Elizabeth Tayor: An Actress Who's "Dream Came Early But Lasted The Rest of Her Life"; National Velvet: A Movie Ahead of Its Time

Elizabeth Taylor passed away today but I'm not going to write about her life: the movies, the marriages, the illnesses or her dedication to humanitarian causes, her beauty......though they are all worthy of being mentioned. Rather, I'd like to concentrate on just one of her films, a family and personal favorite: National Velvet. 

The movie, about a boy, a girl and a horse impressed me many years ago when I first saw it.  I thought of it as a catalyst inspiring young women to go after their dreams no matter how many challenges were thrown in the way. The movie, released in December of 1944 and the book written in 1935 by Enid Bagnold were way ahead of their time.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown (Anne Revere), Velvet's parents.

Elizabeth Taylor was 12 years old when she played the 'girl' in the book. The 'boy' was played by a young Mickey Rooney. She campaigned for the role of Velvet Brown in MGM's National Velvet and was an instant star when the movie was released. Her character and Mickey Rooney train her beloved horse "Pie' to win the British Grand National. Angela Lansbury, then a new British actress, played Edwina her sister and her mother, Anne Revere, was an American actress who was a direct descendant of Paul Revere. An interesting note: many of Ms. Taylor's back problems which haunted her throughout her life began when she was injured falling off a horse during the filming of the movie.

The scene that impressed me the most and still affects me emotionally takes place in the Brown family attic where Velvet and her mother are having a conversation about entering the largest and most difficult of all horse races in England. Her mother, herself a former championship swimmer says to Velvet:

"We're alike. I, too, believe that everyone should have a chance at a breathtaking piece of folly once in his life. I was twenty when they said a woman couldn't swim the Channel. You're twelve; you think a horse of yours can win the Grand National. Your dream has come early; but remember, Velvet, it will have to last you all the rest of your life."

If nothing else happened in the movie that one scene would have been enough for me but of course that's not the case. The rest of National Velvet is deliciously rich in story, tone, cinematography and message - all masterful enough for the movie to garner 2 Oscar wins (one for mother Anne Revere!) and another for film editing. It was also nominated for Best Art Direction, Cinematography and Best Director.

Another scene, not as worthy but a funny anecdote in our family was a scene when Velvet first sees the horse running at breakneck speed in some nearby fields. When my son was about 7 years old (and to the present day) he did a mean imitation of Ms. Taylor's wispy British accent in the lines recounted below where Velvet names her new horse: 

Velvet: What's his name, Mr. Ede?

Mr. Ede: Name? He's a murderous pirate, not deserving of a name.

Velvet: Oh, no. not pirate. He's a gentle one. I'll just call him Pie. Oh, you're a pretty one, Pie.

If you haven't seen National Velvet I recommend it as a great family film and a tribute to a wonderful American actress who was lost to us today. She was indeed a pretty one. 

http://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search-alias%3Ddvd&field-keywords=National%20Velvet&tag=imdb-adbox  

Three Ways to be Nutty On National Goof-Off Day; Pasta, Salad and Cookies Are Seriously Easy To Make While 'Goofing Off'

For the past week, a small can of almond paste I purchased a couple of weeks ago kept falling out of the pantry whenever I opened it. I took it as a sign: either it was begging me to use it or the pantry needed to be cleaned. Of course it was the latter but it was more fun  not to clean and use the product for the recipe I had originally intended it for: Almond Macaroons.

Anyone familiar with my family knows that my husband is a bit nutty about nuts, his favorite being the cashew, but to be honest the rest of our family are just as guilty of loving the hard-shelled fruit in almost any form. I especially love them on a salad. I decided to make this a 'nutty' day and make a complete meal using three varieties. As I was collecting the ingredients, I wondered if there was such a thing as a National Nut Day because if there wasn't, I was about to declare one.

Well folks, there actually is an official nut holiday and it's celebrated each year (not sure by whom??) on October 22nd. Just in case you're wondering, today (March 22) is National Goof-Off Day, tomorrow is National Chip and Dip Day and Thursday is National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day. I've attached a website from Hallmark Channel which lists all these 'important holidays' (does Hallmark make cards for the occasions??) and you might want to check the site the next time you feel the need for an excuse to take a day off.  Ahhh,.....our tax dollars at work!

Even though the actual nut holiday wouldn't be celebrated until the fall, I was undeterred in my pursuit to make a pasta, a salad and a batch of cookies using walnuts, pecans and almonds in that order.
The recipes are a from a variety of sources changed up a bit to suit what I actually had on hand but the changes were minimal and this meal as a whole might make a great Palm Sunday or Easter menu.

