BOOK Review
EAT, PRAY, LOVE: by Elizabeth Gilbert

First of all, I am not an avid reader so for me to pick up a book and read it from beginning to end is a feat in itself. So on that note, I will tell you it was an incredible read. Maybe it’s because I’m at a place in my life that so much of this resonates with me. I am not sure but Elizabeth Gilbert exposed herself so open and honestly that it was just real life displayed on the pages of this book. I don’t know a single woman that couldn’t relate to some part of this story.

I watched Julia Roberts interviewed on Oprah about her role in the movie, Eat, Pray, Love. Julia said when she was asked to play this role; they sent her the book to read first. As she started reading it within the first few pages she knew that she wanted to read it at the same time as her best friend and suggested everyone watching to do the same. So I asked Gina Tomaseski, our g3 health editor and one of my dearest, closest friends, to read it with me. She agreed and we got together after each section of the book to discuss the parts that really hit home with each of us. Without even planning it this way, the first time we got together to talk about Italy, we both opened our books and they both were highlighted of all the parts that we HAD to share!!! It made reading this book so much more impactful.

The book is written in three sections, obviously, EAT being the first. Which was time documented while Elizabeth was in Italy for four months to learn the Italian language. In doing so, she met such wonderful people that taught her to embrace the pleasures of life without guilt. So many of us go through life feeling like we have to justify anything we do for just simple pleasure. So after eating her way through a new language, four months and 10 pounds later, she moved on in her journey to India.

In pursuit of her search for God, Elizabeth Gilbert found a new way to PRAY while at an Ashram in India. Her self-talk through this section of the book was hilarious. I think in part because I can hear those same voices in my head! Trying to be still and quiet and focus on one thing for an hour seems like an impossible task for me. I actually don’t think I have EVER done that. EVER. I felt like I was with her on this part of her journey. It was really a soul searching, forgiveness learning, cleansing experience and I wasn’t even in the ashram. After four months in India, she is leaving with a new and improved version of herself. She continued her search of self-discovery to Indonesia.

Not even realizing that her plan for this year long journey was just to experience life on a spiritual level that she had never had before. Each four month phase was strategic for her to grow as a person and learning to LOVE in a new capacity. And she did. By the last segment of her journey she had learned to open her heart on many different levels. In doing so, she not only found love in friendships but she found a new LOVE to share her life with.

This is a MUST read. I think this book could also be sitting in the SELF-HELP section of the bookstores! Go buy this book for you. Buy two and give to a friend to read along with you! You will definitely benefit from this journey!

 
MOVIE REVIEW

EAT, PRAY, LOVE : Directed by Ryan Murphy, starring Julia Roberts

After completing the book, Gina and I went to see the movie. I am a huge fan of Julia Roberts and was so excited to see her in this role. She was the perfect fit as I envisioned Elizabeth Gilbert to be throughout the book. She is very down to earth and real. As I stated at the beginning of the book review, I am usually not the girl who reads the book and then sees the movie to compare. But I have heard people who do say many times, “the book was so much better”. So now I am in that club. The book was so much better! But knowing they had to condense everything down to two hours meant that many of the people and scenarios were cut out in the movie.

I would have to say that had I not read the book first, I would not have understood the movie as much. It was a bit confusing in the movie how they transitioned from one location to the next. It was a feel good movie, very enjoyable. All in all, I loved it. However, I would recommend reading the book before you go! The book was life changing not just a story about someone else.

Tonight marks the return of one of my favorite television shows, “Mad Men.”  I haven’t looked this forward to a show ‘s return since “Lost” began its final season. 

Winner of back-to-back Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series, this sexy, stylized and provocative drama set in 1960s New York follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of the ego-driven world of Madison Avenue advertising. 

The series revolves around the conflicted world of Don Draper, the biggest ad man – and ladies man – in the business, and his colleagues at the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency. As Don makes the plays in the boardroom and the bedroom, he struggles to stay a step ahead of the rapidly changing times and the young executives nipping at his heels. 

