A few of our coworkers from London, England were here in Austin this past week. Here’s the stack of power adapters  one of them had to lug around to merely charge his iPhone.

 A Landmark Album

I became a fan of Journey’s music in the late 70′s and listened to albums like Infinity, Evolution, Departure and Captured over and over. In fact, I listened to those albums so much, I knew every crack, pop and skip on the records (yes, vinyl records). But nothing prepared me for the release of Journey’s “Escape” album. I was 12 years old, and when I got the album, the melodies and lyrics on the album just seem to resonate in my pre-teen ears.

I know it probably sounds silly, but this album is one that most influenced my musical tastes for years to come. I’m 42 years old now and I can still listen to the whole album. “Escape” sounds as fresh to me now as it did when I was 12 and reminds me of what it was like to discover new music as a youngster.

I can appreciate Journey in all it’s forms, through changing times and a changing lineup (although, I’ll freely admit I’m a Steve Perry purist) and “Escape” is the perfect gateway album into the entire Journey catalog.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia entry:

Escape (Journey album)

• Escape
• Studio album by Journey
• Released July 31, 1981
• Recorded Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California, Mid Spring/Early Summer, 1981
• Genre Hard rock, rock
• Length 42:46 (original), 59:43 (reissue)
• Label Columbia
• Producer Kevin Elson, Mike Stone

Escape (sometimes stylized as E5C4P3) is Journey‘s seventh studio album (and eighth overall), released on July 31, 1981. The album features four hit Billboard Hot 100 singles – “Don’t Stop Believin’” (#9), “Who’s Crying Now” (#4), “Still They Ride” (#19) and “Open Arms” (#2) – plus rock radio staples like “Stone in Love” and “Mother, Father”.

Background and writing

Escape was the band’s first album with keyboardist Jonathan Cain who replaced founding keyboardist Gregg Rolie after he left the band at the end of 1980. The album was co-produced by former Lynyrd Skynyrd soundman Kevin Elson and one-time Queen engineer Mike Stone, who also engineered the album.

An Atari 2600 game, Journey Escape, was made based on the album.

Journey Escape Video Game from Data Age Advertisement

via Escape (Journey album) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” turns 30 – CBS News

Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” turns 30

Read the complete story here:

via Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” turns 30 – CBS News.

Well, our baby is waking up…see you again soon!

It finally rained.

We finally received some much needed rain here in Central Texas and the Austin area. Although it won’t make up for the current drought conditions in the area, it certainly helps. This afternoon’s storm total image from the National Weather Service shows how it added up throughout the day:

Ominous clouds.

I took these pictures this morning of clouds rolling through in advance of the rain we received.

I’ve made this sauce countless times and people often comment on how good it tastes. I highly recommend adding this to your list of stock recipes.

Chunky Tomato Basil Sauce

This vibrant, fresh sauce is so much better than anything from a jar. The tomatoes are roughly chopped, rather than puréed, so the sauce sits on top of the pizza rather than underneath the toppings. This way you don’t get the same taste in every bite. Tomato paste deepens the sauce’s flavor, as does refrigerating the sauce for at least an hour. If your tomatoes are juicy, use more tomato paste to thicken the sauce. This sauce keeps in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Ingredients:

2 small cloves garlic

8 large fresh basil leaves

1 ½ pounds (about 3 medium) ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered (see Note)

2 tablespoons tomato paste (or more)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon sugar

Note:

If tomatoes are not in season, use good canned tomatoes instead. They will have more flavor than the gas-ripened ones at the supermarket. Use two 14 ½-ounce (440 g) cans of diced tomatoes, drained.

Makes about 2 cups, depending on ripeness and juiciness

Place the garlic and basil leaves in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the tomatoes and pulse briefly. Do not purée the tomatoes, as the sauce is meant to be chunky. Or chop all by hand

Tranfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and sugar until mixed well. If the sauce looks watery, add more tomato paste until you see no more juice.

Refrigerate the sauce for an hour to accentuate the flavors.

via Craig Priebe – Tomato Basil.

To me, it’s simple – Moolala offers great deals that save you money PLUS they reward their members by helping them make money too. That alone makes Moolala worth looking into.

Still, I decided it might be good for me go into more specific detail. Here is my quick list of four reasons why I think Moolala is cool and why YOU should sign up and give them a try:

Rewards

There are a lot of other daily deal sites. What makes signing up with Moolala unique (and brilliant) is in addition to the great deals, you also can earn rewards by helping your friends get those same deals! This is the reason I’m asking all of you to click on david.moolala.com and sign up. After signing up, I make a small reward off any purchases you make.  But this isn’t just about me. YOU can get in on the rewards too. Once you sign up, you can invite your own friends. Then, you’ll start earning rewards off all the purchases of those you refer. I think that’s cool!

