Day 88 of Firsts: Bake a Chocolate Flourless Torte Cake

When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste. ~Laiko Bahrs

My friends know it is not unusual for me to experiment on them when I'm cooking. And tonight's first is definitely an experiment.

Tomorrow Passover begins and we are going over to a friend's home for Passover Seder.  My assignment? Bring a chocolate dessert.  This is a bit challenging because a Passover dessert cannot have any flour in it. 

Thus, my first attempt at a chocolate flourless torte.  Hmm...take a look.  What do you think?



 
I'm a little concerned because the grocery store was apparently wiped out of unsweetened chocolate today. I decided to replace it with unsweetened carob chips, (because I was not about to go to another store.) I have no idea if carob chips will bake like chocolate.  AHH.
 
 
 
Well, this is one of those times we're going to have to wait until tomorrow to see how this turns out. I'm afraid to flip this cake over before it's completely cool....(and that won't happen til I'm fast asleep.)
 
Don't worry. If it's good, I'll post the recipe ala "Julie and Julia".   Bon appetit!

Day 65 of Firsts: Dance at an Irish Hooley

When Irish eyes are smiling, tis like a morn in spring. with a lilt of Irish laughter You can hear the angels sing. ~Author Unknown

Oh my gosh! What joy!  I had the best time dancing with the South Jersey Irish Society.  Check it out. I'm in the grey shirt and jeans.



I'd never been to an Irish Hooley. You can see the dances are kind of like square dancing.  At one point I was spinning around,  hair  flying, dancing around the room, breathless, laughing.  So much fun.

John and Jaqueline Kelly invited me to the monthly gathering in Palmyra at the Knights of Columbus hall.  Everyone happily showed me the steps. When I got lost they just would swing me around. The live music was wonderful.

Today was a marathon crazy day at work.  Going to the Hooley was like shaking it all away and  saying " let the weekend begin." What a great first.

Day 64 of Firsts: Sing with a Choir

I don't sing because I'm happy; I'm happy because I sing. ~William James

I truly never know what's going to happen when I do a First, (like when I banged my head on the piano last night.)

I haven't sung in a choir since elementary school. Choir director Sue De Monde challenged me to join her group for their first rehearsal of the season in Yeadon, Pennsylvania.

I can tell you I never expected to be so uplifted by such a wonderful group of voices tonight. Forget American Idol. Sue and the William Penn Community Chorus reminded me why it's fun to sing instead of watching other people sing.

Forgive the camera work.  (Hard to sing and shoot video)




I know I can't convey how sweet this was. One woman in the choir told me this is what gets her through the day. No matter how tired she is, she knows she's going to have new energy when she is singing with her friends.



They sing show tunes, patriotic numbers, some good classics.  They entertain at nursing homes, community events and they are warm and welcoming to new voices (and even not so good voices like mine.)

I sang all the way home..."I'm a chaquita banana and I'm here to say...la la la......"  

Day 61 of Firsts: Be the Commander of My Cell Phone

I like my new telephone, my computer works just fine, my calculator is perfect, but Lord, I miss my mind! ~Author Unknown

I can blog and vlog, text and twitter, I facebook and am quite attached to my Blackberry....BUT, until today, I really didn't know how to use my cell phone, (except of course to make phone calls.)

I know you are shocked. "How can that be?" you ask.  Well, I guess as I've moved forward at warp speed to learn all the latest technology, I skipped over a couple of basics.

I never learned to program my cell phone and still have trouble turning on my tv at home. (Shocked again? Just ask my husband. Too many buttons. What happened to on and off? Another story.)

So today the NBC 10 investigative interns gave me some lessons. Cell phone wallpaper? Got it. Saving phone numbers in contact list with names? Got it.  Picture next to name? Working on it.....



See, there's the proof: cell phone clueless no more.

Now I see that my cell phone is so much MORE than a cell phone.  Where are my APPS, people?

This phone is for BABIES! 

