Knock your Socks Off

Green Day sings, "Never run in the rain with your socks on." Insightful. Thanks Billie Joe Armstrong. I say never run without socks designating which foot belongs inside each cotton, sweat-protection, heel-padded piece of heaven.

What's the key difference between the two pictures you see before you?

It's not Nike versus New Balance you're noticing. Better yet, seek out the tiny "R" and "L" located on Nike's addition to the ankle sock world. I always thought my best friend a bit O.C.D. when she grabbed her Sharpie after buying a new pair of athletic socks and marked the bottoms for each foot. I understood the concept but would not concede to allowing myself or my feet to feel so boxed in. I (and they) needed some breathing room.

Nike converted me. My toe's souls now follow the designated foot deity, and peeking into my drawer for socks for the day's run or work out regiment, if there is a clean Nike pair resting next to a plain, yet extremely comfortable New Balance free-for-all-feet sock choice, I go with the Nike. My toes thank me later.

Pulling these socks over my feet, lacing up my shoes, I can't help but notice the smooth fit nestling itself underneath each shoe. No lumps, no bumps, no wasted space or bunching fabric. Call me a matchmaker, but ahhh! the comfort my right foot underneath Nike's Dri-Fit "R" sock--what's that I hear in the background? Bonnie Raitt?

April 15--Tax Day for Some, Recipe Deadline for Others

While I understand that this isn't skydiving, learning M.M.A. fighting, climbing Mt. Everest, my cooking adventures are hiking a new path as I submitted my first recipe to a Taste of Home contest. Branching out, reaching higher, seeking the refreshing waters of a new hobby, new book, new friendship, new music--this is what life is about.

I'm not a top chef, and I honestly don't have hope in winning this contest, but seeing on the screen "The recipe Chocolate Peanut Butter Natty Cake has been updated in your recipe box and submitted to Simple & Delicious Magazine and contest Cakes & Torte" let me know that I've opened the doors to a aspect of the growing woman inside me.

To introduce the recipe, I replied:
Michigan sure knows sweets, and my favorite Michigan friend introduced me to a kicked-up Rice Krispy containing the flavors of peanut butter, toffee, and chocolate. Heaven in each bite, and my husband and I renamed these guys as "Natty Bricks" after my friend Natasha. My imagination sought ways to convert this recipe to a decadent cake, and I seem to have found the key. It's a "dressed up cake mix," but your taste buds will believe otherwise. This double layer cake will melt in your mouth with the lightness of the chocolate cake, creaminess of the peanut butter in between, and crunchy surprise of toffee chips in between. Try it yourself!

The contest called for a cake or torte, homemade or dressed up mix; if tempted by a decadent peanut butter and chocolate combination, read on and then cook on!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Natty Cake

Ingredients:
Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Butter Recipe Fudge Cake
1 to 1 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
I jar vanilla or cream cheese frosting
1 1/2 cups toffee chips


Preheat oven
Grease two 8 inch round cake pans for baking by coating lightly with cooking spray.
Mix cake as directed on package.
After mixing batter, pour half into one cake pan.
Fold toffee chips with remaining batter and pour into second cake pan.
Cook as directed on the package, checking close to cooking time for lightness of cake. Avoid overcooking.

Allow cakes to cool completely before removing from pan.
Place cake layer without toffee chips on icing plate.
Over the stove, melt the peanut butter in small skillet over medium-high heat until barely boiling and thin.

Pour over first layer and spread. Peanut butter may overflow over sides of first layer.
Immediately top with second layer (toffee chip side down as they travel down to bottom of layer in cooking).
Allow peanut butter to cool.

After completely cooled, ice cake with frosting.
For presentation, melt a tiny bit of peanut butter to drizzle over the top.

Slice and enjoy! Yield: serves 12

One for you and one for me!
Enjoy!

Coming Soon...Adam Lambert starring as Judas in Broadway's "Jesus Christ Superstar"

While I am not giving a complete breakdown of tonight's show, and I may regret failing to discuss Paula's reliance on cliche upon cliche, it must be noted that should some genius in high places in the musical production industry (who will be paid more than me for realizing this) decide to recast and produce Andrew LLoyd Webber's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, he would miserably disservice the industry in failing to seek Adam Lambert to drive the hit production to its highest levels perhaps ever. Yes, that statement I am making.

The Cardinal of Song (also known as my loving father) gave me one of the most beautiful gifts of my life in taking me as a child to see Jesus Christ Superstar FRONT ROW with the original Judas (Ben Vereen) and Jesus (Jeff Fenholt)from the 1971 Broadway premier. My breath can't capture the emotions I felt that night in mere syllables. I will not try.

