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It practically gallops!

Bacon Power

An article about a cookbook prompted me to buy a cupcake yesterday. The photo on the cover of “The Butch Bakery Cookbook” shows a cupcake topped with bacon. I immediately remembered reading a blurb about maple bacon cupcakes being sold at The Cup this month.

I had some errands to run, one of which put me in the same shopping center as The Cup’s Bearden store. I bought one cupcake to split with my wife, despite the staff’s suggestion that I buy two.

Maple Bacon Cupcake from The Cup - 2/1/12 It was a great cupcake, that I would highly recommend. Candied bacon is used as a garnish on top. If there was more bacon under the icing, I didn’t notice it. Pecans were infused into the cake and more were placed on top. The delicious maple icing was the most dominant flavor. The combination of tastes reminded us of breakfast, not dessert. I had poured us each a glass of milk but my wife said she would have enjoyed a glass of orange juice instead.

February 2, 2012 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment 

Sara Leeway

Ever since getting my Kindle, I have made it a habit to check the list of 100 “bestselling” free e-books on Amazon.com. They have a list of the top 100 free mp3 songs too.

Today I downloaded a free book called “CAKES – 50 Cake Recipes to Tantalize Your Taste Buds” by M. Smith and R. King and then mentioned it on Twitter. That prompted Jennifer Prairie to ask, “Do YOU bake?”

I am much more likely to buy a cake than to bake one, although I have helped my wife bake a few things. Before downloading the cookbook, I glanced at the table of contents and saw two recipes with the word banana in the title. Neither seemed close to the Sara Lee banana cake I loved as a kid. Every so often, the memory pops into my head and I wish I had some in the freezer.

If the free e-book didn’t have a replica of the Sara Lee recipe, maybe the Internet would. I found three candidates that might be worth a try: Banana Cake VI on AllRecipes.com; Iced Banana Cake on PetitChef.com and Southern Living Banana Cake on Food.com.

January 29, 2012 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 2 Comments 

Deep Southampton

Almost any show about the Hamptons will grab my attention. I fell in love with the area a long time ago when my family went to Noyac each year for vacation. No trip was complete without a visit to the Penny Candy Shop or Crutchley’s Crullers.

Entertainment Weekly’s cover story is about “Revenge,” which they call “TV’s greatest guilty pleasure.” I got an early seat on the “Revenge” bandwagon when they made the pilot script available as a free download for the Kindle. My only gripe with the show is that North Carolina and California play the part of the Hamptons. However, EW says they sent a camera crew to New York to get some footage of the Hamptons in winter, now that the show is a hit.

The beautiful Hamptons scenery should receive co-star billing on the show “Royal Pains.” The third season resumed last Wednesday, after a four-and-a-half month break. Thank goodness for DVRs. “Royal Pains” now airs at the same time as “Revenge.”

There was no reason for me to ever watch CMT until now. Tom Arnold was on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” promoting a reality series called “My Big Redneck Vacation.” I was half-listening until he said that the show was about a family named the Clampets (really) who were sent to the Hamptons. He got a laugh describing the Clampets’ skills with plywood when Hurricane Irene was on the way.

January 25, 2012 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment 

Monroe Doctrine

It’s the time of year when my wife and I make an effort to see some movies that are likely to be nominated for Academy Awards. Not all of them are shown at the local multiplex. Fortunately, we have an alternative.

The Regal Downtown West Cinema has gone digital since the last time I took notice. Plus,they sell beer and gourmet candies to enjoy while watching an art film with crystal-clear projection. For a market our size, Knoxville is lucky to have an art house theatre. Of course Regal Entertainment Group’s headquarters just so happen to be in Knoxville too.

I was delighted to see a digital-projection sign on the door as my wife and I went to see “My Week with Marilyn” with our friend Terry Morrow. Eddie Redmayne plays a young Colin Clark, who gets a job as third assistant director on “The Prince and the Showgirl”, starring Sir Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe. It took a few moments to recognize Kenneth Branagh as Olivier. Michelle Williams plays Monroe. Both of them are deserving nominees for Screen Actors Guild Awards. Williams is especially radiant as the legendary screen goddess.