Free to sign up – No risk

These deals are brought to you totally FREE. Seriously, there’s absolutely no cost or risk to subscribe and become a member. Even if you don’t buy any deals, you are still rewarded for the purchases of those you invite to sign up. Again…cool.

Personalized Site Codes

Moolala makes inviting your friends super easy too with their personalized site codes. Mine is david.moolala.com. Once you sign up, head to the Account Info tab and choose your Member Site Code. No crazy, random numbers and letters to remember. Just quick and easy, like david.moolala.com. Has my power of suggestion to click on david.moolala.com worked??

Great Deals – Every Day

Last, but certainly not least, let’s talk about the deals. Moolala partners with reputable local and online merchants to provide deals that will save you 50-90% off retail. When you subscribe, these offers are delivered directly to your email inbox each morning. You can subscribe to deals via Facebook or Twitter, and you can always see the latest deal at Moolala.com. The deals are on products and services people you actually need and use. This picture is a collection of some the recent deals I’ve taken advantage of:

A sampling of MooLaLa's daily deals!

One more personal reason…

I hope this helps explain some of the reasons why I think Moolala is cool and why they are unique. There’s also one other big reason why I think Moolala and the people there are cool.  They were smart enough to hire my incredible wife to work for them. Moolala is run by a group of extremely talented, hard-working, good people you can trust doing business with. Give them a try. Sign up now. Use my site code, david.moolala.com, and see what Moolala is all about.

A quick summary.

It’s been quite some time since my last post and update about my experiences with and recovery from Bell’s Palsy. I was diagnosed on Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 with Bell’s Palsy. During my own search for information on the internet I discovered good information was difficult to find. Bell’s Palsy is not a condition most people are familiar with and the word “palsy” in the name incorrectly makes some think of cerebral palsy, a much different disorder. Eventually I did find some great resources of information and support and after reading the experiences of others with Bell’s Palsy, I felt I might be able to make my recovery easier to tolerate by sharing it with others. Shortly after my diagnosis, I begin writing about my experiences here on Galindo.me (formerly flyinggalindo.com). In addition to writing about my experiences, I began taking a series of photographs of my face to track my recovery over time. I’m really glad I did. The photographs showed me the small progress I was making that otherwise was hard to see as well as gave me hope in those tough, early days.

The response.

Since that time I have been amazed and humbled by the number of people from around the world who have visited my site and were either suffering from Bell’s Palsy themselves or knew someone who was suffering from the condition. I received countless supportive comments and emails thanking me for sharing my experiences. These people were looking for information, advice and, mostly, just reassurance they would be OK and would get better. This response had a profound impact on me. (Thank you and my best wishes to each of you – DG)

What took so long?

I had intended to write an update several times in the last few years and have several batches of updated photographs showing my progress that have never seen the light of day. Rather than make excuses or go through all the reasons “why” it took me so long to post an update, let me just say it’s “better late than never”.

The remains of my Bell’s Palsy.

Three years later, most external signs of me having Bell’s Palsy are gone. In fact by September 2008, six months after the first onset, I got to the point where I am today. I say most external signs are gone but there are a few lingering after effects. Externally, my right eye still gets a little lazy at times. I sometimes feel a twitching in my right eyelid, primarily after stressful days or when I’m lacking sleep. When I smile big (and I’ll admit I’m a big smiler – is “smiler” a word?) the right side of my mouth doesn’t curve up as much as the left. You can see these things in my latest photos below but I think I may be the only one that notices them.

One strange side-effect of the healing and re-wiring of the facial nerve is how my tear ducts in my right eye and right side of my nose react when I eat. Because these nerves are so close the ones that control the salivary glands, it appears they now react by watering and running when I eat. It’s now easy for people to see when I think food is good because it looks like my right eye is tearing up and I have to blow my nose!  I admit, it’s kind of strange, but it really isn’t a big deal, and a small inconvenience considering where I was.

Updated photographs.

Aside from being three years older and having more gray hair, my face has returned mostly to normal, whatever that means. The left column in the following series of photographs are from April 19th, 2008. The pictures in the right column were taken April 12th, 2011.

I’d love to hear more comments or questions from anyone interested in my experience with Bell’s Palsy. Thanks for following my progress!

This is a grilled pizza that comes together quickly with excellent results.

