Be just a little naughty this thanksgiving

WHAT: Central 214 Thanksgiving Feast - - This Thanksgiving let Chef Blythe Beck do the cooking!

Central 214’s extensive holiday buffet features rich twists on southern fall favorites such as turkey three ways (roasted, smoked and fried), thyme sage stuffing with Grand Marnier cranberry jam and giblet gravy, maple sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and fall squash gratin. Top it off with caramelized apple bread pudding with applejack glaze, pumpkin pie with nutmeg whipped cream or chocolate pecan pie. Price is $47.50 per person/$19.00 children 12 and under, plus tax and gratuity. Price includes coffee, iced tea and juice.

Call now for your Thanksgiving reservation at 214.443.9339 or visit http://www.central214.com

WHEN: Thursday, November 25, 2010 – 10:30am – 3:00pm

MENU:
Turkey Three Ways
(Roasted, Fried, Smoked)

Whole Steamship Round of Beef

Butter Whipped Potatoes

Thyme Sage Stuffing

Maple Sweet Potato Casserole

Naughty Cream Corn

Green Bean Casserole

Fall Squash Gratin

Lacquered Baby Carrots

Grand Marnier Cranberry Jam

Giblet Gravy

Spring Mix Salad with
Candied Cranberries, Goat Cheese & Brown Sugar Vinaigrette

Seafoam Salad

Yeast Rolls & Jalapeño Cornbread
with Honey Butter

Caramelized Apple Bread Pudding with Applejack Glaze

Pumpkin Pie with Nutmeg Whipped Cream

Chocolate Pecan Pie
WHERE: Central 214 - 5680 North Central Expwy. at Mockingbird Lane Dallas, TX 75206 - 214.443.9339


ABOUT CENTRAL 214

Central 214’s extensive menu celebrates familiar flavors and the rich tradition of contemporary regional American cuisine. Diners experience Executive Chef Blythe Beck’s passion for food and for life through her hearty and traditional classics seasoned with rich ingredients and a famously “naughty” twist. The menu evolves with the seasons and features only the freshest steak, pork, seafood, poultry and local produce.

Chef Blythe Beck practices the environmentally friendly standards of the Monterey Bay Seafood Watchlist when selecting seafood for the menu. Located adjacent to Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Dallas, Central 214 is open for breakfast, lunch , dinner and weekend brunch. Reservations are recommended.

Complimentary valet parking is available. Visit us at www.central214.com or Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Central214

What is your stomach trying to say to you?

This app listens to what your stomach says and analyses your hunger

For anyone who ever wished they could give a name to the type of hunger they feel, Hungry-Man® now makes it possible with “The Growlator,” the first and only stomach grown translator. Now available as a free download from the iTunes store, this iPhone app was custom made for the male sense of humor. When hunger starts to rear its ugly head, the user simply holds his phone up to his stomach to indentify his growl. The app determines what type of hunger the user has by identifying their stomach growls and translating them into appropriate diagnoses such as "The Jungle Cat."

Additionally, anyone can browse the full library of stomach chatter to find out what their stomach is trying to tell them. The Growlator then suggests which Hungry-Man® dinner will best satisfy them and users can update their friends with their designated growl via Twitter or Facebook. There is also a built in functionality for digital coupons and a store locator that directs users to the closest supermarket.

Hungry-Man® also introduces “Hungry Heroes,” a social media campaign created specifically for its loyal male audience. Through social networking sites and online video, this campaign connects consumers with legends of their own time, who take them on a quest to find the maker of Hungry-Man®. Each historic hero represents a certain type of today’s man and interacts with consumers through contemporary trends. There are two ways to participate: go to www.hungry-hero.com or text a unique code, which can be found on any purchased Hungry-Man® box. Consumers can then follow their designated hero on Facebook, Twitter and through YouTube webisodes that show each of the Hungry Heroes’ hilarious and entertaining quests through time to meet the maker of the Hungry-Man® dinner, a question that no one yet knows the answer to.
Participants can look forward to not only humor, but weekly prizes, coupons and more. The founder of the Hungry-Man® dinner will be revealed sometime in November 2010.

In addition to these two initiatives, Hungry-Man® recently introduced a new line of alcohol- infused, pub-style meals called Pub Favorites. Meal options, now nationally available, include Chopped Beef Steak with an Onion Beer Gravy, Beer Battered Chicken and Grilled Bourbon Steak Strip.

For more information on Hungry-Man® frozen dinners and entrées, please visit www.hungry-man.com

EVERY CORK COUNTS TO HELP STOP HUNGER

While leftover wine corks may be a reminder of a memorable meal shared with family, now your cork can help bring a meal to those families in need. Gallo Family Vineyards is partnering with Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) to help feed American seniors and families in need this holiday season.

For each Gallo Family Vineyards wine cork collected between November 1 and December 31, 2010, Gallo Family Vineyards will donate $5 to aid in MOWAA’s hunger relief efforts.

“One in nine seniors in the United States is at-risk of hunger,” said Enid Borden, President and CEO, Meals On Wheels Association of America. “We are thrilled Gallo Family Vineyards shares our mission of putting an end to senior hunger and has found a simple way for everyone to get involved.”

A maximum of $25,000 will be donated to MOWAA. Cork(s) should be mailed to Corks to Fight Hunger Donation, P.O. Box 1154, Grand Rapids, MN 55745-1154. Participants are encouraged to use a padded or bubble envelope or tuf-pak to mail cork(s) with sufficient First Class postage. All corks must be postmarked between November 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010 and received by January 1, 2011.

For more information on how to participate, please visit: www.everycorkcounts.com or www.mowaa.org.

About Gallo Family Vineyards:
Gallo Family Vineyards has been family owned and operated for over 75 years, and the Gallo Family stands behind the quality of every bottle with our Best Taste Promise. Our family of wines (suggested retail price of $4.99 for 750-ml bottles, $8.99 for 1.5-liter bottles, $5.99 for 187-mL four-pack) includes fourteen fruit forward, approachable styles at an affordable price: Chardonnay, Moscato, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, White Zinfandel, White Merlot, Blush Noir, Sweet Red, Cabernet Sauvignon, Hearty Burgundy, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Café Chardonnay and Café Zinfandel. For more information visit www.gallofamily.com or call 1-877-425-5696.

About Meals On Wheels Association of America:
The Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) is the oldest and largest national organization in the United States representing those programs that provide meals to people in need. MOWAA’s mission is to end senior hunger by 2020. To obtain more information about MOWAA or to locate a local Meals On Wheels program, visit the MOWAA website at www.mowaa.org.

What's brewing after Halloween?

EXPERIENCING THE WORLD ONE PINT AT A TIME
DISCOVERY CHANNEL RAISES A GLASS FOR ‘BREW MASTERS’

- Premiering Sunday, November 21 at 10 PM E/P on Discovery Channel -

Its cold, its comforting, its beer....but for Sam Calagione, founder of one of America's leading craft brewers Dogfish Head Brewery, beer is a passion, a business and a personal quest for best, most imaginative brews. Premiering Sunday, November 21 at 10 PM E/P on Discovery Channel, BREW MASTERS follows Sam and his partners in suds as they travel the country and the world sourcing exotic ingredients and discovering ancient techniques to produce beers of astounding originality.

From chocolate to mussels to tomatoes, Sam is constantly pushing his team and himself to innovate and celebrate the amazing world of beer and beer making. The imagination of the Dogfish Head team is matched only by the fun they inject into every facet of their jobs. Beer tasting meetings in the conference room with co-workers, a bocce ball league in the parking lot, filming original rap videos in the brewery plant, it’s all in a days work for BREW MASTERS.
“BREW MASTERS taps more than just kegs and barrels, it unlocks a fascinating history of beer making, showcasing the ingenuity and passion behind our love affair with those alluring suds and how it played a role in building civilizations,” said Clark Bunting, President and General Manager of Discovery Channel.

Running a successful business also requires inspiration, so BREW MASTERS hits the road for the ultimate beer tasting road trip. Sam sets out to recreate “ancient ales” that have been discovered at sites around the world from Egypt to Peru. He travels to Rome to research old world Italian beers as inspiration for a new site in New York with Mario Batali. A visit to New Zealand introduces the idea of making the “first tomato based beer.” And back home, Sam is tasked to come up with a commemorative beer called “Bitches Brew” to celebrate the 40th anniversary release of Miles Davis’ famous recording.

“Beer has always been my passion. It is so much more than what you see in the glass

Trick or Treat? Chocolate made with child labor

Trick or Treat? Chocolate made with child labor


Hidden Halloween horror in cocoa production





Halloween candy is a treat for many children, but for those forced to work on cocoa farms in west Africa it's a mean and tortuous trick. Two professors at Washington University in St. Louis call attention to the exploitation of children and efforts to end it in the chocolate industry in an op-ed piece published today by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/21416.aspx

THE MOMMY MD MAKES FISH STICKS INTO MUMMIES AND MORE THIS HALLOWEEN

This Halloween, Rallie McAllister, MD, book author, mother, home chef and nutritionist has created some fun and filling dinner ideas, sure to send your family off trick-or-treating happy and well fed. Using Van de Kamp’s® and Mrs. Paul’s® fish sticks and whole fillets, she has developed creative meal ideas that are fun, delicious and offer your entire family a meal with Omega 3 Fatty acids and a good source of protein.

Some brands of frozen fish are made from minced fish, which means that bits of the fish have been pulverized and reformed into the form of a stick. However, Mrs. Paul’s and Van de Kamp’s fish sticks and fillets are always made from only 100% Whole White Fish Fillets for great tasting, crunchy fish meals that you can feel good about.
“It is important to send your family off trick-or-treating well fed so they don’t eat too much junk along the Halloween path,” says Rallie McAllister, MD, author of Healthy Lunchbox and The Mommy MD Guide. “ With these easy to prepare and fun recipes using Mrs. Paul’s and Van de Kamp’s 100% Whole White Fish Fillets and Fish Sticks, you can feel good about giving your family an overall good meal complete with Omega 3 Fatty acids and protein.”
Try these no-fuss Halloween recipes as a great way to get your family “hooked” on fish:
LIZARD FACE TORTILLAS

Ingredients:
2 Mrs. Paul’s®/ Van de Kamp’s® 100% Whole Fillets Fish Fillets Two 6-inch plain or spinach tortillas (use spinach tortilla for a green lizard’s face) Two 1-inch wide strips of green bell pepper
2 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 black olives, sliced in half

Directions:
Bake fish according to package directions. Place fish perpendicularly in folded tortilla or sandwich wrap to make lizard’s tongue. Cut green bell pepper strips into 4 diamond-shaped pieces for eyes, then place ½ cherry tomatoes and black olives on top of green pepper pieces. Makes two lizard face tortillas.

