Lauren Rose's 2014 Outgoing Madonna De Lume Speech

Lauren Rose's Outgoing Madonna De Lume Speech

If anything, to stand before you all today as the outgoing Queeon of La Madonna del Lume.

First off, please excuse my voice, I'm fighting a losing battle against a cold.

Since becoming La Madonna del Lume Queen, I have been privileged, honored, it has been spiritually enriching, a humbling experience. A lot of change, but there has always been that guiding light. Mary points the way to Jesus. Being Queen of La Modonna del Lume has helped me to share my faith with other

people and share my spiritual experiences with my friends. Overall, an enlightening experience.

Thank you to all who are involved, have been involved in the past, and who are planning on being involved in the future.
Thank you for taking some time out of your day to celebrate in this amazing festival with us.

viva La Madonna del Lume, viva!

Whole Grain Soda Bread

Whole Grain Soda Bread

1 Tablespoon of Cornmeal

1 cup of quick-cooking rolled oats

1 ½ cups of buttermilk, divided

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 cup of whole wheat flour

2 Tablespoons of packed light brown sugar

1 Tablespoon of baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons of caraway seeds

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

6 tablespoons of butter or margarine, chilled, cut into pieces.

2 eggs, lightly beaten, divided

1 cup of currants

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle large baking sheet with cornmeal. In a bowl, combine oats with ½ cup of buttermilk; let stand ten minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine all-purpose and whole wheat flours, sugar, baking powder, caraway seeds, baking soda and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs: set aside. Reserve 1 Tablespoon of egg; combine remaining egg with remaining buttermilk (1 cup). Stir into oat mixture; stir in currants. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until stiff dough forms. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Shape dough into round loaf; place on baking sheet. Brush top of dough with remaining egg. With serrated knife, cut an “X” in top of bread, extending cut over sides of loaf down to baking sheet. Let stand in warm place for fifteen minutes. Bake 40-45 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. Cool slightly on pan on wire rack before serving. https://www.serendipitymediagroup.com

Happy Anniversary Bewitched, 50 Years!

By, Gina Meyers

How do you pay homage to a television show? A show that completely changed my life. A show that changed millions of people's lives and still reruns even today. "Weeelll" as Samantha Stephens would say, you just wiggle your nose and go for it! Before I wrote The Magic of Bewitched Trivia and More Book, I was an aspiring writer. After writing the Bewitched Book, I became an author. Not only that, I became a  Bewitched Expert and traveled the United States on a book signing tour, and started a fan club, that reached people in Japan, England, Australia, and even some prison inmates down south. My children got to join in the fun of exciting Bewitched talks, Halloween Parties, book signings, trivia contests, mall extravaganzas, meeting celebrities, traveling to Salem, Massachusetts to see the Samantha Statue and so much more. They got to go on the radio with me, participate in an internationally televised television show (called Bewitched Fanatical), help me prepare for television segments, create food for television segments, join in the newspaper interviews, etc. I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy magazine interviews, live television cooking demonstrations, participating in fun Bewitched related events.

My favorite memories are too many, but I'll try.
1) Having a book-signing in Glendale, California at The Barnes & Noble with Kasey Rogers, Louise Tate, the "bosses wife". A boy came for his fourteenth birthday to my book signing as his birthday present. I remember my son Lucas was a baby at the time and my husband took him for awhile during the event. Me, my daughter Lauren, Kasey Rogers, and her mate, Mark Wood laughed and had a great time. We met many fans of Bewitched that day and each person had a story to share.

2) Hosting a Bewitched Bash at our  custom home in North East, Fresno. The best part was donating proceeds to NAMI and Make A Wish Foundation. The amount of work that went into the party and my type A personality when it comes to details I wouldn't wish on anyone, however, the event was very fun and memorable.

3) My (former)husband surprising me with a Bewitched Play in Shell Beach, California. A dinner party murder mystery  Bewitched theme was held at The Cove in Shell Beach. 

