Tag: Gin

Seven Things I Love (11-16-2020)

1. This Video of Angela Lansbury & Carol Channing – it is a performance recorded back in 2001, when Lansbury was 76 years old and Channing was 80, at a benefit for the Actors Fund of America. The event was called ‘Tap Your Troubles Away with Jerry Herman.’ Jerry Herman was the wizard behind the musicals Mame, La Cage aux Folles and Hello, Dolly. I ADORE these two old girls!!!

2. This Interview with Ruby Bridges by Trevor Noah – Trevor Noah, in my opinion, is the best interviewer on television (sorry Stephen Colbert, you’re a close second though! Plus you’re the most talented. And Seth Meyers, you’re the funniest so don’t worry, you’re still number one in my heart. And, of course, we mustn’t forget John Oliver, who is in a class by himself.)

3. This Sea Shanty sung by the Fisherman’s Friends – who doesn’t love a good sea shanty?

More importantly, who doesn’t love a good movie about a group of fisherman who become famous singing sea shanties? Cuz the guys above, the Fisherman’s Friends, there is a movie about them and it’s on Netflix now. Here’s the trailer. You HAVE to see it. It’s marvelous. It makes me long to go back to Cornwall (one of my favorites places in the world.) My great-grandparents were Cornish (as were all their relatives before them) so I think my attachment to Cornwall is due to that – I feel at home when I’m there.

4. This Tutorial on How to Position Pillows for Better Sleep – it’s meant for elderly people, to help reduce joint pain, but frankly as a menopausal broad, I have plenty of that already. And I’m sure that people of all ages should learn how to sleep properly, with better alignment. I bought a buckwheat pillow after watching this and it’s AWESOME.

I also purchased a wedge pillow and for the past two days I slept EIGHT HOURS straight. I have breathing issues but I’ve had two sleep studies done and I don’t have sleep apnea. Instead it turns out I have a deviated septum and other nose problems that make me end up waking up completely congested. But sleeping slightly elevated it is really helping with my breathing. It turns out that elevated sleeping is better for people with all sorts of sleep issues.

5. This Friendship between Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald – I came across this story via Drunk History (see video below) and it is wonderful. Those of us who know about Marilyn’s life (which is pretty much everyone over forty I suspect) know that it wasn’t easy. During a time when women like Marilyn were sexualized and victimized and there was little to no recourse, Monroe tried to find ways to protect herself. Trying to change her image into an actress with the trifecta of being able to act, dance, and sing (as well as being taken more seriously as an actress) was one method of protection.

Supposedly her singing instructor introduced her to the music of Ella Fitzgerald. Marilyn was so taken with Ella’s voice that she called up the manager at the famous Mocambo Nightclub in Hollywood and told him that if he had Ella perform that she would sit in the front row every night. Supposedly Fitzgerald had been trying to get a gig there for some time but was turned down. There have been memes circulating about the incident saying the Mocambo wouldn’t let Fitzgerald sing because she was black and Monroe helped her get a gig and the two women became great admirers of one another, or they were so alike, or they celebrated Monroe’s and Fitzgerald’s friendship. Sadly the fact checkers, who sometimes are way too literal (which drives me nuts) have been saying – okay, here’s the TRUE STORY or the “truth” behind this meme.

They say – it isn’t accurate to say that Ella Fitzgerald wasn’t allowed to sing at the Mocambo because she was black. They’ll point out that black performers like Eartha Kitt, Dorothy Dandridge, Herb Jeffries and Joyce Bryant. Big whoop. Ella sang at the Mocambo in 1955, it had been open since 1941.

But if that really isn’t the reason, or if it is only partly the reason, the real reason is actually worse and I’m not sure, are these fact-checkers and truth seekers implying it’s less problematic? Because the real reason is that Ella was “heavyset” that she wasn’t “sexy enough” that she was fat. It still had to do with the way she looked, whichever reason is true.

For those of you who enjoy Drunk History (one of the best ways to learn history) ….

