VOTE FOR TAYLOR BLACK

Together We Can Send TAYLOR BLACK to sing at Pops on the RIVER!!!

Entertainment & Arts – General  (Facebook Link)

Taylor Black is the daughter of Angela Moreland Black and Brian Black  and the granddaughter of our good friends, Larry and Elaine Black (now of Mt. Ida) of Benton, Arkansas She is 14 years old and a VERY talented singer. Right now, she is in an online competition that would allow her to sing in Little Rock on July 4th at our annual Pops On the River performance by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, if she gets in the top 5. However, she cannot do this without our help. She not only needs votes, she needs us to recruit others to vote for her!!!
Today is YOUR day to perform a Good Deed! A great teen singer from Benton needs your help and it won't cost u a dime!

Please register http://www.arkansasonline.com/sing (it's easy) and VOTE 10x per day per registered email address!   She is one terrific kid and deserves our support.  Let’s give it to her!

Thanks so much!  Please pass on the word.http://www.arkansasonline.com/sing

A SOUTHERN BELLE PRIMER REVIEW and Fried Green Tomato Stacks

In 1991 Maryln Schwartz published this cutie entitled A Southern Belle Primer or Why Princess Margaret Will Never Be a Kappa Kappa Gamma. Naturally, I dashed out to the local bookstore and scarfed (you do know that term, don’t you?) up all of the available three copies in their inventory. Ms. Schwartz is a native of Mobile, Alabama which, of course, qualifies her in all things Southern Belle. I recently uncovered this little book as I was attempting to “spring clean” the attic, so I set about reading it on the spot. If you grew up as or have adopted yourself out as a Southern Belle, her words will speak ever so directly to you. It is just plain hilarious. You just have to get yourself a copy of your own or head out to your local library to check it out. I guarantee that it will bring back lots of memories of fellow Southern Sisters and will certainly make you laugh a lot.

One of the passages in the book addresses the “ten telltale signs that always give a belle away.” If you’re game, take the quiz and report your answers in the comments. I’ll be sure to post the answers in a few days, so ya’ll come back:) Get out your best Crane notepaper and your Schaeffer ink (the real stuff) pen and answer the following:

A real belle:
1. calls the refrigerator the ___.
2. even if she’s ninety, calls her father “___.”
3. would rather walk down Fifth Avenue naked than wear ___ shoes before Easter of after Labor Day.
4. refers to a handbag as a ___.
5. doesn’t have a couch, she has a ___.
6. drinks iced ___in the middle of a blizzard.
7. will march for women’s rights for twenty miles but would die rather than walk two feet with a lighted ___.
8. dyes her ___ to match her cocktail dress.
9. will always have ___ for her parties.
10. has a deviled ___ plate.

I’m sure you can think of other equally important “tests,” and I will welcome hearing about those from you.

A real belle also knows how to serve up a plate of fried green tomatoes. I had some just the other evening; they were so000 good. This version is a “fancified” one that I got from one of my Southern Living cookbooks. It is really different and really good. When those green tomatoes are saying “summertime” in your area, I hope you will give it a try. It’ll make you slap hug your momma!

Fried Green Tomato Stacks
3 tomatillos, husked
2 tablespoons bacon drippings (you need this for the flavor)
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1 1/2 cups self-rising yellow cornmeal
3 large green tomatoes, cut into 18 1/4-inch slices (wait for the real thing – they are just so much better)
1 cup buttermilk
peanut oil
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 4-ounce package goat cheese, softened
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon sugar
fresh basil leaves
Bring tomatillos and water to cover to a boil in a small saucepan; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Drain and cool. Process tomatillos, bacon drippings, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and paprika in a food processor or blender until smooth; stir in basil (do not process). Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Stir together cornmeal, 3/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Dip tomato slices in buttermilk; dredge in cornmeal mixture. Set aside on a wire rack while oil is heating.

Pour peanut oil to a depth of 1/2 inch into a skillet (cast iron, of course) and heat to 375 degrees. Fry tomato slices, in batches, in hot oil 1 –2 minutes on each side; drain on the wire rack over paper towels. Keep warm.

Combine cream cheese, goat cheese, milk, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place one fried tomato slice on each of 6 salad plates; top each evenly with half of cream cheese mixture. Top each with one fried tomato slice and remaining cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining six fried tomato slices; drizzle with tomatillo dressing. Garnish each stack with a basil leaf.

6 servings.

For some really good information about all things tomato, check out the web site at Tomato Casual.

