Summer Songs

Summer Songs

The songs of summer.   There are 2 kinds:  the ones that actually revel in the season and all of it’s magical goodness…and the ones that don’t mention summer at all but that you listened to over and over again for the 9 weeks you were out of school while you were experiencing the magical goodness.  Not everyone lives at the beach, so let’s talk mostly about the first kind.

Here’s a list of some of the very best summer songs of all time…yes they are too, don’t say no! You won’t find anything by the Beach Boys or Jan & Dean here because com’on, they’re a given.  These are the unexpected ones…you’ll see what I mean.  I can’t imagine you don’t know them but just in case, here’s the link so you can sing along with me :)  And I hope they make you smile.

https://www.youtube.com/feed/music

In order by date, they are:

·        Wipeout – The Safari’s (1962)

(not the one by the Fat Boys from 1987 but shhhhh…ya, that one too…lol)

·        Summerwind – Frank Sinatra (1966)

“and guess who sighs his lullaby, through nights that never end…”

·        Time of the Season – The Zombies (1968)

“what’s your name…who’s your daddy…”

·        Cruel Summer – Bananarama (1983)

“The city is crowded, my friends are away, and I’m on my own”

·        Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (1991)

“Summer summer summer time" lol

·        Summertime – Kenney Chesney (2005)

“cheap shades and a tattoo and a yoohoo bottle rolling on the floorboard”

·        Summertime – New Kids on the Block (2008)

“Been a few years and I can’t deny, the thought of you still makes me crazy”

·        Summer Nights – Rascall Flats (2009)

“let that igloo cooler mark your piece of paradise”

·        Cruise – Florida Georgia Line (2013)

“we were sippin’ on Southern and singing Marshall Tucker, we were falling in love in the sweet heart of summer”

·        Beat This Summer -  Brad Paisley (2013)

“as long as I live, whatever I do…I ain’t ever gonna beat this summer with you”

·        19 You and Me – Dan & Shay (2014)

“like the tears we cried that day we had to leave, it was everything we wanted it to be”

Now, about those OTHER kinds of songs.  The ones that remind you of your favorite summers from times past, though they don't mention the season at all... 

a big part of one of my favorite summers:

·        True – Spandau Ballet (1983)

“Listening to Marvin all night long…”

When driving in a jeep with your boyfriend, the top down and the radio up, the wind in your hair,  singing as loud as you could and laughing even harder, on a beautiful August day was all there was in the world, and thinking it didn’t get any better than that :)

I hope I have you thinking about your favorite summers and the soundtrack of YOUR life.  There’s only 6 weeks left…get goin' on some memories. Enjoy!

Mother's Day



Gigga, at the shooting range 1979

I hope you all had a Happy Mothers Day, filled with love and wine and kisses from your babies :)

I’ve decided to do a post about MY mom.  You’ve been introduced to her briefly over the months as Gigga (my daughters name for her because she couldn’t pronounce “grama”).  Her actual name is Beverly, but I just call her awesome.

Most moms bake cookies and play tennis.  Not  mine.  Mine shoots guns.  From 1978-1981, she was on a women’s shooting team called “the Beachnuts” (after their Coach’s favorite brand of chewing tobacco), they kept their bullets in spittoons, her romantic “date night” with my dad (who was an investigator at the State Attorney’s Office) was at the shooting range, and in 1980 she came home from a match in Gainesville with a trophy, declaring her the #1 female marksman in the state.  Swear!

Here’s a little yuletide story about our Gigga and just one example of how she continues to come through for me when I need her:

