Happy Birthday

Blueberry Cheesecake

Crust
60 vanilla wafers (Nilla cookies)
¹⁄₄ C. granulated sugar
1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Place wafers in a large Ziploc bag and smash with rolling pin until you have a bag of dust.  Transfer crumbs to a medium size bowl and stir in sugar and melted butter.  Press the crumbs firmly into the spring form pan and up the sides.  Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are just starting to turn golden brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack before filling.

Filing
3 (8 ounce) blueberry flavor cream cheese, softened
¹⁄₂ C. sugar
3 Tb. all-purpose flour
¹⁄₂ tsp. salt
3 eggs
8 ounces sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 zested lemon
2 C. blueberries
3 Tb. blueberry jam

Beat softened cream cheese and add sugar, flour and salt until blended. Add eggs, one at a time and blend.  Add sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest. Gently stir in blueberries. Pour mixture into cooled crust.  Top with blueberry jam and "cut in" to make swirls.  Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 50 minutes. (Cheesecake will be done when it still jiggles in the middle.) Turn off oven and let remain in oven with door open for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool. Cover and chill cheesecake in refrigerator.

Rue

Rue is grown throughout the world for its bluish leaves, and sometimes for its tolerance of hot and dry soil conditions. It is also cultivated as a medicinal herb, as a condiment, and to a lesser extent as an insect repellent.  Rue extracts can cause chemical liver damage.  Large doses can cause violent gastric pain, vomiting, systemic complications, and death.  The bitter taste of its leaves led to rue being associated with the (etymologically unrelated) verb rue "to regret". Rue is well known for its symbolic meaning of regret and it has sometimes been called "herb-of-grace" in literary works.  Rutin is one of the phenolic compounds found in the plant and contributes to the antibacterial properties of the plant.  Rutin is a citrus flavonoid glycoside found in many plants including buckwheat, asparagus, fruits and fruit rinds (especially the citrus fruits orange, grapefruit, lemon, and lime) apples, berries such as mulberry and cranberries.  Only a small amount of rue is needed as it has a very strong flavor. The bitter taste can be reduced by acids.  To avoid the bitterness of rue a cook can use the fact that it releases its essential oil much more quickly than its bitter rutin. You can place the fresh leaves in slightly boiling sauce for about a minute and then remove it. This way you will get the flavor but not the bitterness.

In this experiment I have first cut the rue into small pieces with scissors.  I added vodka to the rue and gently brought the mixture to a boil.  I immediately removed it from the stove and let it cool in a glass bottle for 3 days.  I will use this vodka to deglaze a meat dish that uses a tomato base.  I hope to gain the rue's flavor and  minimize the bitterness by the quick usage of heat, and abundant addition of acid from the tomatoes.

Pesto Alfredo

Pesto	Alfredo
1 C. fresh basil	2 Tb. cream cheese
2 Tb. pine nuts	1/2 C. half and half
1 large garlic clove	garlic powder
1/4 C. olive oil	pepper
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese	1 Tb. corn starch dissolved in water
lemon juice	blended shredded cheese

Begin by making Alfredo sauce. Melt cream cheese in sauce pan with half and half. Season and stir with whisk until smooth. Add corn starch as it gets warm, to help it thicken. If sauce is too thin add shredded cheese. In a blender make your pesto. Blend basil, garlic, and olive oil until a very smooth paste. Season with lemon juice. Add cheese and pine nuts; pulse until blended but still chunky. Serve your pasta two ways with complementary sauces or add pesto to the alfredo and make a green cheese sauce that tastes awesome on chicken.

Dukkah Chicken

Chicken	Dukkah Seasoning
1 Tb. Dukkah seasoning	1/2 C. toasted hazelnuts
6 oz. snap peas	1/2 C. toasted sesame seeds
4 Tb. sour cream	2 Tb. coriander
whole lime	1/2 tsp. cumin
1 Tb. olive oil	2 Tb. ground black pepper
	1 tsp. salt

Begin with making the citrus sour cream. Zest a lime into a custard cup; top with sour cream and just a little sprinkle of salt. Cut and squeeze lime juice into sour cream mixture. Stir until smooth and a little on the thin side. Butterfly chicken breasts and pound to uniform thickness. Season both sides of breasts with salt, pepper and dukkah seasoning. Heat olive oil in your skillet. Cook chicken for about 7 minutes per side. Set chicken aside to rest while you cook snap peas. Wash skillet and re-oil. Cook snap peas for about 3 minutes tossing constantly until they turn a brilliant green color. Serve chicken with side of peas and drizzle of citrus sour cream on top.

