“Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.” ― Roald Dahl

September 13,

It's Roald Dahl Day,

Happy Birthday Roald Dahl!

Roald Dahl, one of my favorite authors of all time, was born on September 13, 1916. Known as one of the greatest children's writers of all-time, Roald has penned such legendary titles as James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Witches, Matilda, and several other wonderful titles. Roald also wrote children's poetry as well as several short story collections for adults. A little known fact is that he also wrote several film scripts including James Bond - You Only Live Twice ( didn't see that coming, did ya?!),  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. In addition he did numerous episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and his 1943 book The Gremlins was the inspiration to both the 1963 Twilight Zone episode, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", and the 1984 Steven Spielberg film Gremlins.

Roald Dahl's life was anything but ordinary. As a fighter pilot with the Royal Air Force he was injured when his plane crashed, fracturing his skull, and temporarily blinding him. He would heal and continue flying in some of the deadliest battles in WWII, eventually reaching the rank of Flight Lieutenant in 1942, and serving as an Intelligence Agent for the British Security Coordination. It was in 1942, while dispatched to Washington DC that Dahl would begin writing. His first piece was for the Saturday Evening Post, titled "Shot Down Over Libya." In 1953 he married actress Patricia Neal and  would have five children. After his daughter Olivia died in 1962 at age 7 from Measles, Dahl became a leading proponent of vaccinations, his 1982 book the BFG was dedicated to his little girl. After his wife had three anuerysms during pregnancy in 1965, Dahl took over her rehabilitation and care, she would learn to walk and talk again, and would eventually return to her acting career. Following his divorce from Neal. Dahl remarried Felicity Crosland. On November 23, 1990, Dahl died of a blood condition in Oxford; he was buried with his snooker cues, some very good burgundy, chocolates, HB pencils, and a  power saw. 

Here's to day dreams of floating off in a peach, to trying to figure out exactly where oompa loompas were from, to a childhood filled with endless dreams supplied by books, and to dreams I can now share with my son! Thank You and Happy Birthday!

“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.” 
- Roald Dahl

James and the Giant Peach Shot

"'Something is about to happen,' he told himself. 'Something peculiar is about to happen at any moment.' He hadn't the faintest idea what it might be, but he could feel it in his bones that something was going to happen soon."
-Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach

That my dear James is a Buzz...

Ingredients:

1 oz. Jameson's Irish Whiskey

.5 oz. Peach Schnapps

Splash of Cranberry

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice

Shake that drink for me, Shake that drink for me!

Strain into a shot glass

Enjoy, Can you feel it?

Blueberry Mojito

Do you know what this drink is?

By Mojito, It's a Mojito!

WRONG! It's the most amazing, fabulous, sensational Mojito in the whole world.  

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Caribbean Rum

2-3 Lime Slices

2 Springs of Mint

6-8 Blueberries

1 tsp. Sugar

2-3oz. Club Soda

Directions:

In a tall glass pour rum and sugar into glass

 squeeze limes and drop in glass

Place appr. 8 mint leaves and blueberries in glass

Muddle wit the muddler that by now you should have

(Slackers can use the back of a spoon)

Add ice and top with club soda

Garnish with a lime slice, mint sprig and/or blueberries on a cocktail skewer

Oh My!

It happens every time... they all become blueberries. Blueberry junkies that is, not actual blueberries in this case!

http://www.roalddahl.com/

“A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.” 
- Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Video games are bad for you? That's what they said about rock and roll! - Shigeru Miyamoto

September 12,

National Video Games Day 

Okay, so I'm with you on this, "Really, there's a holiday for that?" The answer is yes! Some thirty-something who lives with his parents not only managed to make one holiday out or this, but it happens again on July 8 (Really?!) I have a six year old that would be devastated if I skipped this holiday, and besides Atari rocked (Pitfall anyone?)

On January 25, 1947, Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr and Estle Ray Mann filed a US patent request for an invention they described as a "cathode ray tube device." The patent, which was issued on December 14, 1948 was for a machine in which people used knobs and buttons to manipulate a cathode ray tube beam to simulate firing at "air-borne" targets. Space Invaders! In 1949-50, Charley Adama created a "bouncing Ball" game for MIT's Whirlwind computer, Hello Pong! Through out the fifties and sixties more and more games were popping up on college computer systems, most of these were games invented by individuals for hobby. Then came the glorious seventies!

