Holy Crap, the summer is almost over...

I don't know why I'm surprised that the summer has, once again gotten away from me. It hasn't been all that eventful, but the season flew by faster than Miley Cyrus saying yes to dancing like a skank on the Video Music Awards. (That was my 40+ year old voice speaking). Anyway, when last we spoke I had been explaining my love/hate relationship with landscaping. For the most part everything has survived the summer after my careful love and attention. The thorn in my side hasn't been my lack of a green thumb, but more the battle with what became my arch nemesis....the rabbits. Those little bleepity...bleep..bleep...bleepity, gosh darn bleepity....bleep....bleep God's creatures found themselves a smorgasboard of deliciousness from almost every last thing I put in the ground. After several sprays and granules, many episodes of me flinging open the back door, running, flailling my arms and screaming like a mad man to send them scurrying from the yard, only to turn, once safely on the other side of the fence to stare and look at me like I was, indeed a lunatic. I found myself standing at the kitchen window singing (in my best Elmer Fudd voice) "kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit". We have lapsed now into a somewhat blissful coexistence and now I await the ripening of the (what looks like at least 100) tomatoes. So I think my landscaping/gardening this year would at least get a passing grade.
In other summer news....
I drove to Denver the end of June to make a wedding cake for my friends, Mike & Elena. Shawn and I took some day trips to Oakbrook for some shopping at Oakbrook Center and IKEA. We also spent a couple days in St. Louis where we visited the Art Museum, History Museum, Botanic Gardens, Cathedral Bascillica along with a little more shopping. We also had some great meals...one of which was at a place called Franco.
It was so delicious. You can see pictures from the trip on my facebook page. Yesterday we took a trip to Peru (IL) to the antique mall and I found some really cool 1950's enamelware photo developing trays.  
I think they will make really great trays, but I'm also thinking about other things to use them for. ..stay tuned.
So, I guess the the upside to the dwindling summer season is that my favorite season of the year is next on deck. So if I have to say good bye to summer at least we have Fall to look forward to.
night night
greg

Stop It, Stop It and Please, Please Stop IT!!!

Dear Men who wear pajamas in public,

I feel like we have had this conversation before, and I just don't see your side of the story.   I have often heard that you should begin any kind of confrontation with a positive.....so here goes.  I get that it takes someone totally confident in their fashion sense to walk out of the house, down a street or through the aisles of any store wearing beer logos, cartoon characters or sets of lips scattered up and down your legs...so I'll give you props for the confidence.  Now, the truth....I don't really think it's confidence...I think you've given up.  Wander back with me, if you will, to your childhood.  If your mother had presented you with a pair of pants that had any kind of embellishment you would have locked your self in your room and refused to leave the house for fear that your friends would forever torment you, banishing you to the corner of the cafeteria, dodge ball would become target practice and you would forever be the target.  Ahhh, yes, it's all coming back to you now isn't it?  Somewhere along the line you forgot, stopped caring or maybe you have a much higher vision of how you appear to others....

 

This is not you!  You are not Hugh Hefner.

Maybe, you are going for an odd quirky persona to share with the world...

 

You are not the King of Pop!

So, I ask you "What is wrong with a pair of blue jeans?"  Or a plain old pair of sweat pants.  At least it looks like you just came from or are headed to work out.  That you had some sort of will to live when you left the house.  That maybe you at least planned to shower...

 

Isn't that so much better? It is just as easy to put these on as those pajama pants.  ( But don't wear those kind of shoes with your sweatpants...it screams predator or convict or something....just go for some good old tennis shoes).

I will give a pass to anyone who is perhaps on their way home from the hospital after some sort of surgery and is desperately in need of milk or medication..that's pretty much the only time pajamas should show themselves outside your front door.  So please men, I beg you....you are a grown man, start dressing like one. 
Love Always,
Greg

I got... I mean "had" the Moves Like Jagger

Something happened.  I don't know how recently it happened.  I can't really pin point it, because up until a few days ago I didn't know it happened.  Let me explain.

