Okie Sister

Violets Are Blue

You can’t imagine how excited I was to see this little plant blooming this week. It is a wild violet that came from my mother’s house. I brought some home several years ago in a bundle of coreopsis plants she had given me to transplant. These plants grow just about anywhere, even in the Oklahoma red clay ground. I put a patch of them on the side of my house near the a/c unit. I went to see if they where still there since this area has changed over the last few years. We built a new gate during the last fence build and for some reason, there is a pile of lumber stacked right where my wild violets grow. But the hardy little plants are still popping up; they just haven’t bloomed yet in the shade.

The little one out in the sunshine growing out of the rocks is in full purple bloom. I didn’t plant it there either, it just appeared, some fifty feet around the back of the house from the others. Isn’t nature wonderful?

(Okie Sisters, early 1960's)

My mother always loved nature. She planted beautiful flowers and trees all over her yard and took great pride when they flourished. She always wanted to take you on a tour of her gardens every time you visited her. She enjoyed telling about each plant. She had fruit trees, a magnolia, pine trees, purple wisteria, a yellow forsythia hedge, roses, crepe myrtles, moss rose, daffodils, hyacinths, coleus, yellow coreopsis, dianthus or pinks, bachelor buttons, and gerbera daisies; to name a few. Each spring she would buy petunias and plant them next to the front steps to greet visitors upon their arrival.

She passed this love of beauty and nature on to her children and grandchildren, too. What a lovely gift. I secretly enjoy being able to name various plants and flowers; all because of my mother.

I wonder how many in the family can recall her wanting to use her flowers and trees as backdrops for family photos. She would leave different ones of us out squinting in the sun while she went in the house to fetch her camera. Of course, this really meant, stand here while I change clothes, put on make-up, touch-up my hair and then return with the camera. If you were lucky, it only meant waiting while she perfectly applied her lipstick before reappearing from the house with the camera. She never wanted to be photographed without her lipstick.

I’ve tried in the past to recreate just a little of the beauty that my mother created for herself in her yard. It takes a lot of work and dedication to keep things flourishing. I guess that applies to all areas of life, doesn’t it?

Pasta For You...and your little dog too

Here’s a great recipe for nights when you only want to spend a few minutes in the kitchen, with minimal clean up. I even prepared this dish during our home renovations. Somewhere in between hanging drywall, staining trim, and painting walls; I was able to slip into the kitchen and whip up some chow.

This basically was all I could find to make last night; I haven’t been to the grocery store for a really long time. This is a diabetic friendly recipe.

I cooked extra pasta for ‘my girls’. That recipe is also listed.

   

Beef and Cheese Skillet Casserole

• 2 cups rotini pasta, uncooked
• 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
• 1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2/3 cup shredded, reduced-fat cheddar cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, cook ground beef until beginning to brown, about 8-9 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
3. Add remaining ingredients except cheese and pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 6-7 minutes or until beginning to thicken. Fold in cheese and toss with pasta.

Feel free to use any pasta or 2% cheese that you have on hand.

Makes 7 (1 cup) servings from Healthy Calendar Diabetic Cooking

Chicken for the Dogs

We boil chicken breasts every weekend to feed to the dogs. It gets chopped and divided. Half goes in the freezer for later in the week; the broth too.

We microwave a small amount of chicken and broth, or the following mixture, and put it on top of their regular dry dog food (Nutro Natural Choice Small Bites Lite) every evening. We always want them to eat the dry food, in case something should ever happen and we are not able to cook for them. Plus this is a good quality dog food full of vitamins and minerals, with added Glucosamine and Chondroitin for healthy joints.

Mix cooked chicken and chicken broth with leftover pasta or rice. Add low sodium green beans or peas and carrots. You can add garlic powder; it’s supposed to help repel fleas. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top if your dogs like it.

My dogs also enjoy crumbled bacon and reduced fat cottage cheese. Dogs have food preferences and allergies just like people, so be careful when trying anything new.

A Hair Raising Encounter

Dear CL,

You’re back after all this time. Where have you been and what kept you locked away for so long? You left without any warning, just one day you were no longer here taunting me; waving and bobbing while I tried to make you have style. I did not miss you. You were out of sight and off of my head. I didn’t even realize you had departed and that it had been so long. Manely things were back the way they should be; every hair was falling into place. I didn’t even know it was because of us being apart. I had turned the page.

It’s been a couple of years since I had to pay a professional to comb through your various parts in order to keep your unruly self under control. She had a way of managing the twists and tangles you made out of every strand. She is no longer in my life to make things gel and now you reappear front and center. How will I cut you out of my life now? What made you come back and infringe on me? Was it something I did, or didn’t do, to cause this present condition. Is your return permanent? I'm dyeing to know.

I used to resent you because you kept me from having bangs. Bangs are supposed to hang down from the hairline, not wave up and flip out, or separate in the middle.

Cowlick, are you back because of how I curl up and sleep at night. Do I need to buy one of those satin pillowcases to straighten you out for good? Is it the warmer weather? Less humidity? Believe me when I say that I am not going to take this NOT laying down.

Sincerely,

Okie Sister

Funkytown

I’ve been saying for about two weeks now that I was in a funk.

Funk actually means a severe depression. Depression is defined as a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity. Despondent means being without hope. So, that’s NOT what I have. I don’t feel severely depressed. I’m certainly not feeling inadequate; hell, I actually think I’m pretty Awesome! I’m much too optimistic to feel hopeless; remember, never lose Hope!

Lack of activity, uh yes, that kind of describes me lately. So what is this feeling?

