1.29.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello, and welcome to Women's World on RADIOI. As a reminder,
RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to
read print in material. Today I will be reading in
Gardens Magazine dated January dated twenty December twenty twenty four,

(00:25):
and other publications as time allows. Your host today is Rosemary.
Newspaper and magazine. Articles presented in Women's World or for
general information only. RADIOI does not endure or recommend any
of the subjects mentioned from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
dated December twenty twenty four and other publications. As time allows.

(00:50):
Your host today is Rosemary. Newspaper and magazine Articles presented
in Women's World are for general information only. RADIOI does
not door so recommend any of the subjects mentioned. The
first article is entitled A Sweet Tradition inspired by a

(01:13):
beloved family friend. Writer Rich Holmes Grant shares how a
day of decorating gingerbread houses can build lasting memories. When
I was growing up, there was a woman in my
neighborhood named missus Cheers. She was the kind of person
who baked from scratch, crafted homemade cards, once sold by

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our local whole foods market and created scrapbooks for her
kids that looked like professional works of art. Our families
grew close, and Missus Cheers became like an aunt to me.
True to her name, she brought joy to every holiday,
community event and special moment in between. On Christmas, she

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would go off on her love of crafting and baking.
She and her family were the first people I'd ever
met who baked gingerbread houses from scratch. I was so
impressed by not only the houses, but also the fun
they had together during the very involved and messy process.

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When I got older, I learned that Missus Cheers had
been living with lupus, an autoimmune disease, since the nineties.
She knew that the moments where many of us take
for granted were not promised to her, which is why
she worked so hard to create joyful memories. The Cheers

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family gingerbread house tradition fell away as her children grew
up and left for college. But a few years ago
I invited Missus Cheers's daughter Emani and grandson Isaiah to
join my daughter Riley and me and a gingerbread house

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workshop at the Ricks Carlton. The last time I saw
missus Cheers was when I stopped by to show her
the houses we made. She was so happy to see
us reviving her family's tradition, fancy upgrades and all. When
Missus Cheers passed away almost a year later, I was

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broken hearted. Her death so close to Christmas reminded me
of the deep connections we feel to the holiday rituals
we create inside our homes. By the next Christmas, I
was determined to honor her legacy by transforming my own
kitchen into a gingerbread wonderland for Riley, Emoni, and Isaiah

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for our gingerbread house decorating party. I was inspired by
missus cheers More is More approach. She would have enjoyed
the layers of details from the festive wrapping paper I
used to cover the table and the frosted lollipop bundles
tied to the chair backs, to the bounty of gingerbread figurines,

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ribbon candy trees, and nutcrackers. While we decorated our houses
at the table, we snacked on white chocolate covered popcorn
with sprinkles and filled our mugs at a hot chocolate bar.
On the counter, a Diy flatbred flat bread Pisa station,

(04:43):
a simple menu option that doesn't require a lot of cleanup,
offered a reprieve from the sugary treats. By the end
of the night, our gingerbread houses weren't finished, but it
didn't matter. We had more fun than than we could
have imagined. Most of all, we could feel missus cheers

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smiling down on us for a day filled with love, laughter,
and lots of gingerbread cheer. Next, Cooking with the Partons,
when Dolly Parton and her sister Rachel Parton George gather

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for the holidays, Yorkshire pudding is always in the spotlight.
Make this a Christmas tree remember at your house, with
their jolliest of holiday sides sprinkled among the biscuits, corn
bread and other Southern childhood favorites. In Dolly and Rachel's

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new cookbook, Good Looking Cooking, one holiday dish stands out
for its international roots, Yorkshire pudding. When we used to
go to London in years pass, we always had Yorkshire pudding,
Dolly says, and Rachel, being the finest cook of the

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two of us, said, well, I'm going to conquer this
unflappable in the face of a new recipe Rachel has
since perfected the famously tender popovers made from a batter
of eggs, milk flour cooked in beef drippings. And though

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Yorkshire pudding is usually it usually is paired with a
fancy prime rib roast. Rachel says, I'll make it often
with a beef chuck roast. We love the taste and
how it cooks in the oven, and I don't need
to think of just save it for one or two
times a year. Rachel's tips for Yorkshire pudding. If you're

