Koda Special. Big Band Music. For some it’s Monday. So let’s start with some big band tunes. Or if you feel that you want to post other types of music, feel free.
A big band is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and dominated jazz in the early 1940s when swing was most popular. The term “big band” is also used to describe a genre of music, although this was not the only style of music played by big bands.
Big bands started as accompaniment for dancing. In contrast to the typical jazz emphasis on improvisation, big bands relied on written compositions and arrangements. They gave a greater role to bandleaders, arrangers, and sections of instruments rather than soloists.
Favorite Snacks. I have a few. Yes I do have a few favorites when it comes to snacks. But only in moderation. I love chocolate and Potato chips. But on the chips, Salt and Vinegar. Chocolate I try to stay with dark chocolate. But a Hershey bar with almonds is to die for
Like so many people, Kelly Stewart Harcourt, daughter of late actor Jimmy Stewart, looks forward to watching the annual winter broadcasts of It’s a Wonderful Life, which her father starred in as George Bailey. “My father often said his favorite movie was It’s a Wonderful Life,” Kelly exclusively tells Closer Weekly in the magazine’s latest issue, on newsstands now.
Reexperiencing the story of kindhearted George, who in his darkest moment learns how much his neighbors in Bedford Falls love him, the 69-year-old recalls how her famous father, who died at age 89 in 1997, always made their family’s Christmas celebration extra special.
“Once my dad dressed as Santa Claus and came into our bedroom — my sister and I were astounded,” she remembers about a 1958 Christmas trip to Hawaii. Though they eventually realized who was under that costume, Jimmy, a consummate actor, never broke character. “I slapped him on the back and nudged him, but he just carried on as Santa.”
Like the lovable everyman characters he often played in hits like Rear Window, Vertigo, Harvey and more, Jimmy believed in honor, family, faith and doing the right thing. He was already a Hollywood leading man when World War II broke out and led him to enlist. His wartime experiences — although harrowing — would make Jimmy a deeper, more serious man and a better actor.
“He had seen dark things and internalized some rage,” Robert Matzen, author of Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe, explains to Closer. “After he returned, he sought more challenging roles. In It’s a Wonderful Life, George reaches a breaking point, has that flash of temper and destroys the models in his living room. I don’t think that scene would have been possible for Jimmy before the war.”
In the early 1940s, a gossip columnist christened Jimmy “The Great American Bachelor.” He romanced Mae West, Ginger Rogers, Olivia de Havilland and many lesser known starlets, often double-dating with his great friend, actor Henry Fonda. “They were a couple of young, tall, good-looking guys on the loose,” says Jimmy Stewart: A Biography author Marc Eliot, who adds that Jimmy was as popular offscreen as he was on. “You can’t manufacture or learn likability, but Jimmy had it. And it took him everywhere.”
In 1939, the actor joined the A-list by starring in Frank Capra’s You Can’t Take It With You and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. In 1941, he won a Best Actor Oscar — beating out Laurence Olivier — for The Philadelphia Story. Pennsylvania-born Jimmy had it all, but his sense of duty ran deep. Both of his grandfathers fought in the Civil War, and his father served in WWI. With the onset of WWII, Jimmy enlisted with the Army Air Corps and began flying bomb raids over enemy territory.
“During his toughest mission, an anti-aircraft shell detonated under the flight deck of his plane and a two-foot hole was blown out between his legs,” reveals Matzen. “He was looking straight down at Germany and they had to fly that plane four hours back to base with only three engines.”
Upon his return to civilian life, the Winchester ’73 actor was no longer the happy-go-lucky man of his youth. Troubled by nightmares, he sought refuge in his faith. “When he needed strength, help and comfort, he would pray and go to church,” says daughter Kelly. Because of his beliefs, Jimmy was drawn to the It’s a Wonderful Life script for its air of melancholy as well as its heartwarming message of love.
“I filmed a long scene with him, sitting on his lap, putting tinsel in his hair. He was a very nice man,” Jimmy Hawkins, who played his son Tommy, tells Closer. Karolyn Grimes, a.k.a. little Zuzu, adds that it was obvious that Jimmy loved children. “He was just a gentle, kind soul. He never lost his temper. Once time I missed a line and he told me, ‘Don’t worry. You’ll get it right next time.’ And sure enough, I did.”
Perhaps playing a family man in It’s a Wonderful Life got Jimmy thinking about his future. “He started to date around again, but he didn’t enjoy it as much as he used to,” explains Matzen. In 1947, he met his wife-to-be, Gloria McLean, at a Christmas party. “She was not pretentious and was a really good sport,” recalls their daughter Kelly. “She had an incredible sense of humor and was really beautiful.”