HANG THE HACKERS and Pasta Stuff

Isn’t it amazing how so many of us have become dependent upon our daily dose of computer time? I remember the first computer we bought for Perfect Daughter way back when she was a seventh grader. It was a TI. That’s Texas Instruments for those of you not living near here or for far younger birthdays than mine. The memory was a specialized tape recorder and everything had to be in code. We thought it was a great step up from the programmable electric typewriter. The TI lasted until we bought the first of our PC’s about two years later. This one was amazingly faster than the first one, and we were so glad to have it – until it lost PD’s junior English paper the night before it was due (natch!). It was there somewhere. We could see all of these funny little symbols, but the translation that we could actually read was not going to come out of that thing! That was probably CRISIS #1, but I didn’t learn my lesson- nope, no way.

There have been several upgrades in our household and at work since then, and we have managed to mostly control the “catastrophes” to just a few. We now have a desktop PC upstairs in my “office” (she said VERY loosely) and a newer laptop downstairs. This does not take into account the IPOD, IPHONE and Blackberry connections we make constantly throughout the day. We email, Twitter, Blackberry, text, Tweetpic, blog, seesmic, TweetDeck, Twitteriffic, search, research, and…(insert whatever techie verb you can think of). Fortunately, most of the time we do this without a hitch.

HOWEVER, earlier this week that all changed on the laptop. Suddenly, Google was no longer my friend. It didn’t seem to know that I existed, that we had a long-standing affair. I was rejected, discarded, and left to wonder why. No blog. No Gmail. No Reader. Zip. Nada. Nothing. I ran the virus scan manually. That didn’t fix it. I tried to System Restore and got a message saying that it couldn’t be done. Uh oh! It finally began to dawn on me that this was not a normal “incident.” I checked the upstairs computer; it seemed to be okay although a bit slow.

I’m not a very patient person, and when it comes to solving mysteries related to the computer, I am especially impatient! I gave up after a couple of days and called my personal “tech helper,” Thomas. He worked on the desktop and performed some “abra-cadabra” on the laptop. The dt worked fine – he says it is time to retire it, but it was still no go on the laptop. Now mind you, I have Norton Antivirus, Spynomore and Malvarebytes (not endorsing) but the virus got through anyway due, now I realize, through my negligence. Yep. Even though I pride myself on being aware and taking all sorts of precautions, I made a wrong click without thinking. After some research, I was able to figure out what went wrong and set about correcting it.

WHY DO THESE PEOPLE DO THIS!!!! I’m ready to vote in life sentences without parole. Anyone care to join me???

If you start having problems loading Google, look in the url for “redirection” and anything that seems to be labeled with “ abcjmp.” If this happens, then you’ve got IT. Email me if you need help.

I’m not sure what the point of all of this was other than to vent, so now I’ve done that. Maybe hanging would be better than life sentences. In the meantime, I’m baaaaaccccckkkkk!

After the computer meltdown – mine not its- Hubby was still on the golf course. Not wanting to eat out again this week (been one of those), I pondered the pantry and came up with the following. When Hubby asked what we were having for dinner, my reply was simply, “Pasta stuff.” He understood perfectly. Try it with or without your own computer crisis.

Pasta Stuff with Shrimp (or Chicken)

This would easily feed 3 as a main course, 4 with side dishes.

Saute until soft:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups frozen seasoning blend (love it!)
1 –2 teaspoons minced garlic

Add to the vegetables:
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
* We prefer spicy.
1 15-ounce can stewed tomatoes with garlic, basil, and oregano
3/4 can water
Simmer slowly until reduced and thickened.

Meanwhile: Cook the desired amount of preferred pasta. I used whole wheat penne, but just about any denser pasta would work perfectly. Drain well.

Chiffonade about 5 tablespoons fresh basil (cut it into small strips).

Grate desired amount of fresh parmesan. I used about 1 – 1 1/2 cups. Hubby likes his cheese!

Just before serving, add desired amount of frozen, shelled, deveined, precooked shrimp (which is what I had on hand in the freezer) and heat thoroughly. You could substitute some precooked chicken strips if you prefer.

Add the pasta to the shrimp and tomato mixture. Stir. Spoon into serving bowls, sprinkle with lots of fresh parmesan, and garnish liberally with fresh basil.

I served it with a tossed salad and garlic bread. Mmmmm. We had enough leftovers for lunch the next day.

GO KRIS!

Here's to the next American Idol! I hope:)



YES!
Congratulations to Arkansas's Kris Allen!

A Thought to Read: A Real American Idol From Mandy at The Osborne Fam blog.

ANGELS AND DEMONS and Grilled Chicken and Pecan Salad

Hubby and I went to see the new Tom Hanks’ movie Angels and Demons over the weekend. I’ve been eagerly awaiting its release since I first saw the teaser trailers months ago. I enjoyed reading Dan Brown’s books keeping in mind that they were FICTION (too many people got all hot and bothered over them, I think). Anyway, since I really liked the film version of The DaVinci Code, I put A & D on the top of my “to see” list. It was, in my opinion, enjoyable but not over the top. We saw it on a big screen which really helped with the scenery. Both of us kept leaning over and whispering, “We’ve been there.” Or, “We saw that!” It just makes me really want to go back to Rome soon. You can read some of our Italian adventure on this earlier post.

