I’m still here. It’s just that I’ve mostly been super-active over on Substack where I tend to publish most of my writing these days. I’m thinking of mostly updating this page on a monthly basis with a few links to my latest posts. Like this Easter greeting to people who are celebrating today. I’m also taking a break from my podcast, sort of rethinking what I should do with it. There’s a lot I’m dealing with right now, things I’m not quite getting into just yet. Anyway, here are a few more posts I’d like to link to from Substack that you might be interested in!

Award Winning Essays in High School Won’t Stand in 2024

Being An Only Child Makes You Use Your Imagination and Creativity!

Book Censorship Exists on Both Sides

What’s Wrong With You, Alabama?

Will you join me over on Substack? Do you have a site of your own? Let me know in the comments! And HAPPY EASTER to everyone celebrating!!!

The post So Where Am I, Anyway? (And Happy Easter!) appeared first on Cynthia C. Mintz.

Christmas is coming up on Monday. As a household that celebrates both Chanukah (which was earlier this month) and Christmas, we have tons of traditions. And we also try to keep stress levels to a minimum. Our tree went up the first Saturday of December and for eight days, we had both the tree and our electric menorah in the living room. We also made two batches of holiday cookies, with the first being menorahs and gingerbread people and the second, candy canes, Christmas trees and MORE gingerbread people. The cookies are made with oats and sweetened with applesauce. We DO eat added sugar – those cookies come from stores (LOL)…

(for the rest of the post, visit my Substack page!!)

And before I forget, here’s my latest Cynthia Talks Life episode!!

The post Holiday Traditions (Plus New Podcast Episode)!! appeared first on Cynthia C. Mintz.

The post Day Camp, Food Issues and Back to School appeared first on Cynthia C. Mintz.

And in case you’re wondering about the Christmas Day French Toast recipe, here’s the sweet version*:

What you need:

• Two large whole eggs
• Two large egg whites
• 3/4 cups of skim or 1% milk
• 1/2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
• Six to eight slices of coconut bread (depending on the size)
• 1/2 cup each of raspberries and blueberries* (frozen okay)

Directions

• Mix the eggs, vanilla and milk in a bowl
• Soak the slices of bread and place them in a lightly greased baking dish
• Top the bread with the berries, if you’re using them
• Bake for 25 minutes at 375 F and then switch to broil for five minutes

This recipe should feed two to four people.  There is no need to add sugar as the bread is already sweet itself.

*originally posted on my old site, DelectablyChic!

The savoury version uses the same custard mix minus vanilla (sub with garlic powder and a few grinds of black pepper) and is topped with bocconcini and tomatoes. You can add some basil after it’s out of the oven.

The post Happy Holidays From Cynthia Talks Life appeared first on Cynthia C. Mintz.

What’s funny, however, is my parents went camping themselves when they were young (my dad was in Scouts, which means they probably would have been okay with me going to Brownie and Guide camps had I not have bad eczema – something which I grew out of by the time I was 11).  However, it was the sort where one spent a weekend in a tent, not the month-long, cabin dwelling variety that is just so a part of North American culture.  My grandmother even criticized kids going to camp, not understanding why parents would want their kids to “suffer” in the wilderness, likely without hot water or maybe even plumbing in their cabins.

The same could be said of cottages.  I told my parents that my husband and I aren’t going to spend extra money to buy a cottage, but will try to rent something for, say, two weeks each summer if we ever start a family (that way, we could have a different house, or perhaps even stay in different areas each year).  They questioned our choice of staying in a house without hotel-like services because they believed that being on vacation meant one shouldn’t have to make their own food or have to clean up.  They also wondered what we’d be doing for a week or two out in the country (oh, I don’t know, go to farmer’s markets? Craft shows?).  To them, a good vacation in the country meant staying in a resort like the one in Dirty Dancing – you know, with organized activities and such.

I completely get that they want me to be “comfortable.”  I understand that to them, a cushy suburban life is better than having to “deal” with the wilderness.  However, the whole point of camp or the cottage IS to get “away.”  The point IS to experience the country and just do nothing (or close to nothing – I still want wifi if I’m going to be gone for more than a weekend).  At the end, it’s about me wanting to do what *I* want.  And yes, having been raised HERE means my culture isn’t necessarily the exact same as theirs.  Especially now that I’m an adult.

Image credit: nito/ShutterStock

The post More on Cultural Conflict: Summer Camp and Cottages appeared first on Cynthia C. Mintz.