Christmas Part 1

Last night was Christmas at the Bennett house. I cooked our Christmas dinner*, and we opened our gifts from each other. I got a couple of really nice things, a new watch and a wine fridge! Thanks Shawn.

** Our Christmas Dinner
Flank Steak
Hash brown casserole (aka cheesy potatoes)
Asparagus (in the past I've also done a big green salad or broccoli)
Sauteed Mushrooms


I've been cooking this dinner since Christmas 2003. Most of these recipes are from the Yeend family. The flank steak and casserole always remind me of great meals with my immediate and extended family! YUM!

Mat & Bridget bought Shawn a casserole cook book. For those of you who don't know, Shawn doesn't cook very much. They were hoping this book would inspire him to spend some more time in the kitchen! Mid-Westerner love their casseroles! Shawn once said that people can't live on soup and black beans! I guess he was implying that my west coast style of cooking isn't enough for a guy from Indiana! It really looks like a great cook book. I have a feeling that I might end up using it more then Shawn!

Thanks VH1

This is just a little plug for VH1. I've spent a few hours, ok 3 hours in the past two nights, watching VH1's Top 100 songs of the 90's. It has been great. I love the VH1 format and all of the hilarious people guiding you through the show. There have been too many good songs to list, and they've only done 60-100. The top 40 are still left. I would say of the 60 songs, I pretty much love 50 of them! With none of my regular shows on because of the WGA strike, it's been nice to watch some old school videos while I finish wrapping Christmas presents!

Here are three of my Fav's thus far:

#3 Fiona Apple "Criminal" She was 18 when she wrote that song!

#2 Bel Biv Devoe "Poison" Yeah this song makes you want to do the roger rabbit

My number 1 song so far on the count down, none other then my homeboys Tupac & Dr. Dre

"California Love" **Note this is not my favorite Tupac or Dre song, but it is the only one that has made the list so far. RIP Tupac!

I hope you all get a chance to check part of this show out. I'm sure you'll laugh just as hard as I did about what we were all doing when these songs were top dog! The 90's truly were "our" decade. I started 6th grade in 1990 and was half way done with college when the decade ended. I'd have to say it was a pretty awesome 10 years!

Bennett Christmas Baileys Party

This is the second year that Shawn and I have hosted a Christmas party. Last year we had a "Cheesy Sweater" party, and this year we decided to take it up a notch and have "A Very Movie Christmas." We asked our guests to dress as their favorite Christmas movie character. Here are some of the best costumes!

From the top:

Shawn as Ralphy from A Christmas Story

Me as "A Dolly for Sue" from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Cindy Loo Who from the New Grinch & Uncle Eddy from National Lampoon's Christmas

Another version of Uncle Eddy; this time with wife Katherine

Samurai Santa

We had a great time drinking my mom's homemade Irish Cream aka Baileys. People love this seasonal drink, but sorry, the recipe is top secret!

Marry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Blind Melon

First and foremost, I have to give a shout out to Kyle "Yogi" Yeend for giving me a heads up that Blind Melon was making a come back with a new lead singer. They went on a small tour and hit up the Gibson Lounge in Memphis last night. I had pretty much forgot that they were going to be in town until I received an email yesterday, so Shawn and I decided to head downtown and buy tickets at the door, and we were not the only ones. The line was almost a block long, but we finally got to the front and paid our $15!

You might remember this little bee from the summer of 1993. The song "No Rain" was a huge summer hit and it is that song that made me buy the album. Most people think of them as a one hit wonder, but if you were a true Blind Melon fan, you know that's not the case. This album is solid from the first tract to the last! I think I need to go out and buy that album again. I wonder if my brother still has my original copy?!?!?!This is the band now. They have a new lead singer, Travis, and while there are things about his voice that remind me of Shannon he definitely has his own thing going on! The concert was a great mix of all of the old BM tunes I loved and some up and coming new favorites. Their new album is coming out in March!

