Homemade Delight!

After hours of experimenting and of course taste testing, “Megan’s Easter baskets” are done. I’m hearing they are a homemade delight! In the end, chocolate covered caramels, peanut butter cups and milk chocolate and white chocolate hearts, roses and eggs made the cut!



Instead of traditional baskets, I used Chinese takeout boxes with an Easter theme. I wrapped the candy in little bags and stored the smaller candy in plastic eggs!!


Easter morning these boxes were waiting for everyone in my family!



Now, I’ll have to figure out something fun to make for the 4th of July!

Happy Easter ☺

A DVR World

9-5 jobs, dinner all together with the family before 7:00 and watching our favorite television shows at the hour they are scheduled to air … these are all American traditions fading away into history.

In the year 2009 work days have no set times: some of us are at our desk by 6am, others don’t get to head home until midnight. In this electronic age we are reachable 24 hours a day and no one wants to say no or I’m off the clock in this economic downturn. Because of this mentality, our family values and appointment television days are changing (quickly).

It’s rare to hear about a family who runs on the same schedule and can all be seated around the kitchen table before 7:00 to enjoy a home cooked meal and share the stories of the day. Everything around us is changing. We are all adjusting except those who rule our televisions. I think it’s time for networks and the media to start living up to their end of the bargain.

I’m a television producer looking for a job. My time off really opened my eyes to a business that is in desperate need of a makeover (and boy do I have some ideas, if only someone gave me a chance and a job!). The days of news from 5-6:30pm are wasted on empty rooms. (Contact me if you’d like to hear my plan to maximize dollars and viewers with a revamped 7:00pm hour.)

Despite the need to "shake up" our outdated television lineups, producers and networks need to understand the power of the DVR World. Appointment television is a theory of the past. When is the last time you made sure you were in front of the television right at 8:00pm Tuesday nights to see the very first second of American Idol live? In an informal Megan poll, 95% of my friends and family admit they haven’t been in their front row seat on time in at least 4 seasons. That is because we aren't home and done with dinner by 8:00 and we can experience our favorite shows in their entirety at any time thanks to the invention of the DVR: or so we thought.

This season of American Idol is by far the worst when it comes to producers correctly timing out the shows. I don’t think the powers that be at Idol have hit their mark since we got out of the audition rounds. Thanks to a lack of discipline we’ve all missed a standing ovation from Simon for Adam Lambert’s outrageous rendition of “Mad World.” We’ve had to call friends or search online to see if the judges used their save on Michael Sarver. And, I can't remember the last time I heard Carrie Underwood sing the goodbye song and saw the video montage to the latest Idol contestant who got the boot. I could go on for hours with examples of what we’ve missed because producers aren’t producing to the new DVR world that we live in.

In my years producing live newscasts I know going over your time slot is a big N-O. You cut off the beginning of the next show if you are a local station cutting into network programming. If you are the network, you push back local programming so it can’t start on time. This is a ratings game. A 11 or 10pm news going on late means you likely have a huge percentage of viewers jumping ship to catch the top stories on a station that managed to hit the correct start time. Network shows like Idol going 8-10 minutes over has loyal fans in an uproar googling a performance that is being dubbed the best of the season because our DVRs stopped tapping; others tweeting or calling friends to see who got kicked off … you get my drift.

As you can tell by the reports on-air, in print and on the web, television shows are being cancelled, newsrooms are closing as major budget cuts across the board are handed down. Something has got to change or television viewers will continue to slowly get up from their seats and walk away. Until producers and television executives turn their appointment television and 8-11 primetime switches off and take a good look at the new schedule of an American family and this DVR world, the slow demise of television won't stop anytime soon and the Internet will start to really rule the way we get our entertainment.

It’s a shame because there is so much potential for a bigger and better television world. I think it might be time for some new thinkers to get a chance to revitalize a dying American tradition.



