Monday, October 07, 2019

MANY HUES....FIFTY SHADES, TOO...




Dame Edna...and Sir Les


I didn’t turn any shades of red when I read the trilogy, “Fifty Shades of Grey”.  To be honest, I found them to be a lot of fun. I won’t shy away from admitting I bought and read the books. Oh! Dear!  I even watched the movies!   I’m not ashamed, nor am I embarrassed in divulging this information. I wasn’t offended.  I’m a big girl now.  I’ve been around the mulberry bush many times.

The books, the stories are old hat now, anyway. People have worn out their fans, stopped feigning fainting, and settled down; recovered from the trauma. The hullabaloo and hoo-ha have faded into oblivion. 

E.L. James laughed all the way to the bank. Who could blame her?  She did well out of everyone’s mock shock, horror, literary criticisms, and denial of reading her books.

It’s amazing after the millions who adamantly, and indignantly, declared they wouldn’t read - didn’t read - the books - the millions James made from her novels.  I wish I could write a book or two that were unsuccessful sellers like hers were. And, on top of that disappointment, being paid for the rights to turn the stories into movies! I’d be crying all the way to the bank and, back again, and again, too! Correction!  I’d be laughing to and from the bank on a well-worn track.

Everyone is becoming so damned “precious” these days.  If you make a swipe at a fly, you could get yourself into trouble...particular if you don’t know the fellow wearing the trousers, who is innocently standing in the supermarket aisle pondering his next purchase!

Justin Trudeau’s no-malice-intended past actions of blackening his face and body have caused him to turn red, after turning white first when the stories broke.

Among the many characters I wished to be when I was a kid, a hula dancer was one.

Every fancy dress ball I attended my mother dressed me in a grass skirt, and put an imitation hibiscus behind my ear...right ear, of course.  Colourful imitation leis adorned my neck. Brown leg cream (a product from the aftermath of the war years that was used as a stocking substitute when nylon was nigh impossible to get) was applied to my body. Off I swayed, offending no one.

One of my brother’s mates throughout primary school years was an Aboriginal lad who lived not far from where we did.  He attended the same fancy dress dances always dressed as the Lone Ranger, with his face and arms painted white – except for one year when he dressed as Santa Claus. No one was offended; only disappointed when he didn’t hand out presents. 

To break my hula habit, I once went along dressed as Pocahontas.  I loved the story of the Indian chief’s daughter who had saved Colonel John Smith’s life.  

When my friends and I re-enacted western movies in our backyard, our roles fluctuated between being cowboys, cowgirls, or brave Indian girls...Cherokee, Seminole, Apache, Sioux...it mattered not which tribe we represented.  Our arrows flew straight; our imaginations went wild.  We were quick-on-the-draw sharp-shooters, too.

Often we dressed colourfully as Mexican dancers. We tried our best to do the Mexican Hat Dance.  No one was offended, but we did cause laughter tripping over hats. 

In the early 70s friends threw a private fancy dress party at the home of one.  Everyone went dressed as their favourite music artist or group.  Two friends and I went along as “The Supremes”.  No one was offended... until we started singing; and then they screamed, “Stop in the name of love!”
  
A friend named “Floyd” arrived at the party, not only clad in pink, but with his skin painted pink, claiming to be “Pink Floyd”.  Nobody was offended, but he sent everyone up the wall to the dark side of the moon!

Another party guest of Chinese heritage arrived dressed as Elvis.  Nobody was all shook-up; there were no suspicious minds.

To another “dress-up” party, I went as Dusty Springfield.  Wishin’ and hopin’, I just didn’t know what to do with myself. No one was offended.  

Dame Edna Everage, or the dribbling, drooling, not-at-all-politically-correct Sir Les Patterson have never offended me.  

I won’t even mention, or go into details about Michael Jackson, although I have - albeit briefly!

Many overdo spray tanning, and we’ve learned it’s not advisable to sun-bake at length.  These days there are tanning creams available on the market...they are not dissimilar to those my mother rubbed on me as a child going to the fancy dress balls.
  
As for the hula kahiko...nowadays, even if I go to pick up a ukulele, my hips scream, “No! No! No!”  And, I’m offended.