Here's the official list of 'National' holidays. Recipes follow.
http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/microsites/everydayisholiday/Calendar.aspx?ID=1&MID=1

Walnuts and Parsley Pesto Pasta
Developed from the NY Times food columnist Mark Bittman 

Ingredients
1 cup shelled walnuts + 1/4 cup not added to food processor
1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves, washed and dried
1 clove garlic
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound linguine or spaghetti

Directions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt. 
• Combine walnuts, parsley and garlic in a food processor and turn machine on gradually adding enough oil so that mixture forms a creamy paste. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Put additional 1/4 cup of olive oil in saute pan with reserved walnuts and toss until heated.
• Cook pasta al dente, drain it and reserve a little cooking water. 
• Add pesto sauce, walnut and olive oil mix and toss, adding more water if too thick.
• Top with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Glazed Pecans, Apple Slices and Goat Cheese on Baby Spinach 
I saw this salad on NY1 Television station cooking segment here in New York. It looked so delicious and easy, I decided to give it a try. They suggested romaine lettuce, blue cheese and walnuts. I made some substitutions. 

Ingredients:
2 cups walnut halves (I used pecans)
1/4 cup maple syrup
Salt (for nuts)
Romaine lettuce (I used baby spinach)
Apples
Crumbled blue cheese (I used crumbled goat cheese)
Dressing: 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 2-3 tbs apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, black pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bring a pot of water to a boil for blanching the nuts. Add the 2 cups of pecan or walnut halves to the boiling water and let those boil for about a minute.
• Use a slotted spoon to scoop them into a mixing bowl and add the maple syrup and salt to taste. Pecans or walnuts need to be well drained before adding the maple syrup.
• Toss the nuts and maple syrup and spread out on a baking tray placing it into the preheated oven. Bake nuts for about 10 minutes stirring every now and then. Cool when done.
• Whisk the vegetable oil and apple cider vinegar with a little dollop of Dijon mustard, black pepper and a small amount of maple syrup for the dressing.
• Combine lettuce and sliced apples adding dressing to coat, Top with some crumbled blue cheese and 1/2 cup of toasted nuts. Reserve extra for another salad.

Almond Macaroons

This is from a January 2004 edition of Martha Stewart Living and the reason I purchased the almond paste in the first place. A delicious and light cookie to finish off the meal.

Ingredients

1 can (8 oz) almond paste

1 cup confectioners sugar

Pinch of salt

2 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Place almond paste, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl and beat for about 3 minutes until mixture looks crumbly.
• Add egg whites and vanilla and beat for another 3 minutes until mix becomes creamy and thick.
• Drop even round teaspoons onto parchment about 2 inches apart (cookies will spread slightly) placing2-3 sliced of sliced almonds on each mound.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are light brown, turning tray once.
• Remove from parchment and when cool, dust with confectioners sugar.

Risotto: From Italy With Love (Via India and Spain); How To Succeed in Creating a Classic Entrée Without Really Trying

Risotto is popular common entrée served in Italy and a favorite around the world. I wondered how a rice dish achieved this status in a land noted for pasta and discovered that risotto has an interesting history. In the 14th century, the Arabs brought rice to Sicily and Spain most probably by way of India.  That same century, rice made its way into the Po Valley and it's flat lands, plentiful water and humidity made perfect growing conditions. In the centuries that followed rice became a staple in that part of Italy.

A young stained glass artisan is credited as the creator of risotto. In 1574, Valerius was put in charge of making a window for the Cathedral Duomo Di Milano. In what seems to be a case of 16th century bullying, the Milan townspeople made fun of him, implyng that the herb saffron was to be credited for the beautiful colors in his artwork. Valerius became angry and decided to retaliate by adding an excessive amount of saffron to the rice being served at his master's wedding hoping to ruin the event. Instead, everyone loved the rice, and risotto became an instant culinary favorite in Italy! 

There are several varieties of rice used in the preparation of risotto but here in the United States arborio is the most common. Others include carnaroli, vialone nano, baldo, and Calriso. They all have several things in common: plump, medium to short grains and a high proportion of amylopectin, a type of sticky starch which produces the creamy texture of risotto. 

The recipe I used tonight is a plain risotto made with Parmesan cheese, leeks and white wine, a very easy and inexpensive meal to prepare. As simple as it is to make, risotto is rich and satisfying: fresh bread, a salad and a glass of Italian wine is all you'll need for an enjoyable evening meal.

