The Voice Auditions and Chadd Perry: You Can Help!

Nothing can bring me to an emotional place of happy, sad, excited or even tears like music. I feel music is in the soul of us all and when my dear friend at work told me her daughter Cara, who I also worked with before, that her son in law Chadd was going to be auditioning for The Voice I squealed with joy. I have heard recordings of Chadd and Cara singing and its beautiful! I knew I wanted to do my part to help spread the word about Chadd's efforts to get to the audition in L.A. Chadd and Cara are expecting a baby and have started an Indiegogo campaign to help him get there.

You can check it out here to donate

I find it exciting to believe in someones dream along with them and I thank you for any amount you can donate to send Chadd to The Voice auditions. With his talents, love of his family and a little help from the community I am hoping we will get to see him on the show.

Here is a bio of Chadd and how his love of music has been a life long pursuit:

Chadd was born in Florida and lived there until his parents moved with him to California. He grew up in a musical family, with his parents being founding members of a copycat band themselves. His nights were spent listening to endless choruses of Fleetwood Mac, Doobie Brothers, James Taylor and Cindi Lauper… It wasn’t until he was in his late teens that he began to enjoy singing himself. Even though he grew up with Classic Rock, Folk and Pop, he found something meaningful in the lyrics of Country music.

In his early singing career he devoted his time to singing Travis Tritt, Randy Travis, and his favorite, Garth Brooks. Although he enjoyed singing and enjoyed mimicking his favorite artists, his first form of validation for his passion came when he was in his early 20’s and was out with friends singing karaoke at a local dinner house and lounge. After singing “The Dance” by Garth Brooks, he was approached by an elderly couple whom had just attended their sons Funeral and Wake. With tears in their eyes they let him know that Garth was their sons favorite and that they had played that very song earlier that day at his Funeral. They claimed that they could imagine their son, boots up, head back and singing along with me at the top of his lungs! The ability to affect people so profoundly made a fundamental change in Chadd. No longer was he content with singing karaoke a couple nights a month while out with buddies! He wanted a career singing! Performing up on stage!

As life carried on, and bills began to amass, he quickly realized how difficult it would be to follow his dreams and still enjoy a roof over his head, food in the refrigerator, a running vehicle and all the other amenities that come from working a job where you actually get paid! Quickly a career in music began to fade into a dream.  He continued to sing karaoke and local singing competitions while mainly working construction. When he was in his late 20’s he began singing with a local band at The Valencia Club in Penryn as a walk on artist.

After several years singing with talented, and in some instances famous people, Chadd decided to take a leap and embark on an adventure to Nashville, TN to pursue his dream to get a recording contract. He quit his job, sold all of his belongings and took the 2,300 mile trip driving a 1967 Mustang packed with everything he owned; a computer, his clothes, $5,000 and three guitars that he really couldn’t play.

The drummer for his band back home, Biff Adam, was Merle Haggard’s drummer for the past fifty some odd years and one of the original Strangers band members. The guitar player, and leader of the band, Jim Baughman, was a guitar prodigy and had his own list of musical milestones, including being a studio musician in Nashville, a traveling musician, playing guitar for Merle Haggard, being great friends with Chet Atkins in the early 70’s and opening on the Grand Ole Opry before he was a teen! Between the two legends of country music, they sent Chadd to Nashville with several pages of names, addresses and phone numbers of several influential people in the music scene to help him get a foot in the door. Whether it be for fear of failure… Fear of success… Or plain stubborn pride, Chadd never called a number. He never visited an address. He never knocked on any doors. Instead he began doing what he knew best and hooked up with a local building contractor and began working 90 plus hours a week.

At the age of 33, with a long distance relationship on the rocks, he took a “vacation” back to California, and never returned to Nashville… He did begin playing fulltime with his old band mates and in the evenings played as the “house” band at the Valencia Club for almost 8 years. During this time he met Cara and the two became friends. Most nights she would get up with the band and belt out a powerful song or two then disappear back into the crowd.

Personal loss of family members for some of the band spelled a noticeable decline in desire to continue with the late nights and an eventual demise of the band altogether. They occasionally still perform together, but only a few times a year which left an open hole in Chadd’s desire to sing.

After a failed long term relationship, Chadd spent a year traveling and working long hours with no interest in music or company. He would travel with his 130 pound German Shepherd and constant companion, Thor, with  4 or 5 nights a week spent in hotels while working all across California, Utah, Arizona and Washington. At one point a tally of his consecutive days worked reached 183.

Due to conflicting scheduling and missing parts for a jobsite, Chadd had an unusual week off and took the opportunity to reach out to an old friend to do some singing. Having sung with her on stage, and sung against her in singing competitions, he couldn’t think of anyone better than Cara.

