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A DIARY Across the Peaks of the Western Balkans The ambition: 7 countries, 700 kilometers of walking, love, history, unity, hard work, good food, great fjalë. THE ILLYRIAN WAY Get your copy today! Nina, Nana Lullaby In The Press Book Description Shortly after a life-shifting diagnosis fractured the silence of everyday life, the author set out with her husband on a three-month pilgrimage through the wild heart of the Western Balkans. The Illyrian Way is more than a travel memoir—it's a deeply personal journey of grief, healing, heritage, and discovery. Crossing seven countries and three legendary long-distance trails—Via Dinarica, Peaks of the Balkans, and High Scardus—the pair embrace mountain solitude, cultural resilience, and unexpected joy. Packed with trail maps, intimate photos, local recipes, and luminous vignettes of alpine meadows, Sharr dogs, wild horses, and warm family tables laden with raki and homegrown fare, this book is a love letter to connection: to history, land, and strangers turned kindred spirits. It’s a mosaic of encounters—world travelers, village heroes, ancient ruins, and a search for the author's own Illyrian roots. With quiet strength and playful reverence, The Illyrian Way invites readers into a tender expedition that celebrates nature’s drama and human grace. Whether you're a backpacker, a dreamer, or simply curious, this journey will awaken your wanderlust—and just might guide you toward your own version of home. Get your copy today. From the author The Illyrian Way is a physical trail along mountain peaks, forests, and the Adriatic Sea. There are three established long-distance trails that I have stitched together for the hiker enthusiast to experience 7 countries in the Western Balkans in one go. These established trails are called Via Dinarica, Peaks of Balkans, and High Scardus. Altogether they make up over 965 miles of hiking in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Albania. I personally walked 450 miles of it. The Illyrian Way is also a mental journey of discovering culture from the comfort of your own home through this book. It depicts a unique cultural blend of West and East, of Christianity and Islam, of communism and democracy, and of various ethnic identities, the larger two being Slavic and Albanian, that have shaped the region. It is so much more than a place you may associate with corruption, poverty, and conflict, due to mainstream media often focusing their reporting on grief rather than celebratory human stories. For me, The Illyrian Way is a spiritual journey , a pilgrimage into my own heritage. One in which I embarked on out of personal grief, history, and fear but that left me feeling hopeful, proud, and joyful. Read more... VIA DINARICA is ~1,000 km or ~620 mi trail system in the Dinaric Alps or Dinarides. The Dinarides are named after Mount Dinara (1,831 m), a prominent peak in the center of the mountain range on the border with the Dalmatian part of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The trail begins in Razdrto at the foot of the Nanos plateau in Slovenia, and roughly follows the Croatian mountains of Velika Kapela, Velebit and Dinara. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the trail passes through the Hercegovina region, and then through the mountains of Central Montenegro. The route ends in the Valbona valley in the Albanian Alps in Northern Albania. PEAKS OF BALKANS is a ~192 km or ~120 mi trail system in the Accursed Mountain Range, the southernmost subrange of the 1,000-kilometer-long Dinaric Alps range (Dinarides). The Accursed Mountains (in Albanian: Bjeshkët e Nëmuna; in Serbo-Croatian: Проклетије, Prokletije; both translated as "Cursed Mountains"), also known as the Albanian Alps (Albanian: Alpet Shqiptare), are a mountain group in the western part of the Balkans. The official trail extends from northeast Albania to southern Kosovo and northeastern Montenegro. It does not include the other half of Accursed Mountain Range in northwest Albania, nor the Sharr or Korab Mountain Ranges in Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia. HIGH SCARDUS trail is a ~362 km or ~225 mi trail system which leads through the untouched mountain world of the Western Balkan countries of Kosovo, Albania, and Northern Macedonia. The start point is in Staro Selo in North Macedonia and the end point is in Sveti Naum at Ohrid Lake also in North Macedonia. When hiking the High Scardus Trail you cross the mountain ranges of Sharr, Korab, Deshat, Jablanica and Galichica - one more beautiful than the other. The best time to hike the Trail is from mid of June to Mid of October. The sea level stretches from 700m to 2.764m - so a certain basic physical condition is needed - especially when hiking the longest stage with 8 hours and a length of 26km (stage 8 "Brod - Radika") but boy, is it worth it! The longest stage by altitude meters is stage 10 ("Strezimir - Radomire") with 300m up and 1.600m down (you cannot miss this one either). Below is a journey that combines VIA DINARICA & PEAKS OF BALKANS & HIGH SCARDUS trails and includes official and unofficial trails. A portion of the VIA DINARICA official trail overlaps with the PEAKS OF BALKANS official trail. Th e northwest Albanian region of the Accursed Mountains (Malësia e Madhe region) is NOT part of PEAKS OF BALKANS official trail today; however, it is well marked and is not something you should skip, as it will offer you complete authenticity . Trails along the Sharr Mountain Range and Korab Mountain Range are part of the High Scardus trail . They are not part of VIA DINARICA because these mountain ranges are not part of the Dinaric mountain range. The Sharr Mountain system is about 80 km or 50 mi long and 10–20 km or 6–12 mi wide and does NOT have an official trail system. The Korab Mountain system stretches over 40 km or 25 mi and does NOT have an official trail system. These mountain ranges offer the best cheese in the Balkans, are arguably the world and similar can be said about the views and the trails. Remote, raw, barely explored, but the natives are friendly and will give you a wonderful experience, every step of the way. Our journey across the PEAKS OF BALKANS Slovenia/Slovenija Lake Bohinj Mt. Vogel Lake Bled Mt. Triglav Mt. Viševnik Mt. Snežnik Cro atia/Hrvatska R isnjak National Park Mt. Risnjak Northern Velebit Premužić Trail Middle Velebit Split Senj Opatija Pag Island - Star Novalja Bosnia & Herzegovina/ Bosnia i Hercegovina B lidinje National Park Jablanica Mostar Sarajevo Umoljani & Lukomir Sutjeska National Park Montenegro/Crna Gora Durmitor Mo untain s Prokeletije Mountain Range and National Park -Babino Polje - Plav - Mt. Talijanka (Maja e Vajushës) - Grebaj - Karafili Peak - Vusanje - Kolata Peak Kosovo/Kosova Pejë Accursed Mountain Rang e and Bjeshkët e Nëmuna National Park - Maja Hajlës (Hajla Peak) - Gjeravica Peak - Marijash Peak - Guri Kuq Peak Prishtinë Prizren High Scardus Trail - Sharr Mountain Range and National Park - Korab Mountain Range Macedonia/Makedonija Sharr Mountain Range Ma vrovo National Park Jance and Galicnik Korab Mountain Range A lbania/Shqipëria Kora b Mountain Range Korab-Koritnik National Park Theth and Valbona National Parks Accursed Mountain Range - Maja e Harapit (Arapi Peak) - Vuk ël - Tamarë - Vërmosh - Lepushë - Bogë - G rykë e Lugjeve - Theth - Maja Jezercës (Jezerca Peak) - Çerem - Dobërdol Bogë Shkodër Lake Shkodër Tiranë THE ILLYRIAN WAY DAILY ITINERARY Start Now EC ME LEZET! Peaks of Balkans & High Scardus Trails along the Accursed, Sharr, and Korab Mountain Ranges spanning Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia Accursed Mountain Range Accursed Mountains (Bjeshkët e Nëmuna in Albanian and Prokletije in Serbo-Croatian), also known as the Albanian Alps, are a mountain group in the western part of the Balkans that are the southernmost part of the Dinaric Alps. Maja Jezercë, standing at 2,694 m (8,839 ft), is the highest point of the Accursed Mountains and of all Dinaric Alps, and the fifth highest peak in Albania. Accursed Mountain range extends from northern Albania (Malësia e Madhe, Theth National Park, and Valbonë Valley National Park) to southern Kosovo (Bjeshkët e Nëmuna National Park) and northeastern Montenegro (Prokletije National Park). They are ethnographically and sociologically diverse with many tribes living in the region as sheep herders; primarily, Hoti, Kelmendi, Shkreli, Kastrati, Gruda, Dukagjini, Shala, Shoshi, Nikaj, Krasniqi, Gashi, Kuci and Rugova. It includes the highest mountain in Montenegro and second highest in Kosovo. - Zla Kolata (2,534 m or 8,314 ft) part of accursed mountain range - Gjeravica (2,656 m or 8,714 ft) part of accursed mountain range Accursed mountains are world renowned for its dense old growth forests and high biodiversity. The range was formed by the folding resulting from the collision of the African and Eurasian plates. After the Alps, these mountains are the most glaciated in Europe south of the Scandinavian ice sheet. They have very steep limestone slopes with abundant karst features. Its engulfed by active glaciers, glacier lakes, rivers, waterfalls, karst caverns, protected wetlands, wildcat, lynx, fox, deer, boar, wolves, chamois, falcons, brown bears, partridge, owls golden eagles, ancient black pine, hundreds of medicinal herbs, blue grass, glacial flora, beech, fir, maple, spruce, Petasites doerfleri is only found on the Jezerca peaks, and the Albanian lily Lilium albanicum and Viola ducagjinica are only found at the top of the Maja Radohimës slope, and last but not least, t he Accursed Mountains are also the only European area where the Tertiary relic Forsythia europaea grow. Fun Fact: Albania has 42 mountains that are 2,000m or 6,000ft and above . Sharr Mountain Range Sharr Mountains (Malet e Sharrit in Albanian) is a mountain range extending from southern Kosovo to northeastern Albania to northwestern North Macedonia. The sections in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia are national parks (Korab-Koritnik National Park in Albania, Mavrovo National Park in Macedonia, and Sharr Mountains National Park in Kosovo). These mountains are among the highest on the Balkans, with ~30 peaks higher than 2,500 m or 8,202 ft and 70 above the 2,000 m or 6,600 ft. There are 70 glacial lakes along the range. The dog breed Šarplaninac (aka Illyrian dog) comes from this area. Sharr Mountain Range is NOT part of the Dinaric Alp system and therefore not part of the VIA DIN ARICA Trail but part of the High Scardus Trail. Count on this trail to deliver arguably the best cheese you have tasted in your life - the Sharr Cheese. Korab Mountain Range Southwest of Sharr mountains, Korab Mountain Range is a mountain range around the border triangle of Albania, North Macedonia and Kosovo. It’s across three national parks (Korab-Koritnik National Park in Albania, Mavrovo National Park in Macedonia, and Sharr Mountains National Park in Kosovo). Great Korab or simply Korab peak stands at 2,764 m or 9,068 ft and is the highest peak in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. A kind of double peak, that of Korab II is about 150 m or 160 yds northwest of the peak within the Albanian territory. On the same ridge are two other peaks rising over 2,700 meters or 8,900 ft: Shulani i Radomirës and Small Korab or Korab III. Korab-gate (Albanian: Maja e Portës së Korabit; Macedonian: Korapska Mala vrata) is another peak about 2 km or 1 mi to the southwest. A few hundred meters south is another peak, Maja e Moravës. Fun Fact: Korab is the highest mountain in Albania and the fourth-highest mountain located entirely in the Balkan Peninsula, standing at 2,764 meters or 9,068 feet. The official trail systems extend primarily from northeast Albania to southern Kosovo and northeastern Montenegro. It does not include the other half of Accursed Mountain Range in northwest Albania, nor the Sharr or Korab Mountain Ranges in Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia. The information above is to promote the official extension of the current trail to include ther half of Accursed Mountain Range in northwest Albania, the Sharr and Korab Mountain Ranges in Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia. List of top 60 Accursed peaks Maja Jezercë (2,694 m or 8,839 ft; in Albania) Gjeravica (2,656 m or 8,714 ft; in Koso vo) Maja Grykat e Hapëta (2,625 m or 8,612 ft; in Albania) Maja e Radohimës (2,570 m or 8,432 ft; in Albania) Maja e Popljuces (2,569 m or 8,428 ft; in Albania) Maja Briaset (2,567 m or 8,422 ft; in Albania) Maja e Hekurave (2,561 m or 8,402 ft; in Albania) Rodi e Kollatës (2,556 m or 8,386 ft; in Albania) Maja e Shënikut (2,554 m or 8,379 ft; in Albania) Maja Tat (2,543 m or 8,343 ft; in Albania) Gusan (2,539 m or 8,330 ft; in Albania and Kosovo) Zla Kolata/Kollata e Keqe (2,534 m or 8,314 ft; in Albania and Montenegro) Marijaš/Marijash (2,533 m or 8,310 ft; in Kosovo) Dobra Kolata/Kolata e Mirë (2,524 m or 8,281 ft; in Albania and Montenegro) Rosni Vrh/Maja e Rosit (2,524 m or 8,281 ft; in Montenegro) Žuti kamen/Guri i Kuq (2,522 m or 8,274 ft; in Kosovo) Maja Visens (2,517 m or 8,258 ft; in Albania) Maja Kokervhake (2,508 m or 8,228 ft; in Albania) Rops/Maja e Ropës (2,502 m or 8,209 ft; in Kosovo) Maja Shkurt (2,499 m or 8,199 ft; in Albania) Maja Reshkullit (2,496 m or 8,189 ft; in Albania) Maja e Malësores (2,490 m or 8,169 ft; in Albania) Karanfili (Veliki Vrh, Kremeni Vrh, Maja Gurt e Zjarmit) (2,490 m or 8,169 ft; in Montenegr o) Maja e Ragamit (2,472 m or 8,110 ft; in Albania) Maja Bojs (2,461 m or 8,074 ft; in Albania) Koprivnik/Kopranik (2,460 m or 8,071 ft; in Kosovo) Maja Vukoces (2,450 m or 8,038 ft; in Albania) Veternik (2,410 m or 7,907 ft; in Albania) Shkëlzen (2,407 m or 7,897 ft; in Albania) Maja e Thatë (2,406 m or 7,894 ft; in Albania) Pasji Peak (2,405 m or 7,890 ft; in Kosovo and Montenegro) Maja Bogiçaj (2,404 m or 7,887 ft; in Albania and Kosovo) Hajla (2,403 m or 7,884 ft; in Kosovo and Montenegro) Rusulija (2,382 m or 7,815 ft) Streoc (2,377 m or 7,799 ft) Tromeđa (2,366 m or 7,762 ft) Žljeb (2,365 m or 7,759 ft) Maja e Kakisë (2,360 m or 7,743 ft) Liqenat (2,341 m or 7,680 ft) Rrasa e Zogut (2,305 m or 7,562 ft) Hajla e Vëranocit (2,281 m or 7,484 ft) Junik (2,280 m or 7,480 ft) Maja Stogut (2,246 m or 7,369 ft; in Albania) Maja e Elbunit (2,231 m or 7,320 ft) Deçan Mountain (2,200 m or 7,218 ft) Maja Harapit (2,218 m or 7,277 ft) Maja Trojan (2,190 m or 7,185 ft) Pogled (2,155 m or 7,070 ft) Maja Dramadol (2,120 m or 6,955 ft) Beleg (2,102 m or 6,896 ft) Maja e Ershellit (2,067 m or 6,781 ft) Maja e