Going to concerts always creates new memories, but it also takes you back to a different time and place. This concert was no exception, this one took me way back. All the way back to Lake Tahoe, where we played "No Rain" on the jute box in the hotel arcade about 20 times in a row.

We ran into one of our friends at the show, and he said "This is the best show I've ever seen," and this guy has been to a ton of concerts. I'm sure that when he closed his eyes he went back to a different place and time too! It was so much fun to watch him gettin' down to music and singing at the top of his lungs. It reminded me why I love live shows!

Remember that music is a link to our past and the key to our future. In the day of Internet music, Itunes and all of the illegal downloading sites (which I do not support) it's so great to just get out there and see and support the bands that you love!

Save the music!

Hill

O Christmas Tree

Besides the amazing Stevie Wonder concert on Sunday (see blog below) Shawn and I purchased and decorated our 8 foot tree.

When it comes to Christmas trees, there is no compromise for me.....it MUST be real! For the past two or three years, we've got our tree from Home Depot. They have a great selection at a great price. Hey, maybe I should do an ad for them :)

Shawn trimming the Bennett '07 tree

With and without the flash!

Every year when we decorate our tree we listen to Elvis' Christmas Album and drink eggnog and whiskey. I normally take two sips and through my drink down the sink, but it's tradition and Shawn loves a good whiskey eggnog drink during the holiday season. Here are a few other traditions that we've made together.

• Buying each other one ornament each year


• Filling each other's stockings on Christmas Eve with all kinds of random goodies


• Adopting a child (from the Salvation Army or other charitable organization) to give a holiday gift(s) to. This year we have a 7 year old boy. It is so important for me to give to someone who might not get any other gifts. It breaks my heart to think that "Santa" doesn't visit every boy and girl

I'll leave you tonight with a few of our trees of Christmas past!

'05 Tree

'06 Tree

I guess I got this computer in 2005, because I can't find our first Christmas tree together (2004.) We were living in a 1 bedroom apartment in Orlando, and our tree was about 3 ft. It was so cute and an appropriate size for our tiny apt.

"A Ribbon in the Sky"

WOW, amazing and wonderful are the first words that come to mind when I think about Sunday night.......my first Stevie Wonder concert! Yes, folks, he went on a mini-tour and Memphis was lucky enough to be one of his very few stops.

When Stevie first came on stage he gave a quick little talk about the reason for getting back on the road for the first time in over a decade. He said his mother came to him in a dream and told him to get his butt on the road and thank the people who have made his life so rich (we're not just talking financially!)

For those of you who know my mom, you know that she is a huge music lover......Stevie being at the top of her list. My brother was able to get them tickets to see Stevie earlier this year at the Concord Pavilion. I was so excited for them that they were able to see him. I really thought they'd be the only ones in the family to get to do that. I am soooooooooo lucky to have been able to see him too. The one thing that would have made it even better was if my sister could have been there with me!

My sister and I were at a Ben Harper concert quite a while back, in fact, I think it was 7 years ago, crazy, anyways, Harper did a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition." The cover was amazing, and we really thought that was a close as we could get to seeing that song live by an artist that we love and respect. You can imagine the excitement on my face when I heard that ever so familiar base line start up on Sunday night.

I'll have to admit when the first note came out of his mouth I got a little chocked up. Stevie really takes me back with each of his songs taking me to a different place. Most of those memories take place in our house on Dogwood Dr. or Trintel Ct. My mom would always blare Stevie Wonder to wake us up on a Saturday morning. It was also an indication that there was a "list" of chores for us to do. Stevie started to sing one of his up-tempo songs (sorry, totally drawing a blank on the song) and I turned to Shawn and said "I don't know if I should get up and dance, or go upstairs and clean the bathroom!" Of course he got a kick out of that. I better watch out, he might start blaring Stevie to get me to clean our house! :)

On a final note, artists seem to always put on a great show in Memphis. The music history inspires them to sing old Memphis classics. Stevie was no exception, he did Issac Hayes, Elvis and Otis Redding covers. His Redding cover was "Dock of the Bay" one of my all-time favorite songs. It was truly a magical night that I'll never forget.

Here are some other artist I've seen be inspired by the blues of Memphis. I find it quite ironic that a city that now a days can be pretty uninspiring, brings complete inspiration to the following:
John Mayer
Justin Timberlake (Elvis' Heart Break Hotel)
Amos Lee
Ben Harper

I know the list goes on, but these are all people that I've seen here in Memphis in the past year!

Well, that sure was a windy entry!
Love from Memphis,
Hill

Halloween at the Grizzlies.......a month later

Yes, I know that Halloween was almost a month ago, but I have some great pictures of Shawn in his Flash Gordon outfit. Grizzlies opening night was vs. The San Antonio Spurs, sadly the Grizz lost, but Shawn did an amazing job with the game presentation. I wish you could all see the video to see just how amazing it was, I was so proud of him. All of his hard work and late nights at the office really paid off. I'll have the video with me in Cali for Christmas and Seattle for the Steele wedding, so some of you will actually be able to see it!

Shawn as "Flash Gordon" with "The Hulk" the PA announcer

One of the best parts of opening night was Michael Buffer doing the line-ups. For those of you who don't recognize his name, he is the boxing announcer that is famous for saying "Let's get ready to rumble!" Shawn kept him being there a surprise from everyone, not even the coach or players knew he was going to be there!

Shawn with Michael Buffer (pre-game)

If your team is playing the Grizzlies in Memphis, be sure to look at center court where the players check in.......you'll be sure to see Shawn sitting front and center (Especially is you have HD!) If you paid for the seats that he sits in, they'd be over $300 per game/per seat!

Cold Rain in Memphis

We had our first really cold and rainy Sunday here in Memphis. That means one thing at our house; Chili! I like to wait to make my chili until it's nice and cold. There is something about hot and a little spicy chili that temporarily makes the cold go away! Hilly Chili (as Shawn and others like to call it) is one of my specialties. I've been making it since the 7th grade! We love to eat it topped with cheese and sour cream. My mom loves to eat it with Frito's on the side or in the bowl! For the past couple of years now, I've added jalapeno corn bread muffins as the perfect side!

If you'd like the recipes, I'd be happy to share!

Happy Thanksgiving

Gobble, gobble, it's official, I have 3 full Thanksgiving dinners under my belt. I cooked for four hours on Wednesday. It was so great to get most of the cooking out of the way and be able to relax and only worry about the turkey and mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving.

This year we had brunch on Thanksgiving morning. Bridget made her mom's Monkey Bread. It seems to be a mid-western thing. I'll tell you what, it was better then hot cinnamon rolls from Sweet Affair! We also had an egg bake and Bellini's (an Italian drink...white peach puree and champagne!)

Once brunch was over, it was turkey time. Shawn rinsed and cleaned the turkey. He later carved it. I had all the food hot and ready at the same time. I think that's one of the main reasons I love cooking on Thanksgiving. There is something about the challenge of getting every thing hot and on the table at one time that I love. This year I even made a pumpkin pie from scratch. For those of you who know my cooking style, baking is something that I rarely do!

Thanksgiving is also a great day to really take a minute and remember the things that you're thankful for. This year, like most, I am thankful for good health, great friends and of course my loving family!

Viva Nashvegas!

Last weekend, Shawn and I headed over to Nashville with our friends Mat and Bridget. We got in Friday night and had dinner at a great Italian restaurant downtown. Saturday we got up early and headed to the Vandy/Kentucky football game. If I didn't know better, I would have thought we were in the middle of KY. There were Wildcat fans all over the place. I'm pretty sure the stadium was 75% UK fans.

After the game we went downtown to the Nashville Predators game. It's crazy, but it was my first NHL game! Hockey isn't really my favoriate sport, but I have to admit from the 2nd row and a game that went into overtime then a shootout it was exciting!

Until next time! Much Love from Memphis!!