One Man Band

Nearer My God To Thee

Star Wars

Teenage Dream

Les Miserables

Rolling In the Deep (again!)

Dueling Banjos

Bohemian Rhapsody

Frisson

Sometimes music strikes the body like a bolt of lightning.  A chill down the spine, fluttering in the stomach, a racing heart – the musical movements send feelings surging through your body.

Hello
"Hello from the other side, I must have called a thousand time"

This Is My Fight Song
"I might only have one match, But I can make an explosion"

My Immortal
 "I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone, But though you're still with me, I've been alone all along."

Angel
"And maybe empty, Oh, and weightless, and maybe, I'll find some peace tonight "

Say Something I'm Giving Up On You
"And I am feeling so small, It was over my head, I know nothing at all. "

I See Fire
Now I see fire, Inside the mountain. I see fire, Burning the trees. And I see fire, Hollowing souls. I see fire, Blood in the breeze. And I hope that you remember me"

Rolling In the Deep
"The scars of your love, they leave me breathless, I can't help feeling,  We could have had it all, Rolling in the deep."

Apostacy

Rock stars seem to have it all: incredible wealth, the adoration of millions of fans, a high-flying lifestyle of private jets and exclusive parties. But the fame, fortune and hectic lifestyle leave many stars feeling empty and searching for meaning.

Don't Think Twice
Although he grew up Jewish, Bob Dylan became a born-again Christian in the late 1970s. When touring in late 1979 and early 1980, Dylan would not play his older, secular works, and he delivered declarations of his faith from the stage. Dylan's Christianity was unpopular with some fans and musicians, but he didn't seem to care. Nearly fifteen years later, Dylan was saying that he doesn’t believe in any organized religion and that music was his spirituality

Morning Has Broken
The folk-pop star who became famous as Cat Stevens converted to Islam in 1977 and changed his name to Yusuf Islam the next year. Increasingly dissatisfied with the spiritual rewards of pop stardom, Stevens partially credits his Muslim conversion to a near-death experience.  In 1979, he auctioned all his guitars for charity and left his music career to devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community.  In 2006, he returned to pop music – releasing his first album of new pop songs in 28 years.  He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

When Doves Cry
Prince was raised a Seventh-Day Adventist, but the R&B/rock/pop superstar became a Jehovah's Witness in 2001.  His new faith kept him from drinking, swearing, and voting.  He gave up drugs, became a vegan, and no longer played any of the music that made his career famous.

Long Tall Sally
After helping bring rock n' roll into existence, Little Richard put it all aside to focus on his born-again Christianity.  In 1957, when he was at his most popular point, Little Richard quit rock and roll music. He went to Bible college and became a church preacher. He then went on to play only Gospel music for many years.

Coming Undone
After spending 12 years making Korn, and being ranked at No. 26 of Guitar World's 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time, Brian Welch explained: "I was walking one day, just doing my Rock & Roll thing making millions of bucks, you know success and everything, addicted to drugs and then the next day I had Revelation of Christ and I was like, everything changes right now!"

Free As A Bird
George Harrisson was often referred to as "the quiet Beatle". Harrison embraced Indian mysticism and helped broaden the horizons of his fellow Beatles as well as their Western audience by incorporating Indian instrumentation in their music.  Harrison's use of psychedelic drugs encouraged his path to meditation and Hinduism. He commented: "For me, it was like a flash. The first time I had acid, it just opened up something in my head that was inside of me, and I realized a lot of things. I didn't learn them because I already knew them, but that happened to be the key that opened the door to reveal them. From the moment I had that, I wanted to have it all the time – these thoughts about the yogis and the Himalayas, and Ravi's music."  His drug usage led to his separation from his wife. In line with the Hindu yoga tradition, Harrison became a vegetarian in the late 1960s.  After The Beatles had stopped touring in August 1966, each of the members, to varying degrees, began to pursue his own musical tastes.

Keeping The Faith

The music industry has long been described as a volatile, sometimes evil, environment where talent is often exploited by greedy music execs. Conspiracy theorists take it a step further, believing the industry is controlled by elite groups that use pop stars to spread their satanic agenda to the masses.