I started thinking about the angels and demons in my own life and decided that I would share some of those with you.

ANGELS

* FAMILY: Hubby, Perfect Daughter, Perfect Son-in-Law, and the REALLY Perfect Boy and Perfect Girl. (Yes, I know they aren’t really perfect, but they are perfect for me. Our daughter has and continues to be such a blessing. We’ve seen her and she’s seen us through lots of good times and some not-so-good ones as well. What I admire most about Emily is that she is her own person. Always has been and I hope always will be. She is so smart – I’m sure that all came from me! (or maybe not) What a good momma she is! I so love that even when she comes home from those long days and nights on call, her children are the center of her attention. Play games? Sure. Shoot two points? It’s what she has been wanting to do all day. Get out the jewelry and babies? Of course! Tom, the PSIL, is such an easy-going guy. They are truly complements for one another. He’s a great dad, too. I love that he and Hubby share so much enthusiasm for golfing and duck hunting. I’ve already written loads about the Perfect Ones, but let me just say that I have the cutest and bestest grandchildren that have ever existed:) Hubby. Well, he’s put up with me for almost forty years, and that is not an easy thing to do. He’s been my best friend and my rock. Then there’s my dad, my sister and her family, plus all of the great cousins. I definitely know how fortunate I am to have all of these angels in my life. Thank you God for my family.

*FRIENDS. Who else but the friends who know you best would show up and surprise you at work on your birthday AND arrange to kidnap you for the rest of the day? Linda, Elaine, Sandra, Mary Lynn and Billie Ann have been there for me for so many years. We’ve grown up together as wives, mothers and grandmothers. I’ve taught and mothered their kids. They’ve loved mine in return. My life is certainly better because they are in it. My community excels because of what they give to it. I am blessed to know these angels.

*CHURCH AND FAITH. We joined First Baptist Church three months after moving here and have been there since. Dr. Bernes Selph was our first pastor there – what a man of God he was! Dickson Rial was a spinning top. He had more get up and go than the Energizer Bunny. Dr. Randel O’Brien went duck hunting with hubby and wrote about it in his book. Dr. Tommy Tutor baptized our daughter. Dr. Randall Everett and his wife, Sheila, lived next door to us. They were so much fun. I don’t have space to tell you about all of the practical jokes we pulled on each other. One had something to do with hanging whitey-tighties and bikini underwear from a clothesline which was visible to most of the neighborhood – but who am I to admit guilt to that! Dr. Rick Grant is our pastor now. I only wish that I had his commitment to God’s will. Our church has been an anchor in our lives. Our God has been our foundation and while we may fail Him, He has never failed us. Praise God for my church and my faith.

*LIFE AND HEALTH. I have a good and blessed life. I live in a nice home, in a nice neighborhood with wonderful neighbors, and in a terrific community. My job, as is Hubby’s, is secure. The basic necessities of life – food, clothing and shelter – are not lacking. The bills get paid, and I don’t worry about where my next meal is coming from. My health is good. I need to lose some weight and get back to a good exercise program, but I can do whatever I want (except maybe back flips on the trampoline). My aches and pains are few and very far between. Thank God for the angels of good health and a good life.

And, yes, there are demons as well. Perhaps on another day...

Dear God,
Thank you for the blessed angels in my life, for your Son, and for my salvation. May you continue to lift me up when the demons try to take over. Amen

Here a little temptation, but I don’t think it comes close to being a demon. It’s just delicious.

Grilled Chicken and Pecan Salad
4 servings
3 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon walnut oil
2 cups torn arugula, rinsed and dried
1 1/2 cups mixed salad greens, rinsed
1 cup thinly sliced Belgian endive
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup pecans, toasted

Spray the grill or broiler rack with nonstick spray; prepare the grill or preheat the broiler. Grill or broil the chicken 5 inches from the heat, turning occasionally until cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Let cool. Thinly slice on the diagonal.

Bring the cider to a boil in a small saucepan and cook until it is reduced by two-thirds, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cider to a bowl; add the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, and thyme. Gradually whisk in the oil.

Combine the arugula, mixed greens, and endive in a large bowl; add the apple and half of the dressing and gently toss to coat. Arrange the salad on plates and top with the chicken and pecans. Drizzle the chicken with the remaining dressing and serve at once.

