 I’m back! Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay in writing more recipes, but I’ve had a new job to get used to! I moved to Carrillo Ranch with my Sirs, and I have my very own restaurant!
Anyhow! It’s getting that time of year, when we want to make the yummiest food for our families. I mean, what is better than a huge plate of turkey, mashed potatoes, yams and of course, stuffing. My folks called it dressing, but they are snotty rich folks that looked down on everyone. I choose to call it stuffing. And why not? You stuff it into a turkey! (well, you don’t have to. I know some of you deep fry, which is yummy too!) The best way to start it is this. You know those day or two-day old loaves of bread at your bakery? They’re usually marked way down, and they are perfect for this recipe. And change it up! Use pretzel bread, sour dough, rye, corn bread! Mix and match! In fact, that is my favorite, to get French bread and others to give varying textures and flavors! You can also mix and match the veggies. I know not everyone loves onions, or celery, or mushrooms. If I list something here you don’t like, leave it out! Or, add your own favs! Simple! As for the meat, you can go vegan with this recipe easily. Veggie broth and vegan butter work great, and I have made that! It’s still super yum! Just cook them down until it’s a nice concentrate and add to your bread and veggies! So, to start, cut all the stale breads into nice cubes. They don’t have to be tiny like Stovetop! Place in a paper bag and each time to go into the kitchen, shake it up so air gets to all the pieces. That’s very important. OR, if you don’t have that time or space, dry them in the oven the day before, 225F for about half an hour should do the trick. Now, the measurements are crazy. I make dinner for at least 12 each year. So I need almost a full bag of bread. If you have a smaller family and don’t care for a lot of leftovers, you can go to a couple loaves of bread and that will be great. And don’t forget, the bread will shrink once the moisture is out of it. For this recipe, I’m doing one large baking pan. Sure, you can stuff your turkey, but you will not have much if you stop there, so get a casserole dish or big pan that you make lasagna in, or an 18”x12”x3” pan. Ingredients 5 loaves of good bread cubed and dried Four to five large stalks of celery, chopped One large onion, diced About twelve button mushrooms, chopped 4 cloves of garlic, chopped 3 carrots, julienned A pound of good sausage, browned and crumbled (this is to taste! More or less as you like and use what sausage you like. Sage is my favorite) Sage, one tbl Thyme, one tbl Oregano, one teas Salt to taste (but be careful, the bouillon is salty!) Pepper to taste Chicken bouillon about three heaping tbl OR five cups of good broth Two sticks of butter, separated (I know, it’s a lot, but this is cheating season!) For those using turkey or fowl, take out the neck and giblets the night before you’re cooking the fowl and place in a medium boiling pan. Fill with water, add chicken or turkey bouillon, spices and start it to boil, then turn it down to simmer it. Don’t let it run out of water. Keep it filled but simmering. After cooking sausage, in the same skillet, add half a stick of butter and your veggies and salt and pepper to taste. Sweat your veggies and not cook them fully. You’ll want a little crunch from your stuffing. Deglaze with a little of the cooking broth. Take out and add the meat and veggies to your bread cubes. Once the neck and giblets are finished cooking, take them out of the broth and add one stick of the butter until it melts into the broth. You can cut up the meat and add it, or not. OR, if you’re using this for gravy, add to the gravy. A little at a time, add the broth to the bread mix and stir very gently. Add more, stir more until it’s all moist. You may have to use a little more broth, and if so, no problem, get some more of the bouillon and butter (that extra half a stick). Or, if you like a drier stuffing, don’t add it all. Fold into your cooking pan after stuffing your bird in the morning. Do not stuff the night before, that can make you sick! The bread will keep absorbing, and you don’t want it absorbing salmonella! You can cook the extra stuffing at the same temp as the turkey, for about 45 mins to an hour, but watch for it to get brown and a little crunchy on top. Texture is as important as flavor! Now, what I do is make an extra big pan of the broth with the neck and giblets. I use half for the stuffing and the other half for the gravy. Place butter into the half that you’ll use for stuffing only, as you’ll use the grease from the turkey for your gravy! You’ll need good broth for the gravy too, and the fusion of similar flavors is great for the dinner! I’ll tell you a secret, if you make your own bread, I highly recommend you use that for this recipe. It’s not only cheaper, it’s delicious! Substitutions that are really yummy as well? Add apples or pears. Add nuts (if no guests have allergies!) Add bacon instead of sausage. Add oysters! Make your own cornbread for this. Your own zucchini bread. And I know it sounds gross, but try 3/4 regular bread and throw in banana bread for the other quarter! It gives the sweetness you would normally get from nuts or other fruits like apples. Play around with your favorite flavors. All I ask is you start with good bread first and good broth. My favorite bouillon is Knorr’s chicken (pollo) bouillon. It’s incredibly tasty! And it’s inexpensive too! Or, make your own chicken or turkey broth in advance! Chicken, veggies and spices, cook until chicken is falling off the bone, strain and voila! You’ve got great homemade broth too! And wish me luck! I’ll be making enough for five hundred people this year. Do you know how much bread that is? Ugh…