MONSTER FINGERS


Ingredients:
8 Mrs. Paul’s®/Van de Kamp’s® 100% Whole Fillets Crunchy Fish Sticks
4 leaves Boston lettuce
3 strips red pepper, cut into fingernail-size squares All-natural, no sugar added catsup

Directions:
Bake fish sticks according to package directions. Place fish sticks on lettuce leaves. Place red peppers on ends of fish sticks for fingernails. Add catsup to opposite end of fish sticks. Serve immediately. Makes four.

MUMMY FACE FISH FILLETS


Ingredients:
4 Mrs. Paul’s®/Van de Kamp’s® 100% Whole Fillets Fish Fillets
1 can refrigerated bread stick dough
1 stick string cheese
2 black olives
1 red pepper strip or cherry tomato

Directions:
Cut bread stick dough into ½ inch-wide strips and wrap around frozen fish stick to make mummy wrapping. Place on ungreased baking sheet and spray dough lightly with cooking spray. Bake dough-wrapped frozen fillets according to package directions. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Cut eight ¼ inch slices from end of string cheese stick and place on surface of each fish fillet for whites of eyes. Cut 8 small wedges from black olives and place one on each cheese string slice for eyeballs. Cut 4 small wedges from red pepper or cherry tomato for mouth. Makes four.



SEVERED MUMMY TOES

Ingredients:
10 Mrs. Paul’s®/Van de Kamp’s® 100% Whole Fillets Crunchy Fish Sticks Four 6-inch whole grain tortillas cut into 2” strips ¼ cup all natural, no sugar added ketchup or fish cocktail sauce

Directions:
Bake fish sticks according to package instructions, then roll a tortilla strip around each fish stick, positioning the tortilla strip around the center of the fish stick. Drizzle catsup on one end of the fish sticks. Serve immediately. Makes 10 Mummy Toes.

SPOOKY SHAPES SANDWICHES


Ingredients:
4 Mrs. Paul’s®/Van de Kamp’s® 100% Whole Fillets Crunchy Fish Sticks
4 whole grain sandwich thins
2 slices Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup Tangy Tarter Sauce
Halloween shapes cookie cutters

Directions:
Prepare fish sticks according to package directions. Cut sandwich thins into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place one fish stick on the bottom piece of each sandwich thin. Add ½ slice of cheese and a dollop of Tangy Tartar Sauce. Add top piece of sandwich thin and place sandwiches back on baking sheet and bake for three to five minutes. Serve with fresh veggies with light ranch dressing for dipping and applesauce with no sugar added. Makes four spooky shapes sandwiches.

For more recipes and meal solutions using Mrs. Paul’s® or Van de Kamp’s® frozen seafood, go to www.mrspauls.com or www.vandekamps.com.

Happy Halloween treats

HALLOWEEN TREATS TO MEET EVERY KID’S SWEET TOOTH

BEST TRICK-OR-TREATING CANDY, PLUS PARTY IDEAS AND TIPS ON WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER CANDY

Give trick-or-treaters a real treat this Halloween by filling plastic pumpkins and pillow cases with some of America’s best known and loved candies. Every kid likes something different and the candies and snacks mentioned below deliver a variety that will satisfy any preference. This year, don’t throw out left-over Halloween candy— just use these tips to prevent post-Halloween pig outs. Find out how to repurpose leftover candy in creative new ways at home, at school or at work!

For the little “chocoholic”:
Skip the chocolate bar and give them something more this year! Sun-Maid® Milk Chocolate Raisins marry sun-drenched Sun-Maid® California Raisins with the finest, creamiest pure milk chocolate for the perfect balance of goodness and delectability. Sun-Maid® Milk Chocolate Raisins are a good source of potassium, fiber, calcium, iron and protein and are unsurpassed in quality. Available in fun size packs just for Halloween! For more information, visit www.chocolateraisins.com.

For kid who loves fruit snacks:
Welch’s® Fruit Snacks are packed with delicious flavors and made with real fruit and fruit juices! These bite-size snacks satisfy a kid’s cravings while still providing 100% of your daily value of vitamin C and 25% of vitamins A and E. Welch’s® Fruit Snacks are fat free, gluten-free, contain no preservatives and are available in a wide range of flavors including Mixed Fruit, Berries ‘n Cherries, Island Fruits, Strawberry, Fruit Punch and Concord Grape. For more information, visit www.welchsfruitsnacks.com.

For the sweet kid who loves something a little sour:
Sour Jacks® is mouth puckering candy that is chewy, sour, sweet, and most importantly, fun to eat! Original variety includes classic flavors like cherry, lemon, orange, and lime. Choose between original and Watermelon to find their favorite. Sour Jacks® are a fat free snack and have been one of America’s favorite candies for more than 15 years. For more information, visit www.sourjacks.com.

Try these tasty, easy and fun tips for Halloween parties, Halloween–themed lunchbox treats and leftover candy ideas.

For your child’s lunchbox: Surprise them with something unexpected!

• Add together 1 cup of each: Fisher® Milk Chocolate Peanuts, Sun-Maid® Milk Chocolate Raisins, chopped dried Apricots, dried cranberries, bite-size pretzels, rice or corn cereal squares, dried banana chips, salted sunflower seeds and salted Fisher® cashew pieces. Mix all ingredients together and you’ve got Sun-Maid® Milk Chocolate Raisin Fun Mix! Store in a sealable container or zip-top bag and pour into a bowl for everyone to share, or keep stored in a cool place and grab a handful whenever the mood strikes.

For after-school celebrations: Be the coolest mom with treats that are sure to wow any sports team or activity group!

• Add Sun-Maid® Milk Chocolate Raisins to your favorite Oatmeal Cookie recipe to add flavor, texture and nutrients like potassium, fiber, calcium, iron and protein!

• Kids love fruit snacks and they love cupcakes, so why not combine the two? To make a Welch’s® Fruity Cupcake, simply make your kids’ favorite cupcakes and top them off with any flavor variety of Welch’s® Fruit Snacks for a chewy surprise in every bite.

Make any party a hit, during or after Halloween: Serve the treats that will delight a crowd at any party!

• Put out a bowl of Welch’s® Fruit Snacks pouches and you’ve invited vitamins A, C and E to the party! This is also a great portable snack that allows guests to mingle and munch without having to camp out at the snack table.

• Toss 4 oz. of Sour Jacks® into a bag of already made microwave popcorn and shake the bag to mix together for a treat that’s a little salty and a little sweet (serves 2-4).

• Stir 1 oz. of Sour Jacks® in with 4 oz. of vanilla ice cream to create your own Sour Jacks® Swirl ice cream (serves 1).

Black Tie Dinner Saturday, Nov 6

CONGRESSWOMAN TAMMY BALDWIN TO PRESENT KEYNOTE AT 2010 BLACK TIE DINNER
DALLAS

Black Tie Dinner announced Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, the first out lesbian and the first openly gay non-incumbent elected to Congress, will present the keynote speech at the 29th annual Black Tie Dinner, to be held on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010, at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. The speaker and entertainment lineup were announced on Aug. 5 at Park Place Motorcars Dallas.

Serving Wisconsin's Second District since 1999, Congresswoman Baldwin is co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, which is dedicated to achieving the full enjoyment of human rights for LGBT people in the United States and around the world. In 2009, she helped lead the successful effort to enact the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act.

She continues to champion a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

"Congresswoman Baldwin is a true friend inside the Beltway," said Ron Guillard, co-chair of the Dinner. "She is using her influence to move us closer to equal rights for GLBT Americans. She has been an advocate and a role model for many who face obstacles in achieving their dreams."

Congresswoman Baldwin is the author of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act, which would grant the domestic partners of federal employees the same benefits - and require of them the same obligations - as the spouses of federal employees. She also authored the first comprehensive approach to improving all areas of the health-care system where LGBT Americans face inequality and discrimination. She is currently drafting legislation to address issues affecting older LGBT Americans.

Earlier this year, Congresswoman Baldwin chaired a hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on the Anti-Homosexuality bill in Uganda, and she continues to urge our government to assist LGBT refugees who are persecuted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

SINGER/SONGWRITER CHELY WRIGHT RECEIVES BLACK TIE DINNER MEDIA AWARD

Singer/songwriter Chely Wright will receive the Black Tie Dinner Media Award which is given in recognition of positive, increased awareness of GLBT issues in the media.
Wright became the first prominent country music star to declare publicly that she is gay. On the Today Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Oprah and in a People magazine cover story, Wright discussed her decision to live openly as a lesbian entertainer in the mainstream country music world.

In the interviews she clarifies that it was important to come out - not only for herself - but because she's in a unique position to be able to provide a counter message to the hateful, bigoted messages young children hear from their churches on the issue of sexuality. Wright has recently written a memoir, Like Me,

Black Tie Dinner Co-Chair Nan Arnold praised Wright for her courage. "The reaction from her fans and others has been overwhelmingly positive," Arnold said. "Chely's decision to live openly as a lesbian is creating an opportunity for the voices of acceptance and equality to be heard." released in May, 2010.

Though Wright made her name as a commercial country singer, recording songs from some of Nashville's top writers - including modern-day classics like "Single White Female," "Shut Up and Drive" and "Jezebel" - she has been honing her craft as a songwriter since her teenage years in rural Kansas. Her seventh studio album, Lifted off the Ground, was released in May.

Activist, author and businessman Mitchell Gold will present the Black Tie Dinner Media Award to Wright. Gold, who plays a major role in the national dialogue on gay rights, is the founder of Faith in America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating people about how religion-based bigotry is used to justify discrimination against gay people. He has also authored Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social, and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay in America

Black Tie Dinner will have a full program line-up with a specially arranged tribute to the Black Tie Dinner Beneficiaries featuring Broadway entertainer Gavin Creel who will perform with the Turtle Creek Chorale.

Black Tie Dinner will also honor Reverend Carol West with the Kuchling Humanitarian Award and American Airlines with the Elizabeth Birch Equality Award. , as well as books on home furnishings. He is the openly gay Chair-man and co-founder of the innovative home furnishings design, manufacturing, and retailing company Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, which is headquartered in Taylorsville, North Carolina.

Smile pretty for the camera

Time is running out to be the next face of Luster Premium White! Luster’s contest on their Facebook page is over THIS Friday! (http://www.facebook.com/LusterPremiumWhite) Participants will be invited to post their pearly whites for a chance to be Luster’s new spokesperson and appear in a full page ad running in the Golden Globe edition of Star magazine February 1st .

