Love it Forward Superheroes!

Hellooooo Superheroes!

It's been so long that I've posted. I've been writing for Thrive Global and updating the new website -- check it out here: superherooflove.com.  Sign up for the Mailing List there and you will get all the latest and greatest superhero news!

I've been busy!  Last Sunday, November 11th I produced LOVE FORWARD TALKS -- like TED Talks for the HEART. And this was the giant flower heart backdrop for the event at Boston Court Pasadena.

There were six extraordinary speakers.  Check out the cool pics and details at the Love Forward Talks website!  You can get some of the fun wisdom shared that day in this article at HITCHED MAGAZINE.  The title of the article is 7 Ways to Infuse Love Into Your Thanksgiving.

Also, BIG NEWS - you can pre-order the book now at AMAZON or wherever you get your books!!!

Lenissima!

Lenissimaaaaaa!  My feelings for Lena Dunham can only articulated in Italian.  

I was looking for a new podcast the other day, having just finished back to back binges of Slow Burn and my friend Melissa Morgan's new fabulous podcast, Just the Tip-Sters.  I can't more highly recommend both by the way if you 1) share my unquenchable thirst for anything Watergate related or 2) like thoughtful and sometimes hilarious commentary on true crime.

I searched "women" in my podcast app and Women of the Hour was at the top of the list. I know I'm super late to this game (last episode June 2017) but I opened it and fell down a serious rabbit hole. Every moment I am not working or editing my book for the publisher (Did I mention this before on here?  It will be out January 2019 - just in time for Valentine's Day heart healings - with Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari Press), I am listening to Women of the Hour.  It is brilliantly curated, each episode chock full of brilliant, creative women who will provoke the hell out of your thoughts.

So many brilliant feminist voices I had not previously heard.  How had I not heard about Janet Mock (another podcast well I will inevitably fall into soon)?  There are lots of celebrity interviews with great writers, musicians, artists, etc.  Fun chat between Allison WIlliams and Lena on the occasion of shooting the last episode of Girls, and many more interviews with the not-so-famous. Ronnie Konner, the mother of Lena's partner, Jenni, talks about life after a stroke in her mid-40's.  Abuelita, the woman who sold trinkets in Mexico fueled by God and 8 cokes a day who had never been to a doctor (never been sick!) in her over 100 years: "It's all in the mind," she said.  The woman who discovered she was a lesbian after she moved to Los Angeles in 1945, and started writing gay parodies of well-known songs.  

Each interview has sparked my heart and mind. I'm kind of blown away by the depth and breadth of coverage of each topic. I feel like Lena grabs my hand at the top of each episode and we go skipping into whatever world she has chosen for the day.  One interview finishes, and then she says "OK, let's skip over here now!  You will LOVE this one!" I, of course, reply "What? More than that one?!  Impossible!"  Yes, I have crazy ass conversations in my mind with Lena Dunham while I travel with her along the real yellow brick road of Women of the Hour.  You should come!  If you want to be inspired by one kick-ass woman after another, come!

Wherever you get your podcasts....but here is the SOUNDCLOUD link to WOMEN OF THE HOUR

Superhero Shenanigans

Some superhero shenanigans happened today.  We had fun.  I could listen to Ally all the live long day.  She is hilarious, endearing, has a most awesome laugh, and is all about empowering women -- and men -- to be their most amazing selves.

If you want to get a sneak peak into the book and a glimpse into some things I haven't spoken about publically or written about even, you can click here: Ally's Superhero Episode with Bridget Fonger


Then...when you have time you will probably dig this Wonder Woman interview with the extraordinary Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin: 

Ally's Wonder Woman Episode with Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin


By the way, I just heard via Ally today of Elizabeth's current tour and scored a last minute ticket today to her upcoming event in Los Angeles.  Check out the tour Here!

Both Ally and Elizabeth are serious-big-time-up-to-super-big-heart-stuff Superheroes of Love so check them out in all the ways you can!

Madeleine Magic!

I have a new friend and a new recipe to share.  Check out my latest on HuffPo:

Remembrance of Things Past

Independence

 

 

I have a few people in my orbit kicking cancer's ass, at various levels of independence from their cancer.  I am seeing one of them today so I asked what her favorite dessert was.  Carrot cake.  I made my tried and true recipe - Best Carrot Cake Ever -- but the purist version, sans chocolat!

 

I doubled the frosting recipe, which I highly recommend.  This allows you to make the frosting between the three layers a proper thickness AND allows you to do one thin layer of frosting, throw it in the fridge to set and then do a nice second layer that looks prettier and without the marring of moist cake crumbs.  This is the moistest cake of all time because it is drenched in a buttermilk glaze before frosting.  That makes it sound super-sweet but it's not.  It's just pure deliciousness.

 

I found these cookies at Trader Joe's the other day.  They have pop rocks on top of the chocolate so it's like eating fireworks: a must add! 

 

 

 

I added food coloring to the leftover frosting:

 



Then I painted the cookies and top of the cake with a watercolor brush.  So, no, this isn't mustard and ketchup -- it's color-zapped cream cheese frosting:

 

 

Happy Independence Day to all - whatever independence you may be celebrating today.  May it be colorful, love-filled, and may you feel kick ass independent in all the right and wonderful ways.  

Chocolate Cake + Milk, Please!

 

I went to the ever amazing T. Chick McClure's art show last night at the soon to be no more Bergamot Station.  It was so great to see his photos in large format.  When I stood in front of this one I felt like I was being showered with milk.  Look at the movement of that milk and the piercing blue eyes of her subject, comedian Bronston Jones!



 

 

And for another very good time you can make chocolate cake!  Chick asked me to make him a chocolate cake -- as chocolatey and moist as I could make it.  While I have made a million different moist and chocolatey cakes, I felt like trying something new to meet The Chick Chocolate Cake Challenge.

 

I bee-lined to my fave Smitten Kitchen and found this Double Chocolate Layer Cake recipe.  I just knew it would meet the challenge.  But I wanted it to be three layers, so I used three 8 inch pans and it worked great, but just bake for 50-ish minutes if you do that.  And, Chick specifically said he didn't want fruit in it -- just as chocolatey as possible -- so I didn't do the raspberry filling.  In honor of having just been blessed by all his milky portraits, I made a whipped cream mash-up for between layers.  (About a cup of heavy cream + a splash each of vanilla and coconut extract, a small handful each of shredded coconut and toasted pecan pieces), I just wanted to give a wee chocolate respite for the taste buds since I made the recipe (both the cake and ganache) with dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet.  It is kick ass chocolatey!  Wowza!

 

 

 

And, now your final treat, if after looking at the above photo of such a rich chocolate cake you need some more milk!  And maybe a little goooooooooooooold!  Isn't Chick a genius!?  Follow him on Instagram or Facebook for a very good time. 

 

 

 

 

Superpower Booster: Another Arrow for Your Superhero Quiver

I just saw Wonder Woman finally.  A mighty Superhero of Love she is.  Spoiler alert: Love wins. 

Made me remember how the more superpowers we have the better.  The more superhero tools the better.  The more areas where we are powerful, the more love we are able to give.

If you are looking for another arrow for that mighty quiver of yours, click this:

My latest HuffPo article

 

 

If it works for you, or inspires you, then pass it on.  Empower yourself, empower others and we all benefit from the generosity.

 

With love to all your kick ass superheroes out there!