The Margheritan

Traditional tomato, basil, and cheese

Today’s modern pizza of tomato sauce and cheese can be traced back to an Italian pizzario, Raffaele Esposito of Naples, owner of a tavern called Pizzeria di Pietro e Basta Cosi. In 1889, he created a pizza for the visiting Italian King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. He used tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese to represent the Italian flag’s colors of red, green, and white. The queen asked Raffaele what the dish was called and the smart chef replied, “The Margherita, after you, my Queen.”

This recipe calls for two types of mozzarella: One is sold shredded in plastic pouches, available in any supermarket; the other is fresh, a soft, white ball that melts into milky pillows. I usually buy an 8-ounce (225g) ball called fior de latte, or “flowers of milk.” Fresh mozzarella has a shelf life of about two weeks.

Ingredients:

1 grilled pizza crust

1 tablespoon Herbed Grill Oil or extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan

1 cup shredded mozzarella

½ cup Chunky Tomato Basil Sauce

1 ball (8 ounces/ 225g) fresh mozzarella

Garnish:

2 tablespoons basil leaves

Variations: Add pepperoni for a stellar spicy pizza.

Brush the grilled side of the pizza crust with the Herbed Grill Oil. Dust with the Parmesan and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Drop spoonfuls of the Chunky Tomato Basil Sauce onto the pizza. Tear the fresh mozzarella into chunks and distribute across the pizza, filling in the holes between the sauce.

Just…Grill . Garnish with the basil leaves before serving.

via Craig Priebe – Margheritan.

Be sure to check out:

• How To Grill A Pizza
• Tomato Basil Pizza Sauce
• Herbed Grill Oil

When I started making grilled pizzas, what I appreciated about this recipe (like many of Craig’s recipes) is it added a lot of flavor to the finished pizzas without the need for an extremely complicated recipe or lots of prep time.

What’s even better, this herbed grill oil is used for things other than pizza (see “Uses” below) and it keeps well in the refrigerator. Once you see how easy it is to make, you’ll keep some on hand all the time.

Herbed Grill Oil

I use this oil as a base for almost all of my savory pizzas and many of the piadinas. It takes just a second to make and keeps in the refrigerator indefinitely. If I’m feeling lazy, sometimes I add a little more olive oil instead of making a new batch. Make sure the olive oil is top quality.

Ingredients:

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 small clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried basil

Makes:

½ cup

Place all the ingredients in a small bowl or glass jar, mix well, and refrigerate. If it solidifies, take it out a few minutes early or microwave it at 5-second intervals until it starts to liquefy.

Uses For Leftover Herbed Grilled Oil:

• As a marinade for meats, poultry, seafood, or vegetables.
• Sauté vegetables, shrimp, chicken, or tofu in it.
• Mix it with a little vinegar, salt, and pepper for a salad dressing.
• Stir it into hot pasta and add cheese.
• Brush it on grilled bread or toast to make bruschetta.
• Toss it with potatoes, then season it with salt and pepper and roast.

via Craig Priebe – Herbed Grill Oil.

Check out:

• How to Grill Pizza
• “The Margheritan” Grilled Pizza

The summer grilling season is approaching and I want to bring attention to one of my favorite grilling techniques, Grilled Pizza, made popular by chef Craig Priebe.

If you’ve ever eaten gourmet pizza made in a brick oven, you know how good the crispy, smoky crust is. Craig’s grilled pizza technique makes recreating this crust easy. I think you’ll be impressed with the results.

If you haven’t grilled pizza before, you should definitely give this a try.

How to Grill Pizza

Whether you grill indoors with a cast iron pan on the stove top, or fire up a charcoal or gas grill outside – you’ll be amazed at the results if you follow these basic steps for grilling pizza.

Roll out the dough with smooth even strokes, using a rolling-pin, until it is about 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8 of an inch thick. Place the dough on a flat surface, such as an inverted cookie sheet.

Heat the grill to medium high.

Hold the cookie sheet over the grill and slide the dough onto the grill’s surface. Make sure the crust falls flat onto the grill.

The dough should take about 3 minutes to brown. It bubbles as it cooks.

When the crust has browned, remove it from the grill. Turn the crust over to the browned side. Top it with your favorite pizza toppings, or follow one of my grilled pizza recipes from Grilled Pizzas and Piadinas.

Slide the pizza onto the grill and brown the bottom for 3 to 5 minutes, until browned and crispy.

Remove the pizza by carefully sliding it back onto the cookie sheet. Cut and serve.

via How to Grill Pizza.

Be sure to also try these two recipes for topping your grilled pizza:

• Chunky Tomato Basil Sauce
• “The Margheritan” Pizza
• Herbed Grill Oil

Enjoy!