Hillary...must bE worRied!

he's smart. he's well-spoken. he's a democrat. he's unconventional. he's funny. he's presidential...he's hilLary's biggest threat! who is he? check out the title link. at the very least 2008's race will be interesting!

now for Some...Southern corNbread stUffing!

sorry vegetarians. I have got another Thanksgiving recipe. i'd eat this stuffing anytime!! enjoy. :)

Prepare a pan of Unsweetened corn bread the day before you plan on making the stuffing. any package will do, but if you're adventurous, try making one from scratch! Note: i don't know if i've ever found unsweetened cornbread so i'm pretty sure you can make it with the regular mix!

Day before/morning of make some stock:
turkey neck and giblets (just use parts you like for dressing)
1/2 onion
2 celery tops
1 1/2 quarts water

simmer several hours (day before) adding enough water to maintain one quart of liquid. Strain (pour through paper towels several times to get clear broth). Chill until ready to use. If white top forms, skim this fat off.

Day of:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Dressing:
2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 stick butter
4 cups unsweetened corn bread
4 cups coarsely crumbled toasted white bread
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 tsp sage
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp pepper
2 eggs
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups turkey broth
1/2 stick butter melted

To prepare dressing, in a skillet, saute celery and onion in butter until tender. Crumble corn bread in a large mixing bowl. Add toast crumbs, salt, parsley flakes, sage, poultry seasoning, pepper and eggs. (IF COOKING dressing inside turkey, add 2 1/2 cups broth.) If baking in a 9 x 13 inch pan, add 3 cups broth. Cover and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove cover, baste with one-half cup broth and one-half stick melted butter. Bake another 15 to 20 minutes until done and lightly browned.

Turkey time...time to get stuffed!

since we're only weeks away from thanksGiving and plans are being made, i thought i'd share an excellent turkey recipe. so while you're watching Michigan beat OSU on the 18th, remember to get your list together...and check this one out.

Select a turkey (10-12 lb), large baking bag, and throw away roaster
pan (Usually in same section as turkeys this time of year).

Defrost according to directions (pull out giblets).

Wash turkey well, dry inside and out.
When dry, rub butter (literally massage into the turkey) inside and out.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together
1 1/2 tbs salt
1 tbs pepper
3 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp basil

Spread mixture all over turkey inside and out

In large baking bag:
add some flour and shake lightly to coat the bag
Slice a large onion and put in the bottom of the bag
Cut up 2 stalks of celery and put in the bag with onions

Put turkey in the bag and pour in 1/2 cup of white wine

Tie bag and put some small holes in the top part of the bag (8 or so)

Insert thermometer into turkey even if it has a pop-up one. can't be too safe
right?! Put turkey in broiler pan in preheated oven (approx 2 1/2 hours for
this size turkey).

Turn off oven and leave turkey in oven for 30 minutes.

Take out carefully (broiler pan has to have support underneath when
removed from oven) and set aside to cool before slicing. Does not
slice well when hot.

Be careful when you open the bag since there will be lots of grease and
broth (to remove grease from broth, you can pour through colander with viva
towels three or four times until broth is clear and use later for
soups.)

Enjoy! next week...stuffing?! :)

SMS...google style

this is an oldie but a goodie...thanks, coredump!

for those of us who don't have internet on our cells or nice little PDAs, you can use Google on your cell phone by sending a message to 46645 (GOOGL - no "E" needed). type in your query for the message. for instance, you can look for gas stations by texting "gas stations" and the zipcode you are in. after sending your SMS out, you'll get a few messages worth of results. check out the title link of this blog for more info.

...some wOrds of advicE

so I've quit my first real job (after 4 years of service) and taken another that starts next week. yippee! i decided to take some time off between jobs and i've been on vAcation for 2.5 weeks now...yet somehow I have managed to do very little! sure, i tried out a few new recipes (and will probably share some later), read a few books, traveled, worked out, watched some TV, relaxed, saw family and friends, and of course, did nothing at all...it is amazing how time flies. i did manage to wash and clean my car. not an easy feat when you don't have a hose or a driveway (well not one that is as Long as the little civic that we drive).

you're probably wondering by now what my recommendation this week will be, right? here's what i recommend...nothing. NOTHING! just take a sec and zone out. hey, take a few weeks and do nothing! seriously. you need to take some time and just unwind. don't work, don't stress, don't do anything but enjoy life. if you really need to do something, then read a book, paint something, shop, watch a Tigers game, but don't work or think about work. we don't take enough time to ourselves.

here comes the cliche...work to live but don't live to work. stop to the smell the flowers sometime soon.

tiMe for...trash talk!