Note: I like to sprinkle each serving with a tablespoon of feta, gorgonzola, or bleu cheese.
From Great Cooking Every Day

BUNNIES ASK FORGIVENESS and Sock It To Me Cake

Okay, I have to confess that I owe my neighbor, Kate, an apology over the recent rabbit infiltration of my mailbox flower bed. She came by on Saturday with this cake fresh from the oven to apologize for her wandering juvenile delinquents and to offer to pay for the flowers they had eaten. Wasn’t that a nice gesture? I learned that she had actually rescued ONE poor bunny from the stew pot only to find out later that Momma bunny was pregnant and had produce several little charmers after hiding out in Kate’s flower bed for a couple of days. Thinking that Momma Bunny could very well fend for her brood all by herself in the woods behind her house, Kate invited them to have free range there. Apparently, MB had imprinted with Kate and decided that she would much prefer to remain in the backyard thank you. EXCEPT that she and junior (the only remaining bunny child that can be located) actually choose to wander about in the neighborhood on their own occasionally. It’s a funny story. Guess it’s better if you are there at the telling. After Hubby tasted the cake, he told Kate that the bunny family was welcome to munch in our yard all they wanted just so long as we were rewarded with another cake. Traitor! I have to admit, however, that the cake is (make that WAS) delicious.

I really agree with Cat Lincoln writing for Green Daily. I think we should leave the baby chicks and baby bunnies with their mommas and not make them temporary Easter attractions. Yes, they are very cute. However, they grow up and aren't so cute after that especially in terms of the messes they make. Now, if you live at Happy Valley Chick and Bunny Farm, then go for it. Raise all of those babies that you want. We'll all come visit. That’s all I have to say about that!

Sock It To Me Cake
Servings: 6

• STREUSEL FILLING:
  2 tablespoons dry cake mix (from cake mix used in batter)
  2 tablespoons brown sugar
  2 tablespoons cinnamon
  1 cup finely chopped pecans
  Combine dry cake mix, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Stir in pecans and set aside.

• BATTER:
  1 package Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Cake Mix
  4 eggs
  1 cup dairy sour cream
  1/3 cup oil
  1/4 cup water
  1/4 cup granulated sugar

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine remaining cake mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, water, and granulated sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour 2/3 of batter into oiled and floured 10-inch tube pan. Sprinkle with Streusel Filling. Spoon remaining Batter evenly over filling. Bake 45-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 25 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Cool completely.

GLAZE:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons milk
Combine confectioners’ sugar and milk in small bowl. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over cake.

From The Best of Down-Home Cooking

SUNDAY NIGHT SUPPERS Chicken Parmesan Sub

FBC Pure Energy 2009

Sunday evenings used to be very busy times in our home when Perfect Daughter was involved in all of the youth activities there. We were very regular in our attendance then, but have become “sinful slackers.” Pizza from a local takeout was our regular Sunday evening meal. Either it was enjoyed by the three of us, or as often as not, what seemed to be our entire youth group would join us. We’re no longer “in the youth group loop” unfortunately. We do support them, however, and appreciate the many wonderful projects they do. Our youth choir, Pure Energy, is leaving soon on its summer tour. Hubby and I travelled with them on a few occasions. It was an absolute blessing. They’ll be journeying this year with others who will give them lots of love and support. I think there will be some 100+ young people making the tour. I appreciate them and their talent so much. For the seniors this is an especially priceless time. They will use the leadership skills they have developed over the past few years to guide those in their charge. They have a tremendous responsibility. I hope you will join with me in praying for them as they go about this ministry and as they travel.

Instead of pizza, these days we either eat leftovers or enjoy something from the grill on Sunday evenings. This is an easy menu item and one we have enjoyed on several occasions. It’s an old one from Eating Well magazine.

Chicken Parmesan Sub

Makes 4 servings
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts cut into 4 portions or 4 small breasts)
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 6-ounce bags baby spinach
1 cup marinara sauce, preferably low-sodium
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
4 soft whole-wheat sandwich rolls, toasted

1. Position oven rack in top position; preheat broiler.
2. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Place chicken between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with the smooth side of a meat mallet or a heavy saucepan until the chicken is an even 1/4-inch thickness. Dip the chicken in the flour mixture and turn to coat.*
3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach and cook, stirring often, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
4. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. Add half the chicken and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and chicken; transfer to the baking sheet.
5. Top each piece of chicken with the wilted spinach, marinara sauce and Parmesan. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Broil until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Serve on rolls.

*Note: Instead of following this part of the recipe, I usually just grill the chicken either on the stovetop in a grill pan or outside on the “real” grill. When I have fixed it according to the recipe (basically), I will add some Italian seasoning and panko to the breading mixture. Try it using the different techniques to see which one you prefer.