Luster Premium White, a leader in oral care and at-home whitening products developed by Dentovations, is giving people a new reason to smile – from here to there – as they launch a new viral campaign in search of a new star.

Fans are encouraged to submit pictures from October 1st through October 31st, whereupon five finalists will be chosen by Luster’s panel of experts including Star magazine’s beauty editor. On November 10th one winner will be chosen and then flown to New York City for a photo shoot to create Luster’s new advertisement.

Chefs at Play

CHEFS AU JEU
Chef Scott Gottlich gives Bijoux guests a peek inside his playful kitchen with a new menu option

As a nod to the ever present playfulness and inquisitive nature of Executive Chef Scott Gottlich and his back-of-the-house team at Bijoux, Gottlich has introduced a new menu to the Bijoux repertoire, Chefs au Jeu, which in French literally translates to “chefs at play."

Gottlich mixes his whimsical modern gastronomy with classical French techniques to create the menu’s playful, yet refined plates. This seven-course feast of the senses enables guests to discover a unique blend of avant-garde and familiar while hopefully discovering something they have never before tasted.

Chefs au Jeu further explores Gottlich’s cutting-edge cooking style with local, seasonal ingredients to include menu items like a beautiful Progression of beets with divine goat cheese with beet threads, an apple and beet roll-up, pressed borscht, a beet meringue and jelly cookie and a glass of ginger beet soda; Maine Lobster with a sphere of béarnaise, Brussels sprout leaves with duxelle and crispy chanterelle; and Hot and Cold Beef with layers of crispy and raw beef carpaccio with onion consume noodles and potato froth.

With 48 hours notice, guests can experience Chefs au Jeu for $145 per person and an additional $65 for wine pairings by in-house sommelier Gina Gottlich. The menu, as per Bijoux tradition, will change daily, will be subject to availability and will only feature the bounty of the season.

Gotllich’s modern gastronomy is also seeping further into the daily a la carte and chef’s tasting menu with items like his Fried Eggplant Salad with spherical mozzarella, herbed coulis, tomato and black garlic vinaigrette or his Valrhona Chocolate Tart with brulee'd banana, shattered meringue and Frangelico ice cream.
"Using modern techniques that blend a little chemistry with classic culinary art makes cooking really fun. We figured, why be the only ones enjoying ourselves? Let's share the fun with our guests," says Gottlich.

Bijoux is located in the heart of prestigious Inwood Village in Dallas, TX. One of the few restaurants in Dallas to earn five stars twice, once in 2006 and again in 2008 by the Dallas Morning News and named one of the “10 Hottest New Restaurants in America” by Bon Appétit, Chef Scott Gottlich impresses with a luxe menu that changes regularly to reflect the season.

Wife, sommelier Gina Gottlich serves as the wine director, expertly pairing every course with distinctive wine selections. The restaurant is open for dinner at 5:30 PM Monday through Saturday. Reservations can be made by calling 214.350.6100.

Free trip home for the holidays

Anyone over 21 years of age can visit www.Facebook.com/Baileys and apply through the Baileys Brings You Home tab. After entering their information, applicants can submit either a video or written statement addressing two questions:

1. Who do you want to spend time with this Holiday Season?
2. How do you enjoy Baileys?

Submissions must be in English. Video entries must be within 45 seconds to 2 minutes and written statements must be within 50 to 250 words.

Entries will be judged based on Adherence to Theme, Relevance to Holiday Season and Originality.

Every Friday, 25 winners will be announced for the following six weeks, until December 10. Winners will be notified via email.

Free pumpkin yogurt at Pinkberry in Dallas

Stop by any Dallas area Pinkberry today FRIDAY for a free pumpkin yogurt
4-7 pm

free lunch at Pei Wei Thursday Oct 28

PEI WEI ASIAN DINER GIVES OUT FREE THAI STREET FARE ON 10/28Dallas Pei Wei Fans To Receive Free Lunch


What:
On Thursday, October 28, Pei Wei Asian Diner will host a free lunch for its local fans. Executive Chef Eric Justice will be on-site preparing Grilled Thai Sausage with a pineapple fried rice. The off-menu, authentic street fare will be available free of charge for the first 250 Pei Wei lovers to arrive.

Where:
Location to be revealed the morning of October 28 on Facebook and Twitter
When:
Thursday, October 28
Noon – 1 PM

For more information, visit the Pei Wei Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/peiwei or follow on Twitter: @PeiWei

Something sweet to Share

COOKIE SWAP by Lauren Chattman (Workman). She has a modern take on this age-old tradition with inventive recipes, clever packaging, and the many different occasions that are perfect for swapping cookies.

With the holidays approaching she has ideas for a pre-Thanksgiving cookie swap that will let you have a little fun and get your Thanksgiving baking out of the way. And her Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies are just the thing for Christmas. She even can show you how to transform a store-bought cookie into a home-made masterpiece with her no-bake cookies.

She is in Dallas on Wednesday, November 16 and will be doing a Cookie Swap event at Milestone Culinary Arts Center at 6 pm that evening.

Volunteer to taste wine and travel the world

JW MARRIOTT HOTELS & RESORTS’ NEW WINE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM HEIGHTENS GUESTS’ KNOWLEDGE OF WINES

2010—Pinot Noir or Cabernet? Chardonnay or Reisling? Chinese Merlot or Argentine Malbec? For some, a wine’s only duty is to taste good; but for others, discovering the true joy of a glass or two of wine with their favorite dishes rests in appreciating the nuances between the varietals and observing the service traditions.

Happily, with a dizzying array of wine choices available today, aficionados are in a bold time for wine and the only conundrum is often a question of so many wines, so little time.

Helping to heighten the wine tasting experience for its guests, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts has introduced its Wine Ambassador’s program at its 46 locations worldwide. The JW Wine Ambassadors are a volunteer cadre of wine experts from all areas of the hotel where wine is available and who represent the highest level of wine expertise at the property.

“Our Wine Ambassadors are passionate about wine. They love their jobs. They are eager to share their knowledge by telling stories that help personalize our guests’ wine tasting experience and deepen their understanding of the wine being savored,” said Mitzi Gaskins, Marriott’s senior director for brand management . “Ultimately, our goal is to be thought of as a wine destination where our guests can appreciate wines at all price levels through our Ambassadors’ obsession with quality and attention to the little details whether they’re in the lobby lounge, dining in one of our restaurants or at a catered event.”

“By combining live tastings, written materials, on-line educational resources and the timely sharing of tasting notes, this program allows us to permeate a high level of wine-service excellence throughout our JW Marriott portfolio,” said Lou Trope, Marriott’s vice president for restaurants & bars.

Mr. Trope said that a number of resources were specially developed for the Wine Ambassador program, including training articulates on how to appropriately prepare a wine tasting and tasting mats illustrated with cues from the deductive tasting process of the Court of Master Sommeliers. Personalized wine journals were given to all Ambassadors as a tool for them to reflect on and record their learnings.

Before being designated a JW Marriott Wine Ambassador, all those volunteering to serve in this capacity must complete two certification programs. The first is a comprehensive approach to beverage education including spirits and beer. Following completion of this program, the Ambassadors must then complete The Academy of Wine on-line curriculum that was custom developed for JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts by Constellation Wines, one of the world’s leading wine companies. This curriculum offers a series of 17 self-directed training modules on topics such as opening and serving wine, pairing food and wine, and in-depth overviews of varietal characteristics and wine growing regions.

To ensure that each Ambassador’s wine expertise remains current and relevant, all Certified Wine Ambassadors participate in monthly tastings across the globe—tasting wines of different brands but of the same varietal. Monthly tasting notes are then shared with their peers throughout the JW Marriott portfolio in 19 countries on a website developed especially for this purpose.

“Through this dynamic, cross-cultural approach, our Wine Ambassadors either personally experience or have access to the evaluations of upwards of 140 different wines each month, enabling them to confidently discuss different wines with our guests. They know what they are talking about,” Mr. Trope said.

“The Folk Art of Mexico and Central America”

TURNER HOUSE – OAK CLIFF SOCIETY FOR FINE ARTS
FALL SALON SERIES 2010

“The Folk Art of Mexico and Central America”
John Lunsford

Thursday October 14 7:30 - 9

John Lunsford curates an exhibition of folk art from Mexico and Central America from various private collections in Dallas. The exhibit will include antique Mayan and Guatemalan textiles as well as old and contemporary examples of baskets, ceramics and Oaxacan painted wood sculptures. Lunsford will give a gallery talk offering commentary on historical significance and the evolution of craft in contemporary work.

John Lunsford studied at English Literature at Harvard and completed graduate work in art history at Columbia University in New York City. He was a senior curator at the Dallas Museum of Art from 1958 to 1986 and was appointed Director of the Meadows Museum at SMU from1996 to 2001. Lunsford taught art history at SMU for almost twenty years and has a long resume of publications, public lectures and lectures/tours for numerous trips throughout the world sponsored by the DMA and the Meadows.

October 14. The cost is $10 for members of Turner House, $15 for non-members.

Scott Chase
214-880-0404

This may be as close as I ever get to Dancing with the Stars

Monday, October 25 at 6:00pm - October 27 at 9:00pm

Location Studio Matisse
3425 Northaven Rd
Dallas, TX
]

The 2010 Dallas Flamenco Festival Presents
Fall Workshop with Jesus Muñoz

October 25,26, & 27
Studio Matisse 3425 Northaven Rd Dallas, TX 75229

Beginner Technique & Fandangos 6:00PM-7:30PM
Advance $125 Walk-In $150

Inter./Adv. Technique & Sigiriya 7:30PM-9:00PM
Advance $125 Walk-In $150

Limited Class Space
Info & Purchase
(214) 876-4401

www.DallasFlamencoFestival.com

What is better than a cheap date? a free one!!

WHAT’S BETTER THAN A CHEAP DATE? A FREE ONE!

Dragonfly Introduces New “Date Night” Wednesdays

WHAT:
Hotel ZaZa is implementing the new Wednesday promotion “Date Night.” This season, guests can dine two for the price of one, making for a romantic evening without the worry of breaking the bank!

Alcohol is not included under the “Date Night” promotional prices.

WHEN:
Wednesdays
5:30 p.m. - close

WHERE:
Dragonfly at Hotel ZaZa Dallas
2332 Leonard Street
Dallas, Texas 75201
(214) 550-9500

About Hotel ZaZa
Hotel ZaZa is a sensory experience that is refined yet relaxed. Its sophisticated and sensual interior design and culinary excellence is completed by a staff that pays impeccable attention to each and every guest, making them feel at home. Whether for business, a romantic weekend, or world-famous celebrities, both hotels blend intimate comfort with Stay ZaZa-style to create inspired accommodations, one-of-a-kind themed suites, and award-winning restaurants and spas.

