Reality Check-Tuscan Chicken Thighs and Giada's Polenta

Since we have to watch our budget when we go grocery shopping, I have been cooking a lot with chicken thighs and besides, my daughter only likes dark meat. This recipe is simple and quick and a great Sunday dinner.

For the marinade:

4 large cloves of garlic chopped and put in a bowl

1 sprig of rosemary, which I get from my garden, but I make sure I only use the top of the rosemary plant, since I'm sure Henry the chihuahua has peed on the bottom of the plant. Take leaves off stem and roughly chop

1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

the juice on one lemon a couple of pinches of Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

whisk in 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil

pour over chicken and let marinade for an hour

put in oven at 350 for about 1 hour or until done

A perfect companion dish for this chicken is Everyday Italian's chef, Giada Delaurentis's easy polenta recipe:

2 cups of salted (1 teaspoon) water-bring to a boil

stir in 2 tablespoons of butter (she just uses 1, but I think it needs two)

stir in 1 cup of cornmeal (yellow or white, I used white)

continue stirring and cook for about 3-5 minutes, usually when it is starting to get stiff, I remove from heat and quickly spread out in butter 9x11 dish. Let cool slightly and cut into squares.

Put polenta on plate and add chicken with the sauce over the the polenta.

Sheer heaven! I lick my plate every time and my daughter loves it!-Single D

Survivor Gabon-The New Nobag Tribe

Why is it that once someone is saved by blinding siding someone else that person takes full credit for it, case in point, the awesome blindside of Marcus by Crystal's persuasive talking to Susie, who turned out to be the swing vote with Kenny taking full credit for that play. In my opinion, Susie single handily change this game. When the tribes meet for the reward challenge, you had to lift the jaws of Corinne and Charlie off the grass. I thought Charlie would weep copious tears for the loss of Marcus and Corinne was just darn mad. She said Marcus deserved to be in this game more that some other people with Kenny challenging her to name names. Ah that would be anyone from the Fang tribe. The reward challenge is a sling shot golf challenge with Randy going head to head with Matty on how to shot the ball. Randy's got some real control issues. It was a pretty close game and I had to crack up when Kenny was holding Susie so she wouldn't lift off the ground when Professor Bob shot the ball. I wanted the underdogs of Kenny and Crystal to win but a couple of loose cannon shots seals their fate and the new Fang tribe with Matty, Corinne, Sugar, Charlie and Randy end up winning the reward. Poor Matty, he sure looked like he needed this one for his body and for his spirit. Fang is met by a very colorful tribe dressed in bold red for lunch. I have to say, that for being tribal in Africa, this tribe of the BWITI village looked perfectly happy in Eden. Even the children looked happy if not snotty nosed. First each survivor is washed, I'm sure they must really stink and then are treated to a feast and afterward it's a rousing all let loose dance soiree. Randy actually thinks that one of the tribal women is coming on to him, what is he kidding? He's such a jerk. Randy, you're mean, sour, bitter and no woman would want you even if you won a million dollars.

Back at Kota, Kenny catches three fish for Crystal and Susie which makes him feel like a real he- man, bo hunk of the jungle. Professor Bob is chosen to go to exile island by Corinne whose hoping he'll find the idol which he doesn't because Sugar has it. I thought they might plant another one, but the last clue lead to an empty post. Bob gets the idea of making an idol and does a pretty good job of fashioning one out of beads, rocks and wood.

For the immunity challenge it is an individual challenge where Jeff tells the two tribes that they have merged much to the glee of everyone. This individual challenge is to make fire. You would think that Kenny who has been making fire almost everyday would be good at it, but the real contest was between who knew, Sugar and Susie, with Susie winning it. See, I bet in ancient times, it was woman that made fire first! The merged tribe decides to call themselves Nobag that's Gabon backwards as suggested by gamer boy Kenny. The tribe is still split along old tribal sides, with Corinne, Charlie (whose still in mourning for Marcus), Bob and Randy and the other side, Kenny, Crystal, Susie and Matty. It almost seemed like Sugar was going to be the swing vote as each side lobbies to get her to vote their way. Old Kota wants Crystal gone and Kenny trumps up is own personal lame vendetta story to get Charlie out. I can't believe that they would want to get rid of Charlie when Corinne or Randy are the strongest players from Kota. In the end, I was holding my breath to see which way weepy Sugar would vote which proved that her alliance with Fang was still in tact and innocent Charlie was sent into the arms of an awaiting Marcus. Well, at least they will be able to keep each other company at the jury camp which I'm sure is a sweet consolation prize for Charlie. -Single D