First, let me take you back to a time when life was simple.  Well, simple in a general, no internet, kind of way.  I was in junior high.  I can't quite remember why, but in junior high chorus, we would get to dance.  Not like a glee club performance of dance, but like turn the lights off in the classroom, no singing and play popular music and dance.  For whatever reason, Mrs. Lindstrom would pick people who she thought were doing the best job of dancing....sort of like a primitive version of "So You Think You Can Dance".  I remember how excited I was when one Friday, I was one of the dancers chosen...I along with a handful of others had been plucked from the crowd for my wicked, cool dance moves.  I wore that crown for years.  Anytime I found myself on a dance floor, I was more confident than Danny Zuko dancing the Hand Jive with Cha Cha in "Grease."  Although my opportunities to dance (in public) have become less and less, I was still quite confident in my abilities...I mean come on, I wasn't one of those old guys who dances like he did in high school and all the youngsters stare at....or at least I didn't think so.  As chance would have it, I (like all the hip kids are getting these days) got a Wii for Christmas.  ( I know, I know, welcome to the 2000's).  I couldn't wait to get the latest "Just Dance 4" and bust a move.  I mean, those commercials were like my dream come true...all those people dancing in unison to the latest dance tunes.  ( I have often spoke of my desire to participate in an impromptu dance number ala Jennifer Garner's amazing "Thriller" number in "13 Going on 30" or any random episode of "Glee").  So, I was going to learn how with the help of my fancy new Wii.  Paula Abdul move over.  What happened next still cannot be explained in real words.  The music started "Hey I just met you...and this is crazy"...wait, I have to move my hands and feet like THAT?  At the same time?  Stop, slow down...what the?   And the song ends.  Maybe it was just the song choice....let's try another.   Slow down!!! The result of my first "Just Dance"...me sort of marching in place and twirling my arms around to keep up.  Shameful.  My dance crown, lay shattered on the floor.  Paula Abdul has won this battle.  But I shall not giveth upeth.  I shall practice like the "Black Swan" and I will finish one song if it kills me.  Look out "Solid Gold Dancers"....I'm coming for you.

One Million Mean Girls

Okay, can we talk for a minute about these One Million Moms?  You know, the ones who are boycotting/protesting JCPenney because they hired Ellen to be a spokesperson.  In general, people's ignorance has never been anything that surprises me, but for some reason these  broads just set me off.  Maybe it comes with age, but the acceptance of ignorance is harder and harder for me to hear, or maybe it's because I know that One Million Moms ( I've heard that they are really only 40,000, so come on ladies....isn't one million a bit of an exaggeration?)is made up primarily of those high school mean girls, who pick on the weaker people to make themselves feel better about themselves. (You know the one's who are popular in high school, only to find that life beyond high school can be very cruel...it's called karma ladies)  Did I spell karma correctly? 

Always one to consider both sides, I went to their little website and couldn't believe the front page was a rundown of all the things they want people to boycott.  Macy's (because their wedding registry clearly showed...gasp 2 Men), JCPenney (for the Ellen thing) and Modern Family because there was a swear word or something.....ladies you exhaust me, but okay.  Let's just say you are right and JCPenney was to go ahead with their plans to put Ellen and Portia in lingerie in a loving embrace during a commercial that I'm sure will most definitely air during Saturday morning cartoons.  Let's consider a new spokesperson...Okay, here we go....Oh, I know how about M.I.A., a nice young rapper that young kids today can admire.  What?  oh, yes, that whole Superbowl, flip the bird thing....okay, okay, lets think.  I've got it.  How about they hire wholesome Hanna Montana herself, Miley Cyrus.....oh, that's right, I forgot about those pictures of her with the bong, oh and the latest one of her licking the penis cake....there is someone for your children to aspire to be!  Okay, Okay, I give up ladies.  Who should the spokesperson be? 

Let's move on.  Ladies, it's 2012.  The nice married, gay couple that moves in on your street will soon blend in with the couple whose husband beats his wife, or the nice couple with the teenage son who is selling drugs to your beloved children after school, or maybe even a serial killer who is chopping people up and putting them in his freezer ( I bet Jeffrey Dahmer's neighbors wouldn't have liked Ellen for JCPenney's either).  What I'm really saying ladies is "get over yourselves".  There is way more to boycott in life than who someone that has nothing to do with you chooses to love.  You should instead be taking the responsibility to teach your children respect, acceptance and kindness to others...because, 40,000 moms, in the future when your son or daughter comes to you and tells you that they are gay, your one hope should be that the world they live in will show them kindness and acceptance.