Out of sorts? That means irritable. Yes, slightly.

Melancholy? A feeling of thoughtful sadness. Perhaps.

Worried? To feel uneasy or concerned about something. Definitely, but about what?

Worrying serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever. It doesn’t change anything and I believe that too much of it, can actually effect your health in a negative way. So, what do you do to stay positive? Visit with family and friends, read something inspirational, listen to music that makes you happy. I even tried a little retail therapy this weekend to try and cheer myself up.

Part of my feelings have to do with the weather. During the middle of the week it has been warm and sunny. On the weekends, it has been cooler and cloudy. I’ve been wearing short sleeve shirts to work and it’s been much cooler inside than out. Today, I wore a long sleeve shirt to work and the temperature rose to about 84; I about burned up. I can’t seem to win here. I’ve been wanting to get outside on the weekend and dig around in the flowerbeds. And when I say ‘I want to dig’, of course, I mean my husband. Me and the shovel are not friends. I think this has to do with the family curse of weak ankles.

I’ve also been having a sense of something was going to happen; kind of a premonition feeling. My little grandson (pictured here) did end up in the Doggie ER earlier this week. He’s in pretty bad shape after another animal attacked him and carried him off. One of ‘my girls’ had a health scare this week too, but it turned out not as bad as it could have been.

A family member did turn an ankle and was injured in a fall. Seriously, no one in my family should ever attempt to ski or skate or anything like that, because we can’t even walk on solid ground without twisting our ankles. My younger brother has the metal and bolts to prove it.

Hopefully more sunny days like today, and getting some flowers planted will do the trick to brighten my mood. I don’t like complaining; that’s boring. I tend to look on the sunny side of life; Pollyannaish. And really, I need look no further than beside me to be happy. Who could not smile at a face like this?

Oh, and you too honey.

 

Something's Bugging Me

My husband has not been living up to his husbandly duties lately.

I’ve had to kill two bugs in the house myself. Well, I couldn’t just let them crawl off into ... who knows where. Both of these monsters were spotted crawling across the living room carpet. Each time I picked up a piece of newspaper that my husband conveniently left on the coffee table and proceeded to squash the creepy crawly thing. This kept me from getting bug guts on my shoe and if you are lucky, the squished bug sticks to the newsprint for easy removal. He was not at home to witness these expert kills.

Saturday, however, he was home. I spotted a small spider repelling down the arm of his office chair. Time for him to redeem himself as Chief Bug Killer. He was on the couch reading the newspaper when I told him of my discovery. What he did next, must be told. Instead of bringing a section of the newspaper THAT WAS IN HIS HAND, he grabbed my Home magazine off the coffee table, opened it up, and smashed the spider in the middle of the pages.

“What the ….? You did not just do that,” I exclaimed.

“You’ve already read it, right?” he answered.

“If I didn’t want that magazine, I would have thrown it away.” I said. “Man, next time I’m not going to tell you about the spider in your chair. It can just crawl around and make a nest and have babies for all I care.” (I wasn’t over reacting or anything.)

He proceeded into the kitchen with my magazine and acted like he was trying to find the smashed spider somewhere inside its pages. Needless to say, that magazine will now be thrown away. Oh by the way, I threw out Saturdays newspaper too; in its pristine non-bug contaminated condition. It was conveniently left on the coffee table AGAIN.

To My Funny Bunny

Somebody was really upset today at the store when they didn’t get to buy a giant chocolate Easter Bunny made with 26g of sugar.

You see it’s a very important yearly tradition to bite the ears off of the solid chocolate Easter Bunny. This goes way back to happy childhood memories of Spring.

Good thing I was able to find this sugar free version. Too bad it contains more fat than the original confection. Sometimes you just can’t win.

See, some bunny loves you enough to buy you a bag of sugar free treats so you don’t eat yourself into a sugar coma. What would you do without me?

Hoppy Easter

An oldie, but a goodie.

Alone With My Idols

My feel good song of the week is "Alone" by Heart. I know it's got sad lyrics, but it makes me happy to hear this power ballad.

I hear the ticking of the clock
I’m lying here the rooms pitch dark
I wonder where you are tonight
No answer on the telephone
And the night goes by so very slow
Oh I hope that it wont end though
Alone

Till now I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you
And now it chills me to the bone
How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone

You don’t know how long I have wanted
To touch your lips and hold you tight
You don’t know how long I have waited
And I was going to tell you tonight
But the secret is still my own
And my love for you is still unknown
Alone

(Chorus)

I love Heart; have for many years. I even saw them in concert back when we were all much younger women. Their concert was incredible. "Alone" is an extremely difficult song to sing. I should know, I try to sing along with it as it plays on the radio all the way across town to my work. Some of those high notes can really do some damage to the vocal chords.

Irish lass Carly Smithson recently sang this song on American Idol (aka. My Guilty Pleasure) and totally rocked it. I was impressed. I like this girl, although I don’t care for all those tattoos on her arm. It would be cool if she got to sing with Ann and Nancy Wilson when they appear on the Idol Gives Back show like Carrie Underwood did. Speaking of which, how many hungry children do you think could have been feed with the money spent on that stupid new Idol stage? Does anybody else worry about Rickey Minor up there in the nose bleed section?

Anyway "Alone" was a good song choice for Smithson, it really showed her range. Hey it worked for Underwood. After she performed this song during season four, Simon Cowell said she would not only win but she would sell more records than any other Idol winner. He called that one. It’s funny, the audience boo and give him a hard time, but I usually agree with what Cowell says about the performances more often than not.

