DIVA TAUNIA'S BACKSTAGE PASS

Thursday, June 29, 2006

HEY THERE, REMEMBER ME?

It's been so long since I last posted, and there's been so much stuff going on. I'll give you a recap of the big things:

DAD: He's doing much better. He's home and has a visiting nurse that comes to check on him at the house 3 times a week. He's just started looking into his Doggie Day Care business, and he's starting out with dog-walking and sitting. SO, if you need someone, let me know!

SHAH'S WEDDING SHOWER: Absolutely beautiful. The weather started off crappy, but cleared up by early afternoon. We had rented a tent, so everyone was still able to eat outside and enjoy the day. We had a HUGE BBQ with Southern food (ribs, friend chicken, beans, collard greens, cornbread, so much more!). My friend Sue did all the cooking and we worked from Friday night straight through to the shower on Sunday. She seriously kicks ass and I can't believe how much awesome food she made! Next up: bachelorette party!

NYC: We went to NYC a few weeks ago to start promoting the new CD. I was a little nervous because we haven't been to NYC in over a year and didn't know if we'd actually have anyone there. We had another NYC group open for us, and they brought in a couple people, but the rest of the room was pretty full of our folks!

After the show, Ben hung out with his peeps and Shah and I went to Korea Town for dinner with Abbey and Ed from DUWENDE. We had the BEST time with them! They're really the coolest people and I just love hanging out with them. Luckily, we get to see them in November too!

CD RELEASE SHOW: Ok, how awesome is this: our CD SOLD OUT!!! They've been playing it on the radio too, and we had a few orders online from the radio play. We're pretty excited about it, and so far the feedback has been really great. If you want to hear full soundclips, you can check out our MYSPACE PAGE or THE VOTE FOR PEDRO SITE.

JAZZ LESSONS WITH CHARLIE BANACOS: I'm getting my ass kicked theory-wise. Seriously. It's almost humiliating, but really great at the same time.

LIFE IN GENERAL: Pretty good. Working a LOT on the new job (but making good money), constantly getting new students, gigging, etc. For a while, I had a ton of free time, but now I feel like there's not enough hours in the day.

I started Weight Watchers again, and I've lost 17 lbs. Slow going, but going. My doctor prescribed Meridia for me, to help keep me focused and on track. I haven't gotten it filled yet because it's not covered by insurance and it's expensive, but I probably will soon. PMS kicks my ass every month, and for the past 5 days I've been eating out of control. Someone stop me!

I'll leave you with a couple new recipes I've learned that KICK ASS. If you make it, let me know if it rocked your world!

TAUNIA'S BAKED HADDOCK GOODNESS:

-1 lb fresh Haddock filets (this is about 2 large filets)
-1 cup milk
-2 cups breadcrumbs
-1 cup fresh parmegan grated cheese
-1/2 stick butter (low fat, huh??)
-1/2 lemon


Directions:

Mix the breadcrumbs and parmegan together and pour onto a flat plate or bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave. Take filets and dip in the milk, then in the breadcrumb mixture. You can either cover the filets completely or just the tops. Place in non-stick baking pan. (My friend Sue likes to put white wine on the bottom of the pan. I haven't tried this, but she said it rocks.) If you like a lot of the crunchy stuff on top of the fish, you can use the excess bread crumbs and put those on top of the filets. Pour the melted butter evenly over the top of the filets. Baked at 400 degrees for 14 minute. Take out of the oven and taste the goodness!

TAUNIA'S FRIEND BILL'S EASY ROULADE:

-Fresh large-size lavash flatbread (I like the green ones with this recipe)
-Fresh coat cheese (crumbled is fine)
-Red pepper jelly (you can find this with the regular jelly)
-Fresh sliced proscuitto (some people use salami or other Italian specialty meats)
-Saran wrap

Directions:

-Lie a piece of the lavash on a clean, flat surface on top of the saran wrap.
-Spread a layer of goat cheese on the bread (about a 1/4" thick)
NOTE: If you buy the crumbled goat cheese, just put it in the microwave for a few seconds. That will melt it slightly and make it spreadable.
-Spread a layer of the pepper jelly on top of that.
-Lie the slices of proscuitto on top of the cheese and jelly in a thin layer.
-Tightly roll the entire lavish into a cylinder and then wrap the whole thing tightly in the saran wrap.
-Refridgerate for at least 2 hours. I did mine overnight, and all the flavors sealed together, so if you have the time - I'd recommend that.
-When ready to serve, take out of the saran wrap and place it on a flat surface with the edge down. Take a sharp knife and make 1" diagonal cuts so that you have small roulade rolls.
(This one's great for a party!)

Posted by Taunia @ 1:32 PM :: (0) comments