6. This Exercise Bicycle from the Hendrick’s Gin people – a Hendrick’s High Wheel! It’s a REAL exercise bike, or as Bicycling magazine calls it, a “high-class, low-tech stationary bike.” Designed to look like a Victorian Penny-farthing, the bicycle is a Steampunk lover’s dream. Plus it has a holder that fits a bottle of Hendrick’s, so you can pedal for your cocktails! Would I be willing to fork over the $2500 for this? Maybe. But with there only being three available for sale, because I don’t have the space in my house, AND because I honestly question whether I would be able to climb up onto the seat, this lovely thing won’t be in my possession at any point in the future.

7. This View from the Cupola of the Space Station – can you even imagine??? And there are more photos here and here.

Karen Nyberg, a NASA astronaut, took in the view from the space station’s cupola in 2013.Credit. NASA

And here is a video:


Word of the Day

Kalsarikännit (pronounced cal-sar-y-cuhn-eet) – of course pre-pandemic kalsarikannit wasn’t such a regular thing.


Quote of the day

Have a GREAT week!

Seven Things I Love (10-5-2020): Gastronomical Edition

Okay guys, so I was collecting thing for my upcoming blog post and not only did I have WAY too many but a lot of them seemed to be food related so this week I’m posting two blogs simultaneously. Don’t worry, I don’t think this will be a regular thing.

1. This video showing How they make croissants at the Le Marais Bakery in San Francisco. Mesmerizing. And man, they look so good. Dammit, how much longer until we can freaking travel. Or at least leave our homes? My state unfortunately is becoming a new hotspot. Some hospitals not too far north of where I live have had to start wait-listing or transferring patients. I’m going to go watch this video again….

2. This Black Forest Piecaken – my friend Kathy made this! You’ve probably heard of a turducken, which is a deboned chicken stuffed into a deboned duck, further stuffed into a deboned turkey. Well a piecaken is a pie baked inside a cake. You can make it with pretty much any kind of pie and any kind of cake but this is a cherry pie baked into a fudgy chocolate cake. Only in America!

I’m not sure if this is the same recipe my friend used but the photo is mighty close to the end result so it could be. OR if you don’t want to put as much work into it, you can use this boxed cake recipe but that’s not going to be as good.

3. This pizzeria – Vinnie’s Pizzeria, that has added “Comforting Words” to its menu at the low cost of $1! 2020 has a silver linings here and there.

4. This Australian tradition – “Democracy Sausage” or another reason why the rest of the world is superior to America. Oh em gee, why aren’t we doing this???? Because most countries don’t try to discourage voting/making it difficult to vote and actually try to lure people to the polls, in Australia at many elections they grill these sausages, called “snags” and offer them either for free or to raise money for local causes. I realize during a global pandemic this may not be a good time to start this (and I’m sure they won’t be doing it in Australia for the next year or so either) but we really need to try harder.

5. This Snow Globe Gin from Harvey Nichols – two of my favorite things in one package. Pinch me. They’ve used edible gold flakes for the snow. It’s times like this that I ask myself yet again, why the hell am I not living in the UK? (You can’t see it on their website until November, not that they can ship it to the U.S. Trust me, I’ve tried to have gin shipped here.)

6. These Tips for tidying up your kitchen — I’m obsessed with Food52 and this article had some amazing tips on how to clean up your kitchen quickly and easily. I particularly liked the part for keeping an “orderly fridge.” Genius.

(bonus – before and after (mostly after) photos of junk drawer makeovers…)

7. This article about how the Irish Supreme Court ruled that Subway Bread is too sweet to be bread. Yes, it’s official, Subway bread is not bread. FINALLY!

After all, we all know that we should all be eating bread like this on a daily basis. Mmmmmm, Irish Brown Bread. There’s nothing better. This photo is from the website Hungry Enough to Eat Six and they have a dandy recipe for Irish Brown Bread here.


Have a WONDERFUl week!

Ten* Things I Love (7-20-2020)

1. If We Treated Teachers Like Pro Athletes – Key & Peele – this is from a few years ago but SOOOOOO relevant right now.

2. This Ingenious Hummingbird – Paraguayan Conservationist Bianca Caroline Soares snapped this photo back in September of 2019. She had been observing hummingbird nests for over a year but when she saw this one she knew it was something unique and special.

