Nick at Nite Collector's Edition

 

Fall Reads by Gina Meyers

 Fall Reads

Fall is almost upon us and it’s the perfect time to read and relax and do  some reading.

Here’s what I’ve read so far this year in no particular order. Because I am a new realtor, but a longtime author and publisher-- I get the opportunity to read upcoming books and unique indie books. I have reread my late friend Richard Parenti’s, Emotional Sobriety: Feel-Good Secrets for Everyone, a semi-autobiographical account of his recovering alcoholic status and how he implemented steps from Alcoholic Annonomous and re-worded them to change his outlook and prognosis. I also reread my cousin Marie Lavin’s, MFCC book, An Invitation To Change, a small book chalked full of wisdom and how energy healing can be effective in changing one’s outlook. I also read Don Miguels, The Four Agreements. I read and listened to his book on tape and also watched you tube videos that further dive into the agreements we make with ourselves and others.

For a more in depth explanation to the book, In The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love. 

Don Miguel Ruiz has dedicated his life to sharing the wisdom of the ancient Toltec.

A book I am listening to that is an eye opener is called, The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy, by Thomas Stanley.  

Magical Singing Cake by Gina Meyers

 Magical Singing Cake

Make sure you time this so that your guests are present during the baking. Once the cake is baked, the effect is over and it only “sings” while baking.

1 cup of butter

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

3 eggs, separated

2 squares bitter chocolate melted

1 cup of raisins

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

4 cups sifted flour

1 cup of strawberry jam

1 cup of chopped nuts

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 cup of buttermilk

Directions: In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Next add egg yolks one at a time and stir. (Reserve egg whites and beat on high with an electric mixture until the egg whites form stiff peaks.) Add the melted chocolate and stir into the concoction. (In a microwave safe bowl, place chocolate and melt for one minute and with a spatula check. If it hasn’t melted, place in the microwave for another thirty seconds.) Then add raisins, cinnamon, cloves and flour, nuts and jam, stir. Quickly add in the baking powder and buttermilk as well as folding in the stiffly-formed egg whites into the cake batter. Pour the cake batter mixture into a greased and floured angel food cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees until the cake stops singing, about forty five minutes. Check with a toothpick to see if batter is fully cooked. 

 

 Gluten-Free Easy Coconut Macaroons 

Looking for a lower in sugar coconut macaroon recipe, here it is!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup all purpose Gluten Free Flour, such as White Gold Brand

• 14 oz package unsweetened flaked coconut (if you use sweetened coconut, you will be adding 5 grams of sugar)

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 14 oz fat free sweetened condensed milk (contains 24 grams sugar)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Optional: 6-8oz chocolate chips such as Lily’s milk chocolate style baking chips, with 32% cocoa, stevia sweetened. 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and place cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. You may also use silicone cupcake liners. If lining  a baking sheet use parchment paper or cooking spray. 

2. In a large bowl, mix together gluten-free flour, coconut and salt until the coconut is coated in the other ingredients

3. Stir in condensed milk, vanilla extract. Keep stirring until well combined. Next, add chocolate chips. 

4. Using a cookie scoop, place in mounds of the coconut chocolate chip mixture in the cupcake tin liners or on the prepared baking sheets. 

5. For large (3 Tablespoon) cookies, bake in a preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are golden. For smaller (1 1/2 tablespoons) cookies, bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown the tops.

6. Cool for five minutes and enjoy. Makes about 1 ½ dozen medium sized macaroons. 

Sicilian Stories

 My mom always said that San Francisco is such a beautiful city that you could fall in LOVE anywhere there.

San Francisco the city by the bay was my home. Me, Gina Marie, born June the 8th, 1971 in San Francisco, California at Saint Luke’s Hospital.

I’m third generation Native San Franciscan and proud of it. No matter how much the city landscape changes, it always remains a vibrant, fun, picturesque city.

My grandparents met at a big band dance while my grandpa chig’s naval ship was docked at Pier 39 back in the 1940’s.

It was a night like no other. My Sicilian grandma Rose, who resembled the movie star Rosalind Russell, dressed up in her latest black tight knit dress from I Magnins.

Red lipstick, her jet black hair upturned on the ends, high heels, click clack,  headed with her sister Mary to the short walk from their parents’ flat on the corner of Mason and Lombard.