Speaking of judges, after David Cook performed his rendition of Lionel Richie’s "Hello" a while back, Randy Jackson commented that he had made a slightly Emo version of a pop song. I wasn’t sure who this Emo person was, so I turned to the Magic Box (my computer) to find out. You can find out anything by asking the Magic Box. For example during Dancing With The Stars you can ask, "Exactly how old is Priscilla Presley?" Answer 62. It’s kind of like a Magic 8 Ball, but harder to turn over. Anyway, imagine my surprise to learn that Emo is a style of music and not a person. D’oh! Well it’s a punk / indie rock kind of thing; something I’ve not ever been into. By the way, Lionel Richie commented on Cook’s performance of his song; said he just killed it (meaning it was good). I also liked him rockin' "Eleanor Rigby" last week; it was different.

And does anyone else have this problem now? Every time I hear a Journey song, instead of picturing that cute Steve Perry, all I can think about is Randy "The Dawg" Jackson in some awful jacket with that flat top hairdo. Does this hairdo have an official name?

The Box

I have to confess again that I’m so unorganized, I can’t find things. Just this week I was wanting a particular recipe, so I had to turn to …ba ba bum….“The Box.”

For years I have cut recipes from magazines, collected recipes from product labels and other packaging, and utilized various other methods of piling up recipes.

Obviously “The Box” used to have another purpose. Yes, it does have The Little Mermaid written on the lid. Once upon a time, this container housed my daughter’s Ariel doll and all her accessories. I’m not sure Ariel spent much time in this box; seems like she was always in the bathtub singing. At least I think that was her in there singing and splashing around.

Earlier this year, in an effort to get my act together, I went through every recipe in “The Box” and pared the collection down considerably. I mean if I haven’t tried the recipe in ten years, would I ever. Absolutely not. Plus, in an effort to eat healthier, a lot of the recipes no longer fit into my lifestyle. These had to go; gooey cakes and rich pies and other desserts that my diabetic husband can no longer eat.

My intention was to place as many recipes as I could into protective sleeves and then put the sleeves into a binder. I didn’t get very far with this task; somehow I got side tracked.

My ultimate goal is to have all my recipes in one location. I know I will never have them all in files on my computer, so I don’t even go there yet in my mind. I have so many projects, that I often get overwhelmed and don’t know exactly where to begin. There are many tasks 95% done around here and just as many that have never been started.

By the way, I did not find the recipe that I was searching for in …ba ba bum…“The Box.” In my search I did however find the recipe that I could not find last time I was looking through my collection. It was not found in "The Box," it was actually in Box #2. Yes, I know, this is shameful. When one box was full, I started a second one. Since my purging earlier this year, maybe I will now be able to combine the two.

Okay, so I’m still looking for one recipe; I’m sure it will eventually turn up. In the meantime let me share the one that I was looking for the last time. This was last month when I was telling about my secret love of “The Bread” and how it was the lunch ladies fault for making those fantastic greasy topped school rolls. At the time, I could not for the life of me find my recipe card for these delicious flaky bundles of joy, School Hot Rolls. I actually acquired this recipe card at a garage sale, so don’t really have any idea of the background. I was just hoping it would be close to the rolls in my memory. Well, to sample the recipe and make a lovely picture of the results, I had to go to the store and buy some of the ingredients. I don’t bake much, so honestly, I was out of all of the items except water and salt.

The result is that these rolls are very good, but they're still not my elementary school rolls. So I will keep looking for that ultimate recipe.

School Hot Rolls

• 2 ¼ cups water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 6 ½ cups four, sifted
• 1 ¾ cups dry milk powder
• ¼ cup shortening, melted

1. Mix water, sugar, salt and yeast together.
2. Pour the mixture over dry ingredients and shortening which have been placed in an extra large bowl. Mix combined ingredients about 9 minutes on medium speed, or until dough leaves sides of the bowl.
3. Shape 2 ounce pieces into 25 rolls. Brush the tops with more melted shortening.
4. Cover and let rise in warm place until increased two or three times.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes.

On back of card is written: 100 portions

• 2 ¼ quart water
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup salt
• ½ cup plus 1 2/3 tablespoons dry active yeast
• 6 ½ quarts flour, sifted
• 6 ½ cups dry milk powder
• ¾ cups shortening, melted

Holly Day

March 20, 2008 - Happy 50^th Birthday Holly Hunter

I think Hunter has always been a fascinating actress. She’s played quirky characters and takes risks with her roles. She’s very funny; her laugh makes me laugh. Some of my favorite Holly Hunter moments are listed below.

Broadcast News (1987) with William Hurt, Albert Brooks, and Joan Cusack. Written and directed by James L Brooks. I smart comedic look behind the scenes of the nightly news. Dialog is crisp and fast paced with many punchy one-liners.

Always (1989) with Richard Dreyfuss and John Goodman. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Romantic remake about love, loss and moving on; set in the world of aerial fire-fighting.

Once Around (1991) with Richard Dreyfuss, Danny Aiello, Gena Rowlands, and Laura San Giacomo. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Renata falls hard for Sam. Sam doesn’t fit in with Renata’s family. Touching and heartbreaking, but also funny and uplifting.

Home For the Holidays (1995) with Robert Downey, Jr., Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, and Cynthia Stevenson. Directed by Jodie Foster. My younger brother and I used to watch this together every year, either Thanksgiving or Christmas. It's a movie about family; a dysfunctional family that talk and fight and love each other. Mostly it's about a brother and sister who rely on each other to get through the stress of the holiday with the family.

