Pepper-Minty Perfect

Posted on February 11, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

On National Peppermint Patty Day we celebrate the peppermint-filled chocolate goodies. The oldest is credited to the Quiggins family on the Isle of Man in the middle of the northern Irish Sea in 1840. Perhaps the best known, the York Peppermint Patties, joined us 100 years later. Treat yourself to your favorite peppermint patty today!

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The Freedom to Err

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Brett Jordan

 

“Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err.”

— Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
Indian lawyer, spiritual & political leader, and nonviolent resistance advocate

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Now More Than Ever

Posted on February 9, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

“The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.”

— Albert Schweitzer (1875 – 1965)
German-French polymath, philosopher, physician & Nobel laureate

I am confident our purpose does not include mocking, scorning, or judging those who believe differently than we do. We all have the same human rights to be both right and wrong. Compassion bridges differing perspectives. Regardless of hateful, divisive, distrustful, or misguided rhetoric, we all win when we exercise patience, especially with those who lack compassion.

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Go Patriots!

Posted on February 8, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

“I predict that one of these two teams will win the Super Bowl.”

— Gilbert Gottfried (1955 – 2022)
American stand-up comedian & actor

May the best (Patriots) team (Patriots) win (Patriots)!

Go Pats!

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Go For It!

Posted on February 7, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Michal Navrat

 

“You must first be a believer if you would be an achiever.”

— Unknown

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Celebrate Together

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel) Tolkien (1892 – 1973)
English writer, poet & scholar

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Courage

Posted on February 5, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Brett Jordan

 

“It takes as much courage to have tried and failed as it does to have tried and succeeded.”

— Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1906 – 2001)
American writer & aviator

 

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Courtesy and Confidence

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Marek Studzinski

 

“Be courteous to all, but intimate with few; and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence.”

— George Washington (1732-1799)
US statesman; 1st US President (1789-97)
General of the Revolutionary Army; surveyor, farmer

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Feed the Birds

Posted on February 3, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

On National Feed the Birds Day, let’s remember to help our feathered friends a bit. Typically, I don’t suggest feeding the birds unless you can do it all through the winter season. But this has been a particularly harsh winter, so on this day of days, go for it! Sunflower seeds or a chunk of suet with lots of seeds attached helps give them the fat they need to make up for no insects to gobble up.

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Groundhog Day

Posted on February 2, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

For National Groundhog Day, we all got the news we did not want…. Winter is not ending early. This past weekend, North Carolina set a record, getting snow in all 100 counties with 17” in much of the southeastern coast, including a whopping 19.5” in Peletier. (We got lucky…. Just 6 or 7”.) Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi, has only gotten 11” of snow for this entire season. Crazy.

So, will Punxsutawney Phil be correct? Another 6 weeks of winter? We usually only get a total of 6 weeks of winter, so I think we emerge within the next 2. Friends up north AND in Florida repeatedly say they have had more than enough of this winter already. Happy Hour on the deck, anyone? Come on, Spring!

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Unity

Posted on February 1, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by James Lee

“We have flown the air like birds and swum the sea like fishes, but we have yet to learn the simple act of walking the earth like brothers.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 – 1968)
American Baptist minister & civil rights activist

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Ignorance Is Not Always Bliss

Posted on January 31, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

 

“Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.”

— Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882)
English naturalist, geologist, and biologist

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Just Do It!

Posted on January 30, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Carolyn Christine

 

“Never interrupt someone doing something you said couldn’t be done.”

— Amelia Earhart (1897 – 1937 disappeared)
American aviation pioneer

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Well Said

Posted on January 29, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Precheur Martinique

“As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.”

— Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
American statesman; 16th U.S. President: 1861-65;
assassinated following Civil War

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Grow, Baby, Grow!

Posted on January 28, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

“Growing old is no more than a bad habit which a busy man has no time to form.”

— Andre Maurois (1885 – 1967)
French author

A dear friend sent me the attached video. Lovely music and sweet sentiments about our birthday thinking. (Thank you, Bevy, dahhhhling!) Growing older is a blessing; growing up is optional.

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Try Goodness… Daily

Posted on January 27, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Caleb Gregory

 

“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end.”

— Gilda Radner (1946 – 1989)
American actress and comedian

Even if it didn’t happen yesterday… please, let’s be good to each other… today and every day going forward.

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Hope…. Hope, and Still Hope

Posted on January 26, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

“Before you give up hope, turn back and read the attacks that were made on Lincoln.”

— Bruce Fairchild Barton (1886 – 1967)
American author, advertising executive;
NY politician, US House of Representatives (1937 – 41)

 

 

Don’t let chaos drive you crazy. Never give up. Never lose hope!

