Thanksgiving, Christmas and Other Foolish Holidays

I've been remiss on my baby, my blog...

I haven't posted since summer and usually try to bypass the holidays altogether due to my recent agnosticism, my fear of pretend happy-family gatherings that go awry, and christmas decorations that continue to hang in my windows well into July due to my procastination with all things that must die and decay........


Thanksgiving was Sesame Chicken with friends , no cooking, no cleaning, and TV surfing. Conversations were minimal and hence no arguments.

Christmas isn't looking too grand either and this cheers me up to have low expectations, little effort, and limited dissappointments.

I will post again when I can put my best face forward and offer some optimistic randomings of the value of entertainment and whether global warming will really matter on Dec. 21, 2012 when the world is due to end ...........

The Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook

Just saw Julie & Julia and Meryl Streep nailed it. My favorite line from the movie is when Meryl burns herself while tossing tubular pasta and exclaims to her amused husband that they were like "hot cocks". Apparently, Julia really did say this in private company. I was the only one laughing out loud in the movie theater. Amy Adams as the copycat blogger was a little whiny and sickly looking.
I watched Julia Child on PBS when I was seven and was fascinated by her. I didn't really think she knew what she was doing, but she made it so much fun that it didn't matter.

Whenever I'm trying to remember a recipe or favorite dinner, I will invariably call Mammma and ask her. It doesn't matter what I'll ask her, she'll say, "Did you look it up in my Encyclopedic Cookbook?" It's still sold on Amazon for about $17 which is a good deal if it's as big as my Mom's. (1,000 pages paperback!)

After 20 years of cooking for a family of six on a tight budget without the help of Rachel Ray or her own mother showing her cooking techniques,4-colored pictures, or the Food Network stars, it amazes me how she pulled it off. No one showed her how, she just read about it and did it. When she was first married, she learned how to make her own pie crusts and saved the scraps for a special treat. She will only use Crisco for her crusts as this flakes the best. I don't think she ever watched Julia because she was too busy cleaning, cooking and raising a family. She also never used a food processor, microwave, dishwasher or clothes dryer. She didn't have money for alot of cookbooks either. (Unlike me who collects them like dolls).

Anytime I look at theeee Encyclopedic Cookbook, I laugh aloud at the black & white pictures of women in plaid housedresses butchering meat, stuffing peeled tomotoes with goose liver in jelly, and crimping home-made pie crusts. There's also listings for measurement conversions, calories and vitamins for foods, ingredients and their uses, all-inclusive cooking techniques and purchasing guides. The index is massive. There are recipes for Crown Roast of Pork, Pig's Knuckles & Sauerkraut, Stuffed Lamb Shanks, Reindeer Stew, Braised Moose, Rennet Custards, Baked Alaska, Black-Butter Eggs. This is a heavy meat, cream,eggs, fruit pies, cakes, and sandwiches cookbook with puny, overcooked vegtable side dishes swimming in cream sauces, appetizers, mold salads, relishes, and homemade jams. There are also Luncheon menus which include Welsh Rarebit on Toast, Braised Celery, and Individual Ham and Egg Souffles. The decriptions below the pictures are priceless:

A party could not possibly fail with this linzer torte.

A star in its own right is this luscious party cake.

This lordly plum pudding bears a diadem of hard sauce pinwheels.

Candied fruit and nuts give a gay touch to the simplest pudding.

A beautiful plate of individual aspic, apricot halves with cream cheese, a petal-cut plum, chicory and sandwiches.

Breads and braids we often eat, but egg braid with sugar is quite a treat.

A meat ring with an array of sauces makes us soon forget our losses.

Luckily, Mom, with her love of fresh vegtables and fruits, picked the best recipes. Most I can't find, and I think Mom wants to see me suffer. I recently organized her yellowed, 1970's newsclippings into a home-made cookbook. Most she didn't even make because it wasn't in her budget. She mainly stuck to a repertoire of 10-15 solid recipes. She loves watching me use the food processor for everything. She thinks it's the most amazing invention.

Some of my favorites of hers are the applesauce cookies, pound cake, blueberry and pumpkin pies, and the annual bannana chocolate birthday cake. She used sifters and a hand held mixer. She also used an egg timer for Dad's poached eggs. Her dinners were salisbury steak (never a real steak), split-pea soup, liver,beef stew,baked beans that were soaked overnight, mashed potatoes, pork chops, fried peppers and onions with eggs, spagetti & meatballs, chicken-ala-king, salmon loaf, meatloaf, beef stroganaff, stuffed peppers, ravioli & perogi's rolled out by hand, lasgana, eggplant parmesan, and vegtables from the garden. Every Sunday it was a pot roast with carrots, onions & potatoes. Deviled eggs were reserved for holidays. We never had dessert unless we had some fresh fruit or it was someone's birthday or it was a holiday. She also never bought sodas or fruit juices. We drank tea or water. One time I went to a neighbor's house for the most awful Spagetti'o's poured out of a can. I looked at the single mother with wide eyes of disbelief. Mom never poured anything out of a can.

I also babysat for young mothers in the late '70's who thought Manwich's were a home cooked meal. They actually instructed me to make it for the kid's lunch's. In my teens, my very scientific father took over the newly remodeled kitchen he built. He measured everything out carefully with the back of a knife, and turned everything into a major chore. He made coconut cream pies, blueberry & strawberry jams, tomato juice, potato leek soup, fried fish, and pizza. (Just watched Alton Brown on food network make a cake with hardware tools he bought-that would be Dad, the chemist.) Mom would quietly cook the dinner with no fanfare....it was like Voila....Magic, "What's the big deal about Cooking?" She never measured anything. Most of her recipes came from the local newspaper or her favorite cookbook published in the 1950's called "The Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook" with several editors listed on the cover..

After watching Julie and Julia, it's amazing that Julia was brave enough to take on the snobbish French culinary schools and turn it upside down. We love her for it, but my Mom was way ahead of her for sheer survival's sake.

Dogs vs. Cats

Just went for a walk at Frank Lisk Park this morning and ran across 4-5 proud dog owners.

One ladie had a Lassie look-alike, but could not seem to figure out how to use her roller leash to reign in her too friendly dog. I waited for them to pass before I even began my walk, but it wasn't enough. She had to stop midway, turnaround and head back in my beginning direction as she was trying to figure out how the complex intricacies of some new leash worked. Lassie barked at me too.

Another owner went one way with an obviously hyper-active mutt of some sort, and I went the other way only to find that he changed his mind and headed back my way. As I could have predicted from past dog interactions, the dog growled at me and moved to attack me. The owner laughed cheerfully as I rolled my eyes. DIE DOG, DIEEEE.

Another owner had not just one, but two identical black dogs taking up the whole human walkway. As I moved onto the lawn and averted my eyes, I could see that I offended the owner's finer sensibilities as he allowed his dogs to not only take over his life but my park as well.

I am a self-appointed dog leash enforcer at my neighborhood park. I don't care how adorable and friendly you think your dog is, put that damn dog on a leash okay? It's the law. I hate dogs, and they equally hate me. They are dumb as bricks and are only loyal to their stomachs. I guess they appeal to humans on some base level, but they're not bonding with you, you are their meal tickets.

Cats are another story. I can't have one because of my allergies, but have had friends that have owned several. They are consistenly amazed at how cats respond to me upon first meeting. Some of their shyer cats who were abused by previous owners will rub against my leg and the more aggressive cats will avoid me and not even attempt to scratch me as they have done with other visitors.

What I really like about cats is that they think they are human. They absorb the human behaviors that they see, and they evolve into humans. I predict that in the next 2,000 years, we will see cats walking upright, telling humans what to do.

One cat named Hershey was the most evil cat, and I loved him! His owners were making him relocate to a new home and he did not like it one bit. He cried like a baby and marked his territory by peeing in every corner of the house after it had been cleaned thoroughly. When his vet suggested to the owners that they get another cat to stop his disobedient behavior, he taught the little kittens how to drink out of the toilet water, use the electric toothbrush, and jump on the alarm clock in the morning to shut it off.

Cats are fascinating and you can see them thinking. Dogs are instinctual and too unpredictable for my tastes.

One time my mother was walking in a park, and this starving, homeless kitten meowed and followed her home. He would not leave her alone because that cat knew she had good food at home. He just knew. We had to put him in the garage because of my allergies, and he cried and cried until I picked him up. Then he just shut-up. A local animal shelter had to take him in, but the cat knew we would take care of him. He wasn't trying to be likable, he was trying to survive.

The Eygptians were right, the cats are the portal to the underworld, they sense things that no one else can see or hear.