** A side note, I don’t think DVR is perfect it has a lot kinks to work out such as: allowing us to tape more than 2 shows at a time. If we are taping 2 shows, allow us to watch a third live!! And, wouldn’t it be great if our DVR machines could recognize a show is going long and keep taping (just some Megan thoughts!). **

A Sticky Treat!

In my quest to make the perfect Easter baskets, I decided to take on my dad and grandma’s favorite candy: peanut brittle. Talk about a sticky treat. After combing the ingredients it is a race against time. Boil it all up to 300 degrees then immediately pour the mixture out and start spreading. This stuff starts to harden immediately so using two forks I pulled and spread the mixture as fast as I could in order to get an even layer of peanut brittle!


After about a half hour it all cooled down and was ready to break apart!!


So far my baskets will include: homemade peanut butter cups, chocolate covered caramels, white and milk chocolate hearts!

Delicious! ☺

Week 9 Idol Predictions

All I have to say is WOW. I think last night may be one of the worst Idol weeks out of all of the seasons (of course in my opinion). Top Downloads seemed to be too broad a theme for these Idol contestants to flip through and pick out good song choices.

Here's my breakdown...

THE GOOD: Our old standbys once again pull together some great performances.

Adam shined as he played up his stage presence and ability to take an oldie but goody, "Play That Funky Music," and turn it into a song we could be bopping to on the radio today.

KRIS!!! He is my absolute favorite right now!! I agree with the judges he is really in a zone. Kris reminds me a lot of Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson when it comes to his ability to adapt to each genre and really make every song sound like it was written for him. ("Kris sang Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone").

Danny, Danny. He brought some heart to the stage with "What Hurts the Most." The Rascal Flatts hit is a perfect cover for Danny to add to a first CD! My only concern is i'm getting a bit tired of Danny, he needs to spice it up a bit!

Allison. I didn't think her outfit was that bad! It fit the song, she played the part. I thought her take on No Doubt's "Don't Speak" really showed what her album would be, she's a rocker!!

THE BAD:
Lil' Rounds has an amazing voice. She can hit high notes with ease but someone really needs to work on her song choice. I think Simon said it perfectly, she looked and sounded "old" as she took on Celine Dion's "Surrender." If one of these weeks she decides to pick a young/current song i think she'll shoot to the top, but until then she's getting lost in the mix.

Scott. What a piano player but his voice isn't doing anything for me. I totally disagree with the judges, I didn't think this was his best week. I'll admit I don't know much about singing but from a fan who buys CDs, It sounded like Scott was off key and I was bored, I actually stopped listening.

Matt. Oh Matt, what a messy performance. I think he felt a whole lot pressure after last week's bottom three and I think he missed the mark. I totally agree with the judges, bad song choice (The Fray's "You Found Me"), bring back the R&B. I hope he has another week to shine.

THE UGLY:
I think Idol needs a double elimination tonight for Anoop and Megan. I don't even know what to say.

Anoop reminded me of my sorority days when we would do skits and songs. We'd just get up on stage and have fun but look goofy!

Megan, Megan, Megan. I want to like her, I really do. I think her voice has such potential but she can't seem to match her unique sound with songs that will allow her to shine. I wish the judges could give her a song and see how she does. But, last night I cringed watching her struggle through "Turn Your Lights Down Low."

Week 9 Idol Predictions...

Who is safe: Adam, Danny, Kris, Lil'

Who is is jeopardy: Anoop, Megan, Allison, Scott, Matt

Bottom 3: Anoop, Megan, Matt (I think this final spot could actually go to Matt or Scott, but after last week's results, I'm going to have to pick Matt).

Who gets the boot?: Anoop (although I really think it is a toss up between him and Megan)

**I think if Matt gets the lowest vote total their judges will use the save!**

Results (could be a spoiler if you haven't watched the episode):


Ok, so I was 2/3 in my predictions for the bottom 3! Megan went home instead of Anoop but I did say I was torn! haha :)

Idle (Idol) Frustrations

Every Tuesday and Wednesday night I grab a bottle of water and take my seat for my “live” Idol concerts: row A seat 1. Like millions of other Americans, I have a front row seat every week as 12 (this year 13), 11, 10, 9 … hopefuls battle it out for the chance to win the title “American Idol.”