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 Hello everyone, my name is Neku and I'm a five thousand year old vampire. You can read all about me and my family in the Ancient Blood Trilogy, which happens to be on sale for Halloween, 2024! Not long ago, I met Rain Carrington, author of the aforementioned trilogy. Along with telling her all about my most recent adventures, meeting, turning, and falling in love with my spouse and fellow vampire, Adam, we discussed books. Of course she loves books, being a writer. She has a special affinity for horror novels. She and I spoke for hours, listing off our favorites. She's also asked others, including her daughters and a few of her friends, who are horror book enthusiasts as well. Here is a list of our favorites and a very short synopsis of them. Give yourself a scary treat and read these over, this, the greatest of all holidays. I hope you enjoy this list, but if you don't, it won't bother me a bit. I've lived 5000 years without your approval and I'll be here long after your bones are dust! Salem's Lot by Stephen King Of course, I would begin with a story about vampires! I've seen your movies and read your books, and this is by far one of my favorites. A story that is timeless to me. I, being the good and magnanimous vampire I am, would never take over a whole town, but I can see the inclination by this fellow blood enthusiast. In a small town called Salem's Lot, a new man buys the local haunted house and his partner arrives some days later, in a box of dirt, of course. Then, the town begins to experience strange sicknesses and deaths, quite a lot of them, as a matter of fact. It's rife with heroes and villains, though, for me, those lines are very blurry. You might feel differently. Oh and by the way...these vampires don't glow like they've been bathed in glitter. Don't get me started on those! Cujo by Stephen King Another book by a man often called the greatest of all horror novelists, Stephen King. This story is about a mother and her son getting stranded in a broken down car, and being hunted by a rabid beast of a dog, a St. Bernard named, you guessed it, Cujo! Can you even imagine a dog of that size, out of it's mind, hunting you? Not as elegant as a vampire, but possibly more terrifying. Amityville Horror by Jay Anson Rain told me all about this one. Yes, it's lauded as a true story, and it very well may be. That is up to the reader to decide. A family moves into a home that had in the past hosted others that committed unspeakable crimes. In less than a month, 28 days, to be exact, they ran screaming from the house and never returned. Many have tried to contact the spirits there. Some have said they have, others did not. The question that comes to mind for me, a rational and possibly brilliant man, why did they never return, even for their belongings? Let's face it, belongings are everything to people in America. Symbols of status, like in my old village in Egypt. Their fear was palpable, and yet, so many are skeptical of their terror. The book, however true or not, is incredibly scary. Every noise you hear in your home after you read this will find you asking the question: are those noises simply the house settling, or demons emerging forth from hell? Ghost Light by Claire McNally A friend of Rain's named Lindsay Crook recommended this book. She, an author herself, came up with this title immediately. That tells me it left a lasting impression. It's now on my list to read. Here is the synopsis from the page at Amazon Ghost Light Tiny but talented, five-year-old Bonnie Jackson had all the stage world clamoring to shine a spotlight on her. But one fateful night at Winston Theater, Bonnie was left alone with evil, in a darkness broken only by the flames that would take her life. After sixty years, Bonnie is more than ready for her second act. And what she has planned is sure to cause a scene. Come opening night Bonnie will astound the audience with the talent she’s been perfecting all these years: vengeance. Clare McNally, bestselling author of Ghost House and Ghost House Revenge, stirs up even more terror in Ghost Light. Innocence has never been so deadly! PRAISE: “A macabre imagination and a tight rein on your nerves are required for McNally's latest release.” ~Publishers Weekly on Good Night, Sweet Angel “You won’t sleep after you read this one!” ~The West Orange Times on Somebody Come and Play “For those who can’t get enough of a good scare!” ~Library Journal