(07:00):
a first timer, follow Rachel's hence for success. For the
best flavor, let the batter stand in the refrigerator overnight.
Plan ahead, so Yorkshire puddings are the last thing you
prepare for the meal, because they should be served straight

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out of the oven. Make sure your panned and drippings
are smoking hot, Rachel says. Then pour the batter from
a liquid measuring cup or something with a spout instead
of using a spoon. And lastly, don't open the oven
or peek, or the puddings may fall. And here's their

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recipe for Yorkshire pudding. Hands on time fifteen minutes. Total
time sixty minutes includes minimum resting time. The ingredients saw
four eggs, one and one half cups whole milk, one
and one fourth cups all purpose flour, one half teaspoon salt,

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one fourth teaspoon black pepper, four tablespoons beef drippings, bacon drippings,
or vegetable oil in a large bowl. Combine the eggs, milk,
and flour. Whisk until well combined. Place in an air

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tight container, and let the batter rest for thirty minutes
or for best results, overnight in the refrigerator. When you're
ready to bake the puddings, preheat the oven to four
hundred and twenty five degrees. Remove the batter from the
refrigerator and add the salt and pepper and whisk to combine.

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Place one tea spoon of the drippings or oil into
each section of a twelve cup popover pan or standard
muffin pan. Place the pan in the oven until it's hot.
Remove the pan from the oven, and immediately pour the
batter into each muffin well, filling them three quarters full.

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Place the pan back into the oven and bake until
puddings are puffed in golden fifteen to twenty minutes. Be
patient if you open the oven too early. They will collapse.
Remove the pan from the oven, and serve immediately. The

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recipe makes twelve puddings and the Good Looking Cooking a
Year of Meals. Join the part and sisters in the
kitchen as they celebrate a year year of family favorite
foods for holidays big and small. The book is from

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the ten speed Press for twenty five dollars. Good Looking Cooking. Next,
That's the Spirit. A family of six takes a homespun
and all hands on deck approach to decorating their home

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for the holidays. Outside of Atlanta, ap and Eliah Moore
kick off the holiday season with their daughters Adel, Finley,
Elin and Loa by cutting down their own tree at
a local farm. Each year. Fresh greenery is the running
thread through the family's decorations, though sparkle plays a part too.

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They decorate their main tree with a collection of sentimental ornaments,
some made by the kids, some gifted by ape to
a each year, but metallic balls and tinsel for shimmer.
The more families holiday decors started out simply enough. When

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our kids were young and resources were limited. We would
just grab some greenery from the backyard and sprinkle it
on the mantle. Elia says. As their four children grew up, however,
so did the scope of their decor. More reeds, more garlands,
more trees. We have three trees around the house. Now

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I feel like I live in the Governor's mansion, Alia
jokes with Alia husband AP's daughters, ranging in age from
twelve to nineteen, holiday decorating has become a family affair.
Their eldest, Loa, loves collecting branches in the yard. She's
tall so she can reach the perfect berry filled limbs,

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Elias said. Adele and Ellen make a great baking team,
while the youngest, Finley, brings her creative spirit to crafting.
Ap is the designated architect. He always humors us figuring
out how to construct the things we dream up. Elia says.

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For her part, Elia serves as the de facto creative director.
While the decores heavy on natural greenery, she always adds
a different flourish. She might accent reas and gardens with
blue ribbons one year, in paper flowers the next. Lately

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she's been working dried citrus and pomegranates into the mix.
I love how people in England and France used to
decorate with fresh fruit for the holidays. Elia says, so
I've been trying to get that ye old feeling with
dried fruit. As the couple's daughters have gotten older, the

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holiday season has changed in different ways. On the one hand,
the girls can now whip up sugar cookies on their
own and are expert snowflake cutters. On the other hand,
busy schedules mean the family can't always dick together on
a single night to trim the tree, but they hold

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steadfast to one tradition. Before Christmas, the whole family gathers
in the living room to watch holiday movies, drink hot cocoa,
and have a sleepover under the twinkling lights of the tree.
Next decorating guest of honor designer Kemp has a knack