In 1971 Galaxy Game was installed in the student union of Stanford University, this was the first ever coin operated gaming machine, and believe it or not only one was initially created. In 1972 Atari was founded, and they released the game Pong, this became the first widely successful arcade game ever, with Atari selling over 19,000 Pong machines. The blockbuster Space Invaders was released in 1978.

The first video game console was released in 1972 by Magnavox, called the Magnavox Odyssey.      

  *1977 - Atari 2600 game console was released      *1980 - Namco released Pac-Man / Mattel released Intellivision     *1981 -  Nintendo released Donkey Kong, the game that would introduce the world to a guy named Mario. Konami introduced Frogger.    *1983 - Nintendo releases the NES      *1985 - Mario Bros was released selling over 40 million copies and reigning as the top selling video game until 2008.     *1988 - Sega Genisis     *1989 - Game Boy     *1990 Super NES     *1994 - Playstation     *1996 - Nintendo 64 and the Resident Evil game franchise began     *2001 -Microsoft Xbox / Nintendo releases Game Cube and Gameboy Advance.     *2004 - Nintendo DS     *2005 - Xbox 360     *2009 - Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii are released within 8 days of each other.

Wow! No wonder kids are over weight! How many of these did you own? I'm guilty as well.

So here's to misspent youth, carpel tunnel, video gamer's thumb and forty year old virgins everywhere! If there is a world without Mario, I don't want to be apart of it!     

Both of these amazing concoctions are courtesy of http://thedrunkenmoogle.com - It's a great website!

For the gamer in my life I chose his favorite two games to represent, they also happen to be two of all time most popular games as well. So sit back enjoy these drinks and relive your youth playing a couple of your favorite games! Do they make Ms. Pac-Man for Wii or Xbox 360?

Warp Pipe (Super Mario Bros. Cocktail)

Ingredients:

1oz.  Blue Curacao

1/2 bottle Mike’s Hard Limeade

.75 oz.  Melon Liqueur

1/2 Lime (cut into wedges)

Directions:

 Cut lime into four wedges.  

Squeeze the lime juice into a highball glass and then drop them in the bottom. 

 Add some ice over top the limes, then pour in the Blue Curacao. 

 Add the Mike’s Hard Limeade until the glass is almost full, then top with your Melon Liqueur. 

 Stir a bit with a straw and enjoy.  

Don't over do the Melon, otherwise you lose the lime flavor

Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog shot)

Ingredients:

.25 oz. Grenadine

.5 oz. Menthomint Schnapps

(Can substitute Peppermint Schnapps)

1 oz. Blue Curacao  

Directions:

 Pour in the grenadine first.  

Then layer the Mentholmint schnapps and Blue Curacao on top, in that order.  

Take it down faster than the Blue Blur himself.  

Remember any of these games?

Thank You Mario! But Our Princess is in Another Castle!

You Have Died of Dysentery!

Finish Him!

I Feel Asleep!

It's in the Game!

Wakka Wakka Wakka...

It's Dangerous to Go Alone! Take this!

Here We Go!

It's Time to Kick Ass & Chew Bubble Gum, & I'm All Out of Gum.

“If Pac-Man had affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in dark rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive electronic music.” 
―Marcus Brigstocke

"Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11." - President Barack Obama

September 11,

Today we take a moment of silence to remember all those we lost on September 11, 2001.

"Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children." - President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

They Call it Golf Because All the Other Four Letter Words Where Taken! - Ray Floyd

September 10,

Happy Birthday Arnold Palmer

Born September 10, 1929, Arnold Palmer is regarded as the best golfer in the history of professional golfing. Nicknamed, The King, he is one of the golfers credited with popularizing and commercializing the sport world wide. 

While Arnold played golf in college it was his win in the 1954 US Amateur that inspired him to go pro. The following year he won the Canadian Open, then after his 1958 Master Tournament win , he was considered one of the leading golfers on the scene. Palmer won seven major championships, he is the fifth all time winner  in the PGA Tour, he won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average four times, PGA Player of the Year twice, and leading PGA money maker four times; in 1967 Palmer became the first golfer to reach one million dollars  in career earnings in the PGA. In 1974 Palmer would be inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame, and then in 1998 he earned a PGA Lifetime Achievement Award.

By now everyone has heard some version of the professional golfer or golfer's wife saying she kisses his balls for luck on national TV, well many times this story is attributed to Arnold during a mid-1960's Johnny Carson interview. Jay Leno cleared this up directly during a 1994 interview:

Leno:... apparently Johnny said, "Is there anything your wife does to bring you good luck?"