Saving Grace (2007 TV) with Leon Rippy, and Laura San Giacomo. Something about this TNT original show makes me keep watching it. The first few episodes I kept saying, “Do I like this show?” Now I’m hooked; it’s odd but extremely compelling.

Hunter plays an Oklahoma City cop, Grace Hanadarko, who is visited by an angel named Earl that delivers a message of redemption from God. This “last chance” angel also visits an inmate on death row. Grace’s brother is a Catholic priest: Grace is practically an atheist. They lost a sister in the OKC bombing and as a cop Grace worked the aftermath. Grace shows a softer side when interacting with her best friend, her nephew, and her Native American grandfather. Oh yeah and then there’s the Jesus cow; spots on side of cow forming a face.

I think what makes the show disturbing to watch is the brilliant acting of Hunter; she is convincing as a tormented, slutty, often drunken character with serious issues. I really don’t need to see her bony naked body anymore. There are many odd Oklahoma references in the show. Most character’s last names are a cities in OK: Ada, Dewey, Stillwater, Perry, Norman, Yukon, and Purcell. I personally find this distracting to my viewing. The show has already had the obligatory tornado destroying buildings episode. Scenes have been shot at an oil rig and at a stockyard; like this is the show Dallas or something. Most of us Okies live in cities and wear shoes, not boots people. Oh, by the way, it would be nice if the show would actually film in Oklahoma.

Overall conclusion is that I can’t wait to see what happens next on this show when it resumes in July. Plus I enjoy the cool theme song performed by Everlast.

I'm Feeling Better Now

One of my new favorite things is MHD, Music High Definition, a channel on Dish Network included in the HD package. It offers music concerts and music videos in high def. Remember when MTV and VH1 played music? That was a long time ago, wasn’t it?

Familiar shows that can be found on this channel are replays of Cross Country, Crossroads, Soundstage, Unplugged, and Storytellers to name a few. Plus, I've recently watched Music with Altitutude: Gary Allan in Breckenridge, Gorillaz: Live Harlem, and Summerfest: Lynryd Skynyrd.

But the best thing I’ve watched has to be - Collective Soul’s concert, "Home" with the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. Fantastic! I’ve been a fan of Collective Soul for quite some time, but never as much as now. A DVD of this concert has been out for a couple years, but I hadn’t ever seen it.

Here’s a sampling. Enjoy!

Find Joy

When I was a kid,

people used to say

"Oh, go fly a kite"

like that was a bad thing.

Even if you get winded after two minutes of running around,
go fly a kite today

or find some other fun activity that brings you joy.

Sister Sightings (5)

Local News: Two females started a food fight at the local Furr’s restaurant this week. When one of the women knocked over a man’s walker, his son asked them to stop. This resulted in the man and his 72 year old father being assaulted. The son ended up with a loose tooth and the father suffered a broken nose in the brawl. Police are searching for a 37-year-old black female, about 5 feet, 6 inches weighing 260 pounds, and a 20-year-old black female, about 5 feet, 7 inches weighing 110 pounds. They fled the scene in a four door gray Chevy Malibu with missing hubcaps.

Monkisms: Barbicide, the blue liquid that barbers have soaked their combs and scissors in for years, is coming out with wet wipes. The new owners of the company hope the public’s fear of germs will give the product new life.

Cute Picture: Cover of this week’s Family Circle magazine - these adorable dog face cupcakes. Their little noses are all made with marshmallows. Directions inside magazine.

Food Find: Musselman’s Fruit Spread Apple - Cherry - Peach. Low sugar, no fat, great flavor. Tastes like apple butter, only better. Good with peanut butter. You do know that apple butter makes a great hot grilled sandwich, don’t you?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Now go drink yourself a green beer.

Funny Cartoon:

Taste The Rainbow

What’s up with the schools these days? Don’t the kids have enough pressures in today’s world without having to deal with this.

Michael Sheridan, an eighth-grade honors student in New Haven, who was suspended for a day, barred from attending an honors dinner and stripped of his title as class vice president after he was caught with a bag of Skittles candy in school will get his student council post back, school officials said. Superintendent Reginald Mayo said in a statement late Wednesday that he and principal Eleanor Turner met with student Michael's parents and that Turner decided to clear the boy's record and restore him to his student council post. "I am sorry this has happened," Turner said in a statement. "My hope is that we can get back to the normal school routine, especially since we are in the middle of taking the Connecticut mastery test." Turner said she should have reinforced in writing the verbal warnings against candy transactions. Michael had said that he didn't realize his candy purchase was against the rules, but he did notice that the student selling the Skittles on February 26 was being secretive.

I’ve heard Skittles lead to the hard core stuff: candy canes, Snickers, donuts, pie, corn syrup, pure cane, crystallized. Before you realize it, you’ve got a 200 dollar-a-day fructose monkey on your back you can’t shake.

Now join me as I grab a spoon and a jar of my personal favorite, the delicious Marshmallow Fluff.

Hmm…yummy!

Life In Balance

Life is all about balance; finding time for all the things that are important and make life meaningful.

For me, some of those are: love, spending time with family, gardening, playing with the dogs, cooking, exploring the great outdoors, remodeling our home, socializing, relaxing, writing and otherwise being creative. I also have to find time for my two jobs in there somewhere.

Last year my life was all out of whack. It consisted mostly of remodeling, cooking and working. Cooking was a good thing for me to do; I ate much healthier and actually lost weight. My dogs however are under exercised and still overweight.

I didn’t spend much time with my family members during the home renovations and now some of them are no longer around.

During that busy year (or was it two), I didn’t venture out from my home much and I didn’t socialize at all. Heck I didn’t even have time to garage sale, which my husband and I always had fun doing in the past.

