The Queen's Meme - Cooking 101

Her majesty is feeling a wee bit peckish and wishes to partake of actual edible food.  In order to assist her in this endeavor, please visit the website for full instructions, sign in for sharing, and keep the poor woman from starvation.  Here is her pathetic plea for sustenance:  "I could use some cooking advice. In fact, I could use a LOT of cooking advice. Would you indulge me? If you've read my blog very long you know that my kitchen disasters are legendary. I have a few culinary questions for you. Please feel free to share recipes!! (and instructions on how to decode them)"

1. What is the best dish you can cook? - The children beg for "Goopies".  They are a sort of working mother's fast version of enchiladas.  Do not use this if dieting. 

Fry up 1 lb crumbled hamburger (season with that god sent spice:  Lawry's Seasoning Salt and Lawry's Garlic, add chili powder or tobasco sauce if you want some real heat)

Dump can of Enchilada sauce in shallow pan to heat
Put one can refried beans in bowl in microwave to heat
In Frying pan heat oil for frying corn tortillas
Grate cheese or if smart buy already grated "mexican yellow and white cheeses)
Chop onions or buy pre chopped.  I said this was throw it on the table fast food.

To assemble:

Fry a tortillas and drain on paper towels (two to four per person).  when ready to assemble:  Dip in enchilada sauce.  Move to plate, spread with refried beans, hamburger, onions and grated cheese.  Dip second tortilla in Enchilada sauce.  Top the concoction with this tortilla and sprinkle with cheese.  Repeat if stacking three or four deep.  Throw in front of child for gobbling.

2. Do I have to beat eggs or can I whip them gently? Sounds so violent to me. - Think reverse snow conditions.  Whips are required, chains are optional.

3. I am reading a recipe right now for Hearty Beef-n-Cheese Pie from a recipe book I dug out of the cabinet. The instructions read..."Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large frying pan, brown ground beef, onion and green pepper."  I am already lost. Why must I turn on the oven and put the frying pan in it? And how does one turn beef AND peppers brown at the same time?!What color should the onion be?

Your majesty may I suggest that you use part of your vast wealth to hire a personal chef.  I do have a number for her.  You are far too important to spend your time crying over onions.

4. Did you ever cook something for your family that no one enjoyed and you had to throw out? - Actually no.  They have turned their noses up at various caseroles.  Not because it tasted bad, they just don't like caseroles.  At this juncture, I point to the milk and cheerios and tell them to rough it.

5. Why do all recipes say "mix sugar, flour and salt?" Don't they cancel out the other?  These are the teetotlers of cooking.  They all hang out together bragging about mixing sociallly and being "dry" and then they all go off the wagon together by mixing with the wets.

6. Why must you add eggs "one at a time" to a mixing bowl? Does anybody really know the answer to this question?  Have you ever tried to break more than one egg at a time?  Juggling doesn't work either.  Seriously, it is actually the best way to avoid a "bad egg".  In fact it is best to break them one at a time into a separate bowl, dump into the mixing bowl and then do the next egg etc.

7. Please post the recipe to something you think even I can cook.

This can be done in a cooking bag or in a crockpot.

1 Package dry onion soup mix sprinkle in bottom of bag or bottom of slow cooker
1 can musroom soup spread over onion soup
1 can water
1 7 blade chuck roast about 4 pounds  lay on top of soups
1 package of peeled carrots sprinkled around roast
6 red potatoes placed around roast

Either slow cook for three hours or cook in cooking bag at 350 for one and a half hours.

Peace Globes to Space

Mimi of Mimi Writes, the founder of the Blog Blast for Peace movement, has found another way for us to spread the peace message.  Here's the word directly from Mimi...

"I just launched my face into space on this peace globe via NASA's program called "Face In Space." NASA has invited the public to send their images and names into space on the remaining two final Shuttle Missions. It was fun! The Endeavor launches November 1, 2010 just three days before peace globes fly. Perfect! Once the astronauts return to Earth, you will be given a flight certificate signed by the Mission Commander that is printable from your computer. You can choose which flight you'd like to participate in. The second launch is in 2011. I chose to fly on the Endeavor Mission.

