Yesterday, I heard that author Kathleen Givens had suddenly passed away. Kath and I met some ten years ago, when her Kilgannon series was being published by Dell. She was a lovely person, charming and funny and genuine, and a talented writer, as well. She was also one of those special people with whom you…

Well, we’re heading into the final crunch – it’s time to eat shortbread! Before you run off to family gatherings, I’d like to extend my best wishes for the season. May you and yours all have a happy and safe holiday – with lots of good cheer, good company and yummy nibbles. (Yes, I’m ready…

Today is the Winter Solstice. It’s the shortest day of the year, so the days will start getting longer again. Many northern European cultures had big celebrations for the Solstice, either to celebrate the return of the sun or to encourage it to come back. We used to have a neighbour from Scandinavia (I forget…

Do you do holiday baking? Do you give baking to other people? If so, you must have holiday baking rules. We have just one: residents of the house have to eat the ugly ones. The misshapen cookies, the lopsided tarts, the pastry that got a bit too brown, the sad-looking sausage rolls – all of…