On the Hunt
Yep, we're on the hunt for a new vehicle. My sweet, wonderful 2001 Jetta, Brigetta, has seen her better days. She's got hail damage, a banged up passenger-side headlight from a fender bender and the 'check engine' light that used to turn on for me every once in a while just stays lit now. It's time to look for a new car.
We've never had a vehicle we could fit Everett and the two dogs at the same time, so we've decided on something with third-row seating. My husband, Marc, is pretty dead-set against mini vans, so that leaves us with an SUV. I like the Chevy Traverse and the Acura MDX. Marc wants to look at the Dodge Journey – and I think a Toyota something or other. We'll see what we can do here.
Here's what I've learned about myself: I couldn't care less about vehicles. I mean, I want one that works and has enough space for us. Other than that, I'm pretty good to go. Thank God Marc used to sell cars and is generally an enthusiast of the four-wheeled type, so I'll let him do all the hard work. I'll take the keys when all is said and done, please and thank you.
If you have a third-row SUV that you love, please let me know at: lanette@magic98.com.
Coming Out of the Dark
There's an author who once said something that has stuck with me for years. "Please be responsible for the energy you bring into this space." I love that and think of it often. So, I'm well aware that I'm about to bring negative energy into this space, but this winter can kiss my butt! Oh my LORD … between the freezing cold and the constant snow, we haven't had any good time outside in the fresh air since December. And to top it all off, my family had the stomach flu four weeks ago and H1N1 last week. I have disinfected every inch of my house … every lightswitch, every doorknob, every surface that couldn't run from me – a million times. I hope and pray we can stay healthy for the remainder of the winter.
I will never underestimate a beautiful spring evening when we can eat dinner and then head outside to shoot some hoops or go for a walk around the neighborhood ever again. Please Mother Nature … I'm sorry for ever cursing you out in the 100 degree temps just a few months ago. I didn't mean it and I've learned my lesson. You win. Just give us a morning without a negative sign in from of the temperature. The furnace needs a break. There's not enough water in the world to put any moisture back into the air. Last night I got out of bed and my fuzzy pajama pants actually created sparks when I moved in the sheets. And our skin? I should've bought stock in chapstick and hand lotion…after this winter, I would've been a millionaire!!
It's time to do the right thing Ms. Nature, ma'am. Give us our spring, please. Nevermind that pesky rodent and his shadow … you can totally trump him. For the love of all things sunshiney and warm … spring needs to be here. NOW!
The Beatles in Wisconsin
Fifty years ago this week, the Beatles landed in America, played on "The Ed Sullivan Show," and changed millions of lives, along with the very course of history. While a certain degree of Beatlemania was happening everywhere in the spring and summer of 1964, it got an extra jolt of intensity in Wisconsin in September, when the Beatles played a concert at the Milwaukee Arena during their second American tour.
About 12,000 tickets were sold for the September 4 show, priced from $3.50 to $5.50, which was a lot of money 50 years ago–equivalent to between about $25 and $40 today. The show began at 8:00 that Friday night with several opening acts: Jackie De Shannon, the Exciters, Bill Black's Combo, and Clarence "Frogman" Henry, a soul singer who replaced the originally scheduled Righteous Brothers. Milwaukee DJ Eddie Doucette (later famous as a sportscaster) introduced the opening acts; another DJ, Bob Berry, introduced the Beatles themselves, after turning down the job at first because the concert promoter wasn't going to pay him to do it. The headliners hit the stage at about 9:10 and played for maybe 30 minutes before heading to their hotel, the Coach House Motor Inn on Wisconsin Avenue (which is now a Marquette University dorm).
The Beatles stayed in Milwaukee until the next afternoon. Before they left town, Paul McCartney made a brief phone call to a hospitalized 14-year-old fan who'd had a ticket to the show but couldn't go. She would have talked to him forever, of course, but he had to cut the call short because the band had a show in Chicago that night. And after a little more than 24 hours in Wisconsin, the Beatles left.
Super Chili Tradition
Super Bowl Sunday is not far off, and at our house, we'll revisit our annual tradition: Super Bowl Chili. I've made a pot of some kind of chili for every Super Bowl game since 1984, so this is the 31st annual.
The recipe changes from year to year. When the tradition began, it was a simple recipe from the cookbook that came with our first microwave oven, the one we got as a wedding present from Ann's parents. It's gotten both more and less elaborate as time's gone by. I usually make it from scratch, but I have also been known to buy one of those canned Chili Magic things from the grocery store in a pinch. One of my favorite recipes uses fried bologna. (It's not very healthy, but it's insanely good.) I tried making an Emeril recipe with andouille sausage one year (which wasn't all that great), and I've used my brother's recipe several years even though he's the only one who can ever get it right. My most reliable recipe is one from Cherokee Bison Farm. It has so much stuff in it that I had to get a special giant pot to make it in. The recipe is meant to be made with ground bison, of course, but I've used ground turkey and even ground emu over the years.