Hawaiian Garlic Prawns: Toss 500g deveined, unpeeled king prawns in 2-1/2tbs plain flour, 2tsp paprika, salt and black pepper; coat evenly; set aside. Melt 1/2 butter and 1tbs x-virgin olive oil on med-heat in large pan; add 18 large minced garlic cloves; cook 2-3mins until light brown. Remove sauce from pan; set aside. Add 1tbs olive oil to pan; add prawns. Cook over med-high heat 2-3mins on each side. Cook in batches; don’t overcrowd.  Once prawns are cooked, put them back into the pan; pour over the garlic sauce; stir to combine. Serve Hawaiian Style with sticky white rice and a colourful mixed salad.

Mexican Chicken & Rice: Whisk 1/4c olive oil, 1-1/2tsp salt, 1tsp paprika, 1ts cumin, 1/2tsp coriander, and 1/2tsp black pepper; pour over 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs in bowl; coat evenly; marinate 30mins. Heat Dutch oven over med-high heat with 1tbs olive oil.  Once hot, add chicken skin side down; cook until skin is golden and crispy. Flip; sauté 2mins; transfer chicken a plate.  Heat Dutch oven on med-high heat; add 2tbs olive oil; when hot add 2c long grain rice; sauté until slightly toasted; add 1/2c diced white onion and 1tbs minced garlic; cook 30secs; add 1tbs tom paste; cook 30secs; add 1c diced toms, 1c corn kernels, 1c canned, drained, rinsed black beans, 1c diced zucchini, 1/2c diced carrots, 1tbs minced jalapeno, 1tsp salt; add chicken pieces on top; slowly pour in 4c unsalted chicken stock; bring to boil; reduce heat; cover; simmer. Cook 20mins, until rice is tender. Serve with lime wedges. 







20 comments:

  1. When did imitation cease to be seen as the sincerest form of flattery? Many imitate from admiration, not to make fun, and we seem to have forgotten that.

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    1. So very true, messymimi...a very important you have made. Thanks...and thanks for coming by. :)

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  2. I have not read any of the 50 Shades series. Nor am I likely to.
    All power to her.
    I am however, almost always a supporter of 'political correctness'. I think of it as being considerate, and not offending people (however inadvertant). I doubt I would have problems with any of the examples you cited, but I do have problems with 'jokes' which categorise whole sub-sets of people as lesser.

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    1. Hi EC...My intentions are never to offend...and I hope I never do offend. In saying that, I am sure there have been many times I have offended others. There have been many times others have offended me...probably not intentional by them. That's life!

      Political-correctness has gone overboard...everybody is made to feel as though they are walking on thin ice ...or should do. Politeness should always be of uppermost intention...but the p/c brigade take things to extremes...in my opinion...and I can only, and do only speak for myself...and how I feel. To be afraid to make a joke...to see humour makes for a dull existence. And, I don't mean making fun of another...unless, of course, they deserve it from their own ridiculous behaviour.

      I don't make fun of people less better off than I am. I'm not "better-off" by any shape, form or means than others...I'm a lot less better off than most. I've made fun of fools (and I've met my fair share of them)...because they put themselves up there to be made fun of.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  3. Good for you to admit and be proud of reading 50 Shades of Gray - I love women who are honest and can hold their own.
    My grandson for some reason has a hula dancer little statue on his dash board of his car - looks like that one!
    Love the Hawaiian Garlic Prawns.
    Sandie

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    1. Hey Sandie...The books were harmless...just a bit of fun. I'm a grown woman...one who has lived life...and who knows the facts thereof...even though, I am of the generation that had to find out about those facts with little help from their parents, as such things were not discussed much. Mostly we learned from reading and from our peers! lol

      Thanks for coming by....I love garlic prawns! :)

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  4. Lots of fun in this post Lee, you have me smiling. I've never been to a fancy dress party, actually not been to many parties at all. I don't feel I've missed out though, since parties aren't really my thing, although I'm happy enough to watch parties in movies and read about them in books.
    I actually don't much like Dame Edna, nor Sir Les Patterson. Unaustralian it may be, but there you are.
    I have read the Fifty Shades of series of books, I remember reading the back cover blurb when the first one was released and putting it back on the shelf at the bookshop.

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    1. Hey River...my post was written tongue-in-cheek...meant to be good humoured...just a bit of nonsensical fun to lighten the atmosphere. We're surrounded by too much seriousness these days.

      Parties were fun when I was younger. I threw quite a few and attended quite a few throughout the years. These days they're not my "thing". Every year I attend my landlords' Christmas get-together up at their home, armed with a couple of food platters.