Paradoxically, I had the pleasure and perhaps displeasure of seeing the show again years later with my father and took my husband along as well. The musical itself, imprinted in my mind as it is, will place a smile upon my heart every time I see it; however, this particular production (2003) cast Sebastian Bach as Jesus, and his awkward stance while belting out songs included, I could not reconcile this casting choice in my mind.

The quality and persona of the singer must be apt, and there is no relevant singer more qualified for the role of Judas than A.I.'s top performer this season.



This movie clip above does not highlight the talents of Mr. Veneer, so check out below and listen for moments you can clearly hear Lambert's pipes melting your heart in this role:


He's money!

Yet, while investigating, a sudden shift in mind brought me to wondering whether he might play a better Jesus. Check it out (give it a good three minutes to get to the key notes):



So what shall it be? Cast him as Judas or Jesus? Thoughts? While the musical centers on the life and times of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the musical and movie would flop without the vocals of Judas. I'm sticking with my original casting, and if you have not seen the movie in it's entirety--check it out. If you have the opportunity to see the musical, it's one not to miss.

Check Lambert out below. I apologize in advance for the quality (as well as for the time you spent checking out each of these YouTube videos). Is four in one post a record?

You Cracked the Condiment Criminal and I Found a Halloween Costume

Ketchup with my breakfast
Ketchup with my lunch
Ketchup in the evening
and with my Sunday brunch.

If I were married to Dr. Seuss, I am guessing he'd dedicate a book to me, his loving wife, with the previous ode to ketchup as its beginning. He'd know my affinity for condiments and more importantly, the fact that the lifeline of particular foods solely depends on ketchup's tomato-ey presence gracing a plate. I go though so much at some meals that ketchup might just count as a side item. (Note to self--grocery mission should you choose to accept: find low-sugar ketchup to save yourself from the onset of Type 2 Diabetes) Eggs, French fries, sweet potatoes, chicken breasts, steak, pork chops, fish, hash browns, hot dogs, and hamburgers, while beautiful bites on their own, aren't ready for a night out on the town in my mouth (and late night belly) until ketchup completes their outfits as the perfect accessory.

Yet, you didn't check out this post for my ketchup love; I'm sorry that I wasted 30 seconds of the "unforgiving minute." You really want to know what I will be donning come October 31, 2010. You have two choices: keep reading my insightful commentary or skip it and scroll down below before simultaneously clicking "apple" "w," you mac users, to rid your screen of such tomfoolery!

What's my muse for this tomato-based condiment post? Funny you should ask. Thanks to a dear husband opening my eyes to the ways of the sports world, I checked out The Big Lead's feed to my Google Reader and stumbled my way upon the story detailing the postponement of the Red Sox's home opener. The Red Sox, big ballers right? A delay of opening day should stir up the presses, and it certainly did but not for reasons you may expect (weather, stadium structure compromises, Big Papi stalkers on the loose). Ketchup, apparently, as victim in the hands of an embittered truck driver, becomes the condiment culprit behind the decision to move the game.

While the press discussed the absurdity (cue Hollywood star calling it "surreal") of it all, what was it that grabbed me and shook me in excitement?

Boom--life size ketchup bottle.

Look out Trick-or-Treaters and Halloween attire contests everywhere; this is one condiment, I mean costume, that can't be topped.

When In Doubt Spending Your First Married Easter in Texas and Not With Family in LA...

Spice it up!

I raise my glass to you, Coiner of the Cliche, "It's the simple things in life!" Think about it. The first bath in the clean tub after scrubbing your bathroom for over an hour. The way your pedicured toes make you feel like a woman. Stocking stuffers. The tugging at your heart when you leave the grocery and see puppies being sold/given away in the parking log. Seeing the puppies again the next day.

This Easter weekend, while not quite "simple," quite simply requested that my husband and I cherish the aspect of life deemed (according to dictionary.com) "uncomplicated, effortless, undemanding" While our weekend activities proved none of these, we spent time together exploring kitchen adventures, thus reaching that uncomplicated and undemanding depths of ourselves that are often hushed and reprimanded during the busy-ness that is working and succeeding in today's world.

Traditional Easter weekend in LA: A Good Friday crawfish boil spent with one side of the family, a Holy Saturday crawfish boil with the other, and a go-to-Easter-mass-with-one-parent-visit-quickly-with-the-other-parent-and attend a barbecue with my husband's family Easter Sunday .
This year we decided to stay in Sugar Land and set our own traditions, and in doubts of our decision to stay away from all we've known, added sugar, Italian seasoning, crawfish boil, and certainly SALT to our menus while stretching our culinary muscles!

While I will post recipes, pictures, and stories associated with the entire weekend, my favorite kichen jaunt followed Bakerella's road to deliciousness.

One classic white cake mix; vanilla icing; and several melting white, pink and yellow chocolate packages later, I jumped in.