 PICTURE IT:  Christmas Eve, 1992

The mall is PACKED.  But I’m leaving the next day for Louisville to spend 10 days with my boyfriends parents and I need/mostly want an outfit for the plane.  First impressions and all that.  So we’re driving around the parking lot for at least 25 minutes, in gridlocked traffic.  We’re stuck…can’t go forward, back, or around…stuck...and then it happened.  A car wants to back out of a space but it can’t, no one can go anywhere.  He starts yelling at us.  STUCK in this ridiculous traffic, Gigga driving…shrugs her shoulders and starts laughing.  Punky gets out of the passenger side and starts approaching our car.  My aunt Annie starts panicking and...I think...crying.  She’s yelling “looock the doooors”, grabs her purse like a bowling bag, and crouches down in the back seat.   I, on the other hand, need a goddamn outfit for the plane and gotta get myself to The Limited…quick…so I start giving him the finger.  Gigga of course…still shrugging and laughing.  Punky is PISSED OFF at the 2 senior citizens and the bitch giving him the finger and throws his soda on the hood of our car.  Gigga, feathers very UNruffled,  picks up the car phone (1992!) and acts like she’s  dialing the police.  Madder, he pulls on the waistband of his punky pants and shows us the butt of his gun.  >>>  Ok now…Annie has shit her pants in the backseat, and I’m not gonna lie I was feeling the heat and thinking the finger might notta been such a good idea <<<

But then…STILL SHRUGGING AND LAUGHING...Gigga reaches under the seat and pulls out HER gun (a .38 snubnose) and holds it up in the windshield…not pointed at him, just like “oh ya, I bet my guns better!!”  They stared at each other for like 5 minutes, Gigga still holding up her gun...and Annie and I wanted to duck and get the hell out.  But punky backed down, got in the car, and somehow pulled out in traffic.  Gone.   Gigga put her gun back under the seat, we took their space and I was in The Limited 20 minutes later.  All in a days work for Gigga…and I found a sweet little sweater set.   Annie never got out of the car…lol

My mother:  all my life she worked 12+ hours a day;  made meat, potatoes, and a vegetable every night;  kept me in Catholic school even though we had no money;  came to all my sporting events;  sent me to college;  and she’s STILL listening to all my bullshit even today.  See why I say she's awesome??

Thanks, Gigga!!!  I love you more than the big box of Rocher and anything with bacon.  So much that when you’re in the home, I promise to get you a pedicure every week and spring for a room with a window!!  Maybe even a sponge bath from the orderly with the muscles...wink wink...I gotcha covered...lol  

Gorgonzola Stuffed Mushrooms

The first hors doeuvre I learned to make.  My grama taught me when I was 10.  She would bake hers for hours…mostly because it was a holiday and she’d be drinking VO and talking with guests that would drop by unannounced throughout the day and forget the mushrooms were even in the oven.  They were still delicious, though. 

Fast forward 12 years.  I was with my boyfriend visiting his family in Louisville, KY for Christmas and the drink hour came around--4:30 sharp.  Out on the sideboard was a bottle of every booze ever made, assorted linen cocktail napkins (a tradition I carry on to this day), and Havarti cheese and crackers.  I said to his mother Leila “I see you have Gorgonzola and mushrooms in your refrigerator…can I make you something special?”  Absolutely.  My grandmothers mushrooms. It was the biggest thank you I could give her for sharing her son with me, in the only way that I knew how:  good food that makes you smile.  And she did.  Big.  She was as gracious a hostess as you could ever have, quick with a joke and easy to laugh.  Thanks, Leila, for some of the best times of my life :)  

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This recipe serves 2:

1 pound button mushrooms, cleaned and stem removed
1 can Beef Consommé (I use Campbells)
Gorgonzola cheese
butter

Remove stem from mushrooms and place upside down in pan.   Place a little bit of butter inside mushroom, and stuff bleu cheese on top of that.



stuffed

Pour consommé around mushrooms (about 1/3 up the side of them) and bake at 350 degrees for approx. 30 minutes, or until cheese has melted and mushrooms are heated through.  Now, I know you wanna sip the salty, beefy broth in the bottom of the pan, with the cheesy melted bits of goodness swimming around in it.  Go ahead...no one's looking.  You're alone in the kitchen, it's just our secret...lol...

baked, and just out of the oven



Tapenade

Tapenade. Olive spread. My daughters favorite snack.  Most kids ask their moms to make cookies…when she was 8, she’d come home from school and ask me to make tapenade.  And since it’s waaaaaaaay easier than cookies, I’d happily oblige.