on Hear the Children Calling Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman For this one, Rain looked to her youngest daughter, Sara. She is another aficionado of horror fiction like her mom. I haven't read this one yet either, but it's now on my list! From Goodreads: A chilling horror novel about a haunting told from the perspective of a young girl whose troubled family is targeted by an entity she calls “Other Mommy,” from the New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There’s Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every day: “Can I go inside your heart?” When horrifying incidents around the house signal that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking Bela the same question, over and over . . . Bela understands that unless she says yes, soon her family must pay. Other Mommy is getting restless, stronger, bolder. Only the bonds of family can keep Bela safe but other incidents show cracks in her parents' marriage. The safety Bela relies on is on the brink of unraveling. But Other Mommy needs an answer. Incidents Around the House is a chilling, wholly unique tale of true horror told by the child Bela. A story about a family as haunted as their home. The Deep by Nick Cutter Well, well, well, with a statement like that from THE Clive Barker, who could doubt this one's terror rating? Again, a recommendation from Lindsay Crook, this one is high on my list of future reads. From Amazon: From the acclaimed author of The Troop—a book that is “utterly terrifying” (Clive Barker). “Fans of unflinching bleakness and all-out horror will love this novel….Each new shock is freshly disturbing” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). A strange plague called the ‘Gets is decimating humanity on a global scale. It causes people to forget—small things at first, like where they left their keys, then the not-so-small things, like how to drive or the letters of the alphabet. Their bodies forget how to function involuntarily. There is no cure. But far below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, a universal healer hailed as “ambrosia” has been discovered. In order to study this phenomenon, a special research lab has been built eight miles under the sea’s surface. But when the station goes incommunicado, a brave few descend through the lightless fathoms in hopes of unraveling the mysteries lurking at those crushing depths…and perhaps to encounter an evil blacker than anything one could possibly imagine. Intensity by Dean Koontz This is one of Rain's favorites, and she insisted I read it. I won't lie, I couldn't put it down. You know those books that have a scenes that play out, hold your attention and will not let you close them until the pressure drops and you're able to breathe? Well, this book has none of those moments when the pressure drops. It's high tension through the entire thing. A girl, Chynna, is with her friend and her friend's family one weekend. As a guest, she tries hard not to impose herself, and that means making it look like she's not even there, in their home. It pays off by saving her life. The family and her friend, they're not so lucky. This begins a journey for Chynna that is heart pounding, unrelenting and shows the reader the true meaning of bravery. The killer in this is not a ghost, vampire, demon or Satan himself, but that somehow makes it worse. With my kind, you expect savagery, but with humans, you hope their humanity, empathy and love can come through to redeem them. For some humans, redemption isn't an option. This book is well written and terrifying. If You Tell by Gregg Olsen Rain's eldest is an avid reader too, and one of her favorite genres is true crime, again, like her mom. She recommended If You Tell before I could even get the entire question out of my mouth. She said it's frightening, and what's more, it's a true story. The synopsis from Amazon: After more than a decade, when sisters Nikki, Sami, and Tori Knotek hear the word mom, it claws like an eagle’s talons, triggering memories that have been their secret since childhood. Until now. For years, behind the closed doors of their farmhouse in Raymond, Washington, their sadistic mother, Shelly, subjected her girls to unimaginable abuse, degradation, torture, and psychic terrors. Through it all, Nikki, Sami, and Tori developed a defiant bond that made them far less vulnerable than Shelly imagined. Even as others were drawn into their mother’s dark and perverse web, the sisters found the strength and courage to escape an escalating nightmare that culminated in multiple murders. Harrowing and heartrending, If You Tell is a survivor’s story of absolute evil―and the freedom and justice that Nikki, Sami, and Tori risked their lives to fight for. Sisters forever, victims no more, they found a light in the darkness that made them the resilient women they are today―loving, loved, and moving on. The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones Finally, we have The Only Good Indians. This is a best seller for a reason. It's been reviewed by the best critics, and authors, as the best of the year for 2020, and won prizes that year.