Palmer: No, Johnny said, "Does your wife kiss your balls before you go to play?" and I said ,"I don't even go to bed without pajamas."

This joke has actually been passed around long before Palmer, it is widely believed to have been the wife of golf great Sam Snead in the early to mid-1950's. Some have suggested it was on the original Tonight Show with Steve Allen as host. Although a July 1954 newspaper column by journalist Walter Winchell suggest that it was John Tillman a popular New York newscaster, previous to the Tonight Show.

     "Mrs. Sammy Snead's dead-pan fo-pah while interviewed by J. Tillman (on the air) still has locals in stitches Tillman's comment made it hilariously worse!"

This may just go down as another great american mystery!

So today we toast you, Mr. Arnold Palmer; you and your balls (golf balls, freaks)!

Happy Birthday!

A Dirty Arnold Palmer

By now most people are familiar with the Lemonade/Ice tea beverage made widely popular by Arnold Palmer. As the combo was his favorite beverage it naturally became named after the legend. In 2001 an actual Arnold Palmer brand L/IT combo was created. What fun is toasting with Ice Tea though? We demand more at SS, otherwise the page would be called Getting Hydrated with Style!

Ingredients:

2oz Sweet Tea Vodka

5oz. Lemonade

Mint for garnish

Directions:

Combine ingredients over ice in a Collins glass

Set mint spring on top as garnish

Cheers!

"The first time I played the Masters, I was so nervous I drank a

 bottle of rum before I teed off. I shot the happiest 83 of my 

life."

Chi Chi Rodriguez

If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score? -Vince Lombardi

September 9,

FOOTBALL!

My friends it is that time of year! Football is off and running! My official tailgate kick off is done and over...here we go! There is not too much to tell...it's football!

So glasses up folks...FOOTBALL IS HERE! Oh, and FYI my fantasy football team is going undefeated!!

Hail Mary

So to start this season off we are doing the perfect tailgate drink! It is a football Bloody Mary.

Ingredients:

1.5oz. Bourbon

2 dashes Worcestershire

5 Dashes Tabasco 

1/4 oz Lime Juice

3 oz. Clamato Juice

Jalapeno Stuffed Olives for Garnish

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a highball glass with ice

Garnish with olives

All ready caught the Hail Mary? Go for the 2 point conversion and add a raw oyster to the top! 

Here's to Alcohol; the cause of and solution to, all of life's problems - Homer...Simpson that is

Doh...

To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before...

September 8,

Star Trek Day

On September 8, 1966, the first Star Trek episode aired on NBC. The show would go on to produce six different television series, and eleven (soon to be twelve in 2013) feature films.  The Star Trek franchise is a multi-billion dollar industry! That is a LOT of geeks :) The show has surpassed the title of successful series, becoming a cultural icon. The series has created an entire subculture. Star Trek fanatics, or Trekkies have made the Star Trek conventions, the most popular of all science fiction conventions. These multi-day events travel through out the country, the largest being in Vegas. They include vendors, entertainment, guest speakers (this year's had four actual Star Trek captains), movies, behind the scenes exclusives, and more geek on geek lovin' than you could or would want to imagine!

On behalf of a couple Trekkie friends, there was no way I could pass this holiday up! So this one's for you guys - Drink up Geeks!!  xoxo :)

Who would of thought Trekkies could party so hardy! There are tons of drinks inspired by Star Trek! Since my Trekkie friends were such good sports (you are still my friends, right) I am gifting you with TWO drinks! One is a single drink, the other is a party punch (perfect for those crazy after convention parties!)

Uhura Kiss

The role of Captain Uhura played a signifigant role in history. The role, played by Nichelle Nichols, was the first non-menial role in an American television show played by a person of African decent. In the 1968 episode, Plato's Stepchildren, Uhura and Captain Kirk kissed; marking the first scripted interracial kiss on American TV. In 1967 when Nichelle was thinking of leaving the show, it was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr who persuaded her to stay.

Ingredients:

2oz. Tequila

1.5oz. Amaretto

1oz Chocolate Syrup

1oz Soda Water

1oz Half & Half

5 Cherries

Directions:

Muddle cherries in a cocktail shaker

Add remaining ingredients and add ice

Just shake shake, shake chica/o shake

Strain into a far out martini glass.. Yums!

Phasers on Stun Punch

Ingredients:

8oz. Whiskey

24oz. Grapefruit Juice

8oz. Blue Curacao

4oz Peach Schnapps

4oz Lemon Juice

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a tall pitcher with ice

Add dry ice if you want to be ubber cool!