Mare and Roe what a sight. Both lookers for their day, and as they stopped by their father’s crab stand to have a bottle of coke a cola-- before the dance, they ran into their Uncle Nunzio who was working the six to midnight shift, “up the wharf.”

“Hey Mare”, Rose cried. “Wouldn’t it be neat if they played Artie Shaw’s in the mood and we danced all night with a naval officer?”

“Get your heads outta the clouds Roe,”  Mare said.

Rose ever the dreamer, was dreaming that night of finding her love and sure enough, a tall and lanky fellow by the name of Harold E. Hill, just like the main character in the play, The Music Man asked Rosalind to dance. 

North Beach is home to Saints Peter and Pauls where Joe Dimaggio and his first wife wed. You hear the church bells chime every hour. Weird part is the address: 666 Filbert Street, sounds more like the devil’s calling card then an address for a cathedral. 

Mason and Lombard is one block from the crookest street in the world, also known as  zig zag Hill, and you can hear the cables from the cable cars running all night long. With no air conditioning, the flat was equipped with wooden framed, single paned windows which rattled in the night, followed by fog horns which sounded and resounded like clock work.

Cue in the rain.

God cues in the rain.

We were lost and we needed to be found. It was May 2020 Covid abounded but no one could take away our time on the beach in San Francisco, as we climbed the steep sand encrusted mountain we reached a peak so high it was as if we could touch the sky. Lucas and I, excited that we’d reached the top, were astounded to find a virtual rainforest of adventure, green grass with little white daisies in the grass, people, lots of people walking their dogs, smiling in the sunshine. It was as if we’d reached heaven and down below where we could hear the waves crashing onto the shore, see the seagulls flying above the ocean floor, we had reached some sort of heavenly realm at the top of that monstrous sand mountain. We both simultaneously said, “it’s as if God has cued everyone.” 

Then we started making sense of the scenes as if we were the assistant directors in the play of life. I shouted “cue in the rain.” Lucas shouted, “cue in the dogs.” There were so many dogs that day walking their owners.

The writing on the wall.

With the farllon islands in the background. My parents took me for a walk on the beach. Gina get your tennis. As we walked the sand cave, my dad said, “I’ve been to this beach before.” As I looked on the sand wall, the writing was literally on the wall, Emblazoned it read: “Life is not a dress rehearsal.”

It got me thinking about the way I was living. A newborn, a teenage stepdaughter and a young eight year old daughter. And husband.

It got me thinking quite a bit of my happiness. 

A few more clicks for you for apricots. 

 Soar to new heights with these assorted Papagni Flights

Papagni Tricolore Flight 

A magical combination of White, Rosé, and Red for when you are not sure of what you’d like, or want to taste it all!

2018 Chardonnay 2016 Grenache Rosé 2018 Alicante Bouchet

Dolce Flight

For all sweet wine lovers! This flight explores the sweeter side of the Italian Papagni Wines.

2016 Muscat Papagni Red Sangria

Alicante Fight

Take flight and indulge in our flagship brand Alicante. See how we got on the map.

2013 Alicante Bouchet 2015  Alicante Bouchet   2018 Alicante Bouchet

Halloween Caramel Corn

 

Halloween Caramel Corn

½ cup of dark caro syrup

1 cup of light or dark brown sugar

1 cube of butter

½ teaspoon of baking soda

1 Tablespoon of Torani Flavored Pumpkin Pie Spice 

½ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2  quarts or 8 cups  of popped popcorn

Optional: nuts and candy corns candies

Directions in a large pot, melt, butter, add salt, brown sugar and caro syrup, pumpkin pie spice (liquid) and stir till it bowls, stir. Turn off heat and add baking soda and vanilla extract, stir again. Next, add popcorn to the large pot and coat the popcorn. Next, have a cookie sheet sprayed with butter flavored spray and add the popcorn to the cookie sheet and press flat. Bake in a 250 degree oven, stirring occasionally, every ten minutes for thirty minutes. Allow to cool, and walla, Halloween Caramel Corn. Enjoy!

Bow-tie Pasta

 Bow-Tie Pasta with creamy walnut and garlic sauce

1 pound of bow-tie pasta

1 ½ cups of heavy cream

1 cup of walnuts, shelled

¾ cup of shredded Romano Cheese

2 Garlic cloves, peeled

1 teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of black pepper

Directions: In a food processor, blend cream, walnuts, cheese, salt and pepper, and garlic, blend until smooth. Cook pasta according to package directions. In a pan, add drained cooked pasta, add the cream mixture and cook until the sauce is warm. May garnish with extra romano cheese as well as additional garlic. 

