New Release Tuesday

Some great new things this week!

1)  Kelly Clarkson has a new CD out - not her strongest effort im my opinion but a good album from Kelly is better than most others these day. The highlight for me is a bonus track on the iTunes Deluxe edition called "Why Don't You Try" that sounds like it was ripped from the Aretha Franklin songbook. Here's a live performance of it -

2)  She & Him is a guitar/vocal duo with a unique sound. The "She" is Zooey Deschanel, movie and TV star, and I really enjoy her voice. Their new CD is Christmas-themed and they cover many of the usual suspects. Here's "Blue Christmas" - 

3) I'm not a big Puccini fan, but I do enjoy the music from Tosca. Here's a great rendition of the aria E lucevan le stelle by Joseph Calleja - 

4) Jay Brannan is am indie singer/songwriter that really should be at the top of the charts. I love his new song, Greatest Hits, because when read on their own the lyrics are like a poem. I'm copying them underneath if you want to follow along. 

to bitter from sweet
like liquid to concrete
it's tough to digest
life rips through your chest
and just takes a heartbeat

you can't check your pain
aboard the shame train
and maybe i'm out of line
but if you show me yours
i'll sing you mine

[chorus:]
a punch in the gut
some black 'round the eye
there's red from my lips
and i'm asking god why
there's a bump on my head
and a hole in my heart
if there's one thing i've learned, it's
that these are my greatest hits

i don't sing for the rainbow
cuz i taste the rain
they spit "cheer up" and they scoff
i laugh "cheer down or fuck off"
then get roughed up against the grain

you may never be happy
and i still see your worth
someday we'll be less miserable
we'll dye our heads invisible
wrapped up in robes not of this earth
not of this earth
not of this earth
not of this earth

[chorus]

would you read a book if somebody took out all the good pages?
so we did some drugs, gave out some hugs, rattled a few cages
have you made mistakes, let off the brakes? confess uncleanliness
not to feel bad about but to embrace your humanness

[chorus]

Last but not least - THE ZOMBIES ARE COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My age on Mars is 21 and that's good enough for me

"Being this side of 40 feels like what I should have felt being this side of 25: in my body, in my heart, happy with my life, and OK with whatever bumps in the road present themselves." - Jennifer Aniston

"Bullshit, Rachel." - Michael Hall

Your age on other worlds

It's been almost 6 weeks since I turned 40 and I think I've finally wrapped my head around it. I tried to avoid the thought of it, as if that might keep it from being real, but having to also get a new driver's license last month really drove it home. Now the picture in my wallet matches what I look like today, for better or worse. However, for the first time in decades, the weight on the card is the truth and not my best guess or wishful thinking., so there's a plus.

I'm not sure if it bugs me to be 40 or if it bugs me to read what other people think of being 40. 

For example:

Let's face it, after 40 you're past it

Of course, this article is talking about writers, but if a writer (who isn't exactly a celebrity and doesn't have to be camera ready or even attractive) can't find success at age 40 or older, then who can? Luckily, I was not the only one to think of that - here's a great rebuttal:

41 Over 40

So if Alex Haley can hit it out out the ballpark with his first book Roots at the age of 56, I guess I have a few more good years ahead. And if I miss that deadline, don't forget Grandma Moses, who became the darling of the art world in her late 70's. Just one thing - please don't call me Grandpa Mickey, or I might throw my walker at you.

Not-So-Extreme Couponing

If you've seen the Extreme Couponing series on TLC, you probably wonder how realistic the actual shopping trips are - sometimes these couponers end up with hundreds of dollars of groceries for under $10, or even for free! In my experience, those kinds of savings are nearly impossible without a lot of time and energy devoted to gathering, clipping, and sorting many coupons, as well as hours of research and planning. 

However, with minimal effort and time spent, you can easily cut a shopping order in half. I get three papers each Sunday, so I have three sets of circulars at my disposal. I save these together by date - in fact, Maggie's sharp eyes have spotted the stacks in some kitty pictures I posted on Facebook. I also save any coupns that come my way in magazines or inside product packaging, just in case.