The characters participate in behaviors that were perfectly acceptable back then, but heavily frowned upon now – such as children risking asphyxiation by putting a dry-cleaner’s plastic bag over their heads, women smoking while pregnant, families leaving their trash on the lawn in a park after a picnic, driving a John Deere tractor in the office, having sex with your secretary, and drinking at work … even as early as 10 am!  All of the characters are chain-smokers and light up whenever they want as smoking is allowed everywhere.  

Gender equality is out by a long shot.  The men openly ogle the women and make sexist comments to their faces.  Not surprisingly, several episodes have featured a woman crying in the bathrooms over the treatment by their male colleagues. Even my favorite character, Joan, a sexy redhead with a curvy hourglass figure, encourages the other women to show a little leg!      
 
The fashions are spot-on accurate too.  These are not flower children of the 60s, but well-tailored men dressed in Brooks Brothers suits and fedora hats with Brylcreemed-hair.  The women’s fashions and accessories are iconic 60s style, and no one looks more perfect at all times than Don’s long-suffering and well-coiffed wife, Betty, who looks like a perfect Barbie doll with the best wardrobe of any TV character ever. 

My best advice is to stop watching mindless reality programs and start watching the best show on television – Mad Men.  The show airs Sundays at 9:00 pm on AMC.  If you miss tonight's episode, check your TV schedule as AMC reruns episodes throughout the week. 

Source: http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/

Culpepper Steakhouse
309 E Interstate 30
Rockwall, Texas 75087
972-771-1001

Chicken Fried Lobster Tail: These four delicious words are worth a trip to Culpepper Steakhouse in Rockwall, Texas from wherever you live.  I truly thought, there is no way any dish could be worthy of deep frying a lobster tail.  Let me tell you, yes… it is worthy!  This perfectly fried lobster tail is served on top of mashed potatoes and drizzled with black truffle oil.  Truffle oil:  these words are two of the most beautiful to my ears, and especially my taste buds!  This was one of the most flavorful meals I have enjoyed in a long time.

Our table started with an order of Breaded Texas Torpedoes (stuffed jalapenos) and Breaded & Deep Fried Poblano Strips served with pink peppercorn ranch.  The starters were very good; although the poblano strips out shined the Texas torpedoes.

The Iceberg Wedge Salad was also a winner.  It was served with marinated tomatoes, buttermilk blue cheese dressing, topped with chopped egg and apple smoked bacon.  It was one of the best wedge salads I have ever eaten.  (This salad is large, so splitting it with someone still gives you plenty to enjoy.)

I also want to mention the side items that came with our entrée, they included: Au Gratin Cowboy Potatoes, Cream Corn o’ Brien & Boursin Creamed Spinach. All three items were equally enjoyable & flavorful.

Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon was the wine of choice during our dinner & a fine one it was, smooth and flavorful without being too heavy.

I would highly recommend Culpepper’s.  Check out the rest of their menu @

www.culpeppersteakhouse.com

So I will close this season with my final review of last night’s show, which I will preface by saying that noting (and I mean nothing) could compare to last year’s finale show – I mean, how do you top Queen and KISS… and, of course, Adam Lambert?  With that said, however, I will make a few brief comments -- here we go…