After meeting at a local pizza parlor (which Chadd was late showing up for) where his old guitar player was hosting karaoke,  and seeing each other for the first time in over a year, they fell into a familiar pattern of singing together and reminisced about days in the past… They agreed to get together again and made tentative plans for dinner… Both promising “soon.” Holding to their plans, “soon” came fairly quickly and they set a day for dinner out, and although they were just old friends, Chadd was uncharacteristically nervous about their impending date and even took refuge in the wisdom of a close friend whom he called on the drive to pick her up in an attempt to bolster his courage.

Throughout dinner, and the Sake they had to hide their obvious nervousness, they talked of the past. They talked about where their lives had led them to this point… And Briefly they talked of the future. They both left their date with unexpected attraction and unwanted desire for more. Up to this point they mistakenly believed they had a firm grasp on their lives, and neither would admit that something was missing. Both were content to be miserable in their isolation… And they both were wrong.

They both enjoyed their date, and Chadd found a local Flower Shop that would order something special… Something exotic… Something expensive!!!... So after a couple visits looking for that special flower he found the one… Ordered it… And created a card from a “secret admirer” to send with the flowers to her place of work… The flowers were a surprise, but not NEARLY as surprising as Cara’s reaction!... Without warning, she simply… Disappeared!

After some time, and with much apology, Cara sought him out. With explanations of confusion and fear, she agreed to date again… After several months of dating, it was obvious that each of their experiences with failed relationships  had given them a finite view of what they wanted from a relationship. They found a quite comfort in how they interacted in each others lives… Fast forward two years later… And a blended family of one boy, one girl, one man, one woman, two lizards, one rat, and two dogs…. Chadd remembers those fateful words from Cara extolling “Houston! We have a problem!” that signaled the sign that another baby was on the way… And all of a sudden, almost 8 months later, Chadd comes to the realization that he never would have thought he could love anything as much as he loved music… Until now… This family. His family. THEIR family!

Through discussions about not going… Not spending the money… Not taking the time away from the family… Not traveling so far, so close to her due date, Chadd realized that he ultimately had no say in the matter, and his audition date for The Voice television show was scheduled. Now, just a few weeks away from his audition he realizes several truths:

He’s not in his 20’s any longer… Not his 30’s… Not even FORTY! He’s the ripe old age of 43… He’s not been singing PROFESSIONALLY for a couple years… He spends more time swinging a hammer than he ever does playing his guitars… And no matter how much he complains… Or argues… Or tries to find a way out… He’s on his way to Los Angeles...

Blackberry Crumble Recipe

Here in Washington State, blackberries grow wild during part of July and all of August. You can literally go outside in your yard or at the park, and pick a zillion of them if you want.

I used to pick them with my youngest daughter Megan, and now I pick them with my grandchildren. I love how this tradition continues on, and it's something I look forward to every summer.

Of course with all those picked berries, we like using them in different ways and different recipes. One of my absolute favorites is this Blackberry Crumble. It's super easy to make, and my granddaughter Ashley helped me make it. At three years old, she loves stirring things, so mixing together the oats, flour, brown sugar, and butter was her job. And she loved eating something yummy that she helped make.

This crumble can be made with other kinds of fruits, such as raspberries or peaches. You can serve it for dessert or breakfast. And as a dessert, it's extra delicious served warm and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Recipe for Blackberry Crumble

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh blackberries
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, add the butter, brown sugar, oats, flour, salt, and vanilla. Mix all together, then with a fork, break into small, loose pieces of dough.
Divide the blackberries evenly in 4-6 (depending on size) ceramic ramekins.
Spread the oat mixture evenly on top of the berries in the ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 25-28 minutes.
Let the crumble set until just warm and serve. Can be topped with vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream.

Slow Roasted Tomato Pasta Salad Recipe

Even though it's still only early summer, I've been making pasta salads pretty frequently. I love them as a side dish for summer dinners, or as a main meal when meats are added to them. And they are great and easy to transport for picnics or dinners at the beach.

What makes this pasta salad one of my favorites is that it's made with oven roasted tomatoes. I slow roast the tomatoes at a low temperature for a couple of hours, and the flavor is so intensified and delicious. They can be stored in olive oil in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. I also add them to spaghetti, salads and pizza. The time spent to roast them is well worth it, especially when you consider how expensive they are at the grocery store.

I made this pasta salad for the 4th of July, and it was a big hit with friends and family. It's super easy to put together, and can be made ahead of time too.

Here's how I slow roast tomatoes:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Wash, dry, and slice in-half two pounds of Roma tomatoes.
Lay the tomatoes cut-side down on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a tiny bit of granulated sugar.
Roast for 2 - 21/2  hours, or until tomatoes are lightly dried and slightly darkened. Store in the fridge in a jar with olive oil.