The price of admission: live songs from the Idols; performances from former Idols; current chart toppers; and people like Stevie Wonder and Randy Travis who have a history of selling millions and millions of records.

For 7 seasons and so far this year, Idol continues to deliver on those staples. But, this year for the first time, I’m extremely disappointed in Idol. I understand no one tunes in on Wednesday nights just for the group numbers. It isn’t a must see for me, but I do enjoy seeing the personalities that emerge when there isn’t any pressure from the judges, the Idols can cut loose and have fun. Season 8 Idol masterminds decided to have the contestants lip synch the group numbers this year. And, in an almost slap in the face to fans and critics calling foul, Idol actually taped and edited the group number last week. The idols were at times singing without microphones nearby. Give me and the millions of people I watch this show with every week a break. We tune in to see how these Idol wannabes perform live. We tune in to learn about the contestants, gauge their personalities and decided who we’d like to vote for so we can spend $20 on their album when they win “American Idol.”

Since season 1 contestants have pulled off these performances, some were stellar, others forgettable, but they did it. So, why start prerecording these songs? You can’t argue it looks better because the contestants haven’t mastered the art of lip synching, some of them aren’t moving their lips when we hear their voices, others are clearly mouthing the wrong verse. Love them or hate them, the group numbers are part of the Idol experience.

I’d like to call on the Idol producers to rethink the decision. If some of the Idols can’t pull these numbers off, a good producer would retool the live elements to let the power Idols shine and figure a way to play up the strengths of the weaker contestants. Are the Idol’s going to lip synch the group songs on tour or will fans get what we pay for this summer: Idols singing live, not trying to pull off their best “Britney Spears?” (No offense Brit, I’m a huge fan!!)

To be perfectly honest, for now, these are idle frustrations on my part. Currently, I have no plan to give up my front row seat this season. But, if questionable decisions like this continue, my Idol love may start to fade.

Check back tomorrow to see who I think will get voted off this week.

Megan :)

Candy Testing!

Easter is about a week and an half away. During my time off from work, I've started making my own candy. This week I'm testing out different types, the winners will be included in my "one of a kind" Easter baskets for the family!

When my family and I lived in Michigan our favorite candy shop was Sydney Bogg's in Birmingham. After many trips for a sweet treat we became addicted to milk chocolate caramels. I decided this was the year I'd attempt my own version (my final product is tasty, but no where near as good!)

My first test: Homemade caramel. I found a 30minute recipe. This is a keeper, very simple. I hate caramel that has the consistency of sand, this one is far from rough. The 3ominute recipe creates a smooth and creamy caramel that literally melts in your mouth.


Now, the task of making this savory treat into a chocolate delight!! It took 3 steps.

1. I melted milk chocolate and create a chocolate shell.


2. I spooned the caramel into the shell.


3. I sealed the base with some more chocolate and put the sheet into the freezer to gel it all together!!

4. Eat away!!


You can use just about any chocolate for the shell. If you'd like the caramel recipe just let me know and I'll email it your way!

Megan :)

Heart of a champion

Syracuse University’s 6OT win against UCONN at the Big East Tournament (BET) is an instant classic. But, it is only one piece of probably one of the most magical and exciting runs Orange fans can remember (in the same league as Gerry McNamera’s 2006 Big East run and the 2003 National Championship win).

This CUSE fan thinks our team peaked at the perfect moment, and in my opinion it happened right after a vicious foul against Kristof Ongeanaet during the second round game against Seton Hall at the BET. The team from New Jersey “woke the sleeping giant” (great phrase Mike) from New York and the rest was history.

