The holiday seasons are upon us now. We just passed the fun Halloween time, and then November brings the season of harvest and thankfulness. Thanksgiving reminds us to show our gratitude for all our blessings, which are many. December brings the countdown to the celebration of the day we know as Christmas. According to an old poem written in the late 1800s by Christina Rossetti, “Love came down at Christmas.” It was Jesus who taught us to love each other. In fact, he commande

Bee’s Bakery Cafe, 40250 Junction Drive, will host Italian virtuoso guitarist Alberto Lombardi for a food and win event on Friday, beginning at 5 p.m. Lombardi is an internationally renowned acoustic fingerstyle and electric rock player. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.

Daderot, Wikimedia Commons Baking some homemade dinner rolls will make your kitchen smell cozy and comforting. Even though I love dinner rolls, I only have them during big holiday dinners. The thing is, that type of dinner is also the time for lots of other special foods, and a plate can only hold just so much. Sometimes the rolls don’t find a place on my dinner plate. But they sure come in handy much later, when a midnight snack attack puts leftovers to good use. Perhaps a m

After living in our house for 34 years, my husband and I decided to re-carpet. The original carpet had held up pretty well, but we knew it was time for a replacement. We had discussed this project for many years, but held off, finally realizing the difficulty we might have if we waited much longer. It takes a lot of personal energy (and work) to have a house redone. We are not getting any younger, and new carpet will not get any cheaper. Re-carpeting the entire house is almos

Cat Campbell/For The Madera Tribune Cook stuffing in the turkey or in a casserole dish, it is your choice. About half the people in my family called it dressing, and the other half called it stuffing. I think as a kid, I used the term dressing, but now I find myself saying stuffing. No matter what you call it, it is the same thing. My family has prepared it every Thanksgiving for generations. There are a few who don’t like it at all, and that’s okay, too. We actually do stuff

Nancy Simpson/The Madera Tribune Nick Esqueda is surrounded by fellow firefighters in Madera, as they were honored by Madera Sunrise Rotary Club last week. Madera Sunrise Rotary Club honored local firefighters at its meeting last week, and gave its Humanitarian Award to a special firefighter, Fire Captain Nick Esqueda of Station 56, selected by fellow local firefighters. The Club contacted the Fire Chief’s office to ask them to select a first responder in the fire department

Last week I went to the doctor for my annual exam. I normally have very good results from the exam, the bloodwork, and the screenings that make up an annual check-up. When the doctor came into the room, he gave me a greeting and asked if I was feeling as well as I normally do. I admitted that this time there were a few items I wanted to share with him. The first, and the most troubling concern was my frequent heartburn. He said he would put through an order for an endoscopy,

Wildfeuer, Wikimedia Commons Fresh chestnuts are now available in many stores. You can also find processed ones that are precooked and peeled. I always look forward to Fall, partly for the holidays, the weather, the colors of nature and of course, the meals. Chestnuts are a must at my house, and I am very happy that chestnuts are now available already cooked and peeled, ready to eat or use in recipes. I can eat a whole bag of them. I wish I knew how the processors can get the