Fortune Favors the Bold

It's about to be the beginning of yet another year.  They seem to pass so quickly.  This past year has been an absolute whirlwind.  I can remember New Year's Day 2011, just like it was yesterday, and I can't imagine that an entire spring, summer and fall have past.  So as always, it's time to reflect, a time to ask ourselves if this past year was everything we wanted it to be?  Were we happy?  Did we accomplish the things we hoped?  I always look at the beginning of a new year as the chance to work on the things that didn't work so well in the past year, and work on doing what I need to do to change them.  For the most part, 2011 was a great year.  I graduated from Pastry school, where I added some new friends to my life, I spent a great week of vacation in Costa Rica, I even lost a few pounds this year.  But for all the good, there are some things I wish would have been different.  Some opportunities I may have missed, some chances I didn't take.  In a sense, that is life.  Good and bad.  Missed opportunities and things that we overlook, mixed in with good and happy times.  But I ask myself how much I (we, if you will) miss out on by letting opportunities go by, by not saying yes more often, by not being more bold in our lives.  I read the quote "Fortune Favors the Bold".   For whatever reason, it stayed stuck in my head for several weeks and I knew in a way, that it was something I needed to apply to my own life.  Don't get me wrong, I have my moments of boldness, sometimes maybe even foolish boldness, but if you look around at successful people, people who make an imprint on the world, they didn't sit quietly by and let their lives happen to them.  They made some moves, struck out boldly to make a difference or to be successful or to stand for something.  I think on any level, we can all stand to be a bit more bold in our lives.  Whether it's just living day to day or some greater goal,  be bold in your beliefs, in your rights, in obtaining your heart's desire, in getting exactly what you want out of life.  Happy New Year everyone!

It's Thanksgiving people....

After what seemed to be the fastest summer I have ever lived through, we find ourselves here, in November, just a couple weeks before Thanksgiving.  The problem...someone forgot about Thanksgiving and skipped from Halloween to Christmas...let me explain (as I always do). 

I think it was August (even before Halloween or Labor Day for that matter!) that I first caught a glimpse of Christmas trees, I think it was Hobby Lobby.  I've known over the past 20 years or so, that retailers tend to push Christmas on us earlier and earlier, but is it just me or does this year seem far worse?  I remember back in the day when school started in the Fall and it seemed like forever until Halloween.  After Halloween, Thanksgiving was a far off thought on the horizon, and well Christmas ...we had months to go, it seemed.  Thanksgiving did finally role around and THEN, and only then did any talk of Christmas begin.  I remember spending the afternoon of Thanksgiving, after the table had been cleared, with the Wish Books spread out on the table, where I would diligently turn page by page, making my list of wanted items.  I would always include the item number, page number and of course color (if that were an option), I would leave no doubt as to what it was I would be expecting to see under that tree come Christmas morning.  The tree didn't go up until well into December and then came the annual viewing of claymation Christmas specials.  I don't think there were any of those sappy Hallmark Channel Holiday movies!  Here is my opinion....The Holidays were much more special then, because they were something that you looked forward to and you enjoyed during that time.  Nowadays we (I) grow weary of it being 24/7 beginning November 1 (yes, we have already endured an entire weekend of Hallmark Holiday movies), and by the time the day actually rolls around...you're over it.  December 26, we're ripping down the trees and moving on.  So, here is my challenge to everyone.  Anticipate Thanksgiving, savor the turkey and all the fixings, then on November 25, go full throttle into Christmas...that gives you 30 days of Christmas and that my friends is plenty of Christmas.  I do understand that if you're knitting Christmas sweaters for your entire family, you may need to think about Christmas before November 25, so get busy.

It's Growing Season...

Spring is quickly becoming summer and with it the earth comes alive.  I planted a garden this year, for the first time in many.  This is the first summer I've been in a house with a yard for over 4 years and I'm so excited about eating some of the tomatoes from my very own garden.  I've been thinking a lot about growing.  Not so much about plants in the garden, but growing as a person.  I think I used to think that as we become adults, we "arrive" at some place and there we live happily ever after, knowing all we need to know to live out a happy life.  At some point, that changed for me.  I don't remember exactly when, but at that point in my life I realized that this life is a classroom.  That in every aspect of life, there is a lesson to be learned, every experience, every encounter, every day offers some thing to take away, something that feeds us and helps us to grow.  One of the things that we tend to forget, is the idea that perhaps only the good things that happen to us help us to grow.  It's not always good, but it is an opportunity to learn and grow nonetheless.  What struck me the this week was not so much the idea of growing, but the notion of what to do when you stop growing?  Think about it like this.  Are you in a situation, be it a career, a friendship, a relationship where you have grown all you can?  Is there anything else for you to learn that will make you a better person, the person you are meant to be?  This week it hit me while I was on the treadmill...when you stop growing, it's time to move on....it's the sign, it's the realization you need to make yourself better.  I challenge myself to be someone who continually grows, in hopes of becoming all that I am possible of being.  I challenge all of you to do the same.