The next night Jonny Flynn, Paul Harris, Eric Devendorf, Andy Rautins and the rest of the Orange proved they each have a “heart of a champion.” 18th ranked Syracuse dug deep to somehow beat UCONN in the 6th overtime, 226 minutes after tip-off, 244 points later and during a game that spanned 2 days. It’s up for debate but I would argue Syracuse won the game at the very last second of regulation. Eric Devendorf nailed a three pointer that after review was called off, prompting the longest game in Big East history. After the 127-117 victory Syracuse had less than 24 hours to turn around and face West Virginia. Another last minute shot sent this one into a single overtime, Cuse once again came out on top. Now, onto the Championship game and #1 seed Louisville. Syracuse came out strong going into the second half with the lead. 7 overtimes later and Syracuse hit a wall. Missed shots, turnovers and legs made of jello got the best of a team that fought for as long as humanly possible. With minutes to go and Louisville up by 10, the starters walked off the court and took a well-deserved seat on the CUSE bench. While the scoreboard showed a loss, Syracuse walked away champions in the minds of their fans.

This Big East Tournament should give the mighty Orange the confidence to prove to the naysayers, “we are for real.” Our miracle run in the BET already proved to the selection committee that we have what it takes, Sunday night Syracuse earned a 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. The last time we had this seed Carmelo and Gerry brought home a NCAA Championship to the Salt City!!! Fingers crossed.

Round 1: Welcome to Miami! Syracuse takes on Stephen F. Austin Friday at 12:15

A Star is Born!

Like just about everyone right now, Broadway is suffering from the economic downturn. In the past few months, a number of shows from Legally Blonde to Hairspray and Spamalot to Young Frankenstein closed their doors. $100 plus ticket prices and a decline in tourism are two of the many issues critics point to when trying to explain the reasons behind slumping ticket sales. Broadway is a major piece of American history. Artists dream of making it on the Great White Way while those of us with two left feet and a voice that sends the dog running love sitting in those seats watching rising stars put on magical performances. Here’s to a spring and summer that keeps those dazzling lights aglow for decades more.

One of those stars sure to keep the seats full is Josefina Scaglione. She is making her Broadway debut as Maria in the revival of West Side Story at the Palace Theatre. I was fortunate enough to see one of the preview performances last week and as one of the woman I saw the show with said, “We were lucky enough to be there when a star was born.” It’s almost as if Leonard Bernstein (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) wrote this musical specifically for Scaglione’s opera trained voice.

If you don’t know, West Side Story is about two rival gangs in 1950s New York City (Jets vs. Sharks) and the love affair between Tony, a member of the American gang (Jets) and Maria, the sister of Bernardo who is the leader of the Puerto Rican gang (Sharks). If this reminds you of a Shakespeare classic you’re right, the musical is based on Romeo and Juliet.

Overall, I'd say this revised version of West Side Story is good and stays pretty true to the original script. But, the female cast members way outshine the males. Tony (played by Matt Cavenaugh) and Riff (played by Cody Green) hold their own, but the rest of the men seem a bit weak and out of character for the tough group they are supposed to be.

The women, led by Scaglione, are one of the most talented groups of singers and dancers I’ve seen assembled on Broadway lately. Second to Scaglione is Karen Olivo who plays Anita. She brings a perfect mixture of spice and attitude the role needs while finding her sensitive and grieving side when Anita’s world gets turned upside down. One of the best scenes in the play is “America” led by Anita. The dancing, singing and timing all came together to make this the energetic get on the edge of your seat number it should be! I felt like I was up on stage selling what is so great about America with Anita!

The dancing in West Side Story is so beautiful, smooth and rhythmic, it is amazing how fighting can look so peaceful as the dancers glide across the stage showing their power through the strength of their movements.

One of the changes this revival introduces is the addition of some songs performed in Spanish. I’ve never studied Spanish and probably can count the number of Spanish words I know on one hand, but the switch up was magical. The way the cast performed songs like “I feel Pretty” made this Spanish dummy feel like I spoke the language fluently, job well done.

While this revival is still a bit rough around the edges, this classic is sure to please. On the Megan Meter I give West Side Story a 3.5 out 5 stars!