Also, I totally neglected my flower beds. Here are the results:

That’s right the beautiful flower shots are the before and the bare ground shots are after the inattention. A few brave hyacinths remain.

 

I’m hoping that I can find the perfect balance in my life this year. Writing is something that I just started doing; that and socializing. I’ve also began renewing relationships with some of my family members.

I’m wanting to start up the remodeling projects but I don’t want to neglect the other aspects of my life. After all, if I don’t have love, family and all those other parts balanced in my life, it will become as barren as my neglected flowerbeds.

Men vs. Me

The difference between men and women? Well, here it is in a nutshell (no pun intended).

I found out yesterday that we will be getting money back from the IRS this year (about dang time). Of course, we have it mentally spent before we’ve even receive it.

My first thought was that it would make a good starting fund for our garage/home office remodel project that we both wanted to start last year. My next thought was a little more practical, as I looked at the amount and saw that it was just a little more than what I owe my dentist for some crown work he recently did.

My husband’s idea was to use the money to pay down the credit card so that he could then go and charge a new television on it. He has had TV envy ever since he saw my younger brother’s gigantic new television this past year.

(In my brother's photo above, the yellow box he's pointing to represents a 27" TV.)

Evidently my brother’s TV is so large that it prevents him from leaving his house! So, maybe if my husband gets his way, at least my brother can come visit without fear of suffering from ‘screen-size’ withdrawal symptoms.

Actually my brother is supposed to be bringing software so we can make a floor plan of the aforementioned garage remodel project. Hmm, I smell a conspiracy here.

You know, in a case like this, I think the dentist will come out the winner. So this round goes to...men.

Party On

My husband and I went out to eat with another couple Saturday night. It was pointed out to me that this is the first time we had ever done this; gone out with another couple, not family members, without any kids. Surely this was not the case, as we have been married for fourteen years.

I guess this falls under the things I do in my pretend / alternate life. Or was it in some past life? In my “pretend” life, I have a very active social life. I often host elaborate cocktail parties where I serve drinks using my fancy barware collection.

Wine glasses and openers, shaker and lime squeezers, cork pullers and other thingies.

Libations are mixed from recipes found in these books.

One of my favorite potables is the Calypso Cooler:

• 1 ¼ ounces Captain Morgan spiced rum
• ½ ounce peach schnapps
• 4 ounces (½ cup) orange juice
• splash Rose’s lime juice
• ½ ounce grenadine

Garnish

• orange wedge
• maraschino cherry

Fill a 16 ounce glass with ice. Pour all ingredients over ice in the order listed. Don’t stir. Garnish with an orange wedge and a cherry on a toothpick. Serve with a straw.

At these social gatherings I would also have many hors d’oeuvres and crudités to choose from. These would be served in my extensive collection of serving trays and bowls.

I would surely have a dip prepared in this fancy dip bowl. It has recipes printed on it for reference.

Fresh shrimp would be arranged in this lovely fish dish.

That would be next to a tray of fruit and different chesses; each marked with their name.

And of course I would decorate everything with lovely garnishes made with one of these two kits. (soon to be available at my next garage sale, email if you would like one)

Do people even host cocktail parties any more? I think I must be flashing back to the early days of the Dick Van Dyke show or something.

I have actually hosted a couple of parties for my family members. This of course was before I adopted so many dogs and before I started tearing my house apart renovating my home. I think anyone who was in attendance would attest that I can put on quite a spread. I do enjoy cooking when I have the time. But, why on earth do I have all this party ware if I’ve only had a couple of parties?

This is all pretty funny considering that my husband and I are perfectly happy eating a hamburger or hotdogs while swigging back a couple of brewskies out on the tool storage area back deck.

I ain’t fancy!

But, I've not even used this set.

Naked Jungle

I used to watch old classic movies early on a Sunday morning before my husband would even wake up. I love these old movies; they have interesting dialogue. My father in-law is also a fan of these movies and will watch one at work sometimes. I enjoy discussing them with him.

One favorite of mine is from 1954.

"The Naked Jungle" starring Charlton Heston and Eleanor Parker.

Heston plays Leiningen, a man who carved out a cocoa plantation in the middle of the wild South American jungle with the help of his head hunter workers. His brother arranges a marriage between Leiningen and the beautiful and regal Parker. Arrogant Leiningen, who knows little about women, wants to know what is wrong with her upon her arrival. He is upset to learn that she has been married before (she's a widow) and arranges to have her shipped back on the next boat. She tells him while playing his 'perfect' piano, "If you knew anything about music, you'd know that the best piano is one that's been played." Subtle, huh?

Before he can ship her off, the Commissioner (William Conrad) warns of a menace looming in the distance, Marabunta! An army of soldier ants 20 miles long and 2 miles wide is heading their way. Leiningen decides to fights back to save all he has created for himself in the past 15 years. 'Leiningen's woman' stands by her man so that the plantation workers don't flee in fear of the danger; thus garnering his respect for her. These ants are made to look very scary, destroying all the vegetation and anyone who gets in their way. I love this movie; it's part love story and part sci-fi thriller!

As a side note: I recognized actual footage from this movie when it appeared years later in a MacGyver episode,Trumbo's World.

Most Watched Movies

My niece recently asked me what my favorite movie was. In the past, I would have immediately answered Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off has been at the top of my list for years now. Can you believe it came out over 20 years ago, in 1985? I love this movie for it’s simplistic theme; take a day off and have fun. We all need to play hooky once in a while. Why? Because…

“Life goes by pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Well said, Ferris.