Jimmy continued to make movies, but Kelly and his three other children, Michael Stewart, 73, Judy Stewart-Merrill, 69, and late son Ronald McLean, became the center of his life. “Gloria and the children continue to bring me enormous pleasure,” he once gushed in a 1985 interview. “On the whole, it’s been a darn wonderful life.”
Looking for team players. Moderators wanted. Looking for one or two moderators. For one channel or all three. This channel here is non political. Fun stuff, music, food, and everyday feel good stories. No religion. News with Analysis and Looking at Today’s world are a mixture all that Koda has. But they have politics and no religion.
If you want to write articles, that’s fine also. Just drop me a line at the e-mail below.
German Christmas stollen. “Dresden is famous for her stollen—long loaves of sweetened bread with raisins and almonds galore; the rolled-up shape is supposed to represent the Holy Infant in its swaddling clothes,” notes a 1915 issue of Table Talk magazine (“the American authority upon culinary topics and fashions of the table”).
Slowly add in milk and continue to beat until smooth. Place dough in a large, clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for approx. 1 h.
Preheat oven to 180°C/355°F. Set aside approx. one quarter of the dough. Combine remaining dough with almond slivers, candied orange and lemon peel, and raisins. Continue to knead until well combined.
Place fruit dough onto the lower third of the oval and roll up. Tuck in overlapping sides. Transfer to a lined baking tray seam side down. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/355°F for approx. 40 min. until golden. Leave to cool for approx. 10 min. Before serving, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.
Still have left over Turkey? Turkey Soup. If like our family, you can only eat so many Turkey sandwiches. But a Turkey soup? Now that’s something. Trust me and use the chicken broth instead of Turkey stock. I have to go now, I need to shovel some snow then sit down and have a bowl of Turkey Soup.
The perfect meal to use up all that leftover turkey from the holidays! Packed with fresh veggies, herbs and noodles, this leftover turkey soup recipe is super filling and comforting!
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until onions are soft.
Add the water and chicken broth to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10minutes.
Next add the noodles, turkey, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic powder and bring to a boil. Cook for an additional 10-12 minutes or until the noodles are cooked.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Every turkey is seasoned differently, so add salt accordingly. Ladle into bowls and serve warm.
Notes
You can also use leftover chicken for this recipe too. Tastes just as yummy!
This soup will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days if stored in an airtight container.
To freeze: Make the recipe without the noodles and store in an airtight container in the freezer. When ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator over night. Cook the noodles in a separate pot while you warm the soup. Once noodles are cooked, add to soup and enjoy.
Cyber Monday. Come and get it. Please follow the links after the article here. For the foreseeable future, all earnings go back into bringing better articles for all those who visit.
Songs about Winter. Let’s do songs about winter time or cold weather. We here in NE Ohio are looking for our first major falling of snow. You can also do songs about the snow if you wish.
You still have time to Black Friday shop. That’s right my friends. Now if you want to shop from the comforts of home, just go to the bottom of this page and check out the awesome deals.
You can follow the links to the home page and log into your account or create your account. I made some awesome purchases yesterday. if you don’t believe me, go look for yourself and see the awesome deals.
Great news. Major companies restored. More to come. I’m proud to announce that our affiliate program has been restored. You will see them on the bottom of the page. We erred when we put their links and logo’s in the article. That has been fixed. So if you will be doing online shopping, please visit our advertisers below the article.
I love high school football. NE Ohio a football powerhouse. In Ohio we have seven divisions where the schools are based by size. NE Ohio claimed three of the divisions. In three they were runner ups. And one they made the semi finals. Now that tells me that I live in a High school power house area.
We eat, drink, and live for our high school football. Sure California, Texas, and Florida have always had some great teams. But where else can you see such power house teams. In our area I counted over 50 state championships. How does your area stack up? It can be any sport.
Chef George Duran is an author, entertainer, and host. He’s also a realist when it comes to eating meals with his children. “I’m always aiming at eating every night together, but with two boys there are days that just doesn’t happen,” says Duran, who was once host of TLC’s Ultimate Cake Off and The Food Networks Ham on the Street.
Still, dinner is a sacred — if frantic— ritual in the Duran household. “I cook dinner every single night…and it’s sometimes a challenge to find something that everyone likes,” he says. “Yes, sometimes I feel like a short-order-cook, but the challenge is to find the same meals that we all enjoy together.”