Gina Ferrari’s recipes can be found at: http://www.ginameyers.com or http://www.nonijuliesbiscotti.com

Pairs well with Papagni Pinot Grigio. http://www.papagniwines.com

2013 PINOT GRIGIO

WHITE WINE

"This wine is light, fruity and refreshing with aromas of orange blossom, pineapple and papaya that evolve in the glass and lead to a palate of poached pear and melons. A perfect complement to halibut, salmon, chicken and Asian cuisine, as well as lightly sauced pasta dishes." ~ Demetrio Papagni 750 ML ALC 12% BY VOL 

Examples of book (about the author)

 

Examples of Biographies

Born in San Francisco, California, (Name)  is a graduate of California State University, Fresno. Early in her career, working with renowned actress Kasey Rogers, she produced and directed a series of animated films on the television show Bewitched.

 

Josephine McDonald has a rare ability to evoke the power of myth through simple language and brilliant art which has earned her many honors. Her fascination with the trickster motif in folklore led her to the wondrous Native American tales about Raven.

Ms. McDonald is a consultant on education. She was born in San Jose, California, and presently lives in California. 

(Name)  is the author of numerous books of folktales, and stories about Jewish holidays. He learned about this story while working with Native American children in the Pacific Northwest. Alan lives with his cat, Wakalope in Pleasanton, California. 

 (Insert name here) has illustrated a number of books for young people, including, The Delightful Old Apple Tree (Serendipity Press, 2017). He researched this book extensively and found a lot of information about the people who told the Sioux tales. (Name) lives with his wife (name)  and son and daughter in Tuscany, Italy.

Gina Meyers loves cooking, popular culture and traveling. As the featured television Bewitched fan on the popular Canadian television show Fanatical, and the host of various book signings, summer fun trivia contests, and as the hostess for, The Twitch Is Right (Bewitched Fan Fare 2008, Burbank, California, Victory Theatre), Gina’s dreams magically come true on a daily basis. Her passion for traveling has also taken her on a around the world search for the best places to live (she is still looking). She is married with three children. 

Gina Meyers is the author of Take A Bite, Vampires, Forks, and Knives, is a novelist, marketer, and founder of Serendipity Press Inc. 

The themes of respect for and protection of our world are an essential part of all her works.

(Name) received a master of arts in painting from American University and a bachelor of arts in art history from the University of Chicago. His paintings have been exhibited in London, LA, and New York.

Chicken Marsala with Capers and Papagni Wine Pairing

 Chicken Marsala with mushrooms and capers

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, washed
salt & pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. butter or ⅛  cup of Olive Oil
1 cup marsala wine
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. capers, drained
1 cup mushrooms, sliced

Directions: Place  3 Tablespoons of  butter in a skillet over medium-high heat or ⅛ of a cup of olive oil. Next, add the 4 chicken breasts and brown about 3 minutes on each side. Once chicken is nearly cooked, reduce heat and add mushrooms, capers, marsala wine, chicken broth and simmer. Bring to an almost boil, then reduce and simmer until chicken is cooked thoroughly. Add more mushrooms and marsala wine if needed. Salt and pepper to taste, if you want to thicken the sauce, add a teaspoon of cornstarch or a Tablespoon of flour. 

Gina Meyers is the author of Cook Like a Native Italian and Cook Like a Hot Italian Mama, by, Gina Ferrari. https://www.ginameyers.com

Pairs well with Papagni Chardonnay

https://papagniwines.com

2012 CHARDONNAY (RESERVE)

WHITE WINE

Silky texture, elegant, balanced — this limited production, hand-crafted Chardonnay was gently whole cluster pressed then fermented in new French Oak barrels and aged sur-lie for ten months. 750 ML  ALC 12.5% BY VOL

Papagni Wine Pairings with cake

 

Cake and Papagni Wine Pairings

Who says you can’t have your wine and eat your cake too! Jokes aside, Papagni’s Petite Syrah makes an excellent wine choice for Red Velvet Cake and our Granache Rose is simply superb with Strawberry Cake. 