Nestled in the fashionable Uptown neighborhood and next to downtown, Hotel ZaZa Dallas is a creative mix of warm, Mediterranean elegance and comfortable chic. This exceptional boutique hotel offers 4,500 square feet of function space, 152 rooms, 17 concept suites, the Magnificent Seven Suites, the award-winning Dragonfly Restaurant and Lounge, the enticing Urban Oasis and the relaxing ZaSpa. Reservations may be made at hotelzazadallas.com or by calling 888.880.3244.

Located in the heart of the vibrant Museum District and minutes from the world renowned Texas Medical Center, Hotel ZaZa Houston boasts 17,000 square feet of function space and is the perfect backdrop for any business meeting - not to mention home to some of Houston’s most memorable weddings and galas. Monarch Urban Bistro & Lounge, the Urban Oasis, and the tranquil ZaSpa combine to create the hotel’s breadth of impressive amenities. With more than 300 rooms, including Pool Villas, Concept Suites and The Magnificent Seven Suites, ZaZa exceeds all expectations. Reservations may be made at hotelzazahouston.com or by calling 888.880.3244.

Hotel ZaZa, a member of the Preferred Hotel Group™, was created by Charles S. Givens and Jeff Records and is owned by Givens-Records Developments. Operations management and marketing are provided by Z Resorts, LLC, led by Z Resorts President Benji Homsey.

Euforia LIve at Candleroom on Friday

Euforia Live·

Time
Friday, October 8 · 8:00pm - 10:30pm
Location Candleroom
5039 Willis Avenue ( 75206 )
Dallas, TX

Created By
Seth Simmons, Euforia Live, Tommy N Krystal DeAlano


Witness color and sound unite. Ro Diaz will paint an original oil on canvas to composer / classical rocker pianist Seth Simmons. Doors are open at 8 pm and the show is at 9pm. Art piece will be up for bid after event....as well as other pieces of art to have / or view from Sundance Award winning artist.

Come join us for a night of rocked out art and music at the candleroom.

ERASE MONKEY CHATTER FROM YOUR BRAIN

THIS SATURDAY! DO THE DIDGERIDOO!
Erase 'monkey chatter' in the brain!
Enhance mental clarity & emotional equanimity!
Create a state of relaxation, ⇓ blood pressure, relax the heart, improve digestion, reduce sleep apnea & snoring!
And...learn how to play the DIDGERIDOO!

I took this class twice and loved it. I even played the didgeridoo once for friends. They were entertained (but no one suggested an encourse)


Visiting Australian lecturer and recording artist Rev. Phil Jones presents an interactive workshop teaching meditation and simple breathing techniques with the Australian didgeridoo. The didgeridoo is an ancient mesmerizing drone instrument made from a eucalyptus tree and traditionally played in ceremony and healing by the Aboriginal clans of Australia.
Playing the didgeridoo creates soothing and resonant harmonics that easily erase the the ‘monkey chatter’ in the mind – enhancing mental clarity and emotional equanimity. The primordial vibration of the didgeridoo and the simple breathing techniques help create a state of relaxation, lower blood pressure, relax the heart, improve digestion, and significantly reduce sleep apnea and snoring.

Phil provides didgeridoos for you to play~
no musical experience necessary.

Please RSVP ~ barb@tsadayoga.com! Sign-up online or at Tsada.

YOUR COCKTAILS PAY FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Eat. Drink. Be part of something BIG. Texas-size. Save the world. Your tab (81% of it) goes directly to improve the energy efficiency of our host - LaGrange on 10/13 from 5 pm to midnight. Below is the flier for the event. Share it with friends. .

Participate in the first-ever Texas Carrotmob at 2704 Elm Street in the historic Deep Ellum neighborhood and support the community.

As you know, there are a lot of social issues to worry about, and a lot of concerned citizens worrying about them. However, we’ve found that a lot of the methods out there to enact change are often very negative, too difficult or impractical for the average person to participate in, or simply ineffective.

Enter the concept of Carrotmob: what if we created a situation where businesses and consumers helped each other out? What if we directed conscientious consumers to a specific store to make the same purchases that they normally make everyday already—and in return for the benefits the business receives, the business would promise to put some of the additional profits towards solving a social issue? Well that, my friend, is Carrotmob.

First, we partnered up with Net Impact DFW and TEDxSMU Idea Week teams.

Second, we put a bid out to 12 Dallas restaurant and bar owners asking them to bid a percentage of 10/13 gathering towards increasing the energy efficiency of their place.

Third, we gathered some brilliant minds and formed the first-ever Carrotmob Charette team of energy efficiency professionals to make recommendations to the restaurants how to do more with less.

There was tough bidding going on. The highest bidder was LaGrange, at 81.5 percent of revenue being plugged back into their business for energy efficiency improvements.

We just miss the secret sauce - YOU - to come and make the money rain on LaGrange.

Follow our blog at http://dallas.carrotmob.org to see the "how, when, who, why". We will make this event a huge success, spectacle and FUN. All you have to do is show up.

Shrek on Sale

Dallas Summer Musicals

Two Tickets to See "Shrek the Musical" Plus Admission to the State Fair of Texas
$ 32

Fall is here, but fun's not over... it's ogre! Get ready for some autumnal excitement with today's fair deal: Pay $32 for weekdays or $34 for weekends and get two-for-one admission to see an evening performance of "Shrek the Musical," put on by Dallas Summer Musicals at the Music Hall at Fair Park, plus admission to the incredible State Fair of Texas.

Pick a day between October 8 and October 16, and after hours of watching contests, listening to live music, and taking in the familiar smells of fair fare, laugh out loud as you watch a jolly green giant find love and friendship. Nothing says fall like a state fair, and nothing says fun like a farting, burping, beloved ogre.
Find out more »

LivingSocial Deals [deals@livingsocial.com]

DENIM & PINK BREAST CANCER BASH

A fun and festive way to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month

"Denim & Pink Breast Cancer Bash" on Sunday, October 3rd from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at South Side on Lamar. Shop until you drop with over 16 vendors, bid on one of a kind silent auction items, enjoy pink survivor cocktails at Absinthe Lounge’s cash bar, eat So Savvy catering and pink cupcakes, enter your dog in the pink pooch costume contest, live DJ, photography booth, and more. Bring the entire family and help our community raise $10,000 for the Susan G Komen Foundation. This event benefits South Side on Lamar's Susan G Komen Race for the Cure Team.

For ticket or vendor information, please contact Kimberly Cockrell with Flaunt Boutique at 214.497.8175 or at flauntboutiqueonline@gmail.com


What: Denim & Pink Breast Cancer Cash


When: Sunday, October 3
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.


Where: The Artists’ Quarter
South Side on Lamar
1409 S. Lamar St.
Dallas, TX 75215


Cost: $10 Admission at the door or online at http://denimpinkbash.eventbrite.com/

Tweet your way to Chile

Is travel a passion?
Do you use Twitter like it's your job?
Do you like to travel, explore, drink wine and dine?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then Tweet, Tweet, Chile is for you. To celebrate Chile's 200th birthday, the Wines of Chile Experience is sending one lucky winner and a friend on a dream trip to the diverse and expansive wine regions of Chile; applicants are asked to create their ideal seven-day itinerary and describe how they will use Twitter to share their thoughts and experiences with the world. The top five submissions will be put to public vote--but only one can win.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for someone with a passion for wine, an interest in exotic cuisine, and a desire to travel to one of the most beautiful and unique countries in the world.

Read my story of my trip http://travellady.com/Issues/Sept2010/career.htm


Interested wine buffs may visit tweet.winesofchile.org to apply.

Halloween Horror Dinner in Hong Kong

Halloween Dinner with Horror
28 – 31 October 2010

Halloween is a time for ghosts and disguises and this Halloween the well known Italian coffee brand – CAFFÈ VERGNANO 1882 is also disguising itself into a ghost restaurant, amazing you with delicious food and an interesting horrifying atmosphere.


CAFFÈ VERGNANO 1882 has prepared a delectable 3–course set menu, to start this thrilling Halloween adventure, you can choose between –

Vampire Blood Soup, beetroot soup with bacon, lemon juice and fennel and with flying bats – baked grissini – a delicious soup that arouses your appetite with its refreshing sourness;
or
Monster Heart Salad, a heart shaped vegetable salad of bell pepper, chickpea and mashed eggplant – the bell pepper seasoned by vinegar and on the outside, chickpea and mashed eggplant pate, garlic, lemon juice, thyme and basil.

The highlight of the Halloween dinner no doubt is the main course and the four choices will bring different excitement to the menu –

Midnight Pasta, squid ink pasta with zucchini – the Executive Chef prepares this otherworldly dish fresh to order. The al dente pasta is bewitched by black squid ink, haunting it with authentic Italian flavor and then is possessed with sautéed Halloween themed zucchini. It's frighteningly good!

The Wild Beast, roasted lamb chop with Italian ham and asparagus roll – red wine reduction roasted lamb chop and delicious Italian ham and asparagus roll, served with beef reduction flavored potato mash, presented in the shape of a spider;

The Mummy, scallop chicken breast bacon roll with cous cous – features a corpse of fresh Japanese scallop and juicy American chicken breast rolled and pan-fried with bacon, lying on a sand ground of healthy cous cous, topped with barbecue sauce of red wine, orange juice, butter and cream;

Black Sea Pizza, seafood ink pizza – squid ink crispy pizza topped with squid, tomato sauce, Italian mozzarella and parmesan cheese, a simple yet tasteful combination.


The perfect finale to the Halloween Dinner with Horror adventure –

Bloody Eye Ball, passion fruit macaroon with pumpkin mousse, shredded coconut chocolate and raspberry sauce – passion fruit macaroon made with painstaking care, the tastes of passion fruit and pumpkin cream match surprisingly well, added gradations of sweetness with shredded coconut chocolate.