4) Staying at The Historic Hawthorne Hotel, where the Bewitched Cast and Crew stayed during the filming of their Salem Segments.
5) The librarians in Salem giving me dozens of newspaper clippings about Bewitched.
6) Aloha, my Bewitched Book Signing in Hawaii. The best part was being presented with a lei.
7) Oscar, the manager, at the now defunct San Francisco, California Fisherman's Wharf Barnes & Noble. He always made me feel welcome.
8) The countless events at the Edwards Theater, now defunct Sierra Vista movie theater.
9) The complimentary coffees, double chocolate frappuccinos that everyone in the family was allowed during my autograph parties at Barnes & Noble.
10) The hundreds of people that I have connected with as a result of Bewitched.

It all started because I loved a television show. From that passion grew a joy of writing trivia tidbits, honing in on my marketing skills, creating events, hosting trivia contests, creating culinary classics. Bewitched, spans decades and generations. It unthaws the proverbial TV Dinner and brings it to life with a charming cast of characters that everyone can relate to. We all have had an overbearing boss, or a neighbor that was just way too noisy,  a kooky cousin, crazy relatives and a mother or father-in-law who just gets our goat.

It's magical, like life.... Thanks Bewitched for making my dreams into realities, cheering me up on  bad days, being there through it all, and teaching me so many lessons.

You Always Want To Be Samantha!

You always want to be Samantha!

My childhood neighbor and friend Rosalie and I would often get together after school and play. My idea for playtime involved acting out scenes from the television show Bewitched. I chose myself for the role of Samantha. Samantha Stephens is a blonde, sexy wife and mother, with her cauldron hooked to the rotisserie. She can twitch her nose and get anything she wants, but she abstains to make her husband think he wears the pants in the family. Serena, Samantha’s cousin, dark haired, is a free spirited, hippy, single witch on the prowl for anything that suits her fancy. Serena purrs when she wants and an occasion howls too.

Rose never wanted to be Serena, she always wanted to be Samantha. She was forever going home and crying to her mom Rachel whenever I suggested it was Bewitched Playtime. (Though, I honestly didn’t know I was upsetting Rose).

“Why does Gina always get to be Samantha?” Was a typical tome said by Rose to her mom. She didn’t really tell me though, so it was only when we were filming for a reality show called Bewitched Fanatical that the situation came full circle, or so I thought.

In 2005, I was living in my “dream house” with my version of Darrin and Tabitha and Adam Stephens, when I got the call from a television producer that I had been recommended by Mark Simpson, The Bewitched Collector, to be the co- guest  on a reality show about fans of the television show Bewitched.

I invited Rose and her mom Rachel to be a part of the filming of “a day in the life of a Bewitched fan”. So, in August of 2005, TV Tropolis,  a Canadian Television Production Company, sent a crew over to my home.

 Rose, as usual was a good sport about the whole day. She graciously did not mention my monopolizing the role of Samantha, however, in between takes, Rachel imitated Rosalie when she was little.

 “Mommy…. Why does Gina always get to be Samantha?”

Fast forward to 2013… A friend came over for a publishing/brainstorming meeting.

She looked at a large painting I have of Mary and Elizabeth. She pointed to Mary and she said, “I’ll be Mary and you can be Elizabeth.”

“Ok”, I said. (Smiling).

Getting honest about gluten by, Cookbook Author Gina Meyers (Gluten-Free Polenta Bread Recipe too!)

Getting Honest About Gluten

By, Gina Meyers

Many people have an issue with  gluten. Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley, kamut, spelt, tritrale, and rye. People with a condition known as Celiac disease have a sensitivity to gluten. A gluten-free regime is a lifestyle that excludes the protein gluten. Gluten, in individuals who suffer from Celiac disease, causes an inflammation in the small intestines. It is believed that restricting rye, wheat, and barley from one's diet, reduces symptoms of Celiac disease and helps prevent complications of the disease. 

Luckily, a lot of grocery stores and restaurants are getting on board with Gluten-Free products and Gluten-Free Menu items. These handy tips and Gluten-Free Polenta Bread will help you to organize your Gluten-Free cabinet. Surprisingly, many foods do contain gluten, be on the lookout for: Bouillons, Broths, Licorice Candy, Salad Dressings, Flavored teas, Imitation seafood and Soup and soup mixes.