Get your blog on! Hillary finally Blogs!

Hi All- I figured after almost two months of having a blog it was time for me to actually write something!!

I guess the hardest part is figuring out where to start, so I'll just give a quick summery of the past year in Memphis and beyond!



February '07:





Shawn's 29th Birthday: Bluefin Sushi with our good friends Mat and Bridget









In the middle of Feb. I went out to Cali for a long weekend and finally met Marlene's baby, Ellie! I had a great weekend catching up with family and all of my girlfriends from high school that still live in the Creek!





March '07






NYC here I come. The best part about having Katie living in NYC is that I always have a free place to stay and more money for shopping! It was great to spend a long birthday weekend in New York with my sister and some of her NY friends! We had a great time including our first opera at the Met and a birthday dinner of our favorite food......pizza!








I also love to wonder around the city and take pictures.

April '07






Shawn and I went back to Orlando to spend a long weekend with our friends from the old stomping grounds. It was so nice to see them and catch up. Living in FL was great and we really met some amazing people! The two things I really miss about FL are our good friends we made and being close to the beach. It was also always a nice treat to meet up with family when they were in town for Disney World or a conventions!




May '07



One great thing about being back in Memphis is we have a ton of cool cities within driving distance. One of our favorite destinations is New Orleans. We've been there twice since Hurricane Katrina, and when we go there now, we feel like we're really helping the city get back on its feet. If you haven't made a trip to NOLA you need to go. The unique food, culture and music make for a trip that you won't forget! Be sure to stop at Johnny's for a poo-boy!














The NOPD mob deep on Vespa scooters. This cop asked me if I wanted my picture taken on it, so I said yes! The cop actually took this picture for me right in front of another one of our favorite restaurant, ACME Oyster House!



Memphis in May:
Memphis in May is a great tradition. The first weekend of May is Music Fest. It is a three day music festival on the Mississippi River in downtown Memphis. This year we were there for all three days. We saw some great bands, a few of my favorites were: John Legend, John Butler Trio, Wolfmother and Kenny Wayne Shepard! We always have friends that come from all over to stay with us on this crazy fun weekend







Sunset on the Mississippi in May. Hey, it's the best we can do here in the middle of the country.







The second stage of Memphis in May is the World Famous BBQ Festival. This is a great weekend to hang with friends on the river and eat some great BBQ! The Grizzlies put together a team. In this picture we are standing on the second level of the "tent" they made!








July '07







Shawn and I spent our "summer vacation" in Cali. We started our trip in Hermosa Beach where we stayed with one of my college friends. We had a great 4th of July in Hermosa! The next day we started our baseball run with a trip to Dodger Stadium......PS the Dodger Dogs are totally overrated!



Next stop NorCal and an A's game with the girls (and Shawn and Jason!)

We had such a great time taking BART into Oakland and watching the game from better seats then we had purchased. The girls and I chatted about all of the fun times we had going to A's games in high school and sitting in my dad's company seats right behind home plate! Those were the days!







A few days later, Shawn and I headed into SF for the MLB All Star Home Run Derby. We didn't have tickets, but my gut told me to go to the ticket window to see if they had any last minute tickets. They sure did, and we were able to attend the Derby with our friends Phil and Travis! We had an amazing view from the 3rd deck at AT&T park (at least I think that's the name now!)



Sept '07




The Yeend crew headed to Playa Del Carmen Mexico. It was the first vacation that we had been on together since Hawaii some time in the mid-90's. The weather, hotel and water were incredible. It was so nice to get away for a long weekend before Opera and basketball seasons start. If you get a chance, head to the RIU Palace Riviera Maya! The service, food and drink were just as great as the pool volleyball and reading on the hammocks or poolside.









This was the view from my dad's hotel room. Not bad huh?!?!

Did I mention that this place is all-inclusive! What's not to love.


Well, I've blogged so much that my fingers are starting to hurt! I hope you all enjoyed my first entry. Blog on Bloggers!

Love, Hill