All you need is olives and olive oil.  That’s the base and sometimes, the whole thing.  I’ve also used capers, anchovies, fresh garlic, and lemon, but only if I happen to have them in the refrigerator.  Just put your ingredients in the food processor, pulse for a few seconds and there it is…tapenade!  It could be easier, but then you wouldn’t be impressed :)

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1 container mixed olives (I used green Spanish and purple Kalamata)

Extra Virgin olive oil

2 baguettes

optional:  lemon juice, garlic, anchovy, capers

Place olives, some olive oil, (and any optional ingredients) in a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds--I like mine to have some consistency, but you can make it completely smooth if that's how you like it.

Make crostini:  slice baguettes on the diagonal, drizzle with olive oil, bake in 350 degree oven for 5 min.

Place olive spread in a bowl. It's good just like this BUT, if you just can't stop here, you can drizzle a bit of olive oil or squeeze some fresh lemon on top.  I don't think it needs it, but you might.
Spread on crostini and enjoy :)


Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich

Grilled chicken breast sandwiches.  Booooring.  It’s always the same:  chicken breast, lettuce, tomato;  usually in a sports bar; usually an alternative to the wings or cheeseburger you really want when you’re drinking Michelob Ultra and trying to be good.  Not this one—it’s better :)

I’ve been making it for awhile and it’s always a big hit. Perfect for Sunday afternoon lunch by the pool with some sweet potato fries and a chilled bottle of pinot gris, or weeknight dinner when you’re in a hurry, with salty kettle chips and an icy cold Bud Lite.   It’ garlicky, hot, wet, and delicious…I ask you, what’s better than THAT??

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WHAT TO BUY:

4 chicken breasts
4 sandwich buns
2 tomatoes
4 slices swiss cheese
1 head garlic
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
Dijon mustard
mayonnaise
salt/pepper/garlic powder
Cajun seasoning (I use Tony Chacheri's)

First, slice tomatoes and place on plate.  Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cover, and set aside.

Prepare chicken and season on both sides with salt/pepper/garlic powder/cajun seasoning. 

Grill.  When almost done, melt swiss cheese over the top.  Remove to plate.

Cut buns in half.  Drizzle lightly with oil and grill till bread is filled with char marks.  Remove from grill.

top and bottom of bun, beautiful grill marks

Peel one garlic clove and slice edge off lengthwise to expose the inside.  Rub cut side of garlic on all 8 buns (4, top and bottom).

Place chicken breast on bottom bun.  Put 2 or 3 marinated tomato slices on top.  Spread mayonnaise and mustard liberally on top bun.  Place bun on top and press down slightly so that juices from the tomato and chicken mix with the balsamic/olive oil/mayonnaisey/mustardy goodness. 

Eat immediately.  If you're like my daughter, there should be juice running down your arms while you're licking it up with the piece of bun that broke off in your hand.  Enjoy!! 

Note:  Depending on what bun you buy, your sandwich will look different each time (but it will always be delicious!)  Below I used a Kaiser roll, but above I used a Cuban sandwich roll.



Cinnamon Toast Martini

I introduced the chocolate martini to my friend, Steve, in 2009.   They were the new thing back then and I was sharing them with anyone who’d join in.  Sometimes I really liked them, and sometimes not so much.  It was almost a year before I figured it out:  I really don’t like Bailey’s, and more often than not, it’s one of the ingredients.  After my discovery, Steve and I stopped sharing them and we’d order our own (because he DOES like Bailey’s) and we’d sip and compare, having our own little critiquing session…because the fun in this is that I never knew what I was gonna get!  When I’d say I wanted a chocolate martini without Bailey’s, it was up to the bartender:  sometimes it was Meyers dark rum, sometimes coconut rum, sometimes extra Crème de Cocoa, whatever they wanted to use.  