They also leave you the hell alone in a park unless absolutely necessary. If you don't agree with me, chew on this thought for a moment: Why is there no law to put cats on a leash?

MAD MEN

Now I am quietly waiting for
the catastrophe of my personality
to seem beautiful again,
and interesting, and modern.

The country is grey and
brown and white in trees,
snows and skies of laughter
always diminishing, less funny
not just darker, not just grey.

It may be the coldest day of
the year, what does he think of
that? I mean, what do I? And if I do,
perhaps I am myself again.

Is O'Hara's poem charting this character's future? Tune in Aug. 16th.
["Mayakovsky" is available in O'Hara's Collected Poems (1971), in two editions of Selected Poems (1974, 2008), and in the reissued Meditations in an Emergency (1996).]


Maybe it's the Mad Men Mania for the new season on Aug. 16 that causes me to be so reflective for this year's birthday.

It's difficult to remember isn't it? Where you were and what you were doing for all the previous birthdays. Go ahead, try to remember, it's not as life-changing or as memorable as you might think.

Aging is a gradual process I find. What's maddening is,I remember exactly what I was like at 22. I had just interviewed for my first job out of a very Catholic all-girls college during the worst recession and landed it. This was in 1987 when we still punched time clocks and a fax machine was the latest technology. Apple computers were in the office and I was the first allowed to take a laptop home. I worked for someone that was just like Don Draper. ( Cathy Goodman, if you're reading this, you know exactly who I'm talking about.) I also dressed just like the actresses on Mad Men when I was 40 lbs lighter. I had the stilleto heels, the pantyhose, the silk library blouse.....everything. I appeared very conservative. I was also annoyingly industrious and all-around nice yes-girl willing to do anything to be liked. I remember a young graphic designer in our group showing up for work without pantyhose and it caused quite a stir among the older colleagues. I thought she looked nice with her tanned legs. Little did we know that pantyhose would become obsolete. I still don't like wearing dresses without them, it seems so unpolished and unladylike.

Anyway, I was interviewing for my first publishing job with Don Draper look-alike Ron Malone. Ron was in charge of the Kendall/Hunt district sales group and knew nothing about publishing. He came from Proctor and Gamble's advertising arm and no one thought he would stay long in Dubuque, IA. However, Ron knew everything about people.

I was very nervous because I knew I was too young for this production editing job. The other women in the department were 20 years older than me. The only other one close in age to me had been with the company for about 10 years out of highschool. Ron called me "kid" and asked me if I had a boyfriend, what my favorite drink was and if I ever lost my temper. Would I move for a boyfriend? and do I ever swear?

He told me that the 2 women sitting during the interview with me had worked their way up from secretaries without a college degree and wanted to know if I would work for 20 years in the same job to get ahead. Ruth, the senior manager sat to my right on the executive leather couch in her homesewn slender Chanel blue suit with her blond beehive do, blue eyeshadow that matched her bright blue eyes and chainsmoking the whole time. (We also had open bars at our annual Christmas parties and colleagues getting drunk at our annual sales meetings.) I have to say, he sized me up quickly and knew exactly what buttons to push. He was a very bright man. As I walked into his paneled office with the oversized executive desk, and my feet sank into the carpet, I was already overwhelmed. Then I sat into the interview chair that was 2 inches below Ron's desk ,and I felt very small. It occurred to me at that moment , that Ron was a little prick and I was not going to lose my cool no matter what.

I answered his questions , my favorite drink, Pina Colada, no I would not change or move for a boyfriend, yes I lose my temper, and yes I would stay with the company if the company still existed 20 years from now. 6% of 700 is 42 ( He paused and looked down at his intercom when I answered correctly in 2 seconds flat- he had a poker face, but I sensed it startled him,and the women managers began to smile slowly.)

I also told him that my family had recently relocated to North Carolina and no that was not a problem. My father was a consultant ( a lie, he was laid off and died a week later from a heart attack after this interview).

So how did I land this job? I'll tell you Mad Men.......it wasn't because I answered his questions correctly. It's because I asked him a question. I answered that I swear, and I swear often. He asked me which word. I asked him if he wanted me to say it right now. He paused, and said yes. And then I said "Fuck you".

Silence, the interview concluded, I was sure I did not have this job, I turned around to leave and Ron stopped me with three words. Before you leave Connie, if I offer you this job, will you take it?

I said yes, or course.

I worked there 4 years in a real office, not a cubicle. He is still the best boss I ever worked for. His wife with the bleached blond hair and big boobs greeted me enthusiasticaly at the first Christmas party with " I heard all about you, and it's nice to meet you."

On my last day, he came down to say good-bye to me and the older colleagues were flabbergasted. They said he had never done that for anyone's last day.

I heard that this privately held company fired Ron a few years back, and they hired the boss' young college-educated son-in-law instead. I hope you're doing well Ron. I doubt the rich son-in-law understands people as well as you did.

@Charlotte BlogSpot (click)

Mad Men, Mad Men, Mad Men

The Common Market (click)

Can take the Lynx Blue Line from South Blvd I-485 to Bland St. Exit:

The original Common Market opened in Plaza Midwood three years ago and has quickly become a neighborhood hangout-especially in the summer, when patrons buy a bottle of wine and settle on the patio to socialize with friends for the night. Co-owner Chuck Bargers is hoping for the same success with his new location in South End just across from the Lynx station . 1515 S. Tryon St. 704-332-7782

Apostrophe Lounge-1440 S.Tryon St. 704-371-7079
This intimate lounge has an extensive martini list.

Gin Mill: The skyline view from the rooftop terrace is unbeatable and the beer's cheap too. 1411 S. Tryon St. 704-373-0782

Amos's Southend: Local and National music acts fills this South End venue on a nightly basis. 1423 S. Tryon St. 704-377-6874

Nikko: Step inside this sushi hotspot for a taste of big-city nightlife.
1300 South Blvd 704-370-0100

Ameile's Mint Soda

Finally got around to watching the 2001 quirky movie called Ameile on the Ovation channel last night with a very young Audrey Tautou of Da Vinci Code Tom Hanks' co-star fame. Loved it!

The shop where she works is so charming, I just had to name a drink that she serves after her. Here's my best guess of what it might contain:

Ameile's Mint Soda

1 glass of diet lemon-lime soda
1-2 tspns of Creme de Menthe
chunks of ice

Mix together and enjoy on a hot summer day. My body temperature drops as I drink this.

Wall Street-Hold onto Your Wallets (click )

Cruising Downtown Concord July 25 3:30-9 p.m.(click for Events)

Creative Loafing (click for blog)

Aller-Leaf (click for a cure to Allergies)

April 10, 2008 - Thursday
AHHHH SPRING!
My eyes, my blasted eyes! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the grass is greening, and these big fat bees drunk with pollen and honey are carrying the venom for my dry scorched eyes. I've locked myself in the bathroom, pressed cold rags on my eyeballs, taken AllerLeaf, blown sticky clear mucous into a box of tissues. Only now can I look at my computer screen without screaming in pain and crying like a wounded kitten.

I've closed all the curtains and type like some tech-savy, red- nosed, blood-starved vampire.........I can't work, can't sleep, can't eat, can't watch tv...... I will claim a permanent pear-blossom eye disabiltiy with the Social Security Administration. I will drink Margaritas in my dark bathtub and soothe my blinded, tearing, blood-shot eyes with the cool condensations dripping down my hand.


This is a reposting of the MYSPACE blog I had...it's still out there if you would like to see a more unfiltered form of myself. I've reposted today because it still applies.

It doesn't matter what area of the county that I've lived in.....I have suffered from allergies. When I went into testing with my sister at the tender age of ten, we both cried our eyes out as our backs became inflamed with every single sample that was eyedropletted onto our backs. After years of taking Allergan, I'm officially weaned off of prescriptions drugs that left me groggy and tired. I now take an herbal supplement called Aller-Leaf. It's a GodSend. No one has allergies worse than me. I don't even need eye droplets anymore after taking this miracle product. It's also only $16 a bottle and each bottle lasts a month.

Herbs it contains:
Tumeric root
Nettle leaf
Bayberry bark
Feverfew tops
Chinese Skullcap
Yarrow flower
Eyebright herb
Yarrow flower
Goldenseal rhizome

If you have allergies, order online and you will be relieved. I promise you. It's also good for head colds.

New Orleans Muffuletta Mix (click for Aunt Sally's)

Sadly, I never had a chance to visit New Orleans before the big hurricane. Many restaurant friends would go, come back , and tell me that I belonged there and I needed to go. It was always in the back of my mind when I was waitressing at different restaurants in South Carolina. I still have the bead necklaces my friends brought back. I never asked how they earned them.

