The Rest of the Story: Joran van der Sloot, a longstanding suspect over the years, finally confessed to the brutal murder of Natalee Holloway, who went missing on a graduation trip in Aruba in 2005. He is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence for the 2010 killing (yes, he killed again) of college student Stephany Flores. Back story: Leidy Figueroa (who sold candy and cigarettes at the prison) married van der Sloot in 2014 while he was serving this prison sentence in Peru. The couple were allowed conjugal visits, then she gave birth to a daughter, Dusha Trudie van der Sloot, also in 2014. Hmmm. The now ex-wife (he asked for a divorce about a year ago because he is in a relationship with a younger woman) hopes to distance herself and her daughter by changing the girl’s last name. Whoa, Nellie! A little late for that.
Young at heart… slightly older in other places.
There is a new Frazier show on TV (Paramount+). This Frasier stars Kelsey Grammer as the pompous, full-of-himself, yet kind Dr. Frasier Crane, as he moves back to Boston in a new career as a Harvard professor. His son Freddy is now grown and working as a firefighter. The show is described as a multi-cam comedy (meaning multiple cameras in fixed locations) filmed in front of a live audience.
Two different people have now gifted me Honey Badger Garden Gloves, so I thought it might be a good time to remind you again of how much I like them. You can rake with them, plunge with them like having a small shovel, and dig holes. I like them because you can get the roots of the weeds when weeding. They’re rated for 200 hours of average gardening before the claws wear out. Great Christmas gifts. HoneyBadgerGloves.com. Thank you again to Mary and Sandra! You know me so well. On another note: While walking Teller the other day, I saw a neighbor with a gardening tool that I am going to purchase. It’s called a Hula Hoe Weeding Tool. It looks like a stirrup at the Gynecologist office, attached to a long handle, and it cuts the roots where all you have to do is pick up the weed just lying dead on top of the dirt. Another good Christmas idea for your gift list. Make this your practical gift year.
Santa’s Wonderland will be open November 10th through December 30th. Mark your calendars & prepare to start a family tradition. College Station is only 2hrs. 6 min. from Angleton (and you pass three Buc-ee’s on the way so there’s no real excuse to drive over one evening). Enjoy Santa & Mrs. Claus. Horse & Carriages. Ice Skating. Hayrides. Snow Tubing. Snow Playground. Walkable Trail of Lights. Christmas Shopping. Santa’s Barnyard Petting Corral and Pony Rides. Frozen Forest. Campfires. Poncho the Longhorn. Nightly Entertainment. Mail Your Letters to Santa. Classic Movies. West Pole Express Train Depot. Jumping Pillows. Face Painting. Nativity Scene. 8-Second Bull Ride. Texas Snow Globe Photo Opportunity. The Lone Star Christmas Ship. Marshmallow Roasting Pits… and beer on tap just in case you leave the kids at home. A Texas Experience. 979-690-7212. Santa’s Wonderland.
Actor Matthew Perry died at 54. We all have very good memories of people or roles he portrayed. Richard Roundtree, who played the title role of New York private detective John Shaft in the Shaft franchise, died at 81 of pancreatic cancer. As I type this, I’m visualizing him in his black leather jacket, amazing mustache, with the theme song playing in my head. Isaac Hayes made history at the 44th Academy Awards as the first Black winner for Best Original Song for the Theme from Shaft.
Dr. Elliot Engle spoke at The Women’s Lecture Series last month on the book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, written by L. Frank Baum. Actually, he told us stories about the author who wrote the book after making up whimsical stories to tell his children. Baum’s son, Harry, called his father the “swellest man I knew,” a man who was able to give a decent reason as to why black birds cooked in a pie could afterwards get out and sing…” It’s a good read if you want to pull up some of the info on Wikipedia.
It is almost cold weather in South Texas which brings us to talk about soups. Obviously, most people are thinking about chili because H-E-B was out of little Fritos last night. The following recipe by Martina McBride keeps popping up on my computer so it must be good . I think I’m going to try making it with smoked chicken this week-end. It’s different than any chicken soup that I’ve ever made because of the masa harina and heavy cream, but what’s not to like, it sounds wonderful.
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomatoes with diced green chiles, undrained
1/3 cup masa harina
1 – 1/3 cups milk
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sour cream
Suggested garnishes: shredded cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, cilantro, lime wedges, corn tortilla chips, hot sauce.
Preheat oven 350°F. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Pour 1 cup of broth over chicken and cover. Bake 45 minutes. Shred meat with 2 forks. (I personally would use thighs because they have more flavor.) Heat oil. Add onion and jalapeno; add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth, reserved cooking liquid, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and tomatoes. Whisk together masa and milk until blended. Stir into the soup. Cook over medium-high, stirring frequently, 10 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens slightly. Stir in the shredded chicken, black beans, pinto beans, and corn. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cream and sour cream. Serve with the desired garnishes.
To vote in Texas, you must be registered. If you are not, simply pick up a voter registration application, fill it out, and mail it at least 30 days before election date. If you’re mailing your application back, county election officials must receive it by Oct. 27th (too late now).
You can also vote early, in-person from Oct. 23rd through Nov. 3rd (hurry).
You may qualify to vote by mail if you are: 65 years or older, sick or disabled, out of the county on Election Day and during the early voting period, expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day, or confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.
Election officials must receive mail-in ballots on Election Day, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. if it’s not in a postmarked envelope. If the envelope is postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day, it must be received by Nov. 8 at 5 p.m.
To vote in person, you must bring one of the following acceptable forms of photo ID. Texas driver’s license, Texas election identification certificate, Texas personal identification card, Texas handgun license, U.S. military identification card with your photo, U.S. citizenship certificate with your photo, U.S. passport, either book or card. Texas needs your vote.
Adele was singing When We Were Young at her Las Vegas residency show, wearing her Morticia Addams Halloween costume when she spotted someone in the audience and stopped the show, running over to give a man a hug. She said, “Oh my God! Colin! This is my doctor that gave birth to my baby. I haven’t seen you for years.” Former Vice-President Mike Pence ended his 2024 presidential bid. My daughter was in town for a wedding, so I treated her to a mani-pedi. While at the nail salon, there was a screen showing all the pointy new styles of nails and decorations available. One style was the Buc-ee’s beaver. Have a great week. Thanks for reading us. We appreciate you.
LISA
Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com
