Yesterday I created a new recipe and I am very excited about it.

I wanted to make a Frangelico cheese cake.  Most fof the recipes I found onlinbe that sounded good were for about twice as much cheesecake as I wanted to make. Many recipes are a bit much when you are cooking for two.

I made my own recipe.  Enjoy.

Frangelico Cocoa Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust

5 oz Graham Crackers
5 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

Filling

2 softened 8 oz packages Cream Cheese
1/3 cup Sour Cream
3 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
2 large Eggs
1/2 cup Frangelico
1/3 cup Truvia (Use sugar if desired)
1 1/2 Tsp Almond Extract


Instructions.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place graham crackers and cocoa powder in a food processor.  Pulse until all crackers are crumb.  Continue pulsing while pouring Melted butter into the food processor.  Press into buttered pie plate. Bake for 12 minutes.  Place on cooling rack for ten minutes.

In stand mixer add filling ingredients.  Mix on low for 4 minutes.  Raise to medium for 3 minutes.  Mix an additional 2 minutes on high. (If necessary go back and forth between medium and high to get thicker consistency)

Add filling into crust.  It should be thick and fluffy and will need to be spread evenly with a soft spatula.  Bake for 55 minutes, remove to cooling rack for ten minutes and then chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

In one of The Dreseden Files books, Harry performed necromancy on the T-Rex skeleton at the museum in Chicago and went riding into battle on it.

Script For Ceciley "The Audition"

THE AUDITION

by Bob Counihan

INT  CECILEY'S APARTMENT  - DAY

 she is drinking tea and re-reading The Mists of Avalon.  Looks up when phone rings .  Picks up off of table and clicks.

CECILEY

  Hello? (pause)  Oh, hi Denise.  Yeah, just doing laundry.  A real haunted location this time?  That's what you've said before.  No I don't mean to be critical.  Yeah I was babysitting the Shaytard kids yesterday.  They're real monsters, but you have to be nice to 

KATILETTE.  She's married to the boss.  Katilette had a Mom's On The Loose shooting.  I know.  She's all over the internet these days.  Wait a  minute I have another call. (clicks phone) Hello?  Hey Mortie.  Really?  An audition?  When?  Today.! Email me the script.  Thank you!!  (clicks phone) Hey Denise, I have an audition!  Yes!  A paying job!  Cross your fingers. (rolling eyes)  No Denise. I can't get you one too.  Gotta go.  (Hangs up, shaking head) She's such a loser.

Goes to her computer.  Prints a few pages.  reads eagerly.

CECILEY

(muttering)  I can do this.  I can do this. (looks up) What will I wear?

INT. - CECILEY'S BEDROOM

Enters bedroom, pulls outfits onto bed, chooses one while humming. Fast forward montage of trying on different ridiculously glamorous or dramatic outfits. Does makeup and hair.  Ends in romantic tunic top over bell bottoms with head scarf, dramatic makeup and huge chandelier earrings.

EXT DOOR OF CECILEY'S APARTMENT

Door opens and she leaves, goes to car.  Gets in.

INT CECILEY'S CAR

She starts driving.  Hits button.    CD player comes on.  Anelle's Don't Forget Me.

EXT  CECILEY'S CAR 

Driving along roads of LA.

INT  CECILEY'S CAR

CECILEY

I can do this. I can do this.  Starts singing along making over the top

dramatic face while singing.

INT CASTING OFFICE

A RECEPTIONIST sits behind a desk.   There are empty chairs and two doors.  CECILEY enters through first door carrying her script and headshot and walks up to the receptionist.

CECILEY

Hi.  I'm Ceciley Jenkins.  (Hands over headshot) Here's my resume and 

headshot.  As you can see I'm in two movies coming out this year.  (Smiles maniacally, panting lightly)

RECEPTIONIST

Hi Ceciley, It'll be just a few minutes.  There's someone else in ahead of you.  

You're the last girl.

Ceciley sits nervously.  Rocking slightly, looking back and forth.

CECILEY

(muttering) God I need this job, please, I need this job. God I need this job,

please, I need this job. God I need this job, please, I need this job.

Second door opens, DIRECTOR walks out followed by KATILETTE.  She is wearing her typical mom outfit, T Shirt and jeans, subdued makeup

DIRECTOR 

Great!  You're just what we're looking for.  I'll send your agent the contract.

KATILETTE:  

Wow!  This is just such surprise.  When Mortie called this morning I

never thought I'd end up on TV!

Ceciley Stands up throwing down her script angrily.

CECILEY

Mortie!?!  Mortie sent you here?  I introduced you to him!

KATILETTE

I'm sorry Ceciley, I didn't know you were up for this too.  It didn't seem like your thing.

DIRECTOR

Sorry, but I think we've got what we want here.

CECILEY

Just two minutes!  Please.  I came all the way down.  Just let me do my

Lady MacBeth monologue.  I promise you.  You won't regret it!

DIRECTOR:  (Sighing)  

Alright.  Two minutes, but just the line.  No monologue.

CECILEY

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Just let me get to into character. (making exaggerated

acting class faces)  Hoo Hoo! Hee! Hee! Ha! Ha! Hoo! Hoo! Hee! Hee! Ha! Ha!  Unique New York,

Unique New York, Unique New York.Unique New York, Unique New York, Unique New York.