Well done Oprah....well done....

The Oprah Show came to an end this week.  25 years.  I remember when she started...I was 4 I think.  I would race home early from preschool and plant myself in front of the tv set and listen to everything she had to say.   Okay, okay, I wasn't really 4...I was 7.  Anyway, although I wasn't an avid, everyday viewer, I watched her enough to learn some valuable lessons.  Lessons that I try to remind myself everyday.  I have spoke of one of these in a previous post.  I'm not exactly sure if it was her or Dr. Phil, but the advice was..."when someone shows you who they are, BELIEVE them."  That little piece of advice helps me daily in how I interact with everyone I encounter.  You might not know them right off, but eventually everyone shows you who they are, and you should take them for who they are.  Don't expect something different or be surprised when they act the way they do.  From her early "O" Magazine days, I remember a quote, that sticks with me.  "Stand in your own space, and know that you are there."  It's kind of powerful when you think about it.  Acknowledge everything around you, take in everything.  Recognize the things that you love and appreciate them, take responsibility for your life, your "space" and make it what you want.  Now, the other two lessons have come in later years.  When you start to examine your life and ask yourself if it really is everything you want it to be, you can't rely on luck.  I remember Oprah saying there is no such thing as luck.  We always think that someone is lucky, or they caught a lucky break.  In actuality, they were just prepared.  Oprah's advice.....Luck is really only preparedness meeting opportunity.  I've tried to think of the times in my life when I felt like I had hit a string of luck.  I'm not sure I can say that I felt like I was prepared and I seized an opportunity, but I definitely look at it more closely now.  I try to always be prepared (like they boy scout I was) and continually keep my eyes open for the opportunity to arrive.  That's not to say I just sit around waiting for opportunities, I search them out as well, knowing I'm prepared.  We can't argue with Oprah's success, it speaks for itself.   Being happy in our careers is part of what makes us successful people.  So many people are miserable in their jobs, and it carries over into their personal lives.  So take a look at your job, your career, your chosen profession and ask yourself this....would I still do my job, if I didn't get paid for it?  I know that's a silly question, because of course we all need money to put a roof over our head and pay our bills, but is that the only reason for doing what your doing?  Is it something you are passionate about or is it just a job?  "You know you are on the road to success, if you would do your job and not get paid for it."  Success is about the work, the passion, never about the money.  So I've asked myself that question...I know without even having to think (of course I'm not going to tell you that here, but if you know me, you know the answer).  So, we bid Oprah goodbye, at least for now, I know she'll be back soon enough.  So, let's all get about the business of making our own lives better, just like Oprah taught us for 25 years.

The men's room is a filthy place....

I travel a lot for work, I think over the past few years, we have established that.  I would like to talk for a few minutes today about a disturbing phenomenon (really not a phenomenon, it's probably happened for centuries, I just noticed it as a disturbing trend).  As part of my travel adventures I spend a lot of time in airports.  Now as it is a rule of mine to avoid public restrooms at all costs, there are those times when it just can't be prevented. 
So, innocently enough I make my way in to the cess pool that is most men's rooms (ladies, I'm giving you some insight, although I'm sure you know that men and their bodily functions can be extremely disgusting).  I try not to make eye contact with anyone and go get my business taken care of .  As I make my way in there are things I notice....WHO in their right mind would put there bag down on the floor of a men's room?  Have you not seen the studies of how far stuff flies when flushing?  I try to follow the "take a deep breath, flush and run" method.  But now, let me get to the root of my observation.....there is a demographic of men (I won't say the age range) who must have learned to pee at a different school....here is how it goes down.....
Guy walks up to the urinal, bends at the waist slightly while he unbuttons, (this creates a good 2 feet space from the urinal ....Really Mr,?  Don't flatter yourself)....then stands at the urinal and places one or both hands on the wall over the urinal like he is about to be frisked by the cops.  Do I need to get into what is wrong with this picture?  First, we have already discussed the filthy factor of the men's room, so I am led to this conclusion....these guys feel as if the force  that is about to flow from within them is going to be so great that they need to steady themselves as to not be blown back across the room by the shear force, and risking any sort of various diseases from the dirty walls is worth the risk.  I for one am seeing the benefits of a catheter....

Taylor Swift got me started....