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for crafting rooms that are so joyful you'll leave your
cares at the check in desk. Now she's pulling back
the curtain on how to help your house guests unwind too.
Waking up in a room designed by kit Kemp, founder
and creative director of the Firmdale Hotels and kit Kemp

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Design Studio is nothing short of a dream. Known for
whimsical decor and kaleidoscopic color, Firmdale's eleven hotels, including the
Covent Garden Hotel in London and newly opened Warren Street
Hotel in New York City, are just as much a

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destination as the cities they reside in. But stay in
one and you will quickly realize that Kemp's magic touch
extends to all little things that make a guest feel charmed.
I'd love to think that when you come to your
room it's a very happy place, she says. It's a

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feeling you can conjure up when your own guests come
to stay, whether you have a spare bedroom or just
the sofa to offer. We've got her tips and our
product picks for bringing hospitality home bed mates. Nightstand essentials

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include a lamp for reading, spare chargers, and a bedside
caraffe so guests don't have to trek to the kitchen
in the middle of the night. We also suggest ear plugs,
and if your nightstand doesn't have drawers, a decorative box
to stash things in. A book of short stories or

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a local magazine is also a nice touch. And don't
forget a fresh bouquet. It doesn't have to be a
huge bunch of flowers. Kep says. Something from the garden
or even just greenery is such a lovely thing to
put by the bedside. Add at least one unexpected detail

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that will make guests smile when they enter the room.
This could be an art piece, a quirky lamp, an
old toy, a framed memory, or just something fun like
a little donkey souvenir that you found at the beach.
Funny little things like that add character and curiosity if

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you have the space. A desk is useful in a
guest bedroom, and it can double as a bedside table.
Even better, mount a mirror above it so it acts
as a vanity to guests can catch up on emails
and freshen up in the quite of the room. You
want to have a good working space with plugs that

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are at level where you're not bending down all the
time caps in. Try a multi port charging dock and
make sure there are free outlets available. No one likes
to unplug someone else's gadgets. A pillow spray is one

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of those little touches you might not think about, but
it leaves a lasting impression. Smells and a perfume bring
back so many memories. Kemp says, she leaves a bottle
on the bedside table in every hotel room. People just
love it. She says that in a lavender sachet in

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drawers or the closet, it smells beautiful as you open
the wardrobe can create a sensory connection that will remind
your guests of when they come to stay. Bathroom essentials,

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It's nice to leave out a new bar of soap
and think about what could have been forgotten. Cotton balls,
a shower cap, lotion, a toothbrush. The next time your
dentis offers you one, take it for future guests. A
night light in the bathroom is also thoughtful. Instead of

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having to put on a really bright light and completely
wake yourself up, it's just a very soft glow. Kim
says most hotels worth their salt have a binder in
the room filled with useful intel. Follow their lead and
type up a one sheet with the Wi Fi password

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where the thermostat is. In any pet rules and hazards
to be aware of, consider leaving a little something special
in the room for children. A sweet treat, a toy
car and analog gain. Anything that's age appropriate and parent

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approved can surprise and delight little ones. It also works
like a charm as an icebreaker if they feel if
they're feeling anxious or shy in a new place. Oversized
patterned headboards are hallmark of Kemp's style. They create a

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dramatic focal point in every hotel she designs. It's a
wonderful excuse to show off a really beautiful fabric, she says.
She contrasts that big patterned statement with crisp white bedding
and white quilted bedspreads, which she says just make you

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want to dive into bed. It's a good idea to
incorporate layers to accommodate hot and cold sleepers, plus assorted
pillow options firm, squishy, flat, fluffy. Not only will your
guest find that perfect landing pad for their head, but

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they'll also have an extra pillar to hug. Most of
the artwork in Ferndale hotels are displayed in painted, patterned
frames or with interesting mats. Framing is important. Sometimes our

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frames are almost as exciting as what's inside. She also
places smaller pieces of art in clear floater frames against
a wallpapered wall. It's a trick that instantly elevates children's
artwork or even the simplest sketch. I love a full

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length mirror so that you can see yourself before you
go out. Kemp says this is especially important to the bathroom.
Isn't on suite if you can place the mirror next
to an outlet so hair styling tools can be used
in proximity. And don't forget to make room in the
closet for your guests clothes, both clean and dirty. You

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want to a good space to hang clothes so they
can hang full length and you can see them, and
a hamper or a little laundry bag that you could
hang in the wardrobe. Kemp says several Firmdale hotel suites
have record players with a selection of albums. You'll find

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vintage Beetles and Frank Sinatra at the Haymarket Hotel in London,
for example. But modern smart speakers are top of Kemp's
lists for every night stand, guests can connect their own music,
ask for the weather and more. Fresh towels go without saying.

