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We had a request last week for ideas for homemade holiday gifts, so I went hunting. I’ve been intrigued by Limoncello, a lemon liqueur from Southern Italy. Authentic recipes appear to be made from rectified spirit, which I don’t think can even be purchased in my state; but I found this one from ‘What’s Cooking America’, which uses only Vodka (if you want to try making it the ‘real’ way, and have access to Everclear, a quick search will bring up many other sites with recipes and exhaustive information): https://whatscookingamerica.net/Beverage/Limoncello.htm The King Arthur website has a spicy Chai-Flavored pound cake...

Does the idea of devouring ants or wasp larvae make your stomach turn? Chef Jacob Brown hopes to convert diners to plates full of pests. "Why not? They taste good," says Brown, who adds that eating them is good for the environment. At Wellington's The Larder restaurant, the award-winning chef and sustainability champion cooked up a fine dining degustation menu featuring as many pests as he could find and legally use: jellyfish, ants, wasps, gorse, pine, wallaby, wild pork and Canadian geese, to name a few. At the sold-out Wellington on a Plate event on Tuesday night, the 50 diners...

Japanese video game company Nintendo has angered hundreds of fans on social media by revealing its synonymous character Mario is officially no longer a plumber. In a recently updated Mario profile, the company's website said "Mario was once a plumber … but that was a long time ago." "All around sporty, whether it's tennis or baseball, soccer or car racing, he does everything cool. As a matter of fact, he also seems to have worked as a plumber a long time ago," the website said. Although the games rarely feature Mario utilising his plumbing skills, the sudden announcement of his...

If you're the type of person who goes to Taco Bell with a full glitter eye, then today's most delicious trend will speak to your soul — or 2 a.m. stomach. After the chain asked for makeup looks inspired by its logo and/or menu, beauty junkies did not disappoint in what they delivered. It doesn't hurt that Taco Bell is practically synonymous with its soft purple lettering. Something about how the franchise's eponymous chime seems to be swaying in its logo just begs for a wing tip. But Taco Bell Makeup is a trend that's anything but mild — these...

As a self-confessed science geek I am fascinated by technology. Yet in the world of gardening this is often synonymous with the gimmicky (fiberglass meerkat solar light, anyone?) or the hugely complex and costly – think hydroponic growers that require a degree in electrical engineering to install. So it was with trepidation that I started experimenting with LED grow lights last winter in my tiny flat. Nine months down the line I am a total convert, eulogizing about them to all my gardening mates. They are something I feel could be a gamechanger to many modern gardeners, if we could...

Judi and I were honored to be asked to judge a cannoli/waffle eating contest at Pier Village on Sunday. It was a picture perfect summer day. The beach was packed. People in bathing suits walking around everywhere. And the line was out the door at Coney Waffle in Long Branch. The owners Joe and Mike revived their mom’s old waffle machine from Coney Island in Brooklyn. They filled two hot dog bun shaped waffles with cannoli cream and WOW! About a dozen brave men and one woman stepped on stage to see who could eat in three minutes. Needless to...

The greasy sizzle of delicious meat on a grill is a staple of every Labor Day weekend. But as everyone breaks out the barbecue grill, paper plates, and “Kiss the Cook” aprons, a debate older than charcoal briquettes rages in the minds of grillmasters everywhere, along with their hungry audience: Do you want a burger? Or a hot dog? (“Both” is certainly an option, but not for the purposes of this showdown.) Vegetarian? I’m so sorry. Competition Both burgers and hot dogs can be prepared in quite a few ways, whether by grilling, broiling, pan frying, or in the case...

The United States has been invaded, not by a foreign army or extraterrestrials, but by two species of freshwater mollusks commonly called quagga and the lesser-known zebra mussels. Invasive species are of great concern to fishery biologists and to local officials, the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office and to PG&E, owners of Lake Almanor, as well as Bucks Lake near Quincy and nearby Butt Lake near Humbug Valley. State and federal agencies have joined forces to avert further infestations of quagga mussels and are urging boaters to help stop the spread of the non-native mollusks in California. According to information from...

Let me make clear something that professor Wax's "Anglo-Protestant" comment implies: America's "bourgeois values" are superior because they are, essentially, Christian values. Thus, a bourgeois culture is superior because it is essentially a Christian culture, and that ultimately is why the left attacked Wax's and Alexander's piece. As The Miracle and Magnificence of America – and any other sound account of U.S. history – reveals, America was founded by Christians and upon Christian values and principles. The death, disease, and moral rot so prevalent in much of America today is there because many of us have abandoned these values and...

