Ingrid Kast Fuller

Basil Pico De Gallo Recipe

2009-05-30T17:02:00.014-05:00

Some of you may know I'm part Italian, but I definitely don't look it. I get my name and my looks from my father's side. My grandmother was from Taranto, Italy. My mother, born in NY, made the best lasagna, Italian pork chops and eggplant, I'm sure she learned this from her mother.

My husband and I both love using Italian herbs in our cooking picked fresh from our garden like bay leaves, basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary. We also pick the jalapeno and Serrano peppers from the garden too. So when I was out of cilantro, I substituted basil in this recipe.

Ingredients
* 6 medium Tomatoes diced
* 1 medium Onion diced
* 1/4 cup fresh Basil chopped
* 1 Fresh Jalapeno seeded and minced
* 4 red Serrano peppers
* 1/2 - 1 lemon squeezed (juice)
(you can add 1 clove of garlic minced if you prefer)

Put all ingredients in a bowl mix well. Or put in an automatic hand chopper.

When I want something fast, I just substitute the tomatoes with my favorite picante sauce. But I still cut up the onions, basil and peppers.

Enjoy!
ingridfuller.com

Piano Lovers Keyboard Bible

2009-02-28T12:36:00.007-06:00

I love piano. At a young age I took piano lessons and even accordion for awhile. Repeating piano lessons later once when I was pregnant with my son and once a few years ago when Mars Music was still around in Houston.

Recently, I came across this book and dvd combo at Barnes and Noble, called “Totally Interactive Keyboard Bible”. I think this is the best $30 I ever spent.

Janette Mason and Steve Lodder take you from Blues and the Piano to Early Keyboard Styles, Rock, Synthesizer, the 80's and Contemporary Keyboard Styles. They show different piano’s, organs, synthesizers and history of various types of music from boogie, gospel, blues, jazz, regae and more.

The book comes with music sheets of various types of music that include the actual music on a CD. So, you can hear each piece and how it should sound.

It's a wonderful collection. There's even a section on history of the piano and biographies of many pianists such as Bud Powell (bebop), Fats Domino (rock n roll), Ray Charles (soul), Little Richard (rock n roll), Jerry Lee Lewis (high-energy boogie-woogie), Billy Preston, Steve Winwood, Steve Wonder and others.

Ingrid Kast Fuller
www.ingridfuller.com

Have you seen Animoto for Building Videos?

2009-01-24T11:11:00.003-06:00

Since I couldn't make PhotoCampHouston in person that was held at the Houston Technology Center on January 24th, I went reading up on the sessions they were having and found this website: Animoto, for creating music videos.

I quickly signed up and setup a video for testing. In minutes, I had a short video with music that I could add to my website or to several social media sites such as: Facebook, MySpace, Blogger, etc...

If you're looking for a fast way to setup a video from pictures you have on your hard drive, this is it. Check it out and give me your comments about Animoto.

Ingrid Kast Fuller
http://www.ingridfuller.com
http://www.cityscope.net

Eagles Concert in Houston After Hurricane Ike

2008-12-20T09:06:00.002-06:00

The Eagles Concert last month in Houston, Texas at the Toyota Center was the BEST concert I've been to ever. I was somehow surprised to see the Eagles in black suits instead of some laid back California Beach attire or some rugged dessert looking attire. The stage took many forms during the night. The movie canvas behind the band showed sometimes abstract graphics or photos of cities, people, sometimes in black and white for effect. At one point the stage looked like a crystal ball. Tim and I were on the floor and I think the view would have been better sitting on the lower level seats closer to the stage. But, I enjoyed it immensely, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I have a feeling this will be the last tour I will see of the Eagles.

Timothy sang Love Will Keep Us Alive... The Eagles played many Joe Walsh songs before he was with the Eagles. Of course, Don Henley had several songs, but the song I would have liked to hear was New York Minute, written in 1989, #2 on the charts in 1990 and has special meaning to me.