Nutrition Information:Per serving: 467 calories; 13 g fat (4 g sat, 5 g mono); 78 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrate; 42 g protein; 5 g fiber; 762 mg sodium; 791 mg potassium.
Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 4 1/2 very lean meat, 1 fat

EASTER BUNNIES GONE AWRY and Orzo with Tomatoes and Arugula

We are used to all kinds of critters showing up in our yard. In an earlier post, I related the story of our garden and the problems we had with groundhogs. Bunnies, foxes, armadillos, squirrels (anybody want any?) and other assorted animals visit us routinely. However, except for the groundhog, we’ve never really had any big problems. Earlier this week I was admiring the clematis that is blooming around our mailbox when I noticed that two of the tickseed plants (sometimes called tickweed) in the same bed looked awful. I blamed one of the neighborhood dogs with which we have had difficulties in the past. Ranting and raving, I burst into our kitchen and unloaded on Hubby. He thought (as anyone else would have) that I really had lost my mind! I was ready to call the pound, the sheriff, my neighbor the City Councilman, ANYBODY who would take that dog out of MY misery. Fortunately for me, I had such a busy week that I could not follow up on any of my threats. Well…yesterday morning as I was leaving bright and early for school, I looked up the driveway and what did I behold but two big, fluffy, white bunnies nibbling away on their morning breakfast! I called Hubby to come help! He, of course, wasn’t willing to go chase after them in his post-shower towel, so it was left to me to defend the homestead from these ravenous villains. It was war! I’m used to rabbits – the brown variety- that scamper away to the forest when they see me approaching. These monsters of plant-eating death, however, seemed overjoyed to see me! Obviously, they were somebody’s pets. I stopped my car at the top of the driveway, got out my trusty phone and took their pictures – some of which I think they actually posed for. The best ones turned out to be in my neighbors’ yards – the Jones and Tucker families. (You have to look closely for those two little white specks.) I was willing to let the bunnies go this time in hopes that they would soon find their way home and away from Mrs. McGregor’s (AKA me) garden. The story continues….

Then during my first period class I happened to mentioned my early morning encounter when Julie’s hand slowly rose. “I think those may have been my mom’s pet rabbits,” she whispered. Huh? Julie is not only one of my students, she lives across and up the street from me. “We were wondering where they were,” she continued. Then she began to relate some story about her mom’s willingness to adopt these Easter bunnies perhaps with some idea of raising them, even maybe to eat them! Upon hearing this last tidbit of news, I was ready to save these poor creatures from such a horrible fate. Never mind that only an hour earlier I had called for Hubby to get out the cannons! Gathering the senses that were left to me, I suggested that she might want to call her mom to let her know that her pets had escaped from the safety of their backyard and were steadily devouring the neighborhood. So far, they haven’t returned. I don’t think I will ask about their fate. While I have eaten and enjoyed rabbit, I have never stared one eye to eye and then cooked up a fricassee! So, today, I’m off to the nursery in hopes of finding some new items for the mailbox bed. I think we are having chicken for dinner. Or better yet, I think we’ll visit the Greek Food Festival that is going on this weekend.

Here’s one of my favorite summertime recipes. Since I don’t have a garden again this year, I will rely on our Farmer’s Market to keep me supplied with the arugula and tomatoes. The orzo is in tribute to the Greek Food Festival. You will notice the absence of rabbit, of course.

Orzo with Tomatoes and Arugula
Serves 2
1/2 cup orzo
2-3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon good quality balsamic vinegar plus additional to taste
2 small tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup coarsely chopped arugula (chiffonade)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil (chiffonade)
1-2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional), lightly toasted
Cook orzo in a 2-3 quart saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well and transfer to medium bowl. Toss with oil and and vinegar. Cool to room temperature. Stir in tomato, arugula, basil, and pine nuts. Add additional vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
This makes for a nice summer lunch or as a side dish to grilled meats.

HOMETOWN APPEARANCE BY KRIS ALLEN and Pat's Cheese Dip

I thought you might like to view Kris Allen’s performance when he made his recent hometown appearance. It is just amazing to be in Arkansas right now and hear all of the American Idol talk. I polled all of my classes on Tuesday as their thoughts on the final two. They were, of course, highly supportive on the “local” boy. (Conway is about 45 minutes from us.) It was amazing to hear their discussion on Adam and Danny, however. I thought one class was going to war! Middle schoolers are such a hoot. From looking at all of the posts on Facebook, I thought some adults were going to battle as well. The Twitter posts were just as heated, too. Needless to say, Arkansas fans are adamant in their support of this talented young man and wish him all good things.

If you watched Tuesday’s performances, you heard Kris mentioned that he had been given a lifetime supply of cheese dip from Stoby’s. This cheese dip is famous throughout central Arkansas and is marketed in our local Wal-Mart stores. It reminds me of the cheese dip my mom used to make all of the time at home. I’m pretty much a Velveeta Rotel girl myself. You can find some recipes using their cheese dip on their web page HERE.

I thought I would share my Mom’s recipe with you. It was always a hit at home.

