Kitchen Home News

The holidays can be a strange time.  Families who may not see each other much throughout the year often come together en masse, and that can be joyful and heartwarming, or terrifyingly uncomfortable. And that's even before the conversations and questions begin. The movies would have us believe that all the discomfort is temporary - just long enough to have some good laughs at the Griswolds , or those nutty folks who left their kid home alone - but holiday reality sometimes feels more like "The Shining." For those whose homes are not turning into a holiday encampment for familial guests, fortunately "family" is an inclusive term.  We may have our own family unit - a partner, children - or we've developed a network of friends that are like family that we can celebrate with.  Should you find yourself completely alone during the holidays for some reason, and not wanting to remain so, many cities host dinner events or even full travel packages for people who have

I was reading an article last week that told of how coffee was the most recongnized scent in the world.  Not roses or lemons or lavender.  Coffee.  That intoxicating essence of roasted beans pressed or percolated into a favourite mug that fits your hands perfectly. I was a late-bloomer when it came to drinking coffee, but I've always loved the aroma of it brewing.  I even did time as a barista for a year to help out a friend who owned a coffee shop.  I learned how a perfect espresso should look and smell, even though I didn't drink it myself. Years later, I'm a coffee addict, trying to cut down to one cup a day.  The caffeine has become a bit hard to handle for me.  I'm working on blending in herbal fillers to my daily grind to soften the buzz without giving up on the taste.  Some of my favourite additions are roasted chicory root, roasted dandelion root, and cacao nibs.  Grind it all up with your beans and you've got a killer blend that won't have you levitatin

There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love.  When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.   ~Sophia Loren In the next town, there is a little Italian deli tucked into the entrance of an alley.  It is a place no tourist would likely find, but the locals know it well.  Inside that tiny shop, there is a magical army of women and men that make incredible sandwiches, piled high with fresh veggies, meats with hard-to-pronounce names, and strange and delighful toppings.  If you squeeze into this shop during the lunch rush, you will get carried away by the scent of the deli counter and the sounds of people shouting orders and the tearing of butcher's parchment as it flies off the roll to wrap up a mile-high masterpiece cradled in the bosom of a fresh baked Kaiser bun. I don't often get a chance to stop in at this deli, and there are times I've tried but couldn't find

November has sunk into the valley in a cold, wet way.  Having had a warm, sunny October, I don't feel comfortable complaining, so I wait for the dry mornings to take my walks and extend hope that the deep cloud lets a bit more light through each day. I'm feeling myself slip into that familiar hibernation feeling that happens as the days grow shorter and the temperatures drop.  To combat the urge to curl up and not move again, I've committed to using the treadmill on the days I don't go out for a walk.  I've been having quite a bit of fun on it actually, and I've found that a good, hard pace and the steady thud of my feet on the machine begins to take me out of my body, and leads me to some interesting meditative experiences and epiphanies.  I think that this is not unlike the euphoria that is referred to as a " runners' high " - except that I'm rarely at a full run.  It may be more along the lines of what is experienced while doing ecstatic (tr

The winners of the 2014 Magical Almanacs are: Danni Leah McCullough And the winners of the 2014 Witches' Companions are: Theresa N. Orion's daughter Please drop me an email (rueandhyssop AT gmail DOT com) with your mailing address and I'll get these out to you! I want to thank you all for stopping by the blog, or giving me a wave over on Twitter or Facebook in October.  I had a great time passing out all the books and I hope you'll give a second look at our featured authors, who were absolutely lovely to me when I asked for their help in getting these books to you autographed. The authors featured in the 2013 Great October Book Giveaway were (click the names to visit their sites): Deborah Blake Lupa T. Thorn Coyle Judika Illes Deborah J. Martin Cory Thomas Hutcheson Christopher Penczak I hope your October was every kind of delightful!