The Next nest will not necessarily be next to nothing. The Next nest will not necessarily

be next to nothing. Some shun sunshine. Do you shun sunshine? Some shun sunshine?

Do you shun sunshine?

DIRECTOR

Miss, I don't have time for this.

CECILEY

OK, Ok, OK. (closes eyes and takes a deep breath. raises hands as if holding

product next to face.  (Tilts head slightly)  Thanks Immodium A-D!

KATILETTE and DIRECTOR share a look denoting their pity at CECILEY's desperation.

Slamming Door Sound.  Cut to Black.

The Dead Inside - A Review

The Dead Inside - A Review.  A Travis Betz Film that answers the question, can a horror musical work?  Yes it can.

This was the first film i've seen by this talented indy artist.  He may be best known for his original and prolific Youtube content (TheReceptionist) as well as Lo, a demon love story.

The movie opens in a story within a story.  A zombie bride and groom out for a quick bite.  Though humorous and likable, they are in the end zombies and it's good the plot moves out of their "book in progress" to the real world of writer Fiona (Sarah Lassez) and her photographer boyfriend Wes (Dustin Faschin).  Trips back into the zombie story continue as reflections of Fi's emotional state.  Their first song presents their artistic dilemmas, she blocked in writing another in a series of books, he unappreciated, artistically trapped in the pay for play world of wedding photography.  You immediately empathize because, hey, you're talented and unappreciated, required to do things you don't like, right?

Their mundane problems however are just the beginning, Fi starts to display neurotic quirks foreshadowed by odd sounds while sleeping.  A very shocking scene occurs while fighting off the possession of an angry ghost, Emily.  Wes agrees to commit her "to fix her" and quickly realizes when she returns that Fi is not at home.  Much of the movie is the conflict between Emily and Wes and Wes' internal struggle dealing with the loss of Fi and starting to accept and like Emily.

Like the ghosts in all stories, Emily is ultimately shown to be evil and a liar.  Her demise did not occur as she insisted.  Even though you sympathize for her emotional situation you and Wes demand Fi back at this realization.  She is a cheat and a liar! Get the hell out!

After the cathartic release Emily needed, Wes institutes a confrontation with a Bardesque proportion of drama.  A horror ending for a horror tale.  The audience is left to decide the final fate on their own, a nice touch. 

The cinematography and set design by Shannon Hourigan was visually arresting.  Sharp colorful cuts balanced with darkness and shadow for effect.  At times perhaps a little heavy handed in the metaphor department, but ultimately successful at creating the moods appropriate to the scenes.

the songs were fantastic allowing soliloquy to express the characters Id and ego, but leaving the superego unexpressed.  That only happened at the conclusion of the film without song, dramatically and tragically .  The score and lyrics still gave it a broadway feel.  This could be very successfully adapted for the stage.  The use of limited sets makes you wonder if that was an intent while writing the screenplay.  The music for the rest of the film by Joel Van Livet drew you in to the characters dilemma, leaving you anxious for escape from their situation.  The music in the scene of Fi's loss of self made any dialogue superfluous.  You rode a wave of obsession and horror.

Both leads showed great vocal control and emotional range.  Lassez' acting was impressive enough that you knew who was "at home" in the different scene's.  Her Emily more likable until revealed a liar.  Her Fi, flawed but not too annoying.  Faschin begins the movie as a seemingly shallow door mat willing to support his partner emotionally because he needs her to validate himself.  As the story continues his conflict with Emily forces emotional growth that a normal life usually doesn't require.  Ultimately the movie is about his change and desperation.  What would we do for love?  Kill?  Die?

I would recommend this movie to anyone.  It's certainly a lot better than a lot we're getting from hollywood these days.

Death becomes her.....

I ran into a friend and former neighbor this week at the local CVS.  She lost her husband of 25 years a week ago.  I asked her how she was doing, she "ahhed" and I filled in "medium horrible?", she smiled sadly and said yes.

We talked for a while.  She was still very sad, but glad her husbands passing was peaceful and relatively painless.  She called it a "good death" and I agree.  He had the chance to reconcile himself with the situation for quite a while.  He said good bye to his wife and sons, many friends including myself without being in a fearful rush and panic.

I had been grieving for Geoff on my own but all I could think, was how strong this beautiful women is.  Strong for her husband at his passing, strong for her sons who have lost their dad and strong for herself.

Death is a test and mark of character for both the dying and the living.

Death, the Final Frontier...

This past weekend my Aunt Lee passed on.  She knew two weeks prior that she was going to die very soon.  In a way this is a blessing, but both from her and others who know even longer that their time is soon spent I have noticed a lack of honest acceptance in the inevitable.  

Even in planning the details of her service she rejected certain realities.   Another aunt who passed over a year ago couldn't accept death was coming.  She fought acceptance to the extent that she left this world in fear and struggling.  This makes me both sad and confused.

Although my religious beliefs are very different from my aunts (Wiccan versus Catholic), both incorporate a new beginning after the veil.   I am not such a fatalist as to avoid treatment for illness and accident, but I respect Death and what it means.  We should fight to stay alive up to a point.  We should also recognize  when the door is swinging open and that we can't keep it closed any longer.

Accept and embrace Death when it comes.  How we die can be as important as how we live.