Showing posts with label Barry Manilow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barry Manilow. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

New topic: How do you pack a pie for shipping? There are lots of books that tell you how to ship cookies, cheesecakes, brownies & more, but I have never seen one on how to ship pies. Any suggestions?
When selling my cookbooks on my EBay listing-Valerie2901, I always include a number of diet books, because most include recipes for this particular diet. One of the diet books I have listed is Numbers by Jean Simpson. The idea is that to lose weight quickly and safely using numerological principals. A different idea for diets. The author lost 30 pounds doing this diet.
Favorite foods of Celebrities: Angeliana Jolie-Cherrios & McDonalds, George Clooney-Steak, Britney Spears-Pasta, Tom Cruise-anything Italian, Barry Manilow-Baloney Sandwich.
Something to think about. When I travel I place q-tips in a small plastic bag. About every two weeks, I have replace the bag because the bottom of the bag has opened up. I also store band-aids in a separate plastic bag which wears out after about six months. Makes you wonder what is placed on the q-tips to have them eat through a plastic bag.
For those of you who want to shoot videos for You-Tube & such-look at the Sony Webbie MHS-CM1. This is what it's specifically been designed for. I have been trying to get one on EBay for about a week. New in package is $129, but I want a deal, so I'm still bidding.
I'm surprised no one has picked up my "Boston Cooking School Cookbook on my EBay listing-Valerie2901. Should be in everyone's kitchen library.
That's all for now.
CookbookVal

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

I was a very lucky woman last night. My musician friend arranged for me to go see Barry Manilow and I had a front row seat. What a wonderful musician and singer. Last night was a promotion with QVC the shopping network, to plug his latest CD-Romantic Love Songs. Barr will soon be starting at the Paris Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas (March 5th). Hopefully more comp seats will come my way.
It's tax time and I did my taxes-how about you? Taxes put the fear of God in me when I do them and truly I have nothing to every worry about, but I still worry. So it's done and now behind me. Prior to moving to Las Vegas, I was living in GA, where I didn't do my state taxes for many years, but they caught up with me. Honestly, it was enough each year just to get my federal taxes done. So now I'm being audited by the State of GA, but we (State of GA Revenue Dept. & me) agreed, that by the time we're done, they will owe me a nice check.
I've also started my own Meetup group www.meetup.com/WomenTravelingTogetherOnCruises
I have joined some other meet-up groups, this is the new thing now. Look in your city for meet-up groups for things that you enjoy. It's been a wonderful opportunity for me to meet new people here in Las Vegas. My meet-up groups are the Romance Writing Group, Magicians (I'm not a magician, but I love magic), The Chef's Table (meeting in different homes & restaurants, sharing food) and the a Travel & Social Club (does day-trips, cruises & meets at different restaurants for socializing). So I decided to start up my own group. I love cruising and I know alot of women are intimidated by traveling alone-so "men" and women-if you want to join me on my cruises, come along. At least you'll know one person-me!
Now for my plug for my EBay listing-Valerie2901 or under the general heading of cookbooks on EBay:
2 books that haven't sold, but should have:
From Sunrise to Sunset, a hardback book down as a fundraiser for the Sunrise Children's Hospital Foundation in Las Vegas. It is such a well-presented book with original art and sketch's of children. For you bread makers out there, there are over thirty original bread recipes. Over 200 great recipes can be found in this book-unique, new, clever and very tasty.
Casual Entertaining by Good Seasons (the salad dressing people)-this is not a big book, but it does have 59 fresh and super simple recipes, with beautiful color photographs. If this one doesn't sell soon, it's going to go in my personal collection.
A new festival to attend: Alabama Chicken & Egg Festival-April 10-11, 2010. They will have wing eating contests, clucking contests, chicken motorcycle run, and much more. www.chickenandeggfestival.com It sounds like alot of fun.
So do you think you make a great barbecue sauce. In just two weeks, applications will be online for the 2010 American Royal Barbecue Contest. This is an invitational contest where individuals are able to secure applications on Feb. 10th and team applications on March 8th. www.arbbq.com
That's all for now.
Cookbook Val

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Tonight Pasta Shells with Mascarpone Cheese and Walnuts

I listed a book by Suzanne Somers today on EBay, under Valerie2901 called "The Sexy Years". Women, look for this book. It explains so much about menopause, whether you are in it or not and the menopause that men go through. I have read almost every book Suzanne has written and you have to take some of what she says with a grain of salt. But in every book she does do her homework and the research. This has nothing to do with cooking, but it is a book I recommend.

Again not cooking, but at least something to do with food. Soften your feet with a lime and sea salt scrub. Sea salts smooth out tough calluses, the vitamin C in the lime brightens your skin tone and Epsom salts reduce excess swelling.
Dampen feet. Dip half a lime in sea salts and scrub over calluses. Fill a basin with warm water and 1-2 cups Epsom salts. Soak for 10 minutes. Dry and moisturize with a foot cream.

My chef for today is Brian Boitano. Not that well known, but he is on Food Network. Brian is a Former Olympic Figure Skater. His website is www.brianboitano.com , which will link you to the Food Network and his recipes. He has alot of fun with his cooking and the recipes are easy to produce and very tasteful. This is a chef worth knowing more about.

Last night I made chicken wings again, but I think this is the last time, I will be deep-frying them. Set off the smoke alarm many times-I'm sure my neighbors loved that whiny sound of the smoke detector. This time, I took the time and made my favorite wing sauce.
My wing sauce: 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 bottle Louisiana hot sauce, celery sticks, blue cheese dressing.
Melt butter in a small sauce pan. Add the hot sauce; stir until well-blended. If you like your wings hotter, add the rest of the hot sauce bottle.
After chicken wings are fried & drained, place in a serving bowl. Pour sauce over wings, mix well. Serve with celery and blue cheese dressing on the side.

Does it get any easier than this!!!

Tonight I will be cooking Pasta Shells with Mascarpone cheese and Walnuts. Why don't you make some too and we'll compare notes:
4 tbsp butter, 6 oz mascarpone cheese or double-creme, 1/2 lb pasta shells, cooked and drained, 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 2 oz shelled walnuts, chopped coarse, salt, freshly ground black pepper.
In a heatproof serving dish, melt the butter and cheese. It must gently heat, not boil.
To this mixture, add the cooked pasta. Turn it round and round adding half the Parmesan cheese. Add the walnuts and and add salt to taste. Sprinkle liberally with pepper. Serve remaining Parmesan cheese separately.
Start planning now for the Whoopie Pie Festival, September 18, 2010 at the Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn in Lancaster, PA. There will be a Whoopie Pie Treasure Hunt, Whoopie Pie Race, & so much more. www.whoopiepiefestival.com
And last but not least, more trivia on Las Vegas & Elvis Presley:
Many people assume that Elvis lived in Las Vegas between 1969 and 1976. In fact, he performed her just eight weeks (often spilt between January and August).
Elvis helped design the Imperial Suite on the 30th floor of the Hilton, where he stayed during his engagements. The suite no longer exists (it does really, but now it's the Barry Manilow suite).
In 1964's Viva Las Vegas, Elvis marries Ann-Margaret at Little Church of the West. The church, in operation for almost 70 years is the oldest structure still standing on the Strip.
More to come.
That's all for now.
Cookbook Val