“The hummingbird went on to have two chicks, and Soares was able to capture the trio under one roof—literally. The flexible nest expanded to fit the new additions and the leaf was able to cover them all.”

From ‘Clever Hummingbird Builds a Nest Complete With a Giant Leaf Roof‘ by Sara Barnes, My Modern Met, July 14, 2020

3. This Tutorial by Telenovela star Kate del Castillo on How to be an Action Star – She is HILAROUS! I had tears in my eyes. I am planning on subscribing to Peacock TV I’m just waiting for my smartTV to get an app.

4. These three incredibly talented beauties – Norah, Yarah & Rosa known as Let it Happen (thanks to my friend Jeta for originally sharing this video). Just wow.

5. Hear Ye, Hear YeThe Queen has her own Gin. There is pretty much nothing more perfect (and British) than this. Sadly it has already sold out. It is/was only available in the UK but I was hoping to get a bottle when I went over next year. Sigh.

The Queen is famous (infamous?) for having the same four cocktails every day.

From Vanity Fair (and Food & Wine):

And Food and Wine uncovered another detail about the Queen’s daily intake: the 91-year-old reportedly consumes four cocktails a day. And why shouldn’t she!? Let’s run through what they are:

Her first drink, per former royal chef Darren McGrady, enjoyed shortly before lunch, is a gin and Dubonnet with a slice of lemon and a “lot of ice.” Sure, this sounds about right. A classy and posh and powerful concoction.

Then, during lunch, she’ll have a piece of chocolate and a glass of wine at meal’s end. (That we have been eating lunch all these years without closing with a piece of chocolate and glass of wine now makes us feel utterly foolish.)

O.K., then, also at lunch, the Queen drinks a dry gin martini, according to her cousin Margaret Rhodes. So, yes, we are now at three drinks by roughly 1 p.m.

Her final drink of the day? It actually doesn’t come until she’s going to sleep: a glass of Champagne before bed.

6. Quarantine Public Library – this delightful little site currently houses over 40 one-page pdfs that you can download and fold into little “books.” They are really more like works of art. I made a donation of $30 and donated the mega-pack of the entire collection in one zipped file. If you donate $10 you can print out your own library card and there is also a general $5 donation level. Funds collected from the Quarantine Library are being directed to EveryoneON, which is a non-profit that connects low-income families to affordable internet service and computers. That is a non-profit I can absolutely support!

7. Urzila (pronounced Ursila like ….) Carlson – this South African comedian who does “not identify as fat” is my new favorite funny person. Her show on Netflix called ‘Overqualified Loser‘ is a hoot. Some might say she overshares, but then, isn’t oversharing really a subjective thing? For myself, I’ve always felt that society needs to stop being so freaking uptight and talk more about stuff. If we didn’t try to hide things that are part of life like menopause and mensuration and puberty and various stages of aging we’d all be more informed, less ashamed, and people that needed might need help would get it.

Anyhoo, back to Urzila, come on, how could a menopausal broad not adore a female comedian who is a lesbian, has a South African accent, and who does not identify as fat? Pinch me!

8. This video of Billy Joel playing a discarded piano – no words necessary.

9. Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Hand Cream – I have been using this for years. In fact, a while back one of my staff told me that my office smelled like this cream and it always reminded her of me. Which made me happy. It’s a nice scent. When I went to look for a link for this I started to panic because as I typed “Crabtree & Evelyn” into Google up popped “Crabtree & Evelyn closing down” – EEK! It appears that the retailer hasn’t survived the online sales surge so it did shut down its brick & mortar stores. So sad. But it relaunched in the middle of last year as online only and so this product is still available. Though sadly it has been repackaged and is not available in the larger size that has a pump. Still, I may need to stock up just in case.

10. Henry Cavill building a Gaming PC – seriously there is nothing hotter than a guy working on electronics. Is anyone else watching ‘The Witcher?’ I’m REALLY looking forward to seeing him in the new ‘Enola Holmes‘ movie!

*This week there was just too many things so I upped it to TEN things but this is not going to be a standing thing (I don’t think.)

Have a LOVELY week!