Once you've uploaded the image you will need do a little cropping to fit it inside the shuttle window but the tool is right there on the site for you. I sent this image and cropped my face into the window (see graphic above). How cool to have little blue wishes of peace floating in orbit from all around the world. IMAGINE!
Go here to upload your image to NASA. It's easy! It took about 10 minutes to complete. You even hear a simulated lift-off announcement and see the launch with your face in the shuttle window. Soooo cool and pretty amazing.

https://faceinspace.nasa.gov/

You must be 13 years or older to participate.

PLEASE let Mimi know when you do this so that I can keep count of how many peace globes there are in space.

How awesome to know that our peace globe presence will be soaring through the atmosphere at the same time we're launching BlogBlast here on Earth.

Shooting Minutemen

The Minute Man

Daniel Chester French

My blog buddy Linda over at Are We There Yet is trundling around Lexington/Concord today with camera in hand to search out historical persons, places, and things.  In her honor:

The Shot Heard Round The World

Ralph Waldo Emerson

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.
The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.
On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We set to-day a votive stone;
That memory may their deed redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.
Spirit, that made those heroes dare,
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.

Thursday's Child

March 2, 1944 was a Thursday.  One of the few superstitions I have ever had was that there was always something over the next hill.

Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maia (daughter of Atlas). He was raised by the Nymph Cyllene in Arcadia. He grew quickly and as soon as he could, sneaked away looking for adventure.

Coming to Pieria where Apollo was tending his herd of cows. Hermes waited until night before stealing the herd (as well as Apollo's bow and quiver), and then hid them in a cave. On the way back he discovered a tortoise and using its shell, stretched ox-hide and reeds, made the first lyre. Then he returned to his nurse Cyllene, who was unaware that he was missing.

Apollo discovered the loss the next morning and by means of divination determined that it was Hermes who'd done the deed. Going to Cyllene he accused Hermes of the crime, to which Hermes denied and Cyllene did not believe possible. In frustration Apollo seized the infant and carried him to Olympus to ask Zeus for a judgement.
Zeus was amused by the prank but had to give Apollo, another of his sons, justice. Hermes at last confessed to the deed and lead Apollo to the cave where all but two of the herd were hidden. Hermes however showed Apollo the lyre and played it for him. Apollo, impressed by the instrument, traded the herd and a golden staff for it. From then on, Apollo became a god of music and Hermes a god of flocks and herds, and they became friends. The other two cows had been slaughtered and served up into twelve portions, one for each of the gods of Olympus and one for Hermes, who was then accepted as an Olympian.

Mondays child is fair of face,
Tuesdays child is full of grace,
Wednesdays child is full of woe,
Thursdays child has far to go,
Fridays child is loving and giving,
Saturdays chld works hard for his living,
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.
 
And one of my favorite songs has always been:  Wandrin' Star
 
 

5 On Friday - Showstoppers

Travis of Trav's Thoughts has invented this delightful once a week meme.  For full instructions and to sign in so we can all visit you, just click on the link.

This week I'm off to Broadway for some of my favorite songs from newer musicals

First up, the bittersweet and funny song from a Girl Friday who's always the friend with benefits not the romantic object of someone's affections.



Kate Monster isn't doing all that well either in Avenue Q and here she is with her song of unrequited love.



Now Evelyn Nesbitt in Ragtime was getting plenty of love ... Maybe a little too much since her husband shot her lover leading to "The Crime of the Century"



Will Rogers was so well loved that Oklahoma nominated him for President as their "Favorite Son". Here is the rousing number from The Will Rogers Follies - Plus a great piece of choreography where no one is on their feet




Finally a song about gossip, machinations, and everyone chasing all the wrong someones with "A weekend In The Country" from "A Little Night Music".



Since the subject has been love, here is the cast of Rent closing it off with all the ways to measure the Seasons of Love

Everybody Knows

Not a wildly positive message to start the day, but who doesn't love Leonard Cohen

The Back To Fools Meme

Welcome to The Queen's Meme #50

The Back To Fools Meme

For those quietly insane adults hanging around after the kids have returned to school.  The house is quiet. No more carpooling twelve kids to the mall. No more fighting over the computer and the TV. I wonder if you learned your lessons this summer. Answer the questions in complete sentences, double-spaced, typed with footnotes, annotations and a bibliography. I'll take that by Tuesday afternoon if not sooner. And please, if you have any questions, raise your hand.  There will be a pop quiz tomorrow.  Check in with the Queen to sign in and participate

1. Do you know your primary colors? Describe for me, if you will, the colors red, blue and green to a blind person. (*hat tip special friend for this most excellent question!*)

Red is the warmth of fire on the hearth, while blue cools with soft water waves and green grows beside the water full of the life of trees.

