. . . I have been trying out some new gadgets and different types of posts on my blog. For instance, there is a new "Goodreads" widget on the right side of the blog. That connects you, my readers, with books I have read. If you click on it, you will see what I am currently... Continue Reading →
Rich, Moist & Easy Lovers’ Brownies
This is the last recipe in my series of Chocolate recipes for Valentine's Day. Your Lover will Love these rich and moist brownies. And they are really easy to make! Rich, Moist & Easy Lover's Brownies Ingredients (American/Turkish): 1/2 cup butter/113 g. tereyag 1 cup sugar/226 g. şeker 2 eggs/2 yumurta 1/4 tsp vanilla/ (American vanilla... Continue Reading →
Deep, Dark, and Rich – Chocolate Lovers’ Cake
This is the second in a series of chocolate recipes that I am posting for Valentine's Day. I came across this recipe a few weeks ago on Williams Sonoma's website. I tried it immediately and it was soooo chocolatey, I thought I might immediately go to "H-E-double-toothpicks" just for tasting it! I have added European/Turkish measurements... Continue Reading →
Valentine’s Day is Upon Us . . . get out the Chocolate!
Like many typical American women, I grew up loving Valentine's Day! I find that I don't make such a big deal about it anymore now, but I still recognize it. (Come on guys, I wouldn't lie to you.) In all honestly, just after Valentine's Day is my wedding anniversary and the anniversary of the day my husband... Continue Reading →
Ho-hum . . . How to Get Rid of the Winter Blues in Ankara
Now that we are in the heart of winter and all the “good” holidays have passed, i.e. Bayram, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year, our thoughts turn to “what to do now”? For many people, winter is a dark and lonely time of year, especially for those inflicted with SADS (Seasonal Affective Disorder). For expats, winter... Continue Reading →
Top 10 Favorite Blog Posts of All-Time
"All time" is a little loose. I am coming up on my 2-year anniversary of the blog in April. So today I sat down at took a look at my stats. There have been almost 53,000 views of my blog since its inception. Wow. I know that some of them may include automatic spammers, but most are... Continue Reading →
Keeping Up Appearances
Turkish Ladies seem to take their personal appearance much more seriously than I do. Of course, this doesn't apply to all Turkish women. But from my experience, most will not go out of the house will unless they are "done up." Their clothes are clean and always pressed. No holes - not even in fashionable... Continue Reading →
American Groceries!!
I'm dying here . . . So this past week, I was invited to tour a certain undisclosed location in Ankara. I was very excited about going. I had heard about it many times, but never had the opportunity. It was a grocery store. But not just that. It was an American grocery store. The... Continue Reading →
Tips to Prevent Burglary
My neighbor's home was burgarized on Saturday evening. I have heard stories of several burglaries in my neighborhood recently. In fact, I have heard of them all over Ankara recently. The neighbor rented an apartment that had the worst door in the building. It was literally made of particle board as was the surrounding frame. ... Continue Reading →
Off with their heads!
After a rough week of trying to repair my laptop, I needed something to cheer me up. So I headed over to the local pastane for tea with friends. I really like hanging out their at the sidewalk tables. One friend does a great job translating for me while the others try to teach me... Continue Reading →
You Can Be Anything
I can be anything I want to be. That is what I always believed and it seems to be true for the most part. The funny thing is that I have no recollection of a single person telling me this. I don't recall my parents sitting me down and saying, "Honey, you can be anything... Continue Reading →
Julia’s Jazzy Chicken and Jalapeño Dip
I "borrowed" this recipe from my dear friend Julia. It's quick and easy and oh - soooo good. Like many of my recipes, the ingredients are adjustable. Start with less, you can always add more! A big thanks to Julia for sharing! This recipe goes well with wine and beer. It can be served as... Continue Reading →
Welcome to My Home
My husband arrived in Ankara six months before me. With much to be done to prepare for his new bride's arrival, he set out looking for an apartment to rent. During that period, he sent lots of photos of apartments and neighborhoods. We finally settled on one in Aşağı Ayrancı. The first thing he did, was... Continue Reading →
Adventures in Ankara 