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Kindness Counts Every Time

Posted on January 26, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Adam Nemeroff

“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear, and the blind can see.”

— Mark Twain (1835-1910)
19th Century American author and humorist;
pen name for Samuel Langhorne Clemens

We can choose to be rabid in our righteousness… or we can choose to be compassionate in our common humanity.

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Getting Better All the Time

Posted on January 24, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Katelyn Perry

 

Perfect for National Compliment Day:

“We’re not getting older, we’re getting BETTER!”

Okay… now you say it to me.

 

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Historically Speaking

Posted on January 23, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

“‘History repeats itself’ and ‘History never repeats itself’ are about equally true… We never know enough about the infinitely complex circumstances of any past event to prophesy the future by analogy.”

— George Macaulary Trevelyan (1876 – 1962)
English historian

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National Southern Food Day

Posted on January 22, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Celebrate National Southern Food Day. This is a cuisine smothered in YUM! Go for fried chicken, barbecue, catfish, grits, biscuits, gumbo, peach cobbler, jambalaya, fish dip, and soooo much more!

 

 

 

 

Today we offer Zesty Gumbo Kebabs, originally published in “Dockside Dining: A Second Helping” in 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

Zesty Gumbo Kebabs

We love grilling and often prep a variety of foods to serve as large or mini kebabs. With this recipe, use your favorites: kielbasa, sausage, chicken, shrimp, and/or meatballs, plus fruits and veggies.

24 slices (3/4 – 1” thick) kielbasa and/or spicy chicken, meatballs, or pork
6 links sausage, cooked
24 large or x-large raw shrimp, shelled & deveined
24 chunks pineapple or peach
2 sweet red bell peppers, cut in a total of 24 (1”) chunks
3 fresh, thin zucchini, not peeled, cut in a total of 24 slices
Other veggies, such as slices of fresh corn on the cob, mushroom caps,  cherry tomatoes, or chunks of sweet onion
1 small can frozen limeade concentrate (about 1 cup)
¼ c virgin olive oil
¼ – 1/3 c your favorite hot sauce (such as Mike’s Red Hot)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded & finely chopped

On 12 metal or warm water-soaked bamboo skewers, threat proteins, veggies, & fruit, alternating for color (or cooking each type all together, as you prefer). Mix remaining ingredients together and drizzle or brush over prepared kebabs in dish with sides. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Grill 5 min per side on cooking oil sprayed med-hot grill, basting with marinade. Serve over hot rice. Makes 6 entrée servings of 2 skewers or 12 tapas kebabs.

 

KISS Note: Do not marinate longer than 1 hour. The citrus in lime literally starts to “cook” the shrimp, as when making ceviche.

 

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Great Things… Not Always Popular

Posted on January 21, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo from Library of Congress

 

“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.”

— Ronald Reagan (1911 – 2004)
American actor & California Governor
40th President of the United States (1981 – 89)

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Let Us Choose Wisely

Posted on January 20, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

“It is better to light a candle than to curse at the darkness.”

— William Lonsdale Watkinson (1838 – 1925)
English minister (in a 1907 sermon)
(Quote was popularized by Eleanor Roosevelt.)

Let us choose to light candles, rather than make the darkness even darker.

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Compassion, Please

Posted on January 19, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Ditto Bowo

 

“We have committed the Golden Rule to memory; let us now commit it to life.”

— Edwin Markham (1852 – 1940)
American poet

 

 

That rather well sums up “Compassion, and Other Life Seasonings”, my latest edition in the Life Seasonings mini guide series. We can all do better.

 

 

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Go Pats!

Posted on January 18, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Are you ready for some football!!??!

(I know, you can’t tell which team I’m rooting for.)

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Ability

Posted on January 17, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Roberta Sant’Anna

 

 

“We all have ability. The difference is how we use it.”

— Stevie Wonder (1950 – )
American singer, songwriter, & musician

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National Nothing Day

Posted on January 16, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

On National Nothing Day, we are supposed to do nothing but relax and take a breather from the daily pressures. (Okay… comedy and sarcasm seem appropriate.)

“Old age ain’t no place for sissies.”

— Bette Davis (1908 – 1989)
American actress

There are many great quotes about aging. The bottom line remains true… With old age, our eyesight may weaken, but our ability to see straight through people grows stronger. Little is clearer than that.

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We CAN Do This

Posted on January 15, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Helen Lopes

“If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however, if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that.”

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 – 1832)
German writer & polymath

 

We all need to do better at helping each other become what we are capable of becoming, with love and compassion ruling our hearts. We can do this.

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Thank You

Posted on January 14, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

“It isn’t what we have in life, but who we have in our life that matters.”
— Unknown

My most sincere thanks and gratitude to each and every person in my life who has made a compassionate difference… even when I may have failed to tell you how precious you are.