In Hong Kong, CAFFÈ VERGNANO 1882 (www.caffevergnano.hk) outlets are at:
Shop UG221, The ONE, 100 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui (Tel: 2907 3817)
Shop 1021A, Elements, 1 Austin Road, West Kowloon (Tel: 2196 8340)
-


CAFFÈ VERGNANO 1882 Halloween
Three-Course Set Dinner Menu
(28 – 31 October 2010)

Appetizer
Vampire Blood Soup
(beetroot soup with bacon, lemon juice and fennel and with flying bats)
or
Monster Heart Salad
(a heart shaped vegetable salad of bell pepper, chickpea and mashed eggplant)

Main Course
Midnight Night Pasta
(squid ink pasta with zucchini)
or
The Wild Beast
(roasted lamb chop with Italian ham and asparagus roll)
or
The Mummy
(scallop chicken breast bacon roll with cous cous)
or
Black Sea Pizza
(seafood ink pizza)

Dessert
Bloody Eye Ball
(passion fruit macaroon with pumpkin mousse, shredded coconut chocolate
and raspberry sauce)

Coffee or Tea

I was asked to judge this BBQ contest

27th International Bar-B-Que Cookoff
Oct 9th-10th 2010
Barbeque smoke will fill the air for two days in five different competitions during the 27th Annual International Bar-B-Que Cookers Association Cookoff on Saturday and Sunday, October 9 - 10 at Traders Village in Grand Prairie.

This is one of the largest BBQ events in Texas and this year’s event is expected to be even larger. Over 100 cookers will prepare over 600 judging samples, in the two days of competition. Thousands of dollars in prize money will attract BBQ cooks from across the state and beyond. The event is free to the public both days, with only a $3.00 parking fee.

Saturday, October 9, will have the following lineup of BBQ competition: The Obie-Cue Backyard BBQ Championship, the International Bar-B-Que Cookers Association Invitational, Jackpot Beans and a kid’s cookoff. The Obie-Cue event is open to anyone with a patio, or backyard grill or smoker and will offer Obie-Cues Texas Spice products and $1,000.00 in prize money. The International Bar-B-Que Cookers Association (IBCA) Invitational is for this year’s I.B.C.A. season qualifiers (by invitations only).

Sunday, October 10, will feature the I.B.C.A. Championship Cookoff, with judging in beef brisket, pork ribs, and chicken. Winners in the Sunday competition will receive cash prizes, unique awards and I.B.C.A. bonus cash money.

The Traders Village event has always been a popular contest for first-time cookers attracted to the “backyarder chicken” category. It’s an event that allows anyone who wants to “get their feet wet” in the world of BBQ competition to do so with a minimum of equipment and expense. Weekend patio chefs with a secret recipe for chicken will really shine at this cookoff.

Entry fees from the Obie-Cue event ($25 per cooker) will be donated to the “KASH FOR KIDS” charity. Last years' entry fees and raffle items generated $4,000, which was donated to help make Christmas more joyful for needy children in Tarrant county.

The barbeque cooks and their cooking devices are a show in themselves at this culinary event. The serious beef barons will showcase custom-made, unique traveling pits with individual touches of creativity to suit the owner’s taste. While the cooking competition can become serious, the atmosphere and camaraderie will be strictly fun-filled recreation.

Cookoff visitors will get a firsthand look at how seriously barbequers take their cooking and their fun. You can look, smell and often taste. If you ask when a team isn’t busy preparing an entry for the judges, you can get some practical tips on how to improve your home barbeque cooking skills.

With the large number of cooks expected at this years event, there will be a need for many judges. The public is invited to sign up, at the cookoff judging area, for a free chance to judge the BBQ competition.

Traders Village is located at 2602 Mayfield Road, Grand Prairie, one mile north of I-20, taking the Hwy. 360 exit. There is no admission charge to Traders Village, which is open every Saturday and Sunday, 8 AM to Dusk. Parking is only $3.00 per vehicle. For more information call 972-647-2331.

Send these Texans to Scotland

Dallas Men Finalist to Win Gay Commitment Ceremony in Scotland!

Guy and Craig's story was chosen from hundreds of entries as one of 8 finalists to win a trip to Scotland for a civil union ceremony.

It is now a popularity contest. These guys just need to receive more votes than the other finalist from all over the world.

Only takes a minute! Nothing to sign up for. Just follow the link and select Guy and Craig from the 8 finalists.

Click below to take you to the site then click on "Vote Now"

http://wildfireapp.com/website/302/contests/36472

Deadline to vote is Sept 30 so do it now!!!

I work better when I am comfortable, too

COMFORTABLE COWS INCREASE MILK PRODUCTION

Using sand as a cow bed instead of straw and remodeling their cow houses for improved comfort has increased milk production, says Farmer Garrick Hall of Hall Jersey’s in Cove, Utah in this month’s edition of Food Nutrition & Science. The September issue features an interview with Hall as part of its monthly article on how farming efforts directly relate to our food supply.

Phil Lempert, founder of Food Nutrition & Science and CEO of The Lempert Report and SupermarketGuru.com comments “It’s fascinating that a cow or any animal with improved comforts can increase profitability for a farmer and improve the quality of our food supply. This dialog is important to help us better understand the food chain and keep it thriving and safe.”

With more than 26,000 subscribers that are mostly retailers, Food Nutrition & Science is a free monthly newsletter with articles relating to retailers, manufacturers, farmers, nutritionists, educators, government agencies and more. It’s also a newsletter that services members of the National Grocer Association and offers breaking food news and articles on food safety and industry-wide green initiatives.

In addition to farming article about Hall, this month’s publication also features a study on consumer attitudes toward genetically modified foods. According to a study from Wageningen University in The Netherlands and published in Food Quality and Preference last month, consumer attitudes toward genetically modified products could be more favorable when driven by personally relevant benefits.

“The study found that acceptance of genetically modified food as a process increased with perceived personal benefits – in this case a reduction of allergic reactions to apples,” said Lempert. “With the increase in food allergies, perhaps people will be more open to genetically modified foods and this will certainly impact farmers, scientists, retailers and consumers.”

Other articles this month include research results of a study examining the purchasing behaviors of college students when food items were labeled indicating the products healthfulness; results from an Independent Grocers Survey detailing net profit margins; and an article on how to deal with picky eaters from Nutritionist Beth Stark.

For more information or to subscribe to Food Nutrition & Science, please visit www.FoodNutritionScience.com.

Read articles by Madelyn Miller at www.travellady.com, www.carladynews.com, www.yogayaya.com, www.carladynews.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.coffeeatlas.com, www.teaAtlas.com

I need my car to drive to media Auto preview at the Texas State Fair

Protest World Car-Free Day -- Take a Drive (Just for the Hell of It)!
CEI Urges People to Celebrate ‘Automobility’

Here we go again – another year, another “World Car-Free Day,” the annual day (Wednesday, September 22) dedicated to life without the automobile. In response, the Competitive Enterprise Institute urges people to protest - by taking a drive, just because.

“The automobile has improved the lives of hundreds of millions of people in remarkable ways,” said Sam Kazman, CEI General Counsel. “It has taken the mobility once reserved for aristocrats and democratized it, immensely expanding the choices that average people have regarding where to live and work. Instead of pushing a misguided political agenda to reduce car use, we should be celebrating automobility,” said Kazman.

As University of Virginia philosophy professor Loren Lomasky noted in his automobile study for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Autonomy and Automobility, the car is one of the three most liberating technologies ever developed.

Walking and biking have health and lifestyle benefits for many people, but the sponsors of World Car-Free Day are going beyond simply advocating lifestyle changes - they are urging politicians to restrict car use and instead promote mass transit systems that will require ever-expanding taxpayer subsidies. In contrast to the photographs on various Car-Free Day websites, which show healthy young people in picture-perfect weather, advocates of car-free living ought to be portray what it would mean in more realistic conditions, such as:
• When it's raining
• When you’re carrying several bags of groceries
• When you’re carrying a baby, with a toddler alongside you
• On crutchesAfter midnight
• Without using a car or cab to get to the train or bus station
• Any combination of the above

For just a few reasons why I love cars see www.carladynews.com

Read Madelyn's stories on www.travellady.com, www.carladynews.com, www.yoayaya.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.coffeatlas.com, www.teaAtlas.com

Not a happy situation at Blue Man Group

Scary night at Blue Man Group. Great show..but suddenly, people started to chant 911. A man behind us seemed to be having a seizure or heart attack. It took a long time for anyone to respond because the show is so loud (they offer free ear plugs) People from audience carried him out. Woman with him pushed small pills ...down his throat. Worried about him the whole show--and the humor seemed trivial by contrast.

Are you supposed to meet new people at a Meetup?

I went to the ethnic foods meetup group for dim sum at Kirin Court. The group seems very well organized and plans gatherings at interesting places.
I had a very strange experience at this group. I joined a table of 7 people (there were three empty seats)
As I sat down, I said, “Hi, my name is Madelyn. Why don’t we all go around the table and introduce ourselves.”
A man who seemed to be an organizer said in reply, “we all know each other.”
I was stunned. No sense of welcome
Finally I said, “I don’t know you so I would like to know your names>’
The leader man said, “you start” (I am not sure he ever even said his name)

People did introduce themselves.
But what a strange greeting and memory of the first thing anyone said to you at a meetup.
Isn’t the idea to meet new people?

At the end, I thanked the girl sitting next to me and told her I appreciated her warmth after the chilly greeting.
She said she heard it and was surprised, too

A friendly man on the others side of me already sent me a nice note.

My bad introductions to the group was probably a reflection of one member.

But I think the group needs “greeters for new people. Or a table that is welcoming to new people and designated as such.
He made it sound like a high school clique that wasn’t letting in new members. Isn’t the name MEETUP indicative of a chance to meet new people?

My next career: Winemaker

My next career: Winemaker
by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady

There is probably nowhere better to learn to be a winemaker than Chile: Wonderful climate, great grapes and an innovative state of mind that is based on tradition but open to experiment.

This innovative state of mind is best exemplified by the fact that I was given a chance to blend my own wine. Recently I explored wineries within 90 minutes of Santiago with a group of four other journalists, I was offered the opportunity to blend my own wine. Each of the other writers was definitely more knowledgeable, while I could barely spell and pronounce the varietals.

The process and procedure
Our first visit was to the amazing Undurraga Winery, one of the oldest winery in Chile that produces more than 20 million liters per year

After touring the grounds of Undurraga Wine of Chile, we went into a spacious room set with a table of beakers, funnels and four wines to create our own special blends.

First we tasted the Cabernet/Syrah Aliwen 2009 for inspiration. Actually, I did not find it very inspiring. It tasted weak and flat. I knew right away that I wanted to create something different. So perhaps it was inspirational in that it motivated me to do something different.

Then we tried out four varietal wines that would be the ingredients of our own personal blends. The 2010 Merlot was fruity, but had a leathery taste. The 2010 Carmenere was my favorite. I knew that it would be the major part of my blend. I hated the 2010 Syrah-- it had a sulphurous smell that I found very off-putting. I was certain it would not be part of my final product. The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon was pleasant, so I decided to go with a half and half blend of my two favorites.