The story is set in England. My wife loves British movies and she saw some actors that were familiar to her. I enjoyed the real-life characters portrayed in the film. Olivier’s wife, Vivien Leigh, was played by Julia Ormond. Monroe’s husband, Arthur Miller, was played by Dougray Scott. I liked seeing Dame Judi Dench steal a few scenes while portraying Dame Sybil Thorndike. It was nice to see Emma Watson playing a girl in the costume department who goes on a few dates with Colin before all his time gets consumed by Marilyn.

They briefly mentioned that Colin Clark’s father was a famous art historian. I remembered watching Sir Kenneth Clark, who gained international fame as the host of  the TV series “Civilisation.”

January 23, 2012 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment 

Living Room

Today is the 29th anniversary of my father’s death. I was 21 when he died, which means that he’s been dead about 7½ years longer than I knew him. He was 50 years and 8 months old when he died. I am currently 50 years and 7 months old. The Good Lord willing (as my grandma used to say), I will start outliving him next month.

I’ve tried to do a few things differently in order to live longer. My father died from a cerebral hemorrhage, so I try to keep my blood pressure down by eating and drinking in moderation. He and his father were both heavy. I lost weight and I try everyday to keep it off. My quest to visit all 50 states was just something I wanted to do. However, the self-imposed deadline to finish by the time I turned 50 was inspired by my father’s death at age 50.

So, what’s next? The year ahead promises to bring at least one big change as my son graduates from college and starts a new job. This anniversary is a good opportunity for me to think about how I want to spend the time that my father didn’t get.

January 21, 2012 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 3 Comments 

Say Good Night

Burns and Allen might be the reason I didn’t sleep well the other night. Or maybe it was Hazel. My wife and I fell asleep with the TV on while we were staying at Aunt Dee’s condo in St. Louis over the weekend. At one point I woke up and heard Gracie Allen’s voice. A little later, the strident voice of Shirley Booth woke me again. In a weird way, I’m a little bummed that I didn’t wake up during “The Jack Benny Program.”

The classic sitcoms air on channel 2.2, which we watched using the digital converter box that we bought for the condo a few years ago. The local Fox affiliate fills its secondary channel with programming from a network called Antenna TV. It would be great if a Knoxville station became an Antenna TV affiliate. I can say that because there’s no TV in my bedroom.

January 17, 2012 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment 

No Surrender

Jilly's Cupcake Bar - new front door Jilly's Cupcake Bar - assorted cupcakes for January, 2012 Jilly’s Cupcake Bar & Café in St. Louis has expanded since my visit in August. They knocked down a wall and took over an old fabric shop that was next door. They have a fun atmosphere and a great Sunday brunch. In August, I learned that I should have made reservations. Yesterday, I learned that the reservations have to be made a few days in advance. They don’t take same-day reservations.

Jilly's Cupcake Bar - sign for Cupcake Wars As soon as my family and I arrived, we noticed a sign that said they would be on “Cupcake Wars” again that night for a battle of previous champions. Casey Shiller saw us watching him through the window that now surrounds the kitchen. He washed his hands and came out to the hallway to chat with us. He remembered us from August and graciously welcomed us back. When we asked about the show, Casey spoke carefully so as not to reveal the outcome of the episode.

Jilly's Cupcake Bar - Casey Shiller preparing four-packs of cupcakes featured on January 15, 2012 episode of Cupcake Wars After brunch, we saw Casey and the staff assembling four types of fancy cupcakes. It was obvious to us that these would be the same cupcakes we would see on “Cupcake Wars” that night. My wife knew immediately that he had survived the first round. I hoped he would win and based on his plans for local media appearances this week, I thought maybe he would. Unfortunately, he was sent home after the second round.

The judges seemed unusually harsh in their criticism of Casey’s decorations. The unintelligible French pastry chef Florian Bellanger thought they did not capture the spirit of the American Music Awards. When we lived in California, I was fortunate enough to take my daughter to the American Music Awards and to the after-party. I think Casey’s cupcakes would have been a fine fit for the event.

January 16, 2012 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment 

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