For the Holiday Biscotti, the texture is all dependent on how long you bake them the second time. If you don't do the second bake, they are not chewy, but not hard, either. Can't really think of how to describe it...maybe a little firmer than shortbread? I dunno. Heeheehee...I just remembered I bought a book a couple years ago (used) at our local book store. It's called...."Biscotti" by Lou Seibert Pappas. Here are a couple of the recipes from it. I have not tried any of them...yet. Biscotti Nocciole-Cioccolato 3/4 c hazelnuts 4 oz bittersweet chocolate 1/2 c butter 3/4 c sugar 2 eggs 2 T Frangelico or Amaretto 2 c unbleached all purpose flour 1-1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt Place nuts in a shallow pan and bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes or until golden. With paper towels, rub nuts while warm to remove papery skins. Let cool. In a food processor fitted with steel blade, grind nuts finely. Remove and set aside. Add chocolate to the food processor and processs until coarsely ground. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and liqueur. In another bowl, combine flour, powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture, mixing until blended. Fold in nuts and chocolate. Divide the dough in half. On a greased and floured baking sheet, pat out the dough into two logs about 1/2 inch high, 1-1/2 inches wide and 14 inches long, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake in the center of preheated 325F oven for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer from the baking sheet to a rack, let cool for 5 minutes. Place on wood cutting board. With serrated knife slice diagonally on a 45 degree angle about 1/2 inch thick. Place slices upright, 1/2 inch apart on the baking sheet and return to oven for 10 minutes longer to dry slightly. Cool, store in tightly covered container. Swedish Cinnamon Slices 2/3 c blanched, slivered almonds 1 c butter 1 c light brown sugar, packed 2 eggs 2 T sour cream 1/2 tsp almond extract 2\-3/4 c unbleached all purpose flour 1 T cinnamon 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp soda 1/4 tsp salt Place nuts in a shallow pan and bake at 350F for 6\-8 minutes or until golden. let cool. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, sour cream and almond extract. In another bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture, mixing until blended. Fold in nuts. Divide the dough in half. On a greased and floured baking sheet, pat out the dough into two logs about 1/2 inch high, 1\-1/2 inches wide and 14 inches long, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake in the center of preheated 325F oven for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer from the baking sheet to a rack, let cool for 5 minutes. Place on wood cutting board. With serrated knife slice diagonally on a 45 degree angle about 1/2 inch thick. Place slices upright, 1/2 inch apart on the baking sheet and return to oven for 10 minutes longer to dry slightly. Cool, store in tightly covered container. Linda

>>How many of your favorite picks above followed someone else in the role they were perfect for? >> Good point! For instance, Diana Rigg was not MacNee's first partner on The Avengers; Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale was his original partner. Elements of the Gale character carried over into Mrs. Peel's persona, but as the series progressed there was a clearer delineation between the two female characters. When it comes to Fitzwilliam Darcy in P&P, however; much as I love Lawrence Olivier in the old Hollywood movie, Colin Firth still edges him out, I think. BTW, if you enjoy Sally Fields, I've always considered 1991's Soapdish one of her most fun and underrated roles. She's a takeoff on TV soap superstar Susan Lucci and the cast was phenomenal: Kevin Kline, Robert Downey, Jr., Elisabeth Shue, Whoopi Goldberg, Teri Hatcher, Cathy Moriarty, Garry Marshall, Kathy Najimy, and Carrie Fisher! Which reminds me, I loved Whoopi as Guinan in Star Trek Next Generation. When she sticks a fork into "Q"'s hand to emphasize he's now human instead of one of the Q Continuum, we almost fell off our sofa laughing! Hmmm, does this mean that Tribbles are perfectly cast as....themselves?

I have no problem with sexual display as entertainment, and for it being on the Superbowl half time show. I watched similar Las Vegas kinds of programs as a kid, on the Sonny and Cher show, or even Ed Sullivan, for example. But it is what it is, don't pretend it is something else. You are going to have kids see that and become fans of it. I loved Cher, kids loved Madonna, etc. But the ability to also understand that it is fantasy, that it is only one way to be artful, that sex as entertainment is a whole lot different than sex in real life, and that objectification of something for art or the sake of selling a product, is not the same thing as the soul of the real deal. A wise entertainer will make it clear that their onstage persona is not the real them. I don't think Jennifer Lopez or Shakira have ever claimed that it was. The show was very well choreographed and there was a lot of female talent on display, but it was blatantly sexual at times, and I don't think we should pretend otherwise, even for our kids. I know there are a lot of people who don't think words or non verbal images or environment has effects on people, but I'm not one of them. Many of the concepts behind personal fashion and home decorating are built around the science of facts and aesthetic principles indicating that it does, and that it is profound. Sexual display is the purvey of the nightclub, and football is the purvey of stylized territorial conquest, no reason to not pair them for adults. Not sure about the kids . . . probably fine if they have gads of other things going on in their lives. Who didn't grow up listening to their parents George Carlin tapes or records and the seven words . . . another kind of shock. We survived.

I also had tried Schitt's Creek and hated it--I'm old enough that I thought it was a cheesy remake of Green Acres. And Chris Elliott is unwatchable, which actually didn't get any better through the entire run of the show IMO. It wasn't funny, it wasn't clever and the characters were all such jerks. Who could love that show?! But soooooo many people kept saying they did love it that I decided to grit my way through the first season then say enough and quit. By the 5th episode I was laughing. And by the end of the first season I was hooked. I think it also helped that I watched it during the spring 2020 COVID nightmare. To be able to go spend time in that warm, funny, accepting little world was such a balm to my soul. As for other faves, I also am loving Only Murders in the Building mostly for the acting of the 3 leads. I watched The Chair which was entertaining but pretty formulaic. I never miss What we Do in the Shadows. It's like The Office but with vampires...absolutely hilarious. Waiting eagerly for Succession to drop next week!