Did you really think I wouldn't post about this?

Another late Top 5 Tuesday (I blame Memorial Day Weekend)

Now, some of my loyal few (even, perhaps, a family member!) may see the topic of this week's Top 5 list and opt to skip it. I have been mocked, at times, though most often tolerated, for my unabashed, life-long love for George Strait. For whatever reason, my dad, who actually has quite the diverse taste in music, has never been the biggest traditional country music fan. He appreciates old-timers like Waylon Jennings, but he is not much for the billboard leaders of today. Though he has made allowances for the recent influx of "Texas country", which is very different than typical Nashville fare. I, however, love country music, and adore no one more than George Strait. His songs were woven throughout my life, from a very early age. My earliest memory is probably of "Baby Blue"-ever the romantic, one of my BFF's Wendy and I used to discuss how the song was for us. Because we had baby blue eyes of course. I was probably nine or ten during these discussions, just so you know.

Then, as I grew older, I got to experience those angst-y first dances, where I would sit anxious and nervous as the music played, knowing full well that I didn't know how to two-step, but wishing desperately that someone would ask me to anyway. There were always a a few George Strait classics played; almost inevitably "The Cowboy Rides Away" would be the final dance. I should mention that these dances weren't at school, but took place in Fort Davis for 4th of July, or in Marfa for the Marfa Lights Festival. They were always on the street, which was cleared out and usually encircled with bales of hay or lawn chairs so that people could sit and enjoy the dancing. All the adults were great dancers-to me, they seemed like seasoned professionals, whirling and spinning.

I was in seventh grade when Pure Country came out-my BFF Julie and I were overwhelmed for excitement for the video to come out. Of course, there was no movie theater within 100 miles, and I am almost certain that neither of us made a big trip to El Paso to see it. I cannot COUNT how many times we listened to "I Cross My Heart", or giggled innocently at the suggestive nature of "Overnight Male" or got pumped up by the opening strains of "Heartland." And despite the cheese factor of the movie, you can bet that we watched it 100's of times, crying at all the romantic scenes each time.

Julie and I believed we were George's biggest fans. We proudly wore our concert t-shirts throughout junior high and high school, though neither of us had ever been to one. We eagerly devoured information on Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos (now Texas State), because that's where George went. Our theme song was "You Know Me Better Than That", which we joyously sang together every few days. As George is quite prolific, producing albums at a regular, predictable rate, Julie and I always purchased them together. We weren't exactly alone in our obsession, but not everyone shared our deep appreciation.

My freshman year of college, I dragged my friend Bailey with me to see George in concert in Clemson, SC. That was back when George went on tour with a huge crowd of people, calling it a festival, so it was really an all-day thing. We were positively exhausted by the time he finally came on, but all the fatigue faded away the minute he started playing. George isn't a big showman, and there weren't any fancy lights or smoke and mirrors. Just Jorge Derecho (yes, we gave him this lame nickname in high school when we learned a few Spanish words) and his guitar, wearing Wranglers, boots, and a crisply ironed Brushpopper shirt. He played all the favorites, all the new hits, and even a more obscure tune, which happens to be on my list today.

As my Francis mantra states, "I always know what I'm getting, and I'm always pleased." That is exactly why I love George so much. He has a formula that works, and he doesn't try to be anything that he's not. Of course, that predictability and un-spontaneous nature is exactly why not everyone loves him the way I do. It is comforting, though, one must admit, to have a few things that you can count on.

I came up with my George Strait-inspired list because of a special tonight on CBS: The ACM Artist of the Decade All-Star Concert, the artist in question being, of course, George Strait. Even if you don't love him, or if you loathe country music, you have to admire a guy who has managed to reap such tremendous success, even after 25 years.

5. Why Not Now, One Step at a Time. This album is one of my favorites, loaded with great songs. While this one wasn't a top 10 hit, I seem to remember it had some significance for me in the last few months of high school.

4. Amarillo by Morning, Strait from the Heart. I had to include a fond memory from all those dances! By the way, two-stepping really isn't that difficult, and no one should shy away from dancing due to a lack of a confidence! Lesson learned from George Strait!

3. Run, The Road Less Traveled. This song was tremendously popular, probably because it's a bit more mainstream. It's a real country ballad, and I admit to getting a little swept up every time I listen to it.

2. Lead On, Lead On. There is something so sweet and heartwrenching about this song. "She said I had a love once, but he just up and left me; I said I bet it broke your heart...I had a love once too, but I acted like a fool, oh what I'd give, to be back in her arms..." Well, I know you can't REALLY get the idea from those lyrics, but if you heard it, I'd bet you could understand why I love it so.

1. Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her, #7. It's my all-time favorite. I can't exactly explain why, but I think it might just be its comforting familiarity.

Julie and I, circa 1998, with One Step at a Time.

Be still my heart!

And so it begins. You can expect this kind of behavior from me until 11/20/09.

Meatballs just aren't glamourous.

I have continued to build up quite a list of recipes that I haven't written about. I always tell myself that I'm saving them for the proverbial rainy day, a day upon which I have no recipe to write about and thus must rely upon the reserve I've stored up.

