National Strawberry Sundae and Chocolate Day!!!

The film that set a little Southern girl on the path to burgeoning womanhood. (Not literally!)             No one has ever made a piece of fruit look more sensual, forbidden and tempting.  Except for perhaps, Eve and the apple. Or the pomegranate, depending on which version you believe.

My love for this film gave me my nickname (and years later, my username.) I actually looked for dairymaid jobs in the newspaper that summer. 

 If you have not seen it, please do. TESS (1979) Now available in the Criterion Collection.

I💓 strawberries. Not only are they delicious, they are wonderful for you!
They are a perfect source of Vitamin C and laboratory tests have shown them to have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. They are also very low in calories.

I love strawberry preserves, 

and strawberry ice cream and frozen yogurt and unfrozen yogurt with fresh berries makes a delicious breakfast!

But I have never been a fan of either strawberry pie or chocolate covered strawberries.

I do a strawberry exfoliating facial that is very complicated, very expensive, and very time-consuming so you might want to write this down. (it is actually none of those. I do love to tease you!)

STRAWBERRY EXFOLIATING FACIAL
***********************************
Wash your face as usual.
Cut one strawberry in half (usually the one that looks a bit sad, but not sad enough to be discarded, but not the moldy one!
Rub the cut end of the berry all over face (not too close to your eyes though because the citric acid does burn sensitive areas!) and neck, elbows and hands. Let dry. Rinse with cool water and pat dry. 
You can also mash up the berry with a tablespoon of plain yogurt.
I usually do this while sitting in the bathtub so sometimes I forget to rinse it off and when I get out and look in the mirror it is a bit of a shock because it looks a little gory. Anyone seeing you will say "What happened?" with a stricken look on their face but you will have fresh baby skin after you rinse.

(DISCLAIMER: Do NOT do this facial if you are allergic to strawberries!)

I also wash and dry all of my strawberry leaves and save them in a jar. You can make a tea from them which acts as a natural diuretic. 2 Tablespoons of dried leaves in a large cup, cover with boiling water.
Let steep,strain and drink.

(DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor. I think you already knew that.)



We used to have this cookie jar when I was a child, in fact our entire kitchen was strawberries, but it was accidently broken a long time ago by "someone".

Possibly, this little person.

No, this is not me. (Or is it?)



CHOCOLATE DAY!
**************************************

Chocolate. Nothing soothes, calms, or lifts your spirits as well as this decadent yet saintly substance.
Did you know that chocolate is actually a vegetable? It comes from the cacao trees that grow in tropical rain forests. So, chocolate is healthy,good for you, and children (and grown men) should be encouraged to eat their vegetables, the best being chocolate!

I love brownies, chocolate chip cookies and chocolate ice cream and I made these for a dinner party once. Molten Lava cakes. They were a lot of work and not really worth it. Chocolate cake made with mayonnaise is much easier and far more appreciated.

I was weaned on See's Candies. Every holiday and special occasion saw one of the sacred white boxes brought forth from their secret hiding place (we were unapologetic chocoholics and could not be trusted with the box within our reach on a daily basis) and we were allowed to choose two pieces before it was taken away again. It is still my favorite chocolate, Cadbury being second with Nestle Toll House semi- sweet morsels being my baking chocolate of choice. I have tried many others but these three remain my favorites.

One Christmas, the precious package was left out on the dining room table and we returned home to find a trail of little brown fluted paper cups leading to my mother's bedroom where we found our 120lb. Great Pyrenees dog lying in the middle of the bed, surrounded by more little brown fluted paper cups and a slightly chewed white box. She had eaten every single piece of the two pound box. No dog ever looked so innocent. Or more satisfied.

Contrary to the belief that chocolate is poisonous to dogs, she did not die. She was not even sick.
But we were.

(DISCLAIMER: I am not a veterinarian. But you already knew that.)

Interesting Note: This is the same dog who once ate two whole, raw chickens, bones and all. 
(Apparently, she did not share my love of FRIED chicken.)