Pat’s Cheese Dip
4 tablespoons butter, melted (use the real thing)
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon cumin seed, slightly toasted
1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper sauce
2 cups milk
1 1/2 jalapenos (to taste), minced
1 clove garlic, minced
8 ounces Kraft American cheese

Before starting: grate cheese, warm the milk, melt the butter, toast the cumin seed, and chop the garlic and jalapenos.
Whisk in flour with melted butter. Stir until a roux is formed. Add the dry ingredients and whisk thoroughly. Add the warm milk and bring to a simmer. Add the pepper sauce, jalapenos and garlic and allow to simmer about 5-8 minutes. Add the grated cheese and stir until it is melted thoroughly. Remove from heat, cool and serve.

KRIS ALLEN – Kick Awesome!

Congratulations! Way to go Arkansas and all American Idol Fans!

AMERICAN IDOL - WHO WILL IT BE?

Tuesday night on American Idol it was down to the top three performers. The three remaining contestants-- Danny, Adam and Kris--had to sing two songs one of which was chosen by the judges.

I think that the performers choices were better than the choices made by the celebrities. Danny was the first to perform and he had to sing “Dance Little Sister” chosen by Paula Abdul. Next was Kris Allen who sang One Republic’s “Apologize”. I thought it was ‘okay,” but it wasn’t my favorite performance of his. Simon picked Adam Lambert’s song. He performed U2’s “One.” I liked it, but many of my students and co-workers disagreed.

During the second round of songs, Danny had "You Are So Beautiful” by Joe Cocker which I thought was terrific. Kris had Kayne West’s “Heartless.” Absolutely awesome! Adam sang "Crying,” by Aerosmith. Did the background singer bother anyone but me? I’m in a rush to publish this before the results are in. My predictions are Kris (HOORAY) and Adam.

MOTHER'S DAY REVISITED and Chocolate French Toast

I know I have already written about Mother’s Day, but like so many others, I just have to share some cuties from my day as well. Hubby and I were at Perfect Daughter’s home this weekend. We usually are there whenever she has weekend call (we make up all kinds of excuses to make the trip) which she had this past weekend. Fortunately, this was a relatively quiet weekend for babies and emergencies. She actually got a little sleep and was able to share some time with us and her babies, Perfect Boy and Perfect Girl.

Apparently, Perfect Boy spotted what he KNEW was the perfect MD gift for his mom a couple of weeks ago. Perfect Son-in-Law, in his wisdom, delayed the purchase of the item because he knew that PB would hand it over to Momma as soon as he could. So Saturday evening after dinner, PSIL, Hubby and PB headed out to the “toy store” (AKA shopping for Mom’s MD gift).

Since he wrapped it, he also decided it would be best if he unwrapped it. According to PB’s momma, it was absolutely THE perfect gift –something she was really wanting.

PB said his momma was a princess, so she needed a princess doll to play with. Isn’t that just the cutest thing! (I have to give credit to PSIL for letting PB follow through with this. It meant so much to him and to his momma. )

On the other hand, PG just didn’t quite understand why Momma got a princess doll instead of her It’s tough being two.

I absolutely love the special plate they made for me. You just have to know that they had a fun time creating it. I have just the place for it on the top of my cookbook shelf in the kitchen. If you look closely in this picture you can see the “pretzel box” that PB painted for me “all by self.” I’m not quite sure why he calls it a “pretzel box” unless it is just because he loves pretzels. Now he will know exactly where to find them when he comes to Nana’s house.

Perfect daughter really likes French toast and chocolate, so I think I will try to make this next recipe for her soon. She has such will power; she’ll be able to stop with just one piece. I wish I could do the same! This is another TOH goodie.

Chocolate French Toast

6 servings
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 teaspoon salt
12 slices day-old bread, crusts removed
3 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 ounces each), halved
2 tablespoon butter
powdered sugar
In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Pour half into an ungreased 13-inch x 9-inch baking dish. Arrange six slices of bread in a single layer over egg mixture. Place one piece of chocolate in the center of each piece of bread. Top with remaining bread; pour remaining egg mixture over all. Let stand for 5 minutes.
In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Toast sandwiches until golden brown on both sides. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut sandwiches diagonally; serve warm.

Note: Six 1-ounce squares of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate may be substituted for the milk chocolate. Heat squares in the microwave for 10 seconds before cutting into smaller pieces to place on the bread. Since we are both dark chocolate fans, I’ll probably substitute some good quality dark chocolate for the milk chocolate.

SAY HELLO TO MARS and Homemade Mars Goodies

Mars, the red planet

You may have seen that PowerPoint presentation about the upcoming visit by the planet Mars that is due to happen in August this summer. I found it exciting to learn that I would get to experience yet another astronomical phenomenon during my lifetime. Remember how we all got excited about the appearance of Haley's Comet in 1986 - at least those of us who were born at that time! Lunar and solar eclipses, especially those that occur where I can fully experience them, just fascinate me. Given the opportunity, I plan to take some classes in astronomy when I retire. My local university allows senior adults (OMG) to audit classes, and they have a really nice planetarium. That's one of the goals on my Bucket List (to be written about at another time).