Here's my adaptation of the New Orleans Famous Muffuletta Mix (sort of like an olive tapenade but better!) It makes 4x the amount for the same price as Aunt Sally's.

1 jar of green olives drained
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1-2 cans of black olives drained
For the ingredients below, you can also substitute Italian Gardenia mix and roasted red peppers sold in jars in the pickle section of your grocery store:
1 cauliflower cut-up
2 stalks of celery cut-up
1 roasted red pepper cut-up
1-2 carrots cut-up
2 tbspns of apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tspns of minced garlic
1 pickle cut-up or 2 tspns of capers
salt to taste

Pour ingredients in food processor and pulse until spreadable, but still chunky.
Refrigerate.

The New Orleans tradition is to spread onto Muffuletta bread or Sourdough then layer with thin slices of Genoa Salami, Provolone cheese, ham & Moradella (or Bologna).

I usually eat this as a side dish with some roasted chicken.

You can also order this from Aunt Sally's Praline Shops in New Orleans at 1-800-642-7257 or auntsallys.com. They've been making this for 75 years now.

Stock up....you won't be able to stop eating it......

Some Good Foreclosure Advice (click)

Obama-Proof Punch

So there's a new sin tax coming......it's for sodas and fruit juices ......proven to increase obesity in America. So quit your complaining, people still smoke and drink and the taxes for that are even higher.

Short of boycotting, here's a budget-friendly and healthy alternative.

Obama-Proof Punch

Take a Lipton iced-tea bag and soak in a pitcher of cold water overnight. In the morning, remove bag and squeeze excess water into pitcher. Mix 1/4 cup of your favorite juices each and 1/4 cup of your favorite soda. ( I like to use pink grapefruit, cranberry-pomegranate and diet orange soda or ginger-ale.)

Mix together and refrigerate. Serve with ice.

Your juices and sodas will last much longer. The tea gives added antioxidants and is less calories than pure soda.

Walter Cronkite

Walter Cronkite died and I'm bummed. He hasn't been in public view for 28 years now, but it was always reassuring knowing he was alive somewhere, monitoring the world. He's the last of the journalistic greats. No one even comes close to him. I'm too young to remember him at the height of his career, but his voice made an impact on my childhood memories. He carried such authority and authenticity. He never offered an opinion unless asked and always doublechecked the veracity of his stories. And he was a great storyteller.

When I watch the crap that is called news on cable, I wish the producers would replay the old CBS tapes to find out what a true journalist is.

And that's the way it is.........

R.I.P. Walter........

The Secret Chocolatier (click)

Just read in People magazine that Demi Moore does not eat or like chocolate. She's constantly posting Twitter pictures of herself in a new dress. I knew there was something wrong with that woman. Also heard that she lost the lead female part in Public Enemies to the truly talented actress that was in the French singer's biographical movie. (Can't remember movie title or actress name right now.) She is also 16 years younger than Demi. Sorry Demi,it doesn't matter how great you look, you're still 46.
Those Tweeps are also just being nice when they tell you that Rue does not have a potato-shaped head, and that she's every bit as gorgeous as you. (Rue, you have my empathy, you're an individual in your own right.) Come to think of it, Bruce Willis has a potato head too.

That Ashton Kutcher gets on my nerves too...he's like that highschool prankster that never grew up.........he claims to be of one mind and soul with Demi...sounds rather cultish to me...........

And is there anything that P.Diddy won't try to sell? (Does he know he's ugly?)

I apologize to any loyal fans if I offended anyone. One of the reasons I have this blog. I have to bite my tongue most of the time.

Concord Chocolatier (click)

This is located on the corner of Concord's historic district and is actually run by a real French chef. He uses real European molds ( trust me, he showed me) and the chocolate is richer and less sweet then the American chocolate. He also has a grand assortment of baked goods. I hope he stays!

Union Street Live! (Every 3rd Thursday) (click)

BlackFinn on Trade St. (click)

NoDa Gallery Crawl 7/17 6p.m. (click)

Tarheel Trailblazers (click)

Itusi Trail (click)

Wells sells 600 million in bad loans (click)

Makes you wonder.......Private capital must see a future payoff........

Lake Norman Boater's Guide (click)

Moroccan Lamb Stew

2 lbs of lamb shoulder or leg (this sounds like alot, but this will last all week)
2 tbspns of minced garlic
2 cans totaling 12 oz of black olives, drained
camelized onions ( I make my own by roasting 6 diced onions at 450 degrees for 45 minutes until nicely browned with some ketchup, olive oil and lemon juice) or can buy a jar
a dash of hot sauce or red pepper spice
2 tpsns of cumin
2 tspns of ginger
1/2 bottle of favorite red wine ( save the other half for drinking)

Put all the ingredients in a non-stick pot on the stove and bring to a boil and then lower to a slow simmer for 2 hours. The lamb will fall off the bone. Pull the bones out and suck the marrow out. Add brown sugar if onions weren't sweet enough.

Wash your hands , try to look civilized and make some coucous with some drained chick peas, lemon juice and greek seasoning. ( Only takes 5 minutes). Can mix into the finished stew, or serve separately.

Can reheat throughout the week. Surprisingly, this doesn't taste Mexican, but earthy, exotic and warm. I love how my kitchen smells after making this.

Happy Bastille Day!

RT @CLTdining: Happy Bastille Day! Get frenchified in NoDa with @ameliesbakery @dolcevitawines and @crepecellar all celebrating. 2nite!
about 1 hour ago from web

Frank Liske Park ( click)

Lake Tillery, NC (near Albemarle) (click)

It's a New Dawn, It's a New Day, It's a New Life.....(click for music)

Some Good Lender Advice (Click)

Charlotte Jelly (click)

Amelies Bakery (click)

Recovery Act Boosts Venture Capital

Charlotte Ice Cream Social (click)

Semi-Homemade Salsa

I just made this up today and I have to say it's good!

As much as I value my Italian heritage, I believe Mexican food is where the innovations are happening right now. It makes sense that I would love it.....Mexican cuisine is a combination of Spanish influences of hot peppers, tomatoes, cheese, ham, cream sauces, fish and olives and the Native American influences of corn, squash and beans. Not sure where the lime influence comes from....maybe someone can tell me....I'm guessing the Spanish since the Italians love their lemons.

Cut up 6 tomotoes from the Farmer's market
Cut up 3 green peppers from the Farmer's market
Cut up 3 vidalia onions from the Farmer's market
Add 3 tbspns of balsamic vinegar
Add 2 tbspns of garlic
Add Greek seasoning or Italian seasoning or cilantro ( I added all 3)
salt & pepper to taste
Add 1 bottle of store bought salsa or salsa picked up at the farmer's market
Add hot sauce to taste


Roast in 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes (till tomotoes give up their juice and the peppers and onions are sweet and still semi-crunchy)

Serve with tortilla chips at room temperature, or refrigerate and add to your favorite Mexican recipes.

Boone, NC Highland games today (click)

Cornelius, NC Yoga Classes today (click)

Markets Set-Up for Confirmation (click)

Rock Hill Listing off 77N (easy commute to S. Charlotte)

This is located directly off 77N and is a straight shot into South Charlotte for half the usual price of a condo or townhome. (77 now has 4 lanes, unlike the 2 lanes when I first moved down here 20 years ago.) Seller willing to negotiate.

Peppers Tender Ends

Loan Modification News

Bobcats CFO resigns

Need to refinance? ( click for info)

Some Positive MBS News

NC stimulus $ available (click)

Bobcats owner to buy distressed assets (click)

Felicitea Open House 6:30-8:30 @ 401 E. Blvd. today (click)

@blynkorganic & @secretchocolate are providing some of the YUMMIEST treats in town! Earl Grey Chocolate Truffles anyone?

Gorgeous art from Blue Sloth Studios www.artweld.net Philip made some amazing tables & candlesticks for tonight!

Felicitea Teas & Tea Cocktails. Yes, Cocktails. How about a little vodka w/ your tea? I say, yes

AWESOME door prizes from @kaitlinjean @dolcevitawines @samanthapotion @jerseygrl61 & of course @Felicitea!

Remember to park ON East Blvd and NOT at PaperSkyScraper Parking Lot.......

More Good News (click)

1.5 - 3 million Lake Norman waterfront homes (click for info)

I can dream can't I?

Big Day at the Lake (click for info)

Easy Eddie's (click for biker bar info in Huntersville,NC)

STORY NUMBER ONE

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago . Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed 'Easy Eddie.' He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends, as well. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block.

Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object.

And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.

Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done.

He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al 'Scarface' Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street . But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.

The poem read:

'The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still.'




STORY NUMBER TWO


World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare.

He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.


One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank.

He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship.

His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the mother ship, he saw something that turned his blood cold; a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet.

The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent.


Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible, rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.

Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier.

Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.
This took place on February 20, 1942 , and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.


SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?


Butch O'Hare was 'Easy Eddie's' son

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Charlotte Elizabeth Area Falling Fast (click)

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Rullo di Pasta will open in the Ballantyne area’s Toringdon..

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Just found out that a new Lego store is opening at Concord Mills.


Need to tell Sammie and convince my sister it's worth the airline fare.

My Nephew Sammie

Say Hello to my Nephew Sammie.

He lives in the Midwest and I'm sad that I can't see him more often. He only eats ham, cheese, bacon and frito lay chips. He did try my cranberry bread, but I had to go Pizza Hut after he spit out the meal I cooked. When he ate some of my vinegar chips, thinking that they were regular chips, he made such a face, I bent over in laughter. He likes to play the drums, piano,sing and build engineering marvels with his Lego sets. His favorite movie is "theeeee Incredibleeeees". When he was two, he sang Happy Birthday to Me in perfect pitch and knew every single word. When he saw me packing to leave during my first visit, he wrapped his little body around my back and held me for a second. He made me promise that I would never leave. My heart melted right there, and I could never scold him or deliver on any threatened punishment no matter what he did. When you yell at him, his big brown eyes well up so much that you end up hugging him instead. In this picture, he has a big welt on the top right side of his head from running too fast into a wall.

When he saw me lose my temper about something, he colored a Batman picture in red and purple colors and handed it to me. When I took him to Lowes Motor Speedway, he glued himself to the window that displayed the race cars, zoomed one racecar back and forth across the window sill, and said something to the old men sitting there that caused them to smile and laugh.

He's the smartest person I know and can make me laugh at anything.

Charlotte Restaurant Week (click for info)

Mrs. Leonello's Zucchinni Bread

Many times, growing up in my neighborhood, gardens were overflowing with excess tomatoes, Zucchinni and cucumbers and our neighbors would give away the excess. Mrs. Leonello used to live next door to us and hand out Zucchinni loaves during the summertime.
Mrs. Giacolone, a few doors down, would make her italian cookies for Christmas and hand out to selected neighbors. They were so beautiful, that I was afraid to eat them. (I will post recipes later when I have some time.)

My maternal grandfather gave my mom a fig tree one summer to plant in her back yard and showed us how to bend the tree and bury it for the winter months. One summer, when he was out of work, he shot pigeons in the back yard, roasted them and ate them. (Mom and I thought it was disgusting and would not eat). He also kept his wine pressing boots nears the bathtub. He would give me shots of scotch whiskey when Dad wasn't looking and hand out $100 bills to his grandchildren. He handbuilt a cellar and kept his garden vegtables and sometimes live chickens down there. He always smelled funny to me, and to this day, I can't stand the taste of whiskey. I remember telling him that it tasted like dirty socks and he laughed gleefully. He would holler at me "Gostanza" and I'd say "Go where?!". I was only 5 and thought he was a crazy old man. The grandmother that I was named after had silver hair standing on end, she would beam down at me, speak a language that I did not understand, and I would beg my parents to take me home.

Now I'm finding out that roasted pigeon and pigeon soup is a delicacy in Egypt and served in the finest Europeon restaurants. All grandpa ever used for his garden was a hoe and a watering can. He had pear trees, romaine lettuce, figs, beefsteak tomatoes, peas, squash , hot peppers, and cucumbers. He was so proud of his garden and hand built cellar. Now these old ways are coming back, and I wish I could have learned more from him.

Mrs. Leonello's Zuccinni Bread:

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-3 medium to large sized cut-up Zuccinni
1/2 cup walnuts

Pulse ingredients together in a food processor. Pour into a greased bread pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Watch Sebastian on Comedy Central Presents

Watch Sebastian on Comedy Central Presents

The Penguin (click for info on this great local eatery!)

Keepin' Up

Lost 2 more great actors/actresses.....I don't need to tell you....you're reading about it now on CNN or Yahoo.......I give up trying to keep up with the Entertainment Grim Reaper. I will have to wait until he or she is done and then pick and choose which ones I want to write about.

Is anyone wondering what the deal is with Michael's kids? Was he trying to create a hybrid white redneck partially black race? They don't seem to look like him, but it's hard to tell.....they don't look like the dermatologist either......one of them looks like the mother......Michael, your mind was messed up and you're better off where you are.......

Do You Remember the Time? 1992 (Click for video)

Michael at the height of his magical shape-shifter Eygptian powers. Also at the height of recruiting every major celebrity for his world vision. Uncanny how much Iman really does resemble the Queen Nefertiti recently untombed in 2003 and whose face was reconstructed based on the bone structure found to match this sculpture. A German archeologist first uncovered the ancient sculpture during WWII and Hitler was said to gaze at her beauty for hours in his bunker and was asked to return it to Egyptian authorities under the threat of her curse. It's still in a Berlin museum today. Did Michael realize that her name had been obliterated from history by the successive male pharoahs who resented her influence?

Quincy Jones, who first met Michael as a young adult, says that he can tell when someone has been here before and that Michael was one of those old souls. If he's a time traveler,like the one imagined in one of MLK's eloquent speeches, I wonder where he is now. I love watching Eddie Murphy's facial expressions during this. Magic Johnson is funny too and looks very young with some big feet!. Also gives one pause to how today's talent shows should be run.

His brother Jermaine recently claimed on a reality show to have to sleep with the lights on because he sees people from the 1800's. Michael was also a night owl who could not sleep.

Dentists & Drug Tolerance

Went to a new dentist last week. This was the first time he had to do extensive work on me. Needed 2 crowns, yikes! One little popcorn seed cracked two old fillings. No dental insurance.

It occured to me while he gave me the one measly novacaine shot to tell him that this would not be enough. I don't think that he believed me, and left me alone for about 30 minutes to talk with his assistant as we waited for the numbness to kick in.

The dental assistant walked out after a spell. Both came back to a fully alert patient who was speaking just as clearly as when they had left. I always enjoy being patronized, understating my drug tolerance abilities to new doctors, and watching the look of complete shock that they try to conceal from me. It really does not reassure me about pain control in today's healthcare system. Sometimes I just grin and bear it. I have to hand it to this new dentist though. He's more perceptive than most. He could see that I was lying when I told him that the drugs worked and I was ready for the drill. He overshot me with so much novacaine that only until today have I've been able to open my mouth to eat properly. He must have worried that I would pass out because he kept asking me if I was okay when I closed my eyes and pretended to be somewhere else.

I'm now a legend in that office. My drug tolerance levels have been duly noted on the charts. Can't wait for July 21st and they take the temporary crowns off and put the permanent ones on.

I'll Be There (Acapello) (Click for Music)

This family touches me, it really does.

Just watched a more recent CNN interview by Joe Jackson where he's actually facing the camera now. He must be 80 now. He's also very hard of hearing. Of couse he seems detached, he's a tough old bird. (These young reporters sometimes!)
A first view of where the children inherited the charm and where Michael inherited that unstoppable drive. This will be a fascinating family case study for years to come.
His mother looks great for 80!

latest update: mj died w/o a will......how is that possible?

Thank-you, Thank-you Very Much

I must be like the classy celebrities of old (MJ now, and Elvis) and say thank-you, thank-you very much. I can never assume that you will alway find me fascinating for my good looks alone, so I will continue to work dilliegently to update you with the latest entertainment news.

MJ's death watered me out of a dry spell and reawakened in me the memory of a truly gifted, hardworking artist. I can't think of anyone else today that deserves the recognition as much as he did.

Thanks for reading! It makes me happy!

Connie

Mad Men (click for Aug. 16 trailer)

The Mad Man Billy Mays has just died. Everytime I heard him, my blood pressure went up. Now we find he had heart disease without the joys of overprescriptions.

Speaking of annoying pitchmen, do I have any say at all in who advertises on this blog? The one on the right is particularly peculiar.

The entertainment grim reaper must be meeting his end of the month quota by now.

Farrah's blond-haired blue-eyed legacy of a beautiful, well-loved woman who plays an abuse victim and child predator will now forever be overshadowed by a brown boy that became white, was abused and may have been a child predatator. It also revived his finances without him actually having to do the tour. Was he really so brillant at maximizing his income potential with so little effort? His parents seem to be suprisingly clueless about MJ's finances, his healthcare, or where the will was recently found. Maybe all the skeletons will finally come out from a tight-lipped family that guards privacy like bars of gold at Fort Knox.

