Friday, January 1, 2016

Happy New Year's! Wishing you peace in the new year!


What would you wish for this new year? For yourself, for a friend, for the world?  And do you want to know what our favorite recipe posts were for this year? {*We're including the links!}

From Daryl aka Avery:

I wish that the world would be free of bigotry.  There. It's simple but to the point. Love all and try to understand where "everyone" is coming from. Accept differences...no, embrace differences.  And give, give, give when you can.

My favorite recipe post is the Pirate Booty Fudge, a recipe that you can find along with other chocolate-y recipes in FUDGING THE BOOKS. I shared the fudge at a library event, and it was devoured in seconds!



From Lucy Burdette:

And yes, if we were free of bigotry and hate, there'd be no need to fight, right? Peace, that's my wish for the new year. And better lives for all the folks who've been forced out of their homes.

And as for delicious tidbits, I hope you'll have the chance to try these hot pepper cheese puffs this year!




From Leslie Budewitz:

Understanding leads to shedding our fears, the basis of hate and bigotry, yes? And so my wish for the world in this new year is a greater understanding of each other. For readers, one small step is to read a book by an author or featuring a main character from a different background than ours, such as a writer of color, a lesbian protagonist, or a main character with a disability.


And because we are all food writers, I wish for an end to hunger.

So happy to have been part of MLK this past year. My favorite post is probably this one, for Gorgonzola Stuffed Dates, because I got to share a recipe from a treasured friend, and so many of you shared your favorite appetizers with us. As my friend Zhamal would say, with a twinkle in her eye, "sharing is caring!"





From Sheila Connolly:

Many years ago I was a medieval art historian. One of the things I remember most clearly is that religious conflicts destroyed far too many of the beautiful things than man created, whether they were buildings or paintings or sacred books--or communities. I am appalled that so many centuries later, we are still fighting religious wars (in some cases, the same wars). I am also troubled that so many Americans understand so little about other cultures and people. We can't just legislate peace (although we can do that for war), so I wish that people would take a little time to get to know people who are different from themselves, rather than demonizing them.


Favorite recipe? Not easy! I think I'm going to go with the recent Apple Cherry Marzipan Pie, for two reasons: one, it's a new twist on an old standard (I may put marzipan in a lot more desserts!), and two, the pie crust works! Finding one that doesn't fall apart when I make it has been a long quest for me.





From Victoria Abbott aka MJ and Victoria Maffini

Not surprisingly, we too are in favor of peace, access to all for food, water and shelter. We hope for greater understanding and the ability to put ourselves in someone else's shoes.  In many ways, our world is getting better.  In others, not yet.  We also wish for the gift of time to all of you and to ourselves: time to think, reflect, read (oh yes!), and to enjoy relaxing moments with family and friends, and naturally, to cook.   Time is in short supply these days. May you have the time you need to enjoy life in 2016!


We too found it hard to identify a favorite recipe, because we had so much fun making them all. Because it's January and because shortbread is staple here at Christmas and New Year's, we'd pick our Robbie Burns day post of Great-Grandmother's Scottish Shortbread from a post almost a year ago. Robbie Burns Day is in late January and we need all the cheering up we can get here in the snow belt.  Robbie Burns' Day Shortbread

Have a wonderful New Year, everyone!





From Peg Cochran:

I have to agree completely with everything that has already been said--peace, an end to hunger, a decent life (food, shelter) for all, greater understanding of the world and each other.  My greatest wish is that we work together to make the world a better place instead of tearing it apart.

My favorite recipe of the year has to be the one I made in my tagine.  It felt so adventurous and while perusing various techniques and recipes, I learned a bit about another culture.   Could cooking be the way to a greater understanding of each other?  Maybe.




From Cleo Coyle:

Joy. That's what I wish for my family, my friends, the world, and you. Joy is not to be taken lightly. Finding joy daily is a conscious decision. An act of will. It can be found everywhere. In a freshly poured cup of coffee. In the passing faces of a mother and child. In a favorite piece of music, a cat's purr, or the scent of bread from a corner bakery. Look for joy often, make it part of your life, and your life will change for the better.

As for my favorite recipe post this year, I had many, including: The Secret to Making Perfect Oatmeal Pancakes. Marc and I use this recipe often as a delicious way to add fiber and nutrition to our morning meal. (And pancakes are one of those simple foods that almost always bring joy.) The post also featured a photo I snapped that made our local New York news, which was fun to share.

May you all have a happy, healthful, and joyful New Year!

Click here for the
pancake recipe PDF.







From Krista Davis:

World peace is hard to beat. If I could wish for two things, though, I would also wish for a cure for cancer.  It seems like we're so close but we're not quite there yet.

I had a lot of favorite recipes this year, too. But there's one that will be my go-to recipe for many years to come, my Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Sauce. It just hit all the right notes for us. Creamy without losing the wonderful pumpkin flavor.


Happy New Year to you all. May your 2016 be filled with joyous events, happy moments, and good health!






7 comments:

  1. Happy New Year to all of you lovely ladies! I so enjoy reading your blog posts and your books. Wishing everyone a 2016 filled with joy, peace, and hope.

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  2. You are all absolutely on the money!
    If the world would only let us put it right!
    But we can change it, one person at a time and watch the ripple effect.

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  3. Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!

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  4. Ah, yes! Joy and a cure for cancer will really do a lot to bring peace. But this world is not intended to be paradise. That was destroyed many years ago. So now we need joy and a cure for cancer to help bring some peace while we are living here on earth. Happy New Year! Thanks for all the joy you bring with your books!

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