Artist Brent Hooper Has New Online Store

2008-10-11T15:19:00.000-05:00

My nephew and accomplished artist, Brent Hooper, has opened a new online store at Ebay. Brent is an artist of over twenty years in the Houston area, previously showing at Gallery One Nine and Eastman Gallery. Brent loves to explore and experiment in painting and drawing. All pieces are original, modern, contemporary, acrylic, oil, and mixed media paintings of abstract and conceptual art.

'Figures in the Distance', above, is an acrylic painting measuring 12" x 12". It has vibrant colors over darker ones with an explosive texture. The main subject are two birds flying in a storm of color.

This large 5' x 4' acrylic painting on stretched fabric is titled 'Resonate'. This textured painting is vibrant and original. 'Resonate' was part of an exploration on the subject of musical wind chimes.

To purchase items, please visit Brent Hooper's Online Store. Or sign up for his newsletter.

Post Hurricane Ike Info for Pasadena, Texas

2008-09-22T21:25:00.002-05:00

PasadenaTexas.com has been updating City Information throughout Hurricane Ike. If you have not visited the website yet, there is a lot of information found in the links from the City of Pasadena News conferences and info sheets, that I have been getting from them.

Here's a Power update: 32 percent of CenterPoint customers in the dark at 8 p.m.

This Hurricane has left most of us feeling overwhelmed. Before the storm, I setup a Social Club to replace the old forum we once had. If anyone would like to start chatting with other families about what's going on with you. Then join our Pasadena Social Club and start up a discussion.

Visit Pasadena Texas Social Network

You can also follow us on Twitter. What is Twitter you ask?

Twitter is a privately funded startup with offices in the SoMA neighborhood of San Francisco, CA. Started as a side project in March of 2006, Twitter has grown into a real-time short messaging service that works over multiple networks and devices.

See their About Twitter page or the Twitter Home page.

McCain Picks Sarah Palin as Running Mate

2008-08-29T21:50:00.000-05:00

John McCain announced his Vice President running mate today. Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska, sounds like a fresh face and someone that can handle the job. Of course, being a Texan, I would have liked to see Kay Bailey Hutchison as his VP choice. However, I think his choice is great for America. Sarah is someone with family values (Social Issues) we can get behind. I like her Energy Policies, she is definitely in tune with what is going on with the environment in her state, global warming and the issue of oil.

Some of her accomplishments include:

In Alaska, Governor Palin challenged a corrupt system and passed a landmark ethics reform bill. She has actually used her veto and cut budgetary spending. She put a stop to the "bridge to nowhere" that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars.

** Source: GOPUSA

See the article about Sarah Palin by FoxNews, Seen as GOP Rising Star.

Updated News: See the NY Daily News on Sarah Palin, a wonderful article and what she brings to John McCain's campaign and to America.

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Social Media Camp Austin 2008

2008-08-02T21:09:00.012-05:00

This past week I enjoyed a few days out of town in Austin, Texas. On Wednesday, I attended the Social Media Camp Austin event at Thistle Cafe. I expected a small cramped cafe and was pleasantly surprised how large Thistle Cafe was and how nice the staff was. This is definitely a place to hangout with your friends or sit and have lunch or a coffee in the heart of downtown Austin. The wireless seemed inadequate for our large group, but they probably aren't setup to accept that many folks at once. This is the one time I can say, I was glad to have a Sprint wireless usb card and was working from the event steady without a dropped connection.

My usually Camp buddies were there, Erica O'Grady, Whurley and Giovanni Gallucci. Got to meet some of my Twitter friends too. I didn't go to the Mashable Summer Mash event, but had a great time seeing the 1.5 million female bats take flight from under the Congress Avenue bridge with my sister. The best place to see them is from the TGI Friday's Restaurant on the North East side of the bridge.

See one of the bats photos below:

Josh Hamilton Churns Out 28 Hr's in Home Run Derby

2008-07-14T20:54:00.005-05:00

Talk about an exciting All-Star Home Run Derby. Astros, Lance Berkman, lead the group with 8 home run hits in the First Round and then came Rangers, Josh Hamilton. The Home Run Derby record was 24 Home Runs. Josh smashed 28 home runs with an average of 467' and his longest home run was 518' in the Yankee Stadium. This is the last year of the Yankee Stadium too. It will be replaced with a new stadium. At age 7, the Yankee Stadium, was my first ball park to see a major baseball game. My hero at that time was Mickey Mantle. I remember getting a Mickey Mantle bracelet. Wish I knew where that bracelet was now.