As my  contribution to Strawberry Sundae Day and Chocolate Day, I made these little frozen yogurt sundaes and a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

I found this picture (and the recipe) while looking for others for this post. TURTLE BROWNIES!   (do not contain turtle). Chocolate, caramel and pecans. My personal holy trinity. I will be making these at the first possible opportunity.

Heaven help us. Oh, yes!

                                                                                                           Tess🌷

National Fried Chicken Day!!! (Oh, Yes!!!)

                             
               

I LOVE fried chicken! That is probably not an unusual thing for a Southern girl to confess, I admit, but I truly do. As more than half of all chicken entrees ordered in restaurants are for fried chicken, I am certain that I am not alone in this. I make it often, order it in restaurants (not only to check out the competition, but because I am truly in love with it) and when it is too hot to cook, I send someone (I do not drive) to pick some up. 

So, I think it is perfectly fitting that my all-time favorite (savory) food has been given it's own holiday and so to celebrate, I fried a chicken (actually,two). Isn't it pretty? I think so. I am not given to bragging about my cooking, but if there is one thing I am certain of, it is that I do know how to fry a chicken.

I refuse to feel guilty about the calories (I swim every day and do a ballet barre workout and practice hula/tahitian dancing three times a week) and there are countless other things I can "give up" if I have to in order to account for my poultry indulgences. This is also why I have never owned chickens. Geese, yes. Chickens, no. I have never eaten goose and I never intend to so I do not have to feel guilty. I also enjoy "Babe" several times a year with a clear conscience because I do not eat any pork products. I still have to go out of my way in the grocery store to avoid the lobster tank though. Not because I have ever eaten a lobster, which I have not, but because I always get an insane urge to put them all into my cart and drive like crazy for the nearest ocean. This is one of the reasons that I have my groceries delivered. Asked what I wanted for my birthday one year when I was a child, my mother says that I asked for lobsters. I did not receive them. My significant other orders seafood risotto and I shudder because the menu says it contains baby lobster tail. BABY LOBSTER TAIL!!! 😲How could this otherwise kind and gentle man do such a thing? And with such obvious relish? It sends a chill up my spine. 

I know, my reasoning is strange. How do I scold him and then enjoy the fried grown up version of fuzzy yellow baby chicks? I do not know. Perhaps I should be ashamed of myself but then I have never raised a fuzzy yellow baby chick into a chicken. If I had, I know I would feel quite differently about it. I was a vegetarian some years back for health reasons and I craved fried chicken like crazy. I tried using the same batter on eggplant, potatoes, zucchini, tofu and Portobello mushrooms, but alas, although very good "substitutes" for a sworn vegetarian, nothing came close for me. So eventually, I went back to chicken.

I also made deviled eggs. But while the chicken may be a "sin", the eggs are not because I buy them every week from our local farmers market from an organic farm that does not keep a single rooster on their property,(yes I have been there and it is true) thus ensuring that the eggs they sell are never fertilized (no baby chicks). So I eat them (five a day) with a clear conscience. 

Now, if I could only get the batter to stay on the egg, I would be set.

                                                                                                            Tess🌷

I had to add this!

This is what I want for my birthday next year!

( I am going to find a reason to make one before that. But with cream gravy.)

"Happy", 4th of July.

This is not a holiday that we celebrate in our home.

As an amateur historian and lifelong Anglophile, I have often wondered what this country would have been like with a Monarch rather than a president, but as my father used to say "If wishes were horses......." which brings me to a little story.

I had a horse who lived for thirty-two years despite the fact that he was deathly afraid of fireworks. The sound, the sight, the smell, or of anything that remotely sounded like fireworks and so every Fourth of July was spent in the stables from just before sundown until the last pop had fizzled. 

By then, my poor Maximus (not his real name, but the similarities between the equine star of "Tangled" and my own white dream come true horse, are too numerous to mention ) was exhausted from running in circles, stopping only to take treats from mine and my mother's hands meant to calm him but sadly, nothing ever did. Eventually, when he realized that they had stopped he would calm down gradually and we would stay with him until he was cool and had a drink and more treats and felt safe enough to eat his forgotten dinner and we all heaved a sigh of relief that it was over for another year. I have no idea why it affected him so. Having known other horses that barely acknowledged the sound, but had other triggers of their own, I can only imagine that before we met he had a bad experience involving fireworks that no amount of soothing could ever heal. 