War Pigs
Nicknamed “The Prince of Darkness” rock legend Ozzy Osbourne has been dubbed a satanist since his debut with Black Sabbath. The heavy metal singer infamously bit off the head of a dove during a live performance in 1981. Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 and has since had a successful solo career, releasing 11 studio albums, the first seven of which were all awarded multi-platinum certifications in the US. Osbourne's longevity and success have also earned him the informal title of "Godfather of Heavy Metal".

The Beautiful People
Marilyn Manson is not just a shock rocker, he was reportedly ordained a priest in the Church of Satan. Over his two-decade career as one of the most controversial characters in pop culture, the rocker has always tried to push the societal envelope, question authority, challenge religion and, of course, make some heavy music. Marilyn Manson is very charitable. Throughout his career, he has supported a variety of organizations that give access to musical instruments and training to low-income children like "Music for Life" and "Little Kids Rock.

Head Like A Hole
Michael Trent Reznor is an American musician, composer and record producer with a net worth of $70 million. He pulled off the unthinkable by forming Nine Inch Nails: he took a deliberately abrasive, noisy music like industrial and streamlined it for the masses to eat up.  "Rock music was never meant to be safe.", he told Los Angeles Times music critic Robert Hilburn. "There needs to be an element of intrigue, mystery, subversiveness. Your parents *should* hate it."

Born This Way
Known for her blatantly sacrilegious songs, videos and live performances, Lady Gaga has come under fire for her dark antics because she regularly incorporates blood, fire and nudity into her live performances. Lady Gaga denounces mainstream pop.  She manages to create records that combine her passions of fashion, music, pop culture, and art to wonderful effect.  She’s over the top and in your face, but she has the talent to back it up. She is a tireless innovator who understands that there is more to being a pop star than churning out records. Her undeniable passion and creativity are plain to see, and her ability to always be self-aware means that she is always growing as a performer, as a singer, and as an icon.

Single Ladies
Beyonce’s “demonic” alter-egos (Yonce, and Sasha Fierce) and performances filled with Illuminati symbols have ruffled the feathers of parents and parent advocate groups alike. Her once kid-friendly pop image as part of ‘Destiny’s Child’ has long been replaced by an oversexualized one. 

Material Girl
Blamed for ushering in a new age of sexual depravity, Madonna has been labeled a devil-worshipper and “servant of the devil” Madonna told Harper’s Bazaar magazine, she is a “big believer in ritualistic behavior” but ‘not a big fan of rules’. Now, Madonna has nothing left to prove except, ironically, that she still has something left to prove. No genre has a shorter memory than pop, where you’re only as good as your last move or you’re a flop. She can’t help being compared to not only all the younger, hungrier pop stars in her wake but her entire three-decade legacy.

Happy 4th

Pork tenderloin chop grilled and served with broccoli and sea salt.

Divine Guardians

The 3 Divine Guardians, comprising a Chi Lin, a Fu Dog and a Pi Xiu, are celestial creatures sent to Earth by the God of Heaven to safeguard the trinity of Tien Ti Ren. Together, they form the trusted antidote to subdue the viciousness of the 3 Killings. It is said that the Chi Lin helps prevent losing your loved ones, Fu Dog protects your reputation and the Pi Xiu assists in combating against loss of wealth. Placing three dimensional images of these divine protectors in the afflicted sectors invokes their spiritual presence and creates a safeguard for all residents.

The Chi Lin, also known as Dragon Horse, is the Chinese Unicorn, a legendary creature with head of a dragon, scales of carp upon the body of a horse, and a tail consisting of little curls. The Chi Lin's presence is said to attract the powerful cosmic breath of the dragon, which promises good omens, wealth, success, longevity, wisdom, compassion and distinguished children. The magnificent Chi Lin is believed to have great protective abilities.

Fu Dogs are mythical animals and guardians of the heavenly gate. They have fear-inspiring faces and muscular bodies and are believed to be protectors that ward off evil influences and spirits. It is their task to probe the mind and intentions of the entering guest. The Fu Dogs also nourish Chi that enters the home or business premises and thus brings in good fortune.

The Pi Xiu is a mystical creature that is a particularly powerful and auspicious creature of good fortune. Chinese adore the Pi Xie because of its protective, obedient and loyal nature. It is believed that the Pi Xiu will always try its best to fulfill its owner’s wish and protect its owner from any harm. Pi Xiu also has the ability to help anyone having bad Feng Shui due to having offended the Grand Duke Jupiter (Tai Sui).