Bâlehoo

The content for my current newsletter is all over the map - both figuratively and literally. Where else are you going to find a recommendation for a cooking school in Provence right next to a handy map of Basel pissoirs?

This issue includes:

• A reminder about my favorite antique market
• A week of French songs in Mulhouse
• A week of French cooking in Provence (at the best B&B ever)
• Tips (and maps!) on where to go when you really have to…well, go

and much more. Read it all here: Balehoo Newsletter February 28

After a (not-so) brief hiatus during which I learned how to juggle monkeys, tie a proper slip-knot, bake a multi-tiered cake with chocolate “bugs” (yup) and keep my hair permanently frizzy (hint: spend a winter in the Pacific Northwest), you can now read the most recent newsletter, which contains info on:

- Original Fasnacht art (confetti not included)

- Where to get your pooch a fancy sweater

- The best chocolates in the entire universe (really!)

- A kiddie video I have been working on while I’ve been back in the US

- An ode to Fondue

and much, much more.

Read it all here.

Are you (and your kids) done with Dora and bored with Buster?

If you’re looking for a great “alternative” gift idea for your kids… just follow the bouncing “Dottie” to DottiesMagicPockets.com. Launched in September 2007, the direct-to-DVD program is the first childrens’ show for LGBT families & friends. It was recently featured on NPR’s Marketplace and will be appearing as entertainment on the March 2008 R Family Vacations cruise (Rosie’s Cruise).

The first Dottie’s Magic Pockets DVD (Code 1) contains two 25-minute episodes, entitled “Doing the Flower” and “Beat Beet” (the latter co-written by former Baseler and Balehoo author, Karena Meehan – that’s me!). Each episode features the fabulous Dottie and her polka-dotted bow, along with zany puppets, cartoons, catchy songs and dances that are perfect for ALL kids in both traditional and non-traditional families. The episodes also include images and characters – such as Princess, a caterpillar with two dads – that represent gay and lesbian households.

Dottie’s Magic Pockets is available on DVD at www.dottiesmagicpockets.com for $19.99 retail (plus shipping and handling). And don’t miss the great Uncanny the Singing Can “Burp!” t-shirts for kids and adults - perfect for all the beer (and near-beer) drinkers on your list.

Dottie’s Magic Pockets
www.dottiesmagicpockets.com
19.95 USD (+S&H)

As a die-hard cheese-aholic, I am pleased to see that Fondue Season is in full swing. But much as I would like to, I don’t always have time to linger over a giant pot of cheesy goodness. So, how’s a girl to get her daily fix? Easy. Just run to your local grocery store and pick up a handy, individual-sized container. I like the aptly named “Mini Fondue” from Migro. It is the perfect size for a satisfying, but not sleep-inducing, lunch. You can heat it up in the microwave, but I recommend heating it on the stove in a regular pot (rub the bottom of the pot with a garlic clove first for a quick little kick). So, forget about that stale, plastic-wrapped sandwich at the SBB. Make it (mini) cheese fondue instead.