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December 2012 Archives

Here's the Dish

Sensational, Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork Sandwiches

By Charlotte on December 30, 2012 6:05 AM | Read More

You gotta love the holidays. Bob and I splurged on smoked turkey, cornbread dressing, hot rolls topped with cranberry relish (my favorite!) and more than our share of absolutely decadent desserts with no thought of calories for days. But enough already! If we continue eating like this, I'll have some real splainin' to do at my next Wii Fit workout ("No, Lucy you can't be in the show!").

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In the Mirror

80 Acres Body Care

By Charlotte on December 26, 2012 1:11 AM | Read More

Staying comfortable while winter does its worst can be a challenge. Besides delivering a big chill, my least favorite season can do a number on your skin leaving it dry, scaly and anything but touchable.    

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Daily Distraction

Safety Never Takes A Holiday

By Bob on December 25, 2012 5:22 AM | Read More

Then again, maybe it does.

Safety takes a holiday-515.jpg

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Don't Try This At Home

Who's Complaining?

By Bob on December 24, 2012 4:07 AM | Read More

When Charlotte and I were in Italy a couple of months ago we toured a lot of landmarks and saw these ugly mugs in just about every palace, government building and church we visited.

Complaint Box - Venice-550.jpgWanna guess what it is?

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Enter to Win Bestselling Author Colleen McCullough's (The Thorn Birds) New Whodunit

By Charlotte on December 21, 2012 2:34 PM | Read More

A determined detective tackles multiple murders involving a deadly neurotoxin, university politics and racial prejudice in bestselling author Colleen McCullough's new mystery, The Prodigal Son. In the fourth installment of Colleen's popular Carmine Delmonico series, the police captain returns to investigate homicides in a Connecticut college community. It's 1969 so he doesn't have the advantage of today's DNA testing or other high-tech tools; instead, he must depend on his wits to stop the killer.

 

cvr9781451668759_9781451668759 165.jpgWhen university biochemist Millie Hunter notices tetrodotoxin missing from her lab, she immediately reports the theft. It's big trouble; the deadly poison, extracted from a blowfish, shuts down the nervous system killing within minutes, and is virtually untraceable.

 

A sudden death at a dinner party and a murder at a gala seem to be linked only by the neurotoxin and the presence of Millie's husband Jim Hunter. Jim and Millie are accustomed to the scandals and prejudices that plagued interracial couples in the 60s, but Jim's groundbreaking book is about to be published. Why would he risk it all now? Is he being framed for murder--and if so, by whom?

 

As the bodies pile up, Carmine and his crew must follow the trail of clues to the killer, no matter how uncomfortable it gets. Luckily, Delia, his meticulous second-in-command, and Desdemona, his perceptive wife, are committed to helping him stop the madness in this superb, Raymond Chandler-style whodunit.

 

Colleen McCullough draws on her scientific expertise as a former neurophysiologist to weave a chillingly real story of small-town intrigue. A gift to fans of crime fiction, The Prodigal Son is a highly addictive, 305-page puzzle that plays with your suspicions to the very end.

 

That's somewhat surprising, considering Colleen, who cut her teeth on family sagas like The Thorn Birds, didn't start writing mysteries until later in life. What prompts a writer famous for historical fiction to begin penning classic detective stories? We asked the internationally acclaimed author to give us the scoop.

 


 

We're giving away 4 copies of bestselling author Colleen McCullough's (The Thorn Birds, Morgan's Run, Anthony and Cleopatra) enthralling new mystery, The Prodigal Son.

 

In the fourth installment of Colleen's popular Carmine Delmonico series, the 1960s police captain returns to investigate homicides in a Connecticut college community. With professors dropping like flies, the determined detective must find the killer fast without the aid of a CSI department. Luckily, he has a meticulous colleague, Delia, and his perceptive wife Desdemona to help him stop the madness in this superb, Raymond Chandler-style whodunit.

 

Click "Read More" for details on how to enter. Contest ends Jan. 10!

 


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Remotely Possible

2 Last Minute Gifts for the iPad Cook

By Bob on December 20, 2012 5:35 AM | Read More

When I was kid growing up in Granbury, Texas it was BIG DEAL every year when the Neiman Marcus Wish Book would find its way to our trailer park mailbox. It must've been sometime in the late 1960's when one of the featured items was a COMPUTER for the KITCHEN. It was just a little smaller than a chest freezer and weighed about as much.

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Guest Room

The Joy of Sweet-and-Salty Candy Bar Blondies

By Charlotte on December 19, 2012 6:15 AM | Read More

By Lauren Lilling of Keep It Sweet Desserts

 

One of my favorite things about baking is taking a traditional sweet treat and giving it a modern twist. Who can resist a salty-and-sweet goodie? My father-in-law happens to be a founding member of the salty/sweet fan club. He recently celebrated a birthday and when I asked him what he wanted for his special birthday dessert, his only request was chocolate-covered pretzels. As much as I love a pretzel dipped in melted chocolate (my favorite thing to do with leftover chocolate!), I wanted to take things up a notch for my father-in-law's big day.

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Daily Distraction

May I Put You On Hold?