Last Chance to see Mr. Marmalade at Stages Theatre

2008-05-28T18:35:00.002-05:00

Last Chance! Mr. Marmalade closes Sunday at Stages Theatre in Houston, Texas.

Justin Doran is Mr. Marmalade... the wild journey through the dark depths of a precocious four year olds imagination in this comedy from up-and-coming young playwright Noah Haidle.

Mr. Marmalade is about kids, not for them, leave the little ones at home and enjoy this theatrical roller coaster ride! Buy Mr. Marmalade Tickets!

Memorial Weekend 2008

2008-05-25T18:31:00.011-05:00

I hope everyone is enjoying the Memorial Day Weekend. We are lucky we can enjoy this holiday because of the men and women in the armed forces that protect us each day. I ask you to take time to honor the past soldiers that believed in the American way. Honor the current soldiers that give us our freedom now and in the future.

Here is a website I created after the 2001 World Trade Center tradegy to Support Our Troops. If you have "Support Our Troops" links you would like to share with others, please send them to me and I will add them to the site.

Ingrid Kast Fuller
-America- Be Strong and Be Free!

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Check out rare footage of Ingrid relaxing with Lucy. We got to relax a few minutes this weekend on the couch and in the pool. I need more of it though, hoping to get back in the pool tomorrow for one more day of the holiday weekend.

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Rounding Third

2008-04-09T20:55:00.004-05:00

Two dads eager to coach their sons' Little League team to victory have differing opinions on how to do just that. Veteran coach Don wants to win at all costs while newcomer Michael just wants the kids to have fun. Both struggle throughout the season with these differences and get their team to the championship. A comic look at modern parenting and raising kids in a world where winning is everything.

Show runs April 4th through April 20, 2008 at Stages Repertory Theatre.

Late Nite Catechism 2 at Stages Theatre

2008-03-13T16:41:00.005-06:00

Sometimes We Feel Guilty Because We Are Guilty

The laughs continue in Late Nite Catechism 2 with this sisterly wit, wisdom and wackiness that made it a hit. This follow-up to the original Late Nite Catechism advises us to make changes or spend eternity in high heat! The Sister offers a modern overview of salvation - and damnation - for sins like reality tv, cloning, bobblehead dolls... armed with banners, filmstrips, handouts, facts and hysterical insights. The Sister is set to conquer sin and send everyone in laughter.

For fun this weekend or any performance date through April 27, call the box office at 713-527-0123 and tell 'em INGRID sent you!

340lb BattleBot Malfunctions Nearly Kills Microsoft Employee

2008-03-12T18:42:00.004-06:00

So this weekend BarCampAustin3 (held during SxSW) featured a ton of amazing things including some fantastic sessions, a mini iPhoneDevCamp, and a singing Unicorn at Karaoke Apocalypse.All went well save one small incident involving a 340lbs BattleBot malfunctioning and then taking off as fast as it could for the closet Microsoft employees.

read more | digg story

Top 3 Things That Can Go Wrong With A 340lbs Battlebot

2008-03-09T12:37:00.002-06:00

1. You loose control of it. 2. It attacks the crowd. 3. It takes on the neighbors house and destroys the air conditioning unit (which was clearly no match). This video is awesome! Hey, and so was BarCampAustin3 for that matter despite the near death experience!

read more | digg story

DMN:We Recommend Huckabee

2008-03-02T14:20:00.001-06:00

I could not have said it better myself..."To that end, Mr. Huckabee, 52, should be a top leader in tomorrow's Republican Party."Why wait for tomorrow. Vote Mike Huckabee on Tuesday.

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Huckabee: A Deadlocked Convention is My Goal

2008-02-27T13:38:00.005-06:00

Insurgent Republican giving up dream of winning in primaries
By Jim Forsyth
Friday, February 22, 2008

In an interview with 1200 WOAI news during his swing through Texas, longshot Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee outlined a strategy...