My own winemaking technique


Everyone else deliberated greatly before filling their beaker with wine. I just poured both my wines right in. I was the first one done.

Just for fun, I asked the winemaker , Carlos Concha, to taste my wine. Obviously he has a sophisticated and sensitive palate, because he had the nicest things to say about my blend. In fact, the tasting notes for my wine were the most positive of the group.

Here is what Carlos had to say,” Nice aroma. Good fruit. Well-blended, spicy, smooth, silky, not dry. His only suggestion was that it needed more complexity. (I guess when it comes to wines, I may be simple minded. But then I only blended two wines—everyone else got more complex) Carlos acknowledged that there was lots of Carmenere.

At the bottom of my wine-blotted placemat, he wrote, “Congratulations. Nice Blend.” I felt that I had gotten an A on a very important paper. (insert jpg of his notes)

I didn’t just blend. I also got to bottle my own wine and name and label it.

I brought the wine home and am waiting for the perfect opportunity to share it.

Some perfect pairings with Undurraga



If you would like to try to simulate this experience at home, you can at least get the Undurraga wines and make dishes similar to the menu we enjoyed

APERITIF

Goat cheese Brochettes
Undurraga Brut Royal N.V.

STARTER

Avocado Mousse on a Bed of Greens


T.H. Sauvignon Blanc Leyda 2009

MAIN COURSE

Patagonian Lamb Chops in Morello Cherry Sauce
Served with Caramelized Onions
Quinoa and Fine Herbs Risotto
Altazor 2007


DESSERT

4 Course Dessert – Chilean Delights
Quince Mille Feuilles with Murtilla Sauce
Sopaipillas with Brown Molasses
Papaya Mousse
San Juan Little Pears in a Wine Sauce
Undurraga Late Harvest


More about the Winery
Don Francisco Undurraga, an enterprising man in the 19th century, was one of the pioneers of winemaking in Chile and founder of Viña Undurraga. With plants he brought over personally from France and Germany and under the supervision of the renowned French viticulturist M. Pressac, he developed the first vineyards in the Santa Ana Estate, which was named in honor of his wife Doña Ana Fernández Iñiguez. This estate, located in Talagante, 34 kilometers from Santiago, in the heart of the Maipo Valley, received its first plantations of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer in 1885 and by 1903, the first shipments were being made to the USA.

Phone: (56-2) 372-2900 Fax: (56-2) 372-2946 Url: www.undurraga.cl

Address: Av. Vitacura 2939 piso 21, Vitacura, Santiago - Chile

Take a tour
It is easy to book a tour to Undugarra Winery. Depart from the hotel in Santiago and as you drive towards the Maipo Valley enjoy beautiful countryside landscape until you arrive at the Undurraga Winery. It was founded in 1885 and has been nurtured by five generations.

Admire the great park that this winery has with trees that are 150 years old or even more. Undurraga Winery produces more than 15 millions of litres per year in its 140 hectares, being one of the oldest and more important wineries in Chile.

It is an excellent tour for learning how the wines are produced and how the winery works, with the chance of tasting some of its final products.

Return to the hotel in Santiago.

Includes
- Entrance Fee
- Wine tasting
- Driver/guide

Excludes
- Meals and drinks (unless specified)
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses

http://www.undurraga.cl/Sitio/en/visitus.html

For reservations, please contact the following numbers: (56-2) 372-2850 / (56-2) 372-2865. Or send an e-mail to visit@undurraga.cl.

Other wineries to visit (all within about 90 minutes of Santiago)
Casas del Bosque:
http://casasdelbosque.cl/

Matetic:
http://www.matetic.cl/

Altair:
http://www.altairwines.com/

Haras de Pirque:
http://www.harasdepirque.com/

Concha y Toro:
http://www.conchaytoro.com/

Winery at the top of my list for next time is Emiliana because they have a wine and chocolate tasting.

I did a tasting of their wines at Valley Nevado.

http://www.emiliana.cl/

For More Information on Wines of Chile
Wines of Chile

www.winesofchile.org

Wines of Chile - Main Office - Chile
Phone: (56-2) 218 0600
Address: Luis Pasteur 5280, Oficina 402,
Vitacura, Santiago, Chile

Background reading to get Ready for your Trip
Red Grapes, Hidden treasures

THE CARMENERE WINES OF CHILE from the Cachapaol Valley


The VIVA list LATIN AMERICA

333 Places and Experiences that People Love


Madelyn Miller is a travel and food and wine writer who loved Chile.

Her fantasy is to a winemaker at a gorgeous estate winery. Read her stories on www.travellady.com, www.carladynews.com, www.yogayaya.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.coffeeatlas.com, www.teaAtlas.com


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Most Marvelous meal: Partners in Pairing

I am a pampered princess. I stay in the best hotels, indulge in world class spas, taste foods prepared by top chefs, and enjoy meals accompanied by fine wines.

Last night was a new high. The invitation promised a meal paired with BOTH wine and tequila.And since it was at Abacus, one of my favorite restaurants in the world, how could I resist?

Michael MOndavi Family Wines and Tequila Partida Pairing dinner explored the surprising relationships between tequila and wine. While fine wine is long acknowledged to be an intergral part of he culinary experiences, both are created from painstakingly tended plants grown in a particular terroir and express a complex range of notes and flavors.

Culinary genius Kent Rathbun and his staff created an exceptional menu to pair with the wines and tequila. Everyone enjoyed he experience.

FIRST COURSE
2008 I'M Isabel Mondavi Chardonnay
Tequila Partida Blanco

Roasted Oca-BBQ Lobster Sald
Waterpepper, Brazos Valley Brie


SECOND COURSE
2006 I'm Isabel Pinot Noir
Tequila Partida Reposado

Curry Spiced Duck Breast
Crispy Saffron Rick Blocks, Lentil Demi, Ginger-Apricot Chutney

THIRD COURSE
2006 Emblem "Rutherford" Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 M by Michael Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon
Tequila Partida Anejoy

DESSERT
Almond Crust, Pomegranate-Cherry Chutney
Tequila Partida Elegante

I happily volunteer to continue testing this pairing experiment

Mai Tai and Manta Rays

Combine two of Hawaii's pleasures--drink Guava Mai Tais at the Crystal Blue bar at the Sheraton. Grab a seat near the water and watch the sunset. Linger over another drink and you have a good chance of seeing the Manta Rays--they show up at sundown almost every night. I ordered the beef Kebab pupu with a teriyaki glaze. Served on a bed of Asian greens. It was a very good value for five succulent sticks of beef.
A Mai Tai and kebabs make a great dinner if you don't want to leave your seat.

The bartender shared the Mai Tai receipe. But somehow I know it tastes better overlooking the ocean.

Guava Mai Tai
light rum
orange juice
pineapple juice
Orgeat
orange Curacoa
dark rum


Sheraton Keahou Bay Resort & Spa

www.SheratonKeauhou.com





Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who loves Hawaii. She discovered this delightful bar while judging the Kona Chocolate Festival. Read her stories on www.travellady.com, www.yogayaya.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.carladynews.com, www.teaAtlas.com, www.coffeeAtlas.com She is planning a return trip to Hawaii for the kona chocolate festival April 12-17, 2010.

Mai Tai and Manta Rays

Combine two of Hawaii's pleasures--drink Guava Mai Tais at the Crystal Blue bar at the Sheraton. Grab a seat near the water and watch the sunset. Linger over another drink and you have a good chance of seeing the Manta Rays--they show up at sundown almost every night. I ordered the beef Kebab pupu with a teriyaki glaze. Served on a bed of Asian greens. It was a very good value for five succulent sticks of beef.
A Mai Tai and kebabs make a great dinner if you don't want to leave your seat.

The bartender shared the Mai Tai receipe. But somehow I know it tastes better overlooking the ocean.

Guava Mai Tai
light rum
orange juice
pineapple juice
Orgeat
orange Curacoa
dark rum


Sheraton Keahou Bay Resort & Spa

www.SheratonKeauhou.com





Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who loves Hawaii. She discovered this delightful bar while judging the Kona Chocolate Festival. Read her stories on www.travellady.com, www.yogayaya.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.carladynews.com, www.teaAtlas.com, www.coffeeAtlas.com She is planning a return trip to Hawaii for the kona chocolate festival April 12-17, 2010.

My 3-course Chocolate meal on the Big Island: Huggo's

Hawaiians are nuts about chocolate. And they love to celebrate. So when an event like the annual Kona Chocolate Festival comes around, everyone gets involved. One of my favorite restaurants on the Big Island, Huggo's even created a special chocolate menu to serve the week of the festival. And it was so popular, it sold out before 8:30 pm on the Tuesday night before the festival. The only reason I got to even taste it is they knew I was coming so they saved one for me because they knew I was a judge for the Kona Chocolate Festival.

I did not even realize how lucky I was.

As you entered Huggo's you were greeted by Miss Chocolate Hawaii and Miss Chocolate Hawaii runner-up. It was off to a beautiful start. But looking at those gorgeous girls, I do not really believe they eat much chocolate. Perhaps I should be named Ms Hawaiian Chocolate Eater. I am certainly getting more than my share this week.


The Chocolate Festival Menu started with cacao nib and guajllo chili crusted seared yellow fin tuna.

Next came the 6 0z. Filet Mignon with crispy polenta, Hawaiian Chocolate Cake, toasted meringue and Kula Strawberry compote.

I knew the dessert would be wonderful because the last time I judged the Kona Chocolate Festival Huggo's won first place for their dessert. Conrad, the new chef, seems ready for the challenge.


www.konachocolatefestival.com

www.huggos.com



Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who adores chocolate. She has judged many festivals: chocolate, coffee, chili and cookies and others. (I may need to move on from C soon, anyone know of festivals that start with D?)

She enjoyed Big Island Candies oatmeal cranberry Macadamia nuts while writing this article. (she is doing a NO CHOCOLATE FAST to prepare for the Kona Chocolate Festival) http://www.konachocolatefestival.com/

Big Island Candies: a fantasy in Chocolate

I never believed in the Easter Bunny, the good fairy, or Santa Claus. But I believe in Big Island Candies. Their fantastic chocolates, exciting flavor choices and whimsical packaging makes this a joyful experience for chocolate lovers of any age. Not a chocolate lover? ( then why are you reading this?) You will still love them for their coconut and lemon shortbread cookies.

I first tasted a Big Island Cookie at a food and wine event on the Big Island. There were booths of fresh fruits and vegetables, locally made products and uniquely Hawaiian items. My eyes went right to the colorful packages and beautiful display on the Big Island Candy table. It looked like a Tiffany jewelry store. Each item was treated like a precious jewel and displayed accordingly. I instantly knew these people understood chocoholics like me.