George Duran’s Muffin Pan Huevos Rancheros Recipe
Ingredients
Non-stick spray
3 small flour tortillas, cut in half
6 tablespoons of canned refried beans
1/2 Cup Fresh Cravings Chunky or Restaurant Style salsa (or similar salsa), plus more for serving
6 eggs
6 tablespoons of grated cheese of choice
Chopped cilantro for garnish
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400F.
Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray and form each halved tortilla into a cone and press hard into each muffin mold until it forms into a “cup”
Divide refried beans and about 1 tablespoon of salsa into each tortilla cup, evenly, then crack one egg into each
Add 1 tablespoon grated cheese on top of eggs and bake in oven for 13 – 15 minutes
Remove from oven and allow to rest for a couple of minutes before removing each cup and topping with more salsa
These healthy sweet potato black bean enchiladas might just be the best vegetarian enchiladas you’ll ever eat. They’re packed with flavor from delicious spices and an easy, homemade enchilada sauce, and are topped with an amazing avocado lime cream. The perfect vegetarian comfort food for weeknight dinners!
Prep Time30minutes
Cook Time50minutes
Total Time1hour20minutes
Serves4
Ingredients
2medium sweet potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1tablespoonolive oil
1/2tablespoonchili powder
1teaspooncumin
1/2teaspoongarlic powder
1/4teaspoonsalt
1(15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2cupfresh or frozen corn
1 1/2cupsshredded Mexican cheese blend
8soft corn tortillas*
For the enchilada sauce:
2teaspoonsolive oil
1small white onion, finely minced
3clovesgarlic, minced
2 1/2tablespoonschili powder
1teaspooncumin
1teaspoondried oregano
1/4teaspoonsalt
1 (15 ounce)can tomato sauce
2tablespoonstomato paste
1/2cupwater (or broth of choice)
1/2teaspoonapple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the avocado lime crema:
1/4cupnonfat plain greek yogurt
1/2ripe avocado
1lime, juiced
1/4cupcilantro
1/8teaspoonsalt
Garnish: chopped cilantro
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Add diced sweet potatoes and drizzle with olive oil; add spices and salt on top, then give the sweet potatoes a toss so that they are evenly coated with olive oil and spices. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
While the sweet potatoes are cooking, make the enchiladas sauce: Heat oil in a medium pot over medium high heat. Add in onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes or until onions become translucent.
Add in chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and stir for 30 seconds to allow the spices to cook a bit. Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, water and apple cider vinegar then bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.
Keep heat in oven once sweet potatoes are done cooking. Add sweet potatoes to a large bowl and mix with black beans, corn and 1/4 cup enchilada sauce.
Spray a 9×11 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray, add 1/4 cup enchilada sauce to bottom of the pan and spread evenly.
Take a tortilla then fill with 1/3 cup of mixture, 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese and 1 tablespoon of enchilada sauce. Roll the tortilla up and place seam side down in the pan.
Repeat with each tortilla and place tightly next to each other. Pour remaining enchilada sauce then cheese on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
While the enchiladas are baking, you can make the avocado lime crema. In a blender or food processor, add the avocado, greek yogurt, lime juice, cilantro and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add a tablespoon or two of water to thin out if necessary.
Once enchiladas are done baking, drizzle or spread the avocado lime crema on top. Garnish with extra cilantro and hot sauce, if desired. Makes 8 enchiladas total; serving size 2 enchiladas per person.
Recipe Notes
*Feel free to use flour tortillas if you prefer. Recipe is gluten free if you use gluten free corn tortillas.
Enchiladas can be made a day ahead and placed covered in the fridge. Simply bake for 10-15 minutes longer once you are ready to cook them.
How to freeze enchiladas (two ways!):
Bake first, then freeze. You can either bake it first, then cool to room temperature, slice into servings, place in freezer safe containers and then freeze. Or you can bake it, bring to room temp, and then freeze the entire pan. Just make sure you double wrap it so the enchiladas do not dry out. This is assuming you are freezing the entire pan. Once ready to reheat, thaw it out. Then bake, covered at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes or until heated through.
Freeze before baking: To freeze before baking, simply assemble the enchiladas as written in the instructions, then double wrap with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Once ready to bake, thaw out then bake according to instructions.
Working for the man. Work songs. Let’s get the week moving with work songs. Songs about work. Or musical artists who have work in their name or the bands name. A work songis a piece of music closely connected to a form of work, either sung while conducting a task (usually to coordinate timing) or a song linked to a task which might be a connected narrative, description, or protest song.
