Between 1970 and 1975, Chicago sent ten songs into the Top 10. Two of them reached #3 – “Saturday in the Park” (1972) and “Just You ‘N Me: (1973). It wasn’t until 1976 that the Windy City group finally reached the top of the heap and it was a ballad that took them there. Written and sung by Peter Cetera, “If You Leave Me Now” (1976) would spend two weeks at #1, sell over one million copies and win two Grammy Awards. Enjoy this live TV performance and marvel over Peter’s hair while you watch.

Popularity: 2% [?]

I had the most amazing flautas this weekend (at a Chicago restaurant)…I am hoping to duplicate the taste with this recipe!

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 Anaheim chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped and seeded poblano pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp veg oil

12 oz cooked chicken, shredded (about 3 cups)

1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp cinnamon and cloves

10 8-inch flour tortillas

Serve with salsa, sour cream, guacamole

1. Preheat oven to 350.  In a large skillet cook onion, chile peppers and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until onion and peppers are soft (about 4 minutes).  Add chicken, oregano, cumin salt, cinnamon and cloves; mix well.  Set aside.

2.  Wrap tortillas in foil and heat in oven, about 10 minutes, to soften.  Reduce oven temp to 300.  Remove tortillas from oven.  Work with one tortilla at a time and fill each with about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture.  Roll up tightly and secure with a wooden toothpick.

3.  Pour 1 inch veg oil into a large skillet, heat to medium heat.  Fry flautas, three or four at a time, until crisp and golden, turning once.  Remove flautas from oil; drain oil out the ends.  Drain on paper towels.  Keep cooked flautas warm on the oven while frying remaining flautas.

4.  Remove the wooden toothpicks.  Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole!

Popularity: 3% [?]

Of the top ten most popular Halloween costumes for adults this year, only one is a “real” occupation.  What is it?

Correct Answer:  Nurse

Popularity: 3% [?]

I’m kind of a geek for statistics.  I love the details of a story, especially if it’s goofy or fun.  Here’s some of the fun facts about this spooky day:

-43.9% of Americans plan to dress up this year.

- 76% of all young adults plan to deck themselves out.

- On average, they’ll spend about $63 on their look.

-U.S. consumers spent more than $2.5 billion on costumes this year.

- The average household has shelled out $21.05 in Halloween candy alone.

- The average child collects an estimated 3,500 and 7,000 calories on Halloween night.

- A 100-pound child who eats 7,000 calories worth of candy would have to walk for almost 44 hours or play full-court basketball for 14.5 hours to burn those calories.

- Meanwhile, 14.7% of Americans will dress up their pets.

- Nearly half of American consumers (49.5%) are expected to decorate their front yard.

- Many (32.9%) will take their kids trick-or-treating.

- Most of us (73.5%) will hand out candy to them.

- Nearly half of Americans (47.8%) will carve a pumpkin.

- Some (22.9%) of us will visit a haunted house.

- 22% of consumers will spend an average of $59 to throw a party.

Thanks to The National Retail Federation and The Wall Street Journal for the data.

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Adam reviews the new Johnny Depp film/Hunter S. Thompson novel adaptation:

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Rated R – 1h59

Looking through glassy eyes, it’s hard to find focus, even if your intentions were to have a good time. It’s the same story for Johnny Depp’s toast to Hunter S. Thompson in The Rum Diary. The heart is in the right place, but this one stumbles around a little too much.

The film is based on the long lost novel of the same name that Thompson wrote in the 1960’s, but didn’t publish until 1998. Depp supposedly found the material amongst Thompson’s things and has since been key in getting the film produced.

The story involves journalist Paul Kemp (Depp) who takes a job at the San Juan Star in Puerto Rico. His sleazy editor Lotterman (Richard Jenkins) immediately sets the tone of the film by asking Kemp if he’s drunk and how much he drinks. Kemp replies in a Thompson-esque voice “The high end of social.”