2. What was your adult summer reading? Edward Rutherfurd "New York"

3. When you assembled your clothes last night for today's activities - you did do that, didn't you? - what did you choose to wear? - Hah!  You've never seen the grab and dash morning performance while crawling under the bed screaming, "Where in the h*** are my shoes now?"

4. What's in your lunchbox?- Fresh Fruit, can of albacore, and bottled water (I know I know, I'm dieting)

5. Imagine that your teacher is your fantasy crush. What would you bring her/him on the first day of school? Hmmmmm??? - Once did this for Mr. Liefer a mere 50 years ago - A Cake decorated with a map of the world since he taught current affairs.

6. No rest for the weary. Your child's teacher just called. A big ole' bully knocked your precious one into a locker for no good reason at all.  What is your response to the principal? I start at DefCon One and escalate as necessary until action is taken to curb all bullying in the school.

7. You have been given a pair of scissors, a glue stick and copy of Entertainment Weekly. Whose picture do you cut out and who do you glue to your headboard?  If you folks don't know the answer to this one, you REALLY have not been paying attention.

8. TEN POINT BONUS QUESTION! Now that you have time to watch all those Gilligan's Island reruns, tell me....What was the Professor really doing with Mary Ann all that time they were lost in the jungle?  -

I actually have a copy of the most pornographic poem ever written that describes the goings on by all concerned.  The reason I've kept it?  It is unbelievably well written poetry and absolute proof you can write well about anything.  Anyone who wants to see it, will have to send me an email.  When I say pornographic I'm not kidding.  This thing would get four exes so don't ask unless you mean it.

And remember this uplifting quote:

"If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers."

— Edgar W. Howe

Did someone just throw a spitwad at me?!!!

Didn't Know I Had My Own Label

This one should get you out of bed and on your feet!!

Finally Coming In September

Owls Owls and more Owls



First saw the previews months ago, and this is on the must see list.

World Dominion Phase 2

Mefis once more achieves victory over a mere human who will now henceforth be a beast of burden.

Please Mr. President

Cowley home on Martha's Vinyard with a message for

President Obama

Morning

5 On Friday Ku-U-I-Po

This may be another edition of  Trav's 5 on Friday (stop by to sign in), but given the anniversary of his death earlier this week, I went with The King.  The trouble with Elvis is that his songs are like potato chips:  There is no way you can stop at five.  I will kick it off with one that has a special if somewhat ironic attachment.  My first movie date with the young man who eventually became my husband was to see Blue Hawaii in 1961.  On the inside of my wedding ring were the letter MTYLTT (More than yesterday less than tomorrow) from the song Ku-U-I-Po.  The ring and it's letters were flung out a window of a car leaving town in 1971.  All things considered, I still like the guy, the movie, and the song, so no regrets.

Morning IPOD - Live Close By Visit Often

Probably shouldn't admit that this just may be my definition of a happy relationship.

Queen's Meme - Watch Me Watch You

Her majesty is at it again with the prying, snooping, buttinsky, wanting to know more than she should, nosiness.  It's called The Watch Me Watch You Meme. So hunker down with your spyglass and bourbon, don dark sunglasses if you choose and tell us your deep dark and guarded secrets. Or not.  Really if you know what is good for you, you will click on the link and sign in like the dutiful citizen of Blogginham that you are and cooperate with the edict.  It's so much easier than the dank and rat ridden dungeon alternative.


1. I have given you a pair of binoculars. If you could watch anyone in the world in the act of being creative or creating something, what would you choose to watch?  So many ideas, but I'm either handing Michaelangelo the brushes or Shakespeare the sharpened quills.

2. Turn your head to the left. What do you see? Explain its significance in your life. - A group of framed window cards for Broadway plays.  They are all ones I've seen and are my way of remembering wonderful evenings. 

I should say something about to the right.  It is a picture of a man just sitting on a floor with his head bowed and turned from the camera.  What always amazes me is that people walk into the room and immediately know that it is a picture of a very young Mikhail Baryshnikov without reading the words below.  It's a little hard to tell from the above picture, but the body is so tense, so obviously graceful, so ready to leap and execute whatever is running through that head, that you just KNOW who it is without reading the words of Joseph Brodsky or seeing the autograph that got me an almost delerious smile from a man who had just signed scads of programs handed to him by ballet bunnies when he saw presented to him, a book with the words of a friend.