There are tons of coupon websites that do all the research for you and post the deals, listed by store, as items go on sale or new coupons are released. The ones I find most useful are:

Couponing 101 and The Krazy Coupon Lady for national chains

Giant Eagle Deals and Saving in Akron for more localized information

Of course, there are a million others that you may find are better for you and your needs and geographic area. 

I've gotten many commonly used items for free - cat food, toothpaste, shampoo/hair care items, even skin care and cosmetic products. There's about 20 bottles of body wash as well as many toothpastes and deodorants  floating around in various cupboards throughout the house. These are items that will get used eventually and do not expire for many years. Of course, lots of store shelves are empty by the time I show up, but I have enough success to make it worthwhile and keep it fun too.

I check the websites once a day - it takes maybe 5 minutes, if that - and gather any coupons that look worthwhile. I live within 2 miles of just about every store you can imagine, so it's easy to stop by and pick up the best deals. Here's what I went shopping for tonight:

2 toothbrushes - these really should be replaced fairly often

Coffee - my mom likes a cup every now and then

Cranberry juice - also for my mom

Toilet bowl cleaner - I wanted to try the new Scrubbing Bubbles One Step kit and I had a high-value coupon

An all-purpose seasoning - I like these for finishing a dish before serving or on salads and in canned soups for an extra kick

...and some Breathe Right strips - I don't need these but with coupons, the store will pay me to take them, so why not?

Here is what I brought home:

And here is the receipt for the transaction:

As you can see, the total dropped from $21.59 (pre-tax) to $9.09 (pre-tax) or $10.09 after tax. It's like I paid full price for the Scrubbing Bubbles kit and everything was free. I had three coupons for $1.50 off Breathe Right strips (10 pack or smaller), and was lucky enough to find sample packs for 97 cents each. Walmart is one of the few stores to allow overages, meaning they honor the full amount of the coupon regardless if the price paid for the item is less. In this case, they paid me $1.59 to take the strips home. 

Bonus saving - My debit card (from a free account, by the way) gives me 1% back every month on any signature-required purchase. In this case, that's 10 cents. Not much, but because I use it almost exclusively for every payment, it comes to $30-40 dollars each month. Every little bit helps!

So while it's not always a million dollars worth of groceries for 42 cents, there are ways to coupon in a casual manner and save a little money each time. Don't throw those circulars away - try it and see for yourself!

From The Kitchen Of ... Me!

Two standout recipes this week - yesterday I made Pork Chops Hongroise with herbed noodles and green beans, and today's dinner was Red Wine Crockpot Roast with mashed potatoes and corn.

The Pork Chops Hongroise was my favorite of the two - I highly recommend it if you like paprika (which I do)! I made it as instructed by the recipe, with one exception - I broiled the pork chops for a minute on each side at the end, for a little bit more color. The sauce was delicious but you may need to add more salt to taste.

The Red Wine Crockpot Roast was super easy, as usual for slow cooker recipes. I used a cheap red wine - there is never a need to use cooking wine, it's really just oversalted swill and is normally higher in price than a budget drinking wine, plus you have the leftovers for later. The sauce did not thicken up like a gravy, but more like au jus (as mentioned in the recipe) but it was very flavorful and went well with the mashed potatoes. I did add a bit more salt to this at the end, as the meat had soaked up the original amount added.

Scarf - what an odd word...

It's getting to be scarf weather, but sometimes they can be tiresome and simply in the way. I just love this fun and informative video that offers a lot of variations on the basic hang-it-around-your-neck option. 

New Release Tuesday - Sandi Patty Special

Finally, the Sandi Patty Broadway CD is out today - it's a fabulous collections of songs, with several original thematic medleys. Sandi is certainly in my top 10 favorite singers list and has been since the 1980s. Those of you that went to high school with me may recall that we did many of her songs in choir (along with Amy Grant's entire body of work, it seems) and I have remained a fan to this day. You'll Never Walk Alone is one of the songs from the new CD and it's a great arrangement.

Her voice remains a marvel and I have always admired her ability to bring classical vocals to a larger audience. Here's one of her early and biggest hits, We Shall Behold Him - the first performance was sung in 1983 and then another just last month.