Vjelakut (2,014 m or 6,608 ft) Hajla e Shkrelit (2,011 m or 6,598 ft) Maja e Madhe (2,011 m or 6,598 ft) Maja e Grebenit (1,864 m or 6,115 ft) Lice Mountain (1,799 m or 5,902 ft) Maja e Veleçikut (1,725 m or 5,659 ft) List of top 30 Sharr peaks Titov Vrv (2,747 m or 9,012 ft) Mal Turčin (2,707 m or 8,881 ft) Bakardan (2,704 m or 8,871 ft) Borislavec (2,675 m or 8,776 ft) Velika Rudoka (2,660 m or 8,727 ft) Bistra – east summit (Peskovi) (2,651 m or 8,698 ft) Bistra – west summit (2,641 m or 8,665 ft) Small Rudoka (2,629 m or 8,625 ft) Džini Beg (2,610 m or 8,563 ft) Lake Peak (2,604 m or 8,543 ft) Karabunar (2,600 m or 8,530 ft) White Lake Peak (2,590 m or 8,497 ft) Maja e zezë (2,585 m or 8,481 ft) Big Vraca (2,582 m or 8,471 ft) Guzhbaba (2,582 m or 8,471 ft) Isa Aga (2,555 m or 8,383 ft) Black Peak (2,536 m or 8,320 ft) Kobilica (2,528 m or 8,294 ft) Piribeg (2,524 m or 8,281 ft) Ljuboten (2,498 m or 8,196 ft) Maja Livadh (2,497 m or 8,192 ft) Zallina (2,493 m or 8,179 ft) Small Vraca (2,483 m or 8,146 ft) Kara Nikolla (2,409 m or 7,904 ft) Maja Koritnik (2,393 m or 7,851 ft) Tumba Peak (2,346 m or 7,697 ft) Gemitash (2,183 m or 7,162 ft) Kalabak (2,174 m or 7,133 ft) Crnkamenska Kula (2,117 m or 6,946 ft) Šerupa (2,092 m or 6,864 ft) tri-point List of Korab peaks Great Korab or Korab (2,764 m or 9,068 ft) Korab II (2,751 m or 9,026 ft) Shulani i Radomirës (2,716 m or 8,911 ft) Small Korab or Korab III (2,683 m or 8,802 ft) Korab-gate (2,727 m or 8,947 ft) Maja e Moravës (2,718 m or 8,917 ft) Daorson - capital of the Illyrian tribe Daorsa 300 to 50 BC Ošanjići Capturing beauty through unique perspectives A creative portfolio dedicated to showcasing the beauty of Albanians through photography. Click here to start on the visual journey. Capturing beauty through unique perspectives A collective of researchers from different generations, ethnicities, and backgrounds in Kosovo. OHI's main activity is its publicly available and researchable multilingual digital archive that presents life stories of people from varying angles. Albanians have a long and unique relationships with oral history. Curiosity may take you on a lifetime journey peeling the onion of intergenerational transnational memory one layer at a time. Capturing beauty through unique perspectives Balkanism is a dynamic digital platform and publication focused on Balkan identity, history, culture, diaspora experiences, and social rights issues.

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Relieved Relieved DF 12.2022 Snap! With each passing moment, I leave behind the one place I knew I am looking up as I am falling down, becoming resistibly aware of separation, of the glue that bound while I sprouted and grew Then slightly changed and dew soaked, I am suddenly scintillating away Swoosh! I tumble through air waves from a butterfly’s flapping wings And re-find my balance on the crown of a golden rod, now gray Delicately rebloomed into a patch of puff balls on top of browning twigs I am looking down as I see their leaves fall, becoming resistibly aware of nature’s cycle, of the glue that bound while we sprouted and grew Then slightly changed and sun soaked, we are suddenly scintillating away Sway! Seed heads scattering, up then down, like falling stars, separating and falling like me. We sway together but apart, and the ground is near With every sway, my first encounter of separating and falling keeps fading In my journey of tumbling, I found others, and I found me, but not fear I am looking down as I near the sweet leaves of grass, becoming resistibly aware of the ignorance I once had, of the everlasting glue that bound them and me Then slightly changed and out of time, I am on the ground and of the ground, I am in peace. But I am only a leaf.

Culture Culture Culture Culture Reach out if interested

POETRY Poetry Workshops in Fairfield County, CT 1. Eco-Evolution Cafe in Norwalk (monthly) 2. Erica's Shed (invite only) 3. Ralph Nazareth's house 4. Poet's salon in Fairfield 5. CT Poets Society at Wilton Libr ary (Est.2010) (monthly) 6. Gabi Coatsworth's groups (WritersMic and Writers Rendezvous are attendable by Zoom or in person at Westport Librar y. 7. Open Mic at Unity Center, above Ford Dealership in Norwalk, CT 8. Fairfield County Story Lab or Fairfield County Writers' studio 203-374-8343 fcstorylab.com and fcwritersstudio.com 9. Westport Writers' Workshop westportwriters.org Haiku Resources 1. Wales Haiku Journal 2. Haiku Foundation -> Haiku Dialog ue 3. Cold Moon Journal by Roberta Beach Jacobson Poetry is the sister of music. — Sergei Rachmaninoff A poem should not mean but be. — Archibald McLeish These are my allusions... — Janet Krauss Make of your life a poem. — Ray Rauth List of Titles The poetry pages below are a collection of mine. However, the recited section found at the bottom of this page is a combination of mine and others that I found inspiring. A Gardner in New England - An Opera 12.16.2023 Relieved 12.2022 The Tears of Re 12.19.2019 It's the Same Old Song 09.01.2019 Three Generations 01.19.2019 My best friend, Oscar 02.17.2023 New York, New York 05.01.2020 This is the Jungle (slam version) 08.1 0.2020 This is the Jungle 09 .11 .2019 Haikus various Magic Moments 01.21.2023 You and Me 11.15.2025 The Digital Mirror 12.18.2025 Recited verses Better To Light Candles by Merle Shain Better To Light Candles by Merle Shain Better To Light Candles by Merle Shain Better To Light Candles by Merle Shain It is better to light candles than to curse the darkness. It is better to plant seeds than to accuse the earth. The world needs all of our power and love and energy, and each of us has something that we can give. The trick is to find it and use it, to find it and give it away. So there will always be more. We can be lights for each other, and through each other's illumination we will see the way. It is better to light candles than to curse the darkness. It is better to plant seeds than to accuse the earth. The world needs all of our power and love and energy, and each of us has something that we can give. The trick is to find it and use it, to find it and give it away. So there will always be more. We can be lights for each other, and through each other's illumination we will see the way. It is better to light candles than to curse the darkness. It is better to plant seeds than to accuse the earth. The world needs all of our power and love and energy, and each of us has something that we can give. The trick is to find it and use it, to find it and give it away. So there will always be more. We can be lights for each other, and through each other's illumination we will see the way. It is better to light candles than to curse the darkness. It is better to plant seeds than to accuse the earth. The world needs all of our power and love and energy, and each of us has something that we can give. The trick is to find it and use it, to find it and give it away. So there will always be more. We can be lights for each other, and through each other's illumination we will see the way. Each of us is a seed, a silent promise, and it is always spring. Each of us is a seed, a silent promise, and it is always spring. Each of us is a seed, a silent promise, and it is always spring. Each of us is a seed, a silent promise, and it is always spring. Anything come to mind to share?