I would totally let someone practice the Vulcan Death Grip on me for a chance at a glass of this!

"It's not about drinking, Seven, it's about saluting the noble deeds of our ancestors. And honoring those who fell in battle. Think qa'pla! Think long live the Empire!" - The Doctor

Music and Passion Were Always the Fashion At the Copa....They Fell in Love - Barry Manilow

September 7

Independence Day of Brazil

Dia da Independência

     On September 7, 1822 Brazil declared it's independence from Portugal. As a federal holiday there are many festivals and celebrations around Brazil. Brasilia hosts a large military parade alongside the President of the country. Over 30,000 people attend the event that costs over a million reais to put on.

     Not one to be shown up, NYC has hosted a Brazilian Day the Sunday of Labor Day weekend to celebrate the Brazilian Independence Day every year since 1984. What started as a small one day event, Brazilian Day stretches 25 blocks, and is the largest Brazilian event outside of Brazil. People camp out the night before the event to get a good seat next to the stage, which annually hosts the biggest names in Brazilian music. Along with the enormous stage, 6th street is lined with Brazilian food, arts, and anything else you can possibly make green and yellow!

So today we toast Brazil! We thank them for their may wonderful gifts; the girls, the curves on the girls, the soccer, the sexy moves of Samba, Capoeira, Giselle, Carnival, Carmen Miranda, Pele, and who could forget the wax!

              
              
                                                     

Saúde (Saw-OO-de) - Health

Caipirinha

(kie-purr-REEN-yah)

The national cocktail of Brazil, the Caipirinha has become quite popular world wide. It is based on a similar Portuguese drink called Poncha. Sugar Cane was brought to Brasil from Portugal, were they orginally grew the crop in Madeira, Portugal.   The Caipirinha is made with  cachaça (ka [asa]). an extremely sweet Brazilian style of rum, made from sugar cane. Poncha is made with a Portuguese sugar cane liquor called Aguardiente, which translated means "fire water", who isn't intrigued by that? Caipirinha is derived from the word caipira, translated to a person from the countryside, being an exact equivalent to hillbilly (maybe not as cool as fire water, but every bit as tasty!)

While cachaça is difficult to find, the better the brand the better the drink, as all the flavor is in the liquor. You can use a more standard Caribbean rum, but you will want to add simple syrup to get additional sweetness. Brands of cachaça available in the states actually will vary by state so I am including a link to  the different brands of cachaça. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brands_of_Cacha%C3%A7a

Ingredients:

1 Lime (quartered)

2 tsp of Fine Sugar

2oz Cachaca

Directions::

Muddle the lime wedges and sugar into an old-fashioned glass

Fill the glass with ice

Add cachaça, stir and drink!

Lindo maravilhoso! (leen-doh mah-dah-veel-yoh-zoo)

Beautiful, marvelous!

Brazilian National Anthem / Hino Nacional Brasileiro

Ouviram do Ipiranga as margens plácidas De um povo heroico o brado retumbante, E o sol da Liberdade, em raios fúlgidos, Brilhou no céu da Pátria nesse instante. Se o penhor dessa igualdade Conseguimos conquistar com braço forte, Em teu seio, ó Liberdade, Desafia o nosso peito a própria morte! Ó Pátria amada, Idolatrada, Salve! Salve! Brasil, um sonho intenso, um raio vívido, De amor e de esperança à terra desce, Se em teu formoso céu, risonho e límpido, A imagem do Cruzeiro resplandece. Gigante pela própria natureza, És belo, és forte, impávido colosso, E o teu futuro espelha essa grandeza. Terra adorada Entre outras mil És tu, Brasil, Ó Pátria amada! Dos filhos deste solo És mãe gentil, Pátria amada, Brasil!

The placid banks of Ipiranga heard the resounding cry of a heroic people and in shining rays, the sun of liberty shone in our homeland's skies at this very moment. If the assurance of this equality we achieved by our mighty arms, in thy bosom, O freedom, our chest shall defy death itself! O beloved, idolized homeland, Hail, hail! Brazil, an intense dream, a vivid ray of love and hope descends to earth if in thy lovely, smiling and clear skies the image of the(Southern) Cross shines resplendently. Giant by thine own nature, thou art beautiful, thou art strong, an intrepid colossus, and thy future mirrors thy greatness. Beloved Land amongst a thousand others art thou, Brazil, O beloved homeland! To the sons of this land thou art a gentle mother, beloved homeland, Brazil!

Brasil National Anthem