He was so brave and strong in so many other ways. He loved baths, shipped like a trooper, would cross water with very little urging and boulevards like a parade horse, he was a sweetheart for the farrier and the vet, had the patience of a saint for grooming and braiding including the ribbons and flowers I adorned him with to match his wardrobe of browbands, saddle towels and polos. He ponied younger horses and was a wonderful teacher, he opened and closed gates so that I never had to dismount (which I appreciated as it was a long way down and back up again) and he posed for pictures (after his introduction to the flash which made him freeze the first time) like a movie star on the red carpet. 

Thankfully, we moved eventually and his last years were fireworks free, but there was still the occasional backfiring of a car, a rifle shot, a sputtering plane overhead, a champagne cork. These at least were brief and few and far between.

So, my only thought on this Fourth of July is, I miss you, but at least you were spared this day for one more year. 

And in my heart I hope that there are no fireworks in Heaven. 

At least not where you live.💕

                                                                                             

                                                                                        Tess🌷

NATIONAL DOUGHNUT DAY!!!!!

Well, the 'Busy Bee' is busy (again), so I guess this one is up to me. 

National Doughnut Day, celebrated in the United States on the first Friday in June, is a fundraising event for the needy.                                                                     Created by THE SALVATION ARMY

in 1938, to also honor 200 of their volunteer members who went to France during World War I (then called The Great War). It was not possible to serve fresh baked goods from the huts established near the front lines, so two volunteers, Ensign Margaret Sheldon and  Adjutant Helen Purviance had the idea to make and serve doughnuts.

(They fried the doughnuts in upside down soldiers helmets! )  Instantly popular with the soldiers, Ensign Sheldon wrote in her diary - " Today I made twenty-two pies, three hundred doughnuts, and seven hundred cups of coffee." 

 The European soldiers had nicknamed the American soldiers "doughboys" because they were soft and inexperienced. Servicemen dubbed the women "Doughnut Dollies" and "Doughnut Lassies".

Probably because they were soft and sweet!

Even today, The Salvation Army still serves coffee and doughnuts at the sights of disasters, to emergency workers and civilian survivors. The Salvation Army is active in virtually every corner of the world.

During The Great Depression  that began with the Stock Market Crash of 1929, Hot soup, doughnuts, and hot coffee were served free to the unemployed. 









I love doughnuts, although I have been called a "doughnut snob" (by one who shall not be named) ,because my favorite doughnuts are the ones that are closer to pastries than traditional doughnuts. So here is a list of my favorite doughnuts (and /or pastries). 

CHOCOLATE ECLAIR
***************************

A long oval pastry of choux pastry, also used in cream puffs, ( but a long raised doughnut can be used and actually that is how I prefer it) filled with custard and glazed with chocolate.

BOSTON CREAM
****************

The official state doughnut of Massachusetts. A round, raised doughnut filled with custard and glazed with chocolate.

BEIGNET
**************

One of the ten best foods to try in New Orleans. Square puffs of fried heaven covered in powdered sugar and served with cafe au lait or hot chocolate. Made famous by the Cafe du Monde in the French Market in New Orleans  (other places serve them now and you can buy the mix online or eat them at Disney resorts.) I see they are calling them Tiana's Beignets now, which is fitting. I thought The Princess and the Frog (wouldn't The Frog Princess make more sense?) was adorable. I will still pass on those Mickey Mouse-shaped ones,thank you, but the ones at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Cafe are very good. 

APPLE FRITTER
******************

The batter is filled with chunks of sweet apple, fried until crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle and then glazed. Yum.

ICED COCONUT
*********************

A white cake doughnut with vanilla icing and covered with  shredded coconut.