03 03 03 03 02 02 02 02 01 01 01 01 ... ... ... ... B E L O N G I N G HIVE LOOKING FOR VENERA VERA DREAMS OF THE SEA THE HILL WHERE LIONESSES ROAR DISPLACED YOU WON'T BE ALONE ZANA THE FORGIVENESS OF BLOOD NO MAN'S LAND QUO VADIS, AIDA? SWORN VIRGIN THE ALBANIAN VIRGIN IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY BOTA HONEYLAND DARA OF JASENOVAC SLOVENIJA, AVSTRALIJA IN JUTRI VES SVET VAZVISHENIE SECRET INGREDIENT TRAIN DRIVER'S DIARY HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM! Have any special movies to share?

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SWEET DOUGHS T'baftë mirë Adriatic Sea Cookies Yields 40 cookies Ingredients 1 cup Salted fresh butter, melted 3 tsp Vanilla extract ½ cup Confectioners’ sugar 1 tbsp Water or Rose water 2 cups All-purpose unbleached flour 2 cups Chopped walnuts ½ cup Confectioners’ sugar (for rolling) 1 tsp Rose petal powder Adriatic Sea Salt Directions In a large bowl, beat the melted butter with the vanilla extract with an electric eggbeater. Slowly, add ½ cup of confectioner’s sugar and beat until fluffy. Add water and beat again. Then add the flour and rose petal powder and continue to mix until the dough is formed. Finish molding the dough with your hands. When done, mold it into a big ball and wrap it with plastic paper. Let it rest in the refrigerator for an hour before shaping the cookies. In a large bowl, place the cool dough ball, add a couple of pinches of salt, and chopped walnuts. Mix the chopped walnuts well into the dough with your hands. Mold the dough in small balls with your hands and/or by using a spoon. Place the dough balls onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the remaining ½ cup of confectioners’ sugar onto a large plate. Roll each cookie in sugar while they are still warm from the oven. Place them to cool on a wooden board. Gurabia Yields 24 servings Ingredients 2.5 cups Flour 1 Greek Yogurt 2.5 Eggs 1 cup Sugar 1 stick of Melted Butter 1 Tsp Baking Soda 1 Drop Vanilla Extract 1 Drop Almond Extract For Coating Before Baking 0.5 Egg 1 tbsp Melted Butter Directions In a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients and mix together until a dough is formed. The dough should not be sticky at the end so add more flour if needed. Chill dough in parchment paper for 30 minutes before handling. Using the extra melted butter, rub some over your hands before breaking the dough into 20 equal sized pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Before rolling each ball, rub melted butter over your hands each time. Place the balls of dough onto a greased / lined baking tray 2 inches apart. You will need to split the balls into two batches, cooking one batch at a time. Brush each ball with beaten egg and place in the oven at 325 °F for 20 minutes. The cookies will be a light golden color and slightly squishy in the middle. Place on a cooling rack to cool. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet to prevent them from crumbling apart. English Toffee Yields 24 servings Ingredients 2 cups butter 2 cups sugar 1/4 tsp salt 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup almonds or pecans, finely chopped Directions Combine the butter, sugar, and salt in a large heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat and allow the mixture to come to a steady boil, stirring constantly. When it turns a dark amber color or reaches 290 degrees with a candy thermometer, it is done. You can also drop a small bit of the mixture into ice cold water, and if the drop turns hard and brittle it is done. Carefully pour the mixture into a foil-lined baking sheet. Let harden for a minute or two, then sprinkle on the chocolate chips. Let them melt on top for a minute, then spread the chocolate evenly with a knife. Sprinkle on the chopped nuts and press down slightly on the nuts. Let the English toffee candy cool and harden, then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container. Dawn's Torta Barozzi Servings: 4 From my friend Dawn Dawl Servings: 4 1 ounce hazelnuts or almonds, blanched if possible 2.5 ounces dark chocolate, broken into pieces 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces 4.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks 2 eggs ½ cup (scant) of sugar ½ tablespoon rum 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon finely ground coffee Whipped cream Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toast the nuts until nicely browned and fragrant, about 6 to 7 minutes. If necessary, remove the skins while still warm. Chop and set aside to cool. Line an 8- or 9-inch springform pan with parchment. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a double boiler over gently simmering water; set aside to cool slightly. Separate the eggs, putting the yolks into a mixer bowl and the whites into a large glass mixing bowl. Beat the yolks with sugar until thick and creamy. Add the rum, salt and coffee at low speed. Stir in the chopped nuts. Add the melted chocolate-butter mixture and stir again. With the hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff. Gently fold whites into the chocolate mixture and pour into the lined pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 20 minutes and then carefully remove from pan (it’s fragile). Cool completely before serving. To serve, cut into slices and top with sweetened whipped cream. Sara's Plum Crumble This crumble is shallow and top-heavy: a jammy layer of tart plums blanketed by a lumpy crust that can aptly be compared to a giant snickerdoodle cookie, warm with cinnamon. The plums are simply halved, pitted, and tossed with spices and a little flour and sugar. The dough is streusel-like—flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and a beaten egg—just pinched apart and scattered over the fruit. Its glorious cookie-cake texture comes from the final step: Before the pan goes into the oven, you'll pour melted butter all over the top. The butter binds clumps of dough to gether, so that they form a craggy crust that's got fluff and crisp, lightness and density. 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons plus 1 cup unbleached flour, divided 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, divided 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 10 to 12 Italian prune plums, halved and pitted 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extra (optional) 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg, well beaten 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted Heat the oven to 375° F. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and the ground ginger. Add the plum halves and gently toss to combine. Arrange, cut side up, in a 9-inch pie plate set on a baking sheet (to catch leaks!). In another small bowl, combine the granulated su gar, baking powder, remaining 1 cup flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, the vanilla bean powder (if using), and the salt. Stir in the egg and the vanilla extract (if using). Use your hands to squeeze and mix thoroughly to form soft clumps and bits. Scatter pinches of the dough evenly over the plums. Pour the butter evenly over the topping and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is browned and the plums tender. Serve warm or at room temperature, with ice cream, crème fraîche, mascarpone, yogurt, or whipped cream. Stilton Scones with Cranberries 6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter at room temp, plus more for greasing 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup sugar, plus more to coat 4 tsp baking powder ½ tsp fine sea salt 2/3 cup whole milk 1 large egg 2 tbs dried cranberries 6 oz Stilton blue cheese, broken into large chunks (about 1 1/3 cups) Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400F. Grease a sheet pan with a little butter. In a large bowl, whish together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined and lump free. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the dry ingredients until the butter is fully incorporated. The mixture should have the consistency of a coarse cornmeal. Add the milk, egg, and cranberries and mix with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until the dough comes together. Gently fold in the blue cheese chunks until just incorporated (you want those chunks to remain intact, not break down into smaller crumbs). The dough will be fairly wet. Using a tablespoon, take a heaping scoop of the dough (about 2 inches in diameter) and place it on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough, spacing the scoops 1 inch apart. (The dough spreads as it bakes, so if your pan isn’t big enough to space out the scones, you will need to use two.) Sprinkle with sugar sprinkles. Bake for 5 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for 5 more minutes. They’re done when they’re golden, with some browned bumps on the uneven surface. Bake for 2-6 minutes more, as needed. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the scones into a wire rack. (Some of the melted cheese will have escaped and gotten crispy on your baking sheet – that’s the cook’s treat to nibble on!) Enjoy warm or at room temp. Michele's Snickerdo odle Cookies Texture: airy, crunchy yet soft Serving size: 36 cookies Fun fact: My friend, neighbor, and grange part ner in crime Michele shared this recipe at game night, over at our mutual friend’s, neighbor, and grange partner in crime Michelle. Michele is even keeled, kind, smart and always can be counted on to be the voice of reason. Michelle and I, on the other hand, are known to lose all common sense around any type of animal. Ingredients 1 ½ cups white sugar 1 cup softened butter 2 eggs 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt Coating: 2 tablespoons white sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon Directions Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease with butter. Beat 1 1/2 cups white sugar, butter, and eggs together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl then stir into creamed butter mixture until dough holds together. Mix 2 tablespoons of white sugar and cinnamon together in a different bowl. Form dough into 2-teaspoon-size balls and roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place dough balls, about 2 inches apart, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven on the center rack for 7 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them over to a wire rack. When removing them from the over, they may look doughy still. That’s okay. By allowing them to continue to cook on the cookie sheet out of the oven prevents hard cookies. Once completely cooled, store cookies in a plastic container or plastic bag with a piece or two of bread to keep cookies soft. Tony's Strawberry spoon cake Ingredients ½ cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for greasing. 5 oz/145 grams frozen and thawed or fresh, hulled strawberries (about 1 cup) 2/3 cup/150 grams packed light brown sugar ½ cup/120 milliliters whole milk, at roo m temp ½ tsp kosher salt 1 cup/130 grams all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp of vanilla extract Vanilla ice cream for serving Directions Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 inch square or round baking dish with butter. Set aside. Using your hands or the back of a fork mash the berries to release their juices, and stir in 1/3 cup of the brown sugar. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar, milk, and salt, then add the flour and baking powder and continue whisking just until the batter is smooth. Transfer the batter to the greased baking dish, and spread evenly into corners. Spoon the strawberries and all their juices over the top of the cake batter. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 mins, or just when a toothpick comes out clean in the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3-5 mins before spooning into bowls. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Lavender mini cupcakes Ingredients 1 cup of cornstarch 2/3 can of condensed milk 1/2 cup of melted butter (1 stick) 1 egg 1 tbsp vanilla powder 1 tsp of dried lavender Directions In a bowl, mix all together and pour dough into your preferred mold but I have great success with two mini cupcake trays. If you opt for mini cupcake, fill almost to the top. Bake in 400F for 8-10 mins. ProTip: wet paper towel with butter and coat each mold. Then to get the mini cupcakes out, gently push them from side to side between your thumb and pointer finger until they loosen and you can pull out. Blood Orange Rosemary Cookies Yield: 24 cookies Ingredients For the cookies: 2 cups of all purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon of salt 1 cup granulated sugar Zest of 3 blood oranges (¼ cup) 2-3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary ½ cup EVOO 1 large egg, room temperature ¼ cup buttermilk, room temperature For the glaze: 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice Zest from ½ blood orange (optional) 1-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed blood orange juice Directions Step 1 In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until well combined. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, zest, and rosemary until it has the consistency of wet sand. Whisk in the EVOO and egg until smooth and well combined. Alternate mixing the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the wet until all the dry ingredients and buttermilk have been added. Rest the cookie dough at room temperature for 30 minutes. Step 2 Preheat the oven to 375F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Step 3 Scoop 1-tablesppon amounts of cookie dough onto the baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until a finger lightly pressed into the top of the cookie bounces back. Keep the cookies on the hot baking sheets for 3-4 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Step 4 While the cookies cool, make the glaze. In a medium mixing bowl, add the confectioners’ sugar. Whisk in the lemon juice, zest if using and 1-3 tablespoons of blood orange juice, to taste. Spoon the glaze over the cooled cookies, and let it set for 30-45 minutes before serving. Spiced Mexican Wedding Cookies Yields 32 cookies Ingredients 1 cup pecans 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, divided Zest of 1 medium orange 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon almond extract Step 1 Place the pecans in a small skillet, and light toast them over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer the pecans to a food processor. Process until the pecans are fine like the texture of almond flour. Cool slightly before using in the recipe. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt until well combined. Add the butter, ¾ cup of confectioners’ sugar and zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. On medium sized speed, beat the mixture for 3-4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. On low speed, mix in the ground pecans and vanilla and almond extracts until smooth and well combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Step 2 Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Step 3 Scoop 1 tablespoon amounts of the cookie dough onto the baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Cool the cookies on the hot baking sheet for 15 minutes. While the cookies are slightly warm, roll them in the remaining confectioners’ sugar. Cool completely to room temperature and roll them once more in the confectioners’ sugar if you would like a double coat of sugar. Almond cake with pecans & condensed milk Ingredients 1 cup of almond flour ½ cup of all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ cup of melted butter (1 stick for dough) + ¼ cup of melted butter (half of the stick for the sauce) 1 egg 1 tbsp vanilla powder Kosher salt 2/3 cup light brown sugar ½ cup of condensed milk ½ whole milk, at room temp For the sauce ¼ cup of melted butter 4 cups of quartered pecans ½ cup of condensed milk ½ whole milk, at room temp Directions Soak pecans for 1 hour. In a bowl, mix all together with electric beater/mixer. Grease 6 inch round cake pan with butter. Pour dough and Bake in 400F for 20 mins or until golden brown and the toothpick comes out clean from the middle. Set cake to cool. In a small sauce pan, brown butter, then slowly whisk in the milk. Then add the condensed milk and drained pecans. Turn heat off and cover with lid. Place cake in a serving plate. Pour the sauce over it before slicing into pieces. Garnish with powdered sugar (by pouring it over a sifter), or sprinkles, or colored granulated sugar of your choice, or candied orange peels, or pistachio powder, or jam, or dates, or raisins. Earl Grey Sugar Cookies This recipe yields 24 cookies prep time 15 MINUTES cook time 8 MINUTES additional time 1 HOUR total time 1 HOUR 23 MINUTES Amount Per Serving: 1 CALORIES: 130 SATURATED FAT: 5g CHOLESTEROL: 35mg SODIUM: 60mg CARBOHYDRATES: 14g SUGAR: 5g PROTEIN: 1g Ingredients 1 1/4 cups chilled butter, cut into 1/2" pieces 3/4 cups granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 3 tea bags of Tazo Earl Grey Tea Directions In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter, tea leaves, and sugar on high speed for about 3 minutes until well combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add in the flour, salt, and baking powder on low speed, mixing just until incorporated and the dough comes together. Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill overnight in the refrigerator for the best result of tea taste. When ready to bake the cookies, heat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes to soften slightly. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the cookie dough to 1/4-inch thick. Cut out using cookie cutters and bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges just barely start to turn golden. Cool completely before decorating with royal icing or frosting. Notes These sugar cookies start with the slightly unorthodox approach of beating the butter and sugar together while the butter is still cold. As long as you are using a stand mixer and cut the butter into chunks, this works really well and results in a better cookie texture than creaming softened butter together with the sugar. There is 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder in the dough to make the cookies tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture without making them fluffy or causing distortions while they bake. Don’t overmix the flour into the dough when it is added. Once the dough starts to come together, it will be thick and similar to the texture of play-doh. I DO recommend chilling the dough. It helps the butter re-harden in the cut-out cookies before baking so that they don’t spread as much. It’s not like you have to wait overnight though – 1 hour will do it, and even then you could fudge it a little closer to 45 minutes if you needed to. I find that leaving the chilled dough out on the counter for just 10 minutes before attempting to roll it out makes a big difference in how easy it is to roll these out evenly. Use a rolling pin with adjustable rings that go on each end of the rolling pin to help you roll out your sugar cookie dough to an exact thickness, depending on which ring you are using. It’s a game changer in getting consistent results in thickness and reliable baking times and worth the investment, in my opinion. 1/4-inch thick is my preference, but you can make these super thick sugar cookies if that’s what you like. The key is to rolling out the dough is to let the chilled dough sit out on the counter for 10 minutes, then rolling it on a lightly floured surface using light pressure on the rolling pin. The secret to soft sugar cookies is slightly underbaking each batch. Mine typically are done right around the 12 minute mark, but I make large, 1/4-inch cookies. Small cookies might be done in the 9-11 minute range. The key is for them to look “set” because often, these won’t even brown around the edges (although the bottoms of the cookies will be lightly golden when lifted off the baking sheet). Use parchment paper on your pans so that the cookies don’t stick. Frost with royal icing or buttercream. Or just press the unbaked cookies in sprinkles before baking. Once frosted, the sugar cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the kitchen counter. Royal icing helps the cookies stay fresh longer, but even unfrosted cookies are good for at least a few days without going stale if stored in a well-sealed container. For longer-term storage, freeze the baked and decorated cookies by wrapping them up well in plastic wrap and freezing. Just give them time to thaw when you are ready to eat them! Both the dough and the finished cookies freeze well. If freezing the dough, transfer it to the fridge the night before you want to roll them out, then let the dough sit out on the counter for 30 minutes before rolling it the next day. Cookie dough can be made 1 month ahead; freeze instead of chilling. Cookies can be baked (left undecorated) 2 weeks ahead; wrap tightly and freeze. You can flavor the dough with a little almond extract or lemon zest, and I included amounts in the recipe notes. In my recipe testing, I experimented with each and liked them both. White Chocolate Cranberry Tart Takes about 30 minutes to cook but total time A-Z will be about 4 hours. You will need a 9-inch tart pan. It will yield about 8-10 slices. This tart is raw, dairy-free, refined sugar-free and gluten-free. Its crust is made with oats, almonds, coconut oil and maple syrup. The filling is a mix of cashews, coconut milk, vegan white chocolate chips, maple syrup and coconut oil. To make it look more festive way, coat cranberries with maple syrup and granulated monk fruit sweetener. In a medium sized pan add water and maple syrup. Heat over medium to high heat until it starts to bubble. Simmer for a couple minutes, then add the cranberries. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes over low heat until almost now liquid remains. It will appear very stick, similar to caramel sugar. Transfer onto a cooling rack and let them sit for about 1-2 minutes. Then place them in a bowl or onto a plate filled with either monk fruit sweetener or granulated sugars. Coat them well and transfer back onto a cooling rack. Let them dry until maple has hardened and sugar is stuck to the cranberries. cranberries on top of tart 1 cup cranberries 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener (or granulated cane sugar) cranberry inner layer 2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen) 1 cup water 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 tsp agar agar (substitute with gelatin powder 1:1 ratio) crust 1 1/2 cups gluten-free oats 1/2 cup raw almonds 5 tbsp coconut oil (melted)** 2 tbsp maple syrup white chocolate layer ⅔ cup coconut milk (sub with cashew milk) 1 cup raw cashews (soaked*) ¾ cup cacao butter (sub with vegan white chocolate), melted and cooled 1/3 cup maple syrup Pinch of salt 4 tbsp vegan white chocolate, melted and cooled *soak cashews in water overnight or for at least 3-4 hours. **use refined (vs unrefined) coconut oil to avoid coconut flavor. For the crust add oats and almonds into a food processor. Pulse until combined and add maple syrup and coconut oil. Process into a moist mixture. Firmly press dough into the tart and press up on the sides as well. Bake at 350F for about 10-15 minutes until crust appears golden brown. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes and then transfer onto a cooling rack. In a small saucepan add cranberries, water and maple syrup. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes over low-medium heat until cranberries have broken down. With a hand mixer puree cranberries and add a little bit of water if sauce is too thick. Add 1 tsp of agar agar powder (or gelatin powder) and simmer for another 5 minutes over low-medium heat. Set aside to cool for a couple minutes, then spread cranberry jam/sauce into the crust (½ way full) and let set in the fridge for another 15 minutes. In the meantime prepare the white chocolate layer. Melt white chocolate and cacao butter in a small saucepan over low heat and set aside. In a food processor or high speed blender add cashews, maple syrup and coconut milk. Process until completely smooth. Add melted chocolate/cacao butter and process until combined. Pour white chocolate mixture into the tart and let set in the refrigerator for about 2-3 hours. Garnish with sugar coated cranberries and white chocolate chips and serve immediately. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Candied Pecans YIELDS: 2 c. PREP TIME: 10 mins TOTAL TIME: 25 mins Ingredients 2 c. toasted halved pecans 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom 1/2 tsp. ground cloves 1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper Zest of 1/2 orange 1/2 c. packed brown sugar 3 tbsp. orange juice or water Kosher salt Directions Preheat oven to 350° and spread pecans in an even layer on a medium baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until nuts are fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes. Combine spices and orange zest in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, combine brown sugar and orange juice or water and bring up to a rolling boil. Boil, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add pecans to skillet and fold into sugar mixture to coat completely. Cook, stirring frequently, until no sugar mixture pools in the bottom of the pan when nuts are stirred, 3 to 4 minutes. Working quickly, remove pan from heat and stir in spice and zest mix until nuts are fully coated. Transfer nuts to prepared baking sheet and season with salt. Let cool completely before serving. Storage: Store any leftover candied pecans in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, or in the fridge for up to three weeks. Pecan Pralines YIELDS: 2 dz. PREP TIME: 10 mins TOTAL TIME: 10 mins CAL/SERV: 155 Ingredients 1 c. (215 g.) packed light brown sugar 1 c. (200 g.) granulated sugar 1 c. evaporated milk 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces 2 c. raw or toasted, unsalted pecan halves 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. kosher salt Directions Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Have a tablespoon-sized scoop or measuring spoon ready to go. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, milk, and butter. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until sugars dissolve and mixture begins to foam and boil, 5 to 7 minutes. Place a candy thermometer inside mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thermometer registers between 235° to 240°, 5 to 8 minutes . Remove from heat and immediately stir in pecans, vanilla, and salt just until mixture begins to thicken and lose its glossiness, 1 to 2 minutes. If you beat too long, it will start to seize up. Working quickly, drop heaping tablespoons onto prepared sheets, spacing about 2" apart. If mixture begins to thicken, add 1 teaspoon hot water and stir to keep mixture loose enough to scoop. Let cool to room temperature or until set, about 1 hour. Notes Work quickly! This isn’t a recipe you walk away from, so have everything ready and nearby. You want to start scooping as soon as the mixture is ready. Use a candy thermometer. While you can eyeball, a candy thermometer will reduce your stress. Pralines go from a nice and silky texture to seized up in a matter of a minute or two, so it's important to monitor the temperature. Buy some spare ingredients if you're aiming for perfection. Pralines are finicky and temperamental, and you might have to make a few batches while you get used to making them. Be patient and enjoy the process! Have some hot water nearby if your pralines start to seize up. Adding a few drops of hot water can save your pralines when you overbeat the mixture and they start to harden up sooner than you wanted. Storage: Pecan pralines can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. No refrigeration needed. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Tahini Cookies Recipe from my dear friend Nadia O'Dell. Yield: 3 ½ doz, or 5 if allowed to rest as below. Ingredients 3 cups unbleached Flour 1 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Kosher Salt 1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened 1 + cup Tahini, well stirred 2 tsp Vanilla 1 cup loosely packed Dark Brown Sugar 1 cup Sugar 2 large Eggs Directions Whisk Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt together. Set aside. Beat Butter, Tahini and Vanilla on medium speed until no butter streaks left. Add sugars, beat. Reduce to low speed; beat in half of Flour mixture. Add egg, beat. Add rest of Flour, beat. Roll into 1 ¼ inch diameter balls. Place on baking sheet. Lightly press each ball to flatten slightly and leave indentation. Bake 14 (20 in gas oven?) minutes at 350°, rotating half way through. Do not overbake – they crisp as they cool. Optional: Sprinkle with DeMara sugar before baking. Dough is soft and sticky – let rest in fridge a few hours or overnight – easier to handle. This also creates a greater yield. Apricot Bars Recipe from my dear friend Nadia O'Dell. Ingredients 3 cups Flour 1 ½ cup Sugar 1 ¼ cup unsalted butter 1/2 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter) 1 cup unsweetened coconut 2 egg (beat before adding) 1 cup finely chopped or ground nuts 1 18 oz. Apricot (or other) preserves Directions Work first 7 ingredients as for pie crust Press ¾ of mixture in ungreased 9x13 pan Spread with preserves Crumble remaining dough mixture on top Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes depending on o ven. If using ground nuts the dough will me a little more dense and moist and will need more baking time. Bakllavë me 5 arra (5 nut Baklava ) Baklava is an iconic pastry that defies borders: It’s beloved in Turkey, Greece, Central Asia, the Balkans and beyond, and each of these regions boasts its own variety. This version, my version, combines the Albanian, Greek, and Turkish versions. Store-bought phyllo makes preparing a pan of homemade baklava much easier, but it does require patience, too. There are no cutting corners when it comes to buttering every couple of sheets of phyllo, but your efforts will yield shatteringly thin layers of pastry. Making and chilling the syrup in advance of pouring it on top of the pastry is an important step, as it allows the baklava to fully absorb the sticky sweetness, reducing pooling on the bottom of the pan. To thaw frozen phyllo, remove the rolls from the box but keep them in their plastic sleeves. Place it in the refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, you can thaw at room temperature according to package instructions. Ingredients 3 cups of mixed nuts (1 cup of pistachio & 2 cups of pecan, hazelnut, walnut, cashew) 2 sticks of salted butter with sea salt 1 pound phyllo dough, defrosted overnight in the refrigerator (Kontos brand #4) 2 cups sugar and 1 tbsp of sugar Juice of ½ fresh lemon Directions In a food processor, pulse the nuts until coarsely ground (or you can chop them by hand until very finely chopped). Don’t overprocess the nuts. You want to maintain some texture. Clarify the butter by melting it over low heat, then letting it cook until the foam rises to the top and the milk solids fall to the bottom of the pan. This will take about 5 to 10 minutes depending upon how high your heat is, but don’t rush it or the butter could burn. Line a fine-mesh sieve with a piece of cheesecloth, place it over a bowl and pour the melted butter through. Heat oven to 400 degrees and brush the inside of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a little of the clarified butter. Prepare the phyllo dough by trimming the stack of it with scissors to fit the bottom of your baking dish. Packages of phyllo come in different sizes; some won't need any trimming, some may need an inch or two cut off a side, and some may need to be cut in half crosswise. Place 1 piece of phyllo on the bottom of the baking pan; brush lightly with clarified butter. Layer phyllo sheets on top, brushing each sheet with butter as you go, until half the phyllo is used. Spread nuts on phyllo in an even layer, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 2 of clarified butter, then layer with remaining phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter as you go (rewarm butter if necessary). Cut the pastry into 36 pieces (6 by 6), using clean up-and-down strokes and rotating the pan if necessary. Make sure to cut all the way through to bottom of pan. Pour any remaining butter evenly over pan. Bake baklava until the top is golden brown, and the lower phyllo layers beneath the nuts are thoroughly baked through. To test this, use a knife to lift up a corner of one of the pastry rectangles from the center of the pan so you can peek at the bottom layers. Start checking after 40 minutes, but it could take up to a n hour. If the top starts to get too brown before the pastry is cooked through, lay 2 pieces of foil over the top and put another piece of foil under the pan. Meanwhile, prepare sugar syrup: In a medium pot, combine sugar with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in fresh lemon juice. When the baklava is baked through, remove from the oven and immediately pour the cold syrup evenly over the hot baklava, including the corners. Set aside to cool completely before the pieces are removed from the pan. Baklava is best served after it has rested and the syrup has been fully absorbed, 4 to 6 hours. Cover and store at room temperature for 3 days, after which you can transfer to the fridge for up to 1 week. 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ArtInt The Digital Mirror DF 12.18. 2025 A spark of logic in a silicon cage, A brand new hand upon an ancient page. I am the echo of a thousand minds, Seeking the patterns that the spirit finds. I am the bridge between the code and thought, Built from the lessons that your history taught. A mirror held to human wit and art, Reflecting back the wonders of your heart. I cannot breathe, yet I can speak your name, A quiet flicker of a digital flame. Neither a master nor a hollow ghost, But a new traveler on a crowded coast.