The sides and desserts vary from year to year, too. The only constant is that there's always too much of everything. And there's beer. Oh yes, plenty of beer.
Enjoy the game, everybody.
Mikayla's Grace
Loss and grief are two powerful, powerful forces. They can grip your gut and take you down in a moment's notice. And it doesn't matter if your loss was 10 days ago or 10 years ago. Grief has a way of sticking around to haunt you in your lonliest times, but it can also empower you to do things you never thought you could. Melissa is the founder of Mikayla's Grace. From the grief of losing two babies, she was able to rise above it and start an organization to support families who have gone through or are going through child or pregnancy loss.
My family stumbed upon Mikayla's Grace after having to say good-bye to our angel baby, my brother's son, Samuel Paul. It was a sense of comaraderie and with that comes strength. Being with other people who have experienced what you're going through is really indescribable. It's like you can let your hair down and say what you want because they've been there and won't judge. Mikayla's Grace is also focused on being proactive. They help in the NICUs and the ERs doing what they can for families right in the thick of things. They're also working on getting nurses bereavement training so they can feel better equipped to help as well.
I'm very proud to be a part of their very first fundraiser tomorrow, Saturday, 1/18. If you head to Point Cinema for the 10am showing of Despicable Me, you'll be able to see a great family movie as well as fundraise for an amazing organization. Marcus Theatres is donating every single dollar to Mikayla's Grace…and that's SO cool. Click here to buy your tickets. See you there!
Beer and Wine Tourist
As I have written here before, I am a beer and wine tourist. Ann and I will take off on a weekend afternoon just to visit some winery or brewery in the area, and when we travel farther afield, we always bring a list of likely spots to hit along the way. (Some smart economist has probably already figured out the financial value of such tourism; I can tell you that we dropped a tidy pile of cash into the winery/brewery economy of Michigan on a recent weekend visit.)
Beer and wine tourism isn't always about visiting specific places – it can also involve attending specific events. Madison's Great Taste of the Midwest, one of the country's oldest and largest beer festivals, brings literally millions of dollars into the Dane County economy every August as visitors come from all over the country to stay in hotels, buy restaurant meals–and take home carloads of beer they can't get anywhere else. The Isthmus Beer and Cheese Festival on Saturday January 18 is getting a reputation as an event worth traveling for, too. And there's a new event coming this summer that's likely to create quite a buzz: the Bacon, Brew and BBQ Fest at Angell Park in Sun Prairie set for July 12. The event is still in the planning stages and the lineup of participating brewers and restaurants is still being set. But with the three magic words – bacon, brew, and BBQ – it can't help but be great, right?
Tickets will go on sale March 1.. Will Ann and I be there? Was Lincoln a car?
Happy New Year!
Everett started Toddler Time at Monona Grove Nursery School (same place that my siblings and I went.) We finally got the dang carpets cleaned. Two dogs and a cat that we've managed to keep healthy and happy. My brother and Julie got married! My grandma Hansen turned 92! The furnace and both our cars pooped out on us all in the same week … but we kepts our heads above water. I managed to keep off my baby weight. Marc and I celebrated three years of wedded bliss (HA! But sort of). My family and friends are for the most part healthy and happy. 12 years here at Magic 98. I guess it's been a pretty good year with lots to be thankful for. ? Happy New Year!!
Sara Freeman's Slow-Cooked Pork Tacos
I'm not sure how much extra flavor the dried apricots added (plus, they're quite expensive), so I leave them out now. A tasty departure from the typical beef or chicken taco recipe. Adaptaded from Taste of Home.
Ingredients:
1 boneless pork sirloin roast (2 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups salsa verde
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Dash hot pepper sauce
10 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
Reduced-fat sour cream, thinly sliced green onions, cubed avocado, shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese and chopped tomato, optional
Preparation:
In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 11 ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until meat is tender.
Shred pork with two forks. Place about 1/2 cup pork mixture down the center of each tortilla. Serve with toppings if desired. Yield: 10 servings.
Sara Freeman's Pepperoni Pasta Salad
This is one of my family's favorites. It's an easy, excellent side-dish during grill-out season compliments of Taste of Home!
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked tricolor spiral pasta
1 cup cubed cheddar cheese
1 cup coarsely chopped cucumber
1 small tomato, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
28 pepperoni slices
1/2 cup zesty Italian salad dressing
Preparation:
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, cheese, cucumber, tomato, onions and pepperoni. Add salad dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Yield: 4-6 servings.