Berry Memories in Nebraska

Two or three juicy red currants for me. A few for the bowl. Repeat. Today, I harvested a good bowlful of sunripened red currants from my mom's garden here in Nebraska. I think these bushes are as old as me! I used to pick them the same way when I was a child. For as long as I can remember, my mom has always...

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Memorial Day in the USA

Perfectly captured American flag with the sun rising in the background. Happy Memorial Day from Nebraska! Today, our American flags will be flapping in the wind everywhere. Today, we remember those brave men and women who gave their lives in service to their country. Memorial Day is a day...

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Home Cookin' in Nebraska

Nebraska - My dad has always been a sociable person.When I was a child/teenager, I would get embarrassed because he would talk to complete strangers. But now I can understand. I've become that same sociable person.Twice this past week, I wheeled dad over to his favorite cafe so he could be his chatty self. All...

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Sfogliatelle - Only Word You Need in Naples

Naples - Being a pastry lover, I had heard about the ubiquitous Neapolatin pastry in Naples called Sfogliatelle. And once I tried I bite, that's the only word you need to know when traveling in Naples. Well, pizza as well. Sfogliatelle has a delicate, crunchy pastry shell shaped like a large clam....

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Exploring Lake Abant Nature Park, Turkey

(Getting a little writing done while my dad is resting here on the couch.) Snow in late April and not too far outside of Istanbul? I couldn't believe it! On our drive back from Safranbolu to Istanbul, our friends and us decided to take a little detour from the Istanbul-Ankara O-4 (E80) motorway. Snow...

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Healthy Asian Beef-Noodle Soup from Nebraska

Nebraska - I've become a nurse, housekeeper, gardener, handyman, and as always, a chef, with my family here. I'm not complaining. I just want my dad to recover quickly. My mother-in-law told my dad he should eat whatever I cook so he can get better faster. And the RN just told us yesterday that eating...

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Expat Life: Traveling 'Home'

Nebraska - Here I am sitting on my parents' old porch swing in my sleepy hometown. Instead of reading my old Sweet Valley High paperbacks from my youth, I'm typing on my laptop. I am back 'home' in one sense. I spent many, many hours sitting on this porch swing, often reading, when I was growing up. I'm...

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Expat Life: Why Some Days Are Tough

I've had better days. This week, I intended to write happy blog posts about our recent trips to Italy and Safranbolu, Turkey. But life had other plans for me. My dad is sick in the hospital in Nebraska, and I think I'm going to make an emergency trip back home to the US to help out my family. I'm needed...

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Making My Own Birthday Cake in Istanbul

I'm often of the mindset that if you want something done right, do it yourself. Or train someone to do it the way you would do it. Unfortunately, I don't have any pastry assistants running around my home kitchen to help me when needed. So on Monday, I set about making my own birthday cake. You may...

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8 Good Eats in Rome, Italy

Eating Around Rome in 4 Days Rome - After spending a week in Italy, I am back in Istanbul trying to recover from my overindulgences. Here's a peak at some of the tasty nibbles we enjoyed on our trip. 1. Breakfast Pastries with Cappuccino – It’s probably no surprise that I have a sweet tooth. So...

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Amazing Amalfi Coast

After many twisting, winding roads with tight hairpin turns, we arrived in Ravello, Italy late yesterday. My husband's daily driving in Istanbul and throughout our travels in Turkey prepared him well for the crazy, but beautiful drive from Napoli to Ravello. The only annoying part was practically being driven...

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Napoli by the Mare

We've had lovely weather here in Naples, Italy, for our 36-hour stay. I think we've walked about 10 km every day since we've been in Italy! But we've seen a lot this way. I wish we had more time to spend in this busy, character-filled city and eat more pizza and pasta. However, today we are renting a car...

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