Recipe for Slow Roasted Tomato Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

3/4 pound colored rotini pasta, cooked and rinsed with cold water
1 cup oven roasted tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Italian dressing
2 tablespoons dried Italian herbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the Italian dressing, Italian herbs, and pepper. Add the pasta and tomatoes, and stir to combine. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and give it another stir.
Serve or refrigerate.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe For A Plum Galette and Thoughts About My Mother

When I was growing up, most of the moms I knew stayed home with their kids, and were responsible for taking care of the house and doing all the cooking. That's just the way it was back then, and being a good housewife was something that my own mom sometimes struggled with.

My mother was always kind and loving to me, but there were days when I came home from school to find her laying down in her bed, with the room dark, and I could feel a heaviness in her that I didn't understand.

Of course, now I know that she sometimes suffered from depression. Depression wasn't talked about back then, you hid it because it carried shame. She did what she had to do for her family, and I know how hard it must have been to carry on as though she were fine.

You might be wondering what all this has to do with making a galette. Well, I remember my mom always being unhappy with her pies, and she thought they never looked pretty. She felt the crust wasn't right, and I remember watching her frustration as she rolled out the dough and put the pie together.

My own attempts at making a great pie crust weren't all that successful either. So when I learned how to make a galette, where you put the dough and the fruit together in a rather freeform sort of way, I thought about my mother.

I thought how wonderful it would have been for her to be released from her own judgment about presenting her family with a picture perfect pie, and instead something that was beautiful in it's own rustic way.

So now when I make a galette, it's my mother I think about, and know that she would think this was a great idea.

When I saw these gorgeous and delicious black plums at the store, I wanted to make a plum galette, even though I had never used plums before. One nice thing about the plums is that you don't have to take the skin off of them, which is a huge time saver. After you have sliced them, just toss them with some sugar and a little flour, and they are ready to go into the center of your dough.

Leave about a two inch rim of the dough all around the fruit so it can be folded up to keep the fruit inside. It's so amazing how different fruit galettes can look from each other, because they reflect the bakers own hands and how it was folded.

Most apple pies look like an apple pie, but I think the beauty of a galette is in the individual look of each one. There are no mistakes, and that is the most wonderful feeling.

Somehow, this dessert has been deemed 'fancy' by a lot of people. I have seen it in popular cooking magazines, and yes, it can seem that way. I also saw a whole mixed berry galette for sale at an upscale bakery for $36.00. Crazy, right?

But it's so very simple to make, and so satisfying to put this gorgeous dessert on the table to share with family and friends.

I wish my mom were here to have a slice with me. She would have loved the ease and freedom of this dessert, and told me how delicious it was. I miss her everyday.


Recipe for Plum Galette


Ingredients for pastry dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons ice-cold milk

1 egg
1 tablespoon water (to make egg wash)

Directions:

 Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk together egg yolk and milk, pour into flour mixture, stirring just until dough starts to form a ball.
Press together with lightly floured hands, and form into a flat round. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Ingredients for filling:

2 pounds black or red plums, quartered, pitted, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss together plums, sugar, and flour.

Remove dough from refrigerator. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into an approximate
10-inch round. Place on a large, lightly greased baking sheet. Scoop plum mixture into center of round.
Fold about 1 inch of dough all the way around to form a rim. Combine egg and water, brush outside of tart with the egg wash.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on pan 20 minutes, then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Can be served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Serves 6.

 

 

I originally published this last summer, but wanted to share it again.

Laura's Top 5 Foods to Try this Summer

I am one of those people who LOVE to try new things! New foods are always on my radar. Nothing fancy or exotic but regular every day food that you can find at the grocery store. This summer I have found 5 foods that I had not tried but now love.

Newman's Own Limeade is delicious! We love the lemonade version of this brand and selected the Lime version for a nice summer treat. We have made them into popsicle too. Plus all of their profits go to charity.

I enjoy Nature Valley granola bars for snacks and lunches so I thought it would be fun to try their Breakfast Biscuits. I love anything with Lemon in it so I selected the Lemon Poppy Seed version. I will have to say these are delicious! I enjoyed them with my morning coffee.

I am a huge fan of Honey Bunches of Oats. My favorite one is the one with almonds. I enjoy cereal for dessert too. I wanted to try something new so I selected the Fruit Blends banana and blueberries. I really enjoyed the sweet flavor combo, the blueberry granola clusters are great.

I have read great things about the benefits of Aloe and have been wanting to try some. I found Vivaloe at my local store and have tried 4 varieties so far. My favorite is the Coconut Aloe. It contains aloe and coconut water. The chunks of aloe are amazingly delicious! A nice treat in the summer heat.

My favorite of all the foods I have tried has to be the Outshine Fruit and Veggie Bar Tangerine Carrot. They have carrot, pumpkin, pear, tangerine and apple. They have been a summer saver for us in the 100 degree plus weather. We even take them to the park to enjoy.

What new food items have you discovered this Summer?