How splendid late at night, Old Russia world's apart
to watch Baryshnikov, his talent still as forceful!
The effort of the calf, the quivering of the torso
rotating round its axis, start
a flight such as the soul has yearned for from the fates.

3. You are watching a parade. You see a float float by (they float, don't they?) with three of your favorite people on it. Who are they?  Politically correct answer:  Chris, Lani, and Theresa (Son, daughter and first grandchild).  Who do I really want to hang out with?  Hugh Jackman, Baz Luhrman, and Nicole Kidman because I want to know, "What in the hell went wrong with the movie Australia?"  Love/Hate relationship with that movie because of all the historical and continuity errors and I want answers.  Silly I know, but I want that conversation.

4. What do you like to watch on television?  Doctor Who, Masterpiece Theater, The Closer, House, Royal Pains, Memphis Blues, Treme .... there's a theme in here and it is probably really, really good writing.

5. Your blog is under surveillance by the Blogwatchers Association.  What are they watching for?  Helpful hints on how to run the world because this woman if she had an ounce of ambition and an extreme ego probably could.  Instead I would probably just put up a sign that read:  Hillary went that a way.....

6. Watch out! Your greatest superstition has befallen you. What do you "watch out" for on a daily basis?   Oh my I don't have any.  Maybe cross my fingers before the lottery numbers.  Doesn't help, but I do it.

7. Have you ever "watched" at a wake in the deceased home or funeral parlor? - Well sure.  Those are pretty darn good parties.  Must be the Scottish heritage, but the deceased is "invited".

8. Name one thing you always want to be awake for.  The only thing I don't want to be awake for is sleeping.  Everything else, bring it on.  I want to see it all.

9. What is the next opportunity you are waiting or watching for?  Travel, somewhere anywhre.  I really need to get behind the wheel and drive.

10. You are standing guard in Central Prison. It is your job to watch the prisoners online activities. What site would you recommend to someone in prison?  This may sound strange but Craig Crawford's Trailmix http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/ not because it is a political site and a very good one, but because there are some of the most intelligent people you have ever met agreeing and disagreeing with civility about all the issues of the world which is something those prisoners need to learn how to do.  You have to admit that is weird for a political site.

Back To Tupelo

Tomorrow is the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. My favorite guitarist, Mark Knopfler, wrote a song about when the downturn started ... when Elvis chose the wrong fork in the road. The '68 Comback Special was about to happen on December 3, 1968, but the drug fueled Las Vegas concerts were in his future with his death less than nine years later. He could still be Marlon Brando and the King of Rock and Roll, but he didn't get there from here. So you get two possibilities: Comeback and Death too Early from wrong choices, but either way a legend.

Around the time of 'Clambake'
Movie number twenty-five
You and the lying dutchman
Are still in overdrive

You're as strong as when you started
Mississippi in your soul
You can still be Marlon Brando
And the king of rock and roll

It isn't just the records
No, you must have hollywood
The songs alone are not enough
That much is understood

You'll soon be back in Memphis
Maybe then you'll know what to do
The storylines they're giving you
Are just not ringing true
Oh, it's a ways to go
Back to Tupelo

When you're young and beautiful
Your dreams are all ideals
Later on it's not the same
Lord, everything is real

Sixteen hundred miles of highway
Roll back to the truth
And a song to give your mother
In your first recording booth
Around the time of 'clambake'
That old dream's still rolling on
Sometimes there'll be the feeling
Things are going wrong

The morning star is fading
Lord, the Mississippi's cold
You can still be Marlon Brando
And the king of rock and roll
But it's a ways to go
Back to Tupelo

5 On Friday - Seal With Soul

Once more Friday rolls around and a chance to join in on the 5 On Friday fun at Trav's Thoughts. Stop by to read the rules and sign the Mr. Linky, then go forth and make music for all to share.