BEAR CLAW
**********************

The number of digits seems to vary by shop, and I have only had one with actual claws (almonds) so I think they might have called this a Bear Paw instead. Cinnamon inside and glazed and dusted with crumbs or ground nuts. 

CHURROS
***********************

A Latin American /South American of fried choux pastry can be found in many different shapes (I picked this heart-shaped one because I thought it was so sweet), sometimes rolled in cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar or served with a chocolate dipping sauce. I had my first Churro at the Renaissance Faire in California when I was visiting as a child. I do not remember what they looked like, only their intoxicating hot cinnamon-y aroma as it beckoned to us from across the fairgrounds. They were hot and rolled in powdered sugar and I thought I had died and gone to Heaven. 

I also had my first Italian ice there. Orange, served in it's own skin, carved like a little bowl and drizzled with raw honey. Little did I know that I would grow up to work for a man who (while helping me unpack my kitchen boxes when they arrived and saw my ice cream maker) would ask me if I knew how to make Italian ices. No, I admitted. But I soon learned. For him.💘

The more traditional doughnuts are - 

THE PLAIN CAKE DOUGHNUT
*****************************

THE GLAZED DOUGHNUT
******************************

JELLY OR JAM-FILLED
***********************






POWDERED
***********

Sometimes filled with jam, custard, or lemon.

THE OLD-FASHIONED
*********************

Made with a sour cream-infused dough.

THE CHOCOLATE
*****************

 I adore chocolate !, but chocolate doughnuts always seem to be missing something in the umm....chocolate department.

THE CINNAMON ROLL
****************************

Cinnamon infused dough rolled, fried, and glazed. 



Now where was this one on STAR WARS DAY?

Apparently, AUSTRALIA is very fond of doughnuts AND Nutella Spread and have combined them into the Nutella Doughnut,

and the Nutella Doughnut Milkshake.

I do not quite understand this one.

They are also apparently fond of Sushi and doughnuts and this is the result.

(If TheChamCham sees this he will start packing for Australia).

I found the following picture while doing my research for this post. I think it is absolute proof that Australians REALLY love their pastries!

 I am still speechless and TheChamCham wanted to call the bakery to see if the little fellow was alright (after he stopped laughing). We hope that the possum was fine and that he had the money to pay for his feast or was at least willing to work off what he owed.

A "friend" brought me three Badusha/Balushahi from a trip to INDIA (who knew?) and they were very tasty ( especially for being over fourteen hours old!)

Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, dipped in a sugar syrup and garnished with chopped pistachios. The ingredients include ghee (clarified butter) and yoghurt. Someday, I would like to try a freshly made one. (Hint.Hint.)

On The Simpsons episode entitled "Treehouse of Horror XI " (The "Night of the Dolphin" segment) Homer ( who is of course famous for his doughnut obsession)

goes through the Krusty Burger drive-through and orders among other things, a Doughnut Burger with Cheese. 
We laugh, thinking who else but Homer Simpson would think that something so ridiculous could exist except in his gastronomical imagination? 

IT DOES!!! 😱

From The Straw in San Francisco, California, I give you..........The Ringmaster!

And not to be outdone, The Food Network's Paula Deen presents her Donut, Bacon, and Fried Egg Burger. (A sandwich only Homer Simpson could love).

Heaven Help Us!


So to end my salute to National Doughnut Day, I made a batch of doughnuts last night to celebrate.

With all modesty, I think they were the best doughnuts I have ever made (although, to tell the truth I have not made a lot of doughnuts) and was looking forward to breakfast.

But....this is what I found when I got up this morning.

Between TheChamCham, the kids, (and I suspect the dogs had a morsel or two), they did not stand a chance.

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but in my little world, the sincerest form of flattery is always an empty plate. 

                                                           Happy Doughnut Day to all,
                         

                                                                                                                   Tess 🌷

P.S. I am making more as soon as I post this. But I doubt they will last the day.🐾

NATIONAL TAP DANCE DAY !

Today is National Tap Dance Day. As a child, up until my early teens, I was a tap dancer. Yes, I admit it. I also did the Hula and Tahitian dancing (actually, I still do for exercise and the occasional performance for a very special audience of one who shall remain nameless), but that is another story.