Good Gluten-Free Foods are: Beans, seeds, nuts in their natural, unprocessed form,Fresh eggs,Fresh meats, fish and poultry (not breaded, batter-coated or marinated),Fruits and vegetables, Most dairy products, Amaranth,Arrowroot, Buckwheat, Corn and cornmeal, Flax, Gluten-free flours (rice, soy, corn, potato, bean),Hominy (corn), Millet, Quinoa, Rice, Sorghum, Soy, and Tapioca.

Gluten Free Polenta Bread

1 cup of rice flour or almond flour, your preference

1 cup of Polenta

3 teaspoons of baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

½ cup of sugar

1 egg

1 cup of low fat milk

¼ cup of vegetable oil

Directions: Place all of ingredients (except rice flour) in mixing bowl and blend with a wooden spoon. Once mixture has been mixed, add the rice flour and continue stirring. Add a little bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil or spray with cooking spray an 8 inch pan and pour polenta mixture into rectangular shaped pan.  Bake in a 350 degree oven on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes. May also bake as muffins in muffin tins for 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. 

Cookbook Author Gina Meyers Website

Italian Pignoli (Pine Nut) Cookies, by, Gina Meyers

Italian Pignoli (Pine Nut Cookies)
1 cup pine nuts
1 tube 7 ounces of almond paste *cut into small pieces
2/3 cup of sugar
2 eggs (whites only)
1 teaspoon of lemon juice

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Mix paste, sugar, egg whites and lemon juice in a mixer. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on a cookie sheet and form Pignoli Cookie Dough with a spoon. Drop about a teaspoonful of dough on the greased cookie sheet. Gently press additional pine nuts onto the top of the cookie. Bake for twenty minutes.

Bewitched, Bedazzled, Bewitched

Bewitched, reminiscent of all great television sitcoms, shows us our place in life.  It gives us a glimpse of the family we would like to be a part of, the job we wish to land, the person we would like to become, the friends we would like to have, and the dreams we wish to fulfill.  Like a fairy godmother’s magic dust, a good sitcom covers reality with fantasy and illusion and provides the modern liberated child in all of us with the security of reruns on the tube. 

Bewitched   teaches a valuable lesson, that there is “magic” in us and it is waiting to be freed.  A talent cannot be suppressed; a gift cannot be ignored in order to please someone else.  In Samantha’s case, her talent was witchcraft, and she tried to please her mortal husband Darrin by abstaining from her craft.

A gift is irrepressible and eventually it will emerge. Look at all the chaos that occurred when Sam tried to suppress her talent. 

Bewitched showed fans that we all have special hidden talents/ “magic” that need to be explored. 

The Magic of Bewitched: Trivia and More book is meant to be informational, fun, and a treasure to add to your Bewitched collection. You, the reader, are invited to the “magic” show. 

We want love to be magical.  We want to live simply and happily.  No one wants their life to be humdrum, married to an individual that sometimes acts like a dum-dum, live in a home in the middle of doldrums, with average children.  We all desire to be special and unique.  Not only do we want to meet Mr. or Miss Right, we want it to be a mystical experience.  In a life that has countless trying moments, we deserve something magical to cherish.  Just go back for a moment in time—look down memory lane.  What are your fondest memories?  Do they seem unreal, like a dream?  That is exactly why Bewitched was so appealing.  It made us secretly wish that there were real witches like Samantha that turned mundane life into magic!

Bewitched Banana Blueberry Bread

1- 6 ounce size of Light Vanilla Yogurt

2 bananas

½ package of Frozen Blueberries

1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract

1 teaspoon of Baking soda

2 eggs

butter (optional)

2 cups of flour

1 cup of sugar

½ cup of vegetable oil

Directions: Mix all ingredients (excluding flour) with an electric mixer on medium speed, scraping sides with the spatula until well blended. Add flour and blend. May add the blueberries early since they are frozen. If using fresh blueberries, wait until you have added the flour, then spoon in and fold fresh blueberries. Spray (or grease) a loaf pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for forty minutes, or until a tooth pick placed in the center of the bread comes out clean.