I was around when Alan Shepherd was hurled into space - even if only briefly and when John Glenn made his historic orbit around the Earth. We even got to bring televisions to school just so we could see that one live! (I'm really telling my age now.) It was at that point that we all decided to become astronauts, but I don't think any of my classmates ever pursued it.

Since Mars is the second closest planet to Earth, I think we should be neighborly and check it out. It can usually be seen quite easily with a telescope - which I don't have unfortunately. I think it will likely be the first planet humans visit one of these days. I know it is named in honor of Mars, the Roman god of war, but I hope we go in peace when we do visit. It's also known as "the red planet" and that happens to be one of my most favorite colors (my kitchen is Sherwin-Williams Ruby Gem).

In honor of Mars's arrival, I'm posting the following two recipes. I think they are fun ones to do with the kiddos. The Mars Bars candy recipe might be more than you would want to tackle with little ones, but the Rice Krispies Squares should be easy enough to do.

Homemade Mars Bars

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1 pinch salt
2 egg whites
3/4 cup toasted whole almonds
35 caramels
2 tablespoons water
milk chocolate for dipping

Bring sugar, water, corn syrup and salt to a boil and cook to 270 degrees F (use a candy thermometer). While this is cooking beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. When the candy hits 270 degrees F, pour it in a thin stream over the egg whites while continuously beating with an electric mixer. (If you've ever made divinity, it is similar to that.) Continue to mix for around 20 minutes or until the texture resembles dough. Mix in the almonds and press into a greased 9-inch pan. Cool. While it is cooling, melt the caramels with water and pour over the almond fondant. Chill until firm. Working quickly, cut the candy into 24 pieces. Chill again and then dip each piece into the melted chocoate. Immediately chll until the chocolate is completely set. Store in an airtight container, separating with wax paper to prevent leaking caramel from sticking them together.

Mars Bar Rice Krispie Squares

3 regular size Mars bars
1/2 cup butter
2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Melt butter and Mars bars over medium-low heat in large saucepan until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in Rice Krispies. Press into greased 9-inch square pan. Top with chocolate chips and place under broiler for 30 seconds. Remove from oven and pread chocolate evenly over squares. Put in the refrigerator to set the chocolate for 30 minutes to 1 hours. Cut into squares and serve. Keep tightly covered.

Do you remember how you learned the names of the planets? I was taught: Mary Virginia Eats Muscadine Jelly Sandwiches Under Neath the Porch. This translated, of course, into Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Nepture, and Pluto. Poor Pluto. Dwarf. Lonely. Freezing. I feel so sorry for it now that it is no longer a planet. It seems to me that we just decided to pick on the little guy again. I'm thinking about forming a Facebook support group to bring Pluto back. Care to join me?

Now for the truth ---

Apparently, this hoax has been fooling lots of people including me for a long time. I was soooooo looking forward to bidding hello to My Favorite Martian and sharing my Homemade Mars Bars!

SO LONG OLD FRIENDS and Salmon with Orzo

When we first moved to this town, we had been married close to four years. Because we had so little furniture at that time, we pretty much moved the small items and Perfect Daughter ourselves. We did hire Melvin Cloud, a local independent mover, to move what we little furniture we had. I think it cost us $50 and a six-pack of beer! I looked for a picture of Mr. Cloud but could not locate one. He was an institution around here for a long time. His company still exists, but he has been deceased for years. I said all of that to say that included with the “stuff” were two file boxes of Better Homes and Gardens magazines that I refused to throw away. I was certain that I would be needing one of the recipes or the decorating ideas at some point and would be devastated if they could not be located. Wanting to keep the peace, Hubby reluctantly agreed to the move.Five years later when we moved from 2314 West Lakeview to 1804 Hidden Valley Drive, those BHG magazines were still boxed away. They didn’t make the move.

However, the Bon Appétit copies of the previous five years did. I was definitely not parting with those. I was destined to become the next neighborhood gourmet cook – Julia Child move over! I was content for awhile, but then decided that it was time to grow and spread (not literally at that time anyway). Along came my new friend – Gourmet. Throw them away? Absolutely not! They were valuable; they might be needed. What if I needed that recipe for eggplant puree or spinach mousse? My collection of both grew and Hubby encouraged me to get a job!

As my job and the demands of a pre-teen and then later a teenager required more and more of my time, my opportunities for actually reading these became fewer and fewer. And then we moved again. But I was addicted. Never one to hurt a publisher’s feelings, I was always the willing subscriber and the family of magazines grew. Along came…

and and

who joined the twins -
and I couldn’t possibly do without…
or these.