Sandi has criss-crossed musical boundaries by changing her vocal style from a more classical style to a purer pop sound. From time to time, she will even go to an urban gospel sound which I particularly enjoy. Here are some examples:

And finally, her version of the Star-Spangled Banner is legendary and unrivalled. Here's a live performance of it from 1997.

What a career, and she's still going strong! Congratulations to one of the finest vocalists ever recorded!

Music Monday

Here's a 1990 flashback - a great album track ballad from Heart's Brigade CD. We listened to the album in its entirety this weekend and I have to say that most of the unreleased songs on it are far superior than the two hits, All I Want To Do Is Make Love To You and Stranded. Of course, Ann Wilson could sing the Yellow Pages and I would like it, so what do I know?     :-)

Do skinny people do all this?

There was an interesting article yesterday in USA Today about long-term weight loss.

 You can read it here.

The takeaway was that there are certain actions that help people who have lost weight keep that weight off. Quoting the end of the article, I've pasted the list of actions below. What I'm curious about is  - Do those of you that have never had a weight problem do all or some of these or is it just not necessary for you? If you do any of these, is it an automatic thing that you don't even thing about or a conscious decision?  Or perhaps, is this list only is applicable to those with a weight problem in the first place?

Track their food intake.

Count calorie or fat grams or use a commercial weight-loss program to track food intake.

Follow a low-calorie, low-fat diet. They take in about 1,800 calories a day and less than 30% of calories from fat.

Eat breakfast regularly.

Limit the amount they eat out. They dine out an average of three times a week and eat fast food less than once a week.

Eat similar foods regularly and don't splurge much on holidays and special occasions.

Walk about an hour a day or burn the same calories with other activities.

Watch fewer than 10 hours of TV a week.

Weigh themselves at least once a week

Sickness Wednesday

I'm feeling a little under the weather today , so I'm sharing a hysterical blog entry about when someone else was sick. It's really worth the time spent reading it, and the cartoons only add to the festivities.

Click here to read it

New Release Tuesday

Not a lot new that interested me this week, so instead I give you Carol Channing, first as silent film star Cecilia Sisson and then as Dolly Levi in the 1994 revival of Hello Dolly. A unique performer in every way!

Bonus Raspberries!!!

Discover this song for Columbus Day!

Tina goes country! I really like her version....

I also love this Glamourshot album cover, even if she doesn't look like the more recent versions of herself..

I believe the children are our future...

I love this kid! Learning to cook is one of the best things I ever did as a kid and is something that I continue to do as an adult. I still enjoy dining out, of course, but cooking at home is one of my favorite things. It's a life skill as important than balancing a checkbook or being punctual. 

My favorite recipes changes frequently - right now my household seems to be obsessed with rice pudding, so that's the next one I will be making. Does anyone have a recipe for it that they love? Please share if you do!

An Operatic Moment

I vividly remember watching this in 1993 on PBS. The whole performance is just wonderful, but if you are pressed for time or unsure if this kind of music is for you, at least jump ahead to the 6 minute mark and listen to the end. The ease and smoothness of the the coloratura, the sheer joy of her singing, and the way the penultimate note floats out of her mouth are great pleasures to behold. 

I was doing this same thing and didn't know it!

Personal Trainer Gains 60+ lbs to Show People How to Go From “Fat 2 Fit”

This doesn't seem like a good plan - what does it prove? Naturally fat people are not like naturally thin people, even when the fat person is thin and the thin person is fat. Boy, that sentence is confusing!

How wrong would it be to hope he can't lose it?

Not that I would do that ;-)

New Release Tuesday

1) The title track of the new Bangles CD - very low-fi and unpolished but I sorta love it. It's nice not to hear Autotune once in a while!

2) Mayer Hawthorne falls somewhere on the blue-eyed soul spectrum between Daryl Hall and Robin Thicke. This song from his new CD has a great Motown sound.

3) My favorite kind of Beatles song - a cover by someone else :-) Roberta Flack still sounds great after all these years.

4) No one can replace the late great Teena Marie, but Marsha Ambrosius (best known from the duo Floetry) is giving it her best shot. This song and her cd is not new but I've been listening to it a lot. I also love that she is not typically pretty (although I think she's beautiful) and also not a stick figure. The safe-sex message of the video rocks as well. 

Lifestyles of the poor and unknown

We Are The 99%