From there, Kemp is wooed by Sanderson, (Aaron Eckhart) a developer who has plans to get rich by developing the lush island. It’s Sanderson’s attempt to control the media in his favor.

The film is somewhat autobiographical because Thompson did apply at the San Juan Star, but didn’t get the job. It’s completely autobiographical in regards to how Depp, for a second time, entertains by channeling Thompson. It’s a treat to hear the witty dialogue come rolling off his mumbling tongue.

Another standout is Sanderson’s fiancee’, played by the luscious Amber Heard. Her character Chenault is like a beautiful tidal wave. She’s literally the girl that talks you into speed racing the brand new car you’ve just been given by daddy.

If there was a main point, it’s how Kemp tries to use his righteous journalistic integrity to save the people of Puerto Rico from a greedy American developer. Still this is more of a rum fueled exercise in functional alcoholism. I feel like they touched on everything that Thompson was, but didn’t deliver that gonzo element.

Popularity: 3% [?]

It’s just about Halloween, so for your eerie pleasure, I present my Top 10 Spooky Movies of All Time. I put a lot of thought into this and these are movies solely ranked by how much they made the hairs on my neck stand up straight.

10. Open Water – Two scuba divers left stranded in the ocean only to face a slow death by sharks. I’m already quivering. freaks me out.

9. Låt den Rätte Komma In (Let the Right One In) (2008) – Nevermind the 2010 Americanized remake called “Let Me In.” The original is in Swedish, and is a freaky and sad story about vampires.

8.Rosemary’s Baby - Roman Polanski is creepy enough, but even after it’s 1968 release, this one still holds up. It’s not so much scary things that are happening in this one, but rather how freaky the characters act.

7. Jaws - The sharks again…freaking me out! Watching Robert Shaw slowly slide down the deck of his boat and into the shark’s mouth has damaged me for life.

6. Silence of the Lambs - It puts the lotion in the basket. Also, this movie makes me hungry for fava beans

5. Anything George Romero, but specifically Dawn Of The Dead (1978) – Romero is the king of the living dead. His movies always have a lot of dread and gloom in them. You also get a subtle message about society hidden in each one. Gore + social conscience. Fun!

4. Alien - It may seem like it’s an action movie, but really it’s more of a scare fest. I’m getting indigestion just thinking about it.

3. Misery – Steven King. Ouch, my ankles hurt just thinking about it.

2. Poltergeist – It’s time to sell the house when you slide into your unfinished swimming pool hole and skeletons pop up out of the water. That and having a big skeleton head jump out of your closet. They will certainly bring your property value down.

1. Psycho - Even with all the scary monsters out there, nothing is actually scarier than a real person who is off their rocker.

Popularity: 3% [?]

A survey of small business owners determined that the best way to be the boss’s favorite in the office is to….

Incorrect Guesses:  get to work on time, get to work early, buy lunch, don’t call in sick, be polite.

Correct Answer:  have a good sense of humor.

Popularity: 6% [?]

1/3 of adults in America never do THIS.

Incorrect Guesses:  floss their teeth, rake leaves, get married, shower daily, fly in an airplane, drive a car, go to the dentist

Correct Answer:  cook

Popularity: 6% [?]

A great combination sure to please even the pickiest of palates, pizza pasta is an “instant classic” (love a good oxymoron, don’t you?)!   And you can change the recipe to fit your family’s pizza tastes, like adding mushrooms. 

2 cups spiral pasta

1 lb ground beef (I use the lean stuff, 90%)

1/2 cup chopped white onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 can tomato puree (15 oz)

1/2 cup diced pepperoni

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp onion powder

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink.  Drain.  Add the tomato puree, pepperoni and seasonings.  Cook and stir for 5 minutes.

Drain the pasta.  Stir the pasta into the meat mixture and heat through.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Remove from heat, cover and let stand until cheese is melted.

Popularity: 3% [?]