Friday, April 20, 2007

Janet Gaynor's Ice Box Cookies


I am living the high life at a stayingcool apartment in Manchester. "Deluxe Meets Pop" in the Edge - blime. It is SO fabulous with swanky furniture, blobby wallpaper and shag pile rugs that you could lose a puppy in. It is a "Forty Bottles" event. Marilyn is in bed in full make up and a leopard print scarf "doing some work". This is the way of a modern entrepreneur. This is the life I want and I shall get it too!

Made a batch of Janet Gaynor's IBC to take to the London Book Fair earlier in the week. Rosalind and Jimmy set up a production line for putting groups of 5 into little cellophane packages with gold ribbons and tailor made labels. They looked ace. As a "sweetener" for potential publishers they seemed to do the trick. Smiles all round when I plopped the cookies on the bargaining table! I am ashamed to say that as I was making the cookies in a slightly inebriated state having an animated conversation with Edmund I forgot to add the vanilla essence. They still tasted good though.

What on earth was Janet thinking when she listed the quantity though? I got over 120 cookies out of that dough!

Maurice Chevalier's Brown Rhubarb Pie



MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm! That was good. I made a rhubarb crumble with 6 sticks of rhubarb my mum plucked from the garden for me the other day. It was delicious.

It was a bit sad that there was nobody there to share it with me... I had it for my breakfast before going for a crazy day in the Stowe. This time next week I will be moving into my new abode. I have a feeling that there will soon be plenty of people around to sample the delights of the SS Suppers.

Ann Sheridan's Chili Casserole



It was lovely to share a massive casserole dish of Chili with Edmund. I expect in the silver screen days that dish would have served four people but we scoffed the lot accompaied by two bottles of red wine.

Edmund made me laugh really hard with his excellent advice on what to do with the chaw-bacon. After I did an impression of him with limp hand on brow giving out all the "woe is me, I am just too messed up to be with anyone at the moment" Edmund exclaimed, "SEND HIM BACK TO PLANET TRAGICALLY FLAWED".

Ha! Quite right. Because I am off to planet fabulous.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Marion Davies' Meadow Cheesecake


“Somebody told me I should put a pebble in my mouth to cure my stuttering.
Well, I tried it, and during a scene I swallowed the pebble. That was the end of that.”

I love Marion. I hereby resolve to get hold of some of her films on DVD. I miss her.

The Cheesecake was good except I think I should have put the cottage cheese through a seive. The lumps all sunk down to the bottom of the pie which made it look a little weird but it tasted fine. I'm going to have another go at it sometime.

The Panther had the tiniest slither - I think he is suspicious of things he doesn't cook himself. At least HE likes women. He has to. He is surrounded by them.

Bob Hope's Baked Ham With Cider

"There will always be an England, even if it's in Hollywood."

Bob came up trumps with his Baked Ham. I made it for Charley on Easter Sunday as it seemed like a lot of soaking and boiling and baking were involved so I needed a good run at it. Definitely worth it as we enjoyed it immensely sitting out in the garden in the sun.

I have to admit I was rather shocked by a conversation with Charley about his ex. I'm beginning to feel like men don't actually like women very much...

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Marlene Dietrich's Banana Nut Bread


"Once a woman has forgiven a man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast."

Well, it looks like I have at last broken free from the Toxic Scot. It is over and hopefully this time for good. Feeling positive and full of energy, not sad and miserable. Must remember that there was good stuff, just not enough of it.

Some weird stuff started happening the day it actually ended. It seems that all the negative energy I've been expending on my lovelife has drained away to be replaced by good, good, good things on the book front. It feels like it is starting to happen...

Easter is here. The house is full of the smell of Marlene's delicious Banana Nut Bread and all is well with the world. Charley is coming for lunch tomorrow and the Panther on Monday. Yippeio.

Monday, April 02, 2007

Joan Blondell's Sunday Night Special


"It amazes me how some of these little numbers with dreamy looks and a dead pan are getting away with it. I'd hate to see them on stage with a dog act.”

I may have already used this classic quote from Joan however, it kind of fits my mood. Had a horrible day with the chaw-bacon yesterday where he not only gave me the big square cold shoulder but also flirted with a redhead whilst I was sitting right beside him. Methinks the time has come to well and truly get out of whatever it is that is STILL going on with him. Bearing in mind that this project started on the day after he dumped me and I am now almost a year down the line and still feeling like a teenager about it all I think I had better wake up and smell the ice box cookies.

I was planning to make myself Joan's Sunday Night Special in an attempt to cheer myself up but after being in tears all day Rosalind and Jimmy insisted on taking me out for "Meat Therapy" at Bodeans. It worked too. I felt better.