Easter Cuisine in France

Monique Palomares wrote to us about Easter cuisine in France... Down here in the South, we have the expression "faire pquette". It means to have a picnic in the countryside on Easter Monday. The traditional dessert is a sweet omelette (beat eggs and sugar and cook it in a frying pan). [...]

Recipe for German Christmas Cookies Called Zimtsterne

Zimtsterne literally translates from German to English as Cinnamon Stars. They're Cinnamon Star Cookies These cookies are a specialty of Germany, Austria, Alsace (Region of France) and Switzerland. They're made for Christmas and in Alsace, they're part of the "bredele" Christmas cookie [...]

Bredele – French Alsatian Cookies

Bredele are Christmas cookies from the Alsace region of France. The word bredele is Alsatian in origin. Alsatian is a German dialect.  The region of Alsace is on the border of Germany. It has switched hands between Germany and France four times since 1871. Yet "bredele" predates [...]

French Christmas Cookie Recipe from Alsace for Anis Bredele (Anise Cookies)

There's a type of cookie in France that's specifically made for Christmas.  It's called Bredele and they're from Alsace. Bredele are small, sweet biscuits.  There are many varieties including anis bredele (recipe below), butterbredle (similar to sugar cookies but with the addition of [...]

Can Anyone Help with a Cuban Rhyme/Finger Play that starts with “Chiquitica así”?

Jeannie Backer wrote to us for help with a Cuban Finger Play. Here's her note... My mother from Cuba used to sing a song/rhyme to usthat I only partially remember, maybe you have heard something similar. It's not a song as much as a cute thing that a child says to adult to ask for

The [...]

About the Song “Cooma Lotta Veesay”

We received the note below with the song “Cooma Lotta Veesay”. Many variations of this song exist, including “Kumala Vista”. It also shares lyrics with the action song called “Flee, Fly, Flo“. Here's the email: “In the late 1950s, we lived near a [...]

Does anyone know this version of Catalina Matelina?

Dennis Lytle wrote to us asking for information about a rhyme: “Any info on the rhyme my parents taught us would be appreciated... I tell you bout vat girl of mine vat looks so sveet and dress so fine, vat come from Dootchland on the Rhine a couple of veeks ago. Her eyes are blue [...]

Make a Dragon Card for The Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year is on February 10th this year. It's the year of the Dragon! The dragon symbolizes power, nobility and ambition. Since dragons are so cool, I decided to make homemade cards featuring them. Fortunately, there's a free tutorial online showing how to draw one. You can purchase [...]

Most Popular Christmas Cookies by State in the USA

Google Trends has released a map of the Christmas cookies most searched for by state. It's interesting how popular Italian Christmas cookies are along the east coast. There's more variety in the westward states. Though interestingly, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the favorite cookies in New Mexico [...]