Anjelah Johnson

My husband and I like to say "you look so pretty...like cheerleader" and the quote came from this video. It makes me laugh every time!

"You look so pretty...like cheerleader."

Cher

I read the Vanity Fair interview with Cher, here, and I thought it was really interesting. Cher was the original Pop Diva, and you have to admire that at 64-years-old she's still entertaining the masses...and looking amazing while doing it.

Here are my takeaways:

• Cher's grandmother gave birth to Cher's mother when she was 13-years-old. (Yikes!)
  
• Cher was raised by a single mother and at times in poverty, and Cher thinks she's still working hard at age 64 because she doesn't want to return to poverty.
• Cher was friends with Lucille Ball!!!
• The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour was one of television’s most popular shows from 1971 to 1974.
• Sonny owned 95% and their attorney owned 5% of Cher Enterprises. Cher owned 0% of Cher Enterprises. How was that even legal?!
• Cher says she keeps yelling at her family to work out, because old age is coming and they'll need their strength. (Apparently strength is needed and harder to obtain as you age?!)
  
• I like the way Cher spoke about her career as a Pop Diva: “It’s not an easy job. You just have to make it look easy. But also, it’s just a job. I’m not doing anything that’s monumental. I know what I do is kind of a tonic for people. I’m either dying in my house or onstage.”

Let me back up

Okay, let me back up a bit...I'm posting about food because on Friday we had a dinner party with two of our favorite couples: Jim & Donna, Steve & Jeff. It was also Dooley's six-month birthday, which means they surprised us and brought Dooley birthday presents! I love having friends that are as crazy about their dogs as we are...we had a wonderful night together.

They complemented all the food, but they were most impressed with Glenda's mac and cheese and my husband's ability to grill such extraordinary steaks. My husband knows how to handle his meat.

Pecan Square

We made Ina's pecan bars this weekend. My husband, who used to not like pecan pie, likes these pecan squares. They taste a little more like pecan pralines than pecan pie to me, but I could have screwed up the recipe, since I just guessed at how many pecans equaled two pounds.

This dish was a volcano in my oven. The stuff bubbled over and down the side and smoked us out, but it was worth it the moment we cut into these squares and took a bite.

Red White and Green

Look at this roasted tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and pesto salad we made on Friday. Isn't that a very Christmas-y dish? Red. White. Green. It's merry Christmas on the plate!

My husband is skillful at taking bland tomatoes and roasting them to concentrate the flavor. It turns out of season tomatoes into something not far from the taste of home grown tomatoes!

Roasted Root Vegetables

I discovered something easy, healthy, and delicious on Friday. I made my version of Ina's Roasted Winter Vegetables, which is simply an exercise in chopping up a butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, and one fennel and then brushing them with olive oil and sprinkling with salt and pepper. I dumped this out onto a sheet pan and roasted it in the oven. The result was hot, flavorful, and delicious vegetables. Plus, this only has a little olive oil, so it has to be healthy, right?

My Grandfather

Are you wonder who's the handsome man in this photo? This is my grandfather. This picture is posted on his church's website, here. He's served as an usher for as long as I can remember.

I love my grandfather.