I've heard about this one. My husband, Adam, read this, loved it, and it was also highly recommended by Rain's daughter, Angie. This is actually on the top of my list for next reads. Let it be on yours as well. From Amazon: From New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones comes a novel that is equal parts psychological horror and cutting social commentary on identity politics and the American Indian experience. Fans of Jordan Peele and Tommy Orange will love this story as it follows the lives of four American Indian men and their families, all haunted by a disturbing, deadly event that took place in their youth. Years later, they find themselves tracked by an entity bent on revenge, totally helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.  Hey all! Rain asked me to do a special for this wonderful autumn month, October! What better than Victorian and Gothic style homes? Those homes you drive by and get chills down your spine, the ones you always get the sense from that someone inside is watching you? While I've personally never designed one of these for any of my clients, I've long been fascinated by them. The ornate building style that keeps even the smallest details in mind, turning them into something that catches the eye. Gothic style originated in the 1200s in England and France, but became more popular in the 1600s, with Cathedrals getting the most attention from Gothic architects. The style is known for flying buttresses (An arch that extends out from a tall stone wall is a flying buttress, an architectural feature that was especially popular during the Gothic period. The practical purpose of a flying buttress is to help hold the heavy wall up by pushing from the outside—a buttress is a support—but it also serves an aesthetic purpose). Other design details include stained glass windows, pointed arched windows and roofs, large spaces, ornate accents. There are high battlements (A battlement, in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet, in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals to allow for the launch of arrows or other projectiles from within the deffences), and towers. Gothic architecture faded as all styles do, and like most styles, it came roaring back in the 18th and 19th century, where America got in on the building style as well. Below are some examples of Cathedrals and homes in the gothic style.    Now this next one is purely for the holiday fun of it, but is perfect for the style and the season!  Old houses, no matter the style, can give you the willies. Think about it. These homes hold in them the lives of the people that live inside of them. They collect every tear and laugh, every pain of the body and mind. Even ghosthunters have theories about residual hauntings, where ghosts are mere reflections of people that once lived inside the walls of the home, going about their daily routines. But even those that aren't simply walking forever up a curving, creaking staircase, there are those that grab your feet when the blankets are pulled away from them. Did you ever feel a "cold spot" in your home with no windows open and your AC off? Did you ever lose something, only to find it somewhere that you know for a fact you would have never placed it? There are some who love to open the door of the closet you know you closed the previous night. The dripping of that sink? Is it really a plumbing problem? Is the groaning of wood really the house "settling"? The house doesn't have to look Gothic in style to make your hair stand on end or to wake you in the middle of the night, sure it had to be a dream when someone whispered into your ear...   Panic in the Year Zero
Hello again! I’m Dr. Brian Lauder and I’ve come this time to tell you about a suspense filled movie that is as relevant today as it was in 1962, when it was released. Back when everyone thought the big bombs would drop any day, movies about world war were released all the time. Tragic tales of the survivors that ran through the late eighties, when the cold war finally came to an end. This movie was terribly exciting to me as a kid. Later, I feared it wouldn’t be as heart pounding, but it was more so. It begins with a family readying a camper trailer for a trip into the woods. Fishing, hunting and connecting with nature were their goals. They take off with their boat of a car pulling the camper into the mountains east of Los Angeles. Soon after they escape the confines of the city, a nuclear bomb is dropped on the city. Before the rest of the world wakes to the news, the father, Ray Milland, knows he needs to stock up on food and ammunition for the turbulent times sure to come. He spends all the cash he has at a smalltown grocery store, and then, in a hardware store for the tools, more guns and ammunition, he tries to write a check. The owner won’t take it and informs them they have a wait for the firearms, but the father knows there is no waiting. He leaves the check and takes the things they’d collected, rushing off to the woods. The action doesn’t stop there. In these stories, the truth of human nature comes in the form of hooligans that are out to take advantage of the fearful and the unprepared. This isn’t an easy movie to watch, by any means. I did find myself taking mental notes, however, instead of judging the lead characters. He was looking out for his family. He knew what he must do to accomplish that. Finding a place to hunker down and defend your loved ones and yourself. Protecting your supplies, everything that a person should do in such a scenario. It was a movie before it’s time as it was of it’s time. The threats of the greater world are always with us as a society. War, violence, threats to our families and friends are hard to deal with, but movies like this give you a sense that, no matter the situation, keeping your head is the most important thing to survive. Trigger warnings: Rape, kidnapping, violence, war, nuclear bomb. You can find Dr. Lauder in many of Rain's books, but his origin story is Second Chances, book one in Denver Diaries  Hello! I’m back! My name is Roland Brady, and I am an architect. I love home styles, and have built, or dream to build, every kind of home imaginable. Rain Carrington recently wrote a story that featured a straw bale home. When she told me about that, it brought me back to one of my first loves. Adobe homes. Adobe homes are made with clay mud and straw. It’s mixed together to make a brick and you use those nice, thick bricks to build your home. There is no need for insulation in an adobe home. The walls can be a foot thick or more, That mud and straw is better than the best man-made insulation you could buy. Spanish style is what it’s called, but this is an ancient style of building a home that was utilized in the Americas, yes, but also in the Middle East. Think about it, you use what you have around you. A lot of desert places don’t have the trees to build with wood, so native peoples used what they had. Straw and clay mud. In fact, the word adobe may actually come from the Egyptian hieroglyph for brick, which translates to at-tob. Many people who build their own homes in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and parts of California still utilize adobe today. I don’t suggest it in high-humidity areas, but the desert southwest is perfect for it. I will give you the exterior and interior views of the home, and if you live in a place that can utilize it and would love to try, try building a shed first. Check your local building codes and HOA first, of course. Exterior       As you can see, the lines are soft, the surfaces smooth. Once the bricks are in place, people use a variety of methods to smooth out the surface, like chicken wire under stucco, more of the clay mud, and more. The logs are support beams to keep the roof or upper floors strongly in place, and the sight of them is aesthetically pleasing, breaking up the smoothness of the walls. Your imagination and square footage are the only things to keep your imagination in line. There are ways to build roundhouses, arches, multistory homes and more. I’ve included a video here by a couple of gentlemen who do this for a living. Give it a watch! Interior       As you can see, like any home of any combination of building materials, the adobe home can fit into your style. From sleek and modern to old-world, adobe is versatile. Leaving the bricks exposed, covering them completely, or glazing and painting them to leave the texture only exposed, it’s up to the homeowner how they want their home to appear. If you want a home that feels like you’re snuggled in the earth itself, that keeps in the cool in the summer and heat in the winter, that looks like you have, at any time of the month, a big pot of posole cooking, this is the home for you. Another plus? With the right upkeep, these can literally last for centuries. Here is proof.  https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/adobe-mansion-santa-fe-new-mexico-for-sale/
Thanks for hanging with me and examining the beautiful and versatility of adobe homes. Read about me in Hell Bent for Leather, and my special book where I meet the two loves of my life is Going Down on the Farm! Adiós!!  Hi! I’m back! My name is Binx, but you can call me Binxie!
As I get the longing for autumn, I gravitate to the kitchen. Sure, I practically live there anyway, but in the fall, it’s my favorite place. Breads, cakes, stews, soups and more can be found cooking in my house on any autumn day. The scents of cinnamon and sage, the warmth of the oven, they all bring autumn in as well as the golden and rusty colored leaves. Some of my favorite things is spicy, yummy breads. I make double or triple recipes so I can give them out to all my friends. Banana Bourbon Bread, Caramel Apple Bread and of course, who can deny their pumpkin spice addiction and not eat pumpkin bread? This one is my favorite because it’s REALLY moist and delicious. Give this a try once the days get cool and the leaves start to fall into colorful sprays on the ground! Enjoy! Pumpkin Zucchini Bread 3 cups all purpose flour ½ teas of cinnamon ½ teas of nutmeg ¼ teas of cloves (Or, if it’s easier, add about a teaspoon and a half of pumpkin pie spice! I know I have four bottles of it in my cabinet!) ½ teas salt 3 jumbo eggs 1 teas baking powder 1 teas baking soda 2 packed cups brown sugar 1/3 cup oil (can be vegetable, canola or peanut but watch for allergies if you plan to give as gifts!) 1 can pumpkin or pumpkin pie filling (pie filling will have sugar and spices, so if you use this, use less of the spice and sugar) 2 cups shredded zucchini (with peel, and don’t drain the juice, we want this moist!) Optional ingredients: Chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, nuts (your preference), raisins, other dried fruits. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit Grease and flour two loaf pans Mix together, pumpkin, zucchini, eggs, oil and sugar in one bowl, then in a separate bowl, mix together remaining dry ingredients. Mix all together until JUST blended. Do not overwork. That leads to dense bread. Add any optional ingredients and just give a quick mix. Pour evenly into greased and floured loaf pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Cool for around half an hour then take out of pans. You can make a glaze of cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon for an amazing topping, or eat warm with a pat of butter. Happy Fall!  Hello again! If you didn’t read my last review, I’m Dr. Brian Lauder. I am a Doctor of Psychology, a dominant and partner to two amazing men, and, a classic movie enthusiast. This one isn’t black and white, which may be one of the reasons my two partners didn’t immediately groan in misery when I put it on our television. There was popcorn, hot tea, and we were cuddled on the sofa under a nice thick blanket. I set the scene because, well, I knew that once they agreed to watch it, they’d be mesmerized. Plus, there was one more weapon in my arsenal. James Dean. As much as I had my only female crush on Grace Kelly, I had my first male crush, and the one that told me without a doubt I was truly gay, for James Dean. His voice, his mannerisms, the little smirk on his lips, I couldn’t contain the feelings that made my heart thrum a little faster, and my neck get hot. Hell, it still does when I watch him in the few movies he made in his unfortunately short life. He was a beautiful man that was with the world for too short a time. Now, before I wax poetic about the man longer, I’ll get to my review. Giant is a big movie, like the name would suggest. It’s long, coming in at 3 hours and 21 minutes. It’s sweeping in terms of the size of the cast. It starts in the northeastern United States and then moves quickly to Texas. And, like they say, everything is bigger in Texas. Elizabeth Taylor’s character plays a young woman living in her father’s home, living a soft, sweet young life. Old manners, culture, books, discussion over the lace covered dining table makes up her quiet days. It sets her up to be seen as an American princess of sorts, falling in love with a rugged rancher who comes to her home to buy horses. Of course, she falls madly in love with Rock Hudson’s character. He’s a strapping man with a cowboy hat. What’s not to love? He whisks her away after the wedding to Texas, where she is thrown into a place that is so far removed from the life she knew as could be. A flat prairie land made for raising cattle and wild men and women. Hudson’s character has a sister, one of those rugged frontier women who could sit a horse and shoot a buck better than most of her male friends. She doesn’t take a liking to the beautiful new wife of her brother, and predicts the gentlewoman will leave Texas and run home to her lace and roses life. Well, she was wrong. After fainting once from the heat, Elizabeth’s character sets her stubborn jaw in determination, and she toughens herself enough to annoy her husband and amaze the neighbors. I must warn you that there is terrible racism explored in this movie. There was a little village for the workers of the ranches filled with poverty, sickness and oppression. The Mexican workers lived in shacks, and when Elizabeth’s character finds this place, she is incensed with anger, and determination to help the people there. That doesn’t sit well with her husband. But…she doesn’t care. James Dean’s character is also an employee on the ranch. He takes a fast liking to the lady of the house, but she’s forever in love with her rancher husband. When he gets fired, he buys a little place and soon strikes oil, becoming richer than all the ranchers that had looked down on him. And he loves looking down on them, once he’s got the money to do it. Oh, and one other surprise comes toward the end. When one of the children that the main couple have grows up, the boy not only turns his back on the family ranch, but he also marries a Mexican woman. This man is a very young Dennis Hopper. Unrequited love, human rights, and discounting a woman’s natural strength only for her to show the world how strong she could be. Those are all the things you’ll find in this big movie called Giant. Note: I do not own the rights to these following photographs.        Binx’s Special Christmas Prime Rib