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But if there's more than a mad dash between your
guest room and the bathroom, they're sure to be appreciate
A freshly laundered robe too. I love the toweling dressing
gowns Kem says, if you really want to make someone
feel special, you can put their initials on it as

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a gift. Next cooking, get cracking snap, crackle break. Cracker bark,
also known as cracker candy or cracker toffee, is one
of the easiest and tastiest truths to gift this holiday.

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Pictured here is chocolate cookie, peppermint cracker bark. All of
our cracker bark versions starts with a basic formula crackers
and caramel, topped with chalk and crunchy treats of some sort.
For the bark above, follow the basic recipe using eleven

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or twelve chocolate gram crackers and topping with white baking chips.
Sprinkle with one half cup broken chocolate sandwich cookies with
mint filling and one fourth cup crushed peppermint candies, and
the basic cracker bark formula the cracker bark recipe. The

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hands on time is fifteen minutes. The total time two
hours includes chilling time. The ingredients are crackers see variations
for types and amounts. One half cup butter, one third
cup packed brown sugar, one fourth teaspoonful salt, one teaspoonful vanilla,

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two cups, baking chips see variations one half to three
forced cup toppers such as chopped toasted nuts, broken cookies,
but peitos, marshmallows, coconut and or dried fruit. Pre Heat

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oven to three hundred and fifty degrees line of fifteen
x ten inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges.
Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray. Cover bottom of prepared
pan with crackers, breaking to fit or overlapping as needed.

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In a medium saucepan, bring butter, brown sugar, and salt
to boiling, stirring to melt butter. Boil gently without stirring
two minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla evenly. Rizzle
mixture over crackers. Bake until bubbly eight to ten minutes.

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The caramel mixture will fill spaces between the crackers during baking.
Place pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle with baking chips.
Let's stand five minutes to soften. Spread chips over crackers.
Sprinkle with toppers, cool thirty minutes. Chill until melted chips

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are set one hour using foil. Lift out uncut candy,
break into irregular pieces. Store at room temperature up to
three days, makes about twenty four pieces per two and
one half by one and one half inch piece and

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the variations on the basic cracker bark formula that they
have is a pecan coconut cracker bark, a pistachio cranberry
cracker bark, Samour's cracker bark, dark chocolate cracker bark, and

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potato chip and pretzel cracker bark. For the pecan coconut
cracker bark, follow the formula above using eleven or twelve
gram cracker rectangles and semi sweet chocolate chips. Sprinkle with
one half cup toasted pecans and one fourth cup toasted

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sweetened coconut flakes. For the pistachio cranberry cracker bark, follow
the formula using six or seven sea salt flat bread
crackers and white baking chips. Sprinkle with one third cup
each chopped salted pistachios and chopped dried cranberries. For the

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Samora's cracker bark, follow the formula using eleven or twelve
cracker rectangles and milk chocolate chips. Sprinkle with one half
cup tiny dried marshmallow bits and one third cup crushed
gram crackers. For the dark chocolate cracker bark follow the

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formula using forty saltine crackers and dark chocolate chips. Sprinkle
with one third cup chasted peppeedoes and one fourth each
chopped dried apricots and almond toffee bits. And for the

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potato chip pretzel cracker bark, follow the formula using thirty
nine or forty rich rectangular crackers and milk chocolate chips.
Sprinkle with one third cup each broken and crushed potato
chips and pretzels. This concludes Women's World for today. Your

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reader has been Rosemary. If you have any questions, comments,
or suggestions about this program, please call us at our
Lexington Studios at eight five nine four two two six
three nine zero. Thank you for listening, and please stay
tuned for a reading from our Kentucky series next on

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