Reality Check-The Known or the Unknown

The other day was my daughter's 11th birthday. It seems as she gets older, birthdays are getting harder. No longer are the birthdays, of cake and invite 10 of your closest playmates over. Now it's full blown parties that cost hundreds of dollars and filled with not only buying your kid presents, but also giving out goodie bags for all those in attendance. This year she wanted to go to the Adventuredome here in Las Vegas. We took two of her friends, because that is all my car will safely hold and besides the price of admission is prohibitive. We let her and her friends run the gamut of the theme park, while we waited over foot long dogs that were grossly obscene in length and too much to eat. We sat with the other parents among the gift shops, food court and screaming kids. And finally after 5 hours, several cups of cappuccinos, 2 bottles of water, 3 cokes, and decidedly stinking heartburn from that foot long dog, we decided to call it a day. When I called my daughter to find out where they were, they were at the arcade. When we got there, the girls were delirious with giddiness, not from the rides or eating hot dogs and cokes, but because they had discovered a game that dispensed tickets freely. Tickets that they had collected in big plastic bags. Tickets that they could exchange for prizes. The more tickets the bigger the prizes. I'm like how did you get those tickets? Hopefully by not spending her entire birthday money on stupid arcade games. They rush me to the magical machine and lo and behold, two other kids are pulling tickets out of the magical machine. When they see me, they surreptitiously move away, looking like they had just robbed Fort Knox. We go to the machine, but the machine was empty and there were no more free tickets to be had. Back to the booth, we give the lady our bag of tickets. I know what you're thinking here, I should have told them to give the tickets back, because in the real world isn't that like stealing? The girls knew that they had practically committed a felony with their eyes shifting left and then right, but hey, the girls came across it and seized on it, I guess you could say they were entrepreneurial or at least that's the way I saw it. And besides, after a careful interrogation, I found out that it was her friend that discovered the magical machine and began pulling tickets, not my daughter, she was just an accomplice. I know, I know, that doesn't make it better or right, but I suspect if the booth attendant didn't say anything then we were good to go. And so, after it was all counted out, each girl got the big teddy bear and a good time was had by all.

Now back to the title of this post, the known or the unknown. After the party and several days later on my daughter's real birthday, it was on a Wednesday we gave her her the rest of her birthday gifts. Since she got the theme park party, we really didn't give her many presents, or at least anything she could get excited about. A shirt, a purse, socks, pjs. To this I did feel a little guilty that she didn't get anything on her wish list (it was all electronics). So I went out a bought her an IPOD Nano (to replace her shuffle we bought a couple of years ago). I had a brilliant idea. I told my husband that I would put the ipod in a shoe box. On a piece of paper, I wrote DS game/computer game. On the day of her birthday, I would give her the choice, the shoebox with the unknown or the paper with the game written on it (I told her previously that I would buy her a DS or computer game but that she would have to pick it out since I didn't know what she liked). Now as a kid, what do you think she chose? The known or the unknown? Everyone one I told said she would pick the unknown. My husband thought the unknown. I was hoping she would pick the unknown. That night came the moment of decision. She agonized over it for about 15 minutes. The shoebox was not wrapped, just a plain shoebox. The paper just had the words DS or computer game on it. In the end and to my amazement, she chose the paper. When she asked what was in the box, I said, she'll never know (well at least not until Christmas)!-Single D

Amazing Race-Paint and Numbers In India

The racers leave Bahia House in Delhi, India.

8:55 am-Starr and Nick

9:02-Kelly and Christy-are all their outfits matchy-matchy?