On a recent trip to the Big Island to judge the Kona Chocolate Festival, I finally got to fulfill my fantasy. I went to the Hawaiian chocolate mecca: the headquarters for Big Island Candies. It was even better than I expected. The friend who went with me said it looked like Ala Moana ..the upscale mall on Oahu. I love shopping. Maybe that is why I feel such a resonance with Big Island Candies. The festive displays made me feel like I was at a party. The "factory" part looks like a branch of Ikea. Stark white accented with steel and large overhead signs indicating what was done in that area--Melters., Packaging, Hand Dipping, Quality Inspection, Cooling Tunnel, Chocolate Enrober, Chocolate Melter, Chocolate Panner, Baking Floor to ceiling glass walls divided the candy makes from the customers, but you felt like you could peer through the windows and be such inches away from the chocolate.


The best thing about Big Island Candies


Because I am a journalist and co-own a chocolate website, people often send me samples and give me me tastes of all their new products. At Big Island Candies everyone can taste anything they want. As you enter, they offer you a cup with two products and direct you to their free coffee bar where they serve Big Island Candies Coffee.


Weird and wonderful


Since I was in town to judge the Kona Chocolate Festival, I knew I would be tasting lots of cookies, brownies and etc. So I asked Lance Duyao, chocolate genius and marketing director of Big Island Candies what were the most unique flavors they offered. He did not hesitate for a moment. He grabbed packages of Chocolate Dipped Ika (cuttlefish), Chocolate dipped mochi balls(a Japanese rice treat) and chocolate dipped dried a salted plums (a favorite with Orientals and Hawaiians). These are all from Hawaiian Da-Kines line.

Lance asked me if I had ever tasted cuttlefish. I proudly confirmed that I had. He served me one and I was about to start at the white stringy end that looked like slices of coconut. Lots of people think it is coconut Lance explained as he graciously handed me a napkin. He suggested I start at the chocolate end. I took a small bit of the round chocolate side. It was pure chocolate so of course I liked it. My next small bite was into the chocolate and cuttlefish. I was grateful that Lance had handed me a napkin. Next up was the chocolate dipped mochi balls. Since I am not a big mochi fan I did not go nuts over this one, but I expect many people would. The chocolate dipped dried salted plums resonated with me. I felt like it stimulated all my taste receptors--sweet, salty, with a lasting flavor as you sucked on them. I got some of these to take home. Except I have already eaten them.


My Favorite


I loved tasting the chocolate covered crunch bars, the cookies and the brownies. But I know my favorite will always be the shortbread cookies. They have several new flavors including lemon and coconut. But for me it is the basic shortbread dipped in dark chocolate. But drool through their catalogue or their website and I am sure you will find thousand of calories of temptation.



CALL tollfree 1-800-935-5510
www.bigislandcandies.com

Big Island Candies: a fantasy in Chocolate

I never believed in the Easter Bunny, the good fairy, or Santa Claus. But I believe in Big Island Candies. Their fantastic chocolates, exciting flavor choices and whimsical packaging makes this a joyful experience for chocolate lovers of any age. Not a chocolate lover? ( then why are you reading this?) You will still love them for their coconut and lemon shortbread cookies.

I first tasted a Big Island Cookie at a food and wine event on the Big Island. There were booths of fresh fruits and vegetables, locally made products and uniquely Hawaiian items. My eyes went right to the colorful packages and beautiful display on the Big Island Candy table. It looked like a Tiffany jewelry store. Each item was treated like a precious jewel and displayed accordingly. I instantly knew these people understood chocoholics like me.

On a recent trip to the Big Island to judge the Kona Chocolate Festival, I finally got to fulfill my fantasy. I went to the Hawaiian chocolate mecca: the headquarters for Big Island Candies. It was even better than I expected. The friend who went with me said it looked like Ala Moana ..the upscale mall on Oahu. I love shopping. Maybe that is why I feel such a resonance with Big Island Candies. The festive displays made me feel like I was at a party. The "factory" part looks like a branch of Ikea. Stark white accented with steel and large overhead signs indicating what was done in that area--Melters., Packaging, Hand Dipping, Quality Inspection, Cooling Tunnel, Chocolate Enrober, Chocolate Melter, Chocolate Panner, Baking Floor to ceiling glass walls divided the candy makes from the customers, but you felt like you could peer through the windows and be such inches away from the chocolate.


The best thing about Big Island Candies


Because I am a journalist and co-own a chocolate website, people often send me samples and give me me tastes of all their new products. At Big Island Candies everyone can taste anything they want. As you enter, they offer you a cup with two products and direct you to their free coffee bar where they serve Big Island Candies Coffee.


Weird and wonderful


Since I was in town to judge the Kona Chocolate Festival, I knew I would be tasting lots of cookies, brownies and etc. So I asked Lance Duyao, chocolate genius and marketing director of Big Island Candies what were the most unique flavors they offered. He did not hesitate for a moment. He grabbed packages of Chocolate Dipped Ika (cuttlefish), Chocolate dipped mochi balls(a Japanese rice treat) and chocolate dipped dried a salted plums (a favorite with Orientals and Hawaiians). These are all from Hawaiian Da-Kines line.

Lance asked me if I had ever tasted cuttlefish. I proudly confirmed that I had. He served me one and I was about to start at the white stringy end that looked like slices of coconut. Lots of people think it is coconut Lance explained as he graciously handed me a napkin. He suggested I start at the chocolate end. I took a small bit of the round chocolate side. It was pure chocolate so of course I liked it. My next small bite was into the chocolate and cuttlefish. I was grateful that Lance had handed me a napkin. Next up was the chocolate dipped mochi balls. Since I am not a big mochi fan I did not go nuts over this one, but I expect many people would. The chocolate dipped dried salted plums resonated with me. I felt like it stimulated all my taste receptors--sweet, salty, with a lasting flavor as you sucked on them. I got some of these to take home. Except I have already eaten them.


My Favorite


I loved tasting the chocolate covered crunch bars, the cookies and the brownies. But I know my favorite will always be the shortbread cookies. They have several new flavors including lemon and coconut. But for me it is the basic shortbread dipped in dark chocolate. But drool through their catalogue or their website and I am sure you will find thousand of calories of temptation.



CALL tollfree 1-800-935-5510
www.bigislandcandies.com

OBAMARAMA

As President Obama himself has said, "What's best in me, and what's best in my message, is consistent with the tradition of Hawaii." And although I have toured the birthplace and homes of several presidents, I can't think of any place nicer to visit while studying the life of a president.

"The people of Hawaii are very proud of Barack Obama's island heritage and so are we," said Elizabeth Churchill, Aqua Hotel's VP Sales & Marketing. "Growing up and attending school on Oahu helped shape Obama into the fine leader he is today and we've developed a special package that shares insights on what being raised in a multi-cultural society is really all about."

I understand exactly what she means. Last year, I was lucky enough to stay at the Aqua Palms and Spa. It seemed so Hawaiian. It had its own "local flavour." That may sound like a silly thing to say -- but when you spend as many nights in large international chain hotel rooms, a hotel like Aqua Palms seems like a home cooked meal. Comfort food. Comfort Hotel.

My lingering memory of being treated like family is when I wanted to go to Pearl Harbor. I only had a few hours. There was a packaged tour but the concierge told me you could just take a city bus and pointed to where it was. And when I got back he asked me how I had enjoyed the day and if I had any problems with the bus. Taking a city bus always makes me feel like I am a native (or at least a native wanna-be).


Visitors encouraged to explore the island where Barack Obama grew up
Aqua Hotels & Resorts is celebrating President Barack

The "Obama-rama" package is available at all 12 Aqua Hotels in Waikiki.

Aqua's "Obama-rama" special includes:


Rates starting from $159 per night for Aqua Boutique hotels and $139 per night for Aqua Lite properties
One book per room booked: "The Dream Begins -- How Hawaii Shaped Barack Obama" by veteran Hawaii authors Stu Glauberman and Jerry Burris
Automatic compact rental car for each day booked (driver must be 25 years or older)
"Recently, the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau unveiled a micro-site that shares where Obama likes to go and what he likes to see and do on Oahu," added Churchill. "It's a list that visitors can easily duplicate if they are interested to see what our next President enjoys about Hawaii and the rental car allows them to explore the island at their leisure." Visit the site at: www.gohawaii.com/about_hawaii/explore/Obama.

The "Obama-rama" special is available through June 30, 2009, based on availability. Rates quoted are for single or double occupancy, plus taxes. The special cannot be combined with any other offer.

TITAS PRESENTS PARSONS DANCE COMPANY, ONE OF THE HOTTEST TICKETS IN MODERN DANCE



“One of the most successful modern dance companies in the world.”

–NBC’s Today Show




Dallas, TX – The top shelf talent that makes up the TITAS 2008-09 Dance Season will once again be on display when PARSONS DANCE COMPANY takes the McFarlin Auditorium stage on Friday & Saturday, March 27 & 28, 2009 at 8:00 PM. “It seems there’s no end to choreographer David Parsons’ inventiveness. Whether it’s creating wacky images of dancing hands, freezing a dancer’s leap in midair or bringing Mozart’s glorious music to visual life, Parsons takes a simple idea and makes it art.”(Seattle Post-Intelligencer)



The sexy, athleticism, exuberant personality and joyous movement that is Parsons Dance is comprised of ten full-time dancers and maintains a repertory of over 60 works (20 with commissioned scores) choreographed by David Parsons. The company's style is a fusion of the gesture and movement that make up the modern dance vocabulary, and the discipline and precise execution one expects from a classical company. “It does not take long to see why Parsons and his company are one of the hottest tickets in contemporary American dance. First, they are all terrific performers, energized, eager to please and rehearsed within an inch of their lives. Second…Parsons provides choreography that’s consistently intelligent, witty, well-crafted, and humane.” (The Toronto Staff)



During their TITAS performances, the company will be performing: Nascimento Nova, Ebben, In the End, Kind of Blue, Caught and Shining Star.



More information about Parsons Dance Company can be found at www.parsonsdance.org.



Tickets ($14 - $59) for Parsons Dance Company are available at the TITAS Box Office, 3625 N. Hall Street, Suite 740, Dallas, TX, or by phoning 214-528-5576 or 800-462-7980, or online at www.titas.org. TITAS also offers a $5 Youth Ticket (K-12) that is available only at the McFarlin Auditorium Box Office on the day of the show. Group discounts are available – call the TITAS Box Office for more information.