Abe Froman, Sausage King of Chicago!

 

Bueller however was not the movie that popped into my head that day. I thought about all the classics and the lists of the 100 greatest movies of all time. I pondered the movies that I had watched numerous times; deciding that the most viewed film had to be my favorite. The result was almost too embarrassing to tell. But, the movie that I have watched the most is….

Dirty Dancing. I know, but I can’t help myself; it‘s my guilty pleasure. At the time it came out, one year after Bueller, I thought Patrick Swayze was really hot. He had scorched up the television screen as Orry Main in the mini series North and South only a couple of years prior to his Johnny Castle role. That’s when I fell for the Swayze. He has this sexy face he makes when he is moving in for an on screen kiss. Ladies you know what I’m talking about here right? Anyway, I actually was inspired to read all three of the John Jakes novels (North and South, Love and War, Heaven and Hell) based on my enjoyment of the mini series. Have you seen these books? They are like War and Peace enormous. Well, enormous for someone that usually only reads magazines articles.

Anyway back to the Swayze and his dirty, Dirty Dancing. I swear this movie is playing on some TV station somewhere at any given moment. I can’t help but stop and watch it when it’s on, waiting for one of those famous lines. “I carried a watermelon.” “But, Daddy, I want to be in the show!” “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” I like the dancing and the soundtrack too; especially the song “She’s Like the Wind” that was co-written and sung by Swayze.

Just this week it was announced that Patrick Swayze is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer. While I don’t still have the hots for the Swayze (he looks old now, good thing I haven‘t aged any) I do wish him well and hope that he can recover at his Rancho Bizarro from this awful disease.

Below is a video especially for my younger brother.

Leaving Las Vegas

It was an exciting race weekend in Las Vegas. My favorite driver Mark Martin won the Nationwide series race on Saturday and Carl Edwards won the Sprint race on Sunday. Spectacular racing and wrecking both days.

Martin won the race by process of elimination; he was the last man standing. Everyone who had a car even close to catching up with him, wrecked or blew an engine or a tire, taking them out of the running. Then Martin took out Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski near the end of the race, on lap 195.

Always the gentleman, Martin had this to say in Victory Lane, "I've got to apologize before we do anything else. I ran into the back of Carl. I hate it. I just hate it, really, because we could have had a 1-2 finish with JR Motorsports."

Young Keselowski races for JR Motorsports owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in partnership with Rick Hendrick, who Mark Martin was also driving for that day.

Earhardt had this to say about Martin after the race, "We all know he's one of the cleanest drivers out there. He's taught this entire garage how to drive clean and how to drive respectfully. It's guys like him that taught a lot of drivers how to race."

I find that really interesting considering when I saw this wreck my first thought was that it looked just like something Dale Earnhardt Sr. would have done on purpose. He was called 'The Intimidator' for a reason, after all.

Sunday Carl Edwards, aka Cousin Carl, came from behind and overcame many obstacles to finish the race ahead of the pack. Dale Earnhardt Jr finished second.

Pretty boy Jeff Gordon smacked his car up the best on Sunday with his radiator actually flying off his car along with various other parts. He crashed into an opening on the inside wall that did not have the SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barriers. This happened with only five laps to go on the race.

Victory was short lived for Edwards, post race inspection discovered that the cover was off of the oil tank and the team has been docked points and fined for this infraction.

I didn’t talk about last weekends NASCAR race in CA, because it was such a long drawn out event. The track in Fontana was too wet to be racing on. There was one spectacular wreck; the kind I like with wheels off the ground and fire. (video below, try to imagine it on my HDTV) Then the folks were out trying to cut grooves in the asphalt to counteract the water seepage on the track. Then there was more rain, and a day’s delay in finishing the race. Cousin Carl finally won the race about 52 hours after the drop of the first green flag; customary back flip ensued. The end.

Sister Sightings (4)

TV/Movie: Andrew Koenig, son of Walter Koenig of Star Trek fame, was arrested earlier this year for stepping in front of a Rose Parade float while holding up a sign that said Free Burma. The younger Koenig is best known for his role as Richard Stabone aka. “Boner” in the television show Growing Pains. He also appeared in a Star Trek DS9 episode titled Sanctuary; playing the character of Tumak. I never put this Boner/Koenig connection together.

There is also a sister Danielle Koenig, who is a actress, writer, and comedian. She is married to comedian Jimmy Pardo.

Walter Koenig is married to Judy Leavitt, also an actress. They both appeared in the Babylon 5 episode A Race Through Dark Places, where she played a Psi Cop.

All four of the Koenigs appear in "InAlienable" a downloadable movie written and produced by Walter; also starring Marina Sirtis, Alan Ruck, and Richard Hatch. (The actor, not the Survivor winner)

In The News: A group of twenty-nine middle school students in Readington Township, NJ upset by their shortened lunch period paid for their $2 meals with pennies on Thursday. School Superintendent Schiff gave them two-day detentions for slowing down the lunch line and disrespecting cafeteria workers. On Friday the students ‘brown bagged” it and gave the lunch ladies apology cards. Sunday, Schiff rescinded the after-school detentions. In his e-mail, he said the students described their actions as a prank and that news reports inaccurately called it a protest. Several parents had complained the punishment was too harsh, but though some thought it too lenient.

Are you kidding me? I love that the kids took a stand; I hope it was a protest. Remember the Boston Tea Party? This is American History in action. Do they still teach history in school these days? Surely their parents or grandparents remember the Sit-Ins of the 60’s. These kids joined together and counted to 200; they didn’t show up with guns! Lighten up people; leave these youngsters alone.

