What quick bread is more popular this time of year than Irish Soda Bread. Made from pantry staples, this homemade bread is adaptable and an easy accompaniment for any dinner during these cold months.
Fluffernutter Bars
Super soft peanut butter bar cookies with swirls of marshmallow, these Fluffernutter Bars are a peanut butter lover’s dream.
{Book Review} Sunflower Sisters
Sunflower Sisters is a story of slavery, the Underground Railroad, and the Civil War through the eyes of three strong but very different women.
Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly
The sharp divisions between the North and the South have finally resulted in war in the United States. Sunflower Sisters follows three women from very different backgrounds, showcasing both slavery and the Civil War through each woman’s eyes.
Ann May, owner of the Peeler Plantation in Maryland, and her slave Jemma are two of the characters. Jemma was born into slavery and has lived most of her life on the tobacco plantation. By contrast, Ann May grew up in Louisiana but came to Maryland after she married, to run the plantation left to her by an aunt. Even within her household, loyalties are divided between North and South.
Finally, there is Georgeanna Woolsey (Georgey) from New York City. Georgey comes from a family of strong women who fight for their beliefs. Not one to sit at home and wait for marriage, Georgey makes a name for herself as a Union nurse.
French Martini
A retro vodka-based cocktail, the French Martini is sweet, fruity, and tastes a bit like cotton candy due to the combination of black raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice.
Best Books of 2021
2021 was a slow year for reading and an even slower year for blog posting. Life started returning to some sort of new normal in late spring. The kids went back to school part time and I resumed working fulltime, not just coming off of reduced hours due to the pandemic but actually going back to a 40-hour a week job. (And boy, do I miss my day off each week!)
Last year, I also leaned toward spending more time on crafts – mostly knitting and scrapbooking (trying to catch up on the many years of albums I haven’t done!) rather than reading or being at a computer to blog. (If you’re interested in my crafting, you can follow #booksncookscrafts on Instagram.) Anyway, as 2021 came to a close, I realized I read a few great books but had never actually posted the reviews. Those – here and here – went up earlier this month, so now you have my favorite books read (not necessarily published) in 2021.