Redmoon Theater's Hunchback

Redmoon Theater's production of Hunchback was at the University of Chicago's Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. It's a spectacular space but it's a church (read: no stadium seating) so the people in front of us (who were craning their necks to see) blocked our view and we blocked the view of the people behind. Oh well. It was a creative (read: funky) performance using people and puppets, the meaning of which continues to elude me. But the funniest thing was the T-shirt on the U. Of C. student in front of us. It said,"University of Chicago: Where the only thing that goes down on you is your GPA." I can't explain why I think that's so funny.

The Funniest Thing

You have to watch this - it's the funniest thing ever.
Was I right?

Autumn in Chicago

Chicago is beautiful in Autumn. It's not hiking-in-the-backwoods-of-Michigan beautiful. It's city-beautiful.

"It's like déjà vu, all over again." Yogi Berra

This is one of Yogi Berra's most famous quotes. Wikipedia says, "Berra, who quit school in the eighth grade, has a tendency toward malapropism and fracturing the English language in highly provocative, interesting ways. Simultaneously denying and confirming his reputation, Berra once stated, "I really didn't say everything I said."
I love that!
So "déjà vu all over again" is very funny and endearing. At least when he said it. But it seems that people today think that's the correct usage. You hear news anchors, reporters, business people, radio personalities using it that way. Do you think they don't know it's redundant?
Recently I was watching Entertainment Tonight (real intellectual stimulation) and there was an interview with John Gosselin (if you don't know who he is don't feel like you're missing something). He said, "If I love someone and that love isn't reciprocated back to me..." Made me crazy.
Does it bother you?

Decadent Chocolate-Cherry Cookies

My neighbor across the hall, Evelyn Finn, and I have a little goodie swap-thing going. When I bake I leave a little bag of my goodies on her door and she does the same. Nice to have neighbors like that, isn't it?
The other day she left me these Chocolate-Cherry Cookies which are outrageously delicious. It turns out they only have 3 grams of fat each but believe me, they don't taste low-fat - they are decadent!

Click here for the recipe:
Chocolate-Cherry Cookies
1½ cups flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1 egg
1½ tsp vanilla
48 undrained maraschino cherries (about one 10-oz. jar
1 6-oz. pkg semisweet chocolate pieces
½ cup sweetened condensed milk

1. In a medium bowl combine flour and cocoa powder. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl beat butter with elec. Mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, salt, baking powder and soda. Beat until well mixed. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually beat in dry mixture.
3. Shape dough into 1” balls; place on ungreased cookie sheets. Press down center of each ball with thumb.
4. Drain cherries reserving juice. Place one cherry in center of each cookie.
5. For frosting, in a small saucepan combine chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk. Heat and stir over medium heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in 4 tsp. of cherry juice.
6. Spoon about 1 tsp. frosting over each cherry, spreading to cover cherry. (If necessary, frosting may be thinned with additional cherry juice.
7. Bake in a 350 degree oven 10-12 minutes or until edges are firm. Transfer to wire racks and let cool.
Makes 48 cookies.

Nutrition info per cookie: 82 calories, 3 g. total fat (1 g. saturated fat)