A California Online Magazine with Local Focus and Global Appeal
I was let out of quarantine, and then I took four weeks off (because I had the hours). I went back to work for a week-and-a-half, and then I was out again because I had a heart attack (of the mild variety). However, I can still write, and I can still cook, and so…we return to Casa de Mc Arthur!
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If you have a wok in your kitchen, you will agree that it is quite a fundamental tool in the cookware family. Carbon steel woks are regarded as the best kitchen tools mainly due to their ability to conduct multiple tasks. However, due to its frequent use, they tend to get dirty fast. As a result, you need to know how to clean them.
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I’m sheltering in place…sort-of. I went back to work for three days at the beginning of April, but I decided to take four weeks of leave (I have plenty of hours). I thought I could be productive during my time off, but…I have cooked. Let me tell you about the latest dishes to come out of Casa de Mc Arthur….
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If you find a reference to a recipe in one of my short stories, you can be sure that if I offer it to you, (attached or as BOGO) I will leave out the poison! Hope that line has made you smile.
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I never planned to be in isolation. I figured my wife and daughter might, but me? What a surprise!
Now, what’s a restaurant reviewer supposed to do when he can’t go to restaurants because he’s supposed to avoid going out, which means he’s stuck at home, trying to put together meals from what he has on hand in the house?
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I love cookbooks! I have a collection of 50 books and 360 eBooks, and although I’m not a chef, not even a real fanatic in the kitchen, I am experienced in better-than-basic techniques, competent in following directions, and greatly enjoy putting together everyday meals, sweet desserts, and holiday feasts. I also love cozy mysteries! So, I’m thrilled many favorite cozy mystery authors have published cookbooks compiling recipes from their series, and often family favorites, too. Check out these eight cookbooks, explore links to author websites, view Amazon & Goodreads, and enjoy fun insights on their influences, culinary experiences, and best thoughts on Thanksgiving!
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Baker Ivy Culpepper and her best friend Emmaline Davis are used to long hours that frequently intrude on their personal lives. But it is a double tragedy when the latter’s duties as Santa Sofia’s Sheriff not only interrupts her marriage proposal to boyfriend Billy Davis, it calls her to the body recovery scene of Marisol Ruiz.
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Miracle Springs, North Carolina, is where people come to heal, find peace, and enjoy the natural hot springs of their popular spa. It is also where Nora Pennington has opened her bookstore Miracle Books, where she utilizes her unique “bibliotherapy” skills to match the customers with the perfect books they need in their lives.
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Sherry Frazzelle is working part-time for her dad, entering cooking contests, and learning to live alone after splitting from her lawyer husband. The latest contest is for home cooks, sponsored by OrgaNicks. Sherry’s sister Marla is a finalist, too.
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It is such a delightful experience connecting with a favorite author, talking about their book, their motivation, style, and process, but when you are lucky to become part of that process, it just adds to the wonderful experience. I “e-met” Jenny Kales over a year ago, you know meeting someone online, when I read and reviewed her Callie’s Kitchen Mystery series highlighting On the Chopping Block and Spiced and Iced. She has been such a delightful Facebook buddy, and when she took me up on my offer to help in anyway I could with her next book, I was thrilled to become a beta reader for Secrets and Pies.
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Thanksgiving Day is a particularly big holiday in North America, especially for Canadians and Americans. It’s a special and festive time that brings families together, reminding them to be thankful, giving perspective and encouraging thoughtfulness in life. It’s so important that folks in foreign lands will rush back to be with their families for this holiday season.
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How many times has it happened with you that you didn’t want to spend any time in the kitchen for preparing dinner? I’m sure it happened quite often.
Spending time in the kitchen becomes even more annoying when the temperature is reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more. It is not easy to stand in the kitchen preparing food during the summer season.
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The year of 1977 was a magical year for me. It was filled with fun family times, foods, and celebrations, including my seventh birthday on July 7. From what I remember, the weather was pretty mild that autumn through December, and Lake Erie hadn’t frozen over. What that meant was that when a cold north wind blew over the lake, it often brought Lake Effect snow.
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In August of 1998, we moved to Japan to build the Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka. Prior to our move, we had hosted six Japanese students in our home. One of the perks of living there was the opportunity to see our ‘kids.’
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