Saturday afternoon held cake-baking, icing-mixing, egg-shape forming, and chocolate-dipping, only to be followed by Sunday's decorating frenzy. Creating the pops can be tricky, and I suggest instilling extra confidence in the stability of your pops early in the process as during this first attempt, some of mine fell off the sticks, thus my creative take on the dessert.

After making the cake pops,
To decorate:

• Shape the cake balls into an egg shape.
• Dip in candy coating color of your choice.
• Let sit in the styrofoam block until dry.
• When dry, use a small paint brush to paint on a thin layer of corn syrup in a line around the egg. Do one line at a time. Right after you paint on the syrup, sprinkle on one of the sanding colors until all of the corn syrup is covered. Use a bowl sprinkle over.
  
• Repeat with varying designs and colors.
• You could probably also do this with the melted candy color, but this time I was experimenting and tried the corn syrup.
• For the confetti sprinkles, either dab a little bit of the candy color with your toothpick and glue on the sprinkle shapes or use a little bit of the corn syrup to act as the glue. The corn syrup will take a little longer to dry.
• Dry completely.
  

The number one rule in all things home improvement, secure the right tool for the job. Ditto for cooking and baking.
Unless you are heavily reliant on glasses and aren't reading with them currently, you've noticed the difference in my pops and my posted Bakerella picture. Without the appropriate sanding colors or confetti sprinkles (not housed at my local grocery or Michael's) and apparently the ability to smoothly coat my chocolate, I ran into some roadblocks (presentation, NOT taste, included). I managed this round but hope to improve in the future. This weekend's "Play of the Game" lies in the styrofoam block purchase, a clutch move suggested by Bakerella, in holding cake pops while drying and decorating. Genius.
I'm fairly certain that the sprinkes I purchased weren't fit for the job, but I adapted and although, not "effortless" in any sense of the word--bake the cake, mix with icing, freeze, dip in coating, freeze, decorate, and dry-- found a simplicity, challenge, and satisfaction, and a way to spice up, or perhaps sweeten, the treats of Easter weekend, those not purchased on our local grocery's candy aisle.

A.I. Minus the Live Blogging

Today's road, which I knew little of when I awoke this morning, held a 2 hour cleaning sprint at the tail end of it therefore leaving little time for preparing dinner and cleaning the kitchen before American Idol.
Besides, we've already discussed my ability to tolerate commercials, so as it turns out, I'm catching up now on what must be one of the greatest television additions to our time, the DVR and will be in "real time" via DVR playback.

Tonight's premise (songs from the year you were born) holds potential. Tonight's hit or miss will surely depend on song choice. Then again, how does that make it different? Each week one or all judges at some point throw out a you've got to bring it with song choice, and if it's Randy it's preceded by look, dog, and followed by a I'm just not feeling the swagger.

1980 Danny did well, sang the mess out of his choice "Stand by Me," but his ceiling is so low due to the Taylor Hicks' Effect (THE). Danny's cute, charming, sweet, genuine, and incredibly talented as a singer; however, older than me (standing over 10 years older than my students this year), he surely cannot reign as American Idol in today's musical kingdom. Judges' comments must be noted--you "turned it on its head" and "made it your own," and "you did your own thing and you did it well." Explanation follows with Kris discussion.

1985 Kris Allen--Your parents would be just as happy if you were a taxi cab driver? Ahh, the beauty of mothers. Kris, cutie, you remind me of a little brother, and surely the teens are falling all over you (See Exhibit A--girls swooning around the stage). I like you. I won't take the time to call in and vote for you though--sorry.

Even more important, our judges are truly outdoing themselves in contradiction this year. Their comments reveal that he did indeed "reinterpret it in that way" and "you did change it up to make it your own," yet at the end of the day, they decided, "When something is already so great, you don't need to change the arrangement." Really, guys, I hope you make use of your personal DVRs and huddle for a playback party to watch yourselves unfold in undermining your own commentary. Care for me to read your palm? I predict you will complete reverse this idea, not at the end of the show, but with the very next contestant!

Side note--Cheers to you Word of the Season! Simon's "indulgent" takes home the "W."
Perhaps I will begin writing that on student papers. Scandalous!

1984--Lil, girl, taking on Tina? You've heard Randy, Paula, and Simon lose their grits when contestants attempt Whitney; imagine what happens when you take on Tina.
(Nice work, cameraman, taking leg shots to remind us of the hardest working legs in Hollywood.)

I can't take this anymore. Paula criticizes, "You needed to lead Ricky and the band into creating your own niche of a song that is so classic...Tina Turner" and Simon warns, "You've got to start becoming original."