My cover of Ramblin Man. Just for fun. Pics and vids are from our ranch in se oklahoma. Music recorded in my home studio. Just hobby fun! http://youtu.be/7A0Tfznn5G0

Email news this week brought this Betty Crocker recipe for Ravioli Casserole that looks very good for an easy, work-night meal made partly from prepared foods: https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/spinach-and-ravioli-lasagna/8df9521c-8475-4f83-9b3b-c5288ad13adfTrying to ‘zing up’ my husband’s favorite roast pork loin, I found several recipes for pork that include a fruit chutney that doesn’t look too pungent: https://www.knorr.com/us/en/recipes/roasted-pork-tenderloin-with-apple-chutney.html-JT

Hello! I bought a large (12 in diameter) cast iron pan at a garage sale today. It has been only very lightly used, the manufacturers name LODGE is plainly visible on the bottom. Little or no burned grease or discoloration evident. So I did wash it once very lightly with mostly water but just a hint of soap and am now trying to season it. I put in about a tablespoon of unscented coconut oil and let that melt and worked it in with a paper towel, then turned off the heat. So I am wondering about the best approach...

President Donald Trump departed the White House on Friday for the Camp David presidential retreat with son Barron and First Lady Melania Trump, who opted for a sultry, emerald ensemble from Missoni for the trip. Melania, often in shift dresses, changed up her usual White House style for the kick-off of the family’s weekend in Camp David, wearing a sleeveless knitted, dark green Missoni dress with orange knit details along the neckline and bust. To top off the look, Melania wore orange leather stilettos by famed shoe designer Manolo Blahnik, a favorite of the First Lady’s, as well as her...

I am going through a large collection of stuff my late father had, and in addition to a bunch of his WWII ribbons and such, I found what looks like an Iron Cross with ribbon dated 1815 on one side and 1914 on the other. It's in good condition. I see these on Ebay at up to $1000. Does anyone know someone I can trust to evaluate it?

Andretti Indoor Karting and Games is building a 100,000-square-foot indoor entertainment complex near the booming intersection of Interstate 10 and Loop 1604 — complete with high-speed go-carts, laser tag, arcade games, virtual reality attractions and a full-service bar. The Georgia-based entertainment company hopes to open next summer near The Rim, managing partner Eddie Hamann said in a phone interview. “When they walk in, there’s something for everyone of all ages to do and everyone of all ages to eat,” Hamann said.

I like meals made up of lots of different, little things – I’m a fan of ‘tasting menus’, buffet parties, and can make a restaurant meal of appetizers. An appetizer recipe that’s been a party hit for us, is this one for Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts in Chili Sauce: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/bacon-water-chestnuts-50888.aspx^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I think we originally found the recipe for these little Garlic and Mushroom Tartlets about 15 years ago – perhaps from the Sorrento site, or off the bag. Sorrento seems to have turned into Galbani (?) and I haven’t seen this garlic-flavored Mozzarella cheese lately. Sargento used to have a similar...

A rising star in the National Basketball Association is in search of the perfect balance of mind, body and soul. Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic, who graduated from San Jose's Archbishop Mitty High School, is behind a new mental training app for athletes. The 22-year-old Gordon is best known for his epic dunk contest with fellow rising NBA star Zach Lavine in 2016. Gordon credits his physical success on the basketball court from his mental preparation off of it. In a meditative state, the former Bay Area high school basketball star can hear it all and see it all....

Young women are the fastest growing demographic of outdoor enthusiasts. Don’t believe it? Research from a 2016 report by the Outdoor Foundation shows that among all age groups, 18- to 24-year-olds showed the most significant increase in participation of outdoor recreational activities. And within that 18- to 24-year-old demographic, the participation rate among females was 16 percent higher than their male counterparts. Rosie the Riveter would take pride in seeing modern women break through age-old stereotypes, moving into the forefront of the typically male-dominated culture of hunting and gathering. Just in the state of Oregon, the Statesman Journal reported that...

t wasn't exactly the catch a Florida man was hoping for while fishing in the Atlantic Ocean. Instead, deputies say a drunken 22-year-old woman cursed at him before swimming up to his fishing line, biting it and swimming away with the rigging. St. Johns County Sheriff's officials tell local news outlets the fisherman told deputies the incident happened Tuesday evening as he was fishing with a rented pole near St. Augustine.

A New Hampshire woman who became stuck in a swimming pool after the ladder broke turned to Facebook to ask for help getting out. Sixty-one-year-old Leslie Kahn was swimming in her pool Aug. 11 when the ladder broke, leaving her stranded. She said she didn't have the strength to pull herself. No one else was home and her cellphone was inside. She used a pool pole to drag the chair her iPad was on and posted