Someone else now will earn a living off the carcass of a large family legacy mess. I wonder what his father is really thinking. Could anyone forsee that it would come to this?

Are people really surprised that MJ has been heavily medicated for quite some time now? The only reason that the vultures care now is that someone is losing money and wants to be compensated. That poor doctor just showed up at the end of a long series of missteps. Where has the family been all this time? Did they not sense Michael was not himself?

Is Michael an agent of God's sardonic sense of humor in death?

Ahhh, Michael, if you are demon-possessed as some of the religious fundamentalists say, you must be laughing in hell somewhere.

Otherwise , you have crossed into the sublime of genius again for a final grand finale.

Never Can Say GoodBye 1971 (Click for music)

Good bye Michael. I have to leave your world now, or I'll go crazy and cry from grief. Was this the first step towards you acting younger than you were in order to make people love you? (He's actually 13 and not 11 as he says in this clip.)

Capitalizing on Dead Artists ( click for 2009 tour trailer)

Well, they're already talking about using the taped rehearsals Michael did 8 hours before his death to salvage what is left of the vanished tour. Even till the end, his work ethic and discipline were unbelievable.

Business managers and vultures still have to make a living. I guess I'm guilty too, but I want to thank my fans for reading this. I can see from the hits that I'm receiving that this wasn't a waste of time.

It's especially important for people who didn't grow up with Michael to understand that he was so much more than that Thriller video. His trailer would seem rather pompous for any other artist. I'm a huge fan and it's even a bit much for me. What can I say?......MJ always did like to put on the ole razzle-dazzle......

ABC'S from the little boy wonder 1970 (Click for music)

We miss you Michael......you should know by now how much you were loved.

Drugs, Craziness & Celebrities (click for Black or White video ending)

What can I add to a subject that is as cliched and as old as time? Little kid makes it big, goes crazy, gets hooked on drugs, dies young.

I normally would not sympathize with a tragic, caricatured figure like Michael. After all, he was well compensated for his talent. Maybe I do because he's only 7 years older than me and brought such joy to me and my friends during our pre-teen, teen, and early adult years. I also remember how polite, shy and respectful he was to his elders. He was well brought up and it wasn't unusual in those days for parents to spank their kids. He was obviously the pride and joy of his parents and siblings, and they had nurtured his talent. Since the age of 11, he was accustomed to adoring crowds, pleasant tv interviews and popular broadcast performances. He was hardworking and disciplined. He charmed everyone. The craziness did not begin to really manifest itself until he had already given so much to the world.

I wonder if he were born a few years later, he wouldn't have been so aware of the racism that permeated the industry. A bright, sensitive boy was most certainly aware of the physical divide and the different standards for black performers. The black performers were the best because they had to be. There was no room for error. He was old enough to remember the assassination of Martin Luther King yet never displayed the racial anger that later hip hop artists would (with the exception of his superb ending to the happy-go-lucky Black or White video). He was like a later version of Sammy Davis Jr. who melded into a white world of well-paid talent. Michael's talented father suffered for it even more by giving up his dreams of show business for a crane operator job in Indiana. He realized early that to make money, the white audience had to buy it. This desire to succeed in a white world transmitted to his ambitious and gifted children. Child abuse would be a given in a small house with many mouths to feed and a man worried how he will provide for his family. We will never have a complete picture of what it was like to grow up in that small house in Indiana. It's no stretch to imagine that it was not easy.

Do I think Michael was a child molester because of his own child abuse or his potential bisexuality? The investigators that have experience with these type of cases say he exhibited all of the signs. As a highly sensitive child who absorbed the adult pain around him, he would have been keenly aware of the expectations set upon him. His beloved mother was a Jehovah witness who would have viewed homosexuality as a mortal sin. His father was the stereotypical male of the time period that would not allow emotional expressions of weakness. Every child compensates differently for shortcomings in their childhood. Every child grows up to different family expectations based on birth order or abilities. The only way Michael could receive love and recognition from his immediate family was to remain the perpetual child and to work like an adult. If he knew he was a homosexual, he was shrewd enough not to express it. He already understood the power of image making and hiding behind its facade at an early age. It's obvious that he left the realms of sanity a few years back and that drugs broke some thin barrier of norm. He was no longer the alert, perceptive Michael I remembered. He was lost in a self-made cloud of mist.

His physical appearance didn't help his cause. For a master media magician so brillant about his career image, it's difficult to fathom why his face would become an open scar for the world to see. He was a deteriorating Dorian Grey before our eyes, a warped picture of eternal youth revealing a mental illness from deep within.

Something keeps pulling me back to those early childhood performances when his utter joy was irrepressible. He didn't choose this profession, it chose him, and even if his father hadn't whipped him to perfection, he was self-driven enough to do it on his own. There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I don't hear his immediate family commenting on this, and they seemed to lack the introspection or the necessary skills to handle a child star who could not face adulthood. He was also the breadwinner of a large family. People forget that he was still supporting his family until his death. That would have to create some sort of family dyfunction.

Nevertheless, the ultimate responsibility was Michael's as a full grown man to not feed his insanity and internal demons. His father after all, made it all possible.

I wish that he hadn't been so isolated from a normal life as a child. He did have 8 other siblings that suffered the same fate. None turned out like him even though they had their own turmoils and less successful adult careers. He seemed happiest when surrounded by his siblings. It was obvious that he would become the solo artist. Were there sibling rivalries? It seemed like they tried to shelter him. He was so vulnerable and egoless that it's hard to know what to blame. He was a joy to watch.

Wanna be Startin' Somethin' 1983 (click for music)

My favorite single from the "Thriller" album.

I Want You Back 1969 (click for music)

Did anyone notice how hard this little boy was working for a living? Watch him move!
And that voice! How could one little body have all this talent?

I Got The Feelin'! 1968 (click for music)

Sheer joy. Do you see the beginnings of the moon walk here? Even while imitating his hero, James Brown, he was already innovating.
Beautiful little boy. Also happens to be the same year that Martin Luther King was assassinated.

R.I.P. FARRAH FAWCETT

I was in the 6th grade when that infamous red bathing suit poster came out. I remember one nerdy boy named Michael just going absolutely nuts before the teacher arrived to teach her class. That poster was being passed around by all the boys while the girls consoled themselves with Baby Love lip gloss. I hated Farrah on the spot. That feathered blond hair gave birth to a blow dryer revolution that would fry my preteen curly brown hair years. I decided right then and there that I would hate all straight haired blonds going forward.

In the 90's , I secretly gloated as she aged and ethnic girls with curves and curls came into style. I grew up and she was growing old....she also adopted the curls that I so long fought with from birth.....

I had a change of heart after watching Farrah's documentary a few weeks ago. Her resolve and compassion during her own pain and disappointments reflected a depth of humanity that I honestly thought she lacked. She knew she was dying and only asked of God that she simply wanted to live.

When I watch those early commericals of her at the height of her beauty and vitality, it makes me wonder sometimes.......What is God thinking about anyway?..........

Not even a bubbly blond deserved that.......

Michael Jackson R.I.P. (Click for music)

I grew up with Michael Jackson so to speak. I remember the Jackson 5 and Osmond cartoons and seeing them dance and sing their hearts out on Flip Wilson, Sonny & Cher & the Carol Burnett shows. I remember little Janet doing her Mae West imitations and charming the world. Michael was a young James Brown performing "I Want You Back". We watched Michael and Diana Ross on "The Wiz". The Jackson Five imitated dead white artists before springing the "Dancing Machine"'s robotic moves and huge afros on mature white audience variety shows. Older stars such as Diana Ross and Cher patronized Michael and then flattered him by doing poor imitations of his dance moves. Cher even adopted an afro for his appearance on her show. Michael was a charming teenager and viewed as likable for both black and white audiences. It seemed normal for the cute black kids to be on a white variety show, while older black artists who worked the "Chitlin'" circuit beamed with pride and envy on the doors little Michael was blasting open with his all-American charm.

Michael's Off The Wall LP was my teenage awakening to another world that I did not experience in my white suburban Upstate NY Irish/Italian Catholic upbringing. I remember my sister and I listening to the LP on the turntable record player and Ann Marie being the first kid of means in our neigborhood to buy it. This was before MTV broke out in 1982. Everyone remembers Michael for ruling the beginning of MTV and the Thriller video. But for me, the revolution began with the first song played on the Off The Wall Album in 1979 in my floral print bedroom before the Billie Jean MTV break-out video in 1982. It was also our first glimpse of Michael as an adult solo artist and our last view of him as a "black" performer.