Taylor Swift got me started, and it's been swirling around in my mind here and there ever since.  Yesterday a friend of mine posted a facebook comment dealing with the same thing and I knew I had to blog.....

On Taylor's new album, she sings a song called "Enchanted", where she sings about being enchanted to meet someone.  It just struck me that I don't think I have ever been enchanted to meet anyone.  Being the holiday season, you hear words like enchanted or magical  being tossed around a lot.  I wonder if instances like that really exist?  As a child, I have no doubt that things could be magical.  It's the process of discovery and learning that make things "magical".  So my friend, Betty posted a comment about missing the way this time of year made you feel when you were a kid, and I decided that we, as adults, don't feel that way anymore because we don't let ourselves feel that way.  At some point in time we became adults, bogged down in the obligations that the holiday season might bring.  No longer can we just count the days with anticipation, thinking that the big day will never arrive.  Now we count them down, so they can finally be over and we can rest, or we count down the days because we feel like we need to take advantage of every available second to get all the "responsible" things done.  So many people I know think about decorating and shopping and baking as a horrible chore that has to be done...it's only that way because they let it be.  Anything can be enjoyable, if you look at it differently.  I'll admit, I am a cynical adult, but somewhere deep inside me is that person, that kid, who sees the magic in things unknown.  I remember the first time I went to New York City at Christmas, I remember rounding the corner and seeing the tree in Rockefeller Plaza...it  was  magical.  It was something that was new to me, something bigger than my everyday life...is that what made it magical?  I'm going to New York tomorrow morning, and I know that rounding the corner again, it will be just as magical this time as the first time, and I think it's because as I've grown into a cynical adult, I have learned and witnessed how quickly life passes.  With that I have managed to learn to just stop, if only for a minute, and take in everything around me, enjoying the moment for what it is, not what it could be, or what I think it should be.  Maybe if we all learn to "take in "life, we can experience "magic" in our everyday life, just like a kid, and maybe, just maybe if we can become that person who loves life someone might actually be enchanted to meet us.  Happy Holidays!

changes....

I reminded today of how life changes, how we become the people we are.  One night about 3 years ago, shortly after I moved to Denver, I found my self in the flow of traffic during evening rush hour...gripping the steering wheel and trying to remain in my lane and look for something, anything that I recognized to get me back to my new home.  I made it.  Today, I got in the jeep and headed back to that very spot to the weekly farmer's market, changing lanes, making turns like I knew exactly where I was going...and I did know.  Growing up for most of my early childhood in a town that only had one stoplight, which only operated when the volunteer fire department got dispatched, to mastering 2 lane interstates, I never thought I would find myself maneuvering through 4 lanes of traffic with the confidence of a NASCAR driver.  It's sort of a metaphor for life.  Life is about getting on an unfamiliar road, driving straight into the unknown, but knowing that there are all sorts of landmarks along the way that remind you where you are, and where you're going.
I think what I realized is that I get tired of the same path, there are millions of other roads, there is even the ability to make your own new path.  I'm working on it.  Stay tuned.

I'm really not a hater....

I sometimes think that I'm an grumpy old man trapped in what is becoming a slightly middle aged body.  I hate to complain about the same things all the time, but I pray that my constant begging will allow people to wake up and hear what I'm saying.  The summer travel season is in full swing and to those of us who live in hotels for the most part, I'd like to mention a few matters of what I would refer to as common sense, but again, I've been wrong before.

Parents...the tiny breakfast room in most hotels is not the time to let your children "test their independence".  This is not the time to let them make their own waffle or pour their own milk.  It's one of those "get in and get out" situations, fast like a well oiled machine. 

There is never an appropriate time to wear patterned flannel pants anywhere in public, unless your 3 years old, and then most of the general public will overlook it.  This is a big one for me people, unless we stop it, it could become the norm and I will be forced to stay locked up in my apartment like Sigourney Weaver in Copy Cat.  I know when you're putting those pants on that you think they will make you look "perky and cute"...not the case.  I had the misfortune last week of driving down a street, in the evening no less, to see a rather large girl wearing plaid flannel pants and a t shirt at least 2 sizes too big....I'm sure she thought "perky and cute" when she picked out that ensemble.  "Lazy and ridiculous"  those are the 2 words that came to mind for me.  I just want people to take a little pride in themselves, and please for the love of God don't throw the old "maybe that's all they can afford" story at me...there is no excuse. 
Back to the hotel...don't wear those pants to the breakfast room...nothing makes me lose my appetite for a cold hard boiled egg and orange juice that gets thicker the closer you get to the bottom of the glass faster, than an extra large "hello kitty" staring me in the face.

