Sunday Drive: Bach, Air on the G String

Waitin' for the Weekend

Sunday Drive: Magic

Your Head Trucker in his salad days, far too many summers ago.

This lovely song transports me back to the idyllic summer of 1980, when I had just come out and, after a long, hard struggle, just graduated from college too - a time when it was easy to believe in magic, love, and destiny.  Ah, youth!

Mais où sont les neiges d'antan?





Really, it was like coming to life, a sleeper awakening, full of light and song and hope, while the enchantment lasted. I can yet recall, when I hear these tunes, the happy anticipations I felt, the future a shining road at my feet. Ah, joy!

Mais où sont les neiges d'antan?





But age we must. In the end, of course, memory is all that remains of smiles and tears alike, and that too must sink into oblivion one day and leave no trace - and who can say what becomes of the soul, once shed of all its precious freight of earthly hope and desire?  Ah, humanity!

Mais où sont les neiges d'antan?

Waitin' for the Weekend

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

I always knew Southern Living had lots of recipes online, but I've recently discovered that they also have lots of short, helpful how-to videos.  Here's one that looks scrumptious, and we're going to make this soon.  See what you think, guys:




Printable recipe here.


P.S.: For all you non-Texans out there, the King Ranch, larger than the state of Rhode Island, is synonymous with vast size and megamillions.

Sunday Drive: It's a Lovely Day Today

Do yourself a favor and watch this truly amazing dance by Vera Ellen and Donald O'Connor from the 1953 musical Call Me Madam:

Waitin' for the Weekend

The Special Relationship

Caption this

The Gay Sally Lunn

Sally Lunn's eating house in Bath, Somerset

The rollicking bun, and the gay Sally Lunn! The rollicking, rollicking bun!

--Gilbert and Sullivan, The Sorcerer

Here's a treat for all my truckbuddies who like to bake, or just like to eat:  last weekend I somehow stumbled upon this Southern Living recipe for Sally Lunn bread - and OMG fellas, it's just the Best.Thing.Ever.  This old English recipe has been around for maybe 300 years or so - and I can't believe I've never had any of this fabulously good eating until now.

M.P. and I made it in a bundt pan, and we can't stop eating it - it's got a texture sort of like pound cake, only not nearly that sweet, and tastes yeasty like bread, with a heavenly aroma.  Best of all, there's no kneading involved:  just mix it up, pour it in your baking pan, wait an hour for it to rise, then pop it in the oven.  No fuss, no muss, and sooooo damn good.  Try it - today! - you'll like it.




Southern Living foolproof recipe here.


Just for fun, some historic recipes from Colonial Williamsburg and other sources here.

Sunday Drive: Don't Take Your Love from Me

As performed by the lovely Julie London on the album Lonely Girl, 1956.

Waitin' for the Weekend

Jimmy Fanz

Jose Tengiz

Who Would Jesus Tow?

The Good Samaritan, Eugene Delacroix, 1849.

From the Washington Post:

Ken Shupe responded to a woman who was stranded on an interstate in North Carolina on Monday. Shupe is a tow truck driver; the woman had been involved in a wreck, according to reports.

But when Shupe arrived, he noticed something about the woman's car — specifically, he noticed that the woman was a supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, according to Fox Carolina. . .

"When he saw 'a bunch of Bernie Sanders stuff' he said he told the woman, 'very politely,' " that he could not "tow her car because she was 'obviously a socialist' and advised her to 'call the government' for a tow." . . .

"Something came over me, I think the Lord came to me, and he just said get in the truck and leave," Shupe told an ABC affiliate. "And when I got in my truck, you know, I was so proud, because I felt like I finally drew a line in the sand and stood up for what I believed."

According to Fox Carolina, Shupe identified himself as a conservative Christian who supports Donald Trump.

The Bear-Naked Chef: Albondigas en Salsa Espanola

In this episiode, chef Adrian de Berardinis takes us to Madrid for a meatball dinner - don't you wish:

Sunday Drive: Unchained Melody

As performed by the classical guitarist Esteban, born Stephen Paul in the Philadelphia area: