Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish Friends and Loved Ones

As my typist was out and about today performing some last minute holiday errands, she had National Public Radio tuned in on her radio. Composer Erran Baron Cohen was interviewed on Fresh Aire and we were treated to a sampling of songs from his latest CD, Songs in the Key of Hanukkah. The music offers a new take on traditional sounds.

Mr. Cohen's work was recorded in London, Berlin and Tel Aviv. The CD combines klezmer, reggae, electronica and hip hop as it reinterprets classics. The album even features New York rapper Y-Love rhyming in Yiddish. Y-Love is a convert to Orthodox Judaism and raps in English, Yiddish, and Aramaic. (Now that takes a whole lotta talent.)

My typist was completely engaged as she listened to the radio program. Once returning home, a Google search successfully found Mr. Cohen's website. Here is the Dreidel song and video from Songs in the Key of Hanukkah. Enjoy!

And Happy Hanukkah!

Straight No Chaser

This is so full of win it had to be shared! Even if there is no actual whisky involved.

Happy Holidays.

For Love of W.G.

The sun that faded too quickly into night.

**

A Special Anniversary (a wee bit OOC)

Being a child of the space race era, I have a special spot in my heart for NASA. I have explored the Kennedy Space Center on a number of occasions, and truly enjoy historical as well as current books, programming, and other information about NASA and her adventures in science.

And for those of us who enjoy Steampunk and Victorian era themes, here is a comparison of the Verne Moon Gun and the Apollo series rocket/capsule just for fun.

detail from a postage stamp

Happy 50 Years, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

A Real Life Dinner Party with the Duchess' Human

I now turn the blog over to my human for this (maybe not so) OOC post.

Having been so excited with the past weekend's revelries, I told not a few of you about our third annual holiday dinner party event. Many have asked about the menu and more details, so I am happy to present to you....

An Evening Somewhere in Pennsylvania

A Little History: This year our good friends and next door neighbors, the Plimptons, agreed that if they joined forces with us, the McColgans (names changed to protect the guilty) we could really throw quite the soirée for our friends. Normally, we have about 8-10 people over for a holiday dinner in our home. I generally do all the cooking, which I love to do; however, the four of us were fortunate enough this year to meet a wonderful chef, Pippa Calland, who just happens to occasionally cater such events. Thus the idea grew and the event came into being. Once we had secured a spot on Pippa's calendar, we began to collaborate on the menu with her...by which I mean, she told us her wonderful ideas and we said, "YES!" A wee bit nervously, I suggested that I might be able to assist her with the wine pairings. Initially I think she was a bit hesitant, but as we discussed the food and preparations, the particular types of wine or ales she felt might be appropriate as well as my thoughts, I think she became a bit more comfortable with my ability to manage this end of things. And so it was that I found some wonderful selections. Selections that I might add triumphantly now, which Pippa and her staff found to be incredible!! (Whew!)

The Setting: The adults were hosted next door at the Plimptons' lovely home.
The kids were cared for at our home. We hired two of our favorite baby sitters to manage the 11 kids that joined ours for a little party of their own. Fun foods, special crafts from the dollar bin at our local art supply store, and Christmas movies for viewing.

Pippa and her staff arrived at around 4:30pm to get the kitchen going. We took the beverages over sometime around 5pm and then ran a few last minutes errands to ensure that we had everything we needed.

The Menu:

Antipasti Table: Aged Manchego cheese, rosemary and sea salted almonds and quince, torte d'mascarpone stuffed medjool dates, arancine, sliced prosciutto di parma, Drunken goat cheese, mustard fruits, and breadsticks
Wine Accompaniment: Conti D'Arco Prosecco
Beer Accompaniment: Troeg's Scratch Beer Series #6, Lager

Course 1: Warm salad of roasted mushrooms, grilled endive, and truffled fonduta
Beverage Accompaniment: K-Brand Hard Cider

Course 2: Seared sashimi grade tuna with chickpeas, tangerine, harissa, and mint
Wine Accompaniment: LaFond Chardonnay SRH, 2004

Course 3: Ditalini Pasta with Manila clams, pancetta and broccoli rabe
Wine Accompaniment: Essenza Di Malvasia Salento Bianco, 2005

Course 4: Roasted loin of local pork with chestnuts, apples, and cider enriched gravy
Wine Accompaniment: Hugel Riesling, 2004
Beer Accompaniment: Troeg's Hopback

