Browsing Category: Culture

2023 Holiday Mini Market

This past Sunday (December 10, 2023), I set up a booth at a local holiday mini market featuring my two books: the From Dill to Dracula cookbook, and my kid’s picture book, Tully the Tadpole (Who Never Became a Toad). This was my first time participating in a market, and it was such a wonderful experience to share my stories with my community! I offered special Holiday Bundles of both books and have one remaining that I’d like to offer my digital visitors!

{From Dill to Dracula Exclusive Holiday Bundle}
$40 + shipping

The bundle includes…
– Beautifully wrapped signed hardcover copy of my cookbook
-Wooden Soup Spoon
-Spice packet of my Mici {grilled sausage} seasoning
-Spice packet of Vegeta, a traditional all-purpose seasoning

If you are interested in this last remaining holiday bundle, please reach out directly by emailing:

amruggs {at} gmail {dot} com
(replacing the symbols in the appropriate places)

I also have remaining hardcover and softcover stock, and placing your order by December 18th should guarantee it will arrive by Christmas.

I had so much fun and learned so much. This was my first market, but it certainly won’t be my last! Thank you for being with me on this journey. From Dill to Dracula is my love letter to a country I never called home, but has a very special place in my heart.

Ziua Agriculturii și a Vieții Rurale {Agriculture and Rural Life Day}

Romania, a land of breathtaking beauty, is so much more than its bustling cities. It’s a place where old-school traditions and the rural way of life still hold sway. On the second Sunday in October (today!), Romanians celebrate Ziua Agriculturii și a Vieții Rurale (pronounced zee-wah ahg-ree-kool-toor-ee shuh uh vee-eh-tsee roo-rah-leh), or Agriculture and Rural Life Day, a day the heart and soul of the nation’s countryside is honored.

↓Let the festivities begin!↓

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{Let’s Get Mythical} Unraveling the Epic Tale of the Romanian Zmeu!

New series alert! Let’s Get Mythical will focus on (largely) unknown creatures of Romanian mythology and folklore. No vampires allowed here! First up: the Zmeu….

What comes to mind when you hear the word “dragon”? A gigantic fire-breathing reptile, right? Well, you’re not alone.

But I’m going to have you toss that image aside because Romania’s Zmeu (pronounced zmeh-oo) isn’t your typical dragon. Imagine a mix of dragon, demon, and trickster–that’s a Zmeu! It’s like someone dipped a dragon in a vat of folklore, and this fascinating blend of magical mayhem emerged. Or maybe the dragon version of everyone’s favorite Loki.

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Traveling Through Romania, Part 1: Bucharest

Note: Here’s another article I meant to post in 2019 but, as you can see, life interrupted and I’m posting it now. Better late than never, right? But please keep this in mind when you see the year referenced. This is pre-COVID, after all…

This year meant a lot to me. 2019. Next month will mark the thirtieth anniversary of the fall of Nicolae Ceaucescu, and his communist regime, in Romania. It may seem like a silly thing to want to celebrate (maybe honor is the more accurate word), but in researching for my Romanian-set novel, written exactly at that moment thirty years ago, I learned about and connected with this pivotal moment in Romania’s history. That’s why I wrangled together my husband and younger sister to join me on a trip—our first!—to visit the land our ancestors came from, and remember how far communism caused the country to fall, but how far they’ve come since then.

This past August, we traveled from Bucharest to Timisoara, and so many magical towns and villages in between. It’s a trip that’s not only affordable (the lei is pretty weak when compared to the US Dollar or Euro), but still remains a hidden gem of Europe. I can’t assure you that won’t be the case for long. In a few parts, I’ll be sharing our specific trip—one I highly recommend, even if you were to copy+paste it into your plans—and all the places we visited.

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