Friday, March 18, 2011
SHS Jazz Band Area Jazz Festival - Shiny Stockings
SHS Jazz Band performing Skydive, Shiny Stockings and Naima at Canyon del Oro High School, earning a qualifying trip to the state jazz festival on April 27, 2011
Manicotti Recipe
Here's a favorite recipe to try:
Ingredients (Omit the sausage for a meatless version)
• 1 (8 ounce) package manicotti pasta
• 3 Italian sausage links, mild or hot, casings removed
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• Dash black pepper
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and cool. Reserve.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet separate and brown sausage on medium heat. Drain and cool.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Combine sausage, ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg whites and oregano. Season with black pepper and mix well. Stuff shells with mixture.
5. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour enough spaghetti sauce in dish to cover the bottom. Place stuffed noodles in the dish. Cover with spaghetti sauce and top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes.
Ingredients (Omit the sausage for a meatless version)
• 1 (8 ounce) package manicotti pasta
• 3 Italian sausage links, mild or hot, casings removed
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• Dash black pepper
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and cool. Reserve.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet separate and brown sausage on medium heat. Drain and cool.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Combine sausage, ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg whites and oregano. Season with black pepper and mix well. Stuff shells with mixture.
5. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour enough spaghetti sauce in dish to cover the bottom. Place stuffed noodles in the dish. Cover with spaghetti sauce and top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Las Vegas 2011
The last time that I has spent any appreciable time on the strip was in March of 2003. Prior to that I'd been there a few times with my wife earlier, and in 2010 had been there with another school trip, but we had avoided the strip.
So last week I ventured to Sin City sans wifey (on a business trip) to spend some time with friends and do the town. By doing the town I mean a little drinking, talking, good food and perhaps a little night life. I'm not a gambler and my friends avoid the tables too. Oh we all tossed a twenty into the slot machines but other than that did not gamble. And yeah I got a little work done too!
I stayed at the Luxor, a 4,000 room hotel connected by interior halls and the monorail to Mandalay Bay on the south and Excalibur on the north. Mind you this was Spring Break week. There lot's of college kids drinking, carousing and generally having a good time.
What struck me immediately was the aggressiveness of the "skin" vendors hawking escort services and the people on the street and inside the hotels pushing shows, clubs and hotel events. The street folks have always been there but never with such aggressiveness, sticking photo cards with bare breasted women adorning in your face as you walked the street. I am always amazed at the amount of paper thrown down in the street. Las Vegas street cleaners must have their work cut out for them!
The hotel review? It was massive. That's all I have to say about that. Food offerings were spotty. Apart from the the taco bar overlooking the casino floor I preferred the restaurants in Mandalay Bay. Expect to drop $30 a person for the buffets and $50 or more for dinner.
This dismaying part of the hotel showed up immediately. There is no wifi; only wired complimentary internet service. And the reason is that there is something in the walls that block reception. I could not get a clean cell phone signal anywhere but the casino and the lobby areas.
Rooms were clean and roomy but felt a bit dated. The TV is an old-fashioned tube number. But who stays in the rooms in Vegas? Mostly guests are out and about. And I was!
I walked the strip, 4 miles from Mandalay Bay to The Riviera, at least three times, wearing out my legs and toes. Why? The sites along the strip alone being so damned intoxicating. Oddly dressed tourists, show girls, characters from popular movies to pose with on the street for tips; people bringing snakes and lizards to lure tourists, musicians playing for their own tips.
And always the homeless, often with creative, unique signs; here a man laying in the gutter with a dirty cardboard sign reading "Why lie? I need a whore", there a sign being held by a man that said "I need help - I'm black". You just shake your head at some of these people but you also realize the town has not only attracted tourists, but alcoholics, the mentally unstable, the homeless and feeble minded. And all of these people coexist juxtaposed with the Gucci stores, extravagant hotels like Bellagio, Caesars Palace and The Winn hotel group.
Despite all of the gaudiness of the casinos and the desperation of the many on the streets I love this town. Putting all of this in perspective you must experience this desert show for sure at least once in your life .
So last week I ventured to Sin City sans wifey (on a business trip) to spend some time with friends and do the town. By doing the town I mean a little drinking, talking, good food and perhaps a little night life. I'm not a gambler and my friends avoid the tables too. Oh we all tossed a twenty into the slot machines but other than that did not gamble. And yeah I got a little work done too!
I stayed at the Luxor, a 4,000 room hotel connected by interior halls and the monorail to Mandalay Bay on the south and Excalibur on the north. Mind you this was Spring Break week. There lot's of college kids drinking, carousing and generally having a good time.
What struck me immediately was the aggressiveness of the "skin" vendors hawking escort services and the people on the street and inside the hotels pushing shows, clubs and hotel events. The street folks have always been there but never with such aggressiveness, sticking photo cards with bare breasted women adorning in your face as you walked the street. I am always amazed at the amount of paper thrown down in the street. Las Vegas street cleaners must have their work cut out for them!
The hotel review? It was massive. That's all I have to say about that. Food offerings were spotty. Apart from the the taco bar overlooking the casino floor I preferred the restaurants in Mandalay Bay. Expect to drop $30 a person for the buffets and $50 or more for dinner.
This dismaying part of the hotel showed up immediately. There is no wifi; only wired complimentary internet service. And the reason is that there is something in the walls that block reception. I could not get a clean cell phone signal anywhere but the casino and the lobby areas.
Rooms were clean and roomy but felt a bit dated. The TV is an old-fashioned tube number. But who stays in the rooms in Vegas? Mostly guests are out and about. And I was!
I walked the strip, 4 miles from Mandalay Bay to The Riviera, at least three times, wearing out my legs and toes. Why? The sites along the strip alone being so damned intoxicating. Oddly dressed tourists, show girls, characters from popular movies to pose with on the street for tips; people bringing snakes and lizards to lure tourists, musicians playing for their own tips.
And always the homeless, often with creative, unique signs; here a man laying in the gutter with a dirty cardboard sign reading "Why lie? I need a whore", there a sign being held by a man that said "I need help - I'm black". You just shake your head at some of these people but you also realize the town has not only attracted tourists, but alcoholics, the mentally unstable, the homeless and feeble minded. And all of these people coexist juxtaposed with the Gucci stores, extravagant hotels like Bellagio, Caesars Palace and The Winn hotel group.
Despite all of the gaudiness of the casinos and the desperation of the many on the streets I love this town. Putting all of this in perspective you must experience this desert show for sure at least once in your life .
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
A Night of Broadway - Phantom of the Opera
On January 6, 2011 our SHS Chorale, a 12 member choral ensemble, presented an hour and a half of great Broadway tunes for an enthusiastic crowd of parents and members of the Sahuarita community. While there was no video made audio recordings were made from the pit. Here's what was recorded of the ensemble singing Phantom of the Opera Highlights
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
My Chorale
I have a small group of gifted singers, mostly seniors, who have been in my vocal program for four years. These students are singing all the time; church, outreach anc ommunity choirs, privately and performing for community musical companies. Several have earned scholarships to universities across the country.
We'll be taking these kids to Anaheim at the end of March to perform in the Heritage festival on April 1. This 12-piece group will be singing A Capella English Madrigals. Here is a little sample of their work from a rehearsal last month. It's rough here but coming along.
We'll be taking these kids to Anaheim at the end of March to perform in the Heritage festival on April 1. This 12-piece group will be singing A Capella English Madrigals. Here is a little sample of their work from a rehearsal last month. It's rough here but coming along.
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