SO…2 weeks ago, Steve and I decided to come up with our own concoction and we went through several (too many!) versions, but just couldn’t get it right.  But what we DID come up with was even better.  We call it the “Cinnamon Toast Martini” because as we’d get further and further from the chocolate martini we’d envisioned, it started to taste more and more like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, my daughter’s favorite cereal!  Make some tonight for you and your friends and see what you think…but go easy…you  don’t want to drink so many that you end up with double vision and a wicked headache the next day like me and Steve!! UGH…

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WHAT TO BUY:

1 bottle Rum Chata
1 bottle Pinnacle "Cinnamon Bun" Vodka
chocolate syrup (I use Hershey's)
already prepared Cinnamon Sugar (found in the spice aisle)
martini shaker
ice

Freeze 2 martini glasses.  When ready to make the martinis:

Pour some Rum Chata in a shallow saucer
Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar in a shallow saucer

Take glasses out of freezer; dip rim in Rum Chata and then in cinnamon sugar.  You should now have a nicely rimmed glass.

Next, make design in the glass with the chocolate syrup:

Steve likes a flower design

I like a swirl design

In martini shaker filled with ice, pour 2 parts Rum Chata and 1 part Cinnamon Bun vodka.  Shake vigorously, pour into glass.  This makes one martini.

Sprinkle top with a pinch of cinnamon sugar.  Enjoy!

Kale Soup

One summer, I was visiting an out-of-town friend and we very much wanted his family to join us for dinner.  When he called his brother, he told us that his wife Erin had already made Kale Soup but that they’d be happy to join us anyway.  I’m glad they did because we had a great time, but all night I kept thinking "I wonder what Erin puts in her soup???"

Being right there in the Kale Soup capital of the world (the area in MA that runs from Fall River down toward New Bedford and the rest of Plymouth County, and also encompasses Cape Cod and the Islands), I’m sure hers was authentic and delicious; honest, with a little kick of spice.  That would be traditionally:  kale, flavorful broth, garlic, potatoes, and Portuguese sausage of some kind (like Linguica or Chourico), or sometimes even a ham hock. But I've also had some with tomatoes, and my friend's mom finishes it with a drizzle of olive oil. 

I’ve always made mine pretty much like I described above, except I’m down here in the south so I use butter beans, which get even more velvety and pillowy-soft as they cook.  

It will be 39 degrees here on Friday night—and waaaaaaay colder in the rest of the country.   Make a pot of Kale Soup for you and your family, or for your special someone on Saturday.  Soup, a bottle of red wine, kisses and hugs, and a smile from someone you love—what’s better on Valentine’s Day than THAT?

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WHAT TO BUY:
1 - 15.5 ounce can butter beans, drained
12 ounces kale (I buy it already washed and chopped in a bag)
1 - 8 ounce spicy Portuguese sausage link (such as chourico or linguica), cut in half lengthwise and then cut into half moons crosswise
         OR 1 ham hock
32 ounces chicken broth, and a little more if desired for a brothier soup
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
red pepper flakes
olive oil
freshly grated parmesan cheese
one sandwich roll per person
butter
water

sausage, browned in dutch oven

(Serves 3, and can so easily be doubled)

Drizzle 3-4 tablespoons olive oil in large dutch oven and brown sausage and onion over medium-high heat.  Soon, you will see the oils coming out of them, and it will be a beautiful orange color from the seasonings (such as paprika) in the sausage. 

Drain oil if you'd like (you'd be crazy!)--this is when I add the garlic.  Turn the heat down to medium and sauté garlic slightly, then add half a cup of water.  Scrape bottom of pan, and add kale to pot a little at a time, until it's slightly wilted, the steam will do it for you. 

Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.  Add beans and broth and simmer on low, stirring all to incorporate 

Cover with lid and let cook approx. 25 min on med-low, just bubbling slightly 

I pushed the kale aside so you could see the broth.  It should be rich and deep in color

Take off lid, adjust seasonings, add more broth if necessary, cook for 5-8 minutes more.  Place in bowls and top with freshly-grated parmesan cheese.  Serve immediately with crusty bread, still hot from the broiler

For the last 8 minutes, while soup is cooking:
Turn on broiler.  Slice rolls in half and butter both sides.  Place under broiler and watch carefully--don't turn your back, they brown FAST.  Brown to desired color and place on platter.  Set aside.

mmmmmmm....