The overall theme of the evening was the “living legends” of music, but I felt like (at least at the beginning) it was a scheduled outing from the geriatric wing at the local seniors’ facility.  Alice Cooper started things off – never thought he could sing, and nothing has changed in that regard.  Thanks goodness the Idols were drowning out his voice for the most part!  The remaining two Bee Gees came out – now that was just sad.  Michael McDonald performed and I though he sounded great actually – that former Doobie can still carry a tune!  Dane Cook came out for a “Simon Says” parody which I thought was rather lame – it had the potential to be so clever and funny, but it just wasn’t.  Christina Aguilera was there -- and while she is did not escape from the old folks’ home for the evening, she’s not exactly the “it” girl anymore either (although I am a fan).  And then came Hall & Oates.  Oh dear God!  Hall looked like a home grown terrorist with that full face of hair and uni-bomber sunglasses.  And the guy has totally lost his mojo with the singing.  Crystal got her groove on with Alanis Morissette, which I thought was fitting and very good – but here again, when is the last time Alanis had a Top 40 song?  Carrie Underwood was the one exception in the star power category tonight – she totally rocked “Undo It” which she co-wrote with Kara.  She was spectacular!  And then came, by far, my all-time favorite portion of the show… Casey singing “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” with Brett Michaels – double yum!  Well-executed, meaningful, and totally entertaining!  Lee came out with Chicago – the majority of the geriatric wing.  They can still perform instrumentally, but the lead singer was really just pitiful -- I felt sorry for that old guy actually.  General Larry Platt came out to do his classic original “Pants on the Ground” with hysterical, “baggy-drawer’d dancers… and he had some mad moves as well!    It was fun to watch until William Hung came out  -- you know the “She Bang” guy from long ago – which took the performance from current to irrelevant!  And then there she was – the re-emergence of PAULA!  She was less drunk than usual it seemed, but she was more taken with herself than anyone else was.  And then came the Past Idols Review – all in honor of Simon Cowell and his impending departure from the show.  Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, Jordan Sparks, Taylor Hicks and Kris Allen all came out to sing in unison to honor the star of tonight’s show –Simon!  The only one missing was David Cook, but he had had already obligated himself to perform at a cancer charity event, and I respect him for keeping that promise since that cause that is so dear to his heart.  Simon came up on stage and gave a few fairly articulate words of departure, and tagging along was “that little one” – yes, Paula!  Good Lord girl – do you ever sit down?  And honestly, the fact that it was Simon’s last show totally overshadowed everything else last night – oh yeah, we still have to reveal the winner… almost forgot!  Michael, ummmm… I mean Janet, Jackson came out to do a little “nasty” singing and then some other song which I thought would NEVER end!  She can still move, but it appeared she was mainly doing some upper body grooving instead of fancy footwork these days, leaving most of that up to her backup dancers.  And then, the cherry on top, and closing the celebrity performance portion of the show was the one, the only, the “Weekend at Bernie’s” styled Joe Cocker – you can prop him up and still take him just about anywhere!  Really?  I mean that’s really the best they could come up with?  Overall, I felt like the line-up tonight (aside from Carrie and Brett) was comprised of “has-beens” who had no other offers to consider, and which Idol was able to schedule at a discount rate – and at the end of the show, I felt just a wee bit let down.

Finally – time for the results… I had to sit through all that other nonsense just to see this final 5 minutes of the show that I had been anxiously anticipating!  Lee and Crystal – standing on the stage in what was probably the longest two minutes of their lives!  Crystal was totally in a Zen place last night – I think she was happy that she had made it this far and is better off that she has ever been in her life.  And Lee – poor Lee looked like he was about to vomit right there on that stage!  But oh how precious he was when his name was announced!  I am delighted with the outcome and think he will serve the American Idol title well.  He was gracious and sincere as he thanks the audience, fans and his family – and I have to say, this kid has really grown on me!

So another year of Idol has come and gone – and the question of the day is “will it survive without Simon?”  I plan to keep watching until it totally bottoms out, and sincerely hope they replace Simon with someone who will keep our interest… like HARRY CONNICK JR.!!!  Shoe your support and join my FB group to help get HCJ on the show next year!!!  And just as  an aside, I will tell you all that my Casey signs, which we took to the Wildflower Festival a few weeks ago when Casey made his homecoming, and which were aired on the show on the night he got eliminated, are now in the 5/31/10 edition of PEOPLE MAGAZINE (pg. 114).  Now how awesome is that???  My goal for this summer is to get his autograph on the signs and in my magazine and to be on the Kidd Kraddick in the Morning show… or possibly BOTH!  (I know, I need to get a life!)

Until next season friends – thanks for playin’ along and happy summer to you all!!!