This particular recipe is part of that store, but I've also waited for some time to include it because it's not exactly the most composed, fancy, or elaborate dish. It's just a good old-fashioned meatball sandwich. Which includes, as a key ingredient, Fritos. Yes, those crispy curls of salty corn goodness. The kind that I used to find at the concession stand at football games, doused in Wolf Brand chili and garnished with shredded cheddar (that would be a Frito pie, by the way). I'm not at all ashamed about this ingredient, however. I feel that the crushed chips lend an excellent texture and flavor to the meatballs and sauce. They truly do. And you should absolutely trust my opinion, because usually, I don't even like meatballs. Any sort of baked meat, actually-I loathe meatloaf. I do enjoy the meatball sub from Subway, but I think that might just be the fact that they've soaked into the tomato sauce for so long that I can barely taste the wretched "baked meat" flavor that I abhor.

Anyway, I came across this recipe in the No Recipe Zone section of my Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine. Silvana Nardone, an assistant editor always commands this feature, as well as a dessert spot, in the magazine, and I tend to enjoy her dishes. Despite the aforementioned dislike of meatballs, I decided to give the recipe a shot-the Fritos intrigued me, and the addition of black beans and pepper jack cheese were also major selling points.

The subs were DELICIOUS. By far better than any sandwich one could pick up from Subway or Quizno's. The chili sauce was hearty and spicy, the meatballs juicy and scrumptious. My SH and I ate them for several nights, and I can easily see doubling the recipe for the sauce in order to have plenty left over to freeze. I'm sure it would also taste good tossed with pasta or served over white rice. Give it a shot, and don't think twice about the Fritos.

Chili Meatball Subs, adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray, May 2009

	1 pound ground beef 1 onion, one-half finely chopped, one-half thinly sliced 1 cup corn chips, such as Fritos, crushed 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon chili powder	Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil One 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes One 15-ounce can black beans 6 sandwich rolls, split halfway and toasted 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese (about 8 ounces)

1. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, chopped onion, 1/4 cup crushed corn chips, the egg, chili powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup water. Shape into 1-inch balls.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and the remaining 3/4 cup crushed corn chips and bring to a boil. Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook just until heated through, about 5 minutes.
3. Preheat the broiler. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the chili meatballs and sauce into the toasted rolls, then top with the cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.

Top 5 Tuesday

from A Tale of Two Cities

I spent this evening over at a friend's house, eating steaming bowls of tortilla soup and then watching The Hours, in preparation for our class lecture on Mrs. Dalloway and its tragic author, Virginia Woolf. I've actually really been enjoying the book, and as I watched the unrecognizable Nicole Kidman-as-Virginia Woolf tell her husband that she had a "first line," I was struck with inspiration for this week's list. The first line of Mrs. Dalloway is distinctive and memorable, in its very ordinary-ness: "Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself." In fact, that very sentence contains within it a crucial truth to the story, it epitomizes the issue at the heart of the eponymous Mrs. Dalloway.

I thought I might take a quick look through my bookshelf and choose a few first lines that I found to be particularly compelling. Keep in mind, this is no "Best First Lines Ever" list, and it's not really even a true top 5. It's just a little record of what it has been, in some of my favorite books, that made me realize, right off the bat, that these were something to be reckoned with.

5. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith.

Serene was a word you could put to Brooklyn, New York.

4. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

3. Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck.

Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.

2. Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D.H. Lawrence.

Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically.

1. A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way-in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Clearly, that last one rather trumps the rest. There's a reason he's my fave.

New Moon Rising

You have to admit, I've shown a remarkable amount of restraint in these past few months while New Moon has been filming. Nary an image of the shooting, clips from the ET specials, or press releases has appeared on my blog. Well, I can hold back no longer. The fabulous, official movie poster was released this morning, and I must share it, if for no other reason than to allow me to gaze upon it.

I'm pretty sure the movie is going to be awesome. Can't you tell?





I felt nauseous the first time I saw that last image-Edward's imminent departure is SO painful!


11-20-09!

"It's going to take a long time, and then it's perfect."

And so ends the fifth season of The Office, a perfectly sweet conclusion to what has arguably been one of the best seasons. Say what you will about the episodes that weren't chock-full of laughs, the writers have made a concerted, successful effort to carefully craft and develop each character. Michael, as emotionally vulnerable and socially awkward as ever, found a true soulmate in Holly Flax, and despite being separated by distance and other relationships, he sweetly, eloquently stated in last night's finale that they will have a "long story." Angela got her just deserts when her infidelity was finally revealed, but it would seem that Dwight might consider un-shunning her by next season. Andy might just find love with the adorable new receptionist. Ryan is back as a temp, a position that he fully deserves, what with his corporate malfeasance and drug habit. Phyllis is just a little saucier, and is proving to be a clear voice of reason to counteract Michael's vengeful fits of hurt feelings, reminding him that he let them all down when he left to start the Michael Scott Paper Company.

And Jim and Pam...what WASN'T great about them this season? Rarely has such a popular television relationship managed to escape the tendency towards the over-dramatic that many other shows insist upon writing in, to "keep it interesting." I think that's because it's not an unusual relationship-it's just a good example of a real life one. The two characters are funny and clever, whether together or separate, and their chemistry has not waned just because they're happy. The concluding scene, the big reveal, could not have been handled better-witnessing the news from behind the window only made it more poignant, and John Krasinski was just superb as he stepped out to call Dwight back, barely containing his emotion.

Ah, the sixth season really can't get here fast enough!