Worth a Second Look - 'Country' Olivia

Before Grease, British born Australian Singer Olivia Newton-John sang country music.  And it was pretty good.  Before the movies Xanadu, A Twist of Fate, Score, A Hockey Musical and a whole boat load of pop records including Totally Hot (which I love) and Physical, the songbird from down under had recorded sweet, sometimes twangy, often folksy (she covered a number of John Denver's songs, most notably Take Me Home, Country Roads) tracks on a number of country albums which earned her an Acadamy of Country Music Award, four Grammy's and numerous other accolades.  It ticked off some country music purists (because she was not 'Country American') and ONJ was the subject of great debate on whether she qualified for those country music awards...

Time may make the heart grow fonder and nostalgia may only be a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days but Country Girl ONJ music is as good as it ever was.

Country ONJ is definitely worth a second look...or listen!

Here are my top ten Olivia Newton-John Country Songs:

1. Come On Over
2. If You Love Me (Let Me Know)*
3. Let Me Be There
4. Country Girl
5. Free The People
6. I Honestly Love You
7. Mary Skeffington
8. Country Roads, Take Me Home
9. Changes
10. Sam

The next seven:
Every Face Tells a Story, The River's Too Wide, Hey Mr. Dreammaker, Please Mr. Please, Have You Never Been Mellow, Let It Shine, Don't Throw It All Away...

* Driving home from the farm, my dad always had the country radio on and I remember him always trying to sing the low harmony to this song.

Ham and Cheese Biscuits

2 cups flour
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar ( powder, not sauce)
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped ham
1 cup cold milk

Stir together, flour sugar, salt, baking powder and cream of tartar. 

Cut in cold butter until crumbly.  (I use my hands to 'squish' cold butter into dry ingredients)

Fold in grated cheese and ham.  Pour in milk and stir to combine.  Turn out on floured surface and knead a few times and roll into half the thickness of biscuit you want as a finished product. 

Cut with round or square cookie cutter. 

Place on greased cookie sheet or greased baking pan, close together for soft sides or further apart for crispy sides.  Brush with milk to brown top.

Bake at 450 degrees for about 12 to 15 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.

Serve warm with butter.

Good Housekeeping Cookbook Milk Quote

"DRINKS THEY'LL DRINK"

"I Like Milk: Gay glasses and mugs make milk more appealing.  And don't forget, anything with a straw tastes twice as good! "       

From the Good Housekeeping COOK BOOK: copyright 1942 chapter, 'Treats for Children'.

Cookie by Tammy Churko

Great Gift Idea - A Book and a Movie

Stuck for a great gift?

How about a book and a movie?  Everyone loves a great story and there are hundreds of entertaining and tantalizing tales out there to choose from.  There have been classic movies that have blossomed from brilliant books and flirty films that have spun off some fun literature (Yes, the movie Sideways starring Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church spun off the cheeky The Sideways Guide to Wine and Life).

It can be tricky if you don't know who you are giving a book and movie to.  It's quite the personal present as you don't want to give Fifty Shades of Grey (although the movie is pending) to your grandmother.  In my opinion, it's okay to give a used book but the movie has to be new.  In fact, if you can find a rare, classic, maybe even signed edition in print, it would make the gift that much more special.  As far as the movie goes, right now, you can't go wrong with a DVD.  Entertainment media is always changing so depending on your recipients preferred source, VHS may be too dated and digital may be too futuristic.

Here are my top ten book and movie pairs that would make excellent gifts:

1. The Shawshank Redemption; book by Stephen King, movie starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman
2. Forrest Gump; book by Winston Groom, movie starring Tom Hanks
3. The Help; book by Kathryn Stockett, movie starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis
4. Of Mice and Men; book by  John Steinbeck, movie starring Gary Sinise
5. Oliver Twist; book by Charles Dickens, movie (Roman Polanski musical) starring Barney Clark
6. The Color Purple; book by Alice Walker, movie starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Oprah
7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; book by Ken Kesey, movie starring Jack Nicholson
8. Where the Red Fern Grows; book by Wilson Rawls, movie starring James Whitmore, Beverly Garland, Stewert Peterson
9. Dances With Wolves; book by Michael Blake, movie starring Kevin Costner
10. Gone With the Wind; book by Margaret Mitchell, movie starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable

 The Next Thirteen....

Jaws, Philomena, The Princess Bride, Charlotte's Web, Carrie, Mean Girls, Gone, Baby, Gone, The Green Mile, To Kill a Mockingbird, Fried Green Tomatoes, Stand by Me, Misery, The Bridge Over the River Kwai, Schindler's List.... 

Book Review - THE DAILY COYOTE by Shreve Stockton

Title: The Daily Coyote - A Story of Love, Survival, and Trust in the Wilds of Wyoming

Author: Shreve Stockton

Publisher: Simon and Schuster; 2008


A snapshot in time.  While raising a wild coyote pup may seem a bit out of the ordinary, truth is, we all at some time or another have thought about (but know better) how cool it would be to raise and tame a wild animal like a pet wolf or bear and have it love you, depend on you and defend you.  Shreve Stockton did just that.

Whether you agree with the methods of controlling the coyote population or not, the baby coyote had come to stay with the author by means of Mike, a Government Trapper with Wildlife Services.  For reasons he can't even recall himself, Mike spared the young pup, ultimately named Charlie, the trappers' code name for coyotes when referring to such via radio.  The story that follows is fun and, believe it or not, informative yet, in reference to Mike and the loss of his daughter, as a parent, I couldn't help but feel for him and want him to learn to love life again.  I hope he has.  Maybe there should be a 'Daily Coyote' sequel...

And baby Charlie is absolutely adorable.

Homemade Reese Peanut Butter Cups Two Ways

Here is the original pan recipe for squares:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup butter, melted
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
2 cups chocolate chips

In a large bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, icing sugar and peanut butter.  Mix until smooth.

Spread mixture in lightly greased 9 X 13 pan.  Chill in refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

Melt chocolate chips in double boiler and spread over chilled peanut butter mixture.

It's easier to cut the squares before chocolate is completely set.

To make cups, follow same procedure using small aluminum foil pie plates.

Easy Hearty Hamburger Rice Soup

2 cups cooked and seasoned ground beef
1 can (540 ml) stewed tomatoes
1 container (900 ml) beef stock (or homemade if you have)
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, washed and sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup rice (I used Basmati)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything into a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for approximately 20 to 30 minutes or until rice and vegetables are tender. 

Serve with toast, garlic bread or biscuits.