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Showing posts from October, 2017

For Find Out Friday - Is Writer’s Block Real?

Who doesn't love the Golden Girls? Right?!  They were so ahead of their time and hit on SO many topics, including writer’s block.  As a writer myself I wondered if there was any scientific or other proof that it really exists?  I have surely experienced writer’s block and insomnia much like our beloved Blanche Devereaux but is that a result of forces out of my control? Or is it my inability to sit down, focus, and really explore what I need to say when the words aren't pouring out easily?  I decided to see where the information led me.  Writer’s block can also be referred to as a creative block. That is not only writer’s but artists of all kinds who experience this form of torture, I mean struggle.  Surprisingly there are a number of books published about not being able to write. There are the naysayers who discount writer’s block as laziness or inability to sit down and focus. Some of that may be true. But there could be numerous  underlying rea

For My First Meal in Sleepy Hollow: “J.P. Doyle’s”

Friday the 13th is a notoriously spooky holiday. This year it is particularly eery as it occurred in October, the spookiest month of the calendar year. I researched this “holiday” in length last year as part of my Find Out Friday series ( http://bit.ly/2gr23iK ). This year I celebrated Friday the 13th in the most appropriate place; Sleepy Hollow, NY.  My original plans for the day had changed so I was only there to grab a bite to fuel up for the ultimate haunted activity: a nighttime tour of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. But those details are coming up next.  While doing some reading about Sleepy Hollow I read many good things about J.P. Doyle’s. If felt like it was a neighborhood spot where locals meet to catch up while getting something to eat and a beer. It sounded perfect.  Arriving in Sleepy Hollow felt much like I imagined it would.  It was like visiting a movie set. I got a spot right in front of the restaurant and walking in I felt the charm right

For a Restaurant That Puts the Barn in “Moderne Barn”

Whenever someone does something that isn't up to par, a common question is “were you raised in a barn”? Of course the answer is more than likely no.  But what if you were to eat in a barn? If you are picturing Old McDonald and his crew you've got the wrong idea. At Moderne Barn there are no farm animals present (if you ignore the menu) and the interior is full of dark wood and glamour. The spiral staircases on either side of the main dining room have cabinets full of wine. For some reason it reminds me of Beauty and the Beast, when Belle is exploring the library in the Beast’s castle. It has a romantic rustic appeal. The lighting is dim and the light fixtures offer much charm. Sadly that is where the list of positives end. While I was super excited to have dinner here I would leave much less thrilled and still a little bit hungry.  I had thought a good deal about what I would order and I started with the warm house made pretzel bits served with gruyèr

For the Sanctuary of Italian Feast Delicacies: “The House of Pizza and Calzone”

                                           Brooklyn specifically. There are temples, churches, mosques, and other typical houses of worship. But when I want to pay a visit to the Mecca of my soul, I visit the House of Pizza and Calzone.  I kid you not. I am a pizza connoisseur. This year alone I have visited the Pizza Barn in Yonkers, home of the Super Slice ( http://bit.ly/2g07LrF ), Pizzaiola ( http://bit.ly/2hUw3nA ), Patsy’s Pizza ( http://bit.ly/2xZFHvP ), and met infamous pizza legend Patsy Grimaldi at his new restaurant, Juliana’s Pizza ( http://bit.ly/2hWeC61 ). Last week for Find Out Friday ( http://bit.ly/2xoXywD ) I even answered the most popular questions on all of our pizza loving hearts.  Of course these experiences do not take into account the pizza I eat from local spots. If I am being honest, I eat pizza at least once a week. Writing this blog might increase that to two soon. With so much pizza love and kn