- "Tainted Love" and "What I Like About You" were on a dance mix tape I made for a friend's party in high school (while his parents were away—good thing y'all never did that);
- I've seen Bruce sing "Dancing in the Dark" several times in concert;
- The company broke out into "Shut Up and Dance" during a very odd version of A Christmas Carol that Cassie and I went to at the American Shakespeare Center's Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton;
- Cassie introduced me to "Single Ladies" last summer getting ready for a tele-therapy session for her class;
- Shakira and Wyclef Jean performed "Hips Don't Lie" at the 2006 World Cup, which Italy won;
- "Beast of Burden" was in my favorite sappy movie, The Family Man;
- "I Think We're Alone Now" was in the awesome dance scene in Umbrella Academy;
- "Do You Love Me" played during the first "dirty dancing" scene in Dirty Dancing;
- "Into the Groove" was in Desperately Seeking Susan, which is a cult classic I love;
- "Old Time Rock and Roll" was in the famous Tom Cruise dancing scene in Risky Business;
- "Twist and Shout" and "Oh Yeah" were featured in two great scenes (the parade and the Ferrari) in Ferris Bueller's Day Off;
- "Summer Nights" was in Grease, which I made Cassie come see with me;
- "Dancing Queen" was in Mamma Mia, which Cassie made me watch with her;
- "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" was in a great kitchen clean-up scene in The Big Chill; and
- "Stayin Alive" played during the opening credits of Saturday Night Fever.
Anyway, I had so much fun putting the "Music Therapy" playlist together that I edited and added to another one featuring "Covers & Live Versions" of various songs and artists I enjoy. That playlist is here on Spotify and here on Tidal, and you can hear 30-second snippets below:
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I rarely use my food mill to do anything other than process the baked potatoes for making gnocchi, which is a waste of a good kitchen tool. But Mom's been craving homemade applesauce so I dug out this recipe that I haven't made since the Christmas before last. It's fun, can't be any easier, and the applesauce tastes much better than the stuff you buy in a jar.
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated (Sept. 2002) via Erin Cooks
Time: ~45 minutes
You can substitute almost any variety of apple except Red or Golden Delicious. Red-skinned apples give the finished applesauce a nice pinkish hue. If you don't have a food mill, go ahead and peel the apples before cooking them, then mash them with a potato masher after cooking until you reach the desired consistency.
4 pounds (8 to 12 medium) McIntosh, Pink Lady, or Jonagold apples (see note)
1 cup (236 grams) water
¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
1. Core, but do not peel, the apples, either using an apple corer or by hand, like Jacques Pépin. Cut the apples into roughly 1½-inch chunks. (I cut the apples in half to core them, then each half into 8 chunks.)
2. Stir the apple chunks, water, sugar, and salt together in a large Dutch oven/stockpot. Place the pot over medium-high heat and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples start to break down, about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn the heat down a notch or two if necessary.
3. Using a food mill fitted with the medium disk, process the cooked apples into a medium bowl. Season to taste with more sugar; add a little water to adjust the consistency as needed. Makes ~1 quart. The applesauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Cranberry Applesauce
Cook 1 cup (4 ounces) fresh or unthawed frozen cranberries with the apples.
Ginger Applesauce
Slice a 1½-inch piece of fresh ginger into 3 pieces and smash with the edge of the knife or a meat pounder. Cook the ginger with the apples.
Spiced Applesauce
Cook 4 whole cloves, 2 whole star anise, or 2 3-inch cinnamon sticks with the apples, but remove before processing through the food mill; or stir ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon into the finished applesauce.
Food Mill Applesauce
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated (Sept. 2002) via Erin Cooks
Time: ~45 minutes
You can substitute almost any variety of apple except Red or Golden Delicious. Red-skinned apples give the finished applesauce a nice pinkish hue. If you don't have a food mill, go ahead and peel the apples before cooking them, then mash them with a potato masher after cooking until you reach the desired consistency.
4 pounds (8 to 12 medium) McIntosh, Pink Lady, or Jonagold apples (see note)
1 cup (236 grams) water
¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
1. Core, but do not peel, the apples, either using an apple corer or by hand, like Jacques Pépin. Cut the apples into roughly 1½-inch chunks. (I cut the apples in half to core them, then each half into 8 chunks.)
2. Stir the apple chunks, water, sugar, and salt together in a large Dutch oven/stockpot. Place the pot over medium-high heat and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples start to break down, about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn the heat down a notch or two if necessary.
3. Using a food mill fitted with the medium disk, process the cooked apples into a medium bowl. Season to taste with more sugar; add a little water to adjust the consistency as needed. Makes ~1 quart. The applesauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Cranberry Applesauce
Cook 1 cup (4 ounces) fresh or unthawed frozen cranberries with the apples.
Ginger Applesauce
Slice a 1½-inch piece of fresh ginger into 3 pieces and smash with the edge of the knife or a meat pounder. Cook the ginger with the apples.
Spiced Applesauce
Cook 4 whole cloves, 2 whole star anise, or 2 3-inch cinnamon sticks with the apples, but remove before processing through the food mill; or stir ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon into the finished applesauce.
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