Any Baby Boomer who grew up watching a black and white television should pick up Marlo Thomas' terrific memoir, Growing Up Laughing. It's a great read, full of humor and heart that's written with such clarity and spark you'll feel as if she's sitting beside you telling story after wonderful story from her rich and interesting life.
When Charlotte and I built our Collywood home a few years ago we knew we wanted a large outdoor kitchen. Truth is, we love to eat outside and grill when the weather's nice. Sausages are a summertime favorite because 1) they're easy 2) they're quick and 3) Charlotte loves ketchup. The only problem we have is the high fat content (we're trying to keep it low-fat as much as possible) so we don't chow down on them as often as maybe we'd like.
2009 was one of those P-L-E-A-S-E don't-send-me-back-there years. In June, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. In July, I had a double mastectomy (with reconstruction, of course). In August, I started chemotherapy and, two short weeks later, lost every last bit of my hair.
The Company Men is a work of fiction, but its story is as real as this morning's headlines. It's a tale of corporate greed, company downsizing and the seemingly endless despair of finding a job. If you think that sounds depressing, you're right. But, if you think it's all this movie has going for it, you're terribly wrong. This is a wonderful film with a hopeful message and a very big heart.
Now that I have your attention...It's no secret that Boomers are having sex well into their golden years. We've kind of been on the cutting edge of that revolution since the 1960s. Remember the Summer of Love? That was OUR idea. You're welcome America!
I've had a love/hate relationship with golf for most of my life.
I love playing when the weather is nice, but I've also dodged hail the size of...you guessed it...GOLF BALLS, tornadoes and even the occasional alligator just for a round.
Tony Romo tees it up at the new Top Golf in Allen
Jeez, you'd think I'd learn. But then, you'd be wrong internets.
So, when the folks at Top Golf invited me to the grand opening of their new three-story, 65,000-square-foot golf entertainment complex in The Village at Allen (TX) a couple of weeks ago I said. "Please accept my RSVP".
Nah...I really said, "You mean I don't have to dodge alligators in a tornado-driven hail storm to play golf? Put me down for a YES." Oh, and they've got Mushi, too. So, make that a definite YES.
Top Golf is a great way to get my golf on without dodging the occasional hail stone the size of a canned ham. It's a terrific concept that protects you from the elements while delivering a first rate golf experience.
No, this isn't some cheesy hit-the-imaginary-ball-into-the-video-screen set up. You play with real golf balls and real golf clubs at one of the 94 hitting bays (open-ended booths stacked three stories high, facing the driving range) where you can order drinks and food and even watch sports on TV.Is that COOL or what?
I'm seriously obsessed with recipes. I clip them from magazines, copy them from the world wide web and seek out local dishes when on vacation to remind Bob and me of our travels.
I also love collecting cookbooks. They spill from our kitchen island to the pantry to my desk in the laundry room. Bob says we have so many that I could use one each night and not repeat myself for years. (You know how he can exaggerate!)
But when I get serious about cooking, I find myself preferring proven favorites like these new, go-to compilations from the pros at Fine Cooking, Bon Appétit and Better Homes and Gardens:
Fine Cooking Appetizers
Desserts 4 Today
How to Squeeze a Lemon
Bon Appétit Desserts
BHG.com
We're giving away:
Three Fine Cooking-inspired kitchen companions
A collection of more than 600, luscious Bon Appétit dessert recipes
Five, one-year subscriptions to Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
FREE!
Click "Read More" for a taste of the delectable recipes in store for winners and details on how to enter. Contest ends June 30!
The Year We Left Home, a new novel byJean Thompson, captures time and place in a way that's reminiscent of one of those "ships in a bottle". Like the artists who build the tiny vessels, she crafts a story so rich in detail that you'll marvel at how she makes everything fit so well.
Bob and I practically live in our backyard this time of year. We enjoy "gardening" (he digs holes for my perennials, runs drip lines from the sprinkler heads and kills weeds; I supervise), lunching on the patio and relaxing in the pool.
It's sandal season in Texas so you won't catch me without a splash of color on my toenails.
My poor fingernails, however, are another story. I usually ignore them, pretending to prefer an au natural look. But the truth is I hate holding my hands still long enough for polish to dry and it just never seems to last on my hard-working fingers (I guess that's the price of all this blogging!).
K.T. is retired from a long-time, non-paying career of political activism (she was once an elected member of the Democratic National Committee). She's been married to a prominent West Texas criminal lawyer (Michael McLeaish) for 32 years and they've lived in Odessa, TX for the past 34. She has one son and daughter-in-law, a step-daughter and two "bonus grandchildren." K.T. loves to travel (she once sailed the South Pacific and has actually been to Pitcairn and Easter Islands). Both of these trips were taken, she says "years ago - before tort reform!"