One of the problems with aging is that unless you force yourself to keep up, your cultural awareness slips farther and farther behind.  For ages now while watching star arrivals for various events I would see the model Heidi Klum passing through the phalanx of interviewers, always with this tall, incredibly dramatic looking man.  Somewhere in all those images, it sunk into a passing grey cell that he was her husband (they get married every year) and his name was "Seal" and that he was a singer.  So far so good, names attached they could both be ignored while I went about continuing to catch up on all performers from the last thousand years or so.  Then I heard him sing!  Now here's your chance for a little dose of soul courtesy of Seal.

Thanks For The E-Mails

If you haven't received this one, you have missed finding out that you are definitely not alone:

IT"S ALL YOUR FAULT

As we approach another hot month - I want to thank all of you for your educational e-mails over the past year. I am so totally screwed up now I have little chance of recovery.

I no longer open a bathroom door without using a paper towel, or have the waitress put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the bacteria on the lemon peel.

I can’t use the remote in a hotel room because I don’t know what the last person was doing while flipping through the adult movie channels.

I can’t sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed..hmmmm

I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking one’s nose.

Eating a little snack sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of trans fats I have consumed over the years.

I can’t touch any woman’s purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public bathroom.

I MUST ALSO SEND MY SPECIAL THANKS to whoever sent me the one about rat crap in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing.

ALSO, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.

I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl who is about to die for the 1,387,258th time.

I no longer have any money, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.

I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa’s Novena has granted my every wish.

I can’t have a drink in a bar because I’ll wake up in a bathtub full of ice with my kidneys gone.

I can’t eat at KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes, feet or feathers.

I can’t use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water uffalo on a hot day.

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

BECAUSE OF YOUR CONCERN, I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer buy gas without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer doesn’t crawl in my back seat when I’m filling up.

I no longer drink Pepsi or Fanta since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put ‘Under God’ on their cans.

I no longer use Cling Wrap in the microwave because it causes seven different types of cancer.

THANKS TO YOU I can’t use anyone’s toilet but mine because a big black snake could be lurking under the seat and cause me instant death when it bites my butt.

AND THANKS TO YOUR GREAT ADVICE I can’t ever pick up a Pennie dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting to grab me as I bend over.

I no longer drive my car because buying gas from some companies supports Al Qaeda, and buying gas from all the others supports South American dictators.

I can’t do any gardening because I’m afraid I’ll get bitten by the Violin Spider and my hand will fall off.

If you don’t send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon, and the fleas from 120 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor’s ex-mother-in-law’s second husband’s cousin’s best friend’s beautician . . .

Oh, by the way..... A German scientist from Argentina, after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mail with their hand on the mouse. Don’t bother taking it off now, it’s too late.

PS: I now keep my toothbrush in the living room, because I was told by e-mail that water splashes over 6 ft. out of the toilet.

Theme Song

If you ever get a chance to know a musician really really well, make sure he gives you "walk on music".  Whenever you enter that venue, someone will take up the theme just to say "HELLO"  You may never become a star in your own right, but for a few minutes, you will feel as if you have.   Here are two versions of my "walk on music" from two great stars.

Audra McDonald



And The Man Himself:  Sammy Davis, Jr.

Queen's Meme #48 - The First Thought Meme

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If this is Tuesday, it must be royal edict time.  Her majesty Queen Mimi of Bloggingham has once more commanded her subjects to produce something for her amusement.  To join in go visit The Queen's Meme to get instructions and sign the Linky so we can visit you and laugh hysterically.  Here are the guidelines for this week's meme.

"I would like to pick your brain today. Let's see what's lurking under the old cranium pot. And since I have to do TWO memes today due to my recent affliction with all things sea and I haven't finished building my sandcastle yet.... I'll make this one easy.

Here are the guidelines:

I will give you a picture. You will give me the first word that pops into your head upon seeing the image. It doesn't have to be just one word. It can be a sentence, a question, a joke, a caption, an explanation or whatEVER your gray matter conjures.  Scary. No? Don't cheat!

Just relax on Mimi's couch and do what the good Doctor Pencil Skirt says. Ready?"

1

Soylent Green Is People

2

Free podiatrist appointment when you buy two pair

3

You are in violation of the arms control treaty

4

Go Green Fly Broom

5

Put out the hors d'oeuvres

Ghost Hunters films at midnight

6

Teach me to say "NO!" to Apollo

7

Bloggingham is Real I Tell You!

8

Have you heard about Mimsy Starr

She got pinched in the Astor Bar

9

Stevie Ray Vaughn

10

Guess I won't be flying Virgin Airlines anymore