The family continued to grow and grow and GROW. I was positive that I could make these relationships work. Should I organize by title…maybe just by year…or maybe by month? I tried them all. And along came… followed by

not finished yet. Meet Paula, my new friend. She was soon joined by : By this time I was thinking that I really could use:

I was out of control! Something had to be done…. I begged the library, the hospital, my school, my dentist and doctor, too. Nope. Not on your life. They even locked the doors so I couldn’t get in:) I tried to be green, to save the trees and the planet – I promise. But it was a no-go. So…I closed my eyes and bid them goodbye. My trash man will never forgive me. I finally had my life and my upstairs closets back. But…I missed my friends. I think I’ll just stay in touch online, however and order the cumulative yearbooks…or maybe not.

Here’s another sample from the TOH Cooking School. Let me know what you think. By the way, a special thanks to my friend Kathy at Life in the Slow Lane for tipping me off to Windows Live Writer. It’s a great tool for improving your blog writing. You can pick up the link at her blog while you are checking out some great stories that she has to share.

Salmon With Herb and Citrus Orzo

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
8 ounces uncooked orzo pasta
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth

SALMON
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 salmon fillets (5 ounces each)
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons snipped fresh dill
4 tablespoons grated lemon peel
1/2 cup sliced almonds
lemon wedges and fresh dill sprigs

For orzo, in a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion and mushrooms for 4 minutes. Remove to a small bowl; set aside. Add orzo and broth to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook 12-15 minutes or until orzo is tender and broth absorbed. Stir occasionally. Meanwhile, for salmon, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 3 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove and keep warm. Add dill, lemon peel, almonds and reserved onion and mushroom mixture to the orzo; heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the orzo onto plates and top with a salmon fillet. Garnish with lemon wedges and dill sprigs.

Serves 4.

Mother's Day Molten Chocolate Cakes with Raspberry Coulis

I chocolate. I raspberries. I love the two together. So for Mother's Day (or for Monday, or Tuesday - you get the idea) I plan to make these molten chocolate cakes with raspberry coulis. It's a calorie splurge, but one I will indulge in just for this special day. I got this recipe from one of Hubby's golf magazines (surprised?) a couple of years ago and have really enjoyed it. It comes from the Harbour Club in Charleston, South Carolina. It's my preferred version of this fantastic dessert, and it comes from one of my all-time favorite Southern cities. I'm printing the recipe just as I got it from the magazine. However, I obviously (or I hope it's obvious) won't be eating all of these myself. I have several mothers in my neighborhood with whom I plan to share. They really are best eaten as soon as they come from the oven, but I definitely do not throw the leftovers away!

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup whipping cream
14 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1-1/4 cups butter
1 tablespoon flour
10 egg yolks
7 tablespoons sugar
Raspberry Coulis (recipe follows)
vanilla bean ice cream
fresh raspberries for garnish (optional)
Place the chopped semisweet chocolate in a bowl. Bring the whipping cream just to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Stir slowly until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour into a shallow glass dish and cool 10 minutes. Place in the freezer for 1 hour. Scoop out 10 balls, using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon. Place chocolate balls on cookie sheet and return to the freezer until needed.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray 10 4-ounce (1/2 cup) ramekins or custard cups with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Melt the bittersweet chocolate and the butter in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Do not let the water touch the bottom of the top pan. When melted, stir in the flour and remove from the heat to cool slightly.
Use an electric mixer to whip the egg yolks until well blended. Slowly add the sugar and beat until the mixture leaves a thick ribbon that stays on top of the batter when the whip is lifted up, about 5 minutes. Pour the bittersweet chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture and gently fold the two together.
Fill each ramekin a little less than halfway with batter and place one chocolate ball in the center of the batter. Fill the ramekins just below the top with the remaining batter. Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the ramekins, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Cool about 15 minutes.
To serve, run a thin knife around each cake to loosen from the ramekin and place on a dessert plate. Spoon the Raspberry Coulis around the cake and top with a spoonful of vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream. Garnish with two or three fresh raspberries, if desired.
Yield: 10 cakes.

Raspberry Coulis
2 6-ounce packages fresh raspberries (about 2-1/2 cups)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
Use a food processor to puree the raspberries and water. Pass through a sieve and set the sieved fruit aside. Heat the raspberry liquid and the sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the sieved raspberries to the pan and simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature and use to garnish the chocolate cakes.

This is not a complicated recipe. It may look like it, but it really isn't. Give it a try and share it with a special Mom that you know.

An early Happy Mother's Day to all Moms!

And a very special Happy Mother's Day to Perfect Daughter, the momma to Perfect Boy and Perfect Girl. I love you.