Easy Red Velvet Cake

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 ounce liquid red food coloring

3/4 cup water

1 yellow cake mix, with pudding in the mix

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon butter

4 tablespoons buttermilk

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Directions: Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, mix cocoa powder, red food coloring, and part of the water to form a paste. Next, add all of the other ingredients except the white vinegar. Blend for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes with a mixer on medium speed. Then add the vinegar and mix with a spatula. Pour the batter into a bunt or round cake pan, and bake for approximately 35 minutes. This recipe can be made into cupcakes as well.

Strawberry Cake

1 box of white cake mix

1 box, 3 ounces of strawberry gelatin

1 cup of oil

½ cup of milk

4 eggs 

1 cup of strawberries, mashed sweetened, not drained

Frosting

1 stick of butter, softened, unsalted, ½ cup

1 box (1 pound) of powdered sugar 

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all cake ingredients together and pour into a 9 x 11 inch pan or two smaller pans, the batter should not fill pans to the top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Frosting: Cream butter and sugar together, add mashed strawberries until frosting is of spreadable consistency. Mix together frosting ingredients. If it is too thick, please add strawberries until it is the right consistency. You may also purchase strawberry frosting if you don’t want to prepare it. 

Bewitched Episode 1

 I’m getting out the fine china and dressing up for the 60th anniversary of Bewitched, officially slated for Saturday, September 14th, 2024 in North Hollywood, California.

Mini sarcasm aside, how will an author who became an author because of the television show Bewitched memorialize this memento? 

“Well” as Samantha Stephens would say, I  for one,  will be sharing my passion for the television show Bewitched with a new book and a series of recipes and favorite episodes.

60 years of a television show is something to celebrate and here is one of my favorite episodes of Bewitched.

Episode 1

https://youtu.be/oB_vXlgcCpw?feature=shared

Bewitching Beginnings by Gina Meyers

     Once upon an enchanted spell, there was a winsome witch with a necromantic nose and a flare for mischief, who married a mere mortal named Darrin.  They lived in the heart of suburbia at 1164 Morning Glory Circle in Westport, Connecticut.  He was an advertising man, she a sexy floor scrubbing, laundry toting, child rearing, house witch. Or as Look Magazine put it, "Samantha is a clean-scrubbed, suburban Everywoman, with her caldron hooked to the rotisserie." (Look, 1965)  Samantha Stephens had the ability to pop up anything she desired, but what she desired most was a quirky young man by the name of Darrin Stephens.  This love story, which lasted for eight seasons, was originally aired from September 17, 1964 to July 1, 1972 on ABC networks as a Screen Gems Production.  After each episode, the Bewitched audience anticipated what benign witchcraft antics Samantha (and/or relatives) would stir up next. 

In the first pilot, "I Darrin, Take This Witch, Samantha," it is revealed that Samantha is a witch.  Samantha's mother, Endora, visits her daughter on her wedding night.  Regretting that her daughter has married a mortal, Endora becomes determined to break up the marriage.  Samantha decides to tell Darrin that he has unknowingly married a witch.  To convince him of her powers, Samantha performs a series of tricks.  After she has shown him of her extraordinary powers, Darrin makes her promise never to use her witchcraft again. Later in the episode, a former girlfriend of Darrin's, named Sheila, invites the newlyweds over for a dinner party. This is done under the guise that Sheila wants to congratulate the happy newlyweds. Instead, Sheila makes every effort to humiliate Samantha.  After enduring Darrin's ex-girlfriend's insults a number of times, Sam (nickname for Samantha) cannot resist the temptation to embarrass the host by employing the use of witchcraft.

The episodes that follow are a variation of the same theme.  Darrin wants Samantha to stop practicing witchcraft and to settle into being a nice suburban homemaker.  Samantha, on the other hand, is continually tempted to twitch her nose to clean up the kitchen when unexpected company arrives, to settle a score when she or Darrin is being insulted or embarrassed, or to save an advertising account for Darrin when  a client is disgruntled.  

The performers on Bewitched were impeccably cast in their respective roles.  Their characters were flavorful and refreshing.  Elizabeth Montgomery portrayed Samantha Stephens, the intelligent and beautiful housewife with a twitch; Dick York (1964-1969) and Dick Sargent (1969-1972) played the role of Darrin Stephens, the Madison Avenue ad man married to a witch. Agnes Moorehead played the egocentric, meddling mother-in-law named Endora; and David White played Darrin's greedy, hypocritical boss named Larry Tate.