This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard since last week when six year-old Bryan Ruda was expelled from school in Parma, OH because he sports a mohawk. Bryan went on to change schools, not his hair. Rock on little Bryan-ster.

Local Celebrity: Monday, March 3, 2008 marked the first day of Delta Airline flights between our city airport and the metropolis of Atlanta. The jets will leave the airport at 6 a.m. and 12:25 a.m., and arrive from Atlanta at 12:05 p.m. and 9:03 p.m. Vice Mayor Randy Warren, thanking Delta for bringing regional jet service to the city, said the community got behind the idea of bringing Delta to Lawton and now residents will “get behind (the idea of) keeping you here.”

When Worlds Collide: Novelist Stephen King has written the script for “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County” with music by singer John Mellencamp. The play will open at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre in April 2009, with the object of getting it ready for a Broadway run. It is described as a ‘sultry Southern gothic mystery with a blues score.’

Sounds dark. Well as least now you can get to Atlanta from here.

I spend a couple of weeks in Atlanta. A tornado touched down less than a block from where I was staying and all the power at my hotel went out. Always travel with a flashlight, people.

While there, I visited the World of Coca-Cola and Underground Atlanta, the downtown shopping mall. This historic area was home to speakeasys and juke joints in the early 20’s.

In the plaza between these two attractions, you can relax by a fountain and admire the wall of whales painted by famed muralist Robert Wyland. Wyland was influenced to study whales and care for the environment by someone I also admire, Captain Jacques Cousteau.

Protect Me

I guess the word is out about my Monkisms. Today I received a 700+ page catalog in my mailbox for safety equipment and protective products. This thing took up the whole mailbox. I poured through the pages like it was the Sears Wishbook.

Here are some of the highlights.

They have coveralls and shoe covers; starting with the inexpensive one time use, tyvek styles.

They have flame resistant coveralls, coveralls to protect against chemical spills, all the way up to the Level A Suits. Sexy.

I did get excited about the 64 pages of glove selections!

Here’s a glove for people who poke forks into their hands. Now that’s useful.

 

How about this pair made for handling raw chicken? My husband could use these instead of those ‘sissy’ gloves next time he makes chicken and dumplings. They are even cut resistant.

Also useful for men working in the kitchen is this attractive hairnet and matching beard net ensemble. Now that’s funny.

I might want to post these signs nearby; they demonstrate how to mangle and severe your fingers. Oh, I didn't know.

I wonder if they make a sign for people who raise up and bash their head while crawling underneath their desk.

Need an all-over head net? This protects you from the elements when venturing outdoors.

As do their wide selection of face masks and respirators.

I like this pleated style; it looks like a duck bill.

And let’s not forget about the CPRotector; it's for people who are willing to administer CPR as long as they don’t have to actually touch your mouth.

You can even order CPR training manikins from this company.

I call this picture “5 Heads in a Duffle Bag.”

Ziti for your Sweetie

I cooked dinner this evening. Not sure why, I was the only one home at the time. Well, I had all the ingredients; and fresh ingredients don’t keep. This was not one of my usual 30 minute meals, those I don’t mind making. This recipe had a roux and lots of steps and used various cooking utensils.

I think I need to cook from scratch every once in a while to remind me why I don’t do it. First it takes too long, not a good idea when you’ve worked all day. Secondly, it makes a big mess that has to be cleaned up; something else you don’t want to do after a long day. What was I thinking?

It was a new recipe and I wanted to try it. It made the whole house smell like garlic; at least it covered up the bacon smell from yesterday’s breakfast. My husband walked in the door, "Something smells good." He had been craving some pasta. The results: "This is great," he said.

My dogs also love the smell of chicken, garlic and pasta; they stared me down the whole time I was in the kitchen. “Oh please, please, drop something down here on the floor for us,” their little puppy eyes pleaded. “You know I only drop onions on the floor and you can’t have those,” I replied sharply. (When you have dogs in the house, it’s not like you’re really talking to yourself!)

Here’s the recipe. You might want to wait until a weekend to make it. I recommend never letting your husband microwave anything with aged Asiago cheese on it; smelly! I also recommend not loaning your food processor to your daughter until you get yourself a new one, but that’s another story.

Chicken, Broccoli, and Ziti Casserole

• 4 slices hearty white bread, torn into pieces 
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 ½ cups grated Asiago cheese
• 5 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons melted
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lb ziti
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup white wine
• 3 cups milk
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 1 ½ lb) cut crosswise into bite ¼ inch slices
• 12 ounces broccoli florets, cut into 1 inch pieces

1. Pulse bread, 2 minced garlic cloves, ½ cup Asiago, and melted butter in food processor until coarsely ground. Set aside.
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and ziti to boiling water and cook until nearly al dente. Drain in colander and rinse under cold water until cool.
3. Melt remaining butter in empty pot over medium heat. Cook onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Add remaining garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in wine and cook until liquid is almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and broth and bring to boil. Add chicken and simmer until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining cheese until melted.
4. Microwave broccoli, covered, in large bowl until bright green and nearly tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir cooked broccoli and drained ziti into pot and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to 13 by 9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture and bake until sauce is bubbling around edges and topping is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Serves 8.

(I actually used chicken that was already cooked and a different pasta.)

Gone to "See The Light"

If there's a rock and roll heaven,

Well, you know they've got a hell of a band!

Rest in Peace, Jeff Healey.