The music that poured from that burning LP made me come alive. It was so far ahead of the curve that it actually stretched my mind to the musical revolution going on before the cusp of MTV. The early MTV (1981-1982) had no commericals, big hair bands or reality shows....it was dance music with Michael Jackson, Madonna & Blondie leading the way. The computer graphics were amateurish with white backdrops, and the clothes worn looked like homeless people who had searched through the trash bins of Andy Gibb. Sting and Pat Benetar could not compete with Michael Jackson's groundbreaking dance moves in his Billie Jean video.

Madonna was the only other artist at that time to have the same effect on me. I was working at Ames Department Store and my one and only African American colleague was telling me how "hot" Madonna was in her new video on a station called MTV. I naturally assumed she was African American and MTV was a "black station". The radio stations were still segrating music as black or white and Madonna was identified as "black". My sister and I danced to her cassette tapes. We didn't know she was white until her Lucky Star dance video burned the MTV airwaves in 1982. Jackson & Madonna were the first savvy performers to use MTV for self-promotion. They broke thru the barriers before Rap or Punk as words existed. (Blondie performed rap on MTV before it was called Rap). Britanny Spears was still wearing diapers. Punk rock had not become a genre yet. Bon Jovi was no where to be found. Journey hadn't yet dominated the airwaves with "Don't Stop Believing". REO SpeedWagon and Styx were making their exits.......Entertainment Tonight had not yet made its debut in 1981. People magazine was only 5 years old.

We were living in a creative space void that was the perfect entrance for a Michael Jackson alien in silver spaces boots to dance into. Time-space was setting up for a musical social revolution called MTV while we were still too innocent to recognize the world atoms shifting around us. This was the final days of disco and the beginning dawn of computers in every home, MTV in every living room, YOU TUBE videos, mediocre American Idol talent shows, and tabloid gossip shows called "news". CNN didn't exist yet, and people read the newspapers or watched the 6 o'clock news. Tabloid news could only be found in the supermarket aisles under the National Enquirer covers while waiting in line. If we wanted to know what a budding singer looked like, we searched the album cover photos. If we wanted a picture, we bought posters and hung them in our rooms. If we wanted to hear new music, we had to buy it, or wait for it to come out on the black radio stations or the Casey Casum weekly top 40 countdown. If we wanted to see the music performed, we had to buy the tour tickets, or wait for guest appearances on variety shows. If we wanted to know more about their personal lives, we trusted the teen magazines' publicity machines. Hip hop wasn't a word yet, and Prince was only dreaming of becoming as eccentric as Michael. The door was now shut on disco and a new American music was blossoming from the Bee Gees' remains. Elvis had just died. For a budding artist to catch international attention, he/she had to be an exceptional songwriter or performer. There was no one to imitate for the new rock & roll developing. They did not need Simon Cowell's critiques, and Paula Abdul didn't exist yet. There were no American celebrities doing international tours , or adopting adorable children of color from other countries, or helping the native African hungry and HIV infected. The war on drugs had not been declared yet. Actors weren't elected to political offices yet, and musicians and actors weren't politicians yet. Religious beliefs were respected and kept private. Gay rights was just beginning to emerge, but individually hidden. The Middle East was someplace far, far away where bombings were a daily event. Africa was going hungry and mentioned at many dinner tables across America by parents scolding children to eat their vegtables. We were in a sheltered, safe world that had just sucked the life out of the final days of disco, variety shows and charming large family acts.
A flicker of excitement wavered with the Off the Wall debut in 1979.

I will always remember the purity of that sweet voice singing over syncopated heartbeats and pulsating rhythms. It's no accident that Michael adopted the white socks, black shoes of Elvis' breakout concerts. Michael had the quadruple threat of dancing moves, rockability, personal vulnerability, and expression of voice. His abundant, unconscious and infectious joy of performing was contagious. He was a 21 year olded Pied Piper leading a new generation into an imaginary world.

$100,000 Chicken Recipe Winner (Click for top 4)

This contest was sponsored by the Food Network Channel in Charlotte, NC at the Westin.

Here's the winning recipe:

Mahogany Broiled Chicken with Smoky Lime Sweet Potatoes and Cilantro Chimichurri

Click title above for other top 4


1 cup chopped cilantro leaves

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided

5 tablespoons dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons bottled hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice, divided

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut in 1-inch cubes

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon chopped canned chipotle pepper

1 teaspoon adobo sauce (from canned chipotle)

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon lime zest

Cilantro sprigs, for garnish



In a small bowl, mix together chopped cilantro, olive oil, minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper; set aside.



In medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, mustard, hoisin sauce and vinegar. Reserve 2/3 of this mixture. To remainder, add 1/2 cup lime juice and stir in chicken; cover and refrigerate.



Place sweet potatoes in a heavy saucepan and cover with boiling water. Cook, covered, over medium-high heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking liquid, then drain potatoes in colander. Return potatoes to reserved cooking water and add butter, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice, cumin, lime zest, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Mash potatoes.



Preheat the broiler. Thread chicken on 8 bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes. Broil about 6 inches from heat, basting with reserved mahogany sauce until done, about 8 minutes. To serve, divide potatoes among 4 plates; top each with 2 skewers of chicken and drizzle with cilantro chimichurri sauce. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Peaches & Cream

The state of Georgia is known for it's peaches......

Just peel, slice and dice some peaches and serve with vanilla ice cream

To preserve peaches, mix with champagne and refrigerate

To spice up peaches, add cinnamon, ginger & cloves or pumpkin pie spice and a little chili powder

Summer Slaw

No cooking again! I defy the Cooking Gods!


Purple head of cabbage sliced and diced
3 tbspns mayo
1 tspn apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1 tbspn milk or soymilk
dash of hot sauce or cayenne pepper
1 packet Splenda
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts
(can leave out raisins & walnuts if you wish)

Mix together, refrigerate, dive in 1-2 hours later.

Salmon Mousse

3 small cans of boneless skinless salmon
1 packet of cream cheese
4 tbspns lemon juice
4 tbspns olive oil
2 tbspns horseradish
1 tspn hot sauce or cayenne pepper

Blend ingredients in a food processor. Serve with crusty bread, English muffin or cheese scones and a tangy pickle. A meal in itself, with a salad, or a starter to a meal, or good for lunch. It has a pretty sunset color or coral color depending on the intensity of the salmon used......

Sunscreener Tomato Salad

Can I tell you something? I don't wear sunscreen. Not for 20 years. I am fair-skinned and blue-eyed and try to avoid the sun during its peak hours of 11-2. I just hate putting the lotions on my skin knowing that I'll be in the water and that it must run off ( I don't care what the bottle says).....So I put on my big hat and sunglasses , eat this tomato salad with olive oil and onions (all good for the skin.) Tomatoes are high in Lycene and scientifically proven to prevent sunspots. Onions, garlic and olive oil are also good for the skin and may explain why Middle Eastern and European women have such beautiful skin.....My Mom is 73 and has no wrinkles or sagging collagen and never wears make-up......

Can also add cucumbers, radishes & celery to this -will keep for weeks in frig- unlike those bags of lettuce they call "Salad" in the grocery store......

Sunscreener Tomato Salad

Sliced & diced beefsteak tomatoes ( homegrown if possible)
Sliced & diced onions
olive oil
Oregeno or Greek Seasoning or Italian Seasoning
Lemon Juice or balsamatic vinegar
minced garlic

Can serve cold or at room temperature.........

Sorry no measurments for this......use best judgement.....

Tuna Nicoise Americanized

The only thing to cook in this is the hard boiled eggs for 10 minutes. Can leave out if you wish:

1/2 cup green olives sliced up
2 hard boiled eggs peeled and sliced up
5 Tbpsns Duke's mayo
3-4 cans (3 ounces) of white tuna drained
1-2 pickles sliced up
2 sticks of celery sliced up
1 onion sliced up
2 Tbspns of mustard
Parsley, salt & pepper to taste

Mix together and let sit in frig.....serve on saltine crackers or by itself with some cheese or salad.

Scones & Biscuits, Biscuits & Scones

The first time I heard the word "Scone", I was staying with a Scottish friend in Asheville, NC where a quaint breakfast nook served them. They were savory, warm and served with tea or coffee and jam on the side.

I've been fascinated with them ever since. They are in Irish recipes and Scotch-Irish recipes.

So what is the difference between a "Scone" and the Southern biscuits served with every meal down here? (Cracker Barrel & Bojangles)......