Parmesan Risotto

Ingredients

Serves 4

6 cups of chicken stock

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup minced shallots

1 cup arborio rice (or any others mentioned if available)

1/2 cup white wine

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (also shave some extra for garnish)

1/4 cup fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Heat stock in saucepan and keep at low temperature.
• In large saucepan, heat olive oil and add chopped shallots cooking until translucent.
• Add rice and cook until you hear a clicking sound about 3-4 minutes.
• Add wine to the mixture, stirring slowly until wine is absorbed.
• Ladle small amounts of heated stock into the rice constantly stirring until stock is absorbed. Keep adding stock in small amounts until rice is translucent. Rice should be al dente but not crunchy.
• Remove from heat. Add butter, cheese and parsley.
• Serve immediately.
• Rice should be served as a mount with shaved Parmesan cheese topping the dish.

Note: according to Martha Stewart Living where I saw this recipe the proper way to eat risotto is to flatten the outer edges of the mound to cool it slightly. Slowly eat you way into the middle so that the rice will always be at the right temperature.

Hanging Around The House: Festive Banners You Can Make For Any Occasion

Remember when you had a birthday party and your mother purchased foil letters that fanned out to say " Happy Birthday"? They were also available with 'Welcome Home' or 'Good Luck' sentiments?














Well, the party banner has come a long way from those foil letter days. Searching a favorite party website karaspartyideas.com you can find any number of styles and sizes of banners that creative party givers make. All sorts of fabrics, papers, ribbons and decorative details adorn these fluttery flags and I put it on my list of things to try.

Teachers: this makes a great classroom undertaking.

A couple of weeks ago I made my first banner assisted by my two young grandchildren who got into the spirit right away since a lot of gluing was involved! This banner had a purpose: a loved one was in the hospital and was due to come home after a 10-day stay. I shopped for some heavy card stock and chose a book sold in craft stores for scrapbooking aficionados. There were 48 12x12-inch sheets in the book in varying patterns of graphic black and white designs, actually more than I needed, but it wouldn't go to waste. I also purchased some stencils and colored construction paper for the letters, ribbon and of course the glue. The banner pictured on yesterday's post was a bit long. The words "Welcome Home' are quite lengthy and I would have been better cutting down the size of the paper from the original 12-inch size.

I did another smaller flag banner using the same paper for a girl that could be used on a door or on the headboard of her bed.

The best part about this project is that you can really do anything and it looks great. It's fun coordinating the banner to a themed party or room decor and it's a fun project to get children involved in their own party. They can trace letters, cut them out with safety scissors and glue it together. A perfect rainy day activity!

I made another banner for a boy's christening. I used light blue dessert sized blue paper plates in squares and circles and paper doilies with the letters cut out ('expert' cutting skills are needed for this example!!). I punched two holes at the top of each plate and ran a length of measured ribbon through to string the plates together. The blank plate (used to separate the words) is perfect for a black and white photo of the baby or child. This is also nice for a communion party.

I'm working on fabric flags for a child's play room. Will post the final result when completed.

I've included these two photos from Kara's Party Ideas website. The checkered banners came from the 'Gingham Party' post, the other is the top post for today, a christening party.

What You Might Need
For paper banners, depending on the style:
cardstock or paper plates
contrast paper for letters
stencils or computer generated letters
pencil, glue, scissors, ruler
ribbon or cording
hole punch
decorative stick-ons
doilies

Instructions

• Measure length of area where the banner will be hung and cut triangles (all of the same size) out of cardstock to fit measures. You can back the triangles with paper as well to make it read on both sides if it will be hanging across a room. If not, decorate one side only. 
• Trace letters from stencils or print letters on a computer and cut out using contrasting colors.
• Glue letters to triangles on front and back. If using two sides, run ribbon in between gluing to both sides of triangles. You can space the flags apart (as on the gingham ones above) or glue them edge to edge. 
• When dry, add decorative items or bows and let dry if needed before hanging.
• Ribbon length should include at least a foot extra on either side for hanging purposes.
• For paper plates: purchase plates and doilies (or other paper) that coordinate your event. Trace letters onto doily or paper and cut out, gluing to plate to create a 3D effect. Or just glue letters right onto plate.
• Measure length of ribbon or cording to fit area as above. 
• Punch two holes at top of each plate to run the cording through. 

Happy Saint Patrick's Day To All

No post today...