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You’re the One!

Posted on January 13, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Rajvir Kaur

 

 

Celebrate National Rubber Ducky Day. Per “Sesame Street,” January 13th is Rubber Duckie’s birthday, so sing along if you recall #16 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1970.

 

 

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Protect Freedom

Posted on January 12, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Wesley Tingey

“History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.”

— Dwight Eisenhower 1890 – 1969)
American military officer &
34th President of the United States

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60 Years Later

Posted on January 11, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Dan Cook

This is just one of many delightful messages I have received from a dear friend. Each line widened my smile and brought more laughter. May you also enjoy!

I have everything that I wanted as a teenager, only 60 years later.
I don’t have to go to school or work. I get an allowance every month.
I have my own pad. I don’t have a curfew.
I have a driver’s license and my own car.
The people I hang around with are not scared of getting pregnant and I don’t have acne.
Life is great.
I changed my car horn to gunshot sounds. People get out of the way much faster now.

Gone are the days when girls used to cook like their mothers.
Now they drink like their fathers.
I didn’t make it to the gym today. That makes five years in a row.
I decided to stop calling the bathroom “the John” and renamed it “the Jim”.
I feel so much better saying I went to the Jim this morning.
Old age is coming at a really bad time.
When I was a child, I thought “nap time” was a punishment. Now it feels like a small vacation.
The biggest lie I tell myself is… ” I don’t have to write that down; I’ll remember it”.
I don’t have gray hair… I have “wisdom highlights”! (I’m just very wise.)
If God wanted me to touch my toes, He would’ve put them on my knees.
Last year I joined a support group for procrastinators. We haven’t met yet.
Why do I have to press one for English when you’re just going to transfer me to someone I can’t understand anyway?
Of course, I talk to myself. Sometimes I need expert advice.
At my age “Getting Lucky” means walking into a room and remembering why I came in there.

I have more friends I should send this to, but right now I can’t remember their names.
Now, I’m wondering… did I send this to you, or did you send it to me?

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Unity Please

Posted on January 10, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

We can choose to rant and rave… or not. We can choose accusations and name calling… or not. We can choose to support each other and work together… or not. I choose strength through compassion and unity.

“We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.”

— J.K. Rowling (1965 – )
British author & philanthropist;
From her “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”

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Zappy!

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Ben Kerckx

 

On National Static Electricity Day, have fun exploring the science. Rub some balloons or scuff your feet along a run before touching a doorknob. You remember! January 9th is the one day each year when it’s fun to recognize the imbalance of positive and negative charges. (Hah! Love those double meanings.)

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First State of the Union Address

Posted on January 8, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

“I shall derive great satisfaction from a cooperation with you in the pleasing though arduous task of insuring to our fellow citizens the blessings which they have a right to expect from a free, efficient, and equal government.”

— George Washington (1732 – 1799)
Commander of the Continental Army;
1st President of the United States (1789 – 1797);
Words from his first State of the Union address to Congress in Federal Hall in New York City on January 8, 1790

(Photo by Brigitte Werner)

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Chili Time!

Posted on January 7, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Celebrate National Slow Cooking Month with a pot of splendid chili… either with meat or without… with beans or without. Do what pleases your taste buds on a chili evening!

We created a smashing rendition for our last bonfire in 2025. This baby is meant for the slow cooker. Dig in!

Café Martin Chili

Not a true Texas-style chili; this has some beans. However, you can easily eliminate them and get back to chili’s roots, if desired. Regardless of your preference, here’s the recipe we created for our 2025 bonfire.  It got lots of positive feedback as the best chili ever… both the regular and vegetarian variations!

4 T each: oregano and chili powder
6 T ground cumin
1 T each: cayenne pepper and smoked paprika
2 env dry onion soup mix
1-2 lbs Mexican chorizo (no casings)
6 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed
1 lb sweet sausage (no casings)
2 lbs steak strips
3 lbs steak cubes
3 lbs ground beef
6 large, sweet onions, chopped
1 bunch celery hearts, chopped
3-4 c beef bone broth
1 large can tomato puree, mixed with 1 small can tomato paste
1 large can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 large can original Ro-Tel diced tomatoes & green chilies, drained
2 (4-oz) cans diced mild chilies & liquid
2 cans red kidney beans
1 can cannelloni beans
1 can seasoned black beans
Toppings: shredded Monterey Jack cheese, chopped onion (sweet or red, as you prefer), pickled and/or fresh jalapeño pepper slices, sour cream

Combine seasonings and onion soup mix; set aside. Cook, stirring to crumble, the chorizo and all other sausage meats over med-low meat for 6-8 minutes in a large skillet. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage into very large bowl. Cook beef strips and cubes, stirring occasionally, for 4-6 minutes. Stir into cooked sausage. Repeat with ground beef, stirring to crumble meat as it cooks. Transfer to meat mixture. Drain off excess oil, reserving 3-4 T in skillet. Cook and stir onion over medium heat for 2-3 mins before transferring to meat mixture. Repeat with celery. Stir the seasoning/dry soup mixture into the meats thoroughly. Transfer to slow cooker/s and stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 1-2 hour. Shut off heat and cool, refrigerating overnight. (Can freeze, if desired, at this point.) Cook the chili on low heat for 2-4 hours before serving with your choice of toppings on the side.

