Easter goodies

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Easter goodies

Easter goodies!

I have at least a few of my family's traditional recipes for nearly every holiday posted in my Grandma's Briefs Recipe Box. Not for Easter, though. I suppose it's because our traditional breakfast is the Easter eggs we colored a few days before along with blueberry muffins and sausage or bacon. Easter dinner has always been, like most folks, ham and the typical ham accompaniments. No recipes needed.

That said, I do have a couple non-edible Easter goodies on my blog. Goodies I've shared in the past, but the time is right to do so again. That would be these:

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Now in the Recipe Box: Best Basic Brownies

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basic brownies from scratch

Over the past three decades or so, I've tried and tweaked more brownie recipes than I can count. They never turn out the way I want. Too dry. Too mushy. Too hard around the edges. Too much trouble. Then along came a recipe that was close and after a few tweaks resulted in just what I hoped for: the best basic brownies. This is my tweaked recipe. It's... Continue reading in the Recipe Box.

From the archives: Four for Valentine's Day

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The annual day o' love lurks right around the corner and Cupid will soon be sprinkling hearts and flowery fun far and wide.

Following are four of my previously published posts to peruse, a collection of sweet and silly sorts of stuff focused on ensuring grandkids feel the love — and laughter — this Valentine's Day.

valentine's day activities

 

Click each graphic to see the full post featuring lovey-dovey ...

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From the archives: Four for fall

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Having blogged for more than seven years, I have oodles of goodies stored away in the Grandma's Briefs archive, goodies that rarely see the light of day because they go way, way back. At least seven years or so.

Today seems a perfect day to pull out some of those well-seasoned posts, a few of my favorite fall-themed features you just might have missed.

fall recipes and fun

 

14 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT OCTOBER

My shortlisted October loves... in no particular order:

1. The sun has shifted south. Whereas summer...

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Savor local flavor: 8 great eateries on California's central coast

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The activities and events travelers list on their must-do, must-see lists vary widely depending on interests and intentions. Some folks want to relax and take it easy while away from home, others seek adventure and heart-pounding experiences, others lie somewhere in between balancing a bit of both. 

All travelers, though, like to eat. Must eat. Which puts dining at the top of the must-do list for all who travel. The true treat for tourists is discovering establishments rich in regional dishes complemented by dashes of local lore.

My daughter and I enjoyed eight such eateries on our recent visit to California's central coast, courtesy Morro Bay Tourism and California Highway 1 Discovery Route. Following are our recommendations for savoring local flavor when visiting the charming towns along Highway 1.

BLUE SKY BISTRO ON THE BAY
699 Embarcadero, Morro Bay CA 93442
www.bistroonthebay.com

blue sky bistro on the bay

Blue Sky Bistro offers bayside dining that's about as bayside as you can be, with a fabulous view of Morro Bay and Morro Rock. The superb service perfectly complements...

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Newbie to natural: My wine-tasting education courtesy Pacific Coast Wine Trail wineries

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Chateau Margene cabernetUp until a couple weeks ago, I had never been to a wine tasting. As a relatively new wine drinker — 7&7s, margaritas, and martinis my longtime cocktails of choice — the idea of stepping up to the counter of a cellar and sipping sirahs and sauvignons and such intimidated me to no end.

A mother/daughter trip to California featuring stops along the Pacific Coast Wine Trail courtesy Highway 1 Discovery Route and Morro Bay Tourism Bureau cured me of my wine-tasting trepidation. I owe my conversion from newbie to (kinda sorta) natural to three delightful wineries and the patient, passionate sommeliers who shared their spirits, stories, and expertise with this admittedly ignorant wine drinker.

The Pacific Coast Wine Trail features ten wineries...

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Entertaining grandkids: 3 sure things

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Entertaining grandkids: 3 sure things

As a long-distance grandma with visits being few and far between, I feel obligated to provide memorable merriment for my three grandsons each time I see them. I put careful consideration into packing my grandma bag with goodies and games and crafty ideas galore.

Sometimes the magical makings I lug 800 miles to my grandsons' door elicit exactly the enjoyment I'd hoped. Sometimes they fail. Especially if picking a Pinterest activity to try together without trying it first myself.

When I visited Bubby, Mac, and Jak last month, I failed at more than a few things. On the other hand, there were a few that surpassed my expectations in terms of the enjoyment factor for the boys. Three in particular were a huge success, and these will likely have a spot in my grandma bag each visit going forward.

Following are those three sure things because if they entertain my grandkids, I'm willing to bet they'll entertain most. Consider them as go-to options for your grandma bag — or to have on hand if you're one of those fortunate grandmas whose grandkiddos live nearby.

FREAKY FACES APPLE SNACK

Now, this one didn't require me packing much in my grandma bag, just a quick trip to the grocery store upon my arrival for the fixings: apples, strawberries, chocolate chips, and peanut butter, plus anything not stocked in Megan's pantry that I needed for this recipe for the freaky eyes (which needs to be made at least 24 hours before snack assembly as the eyes need to dry).

freaky face apple snacks

They're pretty simple: Just quarter an apple; remove...

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Easter treats & eats: Inspiration for your spring celebration

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Surprise! Easter is right around the corner!

Add some silly to your celebration with these ideas I shared in Easter seasons past:

easter ideas for kids

50 EGGS-TRA SILLY EASTER JOKES

Easter will be here sooner than we think, meaning now is...

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Serving up silliness

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My youngest grandson seems to be maturing far more quickly than I recall being the case with his two older brothers. At just over 15 months, Jak's been working diligently on mastering basic skills seemingly in hopes he'll be as independent as Bubby and Mac as soon as possible.

Skills like feeding himself.

Megan texts photos now and then of the goofy boy's progress. Most recently these:

toddler eating yogurt

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