Other brilliant performers included Marion Lorne as Aunt Clara, an aging, bumbling witch; Alice Ghostley (played a similar role to that of Marion Lorne's Aunt Clara after Lorne passed away), as Esmeralda, a shy witch maid; Alice Pearce (1964-1966) and Sandra Gould (1966-1972) as the Stephens' infamous nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz;  George Tobias as the passive Abner Kravitz; Irene Vernon (1964-1966) and Kasey Rogers (1966-1972) as Larry Tate's worrisome and sensitive wife, Louise; Paul Lynde (1965-1972) as Uncle Arthur, Samantha's practical joking uncle who was a warlock; Bernard Fox as Samantha's family physician, “the witch doctor”; Maurice Evans played Maurice, Samantha's distinguished and proper father; Robert F. Simon and Roy Roberts sharing the role of Frank Stephens, Darrin's father; and Mabel Albertson as Phyllis Stephens, the easily upset and nerve wracked mother of Darrin.

Twins portrayed both of the Stephen’s children.  Erin and Diane Murphy (1966-1972) played the role of Tabitha, the little witch daughter of Samantha and Darrin (Erin later resumed the role of Tabitha); and David and Greg Lawrence (1971-1972) portrayed Adam, the Stephen's warlock son.

There were also memorable characters who made recurring guest  appearances on the show and they were: Aunt Hagatha, Samantha's aunt, played by Ysabel MacClosky and Reta Shaw (The Ghost and Mrs. Muir ); Howard McMann, (Larry Tate's partner in the advertising firm, McMann & Tate) portrayed by Leon Ames and Gilbert Roland; Margaret McMann, Howard's wife, played by Louise Sorel; Betty, (Darrin's secretary) played by Marcia Wallace, Samantha Scott, and Jean Blake; the drunk Darrin meets at the bar, played by Dick Wilson;  and the Apothecary, (the old warlock flirt) played by Bernie Kopell (Love Boat ). 

How Well Do You Know The Stephens?

 HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE STEPHENS?

1.  Samantha does magic by:

    A. Tugging her ear

    B.Blinking her eyes

    C.Wiggling her nose

    D.crossing her arms

 

2.  Serena's pet name for Larry Tate is:

                A. Peter Cotton Top

B. Peter Rabbit

                C. Peter Pumpkin Eater

3.  What does Maurice usually call Darrin:

A. Dobbin

B. Durweed

C. Durwood

D. Dennis

4.  What is Darrin Stephens’ profession?

He is a professional golfer

A. He is an astronaut

B. He is an advertising executive

C. He is a marketing director

5.  What is the Stephens address?

            A. 1020 Palm Drive

            B. 1164 Morning Glory Circle

            C. 1313 Mockingbird Lane

            D.  333 Elmwood Drive

How many did you get correct?

0 "Weeell," I think you had better invest in the Bewitched on DVD Collection, or on demand to catch up on your deprived childhood.

1 “Hey, not bad.”-Serena

 2 You probably had difficulty distinguishing between Bewitched and I Dream of    Jeannie.

3 You have written to at least one of the cast members, or have

    seriously contemplated doing so.

4 You have named at least one of your pets or a family member

    after one of the characters from Bewitched.

5 "Like wow, totally groovy!"  Mr. and Mrs. Stephens would be

very proud.  Questions1 & 3 though may upset Mr. Stephens.

Answers:

1.  c. 

2.  a.

3.  a.

4.  c.

5.  b.

Buy one of my books today

The Bewitched Theme Song Lyrics

 

The Bewitched Theme Song Lyrics

Words and music by Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller

Bewitched, Bewitched, you've got me in your spell.

Bewitched, Bewitched, you know your craft so well.

Before I knew what you were doing, I looked in your eyes.

That brand of woo that you've been brew-in' took me by surprise.

You witch, you witch, one thing is for sure--

That stuff you pitch--just hasn't got a cure.

My heart was under lock and key--but somehow it got unhitched.

I never thought my heart could be had.

But now I'm caught and I'm kinda glad to be--

Bewitched.  Bewitched--witched.

*Note: Lyrics never used for Bewitched's opening or closing credits.