KISS Tips: This makes enough to serve 30-40 people, so it’s perfect to make ahead and freeze. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before doing the final cooking time. We serve chili with buttery garlic/onion bread and a fresh tossed salad. Chili is also great served in soft taco shells with slices of fresh avocado and a sprinkle of chopped onions and a bit of salsa.

KISS Variation: To make Vegetarian Chili, eliminate all the meats. Sauté a large package of fresh baby bella (or other) mushrooms, diced along with the onion and celery in 4 T butter. Season as above, replacing beef bone broth with 2 c vegetable stock. Add the puree, tomatoes, Ro-Tel, and chilies as above. In addition to the 2 cans of kidney beans, add 2 cans each: seasoned black beans, pinto beans, cannelloni beans, and lentils, all rinsed and drained. Stir in kernels from 3 ears of corn on the cob (or 2 c frozen baby corn). Of course, you could use just kidney beans, but this combination is delightfully colorful and tasty.

 

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Jelly Bean Power

Posted on January 6, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

Photo by Amit Lahav

 

“You can tell a lot about a fellow’s character by his way of eating jellybeans.”

— Ronald Reagan (1911 – 2004)
American actor & California Governor;
40th President of the United States (1981 – 1989);
quoted in Observer, March 29, 1981

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Education Lasts

Posted on January 5, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”

— Henry Adams (1838-1918)
American historian & teacher

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More Recipes!

Posted on January 4, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

I enjoy sharing recipes on my website and social media articles. In 2025, I am pleased to note that I shared more than 2 dozen recipes with you. They ranged from appetizers (like Super Simple Beet Hummus Avocado Toasts)

 

 

 

…and beverages (like the Super Simple Bellini) to soups (like Manhattan Clam Chowder and Creamy Mushroom Soup)

 

 

 

 

 

…to entrees (like KISS Lobster Thermidor and Super Simple Beef Stroganoff) and desserts (like Potato Chip Cookies and Mom Burnham’s Whoopie Pies).  You can find them all in posts from 2025 on this site, in case you missed one!

 

 

This year, I begin with a favorite appetizer… or entrée, if you prefer. It doubles and triples easily and works with any of the included sauces, a favorite of your own, or even a bottled option, such as Sweet Thai Chili Sauce.

Super Simple Coconut Shrimp
While I have been making Coconut Shrimp since the 1970s, this Super Simple rendition sprang to life when I started making them more often for a dear girlfriend. So easy and so tasty, too!

1/3 c coconut flour
½ tsp each: fine sea salt & ground black pepper
2 x-lg eggs, beaten with ¼ c monk fruit (or sugar)
¾ c panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1¼ c shredded coconut (sweetened or not, as you prefer)
1 lb large (16-20 count size) shrimp, peeled, deveined, and butterflied, if desired
Coconut oil

Combine flour, salt & pepper in 1 small bowl. Place beaten eggs in 2nd small bowl. Combine panko and coconut in 3rd bowl. Dip each shrimp in flour, then in eggs, and then in coconut crumbs, pressing to help coating adhere thickly. Place on wax paper in single layer. Once all are complete, warm 1” oil over medium heat. Work in batches and fry shrimp, 1 min per side. Remove from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. (These freeze well at this point, too. To serve, thaw and reheat 5-6 min at 350°F.) Serve with your choice of dipping sauce.  Makes 16-20.

Pina Colada Sauce
¼ c sour cream
¼ c pina colada drink mix
¼ c crushed pineapple (juice-packed)
Combine and process with an immersion blender to your desired consistency.

Mustard Sauce
½ c Dijon mustard
2 T each: brown sugar & white wine
1 T freshly squeezed lemon (or lime) juice
Combine and warm just enough to melt the sugar.

Peachy Sauce
½ c peach preserves (or a marmalade)
2 T white wine
1 T lemon juice
Combine and serve at room temp.

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Be Free

Posted on January 3, 2026 by Cathy Burnham Martin

 

“Running away will never make you free.”

— Kenny Loggins (1948 – )
American singer & songwriter

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