, and the smell of fresh mint and fruit hot from the oven is sublime. The main ingredients are stock items in most...
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth
Have you ever come across a book that makes so much sense, you just know that you have to buy it and share it with those you love? I found this book and was immediately taken by not only its title, but also by the person who wrote it. Col. Chris Hadfield was being interviewed after his return to earth from a six month engagement on the International Space Station, as the Commander of the Space Station. During his interview, I could...