Just one more quick reminder...hotel walls are not soundproof...in fact in a lot of cases, they are probably thinner than the walls in your house...keep that in mind...I'm just sayin.

Safe travels!

Passion and Faith

Passion is defined as a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything.  I've always been a little jealous of those people who knew exactly what their passion was early in life.  I also appreciate that living life helps us develop passions that we may not have ever realized had we been focused too soon.  That may sound like some people's excuse for moving through life from one thing to the next, searching for their passion.  I (for some sick reason), remember when Kathy Lee Gifford left Regis, and on her last show she shared some advice that her father had given to her..."know what you love doing, and then figure out how to make a living doing it."  Good advice, and even better work...IF you can get it. 

I've been talking with a lot of people who feel stuck.  The economy, their situation, whatever it may be, they feel like the paycheck at the end of the week is the only reason they are doing what they are doing, and they feel lucky to have a job.  I've been there too...shoot, I am there.  The weeks go by at lightning speed, and we stay on the same unchanging path, wary of it, but unwilling, or maybe JUST comfortable enough not to take a different path.  Change and different paths are scary things and rather than make a mistake or become uncomfortable,or have to sacrifice a little, we stay on the same path.  So, here's my question.  If we have figured out what our passion is, and we step off the path and take a different direction, does it really all fall into place?  I'm not saying that I'm dumb enough to think that the new path isn't full of dead ends and bumps, but is that path, the new path, more worth it?

In the end, I guess it boils down to faith.  It is not about what others think you should do, its about what you feel in your gut and whether or not you have the faith and determination and drive to see it through.  Kelly Cutrone gave some great advice..."it's a leap of faith, not a baby step."  Do you have enough faith in yourself and in your passion to take the other path?  As a creative person, my mind is full everyday of thoughts and ideas, and admittedly, I allow other people's opinions and whatever circumstance I am in to shut down some of those thoughts...Guilty.  What I have recognized is that there are times in life when a circumstance allows us an opportunity to explore (or at least consider) something new...it's the acting on those opportunities that make us uncomfortable. 

So, no more excuses.  Figure out your passion, you probably already know what it is, and then start the journey to make it your reality. 

Fasten your seat belts....

I'd like to take just a couple minutes and discuss something that I have GREAT knowledge and experience in...air travel.  Yesterday while sitting in my seat waiting for my plane to leave the GREAT city of Omaha (little sarcasm) I had thought after thought swirling through my mind...here are a few....
(In the interest of full disclosure, I make these observations of people who are, clearly, frequent flyers.  I can understand that people who rarely fly wouldn't know better).

First of all, I saw you with my own two eyes sitting in that airport terminal, waiting to board the plane.  So, may I offer you this tip.  Figure out what papers, books, computers, games, magazines, phones, etc. you are going to want to have with you in your seat when the plane is in the air.  Two weeks ago, while boarding a plane in Utah, the woman who was my seat mate held up the entire boarding process because she stood in the aisle, digging through stacks of papers and envelopes, pulling them out so she could "work" on the flight.  Needless to say that when she finally got settled, she went to sleep and then was angry she missed her complimentary beverage.

Next, I watched you put your coat on when you got up to board the plane.  Now, why are you taking it off again, (holding up the boarding process, yet again)?  God gave you two arms, carry your coat.  You WILL NOT suffer from hypothermia while standing on the jet bridge.  On the reverse end of that, Do you think you are standing in the middle of an open field when you get up to put your coat on after the plane lands?  Ahhh...no.  There are people, people's faces inches from you, and you twirling your coat around like Maria dancing on the hillside in the Sound of Music is really uncalled for.  Here is my tip....Place your coat over your arm and walk forward into the airport terminal, then step aside, out of the way and put your coat on.  Ahhh, now was that so hard?

Finally, (I say finally because it's all I have the energy to write about today, I know there is an entire list of other things...) I'm not sure how I feel over the debate as to whether or not people who are labeled "fat" should have to buy two seats....I don't trust the people who would make the criteria for what is "too fat" to purchase just one seat, BUT, what I do think is that you have your seat, and half the arm rest....I should not have to lean to the left or right for an entire flight because you are making yourself comfortable.  This goes for broad shouldered men as well, not just larger people.  When I have to lean into the aisle, I run the risk of getting hit by the roughly 30" X24" purse that some lady is carrying over her shoulder, or random sleeves or roller bags.  It's a rough place that aisle. 