Records of work songs are as old as historical records, and anthropological evidence suggests that most agrarian societies tend to have them.[1] Most modern commentators on work songs have included both songs sung while working as well as songs about work, since the two categories are seen as interconnected.[2] Norm Cohen divided collected work songs into domestic, agricultural or pastoral, sea shanties, African-American work songs, songs and chants of direction and street cries.[3]Ted Gioia further divided agricultural and pastoral songs into hunting, cultivation and herding songs, and highlighted the industrial or proto-industrial songs of cloth workers (see Waulking song), factory workers, seamen, lumberjacks, cowboys and miners. He also added prisoner songs and modern work songs.[1]
Roasted Beet and Winter Squash Salad with Walnuts. The colors of the vegetables were the inspiration behind this beautiful salad. You may be fooled into thinking the orange vegetables next to the dark beets are sliced golden beets, but they are slices of roasted kabocha squash.
Roast the beets. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the greens off of the beets, leaving about 1/2 inch of the stems attached. Scrub the beets and place in a baking dish or ovenproof casserole. Add about 1/4 inch water to the dish. Cover tightly with a lid or foil, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the beets are tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. If not using right away, refrigerate in a covered bowl
Line another roasting pan with foil or parchment and brush with olive oil. Peel the squash and cut in 1/2-inch thick slices. Toss with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and salt to taste and place on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until lightly browned and tender. You can do this at the same time that you roast the beets, but watch carefully if you need to put the baking sheet on a lower shelf. Remove from the heat and allow to cool
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem and wash the greens. Add salt to the water, and blanch the greens for 1 minute or until tender. Transfer the greens to a bowl of cold water, then drain and squeeze out the water. Chop coarsely
Mix together the vinegars, garlic, salt, pepper, the remaining olive oil and the walnut oil. When the beets are cool enough to handle, trim the ends off, slip off their skins, cut in half, then slice into half-moon shapes. Toss with half the salad dressing. In a separate bowl, toss the roasted squash with the remaining dressing
Place the greens on a platter, leaving a space in the middle. Arrange the beets and squash in alternating rows in the middle of the platter. Sprinkle on the fresh herbs and the walnuts. If desired, sprinkle on crumbled feta. Serve
Tip
Advance preparation: Roasted beets and squash will keep for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Cooked beet greens will keep for about 3 days, and can be reheated. The salad will hold in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, but it’s prettiest when served right away.
Let’s Play Some Silly Little Love Songs. Play any love song, or song about love, or has the word love in it. The artist can also have love in their name.
Cajun Jambalaya Pasta. Yes this is the Cheesecake Factory, but I’m telling you that the only other place I’ve tasted better was in New Orleans. Now you can jazz this up. Add or subtract.Try it.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
2 fz. Olive Oil
1 lb. Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into 1″ pieces
2 Tbls. Cajun Spice Blend
4 oz. Red, Yellow, Green Peppers, cut into thin strips
4 oz. Red Onions, cut into thin strips
6 oz. Shrimp (shells, tails, and veins removed)
1 Tbl. Blanched Garlic, minced
2 tsps. Cajun Spice Blend
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
4 oz. Roma Tomatoes, diced 1″ pieces
1-1/2 cups Spicy Chicken-Seafood Broth
1 Tbl. Chopped Parsley
1 lb. Linguini Pasta (fresh)
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Place the chicken into a clean mixing bowl. Sprinkle the Cajun spice over the chicken and into the bowl. Gently toss the chicken until each piece is evenly coated with the spice.
Add the chicken into the sauté pan and cook until it is about half done. Add the peppers, onions and shrimp into the pan. Cook until the shrimp are about half done. Add the garlic into the pan. Season all of the ingredients with kosher salt, ground black pepper, and a little more Cajun spice.
Add the diced tomatoes and chicken-seafood broth into the sauté pan. Gently stir the ingredients together. Continue to cook until the chicken and shrimp are done, and the vegetables are tender.
Drop the pasta into boiling salted water, and cook until “al dente.”
Place the pasta into serving bowls. Spoon the jambalaya over the pasta. Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley.
5-Ingredient Cookie Dough Bread. Despite using no flour at all, it’s super soft and spongy. It also only requires a total of five ingredients, including the all-stars that give it that beloved cookie dough flavor: cashew butter and unsweetened chocolate chips. If you want to try it for yourself, here’s everything you’ll need.
Cookie dough bread
Ingredients
4 eggs
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of cashew butter
unsweetened chocolate chips to taste
Directions
1. Whisk all ingredients (except chocolate chips) in a stand or electric mixer until well incorporated.
2. Fold in desired amount of chocolate chips then pour batter into a standard bread loaf pan lined with parchment paper. The batter may be runny depending on the nut butter used; this is normal.
3. Top with extra chocolate chips if desired, and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.