Tomorrow: " Easy Banners to Make 
For Room Decoration or Any Occasion" 

Four St. Patrick's Day Quizzes: Amaze and Impress Friends and Family With Your Superior Knowledge of All Things Irish

There is no lack of misinformation about St. Patrick who is celebrated on March 17th as the Patron Saint of Ireland. But one thing is certain: he was not born in Ireland. According to legend, Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to pagan Celts and the miracle of driving of snakes out of Ireland, also attributed to him, is probably not true because Ireland didn't have snakes in the first place!

The quizzes below can answer many of your questions and separate fact from fiction. 

For example: 

• Do you want to know where the largest St. Patrick's Day parade is held? 
• Or which city in the U.S. held the first parade? And when?
• How many Americans claim Irish ancestry? 
• Which U.S. city dyes it's river green for the holiday?

http://www.theholidayspot.com/patrick/quiz.htm 

http://www.lifescript.com/Quizzes/Holiday/Rate_Your_St_Patricks_Day_IQ.aspx?

gclid=CJj35cKG1KcCFYbb4AodgjwG9g&trans=1&du=1&ef_id=VyZNImowBQABRq0:20110316214129:s 

http://www.squiglysplayhouse.com/Games/Quizzes/People/StPatricksDay.html 

http://a4esl.org/q/h/lb/stpat.html

Irish Quotes and Toasts

May those who love us, love us.

And for those who don't love us,

May God turn their hearts.

And if he can not turn their hearts,

May he turn their ankles,

So we may know them by their limping.

May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live.

Here's to you and yours

And to mine and ours.

And if mine and ours

Ever come across to you and yours,

I hope you and yours will do

As much for mine and ours

As mine and ours have done

For you and yours!

May the roof above us never fall in, and may we friends gathered below never fall out.

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields and,

Until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand

There are many good reasons for drinking,

One has just entered my head,

If a man doesn't drink when he's living,

How the hell can he drink when he's dead?

May the saddest day of your future be no worse

Than the happiest day of your past.

I Yam So Confused! The Difference Between Two Commonly Mislabeled 'Tubers'

Q. What’s the difference between a sweet potato and a yam? 

A. About ten cents a pound. 

Ba dum.

Last year, I got into a friendly argument with a colleague at work about the difference between the sweet potato and yam. I didn't think there was a difference and I stood my ground. He disagreed, describing the yam pretty vividly. But he was a man whose wife (I'm sure) did most of their food shopping as do I, so what could he possibly know?

It turns out I was wrong. There is a difference but one that is made more confusing by the U.S.

Department of Agriculture which requires that the label “yam” always be accompanied with the words “sweet potato” when referring to a sweet potato. No wonder I was confused!

The sweet potato is a yellow or orange 'tuber' (a kind of elongated root vegetable). The yellow sweet potato has a thin skin and is not sweet despite the name. When cooked, it has a texture similar to the white baked potato. The orange variety (often called "yam" in error) has a thick, dark orange-reddish skin with orange flesh. It is sweet and moist. I used this variety for my recipe.

The yam

A true yam is the 'tuber' of a tropical plant and is not related to the sweet potato at all. The yam is a popular vegetable in Latin American and the Caribbean with many varieties available. The yam is sweeter than than the sweet potato and can grow over seven feet in length. The skin is brown or black skin and off-white, purple or red flesh, depending on the variety. 

Now that that's settled, I came across a recipe last week that I made on Sunday. The recipe called for a whole sweet potato topped with caramelized onions and parmigiano-reggiano This is almost to easy too post but it's such a nutritious side dish loaded with beta-carotene, an antitoxident that helps prevent heart disease and cancer. I changed up the recipe not being a huge fan of onions  and served mine with sauteed spinach (even more carotene!) and of course the tasty Italian cheese. 

Tonight, I sliced the leftover sweet potato and added it to my salad. Did I call this a side dish? It could really be a main course! 

Baked Sweet Potatoes With 

Caramelized Onions and 

Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

Ingredients

6 medium sweet potatoes

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 large yellow onions cut in half, then sliced into 1/2 inch thick half-moons

(OR substitute 3 cups of fresh spinach, steamed with 2 tablespoons olive oil added when cooked)

3 tablespoons sugar

I teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup freshly shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees
• Place potatoes on a baking sheet for 45 minutes.
• For caramelized onions:  Melt butter in non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft. Add sugar, salt and pepper. Cook on low heat for about an hour until they become caramelized adding small amounts of water if needed. Add vinegar and stir.
• For spinach: Steam spinach leaves until tender. Drain and dry as much as possible. Place spinach in saute pan and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
• When potatoes are done, split open and top with onions or spinach and cheese.

The sweet potato