septeMber already. what does that Mean? tiMe for Michigan football! seriously...who else could you even think about cheering for right now? we're talking about the college teaM with the Most wins in the sport's history. the teaM with a stadium, the big house, that is the site of the attendance record pretty Much every year for 30 years now. the teaM with the hardest schedules every year. the teaM that taught notre daMe how to play the sport! the first rose bowl chaMps. don't think i'M justified? check out espn's poll of the 10 greatest rivalries. which one was #1? Michigan vs ohio state. hey, they even have the best helMet in football! so, think carefully about all those overrated teaMs this year and reMeMber one thing...goooooooooooooo blue!

gOod finds...quiCk Links.

since the bum on coredump hasn't provided these yet, i'm going to point out some great sites...

tinyurl -> take a super huge web address and mAke a nice small one that easily fits onto one line!

Monk-E-mail -> need a good laugh? turn the soUnd on and listen to these monkeys!

bibliophil -> like books? check out this liNk for creating your own library and loan system.

LinkedIn -> thinking about Finding a new job? join a network...

biospace -> biotech/pharma/clinical research news and jobs.

epicurious -> recipes and ratings galore. includes bon appetit and gourmet magazine's online sites.

Woot! -> haven't tried this one yet myself but the story is - "one day. one deal." let me know what you think...

have any other links worth Checking out?

bEat the HeaT...maKe taBBuli!

wonderiNg what happened to me for the last montH?! between travelling, hosting Family, and jOb hunting, I seemed to have lost track of my blog. have no fear...here's another reCipe! this is based on a recipe from Madelain Farah's Lebanese Cuisine.
(sorry for the blurry pic - it was the only one I had!)


what You need:
2 large bunches of parsley
1/2 bunch of green onions, minced
1 small white onion, minced
3/4 cup of bulgar wheat (a.k.a. burghul)
1 cup of fresh mint (a teaspoon of dried mint should be a decent substitute), chopped
1-2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp jamaican allspice
2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup to 2/3 fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil

start by plucking the parsley leaves off the stems (this takes some time, so plop down in front of a good sitcom and pluck away; be sure to avoid stems- unless you are ok with Being compared to the chunky version that restaurants and grocery stores serve up).

in a separate bowl, rinse and soften the bulgar wheat by letting it sit in some water for 5 -10 min. squeeze the excess water out and place in large mixing bowl. going back to the parsley - wash and drain carefully. very finely chop the parsley (note: the purests will say that only the blade of a knife will do for this but... i say use a food processor and give it a few pulses! ).

set the chopped parsley in the mixing bowl atop the bulgar wheat. Next add chopped mint and green onions on top of the parsley in an even layer. then on one side, add white onions and on the other side, add the chopped tomatoes. Add seasonings to the onion side and mix it up with your fingers! Add 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the onion side of the bowl, pouring through and toss with a spoon and fork. add olive oiL and toss again. Serve with cabbage or pita bread.

the Tabbuli tastes better a day later, after being refrigerated and allowing the flavors to be soaked up by the bulgar wheat. so make it ahead and enjoy for days!

firefly...a box set WorTh catcHing

i know that some of you folks are HUGE sci-fi fans...and the rest of you just stopped reading this blog! if you're still reading, there's a great tv series on dvd only that i think you'll enjoy. Firefly only lasted 1 season on the WB before getting the axe. if you liked Buffy, the vampire slayer, or star trek, or enjoy a well written show, then this is the series for you. it is a sci-fi western (yes, a western!) that includes some great moments of comedy, romance, and suspense. the 14 episodes center around a ship called Serenity, the captain, Mal, his renegade crew, and their adventures. if you're not so sure you want to add all 4 discs (or even just the first one) to your Netflix list, then get Serenity (the movie) instead. it is the same story with not as much detail, and is a little more complete than the tv show - so don't be surprised that you don't learn as much about some of the characters in the episodes. here's the one thing that you've got to promise: if you rent firefly, then you have to ignore the intro song. just skip to the next scene. hmmm...maybe the song is why the show got cut?

HeaVen...soft cenTered chocoLaTE cake

we just got back from 5 glorious days in Kaua'i. we, upon an excellent recommendation, tasted the food at Roy's in Poipu on friday night. they have this wonderful chocolate souffle that reminded me of the recipe that i have for soft-centered chocolate cakes. here's the recipe (from the Williams-Sonoma San Francisco cookbook with a few modifications). it is really easy to make and will impress your guests if you serve this at the end of a dinner. enjoy! (of course, w-s sells the pre-made mix too so you can always just buy and make...)

Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (5oz/155g) Unsalted butter + a little more for buttering ramekins (Note: using a little parchment paper on the bottoms helps get the cakes out)
- 5 oz (155g) "top-quality" bittersweet chocolate, chopped (Note: I have used Baker's Secret squares and had good results)
- 2 large whole eggs
- 1 large egg white
- 3/4 cup (6oz/185g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (2oz/60g) sifted all-purpose (plain) flour + a little more for ramekins

Cookware - 4 ramekins, 1 saucepan, 1 large mixing bowl, and 1 baking sheet

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of four 1-cup (8-fl oz) ramekins. Dust with flour, then tap out excess.
2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and add in the chocolate. Let stand until the chocolate softens, then stir until smooth.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg white, and sugar until well blended. Add the chocolate mixture and incorporate thoroughly. Gently fold in the flour. Divide among the prepared ramekins, then place the ramekins on a baking sheet.
4. Bake the cakes until they are puffed and cracked on top, 26-28 minutes. Remove from the oven and, working with 1 cake at a time, gently invert onto a dessert plate. Turn right side up, let cool for about 3 minutes, and then serve with ice cream (espresso or coffee ice cream works well with this cake).

Skin...a macabre comPilation

when you were a kid, did you read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or James and the Giant Peach? at the very least, you've seen clips of the latest film of CCF with johnny depp and thought, why does that movie seem so bizarre? right?! well, before these stories became movies, Roald Dahl also wrote short stories for adults. i picked up my copy of Skin and Other Stories a few months ago and have been slowly reading my way through this book. (i've kinda looked at them as treats, so i'm pacing myself!) these stories are probably great for teenagers but they are so gruesome, bizarre and well written that no matter what age you are, you'll enjoy then. the stories have a broad range of horrifying from a desperate man who gets caught up in a ghastly art dealer's scheme, to a murderer who gets away with... well, murder. you'll definitely think that dahl could have been a writer for the twilight zone. not every story has an amazing twist at the end, like the back cover implies, but they are so entertaining that you'll have to finish them once you've started. i highly recommend this collection - for under $10, it shouldn't be missed.

(btw- if you haven't realized this, the titles to some of my entries are useful links.)

wAterLemons...a suMmer recipe

now that summer is here, i thought i'd share my mom's waterLemon drink/dessert recipe!

ingredients
5-6 lbs of watermelon
1-3 fresh lemons
2 tbsp granulated sugar (or more, if needed)

utensils
1 large mixing bowl
1 chef knife
1 large spoon
1 apron

1. in a large mixing bowl and using only 1/4 of a watermelon at a time, dice watermelon (like you would an onion) .







2. using a large spoon, scrape the fruit down to the rind.
careful! the spray from the fruit will cover you so an apron will come in handy.







3. repeat with the rest of the watermelon. using a knife, carefully,
slice through the large chunks of fruit.

4. juice 1 lemon at a time and add in 1/4 cup increments to the watermelon fruit and juice. there should be a nice tartness to the juice, so you may have to add another lemon's worth of juice.

5. add 2 tbsp of granulated sugar. stir until dissolved. again, you may
need a little more, if you like your drinks sweet!

6. add ice cubes and serve immediately into individual glasses with spoons. or ladle into a pitcher or punch bowl and refrigerate before serving.

this drink lasts for a few days so you'll have plenty of this dessert to look forward to!

between each word...lies a memory

here's a great find if like to listen to international jazz. the 2nd cd from marta gomez - entre cada palabra- has been in my cd player (yes, i still buy cds) for about a week now and i find myself humming music and singing lines from it all the time. of course, i don't know spanish so i really have no idea what i'm saying. plus, i really don't know much about jazz other than i like hearing it. nonetheless, the sounds and songs on this cd are great. think norah jones...if she were a columbian woman without the piano. ok, bad example. i can just see her smiling as she sings- it's captured in the music somehow.

the songs on the cd remind me of my trip to Spain last year. while we were in sevilla, we went to see a free flamenco show at this place called la carboneria. i had no idea what to expect. it was stifling hot, the drinks weren't anything special, and the walls were covered in bizarre art. it was almost like they were daring you to look at the paintings but were really just forcing you to watch the little stage. thankfully, we didn't need to be forced. the dancer was as un-dancerlike as you could get...until she started her flamenco. she was amazing! she had this power, passion and style that i've never seen before. you actually forgot that she was built like a high school football player when she was on stage. the little spanish woman accompanying her could really belt out those lyrics and kept an intricate beat going with her hands and feet. the weakest part was the fabio wannabe playing guitar. quite frankly, i don't remember anything about him except his long, flowing locks...

Welcome...to ToTalLy ranDom!

hello! welcome to ToTalLy ranDom. that pretty much sums up my theme. right?! i will try to keep this site up to date on politics, books, movies, good recipes and great finds. i've never written a blog before so don't expect much!