9:10-Dallas and Mom Toni

9:31-Terence and Sarah-hey Sarah those eyeglasses are too small for your face-makes you look like Mr. Magoo's wife.

9:44-Frat boys, Andrew and Dan

& last out of the gate at 9:51-Ken and Tina, still having to do the speed bump for being in last place last leg of the race.

Racers have to find an apartment for their next clue which is to participate in a "Holi Festival". Looks more like a paint ball fight. Here racers have to run through a crowd throwing paint to find a the clue hanging on a stand in the middle of chaos. Starr gets through the crowd relatively unscathed, looks like the participants didn't get the hang of it until they spy Nick standing innocently on the sidelines and pelt him with the powder dye. Next Dallas makes a charge through the crowd like a bull in the rink. Once again, Kelly and Christy make the stupid mistake of not reading or maybe not understanding what the clue said and Kelly brings back each ticket whether it was the right one or not. Each time she ran through the crowd she was hit with so much colored dye that she was black with mixed paint. Again she goes back. About after the fifth time, Christy says lets read the clue again. Uh duh! It did make for funny viewing but I did have to feel for the racers getting all that dye in their mouths, yuck! Three words for Kelly and Christy, stupid, stupid, stupid! They were so covered in paint none of the cabs would take them to their next destination. Tina and Ken make quick work of finding the right ticket but not before some one spills green dye onto Tina's hair. She just lost it and I know she wanted to say much harsher words than she did, but she held back. I would be like, your mother's eat beef!

Next it's on to the bird hospital, where funny Terence makes Sarah go into the bird cage and look under the sand box for the next clue. Sarah is like I'm so sorry birdies. Everyone had to go through the hospital without their shoes, what walk in India without shoes! Meanwhile, Ken and Tina's speedbump is to serve holy water to the thirsty temple goers. Looked like they gave water to the entire nation of India but managed to finish their speedbump in record time. The detour is either Bleary eyed or Teary eyed. Bleary eyed was to follow the power lines and write down the numbers and Teary eyed was to carry 2- 40lb sacks of chili and then make a chili powder out of the stuff. That did sound teary eyed and only Terence and Sarah chose to do that one. Not only did Terence have paint in his nose, he had chilies up it. That looked like agony! Dallas and Toni have a group of goodwill ambassadors, Indian children helping them find their destinations. How cute!

Starr and Nick and Dallas and Toni team up to find the numbers and make quick work of it, while Andrew and Dan tie with Kelly and Christi as the dumbest teams in history. Dumb and Dumber! They both were looking at the wrong numbers on the power poles and I would have said that Frat boys should leave, but with that stupid mistake at the paint festival, Kelly and Christy deserved to be sent home.

Laugh out loud incidents peppered this episode, like Terence snorting water in his nose to get the paint out, Kelly getting pelted with so much paint, Kelly and Christy getting a cab driver who looked like he was giving them a tour of India and the welcoming committee of one with Phil had to be called back to the mat each time a racer finish because he was more interested in watering the grass. Overall, one of the better episodes, definitely one of the funnier ones. Kelly and Christy make it to the mat last barely being edged out by the Frat boys whom I'm sure will be the next to go. I think Frat boys and Kelly and Christy should hook up after the race, they have a lot in common! Ken and Tina prove their stuff once more and make a strong comeback. -Single D

Nick & Starr get to the festival challenge first where Starr runs through the crowd without getting hit with any dye and climbs the ladder. The crowd, mostly men, gather under the ladder. I think they were just looking up Starr's shorts and forgot to hit her with the dye. Kelly kept grabbing the wrong envelopes. Terence is whining that he got hit in the nose then starts freaking out when they take a pedicab. Is this guy for real? I'll bet he's making his doctor rich!

The next challenge is to follow power lines and write down the numbers or make chili powder. I'm all about the chilis! Terence and Sarah do the chili powder thing with Terence coughing and spluttering the whole time. Ken and Tina make up ground while Kelly and Chris keep losing it and come in last. I'm sure the teams will be more than happy to leave India behind, I know it's not on my short list of places to visit. Double D