I thought it would be fitting to honor a list of my favorite tap dancers with a little history and a few photos and videos.

BILL "BOJANGLES" ROBINSON  May 25 🎂1878- November 25, 1949



Beginning his long career in minstrel shows,Bill Robinson appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in Hollywood films (four with Shirley Temple) as well as radio and television.

Here is a clip from The Littlest Rebel (1934)

FRED ASTAIRE May 10, 1899-June 22, 1987

Fred Astaire began his long career partnering his older sister Adele in vaudeville, on Broadway, and the London stage until 1932 when Adele married and became Lady Cavendish and the team went their separate ways. Eventually, Hollywood beckoned, Fred made 31 films, ten with Ginger Rogers, and the rest is history.

Here is a clip from Top Hat (1935).

GINGER ROGERS July 16, 1911- April 25, 1995

Also began her career in vaudeville, moved to Broadway and then onto Hollywood where she excelled in drama, comedy, and musical films (ten with Fred Astaire) winning a Best Actress Academy Award for Kitty Foyle (1941) ,as well as television and radio appearances. 










Here is a clip from The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) the last pairing of Ginger and Fred where she clearly proves that she could tap with the best of them.

SHIRLEY TEMPLE April 23, 1928-February 10, 2014

Shirley Temple began her career at the age of three in the Baby Burlesks and Frolics of Youth shorts and small but stand out roles in Red-Haired Alibi (1932) and Stand Up and Cheer (1933) with James Dunn, She became an international star after Little Miss Marker (1934) and Baby Take a Bow (1934)  also opposite James Dunn ,

who she would work with once more in Bright Eyes (1934). From 1935-1938 she was the #1 Box Office Star and President Franklin D.Roosevelt declared that her films had helped America through the Great Depression.

Here is another clip from "The Littlest Rebel" (1935) with Bill Robinson.

And last, but by no means least.......................

ARTHUR DUNCAN September 25, 1933 -

Mr. Duncan entered show business at the ripe old age of thirteen. He later toured with The Jimmy Rodgers Show and hosted his own television variety show in Australia. After several years performing in Europe, he was discovered by Lawrence Welk's manager and offered a guest appearance on Mr. Welk's television show. Mr. Duncan proved so popular that he was offered a permanent place with Welk's "family" of regular entertainers and from 1964 until 1982 he could be seen every Sunday night tapping his heart out.

My family never missed The Lawrence Welk show and Mr Duncan was definitely my favorite,

Here is a clip of this wonderful artiste.

Where are my tap shoes today? I have no idea. I put in a call to my mother (who, like most mothers ,including her own, had hoped to have given birth to the next Shirley Temple, but alas, had not). She said she had no idea, but did I want her to send them to me if she found them ? No, I replied, wondering why she had not bronzed them like my other baby shoes, first riding boots, and first high heels. Apparently, she had been too disappointed.

 Oh well, I doubt they would still fit me anyway. 🌷

Mother's Day

TheChamCham and I have been away from home recently, so we were unable to spend Mother's Day with my mother, but we sent her two new Gardenia plants  (when she was a concert pianist, she always wore two in her hair when performing) to add to her collection and her favorite candy.

California Brittle from See's Candies.

My favorite film mothers include Mrs. Brown from NATIONAL VELVET (1945) played by the wonderful Anne Revere who won the Best Supporting Oscar for her performance and especially for this scene.

Mrs. Hansen from I REMEMBER MAMA (1948) played beautifully by Irene Dunne.

 "Marmee" from LITTLE WOMEN (1994) played by Susan Sarandon, encouraging her daughter Jo to go out into the world and live her dreams.

"Dearest" from LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY (1936) played by Dolores Costello Barrymore (Drew Barrymore's paternal Grandmother) willing to give up her son so that he can fulfill his destiny.

And Mrs. Jumbo from DUMBO (1941). I used to sing this song when I was a Nanny. It put my babies to sleep every time.

Do you have a favorite film mother ?