Finally, (I know, I know, I said finally once already, but I just have to give this little shout out)  To the gentlemen who sat next to me on my flight on Monday....Why do you have to snort and sniff and make me want to throw up just listening to you?  Why did you feel the need to suck every last drop of orange juice off every ice cube in your plastic cup, then proceed to constantly "jiggle" the ice in you PLASTIC cup?  All on the first flight of the morning?  Oh, and here's another tip.....ESPECIALLY on the first flight of the morning, when most people want to get a little more sleep....DO NOT use the back of the seat in front of you to pull yourself up out of your seat, I know, I know, "you have to use the bathroom....blah, blah, blah"  You knew you were getting on a plane...don't drink so much coffee....

To continue....

I ran across a card that I had bought some time ago, and it sort of supports my thoughts as of late on life....
Thought I would share it with you...

live with intention.
walk to the edge.
listen hard.
practice wellness.
play with abandon.
laugh.
choose with no regret.
continue to learn.
appreciate your friends.
do what you love.
live as if this is all there is.      -mary anne radmacher

Think about it.  That's all.

Don't let the jerks get you down....

I realized something today...I don't mind being in my ...uh hmmmmm....40's.  It's been a crappy few weeks (not overall, but in certain areas of my life).  As I was driving from the grocery store today, it occurred to me that being this age allows me the luxury of lessons from a life lived, with still enough years to enjoy knowing exactly who I am.  This may all sound very "soul searching" mid-life crisis ish to some, but it's not really about that.  I was speaking to Dan about it the other night and he described it as "taking control of your life".  Really that's what its about.  It's about choosing how I will react to people and events, how I will let things (and people)effect me, and how I will make the choice to enjoy my life and be happy.  Most of this I know, but there were a few reminders I've had over the past few weeks.  Here's a few....

1.  What other people say or think about me, is NONE of MY business.
     I read that once, and oh how true it is.  I can't control what other people will say about me, so let em talk.
    I know there are times when that can affect things in your life (like when people say things about you that
    aren't true).   I guess that means learning to pick your battles. 

2.  My new motto:  Call a spade, a spade
     I've tip-toed around people before and maybe didn't say anything because I didn't want the
    confrontation...no more.  Life's to short to sugar coat, it serves no one in the long run.  The thing that
    goes along with that is a lesson I learned a long time ago.  When someone shows me who they really are, I
    believe them.  If it's negative, they don't really get a second chance with me...I've seen you and I know
   what your character is  (Ring, Ring.....It's the jerk store, they're looking for you!)

3.  I am, who I am...take it or leave it.
     I've always really lived this, but sometimes people can drag you down.  Cut em loose.

4.  The thing that gets my heart pumping when I really think about it....I can do anything I want if I put my
     mind to it.  I have a little paragraph that hangs on my fridge that reminds me everyday what I'm capable
    of.  It's surrounded by pictures of the people I love, the ones who support me, who I know are there for
    me, the one's who believe in me when I doubt myself....

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.  We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?  Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of God.  Your playing small does not serve the world.  There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.  We are all meant to shine, as children do.  We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.  It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.  As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others".  - Marianne Williamson

Go forth and set the world on fire...





 

Something New....

It's been awhile since I posted on the blog, but it doesn't mean I haven't been hard at work.  I've been creating a website that contains all the recipes from my blog, along with inspiring ideas for entertaining, a section of all the things I love, and a blog about what I normally would write on this site.  Getting it all in one place has been a lot of work, and I continue to add to it all the time.  Having said all that I hope you will be a frequent visitor to http://www.gregutsinger.com/.  This blog site will continue.  In this blog, I hope to combine some of my rants from "Did Anyone Else Hear That?" and my thoughts and views about almost anything.  It will truly be what the name implies ....gregory talking. 

Pastel de Tres Leches con Coco

Last night I had dinner with some friends and I made dessert.  I had read this recipe before in the Gourmet Cookbook, and had always wanted to give it a try.  It turned out to be a little time consuming because there seems to be a lot of steps.  I,of course, made some changes and substitutions, but I think it turned out delicious.  It's not really a cake I would recommend if you are all about the presentation.  It works better to serve it in the pan you soaked the cake in. 