      And the past two years, the neighbours up the far end of this lane-way started off the "street party" in celebration of Australia Day...just catering for folk in this small enclave, and the similar one that runs parallel on the other side of the vacant, treed and shrub-filled allotment. Those two gatherings are enough for me nowadays...no longer am I the party-goer.

      No offence was intended to anyone, or directed at anyone by this post...as I said, it was written in fun...and I hope it was received in that light. I'm glad it made you smile...that was my intention. Thanks for coming by. :)

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  5. I feel sorry for Justin Trudeau after all that brouhaha about him blacking up. As your post suggests, disguising one's true skin colour was not uncommon in the past and it is only in more recent times that the scent of racism has been attached to such activity. I remember rubbing cocoa powder into my skin before I went to a children's fancy dress party. I was a red indian.

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    1. Oops! Sorry. Please replace my last sentence with "I was a native American".

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    2. Hey there, Yorkie. lol

      People are becoming ridiculous! Innocent, harmless actions and behaviour are be accused of something far more sinister when they shouldn't be. So much hypocrisy abounds.

      If they want to look at it from a different angle...one is probably honouring the person/race/culture...by no means mocking!!!

      Thanks for coming by. Next time I have a mug of cocoa I'll think of you! :)

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  6. Anonymous3:24 PM

    Are you saying we can't clutch at our pearls in shock? We do get to a certain age and pretty well cease to be shocked by anything. I too felt a bit sorry for Trudeau. I would not really have much sympathy if he was in the US where such matters are so sensitive, and perhaps rightly so. I recently learnt the origins of the swearing phrase abbreviated as MF. Truly horrible.

    Hawaiian Garlic Prawns don't have pineapple as an ingredient? I thought any food with the name Hawaiian in it would have pineapple.

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    1. Hi Andrew...You can clutch at your pearls if you wish, just don't break them. Take a few deep breaths...sit down awhile. It, too, shall pass!

      Dorry...I should have put in a recipe for Sticky Rice...so herewith below I fix my oversight....

      Sticky Rice

      1 cup glutinous (sweet) rice, preferably long-grain

      Put rice in a bowl and rinse several times in cold water until water is clear, not milky, then drain. Cover rice with cold water and let soak for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
      Drain rice using a fine-meshed sieve or colander (line with cheesecloth if colander holes are too large). Place rice over a pot of rapidly simmering water (don’t allow water to touch sieve) and steam, covered, for 15 minutes.
      Remove lid and flip rice over. Continue steaming, covered, for 10 minutes, until rice is translucent and glossy. Taste to make sure rice is completely cooked; it may take up to 10 minutes more. Turn off heat. Fluff rice with a wooden spoon, then cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  7. To your recipe I would add DON'T use a plastic sieve, I don't know what I was thinking the day I steamed some thawed frozen rice and the edge of the sieve melted to the metal pot :(
    No pineapple in the Sticky Rice? or is the rice a base for whatever you want to add?

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    1. The latter re the rice, River. You can whack pineapple in the rice if you like. It's not to my taste...I do like pineapple...but not here with the sticky rice...but others may think differently...and prefer it with pineapple...or mango..or banana...or coconut...or kiwi fruit...the list goes on....whatever one likes...

      Sorry...but I'm laughing here picturing you, the rice and the plastic sieve! :)

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  8. Yep! I agree, Donna! The ice is getting very thin and soon we'll all go crashing through it!! :)

    Hugs back to you...thanks for coming by. :)

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  9. Enjoy your Sunday, Lee. I trust you are cooking up something delish.

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    1. Thanks, Sandra. No...I just grilled a couple of salmon fillets with chips/fries and a small salad.

      Please don't think I cook up all the recipes I post. My days of hours of cooking meals...either for myself, home entertaining, or as I used to do - cooking in restaurants are long gone....simple, quick and easy is my motto these days.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  10. I have not read any of the 50 Shades series, or seen the film.

    Love the sound of both recipes, but would choose a low carb alternative to sticky rice :)
    That lone ranger drawing took me back to my childhood :)

    Have a good week.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Hi Jan...Ahhh....there was more blustering over the "Fifty Shades..." than needed, or necessary. They didn't offend me. All good publicity, I guess. These days we see as graphic...and more...on TV series and movies. I'm not too tender-hearted! :)

      I hope your week treats you well, too...thanks for coming by. :)

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