Passion Play, the gritty, new-age film noir from director Mitch Glazer, is an existential romp through time and space with Mickey Rourke and Bill Murray as your co-pilots. It's a mesmerizing movie that handles the heaviness of the human condition with a gossamer touch.
Miss Charlotte and I just celebrated our 33rd anniversary in New York City.
I know what you're asking yourself internets, HOW COULD SHE STAY MARRIED TO HIM FOR 33 YEARS?
It's one of those questions kinda like if Elvis, Jim Morrison and Roy Orbison were in a Heavenly Band, who'd sing lead vocals? Some things, we'll just never know.
It'd been a while since we'd been to the Big Apple, so we had a good time getting reacquainted with Manhattan and some of its better known boroughs. In short order, we checked Brooklyn, the Bronx, SoHo, The Village, the Upper East and West Sides, Museum District, Theater District, Times Square and Central Park off our list.
And that was the FIRST DAY...I'm kidding.
We'd been to the BIG CITY before and gotten all the LOOK. AT. ALL. THE. TALL. BUILDINGS. out of our system, so there wasn't any burning desire to do hardcore touristy stuff. That doesn't mean we hung out in our room and watched mixed martial arts cage matches all day on pay-per-view (I vetoed Charlotte's request)...we got out and mingled with the fine folks of the largest city in America. Boy, did we mingle. Here are the highlights from our street seens...let's go to the videotape:
Grooming Trend You Never Thought You'd See Again
If you answered, "What is the Hitler moustache" you're correct! I had a mid-town Manhattan WTF moment when I saw a red headed guy at the corner of Broadway and 47th Street sporting one of these. I wasn't sure if he'd been one of those Boys-From-Brazil experiments gone horribly wrong, or he was just trying to get a reaction. Either way: CREEPED. ME. OUT. Sadly, no photos. I've seen Marathon Man and didn't want him to go all Laurence Olivier on me.
There's no line at the Gauguin nudes exhibit, let's go over there.
My favorite Cinderella is the 1965 Rodgers & Hammerstein classic starring Lesley Anne Warren, Stuart Damon and some simple glass slippers with the power to change a girl's life. I watched it year-after-year growing up, and blame it for my unfailing fixation on heels, wedges, flats ... make that shoes of any sort so long as they have some style.
So when the folks at Crocs suggested I check out a pair from their comfort collection, I was torn. Try some shoes? I LOVED that idea. But Crocs? Hum... Weren't they those huge, brightly colored clogs that looked nothing like Cinderella's dainty glass slippers?
Then, I remembered that my sister-in-law Cyndi, a Nicu (that's neonatal intensive care unit) nurse often on her feet for 12 hours a stretch, swears by Crocs. She and all her nursing buddies say they're like walking on clouds. So I took a peek at the brand's new summer line, which includes hot, new styles like the Leigh Wedge and Carlie Flat that warmed me up to the idea of trying Crocs in no time.
Crocs Carlie Flat Animal Wave
You could win a foot-pampering pair of stylish Crocs flats or Oka B. heels ... FREE.
Click "Read More" to choose your favorite styles and colors. Contest ends June 16!
Even though summer hasn't "officially" started (that's June 21st) we've already uncorked some lighter wines to get us in the mood for the longer days to come. Our friends at St. Francis and the Naked Grape wineries gave us some nice varietals to try, so we gave 'em a taste as we shift to the softer shades of summer.
Charlotte and I love Italian food and we often fall into a rut when it comes to choosing restaurants and menu options. Me? My Italian default setting is somewhere between pizza (my go-to choice since college) and eggplant parmesan. Charlotte? Salads (mostly) or something she can share with me or one of her girlfriends.
By Laura Cipullo and Lisa Mikus, authors of Everyday Diabetes Meals
Image credit: Colin Erricson
Prepare your own Mexican quick fix with this Chipotle-inspired bowl. Carbs are moderated by filling the bowl with beans, extra veggies and chicken. No need for rice, since the beans count as carbs.
Tips:
If you love tomatoes, increase the quantity to 1/2 cup, but note that the carbohydrates will also increase.
If preparing this recipe for one person, cut all of the ingredients in half. Or simply prepare the full recipe up to the end of step 2 and store leftover chicken and vegetable-bean mixture in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave on High for 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through, and continue with step 3.
Health Bite: The iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc in black beans help to keep bones strong and healthy.
It's been almost 18 years since Alison Krauss gave us a solo album, but the wait is over with Windy City. The release (her fifth solo studio album) features ten covers of classic songs (and some bonus tracks) she picked with producer Buddy Cannon.
Know someone battling cancer? Baylor Health Care System's Sammons Says... cancer blog is a great place to go for help. Here, you'll find information, resources, physicians, support groups and just about everything you need to help you navigate your way through this illness.