Scones can be savory or sweet depending on the recipe, and were named by Scottish royalty of the 1500's. Biscuits were the poorer Scotch-Irish version.

Here's a recipe for either one:

Irish Honey Currant Scones

2 1/2 cups flour
2 tspns grated orange peel
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn baking soda
1/2 tspn salt
1/2 cup cold butter or Smart Balance margarine cut in pieces
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup honey
1 egg slightly beaten

I just pour all the ingredients into a food processor and mix until blended. (I've never had the patience for pastry blending or folding, and as long as you don't overprocess, you're fine.) Add flour as needed to prevent stickiness.

You can roll out this dough and cut into squares and then halve the squares into triangles. (Or you can do what I do, and spoon like cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet).

Bake 15-20 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Serve warm or cool.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tspn sugar
1/2 tspn salt
6 Tbspn cold butter cut into pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk

Again, no patience, throw in food processor until just blended, and spoon out like cookie dough onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes. I add flour as needed to prevent stickiness. Serve with jam or drenched in Southern chicken gravy.

Southern Redneck Contribution

My southern friends have influenced me more than they know!

BJORK- Army of Me (click for music)

From my pretty tweeter boy, thank-you for sharing this song!
Her voice is an Artic Blast that freezes global warming in its tracks. A numbing artist from a planet called ICELAND. (Pour yourself a vodka cranberry mix into a frozen martini glass and let the sheets of ice cut thru you.)

I cannot get enough of this artist and doubt another like her will drift by soon.

(to remove ad spyware after playing this, click My Computer, remove programs, and remove Adobe Control X program- You'll notice spam in your email box otherwise.)

Sample 17th-18th century Menu (click for Cream of Peanut Soup recipe)

Writing about Charleston led me to wonder... What did people eat in the 17th-18th centuries?

Here's a sample menu ( perhaps only for the gentry) developed by my talented & gifted former Kendall/Hunt colleague, Cathy Goodman and current owner of Big Fish Co. in Dubuque, IA. She developed this menu about 20 years before the age of Google. Kendall/Hunt not only served it at our sales corporate function, but let us wear the 17th century-style rental costumes. I still have the photo! (Will post later). 10 years later, in Williamsburg, VA, I visited King's Tavern and enjoyed the Creme of Peanut Soup mentioned here:


Cocktails and Hors d'Ouevres
Spirits

Alcoholic beverages were a household staple in the colonies. There were no aspirins, no tranquilizers, and no anesthetics, so rum or brandy was often used in their stead. A good drink was also regarded as a preventive against flux or fever, which is why many an early-rising planter fortified himself with a starter before making the rounds of his plantation.

Pour yourself a swig of rum, then a swig of brandy before cooking this massive but easy meal! (Or if you agree with Jefferson, glass of red wine) of If you're feeling English, a dark malted beer.

Crudites
Brie and French Bread
Baby Swiss and Crackers

The appetizer came in with Prohibition to accompany what was often an unpalatable drink and stayed on in favor as companion to the cocktail.

Rinse and cut up some celery, carrots,radishes & cucumbers.Serve with crackers or Italian bread, cheeses of your choosing and maybe some ranch or dilled yogurt dip for the raw veggies.

Dinner
King's Arm Tavern Creme of Peanut Soup
(Click on 17th-18th Century Menu Title above for Williamsburg recipe)

Brazil is the native home of the peanut , the "ground nut" that sailed with Portuguese explorers to Africa and back to the Americas with the Negro. In 1794, Thomas Jefferson recorded the yield of 65 peanut hills at Monticello. The colonial staple is now the most heralded item on the King's Arm Tavern menu.

Caesar Salad

In Elizabethan England fresh salad was always the first dish served at the five o'clock supper. England's John Evelyn wrote a discourse on Sallets in 1699 which more affluent colonial housewives kept hidden on their shelves. He advised that the greens be washed and drained in a "Cullender," and then swung in a clean napkin. (Before the age of the "Salad Spinner")

No recipe here, just a bag of salad mix, rinsed & drained well with a little lemon juice, olive oil & Greek seasoning. (found at Wal-Mart-stock-up and use on everything!)

Beef Wellington with Twice Baked Potato

Since beef cattle roamed until they were lean and tough, veal and pork were the most popular domestic meats in the 18th century. Not until about the 1890's did grain-fed beef find wide acceptance.

Here's a quick and easy updated version for two:
•2 filets mignon, 1-inch thick
•2 sheets puff pastry (freezer section where pie crusts are)
•Salt and pepper to taste
•1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
•4 Tbsp. of 1/2 lb sauteed mushrooms, 1 onion, 1/2tspn thyme, 1/2 tspn salt & pepper, 1/4 cup white wine (or lemon juice will suffice here)& some vegetable or olive oil
•1 egg

1. Thaw puff pastry according to package directions.

2. Season filets generously with salt and pepper.

4. Pre-heat a medium (10-inch) non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add butter and swirl in pan to melt.

5. Cook filets on both sides for about 3 minutes until well-browned on edges, but not well done. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
In the meantime, sautee in same pan the mushrooms, onions, wine, salt, pepper & thyme until browned.

6. Heat oven to 400F. Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water (egg wash).

7. Lay the filets down on puff pastry (takes 2-4 segments crossed over to cover filet completely). We're not looking for perfection here, just a nice looking package. Spoon some of the mushroom mixture on top of filet and finish wrapping like a Christmas present. Brush with egg wash, and bake in center of oven until golden brown; about 30 minutes. Meat should be medium cooked. Puff pastry will puff up nicely.

Wrap 2 potatoes in alumninum foil and bake alongside Beef Wellington, Vegetables, & Cornbread for 30 minutes @ 400 degrees. Cornbread is really for breakfast the next day in the "Virginia fashion"


Scandinavian Mixed Vegetables with Dill Weed

Vegetables appear infrequently in 18th century cookbooks, and when they do appear, they are generally too overcooked and over spiced for 20th century palates. An exception to this is this savory mixture.

Here's my version:

1 bag of frozen California blend vegetables mixed with lemon juice, olive oil, Greek seasoning, dill weed and roasted in oven alongside Beef Wellington @ 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Assorted Breads

No bread from wheat was held as sustaining as that made from corn; besides, the yield of corn per acre compared to that of wheat better than twenty to one. But wheat flour was finer, and among the gentry, buttered wheat bread and tea made a desirable snack. Corn bread was the bread on which to work and travel. At Mount Vernon, "Indian corn cakes for breakfast after the Virginia fashion" was the rule.

Quick 21st century version:
Buy 2 Jiffy cornmeal boxes and follow directions on box with 1 egg each and some oil & milk. Pour into well-greased stick-free frying pan & bake alongside vegetables & Beef Wellington for 20-30 minutes. (Wrap rubber handles with foil , or use frying pan without rubber handles)

Chocolate Raspberry Torte

The dessert was the pride and joy of colonial housewives. Wrote an 18th century poet:

'Tis the Dessert that graces all the Feast,
For an ill end and disparages the rest...

The number of eggs called for in the old recipes (sometimes up to 20) seemed needlessly extravagant, until we recall that colonial hens, who had to scratch for their living, laid much smaller eggs than do their scientifically bred, fed, pampered & confined successors of this century. Sugar, imported from the West Indies, was costly and came in large cone-shaped loaves, which had to be broken down.

Here's a 21st century recipe-fast!:
1 box Betty Crocker chocolate cake mix
(follow directions on box and mix eggs, oil and water with cake mix)
Add 2 tbsps of almonds ground up in food processor (can leave out if don't have) & 1/4 cup melted raspberry jam or 2 tbspns of raspberry liquor, Mix again.
Pour into greased cake pan & bake for 30 minutes @ 350 degrees.
Microwave raspberry jam and 1/4 -1/2 cup chocolate chips for about 20 seconds. Add water,if needed, for easier pouring and reheat again
Pour over cake and let drip down sides, wait to cool
Can eat as is, or to impress guests:
Garnish with fresh raspberries, mint leaves and a dollup of whipped cream

Louis Martini Merlot

Thomas Jefferson was an acknowledged wine connoisseur. He also owned Sally Hemingway's brother, a well-schooled French culinary chef per Jefferson's request.

He supported a proposed reduction of duties on wine to avoid the use of whiskey as a substitute. Wine he declared to be the necessity of life and said, "No nation is drunk where wine is cheap." Jefferson died at 84 (ancient in colonial times and partially due to his high vegetable diet (favorites were peas & cucumbers grown on his farm), low meat diet, and love of wine. His beloved library was sold to auctioneers to pay his debts. (Very Amercian if you ask me!)