Our first Christmas together, my Sirs had a terrible argument over what to have for Christmas dinner. We were having guests, of course, our good friends that would soon become more like family. They trusted me to cook the meal, and that placed a lot of pressure on me. Nathan, ever the doctor, wanted lean turkey, and Pappy loved ham. I agonized over it until a solution came to me that I hoped would settle the debate and make everyone happy. Did I make both? No. It was an option, of course, but the cook in my home when I was young and helped me to become interested in cooking told me a wise thing. The side dishes for one meal didn’t necessarily translate to another main dish. Ham was great with sweeter things, sweet and savory mixed perfectly, and Turkey had traditional, set sides like dressing and mashed potatoes. If I made both, I’d be making a ton of sides for the meal as a whole. What I came up with was making something different altogether and making it so delicious that no one would miss what they’d hoped to have. This is the recipe that brought my Sirs together, had all my friends eating until they dropped on the couches afterward, groaning with happiness. Christmas Prime Rib Topping for Prime Rib Seven cloves roasted garlic (recipe to follow) ½ cup Horseradish ¼ cup stone ground mustard ½ teaspoon salt 3 tbs honey ¼ cup olive oil Cut just enough of the top of a bulb of garlic to see the white cloves and place in a small roasting pan. Pour half of the olive oil over the bulb and cook for half an hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take out, pour rest of the oil over the bulb and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the garlics are cooked and soft. Don’t let it burn! Garlic is terribly bitter when burned. When cooled enough to handle, squeeze the bulb until the garlics slide out into a bowl. With a fork, smash the garlic into a paste, add the salt and honey and mix well. In the same bowl, add the horseradish and mustard and mix well. Prime Rib Depending on how big a crowd you’re cooking for will determine the size of the rib, the cooking time too. Calculate the people and buy a roast that will give you a pound per person. I know that sounds like a lot, but it does cook down some. If you’re serving other things, like at a party, using a buffet, half a pound a person or less could suffice. Ready the rib for the roaster or oven by preheating oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Place roast in the oven or roaster for 15 minutes on this temperature to get a nice brown over the entire roast. Lower temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, then take out the roast, slather on the topping and cook depending on your preference for doneness. 10-12 mins per pound for rare 13-14 mins per pound for medium 14-15 mins per pound for well I know it seems like a lot of garlic, but the top can be taken off the roast before slicing. It’s mostly for the flavor to leek through the meat and get every bit flavorful and delicious. Let REST! Always let meat rest. For this, at least 20 minutes for the juices to redistribute and you won’t be letting it run all over your cutting board. Now, for this, I make a big pan of homemade scalloped potatoes, rich with cream and butter. (This is the holidays, where we are allowed to indulge a bit, but I don’t recommend eating this way often!) Stuffed mushrooms with bacon, asparagus, honey roasted carrots, cranberry and walnut long green beans and a thin au jus. Red wine such as cabernet sauvignon or a nice shiraz pair well with this meal. Also, mulled cider with cinnamon and for those not able to drink alcohol, surprisingly I’ve found a Shirley Temple goes well! For dessert, a rhubarb and cherry tart or crème brulee tops off the perfect meal. If there is a recipe you’d like me to include, let me know! And a VERY early Merry Christmas to all my new friends!  Hi everyone! I’m Roland Brady, architect, partner to Jace and Tango, and lover of all things design. Recently, I was thrown into a huge project, helping to design an entire town, complete with suburbs. Of course, the town was much different than the outlying residential homes. The town is a replica of an old western town, complete with saloons and stagecoach. The homes I built, however, were designed in the modern, minimalistic Scandi style. This style, like the name, was taken from Scandinavian homes. Clean lines, natural building materials, form and function as the highest requirements. The beauty isn’t forgotten, but attained without taking from the rest. I’ve studied the style for years, but I really stretched my wings on Carrillo Ranch. There, I made an entire community of them, so I got to test my skills to make each house similar, but its own house, separate from those around it. Unable to show you my designs, because they are exclusive for the Carrillo Family, I will show you some of the designs that inspired me. I do not own the copyright to these homes, they are merely examples of the beautiful style that is Scandi. Welcome to Scandi Design First we'll look at the exteriors:     As you can see, the lines of these homes seem quite modern. A lot of architects that specialize in modern builds have reached back to the style to incorporate into their designs. Nature plays the biggest part in these homes. Natural woods, stone, lines that feel like they are part of the world around it and not fighting against it. Dark and light woods, enclosures that still give an open feel, big windows, all the ways to let the outside into the home itself. Simplicity is the crucial format of the Scandi home. It's the epitome of less is more. Next we'll look at interiors:     As you can see, the same elements used for the exterior is brought into the home to make a seamless transition.
