Little Ironside

This is the pumpkin I bought for the holidays. The market called them little ironsides. It was perfect for Halloween and it is great for Thanksgiving.

Roasted Chicken, Greek Style

I made chicken last night for dinner. They are so easy to prepare. This particular chicken I bought at Trader Joe's. For which I was very surprised that their were no giblets inside.  Here is the chicken I prepared.

It was scrumptious and this particular recipe has very few ingredients. This recipe came from the book, "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines."

 Here is the reicpe.

While I was at Trader Joe's I also picked up some cookies.

 My boyfriend is a big chocolate chip cookie fan, so I bought the Charmingly Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

 They made look big in this picture but really they are little cookies.  They are good, if you need to have cookies for the road and you don't have time to bake they. They are soft and chewy.

When in doubt there is always something new to make or new to buy and try. Enjoy your day.

Cassandra

Bellagio Chocolate Truffle Gourmet Hot Chocolate

This hot chocolate was given to me as a gift. Bellagio Chocolate Truffle Gourmet Hot Chocolate is made by Caffe D'Amore, Inc.  

 Here is my Hot Chocolate in my mug.

The directions call for you to add 2 or 3 teaspoons to 8-oz of boiling water.  It does have a chocolaty flavor but for me it is the same as if I were drinking Swiss Miss. A better hot chocolate may just be made better being mixed with milk rather than water. I find drinking a cup of hot milk with vanilla a comforting drink on a hot winter's night.

That is all until next write. Try new things tpday.

Cassandra

Trader Joe's Boeuf Bourguignon

I always love to try new things and due to my hospitalization I had some TV dinners for lunch (you do not have to tell me I am glutton for punishment when I say the words "TV Dinner"). So I dared to try Trader Joe's Boeuf Bourguignon.

 On the back of the package their are three different ways to heat it.  I choose to heat it up in the oven. You take the meal out of the package and put it in a covered pan and heat it at 350 F for 40 to 45 minutes. Just to let you know I have also tried the Coq au Vin.

Here is the meal in a bowl for which I opted to dump it all in on top of some leftover noodles I had. You can see the bowl overflowed some.The meal was okay but I would say the meal would better served if I made it from scratch.
On another note I am now working for the Ivoryton Playhouse. I take care of their blog.
The world is becoming more exciting in the poitical arena as we get closer and closer to Elections, but thank goodness we have Halloween to give us a thrill before then.
Live life to its fullest and have a great day.
Cassandra

Sorry was out of Commission for a While

I am sorry I haven't written. I spent a little time at Yale-New Haven Hospital and was just released today. I have not forgotten about you folks online. I like to keep you up to date with what I am doing as well as see what you are up to. The one thing I can say I did was catchup on watching the food network. I love seeing the chefs in action and the meals they come up with. It also reminds me of other items I should try which my mother never made in her kitchen.  If I didn't tell you before I am definately a recipe hound.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Cassandra

Press Release for Finian’s Rainbow at the Ivoryton Playhouse

July 23, 2010

Take a magic pot of gold, add a leprechaun, a dreamer, and a colorful cast of characters and you have -

Finian’s Rainbow

At The Ivoryton Playhouse

Ivoryton:    Here is where you should head this summer to warm your soul with infectious song, exuberant dancing, jokes both lovably corny and unexpectedly fresh, and of course the satisfying pairing of boy meets girl (as well as leprechaun meets human!)

Finian’s Rainbow (Book by E.Y Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg and music by Burton Lane) was first produced on Broadway in 1947. It ran for 725 performances. Several revivals and a 1968 film version followed with Fred Astaire, Petula Clark and Tommy Steele. A recent Broadway revival was very well received by the press – the NY Times called it “a welcome picker upper” with “beautiful music and memorable songs” 

  

In this whimsical, magical, still contemporary fable-with-a social-conscience, Finian McLonergan (Bruce Connelly*), his daughter Sharon (Kathleen Mulready*), followed by a leprechaun named Og (Michael Nathanson*), travel from Glocca Morra, Ireland to Rainbow Valley in the mythical state of Missitucky, USA. Finian has "borrowed" Og's crock of gold to plant in the soil near Fort Knox so it will grow and make him rich. But Og wants it back, for without it all the Glocca Morra leprechauns will lose their magic powers and the crock of gold, which grants wishes, will turn to dross.

     A highly original story unfolds, at once magical and all too real, filled with a strange and delightful cast of characters including Susan (Tessa Grunwald), who is mute and “talks’ by dancing; Senator Rawkins (Larry Lewis), an old Southern bigot whose world turns upside down; and Woody (John Rochette*), the All American boy who can charm the birds from the trees and Sharon into his arms!

The show is filled with irresistible music Old Devil Moon, How are things in Glocca Morra?, Look to the Rainbow and the timely When the Idle Poor become the Idle Rich

Finian’s Rainbow is directed by Julia Kiley, musical direction by John DeNicola with a set design by Tony Andrea, lights by Tate Burmeister and costumes by Pam Puente.

Finian’s Rainbow  opens on August 11 and runs thru September 5 for 4 weeks. Performance times are Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2pm. Evening performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm. Tickets are $38 for adults, $33 for seniors, $20 for students and $15 for children and are available by calling the Playhouse box office at 860-767-7318 or by visiting our website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org  (Group rates are available by calling the box office for information.) The Playhouse is located at 103 Main Street in Ivoryton.

Members of the press are welcome at any performance.

Please call ahead for tickets.

*member of Actors Equity

Challenges in the Kitchen

I love to cook in the kitchen, whether it is from a recipe or something I created myself. I usually share with you the recipes I create from recipes, but I have decided to also share with you the recipes I create myself. Up until this point I hadn't been writing them down but I am going to start. Maybe I will create recipes like some of my favorite chefs: Jamie Oliver, Giada De Laurenttis, Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, Julia Child and others. What would really be interesting to see is what I can create in my kitchen considering I live an apartment and have a plain old electric stove. Challenges are always fun.

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

I hope to hear about the fun you have in the kitchen.

Cassandra