Pastel de Tres Leches con Coco
(Three-Milk Cake with Coconut and Fresh Fruit)

from Gourmet

For the cake

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar

For the milk syrup

2 (14oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk (stirred well)
1/3 cup light rum

Put the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9inch round cake pan and line bottom with a round of parchment paper.  Butter the paper and sides and dust with flour.  Cook butter in a small saucepan over moderate heat, swirling pan occasionally, until golden brown (5-7 minutes).  Transfer to a heatproof bowl and let cool, stir in vanilla.
Sift together flour, cornstarch and salt into another bowl, then sift again.
Combine eggs and sugar in a mixer bowl or other large metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch water) and heat, whisking constantly until lukewarm.  Remove bowl and beat eggs with an electric mixer at high speed until thick, pale and tripled in volume, about 10 minutes or about 6 minutes in a stand mixer.  Sift half the flour mixture over eggs and fold gently but thoroughly, then fold in remaining flour.  Transfer 1/3 cup batter to a small bowl and fold butter into it until incorporated, then gently fold butter mixture into remaining batter.  Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.  Bake until cake is springy to the touch and top is golden about 15-17 minutes.

Meanwhile make the milk syrup:  Whisk together all the ingredients in a large glass measuring cup or bowl with a spout until combined.  Transfer 1/3 cup syrup to a small bowl and reserve, refrigerated for garnish.

Cool cake in pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then prick all over with a skewer or wooden pick.  Run a knife around edges of pan, then invert a second 9inch round cake pan over cake and flip cake into it.  Remove the parchment paper and prick cake all over with skewer again.  Pour milk syrup over cake and gently press with a spatula to help saturate it.  Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, until most of syrup has been absorbed, at least 4 hours.  Top with unsweetened whipped cream, fresh fruit and toasted coconut.  When serving drizzle reserved milk syrup on plate as a garnish.

Beef....It's what's for dinner

I rarely get a hankerin' for beef, but when I do, I like it to be over the top (with the exception of a good old hamburger).  Last weekend, I made my version of a recipe for New York Strip stuffed with Brie and Spinach.  I have served it with garlic mashed potatoes, but while I was at Whole Foods I ran across some fingerling potatoes.  I tossed the potatoes with some salt, pepper, olive oil and fresh rosemary then roasted them for about 40 minutes at 400 degrees.  Dan wanted me to mention that he gave the steak "rave reviews". 

New York Strip with Spinach & Brie

4 thick cut New York strip steaks
1/4 cup olive oil + 2 Tablespoons
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups fresh spinach
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound wheel Brie
2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced

Marinate the steaks in the olive oil, salt and pepper at least 4 hours or overnight.  Remove the steaks from the refrigerator when you begin the filling so they can warm to room temperature.  In a large saute pan,
heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil and add the 4 minced garlic cloves.  Add the spinach and cook until just begining to wilt.  Add the tomatoes.  Break up the brie  and continue to cook until brie is melted (it isn't necessary for the brie to melt completely.)  Add the rosemary and remove from heat to cool slightly. 

Cut a slit in the side of each steak to form a pocket.  Divide the filling between the steaks.  Grill on an outdoor grill or in a grill pan on the stove to desired doneness.  Meanwhile, make the sauce.

Balsamic Cream Sauce

1 stick butter
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary

In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the garlic.  Add the cream, vinegar and the rosemary.  Cook over low heat until sauce is reduced about 1/3.   Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.   Remove the rosemary and serve over steak and potatoes if desired.

Granola

I admit it, I'm food obsessed.  This weekend has been a whirlwind of food and drinks.  Thursday night when I got home from Arizona, Dan made Corned Beef and Cabbage (and macaroni and cheese...long story, but it made me happy).   Friday night was dinner at The 9th Door.  Tapas.  Dates filled with creamy coat cheese, wrapped in Serrano ham, filet with gorgonzola sauce, calamari, flan and of course mojitos.  Friday I made the Pot de Creme and the cookies along with a big batch of Granola.  Last night for dinner I made fingerling potatoes and New York Strip stuffed with spinach, sundried tomatoes, garlic and brie cheese.  Finished it off with a balsamic cream sauce.  Today is cold and windy so I'm sure there is something I need to make...meanwhile here's the granola....

Granola

4 cups oats (not quick cooking)
1 2/3 cups sliced almonds
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder
dash of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, mix everything except the honey, oil and vanilla.  In a small saucepan, heat the honey and oil.  Stir in the vanilla, then pour over oat mixture.  Spread granola on a baking sheet.  Bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes during baking.  Let cool and store in a air tight container.