This performance is made possible through the generous support of American Airlines, Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, Radisson Central Dallas, Heritage Auction Galleries, The Dallas Voice, TCA and WRR 101.1.



TITAS is the premier presenter of eclectic and international dance and music performers in North Texas. Founded by Tom Adams in 1982 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) cultural/educational institution, TITAS has provided Dallas/Fort Worth audiences with such performers as American Ballet Theatre, Pilobolus, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Philip Glass, KODO Drummers, STOMP and many others. TITAS is now celebrating its 26th Anniversary Season under the direction of current Executive Director Charles Santos.

Don't miss this dance performance

TITAS PRESENTS PARSONS DANCE COMPANY, ONE OF THE HOTTEST TICKETS IN MODERN DANCE

edited by Madelyn Miller, the TraveLady



“One of the most successful modern dance companies in the world.”

–NBC’s Today Show


The top shelf talent that makes up the TITAS 2008-09 Dance Season will once again be on display when PARSONS DANCE COMPANY takes the McFarlin Auditorium stage on Friday & Saturday, March 27 & 28, 2009 at 8:00 PM. “It seems there’s no end to choreographer David Parsons’ inventiveness. Whether it’s creating wacky images of dancing hands, freezing a dancer’s leap in midair or bringing Mozart’s glorious music to visual life, Parsons takes a simple idea and makes it art.”(Seattle Post-Intelligencer)



The sexy, athleticism, exuberant personality and joyous movement that is Parsons Dance is comprised of ten full-time dancers and maintains a repertory of over 60 works (20 with commissioned scores) choreographed by David Parsons. The company's style is a fusion of the gesture and movement that make up the modern dance vocabulary, and the discipline and precise execution one expects from a classical company. “It does not take long to see why Parsons and his company are one of the hottest tickets in contemporary American dance. First, they are all terrific performers, energized, eager to please and rehearsed within an inch of their lives. Second…Parsons provides choreography that’s consistently intelligent, witty, well-crafted, and humane.” (The Toronto Staff)



During their TITAS performances, the company will be performing: Nascimento Nova, Ebben, In the End, Kind of Blue, Caught and Shining Star.



More information about Parsons Dance Company can be found at www.parsonsdance.org.



Tickets ($14 - $59) for Parsons Dance Company are available at the TITAS Box Office, 3625 N. Hall Street, Suite 740, Dallas, TX, or by phoning 214-528-5576 or 800-462-7980, or online at www.titas.org. TITAS also offers a $5 Youth Ticket (K-12) that is available only at the McFarlin Auditorium Box Office on the day of the show. Group discounts are available – call the TITAS Box Office for more information.



This performance is made possible through the generous support of American Airlines, Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, Radisson Central Dallas, Heritage Auction Galleries, The Dallas Voice, TCA and WRR 101.1.



TITAS is the premier presenter of eclectic and international dance and music performers in North Texas. Founded by Tom Adams in 1982 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) cultural/educational institution, TITAS has provided Dallas/Fort Worth audiences with such performers as American Ballet Theatre, Pilobolus, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Philip Glass, KODO Drummers, STOMP and many others. TITAS is now celebrating its 26th Anniversary Season under the direction of current Executive Director Charles Santos.

Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who plans her trips around Titas. She is proud of the fact that she has only missed one performance this year. Read her sories on www.travellady.com, www.yogayaya.com, www.carladynews.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.teaATlas.com and www.coffeeatlas.com

Can you be too popular in social networks

At this point, I am heavily linked to FACEBOOK and LiNKED IN.
I have decided to stick with those two.
(I got two invites from TAGGED today and yours)

I already have about 400 contacts on FACEBOOK
and
about 250 on linked in

I am now getting more updates on people putting their baby to bed, painting their bathroom, etc

This is not about hot flashes

Yesterday I started test driving a Ford Taurus. The driver before me must have left on the "warm the seat" function and I could not figure out how to turn if off.
Today I signed up for a pole-dancing class to review for yogayaya.com

I must be hot today

Not too hot

I was asked to judge the Fiery Foods competition in Fort Worth

But I JUST got back from Mexico and it made me realize that I am not as skilled at eating HOT HOT HOT foods as I thought I was.
I was the weiny of the whole gourmet group.
I think in all fairness to the contestants, I should pass

So I asked them to keep me in mind for ice-cream, cheese, chocolate, cocktails.
I am a really good eater

Re-entering the cyberworld

I am working in a business center with only one of three computers working--and they are shared by 800 people. And this after 10 ten days of almost no computer access and no cell phone reception.

I felt deaf, blind and dumb.

Yesterday I plunked myself in front of the single working computer and in an act of great selfishness, kept working away. When other people came in, I said--I think the other two are broken--you might want to remind them at the front desk.

I put all my stuff in a shopping cart--water, phone, medicine, notes, press kits, mail, etc. Instead of a bag lady I was a cart lady

In an act of great kindness, my massage therapist is loaning me her laptop. I did not ask. She saw how stressed I was and just offered. That should get me through until my new computer arrives.

Fractal Fourth

I have spent the Fourth of July in many interesting places. I have attended firework spectaculars in Switzerland, viewed Bastille day fireworks in France, watched the bi-centennial celebration in New York--but it will be hard to beat the Fractal Fireworks that ended a fractal presentation in the Albuquerque Planetarium.

As I walked back to my hotel, I realized when I looked up that there were fireworks on either side of me--some from the Balloon field and others from the nearby military basse.

The fractal show is the first Friday of every month. There are four shows in a night--hourly starting at 6pm

Creator Jonathan Wolfe is a genius--a scientist and artist. Fractals are his passion. His shows are scientific and sensuous.

Plan any trip to Albuquerque around a first Friday

Worst dinner ever

I dined at a formerly favorite restaurant and had a meal that was so
outrageous it would make a funny documentary.

We arrived and they had our reservation. There were only two other
tables filled in this lovely upscale restaurant.

I choose the 7 course degustation menu. After an elaborate (it seemed
like a 15 minute lesson) explanation of the menu choices. I finally
ordered.

The head waiter came by and explained they served an unsalted butter
from France. It was beautifully presented on a square glass crystal
plate.

Then he offered to "salt" our butter to our specifications with "FLEUR DE SEL".
I was so impressed as I watched him carely grind the special salt on
our butter square.

My second course was a peppery puck that tasted like cardboard. I
could not discern any other ingeredient besides pepper. When the
server noticed I had only taken one bite, he asked if I was enjoying
my mysterious pepper puck. I said that although it may have been well
prepared, it was just too peppery for my taste.

He replied that a lot of the diners felt that way.
(shouldn't he tell the chef--not me?)

By the third course my companion asked what I thought we were supposed
to do with the butter? I teasingly said dunk our fingers in and then
lick them.

After the third course, the girl who was busing tables came over and
asked if we would like more bread. MORE BREAD? We had never even
gotten any.

THE SECRET INGREDIENT

My fourth course was a corn risotto with pancetta. It seemed to have a
smokey, off taste. When I found a piece of plastic in the dish, I put
it on my bread plate and gave it to the buss girl. I suggested she
give it to the chef so that none of the other diners would get that
bonus ingredient.

No one apologized. No one offered to replace the dish or bring me
something else.
The meal just continued.

My dinning companion said--it is a shame they are already comping us
because we really deserve to be comped for this meal. My meal alone
was $125 without wine.

After more courses and a not very exciting dessert--when I leave a
chocolate dessert it is definately below par--

The waiter brought a check. Without opening it, I said, " I would like to put a tip for you on American Express."

He then asked me how I would like to pay the rest of the bill. The bill was close to $300 without tip

I explained that we had been invited to be guests by the Public Relations person.
They said no one had told them.

I suggested they check.

After about 20 minutes of wandering around, they finally came back and
said we were right--the meal was supposed to be comped.

I again told the server I would like to leave a tip on my American Express.

He replied, No, Mam, you can't tip us. We don't deserve it.

It was the first thing I think he did right.

My computer died. Please send condolences

Instead of flowers, please send a technician

I feel like my best friend died.
Actually, it was my computer.
It went everywhere with me. I spent more time with it than anyone or
anything else.

Just today, I forwarded an article about how they had defined
"computer addiction" as a medical diagnosis to a few of my friends

So I guess now I will be going in withdrawal.

If anyone has any tips or advice about a computer they love--or
something they wish they had gotten--please share

What time do you start opening your wine bottles?

THIS MORNING DHL WOKE ME UP AT 8 WITH
TWO TUBS OF CHOCOLATE BANANA ICE CREAM ON DRY ICE
A BOTTLE OF TOMATO VODKA FROM THREEE OLIVES.
4 BOTTLES OF WINE (ACTUALLY THREE WERE DOUBLE PORTION BOXES)
AND SOME GREEN FOLDING CAR SACKS

MOST PEOPLE WOULD THINK IT WAS GREAT TO GET THAT ALL BEFORE 8:15 AM
sORT OF LIKE XMAS MORNING

BUT I HAD BEEN UP LATE (AND HAD TOO MUCH WINE TO DRINK) AND I JUST WANTED TO SLEEP.

THE DHL PERSON "APOLOGIZED" FOR BRINGING ME SO MUCH STUFF. I COULD NOT GET IT ALL INTO MY LOFT, SO I SAT ON THE PARK BENCH IN FRONT OF MY LOFT AND OPENED EVERYTHING. I FELT A BIT LIKE A WINO SITTING THERE. MOST OF THE PEOPLE WALKING BY WERE COMING FROM THE HEALTH CLUB--DRINKING SOMETHING LIKE POMEGRANATE JUICE.

Why I joined Facebook

I just joined on Monday because when I was in San Francisco last month I went to a cooking school at a winery called Crushpad. They sent me a noitce they had a new program called winestream with Facebook. I had to join Facebook to access it. Suddenly old friends started finding me and I got hooked.

HOw to get free gas

Tomorrow morning I am doing a segment on Fox TV
It is about free gas offers and will flash to carladynews where I will post the list
It has been a lot of research--sort of like shopping and using coupons.
Go to www.carladynews.com to find the free gas offers

Watch Madelyn on TV

I did a travel segment for First Wives World. Take a look and please leave a rating if you want to
http://firstwivesworld.com/resource/debbie-does-divorce/debbie-nigro/traveling-solo-post-divorce

A friend asked who I was dating

Haven't really dated recently. Who wants to go out with a princess who arrives home exhausted with tons of dirty underwear and then just wants to do laundry, answer emails and open the mail before she packs and goes out again.
And I expect chocolate on my pillow everynight and a good massage in the spa, a Cordon Blue trained chef---and so on