By Bob on December 19, 2012 5:16 AM | Read More

Now you know why I can't get the song "Muskrat Love" out of my head.

Can I Put You On Hold-550.jpg

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Catching Up With..

Catching Up With...Gail McMeekin

By Bob on December 14, 2012 5:23 AM | Read More

Gail McMeekin is a triple-threat Boston Boomer who's full of energy and ideas. She's an author, licensed psychotherapist and CEO of her own company, CreativeSuccess LLC. At her core, she's a Boomer with a mission for helping women entrepreneurs and professionals leverage their creativity and develop products and services that generate revenue.

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Playing Favorites

Simple, Slow-Cooker Taco Soup

By Charlotte on December 13, 2012 5:33 AM | Read More

When the temperature dips, nothing satisfies like a steaming bowl of soup. Chili, Tortilla Soup and this tasty, slow-cooker Taco Soup are favorites around our house. 

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Don't Try This At Home

4 Rules of Holiday Gatherings

By Bob on December 13, 2012 2:34 AM | Read More

The holiday season forces us to do a lot of things we don't do the other 11 months of the year. You know, important stuff, like putting on pants remembering which fork to use with the cheese dip. Just the niceties that keep our civilization one step ahead of our mouth-breathing, cave-dwelling ancestors.

 

No offense to our mouth-breathing cave-dwelling demographic, but you get my drift.  

 

Boomer Nation, let's just belly up to the ol' Yule Log and fess up. Some of this holiday stuff is damn hard. Especially when we have to be polite to people we only see...I dunno...maybe ONE TIME A YEAR.

 

It can be tough to keep that polite, how-are-the-wife-and-kids-how-'bout-this-crazy-weather, kinda chatter going during the course of a morning, afternoon or evening. It's even harder as we get older and either (1) FORGET which conversation topics are off-limits, or (2) Our good friend Mr. Cuervo has flipped off our conversation filter and made it impossible for us to give a shi*.

 

Christmas Etiquette-600.jpg 

You, my friends are in serious need of a Holiday Cheat Sheet. Something you can put in your pocket to keep you out of trouble, out of jail and out of the emergency room. As a Public Service to every Boomer celebration this holiday season, I offer up my 4 Rules of Holiday Gatherings:

 

 


 

Bob, this is bad advice. The holidays are all ABOUT the KIDS.

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Daily Distraction

This Sign Is Sexy And It Knows It

By Bob on December 11, 2012 3:09 AM | Read More

SEXITUP-500.jpg

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Here's the Dish

5-Ingredient Penne Pasta with Creamy Bacon Sauce

By Charlotte on December 9, 2012 2:10 PM | Read More

With any luck, our Boomer nest won't be quite so empty soon. Our son Cole is supposed to come home for the holidays. (Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hal-le-lu-jah!). 

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In the Mirror

15 Stocking-Worthy Beauty Bargains Under $15

By Charlotte on December 6, 2012 5:04 AM | Read More

Finding cool stocking stuffers for the girls on your list is a breeze when you think beauty.

 

Perfect when you're looking for a sassy little something, these 15 fabulous fix-me-ups will delight divas of every age. Even better, they up the glam factor at such budget-stretching prices there's no need to stop at just one.

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Remotely Possible

5 Mobile Apps That Make Holiday Shopping Easier

By Bob on December 5, 2012 5:26 AM | Read More

Charlotte is the Coupon Goddess at Boomer Brief HQ. She doesn't leave the driveway without her iPhone and a purse overflowing with coupons, deals and price adjustments. I can't match her price-matching skills, but I've found someone who can take even Charlotte's shopping skills to a whole 'nother level: Andrea Woroch.

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Daily Distraction

...and THAT'S Why They Call Me Moe

By Bob on December 4, 2012 5:01 AM | Read More

What he really needs is mo' hair...!
Mowhair-338.jpg

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Don't Try This At Home

Ladder Day Saints

By Bob on December 2, 2012 6:00 AM | Read More

Ladder Day Saints.jpg

This is the time of year when every homeowner gets to unleash his inner Griswold. Some of our neighbors wait all year to string light strand after light strand from every conceivable gutter and gable. The rest either hire someone to do it, or skip the whole exterior lighting escapade.

 

I fall into that category. Literally. 

 

Boomers, allow me to explain. Ladders and I still aren't on speaking terms. Sure, I own one, but it's not like we get along. We really don't. Not since Sept. 25, 2005.

 

That was the day I extended my 12' aluminum ladder as far as it would go and PROPPED IT UP ON A BENCH to reach even HIGHER. No, I wasn't getting an early jump (fall) on putting up my Christmas lights. I was doing a little home improvement project that would "only take a minute." That minute took me five years, THREE surgeries, 12 titanium screws, three titanium plates, four titanium rods and two bone grafts to overcome.

 


Charlotte displayed her mastery for understatement. 

She should have answered, "you look like you've been run over by the 9:15 to Mobile."


 

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Red Thong Strong: Girlfriends Little Secrets to Smoothing Lifes Panty Lines
Guest Room

Diabetes-Friendly Chicken Burrito Bowl

ChickenBurritoBowlEverydayDiabetes 600.jpg

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.

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Playing Favorites

Windy City

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.

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