International Festival 2011

This past weekend my daughter and I attended the Bowling Green International Festival. We had a great time watching some of the performers and talking with the people at the different tents. We saw and learned about many different cultures. We sampled a few food items while visiting the tents. I highly recommend African Donuts and Vietnamese Floating Cakes (banh troi). I was so glad that my daughter wanted to attend this event with me. She had her first Gyro, and loved it. Although she found it hard to believe that she was eating a mixture of lamb and beef.

Below are some of the pictures I took while at the festival. It's funny, while I was there seeing the people dressed in attire from their native countries, the song "We Are The World" and "It's a Small World" kept playing in my head. So I chose one of them for my Thursday Theme Song post.  

Song: We Are The World

Written By: Michael Jackson & Lionel Ritchie

Performed By: Supergroup USA for Africa

It was a charity single released in 1985.

We are the world,

We are the children.
We are the ones who make a brighter day,
So let's start giving.

There's a choice we're making.
We're saving our own lives.
It's true we'll make a better day,
Just you and me.

Africa

 Vietnam
(Serving banh troi - small white balls made of brown sugar wrapped in glutinous white flour) 

The Great Brier Reefs - Funk/Jazz

                                                      Flamenco - Spanish Dance

                                   Rachana Pasupuleti - Classical Indian Dance Form 

 

                                       Indian Student Association - Dances of India

Anna's Greek Restaurant - Belly Dance

Scotland

                                              Zingara - Belly Dance Troupe

                                     (Yes, one of the dancers is a guy)

                                                                  Native Americans

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will take the time to leave a comment or two and to surf on over to Hootin' Anni's Thursday Theme Song and check out other fun picture and music posts!

Baby Eggplant

One of my favorite things to do is cook. I love to try new recipes and new foods.

I have found a new food to experiment with. Baby Eggplant. I saw these at the Farmer's Market and thought they were interesting. I had tried eggplant at a restaurant this summer that had been prepared on the grill along with some other veggies and really enjoyed it. So I bought some eggplant and tried grilling it my self, but not very successfully. I either burnt them or they were rather tough.

When I saw the baby ones, I thought maybe they would be easier to cook and that I would have a better outcome. So after I bought them I went to the Internet for some help with recipe ideas. I found tons of them. I settled on one in particular, but adjusted it to my tastes and preferences.

I Love it!! It is a simple recipe and doesn't take alot of time to prep or to cook.
(I don't use exact measurements, just eyeball it. The dry spices I simply sprinkle a light dusting over the top.) This way I can prepare large or small servings.

Ingredients:

Baby Eggplant
Garlic
Olive Oil (aprox. 4-5 tsp)
Black Pepper
Basil
Thyme
Lemon Juice
Tomatoes (2 or 3 medium size)
(I peeled and sliced in chunks)
Parmesan Cheese (shredded)

Preheat Oven to 425

Wash and cut the caps off of the eggplant. Peel, wash and slice the garlic into small slivers (not paper thin, but thin). Cut the eggplant length wise and lay peeling side down in baking pan. Cut small slit in center of each piece of eggplant and place slivers of garlic inside each slit. Lightly cover with black pepper and basil. Drizzle olive oil over the top of eggplant. Bake for 20 min.

Then remove from oven and sprinkle a dusting of thyme over eggplant. Squeeze lemon juice over the top making sure to get all of the eggplant with some of the lemon juice. Add tomatoes. Return to oven for 10 min.

Remove and add a good layer of parmesan on top of the entire dish. Return to oven for an additional 4-5 min, or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!!

A Walk Along The Beach

While looking through some photos I happened upon this one of my daughter taken a few years ago at Myrtle Beach. I thought that it would be a good entry for Shadow Shot Sunday.

Hope you take a moment to leave a comment and to head over to Hey Harriet to see what wonderful shadows others have found this week,

Hot Diggity Dog

Song: Hot Diggity Dog

Artist: Donna Fargo

From The Album Titled: My Second Album - 1973

Written By: Donna Fargo

I think I'll lay down on the banks of the corners of my mind,

Send my mem'ries and dreams for a walk.

While I listen to the sunset as it hides behind the mountain.
Give the clouds in the sky a chance to talk.

And make friends with a world that I daydream and love in.

Shake hands with the freedom at my feet.

Yes, I will lay me down and let me breathe the ripples of the water,

Flowing from a little mountain creek.

And tell the world what I think of it and holler out I love you.

And, chase a little butterfly with some little boy or girl.








A running barefoot on the concrete of this beautiful creation.


Hot diggety dog, hot diggety world.
Hot diggety dog, hot diggety world.