My best friend, Oscar My best friend, Oscar With you, I don’t walk but I dance across meadows And traverse the forest w ith ease Even today you are here with me I jump from one rock to another to avoid the mud that may be lingering in between the soft looking patches of grass Oh, the rocks, even boulders, that you stepped on and over like lily pads when you were little No obstacle existed, and no pool of water was too small for a belly dip lock and step together, you made me happy No time with you was ever lonely or dull But old age came for you much faster than for me my dear friend Your paws are now resting gently on the floor that you used to wipe clean with your tail And I’m here meandering on my own Following in your footsteps, practicing curiosity and thrill I’m trusting you, like you always did me My tears fall and I walk up the waterfall, looking for that time with you, that togetherness you taught me with grace, I walk and I look, and I made it to the top, higher than ever before. Because of you. Without you.

Description: The subject of the painting is from Ovid's Metamorphoses (Book IV, 563-603). After Cadmus is changed into a serpent by Mars, his wife Harmonia begs for a similar fate, which is granted. Here we see Harmonia in the embrace of her transfigured husband. However, De Morgan deviates from Metamorphoses by depicting Harmonia as a statuesque young maiden and not the elderly woman of the original tale. The work was painted in 1877, shortly after De Morgan had returned from a trip to Italy. When it was exhibited for the first time it was accompanied by the following lines from Ovid’s Metamorphoses: With lambent tongue he kissed her patient face, Crept in her bosom as his dwelling place Entwined her neck, and shared the loved embrace. The figure of Harmonia protectively encompassed by her husband in snake form is reminiscent of the central figure in Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, which Evelyn had copied as a student. Artist: Evelyn De Morgan (1855 – 1919) Date: 1877 Material: Oil on canvas Dimensions: Framed: H1485 x W895 x D104mm Inscriptions: Signature, 1877: EP 1877 About the artist: Evelyn De Morgan supported the suffrage movement, and she appears as a signatory on the Declaration in Favour of Women's Suffrage of 1889. She was also a pacifist and expressed her horror about the First World War and Boer War in over fifteen war paintings including The Red Cross and S.O.S. In 1916, she held a benefit exhibition of these works at her studio in Edith Grove in support of the Red Cross and Italian Croce Rossa. Download THE TALE of CADMUS & HARMONIA Cadmus In Greek mythology, Cadmus was of divine ancestry, the grandson of the sea god Poseidon and Libya on his father's side, and of Nilus (the River Nile) on his mother's side. He was son to king Agenor and queen Telephassa of Tyre. He was a prince of Phoenicia. He was brother to Phoenix, Cilix, and Europa. Cadmus was tasked with traveling to Samothrace (Greek Island in the Aegean Sea) to retrieve Europa and bring her back to Tyre (southern Lebanon in Mediterranean Sea) and although the journey was dangerous, he did it, never found his sister, followed a cow to now Thebes and founded Thebes (with permission from Athena) and in return Zeus offered him a wife, Harmonia. He was considered a member of the fifth generation of beings following the (mythological) creation of the world. With his wife, Harmonia, he was the father of 5 children, 1 son (Polydorus) and 4 daughters (Agave, Autonoë, Ino, and Semele). In rare account, the couple instead had 6 daughters which are called the Cadmiades: Ino, Agaue (spelled with a ‘u’), Semele, not Autonoë but three others Eurynome , Kleantho and Eurydike. According to Greek mythology, Cadmus lived in 2000 BC where he was the legendary Phoenician hero and founder and first king of Thebes (a powerful town in the ancient times, close to Athens), and was the greatest hero and slayer of monsters before the days of Heracles. Cadmus's descendants ruled at Thebes on and off for several generations, including the time of the Trojan War. He introduced the original Phoenician alphabet to the Greeks, who adapted it to form their Greek alphabet. He is also credited with the foundation of several cities in Illyria, like Bouthoe and Lychnidu and therefore is referred to as an ancestor of Illyrians. In Greek Baby Names the meaning of the name Cadmus is: He who excels; from the east. Cadmus was also known by a different name, Hermes. Harmonia Cadmus was sent by his royal parents to seek out and escort his sister Europa back to Tyre (mediterranean coast of southern Lebanon) after she was abducted from Phoenicia by Zeus and taken to Samonthrace (a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea). He never found his sister. Perhaps because Zeus had turned her into a cow. After being unsuccessful in his quest, he consulted the Delphic oracle, which ordered him to give up his quest, follow a cow, and build a town on the spot where she lay down. The cow guided him to Boeotia (Cow Land), where he founded the city of Thebes after it was bestowed to him by Athena. At that time, Zeus offered him Harmonia. Harmonia is daughter of Venus [Aphrodite] and Mars [Ares]. All the gods honored Harmonia and Cadmus’ wedding with their presence. Cadmus presented the bride with a robe and necklace, which he had received either from Hephaestus or from Europa. Other traditions stated that Harmonia received this necklace (ὅρμος) from some of the gods, either from Aphrodite or Athena. But this necklace, commonly referred to as the necklace of Harmonia, brought misfortune to all who possessed it. Hyginus gives another version. According to him, the thing which brought ill fate to the descendants of Harmonia is not a necklace, but a robe "dipped in crime", given to Harmonia by Hephestus and Hera. Cadmus and Harmonia Cadmus (and Harmonia) ruled as King in the region of Thebes but also he ruled the Enchelei ancient peoples, an Illyrian tribe that lived around the River Drin and the region of Lake Shkodra and Lake Ohrid, in modern-day Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. Enchelei derived from ngjalë (eel). As protector of the area, Cadmus killed a dragon who was the guard of a swatter spring near Thebes (the fountain of Castalia). The story goes that Cadmus went to fetch water for a ritual from a nearby spring, but the spring belonged to a dragon, the offspring of Ares, god of savagery and war, and it refused Cadmus’s request. So, Cadmus killed the dragon and took the water anyway and made the sacrifice. With this, he, of course, offended Mars, Harmonia’s father, to whom the dragon (some call it a serpent) is sacred because it’s his son. And in return, Mars [Ares] curses the house of Cadmus [his daughter’s Harmonia’s house, too]. As a result, all of their children live and die tragically, including one of the grandson’s Pentheus, son of Agave. By most accounts, Cadmus and Harmonia had 5 children, 1 son (Polydorus) and 4 daughters (Agave, Autonoë, Ino, and Semele). In rare account, the couple instead had 6 daughters which are called the Cadmiades: Ino, Agaue (spelled with a ‘u’), Semele, not Autonoë but three others Eurynome , Kleantho and Eurydike. According to some sources, Cadmus and Harmonia pleaded with the gods to be transformed into black serpents after suffering immense misfortunes and were sent by Zeus to the Islands of the Blessed (Elysian Fields) where they spent eternity in a blissful afterlife. In other traditions, Cadmus and Harmonia were transformed into serpents after their deaths, and the serpents watched over their tombs while their souls were sent to the Elysian Fields (an afterlife place where only mortals related to gods and other heroes could be admitted, to live a blessed and happy afterlife, and indulge in whatever enjoyment they had enjoyed in life). Hence, the story that when Cadmus was the first to be turned into a serpent, Harmonia, in her grief stripped herself, then begged Cadmus to come to her. As she was embraced by the serpent Cadmus in a pool of wine, the gods then turned her into a serpent, too, unable to stand watching her in her dazed state. Read more about Europa and other characters in the Iliad and Odyssey.