Blind Guitarist Jeff Healey Dies at 41

TORONTO (AP) — Blind rock and jazz musician Jeff Healey has died after a lifelong battle against cancer. He was 41. Healey died Sunday evening in a Toronto hospital, said bandmate Colin Bray, who was in the room with Healey's family when the guitarist died.

The Grammy-nominated Healey rose to stardom as the leader of the Jeff Healey Band, a rock-oriented trio that gained international acclaim and platinum record sales with the 1988 album "See the Light." The album included the hit single "Angel Eyes."

Healey had battled cancer since age 1, when a rare form of retinal cancer known as Retinoblastoma claimed his eyesight. Due to his blindness, Healey taught himself to play guitar by laying the instrument across his lap. His unique playing style, combined with his blues-oriented vocals, earned him a reputation as a teenage musical prodigy. He shared stages with George Harrison, B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Bray said he and many others expected the guitarist to rally from this latest illness. "I don't think any of us thought this was going to happen," Bray said. "We just thought he was going to bounce back as he always does." Healey had undergone numerous operations in recent years to remove tumors from his lungs and leg. Bray and fellow bandmate Gary Scriven remembered their frontman as a musician of rare abilities with a generous nature and wicked sense of humor.

Healey's true love was jazz, the genre that dominated his three most recent albums. His love of jazz led him to host radio shows in Canada where he spun long-forgotten numbers from his personal collection of over 30,000 vinyl records.

His death came weeks before the release of his first rock album in eight years. "Mess of Blues" is slated for a North American release on April 22. He is survived by his wife, Christie, and two children.

Elmer Thomas Park

For as long as a can remember, I’ve gone to Elmer Thomas Park. Before we kids were even old enough to walk, Dad would load us all up in the car and take us to the Duck Park. We would gather up all the old bread in the house and go feed the ducks. I even remember at some point that my Dad used to bring home big bags of popcorn to take out there. I think this popcorn was what the movie theater was going to dispose of at the end of the night. Not sure how Daddy came to be in possession of it, he must have had an in with an employee. Anyway, pouring that large bag of popped goodness out on the ground created quiet the melee for the ducks and geese previously swimming out on Lake Helen. This can be a frightening experience for a small tot; to be swarmed by the swans.

I don’t really recall the little Prairie Dogs in the park, but I think they have always been there. Maybe we were just smart enough to recognize them as wild animals and didn’t try to make them be domesticated and eat out of our hands like folks do today.

The park also had a fun playground with those big metal slides and swings. There were also some animal characters on large springs that were fun to sway around on and a large cannon you could shinny up. This cannon no longer has the clown head attached to the top of it; as if he were being shot out of it.

After playing in the park, the family would go around the corner to the LaSill Milk Company and pick up a gallon or two of ice cream. We didn’t get to stay and order fancy sundaes there, we always took the ice cream home. That was way more economical for our large family. (LaSill’s used to be a fabulous landmark building on second street. It has since been trashed; what a tragedy.)

Elmer Thomas Park was also the place in town to go on the Fourth of July to shoot off your own fireworks. This can also be a frightening experience when you are only two feet high; to have pop bottle rockets shoot past you. It was always interesting to see the park the day after this too. It looked like there had been a ticker-tape parade through there. I think it took about a week to clean that mess up. I can assure you that not one piece of trash came from my family; we were taught by our Dad to respect the earth. After all, we had grown up seeing the Crying Indian on TV. (Oklahoman Iron Eyes Cody shed a tear as he watched people litter in the Keep America Beautiful ads of the 70‘s.) That was many moons ago; the shooting off of firecrackers has not been allowed inside the city limits for some time now. It is great that just this past year a large fireworks display was staged right there at Elmer Thomas Park.

During the summers, the Vacation Bible School at our church would host a picnic at the park’s pavilion. This was a fun day of friendship and fellowship. I remember we would have ice cream in little plastic tubs that we ate with a tiny wooden spoon. For me it was always about the ice cream! VBS also took us kids on tours of interesting businesses in town. I remember going to a print shop and also across the street from the park we toured the Coca-Cola bottling company. (Another landmark building on second street; all that remains is a mural of the fun times had there.)

In my teens, my most memorable moments in the park were of spending time with my now husband. We used to sit out there on the concrete picnic table for long periods of time talking. Well, mostly he talked and encouraged me to open up and let him know what was going on in my life. What a caring friend he was; to just hang out with me in my silence. Of course he did it because he was totally in love with me! (Glad some things never change. I mean, who else would spend all day taking pictures for someone else's blog.)

The park has undergone a major renovation the past few years. Lake Helen has been expanded and improved. Much construction has occurred with a new road and a stage being build for outdoor concerts and activities. The park is becoming more people friendly, while at the same time remaining a resting place for every duck and fowl in Southwest Oklahoma. The birds are getting larger and larger all the time; must be all that bread.

My husband and I drive through the park all the time when we are coming back from lunch. We take this road less traveled so we can enjoy seeing the Prairie Dogs. They remind us of our dog, Cricket; she’s the same brown color. Hopefully in the future we will be able to enjoy many events and concerts together at the new Elmer Thomas Park. (There is a picture of us walking in the park on my ‘About’ page.)

Most of the old playground equipment has been replaced with the newer plastic variety and there is softer bark at the bottom of the slide instead of the gravel we used to land in. Personally I think it toughened us kids up trying to slide down a scorching hot piece of metal in the middle of August, landing in an equally hot gravel pit. I stopped by that playground today; I wanted to see just how high I could swing on the old swing set. I got kind of sea sick after a minute or two and had to stop. I did not try to see how far I could jump off of the swing like I did when I was a kid. I was concerned I might break a hip.