Course 5: Seared and sliced magret of moulard duck with duck confit and a warm slaw of toasted savoy cabbage and castelucchio lentils
Wine Accompaniment: Rasteau Cotes Du Rhone Villages, 2005
Beer Accompaniment: Troeg's Troegenater (Stout)

Course 6: Chocolate bread pudding with brioche, dried cherries, and pecans
Wine Accompaniment: Hardy's 1998 Vintage Port
Beer Accompaniment: Troeg's Mad Elf (brewed with honey and dried cherries)

The pictures:
(Names changed - save for our chef's)

The Hostesses: Ms. Plimpton (l), and Mrs. McColgan (me)

Our fabulous Chef, Pippa Calland poses briefly with Ms. Plimpton

The McColgans greet their guests

Me posing with a glowing Mrs. Sparky (she will have her first child at the end of next month), and Ms. Plimpton

Somewhere around midnight a call came out of the crowd for the Ren Faire corsets to come out of the closets. Of course, my dear husband was happy to help the cause and ran home to get mine whilst Mrs. Plimpton went upstairs to put hers on. (This is the danger of so much fine food and drink...and general joviality. Corsets may be demanded.)

This particular shot was taken sometime after a little more port and some dancing.
*sighs happily and giggles a little once again at life imitating art*

It was an incredible night. One I will not forget - ever.

Mrs. McColgan - signing off.

Oh the holiday tags!

Here are my fun facts:

1) I have a Bacon Number of 4: My human (henceforth known as "I" or "me" in this post) sang with a rising opera star in a world premier operetta in 2003, who sang with Julie Andrews in NYC in 2005. Julie Andrews (I) was in Relative Values (2000) with Colin Firth Colin Firth was in Where the Truth Lies (2005) with Kevin Bacon

2) I adore manatees, and have swum with them in the Crystal River, which is in Central Florida.

3) I love to be the first person down a run on the ski slopes, hearing the quiet all around me as no other skiers are around, and making first tracks in the Snowcats' nicely groomed surface.

4) As a nurse at the House of God (if you get this reference, let me know), I frequently treated patients with leech therapy to improve blood flow to fingers that had been reattached after traumas (usually it was the trauma of being so stupid that building and playing with a pipe bomb seemed like a good idea).

5) I adore cooking and entertaining (shocker!), and one of my favorite dinner parties includes preparing 6 courses of food for my guests, asking them to each bring 2 bottles of their favorite wine (sometimes I specify a region sometimes I do not), and then on the fly I pair a wine with each course. These meals are generally followed by lengthy rounds of game play, or talking so as to allow the guests to be safe enough to drive home. :-)

6) I love roller coasters! I understand from my niece who works there that Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA now has a coaster, called the Griffon, that takes riders up 205 feet and sends them down at a 90 degree angle at 70 miles per hour. I am soooo there when spring comes!

7) I enjoy movies, but two of my all-time favorites are old ones: Gone With the Wind, and Casablanca. And what are the two eras of these films? Mid-19th Century, and the 1930s and 1940s. Perhaps this explains my interest in the Victorian era in both Europe and America, as well as my fascination with the 30s and 40s

8) And finally, not to be outdone, by the Kitten who tagged me (after Zealot did - God I hope I don't have to come up with 8 more bits of information), I have been taking a class at my work fitness center called Urban Striptease. One of the most effective courses I have ever taken if sore muscles are any indication. Awfully fun, though.

**now the rules**
The rules of tagging are simple, and as follows.
(1) Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
(2) People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.
(3) At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
(4) Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog


Tag! You're It!
Baron Wulfenbach
Lady Christine McAllister
Iason Hassanov
Newbe Writer
Lady Kate Nicholas
Greystoke
Virrginia Tombola
Diamanda Gustafson

OOC - A few words about Boobie-Thon

This annual event showcases female and male bloggers showing their (covered and uncovered) breasts in order to raise money for charity during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Please check back in the upcoming days for more information and news about this years event.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Boobie-Thon will run from October 1, 2007-October 8, 2007. The main page houses covered breasts and is free for all to view. For at least a $50.00 donation one may enter the "pay per boobie" site, which includes the uncovered breasts that many will submit.

I, the typist behind Eva Bellambi, have been a past participant in the event, and will be participating again this year. In fact I have just submitted my photos for posting.

I encourage all of you to donate for this cause, whether by viewing the breasts of those who support this particular event, or by choosing to donate elsewhere. I also want to ensure that we are all reminded to, Feel Your Boobies as the ad campaign says. Perform self breast exams at least once per month, and discuss any changes with your doctor.

Be safe and well!