New year, new you, new beginnings! Wishing everyone a FabuLyss New Year! I made a few New Year’s resolutions, and I look forward to keeping them. A new year is like a blank book — the pen is in your hands. Now it’s your chance to write a beautiful story for yourself. Talking about stories, I cannot wait for you to read my new book. coming out in spring 2017.
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The cutest new book that I have been reading to my daughter every night is “Curlee Girlee.” Curlee Girlee’s hair makes her mad! She wants it to grow down her back like spaghetti, not sideways and all curly-whirly. Curlee Girlee wants to look like everybody else — and she’ll try anything to solve her problem. Then one day, she discovers that her curly hair is perfect just the way it is. Curlee Girlee doesn’t need to look like everyone else to be beautiful. After all, everyone is beautiful inside and out.
“Curlee Girlee” is written by Atara Twersky, a New York City mom of three young children. Both myself and my young daughter have very curly hair, and I wish I could have read this book when I was a young girl — many moons ago.
“Curlee Girlee” is available on Amazo
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Sometimes there are Broadway shows that affect you for a lifetime. Most recently, I took my 13-year-old son to see “Dear Evan Hansen.” I will warn you, bring lots of tissues. I think every middle school and high school should make it mandatory to see this show. It’s been a few weeks since we saw the heart-piercing musical, and we cannot stop talking about what we experienced in the theater for the first time ever. From the director of “Rent” and “Next To Normal,” run (don’t walk) to see this show — you will thank me.
“Dear Evan Hansen” at Music Box Theater (239 W. 45th St. between Seventh and Eighth avenues in the Theater District, http://dearevanhansen.com).
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I hope everyone has a wonderful start to the new year! Another one of my New Year’s resolutions is to visit some of the city’s tourist spots that my kids have never been to. I want to be a tourist in my own city with my children. I want to take them to the top of the Empire State Building, on a trip to Ellis Island, and to the Top of the Rock.
Lyss Stern is the founder of DivaLysscious Moms (www.divam
Surprise cookies
I am loving these surprise cookies from Martha Stewart, who says she was inspired to make them by mugs of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows.
INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally
Chocolate frosting
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about two inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begin to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.
Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.