I'm ready for the phone that tells me where I'm at when I'm lost, how many calories I just ate and where I'm supposed to go when. 

 Ha. I've got your number now, my little old model cell phone. (What is it again?)

Day 59 of Firsts: Walk to the White House

Freedom is the oxygen of the soul. ~Moshe Dayan

Still in D.C. this morning, the choice was get on the hotel "dread mill" or take a brisk walk to the White House.  Not much of a choice really. I've been in the White House for press conferences before. But a workout walk to the White House and around the grounds is a First.



Being newsy and all, my friend and I couldn't help but notice there was more security around the White House than we expected.  Suddenly a chopper landed and took off.

  

Turns out the President was being taken to get his physical in Bethesda this morning.  We stood with other tourists feeling very satisfied  that our walk turned into a little "Forrest Gump" moment. 

Later, I got into a cab, refreshed from my morning walk. I heard politicians debating health care on the cab radio. The cabbie waved his arms in frustration. "Why can't they fix this?" he said out loud. He wasn't talking to me. He was talking back to the radio.  "I can't afford a doctor."   He swung the car around the Capitol toward the train station.

On the news, I heard the President got a clean bill of health today, and the health care bill is in critical condition. 

And as I left town, I thought about all the people asking  "Is there a doctor in the House?" 

   

Day 56 of Firsts: Climb a Salt Hill

Snowmen fall from heaven... unassembled. ~Author Unknown

I don't know about you, but I've had it with the snow!  I don't want to see more snow on the ground tomorrow morning! I don't want to shovel it, scrape it, or slosh around in it. I don't want to be in it.

Today, I was out reporting on snow preparations AGAIN!

I told the Penndot crew at the Trevose salt yard about my blog. They offered up a fun little first: climb a salt hill. Bruce Blackson was my "tour guide".



The ground up salt is soft like sand. And here's an interesting little fact. The state of  Pennsylvania has used a record amount of salt so far this year: over 114 thousand TONS!  

Kids would probably love to play in this stuff. 



Tomorrow I'll be out reporting on whatever mother nature drops on us.  Please, let this be the end of it!

Day 55 of Firsts: Learn to "Lash Up"

The most beautiful make-up of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy. ~Yves Saint Laurent

Carie Brescia does the makeup of all the NBC 10 Anchors and talent in the studio. And because of her we are all (women of course) addicted to LASHES.  Yes, ladies, fake fluttery lashes.

It's the biggest inside makeup secret in our studio.  I never wore fake lashes until Carie convinced me, all the hard edged investigative reporting deserved just a little bit of glamour. (I usually just save it for on camera, though my husband thinks they're pretty hot.) 

But I can't put the darn individual lashes on myself.  For a First, Carie agreed to show me the tricks of the trade.  Watch and learn.

 

Now my turn!



The final result.



Okay, it wasn't perfect. But I definitely got the hang of it.  Hmm..might be fun for a night out.

Carie Brescia has her own fab makeup line.  Check her out at http://www.cariebrescia.com/

Day 54 of Firsts: Meet the Damsels in Success

Women are in league with each other, a secret conspiracy of hearts and pheromones. ~Camille Paglia

I'm not really a big joiner. So when one of my friends invited me to join a monthly dinner gathering of professional women I resisted.  I'm not sure why.  Like I said. I'm just not a joiner.

Turns out the only requirement for membership for Damsels in Success is that you are asked and occasionally show up for a nice dinner and conversation with some very interesting women. They are lawyers, chief executives, politicos, teachers,environmentalists, you name it.

 Tonight as a First I went to a DIS gathering.  Honestly, it's been a long time since I've gone to dinner with a group of just women.  It was lovely.  And despite the fact I only knew one other regular member it was easy to  settle in, find common ground and enjoy.

 To be truthful, there are a few secrets at the table. So what's said at the table stays at the table.   Kelly Green is the founder of DIS.



In these changing, stressful times it's nice to stretch outward, network, and connect  into a circle of women where I know I will meet new friends.