I'll pick the petals of a daisy that says everybody loves me.
And no one can do me wrong along the way.

And, I'll stretch out my arms say I'm glad that I was born.
And make everyday a day like today.

Yes, I'll make music with the birds and the bees in the forest.
Consider every raindrop a pearl.

And, just for a while I'll set me free of myself. And, love this 'ole hot diggety world.


Hot diggety dog, hot diggety world.
Hot diggety dog, hot diggety world.


Hot diggety dog, hot diggety world.
Hot diggety diggety diggety dog, hot diggety world.




 
Pictures Courtsey of Blog Author - from moments of life!!
If you are reading this, I hope you take a moment to leave a comment and to follow the link and see others wonderful additions to this meme!
Thanks Hootin' Anni for hosting this fun Thursday Theme Song Meme.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Shadows, shadows everywhere. Seems that no matter where I go, I am looking for shadows. I find it interesting that even though we may frequent the same places and see the same things day in and day out, shadows can make those places and items look differently depending upon the time of day and, of course, the weather.

The other morning while walking down the hallway at the office and I noticed the shadow of the lettering on the front windows being cast all along the hallway wall. I have seen them cast on the closet door at the end of the hall many times, but this was the first time I had seen them along the wall.


I had to grab my camera. I have learned to take the picture as soon as I see these shadows, as they sometimes don't stay around long. That was the case indeed here. As I was trying to focus the camera to get the shot, I noticed that they would be interrupted by the passing cars.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, the shadows were no longer cast down the hallway at all. They were just on the floor in the lobby.

I guess I was in the right place at the right time.

If you are reading this, Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will take the time to leave a comment or two!!

For more shadows, head over to Hey Harriet.

Feel Like A Woman

Thursday Theme Song



I would like to dedicate this post to one of my high school friends. He is a very talented performer. He has performed in so many wonderful places including Nashville, Orlando, LA, and Vegas, just to name a few. I have wanted to see one of his shows for years, but was never able to attend when he was anywhere close, until this past February. I finally got to see his show and it was GREAT!! Most of the pictures below are from that performance. (A few I borrowed from his collection).

His stage name is "Carmella Marcella Garcia" a/k/a "The Grand 'Ole Gal Of The South". You can find several videos of his performances on Youtube. (Careful - some are a bit crude)




Song: Feel Like A Woman
Artist: Shania Twain
Written By: Robert John "Mutt" Lange/Shania Twain
From the Album - "Come On Over" - Released in 1997

                                      Let's go girls!  Come On!

I'm going out tonight-I'm feelin' alright,

Gonna let it all hang out.

Wanna make some noise-really raise my voice

Yeah, I wanna scream and shout.

No inhibitions-make no conditions

Get a little outta line

I ain't gonna act politically correct

I only wanna have a good time

The best thing about being a woman

Is the prerogative to have a little fun

Oh, oh, oh....

Go totally crazy-forget I'm a lady

Men's shirts-short skirts

Oh, oh, oh...

Really go wild-yeah, doin' it in style

Oh, oh, oh....
Get in the action-feel the attraction

Color my hair-do what I dare

Oh, oh, oh....

I wanna be free,  yeah, to feel the way I feel.

Man! I feel like a woman!

Follow the link for more fun Thursday Theme Songs!

Cleaning Shadows

This week while doing a little cleaning at the office, I was moving the bowl pictured below so that I could dust the shelf in which it sits.

As I was putting the bowl back onto the shelf I must have titled it because some of its contents went rolling across the floor.

The sun was shining brightly through the window and I couldn't help but notice the wonderful shadows being cast by these decorative balls. I had to grab my camera, of course.

For more Shadow Shots pop on over to Hey Harriet and see what wonderful shadows others have found.

City Lights

Song Choice: CITY LIGHTS
Written By: Bill Anderson in 1957
Recorded by "Whispering Bill" in 1958

I have always liked this song, but my favorite version was recorded by Connie Smith. I wasn't able to find a video of the song by Connie so I chose Bill Anderson's version.

 

The bright array of city lights as far as I can see

The great white way shines through the night for lonely girls like me

 

 A cabarete a honky tonk their flashing signs invite

A broken heart to lose itself in the glow of city lights

Lights that say forget his name in a glass of cherry wine

Lights that offer other guys for empty hearts like mine

They paint a pretty picture of a world that's gay and bright

But it's just a mask for loneliness behind those city lights

Lights that say forget his love in a different athmosphere

Lights that lure are nothing but a masquarade for tears

They paint a pretty picture but my arms can't hold them tight

And I just can't say I love you to a street of city lights

 

 

 

Be sure to pop over to Thursday Theme Song for more fun picture and song posts!!