Below The Salt News

05/09/2021

To all you readers who love independent, wickedly smart female characters, appreciate science, and love historical women’s fiction … HALF LIFE by Jillian Cantor is for you! This is my favorite Jillian Cantor book to date (and I’ve loved them all. Admittedly, IN ANOTHER TIME is waiting for me on my shelf!) But this book… I adore science, and admire women with brilliant minds....

https://belowthesaltnews.com/featured/mr1/book-review-half-life-by-jillian-cantor/

To all you readers who love independent, wickedly smart female characters, appreciate science, and love historical women’s fiction … HALF LIFE by Jillian Cantor is for you! This is my favorite Jillian Cantor book to date (and I’ve loved them all. Admittedly, IN ANOTHER TIME is waiting for me o...

16/08/2021

Homemade ice cream is delicious and creamy. Making homemade ice cream is not difficult. Today’s ice cream machines are very easy to use and make ice cream in about 20 minutes. If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can make delicious ice cream without one. Both directions are included in this post. # # #

https://belowthesaltnews.com/storytelling-formats/recipes/easy-homemade-chocolate-or-coffee-ice-cream/

Homemade ice cream is delicious and creamy. Making homemade ice cream is not difficult. Today’s ice cream machines are very easy to use and make ice cream in about 20 minutes. If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can make delicious ice cream without one. Both directions […]

25/07/2021

You don’t have to be a fan of the Bard – or even familiar with Shakespeare’s plays – to enjoy HAMNET by Maggie O'Farrell. The writing and sensory description is incredibly effective, the emotion palpable. While this novel should have been called Agnes, because this is clearly her story – and a mighty interesting one, at that – I suspect marketing decisions were made that would garner more attention (i.e....

https://belowthesaltnews.com/featured/mr1/book-hamnet-by-maggie-ofarrell/

18/07/2021

Looking for just the right bread to serve during the summer? Here is a recipe for an easy-to-make Focaccia -- an Italian bread that is perfect with salads and grilled entrees, or as an appetizer or snack. # # #

https://belowthesaltnews.com/humans/community/perfect-summer-bread-italian-focaccia/

Italian Focaccia -- an easy-to-make bread to pair with summer salads and grilled meats, or enjoy as an appetizer or afternoon snack...

04/07/2021

There are many collective nouns used to describe a group of magpies — congregation, gulp, murder, tiding, tittering, etc — but after watching this video about one woman’s interactions with these birds, the most appropriate term would seem to be “Charm” — The Magpie Whisperer’s Charm. In case you’re curious about these fascinating and resilient birds, here are 13 cool things about magpies —...

https://belowthesaltnews.com/humans/community/the-magpie-whisperers-charm/

Magpies are fascinating and resillent birds, but they seem ever more so when watching The Magpie Whisperer’s Charm

27/06/2021

I’m not sure where to start with THE YIELD. It struck many a nerve for me. Even though the setting is Australia, so many of the concerns past and present are mirrored in America (and the natural resource issues parallel my very own home town where, each year, there is the worry that the gorgeous mountains in front of my home will be mined)....

https://belowthesaltnews.com/humans/community/the-yield-by-tara-june-winch/

THE YIELD by Tara June Winch is a is a moving, thought-provoking read about culture, language, storytelling, belonging, family

20/06/2021

In the mood for a dessert but you don’t want a lot of calories or a very involved recipe? Biscotti is just the right dessert to make. Traditional biscotti recipes do not have a funny fat and they are easy to make. # # #

https://belowthesaltnews.com/featured/mr1/enjoy-homemade-italian-biscotti/

Jovina Coughlin of JOVINA COOKS shares a traditional biscotti recipe that is easy to make and doesn't use butter or oil.

18/06/2021

To helmet or not to helmet? That question was long ago decided in favor of helmets at least in the US where our streets and traffic are less than friendly to cyclists. But, apparently Denmark is still making a push to get people to helmet up and facing great resistance. Sierra Club has a great article on why the Danes are not fans of bicycle helmets....

https://belowthesaltnews.com/featured/mr1/psa-helmet-has-always-been-a-good-idea/

With humor and originality, a Dutch -- PSA: Helmet Has Always Been A Good Idea -- an effort to persuade people to helmet up.

13/06/2021

I'm not sure how I stumbled across Singtree by Solar Quest on Youtube, but it immediately resonated with me and quickly became one of my go-to pieces of music to listen to when I want to relax and unwind. (Another favorite is Celeste by Brian Eno.) According to a Solar Quest biography at Last.fm: Solar Quest is a one-man ambient and acid trance music project founded in 1993 by George Saunders and its aim is to combine renewable solar energy with electronic music....

https://belowthesaltnews.com/featured/mr1/music-singtree-by-solar-quest/

Need to relax and unwind, enjoy the wonderfully, upbeat, and meditative vibe of Singtree by Solar Quest.

07/06/2021

Happiness isn’t earned. This seems like a radical thought when the universal law of happiness, deeply embedded in our psyche from day one, is — “You need to work harder to be more successful, because the more success you achieve, the happier you will be.” But, Shawn Achor (happiness researcher, bestselling author, and corporate speaker), points out that research is proving we’ve got the happiness law backwards....

https://belowthesaltnews.com/featured/mr1/happiness-isnt-earned/

Happiness isn’t earned. Happiness is a super food that feeds us and and provides energy to help us reach our full potential in life.