I am still here. I wasn't for a few days (no internet) so it put me a little behind. I thought I should at least throw up a post and re-cap the past week.
I finally bit the bullet and went with an email marketing company to send out my newsletter about the sale. I know alot of you received it but I can also see that alot of you haven't. I wish I knew if it made its way to your spam/junk folder or if there is some other reason it wasn't opened. :( I realize this is what happens when you have such a big mailing list. I just never knew the actual statistics in the past when I sent out an email. So now it is a little frustrating seeing the numbers and not knowing how to reach all of you.
I was surprised at how many emails & posts to my blog I got on the Billy Joel concert. There were several emails from people who grew up here and moved away (as well as those still local). For those of you who are not familiar with the area this was a big event around here. There was a reason this concert was a historical one.
Shea Stadium (where the Mets play) is being torn down after this baseball season. They are building a new stadium right next to it. The stadium opened in 1964. The following year The Beatles opened their North American tour there. It was the first concert to ever be held at a major stadium. It was this concert that paved the way for all future stadium concerts. The Beatles returned to Shea the following year. There have only been a handful of concerts at Shea in the 40+ years it has been around.
Billy being the New Yorker that he is wanted to be the "Last Play at Shea". He played two nights. The first was Wednesday and that was supposed to be the only show. Then they added the Friday night concert. I have to say that I would of been pissed had I gone Wednesday. He had great guests (Tony Bennett, John Cougar Mellencamp, John Mayer and Don Henley) that night too but there was no comparison to Fridays show. I am not sure the connection to all his guests. Now that you know the history you realize why Paul McCartney was there. One of the other concerts held at Shea was The Who's Farewell Tour back in '82. I was there for that too. It was a concert I will never forget. So, that explains the Roger Daltrey tie in. They are filming a documentary that is due out in 2009 about the whole event. I am curious to see the behind the scenes stuff.
This brings us to last weekend when all my phone & internet problems started. I finally got a new modem after 3 visits from the cable company. Needless to say 3+ days of slow to no internet access got me a little behind.
The sale is going well. I have been busy with orders all week. This is the last weekend so get your orders in.
I'll leave you all with another yummy recipe since I feel that blog posts are not complete without at least one photo. :)
Penne with Chicken, Arugula, Roasted Tomatoes & Feta
3 12-ounce bags cherry or grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 large garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 cups shredded roasted chicken breasts without skin (from purchased roast chicken)
8 ounces penne pasta
6 cups arugula leaves
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)
Preheat oven to 475°F. Mix cherry tomatoes, oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until tomatoes are soft and beginning to brown in spots, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer tomato mixture, including any juices, from sheet to large skillet. Add chicken to skillet and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Ladle out 1/4 cup pasta cooking water and reserve. Drain pasta; return to pot.
Add tomato mixture, arugula, and reserved 1/4 cup pasta cooking water to pasta; toss over medium heat just until arugula begins to wilt, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to bowl. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve.
Bon Appetit | March 2003
Serves 4
Enjoy!