Woods, open, airy rooms, light colors contrasted by dark elements make each part of every room special. Uncluttered, minimalist, but with a luxury feel to it makes the interior of Scandi home designs so special. This isn't the place for passing fads. These styles are classic and won't go out of style in a lifetime. A new pillow for the sofa or a fresh coat of paint will be all you'd need to update your space. Not only are the exterior designs some of my favorites, but the interior of these homes are as welcoming as your childhood home. Thank you for coming along on this journey to Scandinavia with me, even if it's not the country, and only a specially designed home.  Hello, everyone. I’m Dr. Brian Lauder, doctor of psychology, partner to two wonderful men and movie buff.
My mother, father and I shared a love of old movies. On snowy days at home, we’d sit in the family room with a fire crackling, watching them while eating popcorn and drinking hot apple cider. After, we’d have dinner and discuss them. Those were the most cherished memories of my childhood. I still watch those old films, much to the dismay of my partners. They aren’t fans, but I think they exaggerate their hatred of them. Many a time I’ll glance over to see tears in their eyes or a triumphant smile when the hero wins the leading lady. For the first movie I’ll share with you, I’ve chosen Rear Window. It’s got two of my favorite actors, Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly. Kelly, who became a real princess, was always one to me. Watching her, her true grace and beauty, gave me my first and only crush on a woman. She was the epitome of style and strength. Jimmy Stewart, well, who doesn’t love him? That voice and tenacity in all his films make him a special presence in all lives. To watch this movie, rent on Apple, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Fandango at Home or Google Play. Now, for my review: Maybe it’s the gay man in me, but Grace Kelly’s wardrobe in this movie is one of the best of any classic movie, in my humble opinion. It’s part of her character as well, as she is an editor for a fashion magazine and former model. Former, but not retired, as she wears the clothes she features in her magazine to all the fashionable places in New York City. She’s in love with a photojournalist who travels to exotic places to take captivating pictures. Jimmy Stewart’s character is a globe-trotting adventurer, but who is presently stuck in his NYC apartment with a broken leg. This is where our movie begins, Jimmy’s character complaining about his leg and how terribly bored he is, unable to go on any adventures. He has a nurse that comes to help him bathe, dress and who also feeds him, and is involved so into his life that she gives the confirmed bachelor marital advice. Thought to be a misogynist, condescending to his beautiful girlfriend, I think it’s insecurity that makes him tell her she’d never fit into his life. Her, traveling with him to places where there is no phone or fashion? Where the nights are cold and the days are sweltering hot? The socialite in the desert or high mountains? She doesn’t care a bit, and I think he knows that she would be fine wherever they were together. Admitting that, however, would force him to admit how much he truly loves her. In his boredom, he’s taken to staring out of his “rear window” at his neighbors across the courtyard. The dancer with her hourglass figure, constantly surrounded by men vying for her affections. The lovelorn lady that pretends to sup with men to quell her loneliness. One couple, however, stands out to him. The man is a cranky thing, his wife a seeming invalid. One night, under mysterious circumstances, the woman disappears. Gathering his nurse and girlfriend into the mystery, Jimmy’s character concocts a theory that the husband has killed his wife. At first, they don’t believe him, but the strong, brave Grace Kelly goes to investigate for herself while her loving boyfriend is unable to do a thing but watch from his wheelchair, binoculars at the ready! The film has real suspense, mystery, a beautifully angst-ridden love story and dialogue that comes so organically from the two wonderful main actors as well as all the side characters. The picture was well done, the script excellent. The ending will have you on the edge of your seat. I won’t give away more than that, but rest assured, no matter the age of this film, it’s enjoyable. What would you do if stuck in your home, unable to leave and your only real entertainment was to watch your neighbors? My beautiful submissives, Pez and Morgan introduced me to another movie along these lines called Disturbia. I watched it with my partners and their smug faces, and it was enjoyable enough, for a more modern approach to an old classic. Still, the actors in it were no Jimmy and Grace. No fashion, no real chemistry, but like I said, it was enjoyable enough. Do yourself a favor and watch Rear Window. I know you won’t be disappointed. Trigger warning: Murder, mayhem and a little dog perishes. |
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