I get it. They need to rework songs, but only songs that can be reworked, songs that are "already so great." Avoid Whitney, Tina, the Beatles, and the likes.
They told Kris that "you lost you" when he rearranged his song choice. They suggested that Lil "become original" when choosing to perform Tina's "What's Love Got to do With It?" in a manner honoring her greatness.
I can't work with such ambiguity. It's what's keeping me off the show really. I'd try out and most likely make it otherwise.

Just to note--I should be grading right now.

1986 Anoop--probably boring, but he was a cute baby. This is sweet Anoop. My inner Cyndi Lauper toasts your efforts but needs that raspy voice inside the multi-colored-hair kindred spirit melting me instead. "You controlled the song" Anoop--so, what does that even mean?

1985--Scott--looks so much older than Kris. song choice--Quaint? Yes. Showcases your voice? Yes. A hit I'd hope you'd sing on the American Idol tour should I win free tickets because I won't spend the money on it myself? No.
Boring.

1992 Allison--choosing Bonnie Raitt for her voice is perfect! I wonder as I begin the performance though, will she sound too close? Will it be "original" enough? Will she attempt to change "something already so great" and fail?
Regardless, what is she wearing? Perhaps it helped make "the adult content of the song...young." Kara, Randy, Paula, and Simon (KRaPS I shall call you)--I need a clear focus and standard. Publish a judging rubric to follow. You are all over the map. How is "I can't make you love me if you don't" an over-our-heads piece of "adult content?" Have you ever talked to a high-schooler?
Paula, she added tenderness to a song that is so gut-wrenching and you applaud this? Perhaps this is where I fail as a critique of the contestants on this show. If the song was set out to be gut-wrenching, shouldn't it be just that?

Hey, American Idol producers, end with your two greatest--good strategy.

1985 Matt, honey, this is a cheese 80s pick, but I like you. Your triple threat, outfit, dimples, and groove (and to add a fourth from the judges--incredible vocals) combined for a sexy performance. Did the producers know you'd nail it and need no time for judge commentary?
Still a fan, babe.

That DVR that I glorified earlier, now a thorn in my side cutting off Adam. I'm off to hunt down the video playback online and perhaps revise this post to insure the impossibility of its being labeled "indulgent."

Going to the Chapel...

And we're gonna get married...Well, perhaps if your groom can actually reach you over mounds of tulle in order to kiss the bride. It's stylelist's Bridal Fashion Week . Ok, I'd get married again--showers, fancy paper, dainty flowers, an adoring groom, that "bridal glow,"...oh the joys, well, minus the guest list, the decisions, the long distance planning, the fittings, -Time Out- don't need that stress again. But then again, this time I just might hire my Blue-Eyed-Bride friend from LA Tech. I'd entrust every last detail of my day to her and wish I had known her talents while planning my big day.

Surely Mrs. B.E.B. would veto any suggestion of my wearing what stylist rhetorically questions, "Who wouldn't want to get married in it?". Awarded "the most wearable wedding dress," this table of fabric might be perfect to rest a cocktail upon at the reception or maybe even fuction as a winterland of twirls in a sort of blizzardy Mariachi dance. Those ladies can work it!
Seriously, who would not want to get married in it? Me, that's who.

Reason #1--I might have to accent with that thing on my head. Not happening.

Reason #2--It would be impossible to "Footloose" line dance in such a gown.

Reason #3 and perhaps the most important--who wants to exchange vows with 5 feet of tulle in between you and the man with whom you will spend the rest of your life?

Call me too practical; call me out of touch with the bridal trends of the 21st century. At least my husband didn't have to call me over mounds of too expensive wedding gown to let me know he'd taken me "to have and to hold" for the rest of his life.

Ha Ha Google...Very Funny

April Fool's Wishes to you too Mr. Google!
(Yes, I am aware that there is not a man (or woman) named Google who invented this tiny gem of email goodness.)

Seems they are quite witty though in the attempts to pull one over on us. The top of my Gmail Inbox greets me with "New! GmailAutopilot," and I of course in attempts to keep up with my techno guru husband thought I'd check it out and have a topic of conversation already locked and loaded for the dinner table. With claims that it is "The easiest email could possibly be," I read on and desperately searched for a link to add this apparent lifesaver to my account while at the same time pondering in my head just how this would work. Would I set it to only autopilot messages to certain people? What if it mirrors my style to the degree of sending a response to my boss that might look the same as a response to my jesting husband?
Hmm..

Ding...Ding...Ding...The bell rings in my head, and the lightbulb flashes on. It's April 1, and surely this is Gmail's excuse for a tiny laugh.
They had one at my expense...just for a moment though. My gullibility is disappearing in my older age it seems.

I leave this post wondering, though, if I am mistaken in my assertion. Guess I've got that gullibility thing working for me after all.