Macoroni & Cheese

I also understand that Jefferson liked mac & cheese if you please.....one more history lesson:
It is said that macaroni, a curved, tubular pasta made from flour that had its origins in China and was brought to Italy by Marco Polo, has been cooked and served with cheese in Italian homes, inns and restaurants for over 500 years. By the eighteenth century, the dish, in one form or another, had become popular throughout Europe, and colonists from England brought along their appetite and recipes for this cheesy treat to North America. In the 1800s, recipes for various versions of macaroni and cheese appeared in many American cookbooks. And so, a legend was born.

21st century version, VELVEETA CREAMY MAC & CHEESE, of course!

or for a an even more homemade taste- buy Stoeffers Mac & Cheese in freezer section & warm up

Fried Zucchini Checinni Bikini

Slice and dice this popular Italian and American Squash. Fry the pieces in vegtable oil or in olive oil until they shrink and taste like candy. Salt & Pepper to taste.

I went to school with a girl named MaryJean Checinni who used to have birthday bashes at the height of the 70's. We would all disco dance to the strobe light that her parents set-up in the basement. She also had an Olympic-sized pool in her back yard. Also the last time I wore a bikini I think.....

Presidential Burgers

Did you happen to catch on NBC the tour of the White House, and what Obama does during his lunch hour? Poor guy has to get in a securitized black limo to catch a local burger made by "Five Guys and a Burger" which we happen to have right here in Concord, NC next to the Lowes Motor Speedway. I have to say, Obama, you're right, this place rules for a good greasy burger with any topping imaginable and fries that soak thru brown paper bags-all for $8. But there's another place called "What-A-Burger" which is locally owned in Concord and cannot be found in any other area of the U.S. or North Carolina for that matter. I live only a few blocks from it, and the locals have turned me onto it. I have to say , at first I felt out of place when I first came in and heard the heavy southern accents discussing week-ends of home barbeques and horseshoe playings. Sometimes I can't understand any of it, and have to ask them to repeat it in English please. The plain faced women that work there are the sweetest and most beautiful people on earth and greet me with "What you havin' sweethart?" or "Is this all for you?!" greeting and then proceeding to holler the orders to the middle-aged southern boys behind the grill soaking Patti Melts in butter with swiss cheese & sauteed onions (My mom's favorite, and not mentioned on doctor's visits), "All-the-Way footlong Hotdogs" with chili & slaw and my personal favorite, the "What-A-Burger" with beefsteak sized tomotoes, onions, lettuce, cheese, mustard and a side order of steak fries or onion rings that would put McDonald's to shame, all for the incredible price of $4. These burgers are like the ones you would make at home if you had the energy to fire up a grill like Bobby Flay does, go buy the toppings, and steam those buns. Kids can get huge vanilla cones that topple over when you walk out. No credit cards accepted here, cash only, and if you happen to be a little short, and they know you, they've been known to draw from the community till to cover it.

I really almost didn't want to share this with anyone because it's a local well-kept secret, and I don't want to walk in one day and see the place overrun with Secret Service and the media. I don't know how Obama can stand it.

06.06.09-Just went again, told the ladies I've been bragging about them and they may get strangers in there......she replied in a husky voice "WE'RE READY FOR 'EM, WE'RE READY FOR 'EM"

Southern 3Keys Lime Pie

This is a quick,easy & cheap summertime dessert if you have a food processor (just buy the crust if you don't or smash crackers in plastic bag with rolling pin to relieve the day's stresses)

1 can condensed milk (yes, I know, tons of sugar, SOME RECIPES ACTUALLY TELL YOU TO ADD SUGAR & VANILLA WHICH IS NOT NEEDED)
1/4 cup lime juice
1 packet of graham crackers ground up in food processor with 2 tbspns of butter and pressed into a pie dish(can use hands or bottom of a glass)
1/2 packet of cream cheese to cut the sweetness ( if have, leave out if don't)

mix condensed milk, juice together and scoop & scrape into graham cracker crust
Refrigerate. Serve with whipped cream. ( or not) and top with any fresh fruit laying around (such as strawberries listed below, or fresh blueberries). NO COOKING INVOLVED AS THIS RECIPE DOES NOT REQUIRE EGGS.

Italian Strawberries

As far as I am concerned, if you want to learn from the best, go to the masters of cooking, the Italians. They have merged thousands of years of invasions, travel and Mediterrrean climate into an organic vegtable, fruit and lean protein diet. Northern Italy has the German influences with their white cream sauces, meats, cabbage & potatoes. Southern Italy, and the tip of the boot where my maternal ancestors come from, have the Greek, Arab influences with the red tomato sauces, eggplants, zucchini, cornmeal, oranges,lemons,figs and fish that permeate the diet. The Pasta, a MiddleAges Chinese contribution from Marco Polo's travels, well is just the icing on the cake. Like great cooks everywhere, they use what they have to come up with the lightest, cheapest food fare. Some recipes complicate things so much, no wonder people get intimidated by it all.

Only the Italians could come up with a quick way to preserve my favorite American summer fruit: STRAWBERRIES: ( can also be done with blueberries, raspberries)

slice, dice, and wash strawberries
mix with 2-3 tbsps of balsamatic vinegar ( made from grapes and sweeter than its cheaper cousin, red wine vinegar)
2 tbspns of sugar or 2 packets of Splenda
sprinkle black pepper & mint or basil on them and mix until a glossy finish from the vinegar clings to the strawberries and makes them shine.
Strawberries will keep a week longer in the frig. If you have some cornbread, top on the cornbread with some whipped cream and a mint leave for a southern Italian shortcake.

Charleston, SC (Click for ghost tour info.)

I've been to Charleston, S.C. a couple of times. First time, about 20 years ago, I met with some Upstate NY friends and a Southern friend kind enough to drive. They rented a house on Sullivan's Island for a week for about $400 a week at the time. We went crab hunting on the beach, boat riding on the Fort Sumter historical tour that described the place where the Civil War began. My first impressions were hot, humid and still a little bit stuck in time. Couldn't stay long and wanted to explore more.

2nd time, was in 2001, I came back and took the historic carriage ride in the downtown market place where baskets made by African Americans of the Gullah tradition and foods are displayed and sold. The tour guide was a theatrical and historical southern gentleman that described the "Northern Aggression" and the Pirates that hung from the Weeping Willow trees still standing along the "Battery" waterfront during the American Revolutionary period. Most of the American Revolution was fought in the back woods of South Carolina and Charleston's key waterfront position with George Washington's support. (Key historical fact overlooked in my Upstate New York schooling where Harriet Tubman's and William Steward's house still stand.)
Huge planatation-style homes line the waterfront and still have Civil War cannon holes in their front porches during the final fight for Southern rights. There's a southern society here that attempts to preserve the idealized version of the South. It is beautiful with the undercurrents of a war that still has not been forgotten, or a grief for a lifestyle that is long gone. This was 10 years ago, and the culturally sensitive people must have gotten wind of it. I understand that a new museum has gone up since where the slaves from West Africa were displayed and sold, right next to the charming lantern lit, bricked road shops that have glossed over a people's pain and suffering.

Low county cooking is popular here with the boiled peanuts, hot sauces, shrimp & grits and Po' Boy sandwiches of crabmeat, crab cakes, and she-crab soup. Sweet potatoes and sweet potatoe pie another favorite. Rice side dishes (homage to the rice plantations grown in the 17th-18th centuries) with bright orange Saffron also can be found. There's also the ubiquitous chain restaurants that the locals have recommended to me. I try to avoid. Young partiers can be heard on a week-end night carousing down the streets and the annual Charleston marathoners can be seen running by, juxtaposed against the Georgia-style 17th century architechure backdrop on Meeting Street from the hotel window where I stayed.

I also bought a signed copy of The Ghosts of Charleston and met with the young & handsome co-author and co-founder of www.tourcharleston.com. Edward B. Macy, who just happened to be doing a book signing during my visit, humored me with a sincere smile during my Northerner questioning on the ghost photos that he took as he wrote "TO CONNIE-ALL THE BEST! MACY." Little did I know that he would go onto CNN and History Channel fame for documenting these hauntings. The book is based on eyewitness accounts and stories of Charleston natives who have accepted supernatural sightings as present-day facts. The Civil War & Revolutionary War stories that are said to cause the hauntings are fascinating, but I was too scared to actually go on the walking tour. If you're brave enough, be my guest & click on Charleston title above!
I need to visit again and see the lobby of the hotel that Oprah went to and watch the rich people go by.