Finding new meaning in the dog days of summer

I love living in the tropics but I have never been a fan of the summer. In my opinion the months of June through August are the worst with oppressive temperatures and steamy, sticky, humid, days. The dog days of summer refer to the hottest days of the summer when the heat is intense that…

Celebrating Life and Another Journey around the Sun

Birthdays are especially important for children. Between the ages of 3 and 10, kids look forward to their special day as it is often associated with gifts, cake, candles and having a party with friends. When I was little, my parents always planned a lovely birthday party with special attention to every detail. I remember…

Breasts: My mastectomy story and overcoming loss

The female form had long been defined by curves and shapely silhouettes. Young girls have long had to deal with the plight of being either “flat-chested” or overly endowed with “ample bosoms”. Fortunate are those who have the perfect pair of breasts. Our breast size really is written in our DNA code and we have…

Living my best life one day at a time

There are events and situations which occur in your life that can forever change the trajectory of your life and story. Here is one of mine. Three months ago, I took a trip to visit my family in the USA. I had not seen them for over a year with the Covid-19 lockdown. On a…

10 Ways to Keep Busy and Positive during the Covid-19 Lockdown

I am accustomed to being at home for extended periods of time before the Covid lockdown. Over the past 18 months due to political and social unrest, there were many long periods of time when we were forced to stay home on lockdown. I have learned that being at home is not such a terrible…

Handy pantry substitutes and cooking in the time of a pandemic

Cooking at home while on lockdown seems to be the reality in everyone’s life these days. People are spending most of their time at home due to the constraints of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Regardless of where we reside in the world, we all find ourselves experiencing so many common realities, as we all make a…

Citrus Magic: Lemons, Limes and Sour Oranges

It never ceases to amaze me how flavors come together in food preparation. In my opinion, cooking can be compared to alchemy. Like magic, ingredients and spices marry together to produce wondrous outcomes. A good cook seeks to balance flavors ranging from sweet, savory, spicy and acidic and transforms them into tasty delights. Too much…

The Best Pie Crust Recipe You’ll Ever Need

So many people say that pastry making is difficult and the outcome is never favorable. I hear this time and time again from so many. I have been making pastry at home for about 30 years and it’s become second nature to me. I can whip it up in no time. I have tried so…

Guyana revisited : Memories of my childhood

Every now and again, I find myself reminiscing about my homeland. Although it’s been 33 years now since I left and became a member of the Guyanese diaspora, I still have fond memories of the place where I grew up and spent the first part of my life. I know a trip back to Guyana…

All We Need Is Love

When I was young, Valentine’s day was the day which symbolized love and all things associated with this emotion. Everyone wore something red and looked forward to receiving cards, chocolates or flowers from admirers. Little did I know at this time just how commercial this day really was. My views today are so very different…