Ice, Ice, baby

"All right stop, collaborate and listen./Ice is back with my brand new
invention."

So, as some of you may know, due to unification, the new district is
camping out at West Fresno until it has its own digs.
I went by yesterday to visit my friend C, whom I couldn't find, but
was told she'd be back soon-"she went out to get ice." Waiting in a
chair, employees passed me by, chomping as they held onto an open cup. What was so precious in those cups that district employees felt compelled to carry them along as they accomplish their duties and not
just leave them at their desks? I know what you're thinking, but
scratch that thought: West Fresno is "Zero Tolerance." So, I asked to
see what was in the cup. Lo and behold! The district office and West
Fresno has hospital ice!!! Not fair! I thought under one district
everything had to be equal!!! WUHS has big blocks of tray ice (see
picture above) and don't doubt I'll be pitching a fit about our funky,
gum cutting ice!

Immediately upon entering my campus, I went straight to the cafeteria
and asked C, did you know West Fresno has hospital ice? She paused,
looked at me and asked, "You mean Dave's Frosty ice?"
Yup! And then we pretended to kick our ice maker beyond repair.
Next, I reported to D in Panther Academy that West Fresno has hospital
ice. She thought for a minute and clarified, you mean "rabbit pellet"
ice?
That's the one!
I've decided to start a petition to get WUHS hospital ice, just as
West Fresno enjoys. If the staff is happy, the kids are happy. If the
kids are happy, test scores go up. If test scores go up, well-I'm not
really sure what happens.
Either way, join me in our race for equal access to hospital/Dave's
Frosty/rabbit pellet ice!
Too cold, too cold

Shake, shake, shake señora...

"Work, work, work señora, work your body line." Or so thought Marilyn
Monroe as she ordered a "Mexican buffet" to her house the night she
tried to woo Bobby Kennedy back into her boudoir. Suspiciously, she
died that night of an apparent suicide that never did add up.
Hers is one of many recipe filled stories in Andrew Caldwell's book of
famous people who died untimely deaths and their last suppers. I
treated my family to Marilyn's last meal of Mexican Peacocks (avocado
stuffed chicken that is double breaded and deep fried), gazpacho and
refried beans. Now, if I was trying to seduce a Kennedy there is no
way I'd eat refried beans. Of course, I'm no Marilyn Monroe.
The burning question in everyone's mind: was it tasty? David and I
would say yes! (as we would to most deep fried items), but my kids
didn't really seem to appreciate it. They truly don't care about
Marilyn's final morsels. Unless it's Mac 'n' cheese, I don't even
think they'd care if we were eating Dora's last meal after Diego took
her out with his magical lasso. Kids these days!
What's next on this macabre journey? Napoleon's calves livers?
MLK's famous "I had collared greens"?
Or, Hitler, the non-practicing vegetarian (I did not make that up!)
and his champagne and cyanide cocktail?
I'm edging toward Montezuma's Red Snapper Seviche with guacamole...but
will he take revenge?

Knockin' me out with those American thighs!

Most meat loving Americans can tell you their favorite chicken part:
everything from "legs" to "I'm a breast man, hardy har har." My
daughter like chicken with a "handle" (drumsticks), but I prefer
thighs. I love their small, yet meat filled size. Dark, while not too
fatty or too bony (the way I like my men, hardy har har).
So, when my cooking buddy shared Melissa d'Arabian's $10 dinner recipe
for "Roasted Garlic Clove Chicken," I was delighted to see it called
for thighs (not to mention butter, olive oil, garlic and chicken
stock-the items most good meals contain).
Using about 1/4 more of everything the recipe called for made dinner
for two nights!!! The first night the chicken was served with broccoli
and bread for the roasted garlic and to soak up the sauce. The second
night was a one bowl dish: the chicken with peas over egg noodles and
Romano cheese. My mom tells me the chef won some sort of contest with
this recipe, which serves as a basis for a multitude of variations (my
cooking buddy served it over polenta).
Go for it and let me know how you served it because I will be making it again.