Some of the other revivals appearing on Broadway this season are Pal Joey, South Pacific and Hair.

☺

Happy Birthday Marie!

Do you have a friend you know will always be a part of your life until the last breath you take? I do, her name is Marie. I met Ms. Marie in 5th grade when my parents moved me kicking and screaming from public school to the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. I didn’t want to leave my Birmingham friends, but it was one of the best moves of my life. That year I formed a bond with Marie, the rest is history.

She’s the type of friend that no matter how many days or months go by before we see each other again, it feels like we’re back in the good old days when we saw each other every day (except for junior year) doing silly Megan and Marie things (which won’t be shared here!!). We always talked about living in the Big Apple together. She’s been there since graduation and I’m slowly making my way.

Enough of the history, what you need to know is now I’m only a 40min train ride away! Because I’m so close, the two of us celebrated Marie’s Birthday together (March 3!). We LOVE being in the know and enjoy experiencing the finer things in life! So, it only made sense we celebrate at one of the celebrity hot spots we’ve been dying to try (yes, we have a list). Our pick: The Waverly Inn (the hot spot you read about Bono, Gwyneth Paltrow, the Hilton’s, P. Diddy and just about any and all of the big celebrities dining at). We tried to make a reservation by calling the listed number. Turns out, it is fake, just a busy signal every time we tried. This was a big night, Marie’s birthday, so we decided to take a chance and just go. We arrived at the West Village eatery just before 7:00pm, walked through the green wood plank type door and tried our luck. Marie asked if there was room for two, after the maitre d’ gave us a quick once over, he said yes. We were in!

I have to agree with Marie, usually these hip New York City places are more of a draw for the people you will see not the food you will eat. I’d say the Waverly Inn food passes the test. We both tried the Waverly Inn biscuits. They were delicious, served with the lightest honey butter. If these were any indication of what was to come, this was going to be a great night of fine food! For the first course we ordered the Rocket salad. By the sound of it, I wasn’t expecting much, greens, roasted red onion, shaved parmesan, typical salad. Once I placed a fork full of the three ingredients in my mouth, I understood where the name came from; a rocket of flavor took my taste buds to a new place. Each flavor played off of each other creating the most refreshing salad I’ve had in a long time. So far so good! Now to the main course: Marie had the Salmon, she said it was delicious, good taste, well cooked. I decided to go for a home cooked type meal, the Chicken Pot Pie. What a good choice! First of all my eyes popped out when the staff placed this enormous pie in front of me. The dish is the size of a soup bowl, the crust spilling over the sides, perfectly browned. For me, the crust and the sauce determine whether or not a Pot Pie is going to be worthy of a second going. The Waverly Inn version hit the mark on both. The crust was so flaky it just fell apart when you touched it, perfect not so thick it would take away from the flavors inside. Time to make our way into the meat of the dish, the filling. A simple and light cream sauce coated cooked to perfection chicken, mushrooms carrots and peas. I hate mushrooms, but these didn’t end up on the side of my plate, they were great. Like any meal we have, a side of fries accompanied our four-star meals! At the suggestion of our waiter we had the fries coated in truffle oil: ADDICTING, enough said.

Our bellies were full but we got into the Waverly Inn, so we were going to enjoy a three-course meal! Marie polished off a piece of cheesecake, she said it was good. I went with the ice cream, a scoop of double chocolate and one scoop of caramel. Chocolate lovers would have gone crazy over the first, for me it was a bit too rich. At first taste I thought my second scoop was a delicious vanilla with a hint of caramel, once I hit the middle the most delicious caramel oozed out creating what I would say was the best ice cream I’ve ever had (and I’ve had my fair share of ice cream!).

At the end of the night, we were stuffed! I’d give the Waverly Inn a 4 out of 5 on the Megan Meter!

(Side note: in true Megan and Marie fashion we didn’t recognize any celebrities but Bono was there the night before and Will Ferrell arrived just after we left…typical!)

Happy Birthday Marie, where shall we go next!

☺