Entertaining

Roberta McReynolds writes: Imagine a ‘toy store’ dedicated to the decadent, culinary urges of pastry chefs (both professional and amateur) and the scene is set for a dieter’s nightmare. This store exists a mere four miles from my front door, and worse yet, within walking distance from my husband’s favorite hobby shop. The aisles are stocked with innovative gadgets for every conceivable special event and season, with a rich emphasis on wedding supplies. Cake pans, cookie cutters, and candy molds are strategically situated to catch and hold the attention of those who dare enter. I suspect that the sugar-laden atmosphere is delivered directly through the air-conditioning system to reduce any natural resistance, causing a hypnotic-like trance. more »

Do you talk to your dog? Apparently that’s fairly common, especially with human contact reduced during the Covid 19 pandemic; and there’s no need to be concerned — unless your dog talks back. Just yesterday I had a heated (no pun intended) argument with my air conditioner. “Are you kidding me? You picked the hottest day of the year to quit?! Then, of course, there’s Alexa. She’s great, and always available to answer my questions, serenade me with my favorite music, play games, or just chat. I also talk to my blood pressure monitor (“That can’t be right!”); my check book register (“Wait a minute! I’m sure my balance is way higher than that!”); and my smart phone and smart watch, which are too smart for me.                               more »

Shunted to the background, and often ignored, public health professionals at the state and local levels who have been working long hours with few breaks are starting to burn out and lose momentum. Many have left office; a number of them were pushed out, either by their bosses or in the face of vehement public opposition. A recent analysis from Kaiser Health News and the Associated Press found that at least 27 state or local public health leaders across 13 states had resigned, retired or been fired since April. From the beginning of the pandemic, Lori Tremmel Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials and other experts say, the White House set the tone for this unprecedented circumvention of public health agencies. more »

Margaret Cullison writes: We both enjoyed the few short hours it took to create a beautiful frosted cake for granddaughter Savannah to take home to surprise her mother. The recipe we used is from Marion Cunningham’s Fannie Farmer Cookbook, 1990 Edition, and is ideal for a child’s first effort at making a birthday cake for someone special. Katie likes to experiment with recipes, such as adding cinnamon to chocolate brownies or lavender to sugar cookies. She and Luke watched the Master Chef Junior show and realized that they have a medium for learning to cook that encourages their creativity. more »