Read Radio WOAI News Article

Here's the referring article from the Los Angeles Times Blog

Mike Huckabee in Texas

2008-02-21T23:50:00.004-06:00

Just watched this video of Mike Huckabee campaigning in Plano, Texas. I still like Mike. We'll have to see what happens in Texas on March 4th. I think a lot of folks will be shocked to see how Mike does here. He should do well.

http://thehuckreport.blogspot.com/2008/02/mike-huckabee-visits-plano-texas.html

I like Mike Huckabee on Foreign Affairs

2008-01-04T14:44:00.001-06:00

Has anyone read Presidential Candidate, Michael D. Huckabee's article "Foreign Affairs" magazine called "America's Priorities in the War on Terror"? I'd love to hear your comments on the article.

I think Mike would be a great President or Vice President. I hope the Republican party will see that before their convention. Even though he may not have the delegates for Presidential Candidate, I would rather have him as a Vice President candidate than Mitt Romney. Don't forget to vote in the Texas March 4th Primaries, whether you are Democrat or Republican. When I was young I couldn't wait to vote when I turned 18. Your vote counts, so make it happen!

I hope you will consider Mike Huckabee as your President this year.
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Sam Rayburn Class of '78 Reunion

2007-11-11T20:25:00.002-06:00

Class of 1978 and Still Great!

The Sam Rayburn High School Class of 1978 is getting ready for a great reunion next year. The kick-off event was this past Friday night at the Sam Rayburn vs Pasadena High football game, the rival game we so faithfully attended in the late 70's. Friday night was memorable because we saw the Tex-Anns dance at their 40th anniversary on the field at half-time. Girls from the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's were represented on the field. Officers were announced and even though it was hard to remember the old 'fight' song, we had fun looking for other 1978 class members that were meeting there that night.

After half-time, we met at Mamacitas Restaurant to eat and reminisce. Check out our Reunion website and if you know anyone that graduated in 1978 from Sam Rayburn, please pass it on that the reunion is July 25 & 26th, 2008 at Moody Gardens Hotel in Galveston.

Sam Rayburn High School, Pasadena, Texas / Class of 1978 Reunion website: http://www.samrayburn1978.com.

New Artist at Eastman Gallery

2007-10-29T17:34:00.000-06:00

Looks like our family has many artists. One of the new artists this month at Eastman Gallery was Brent Hooper. Brent, my nephew, has been producing art and music for some time now. You can see his work at Eastman Gallery and get on the mailing list. Lots of great artwork to feast the eyes on with various artwork from paintings, jewerly, photography, lighting and more. The Eastman Gallery is located at: 1110 North Post Oak, Suite 310, Houston, TX 77055.

"Souvenir" showing at Stages Theatre

2007-09-11T15:40:00.000-05:00

"Souvenir" by Stephen Temperley, is a warm-hearted comedy, that recounts the real-life cult success of society matron Florence Foster Jenkins, whose popular concerts sold-out at Carnegie Hall in the 1930s and 40s. "Souvenir" will be performed at Stages Repertory Theatre this month, (September 7th-23rd). Costume designer, Tiffani Fuller, will showcase her 1930s and '40s period costumes. Tim and I are very proud to get to see our daughters work this week. If you haven't been to a theatre show in along time, join us this weekend or during the month for this fun filled show. Performances are Wednesday & Thursday, 7:30pm, Friday & Saturday, 8:00pm and Sunday at 3:00pm. Stages Repertory Theatre is located at 3201 Allen Parkway (one block west of Waugh Dr.). The main entrance on Rosine St. parking on D'Amico. To purchase tickets, see their Event Schedule page.
Houston Chronicle Article and Houston Chronicle Review

Kansas Declares English as Official Language

2007-05-30T22:29:00.000-05:00

On May 11, 2007, Governor Kathleen Sebelius stayed true to her word, and signed H.B. 2140 into law, making Kansas the newest state to adopt English as its official language. The bill had previously passed the House and Senate by overwhelming bi-partisan margins of 114-7 and 32-8, respectively.

Astronomers eagerly await potential birth of 'super' sun

2007-05-30T02:44:00.002-05:00

Astronomers have pinpointed two massive stars, orbiting close to each other in space, that could merge to create a "super" sun, 100 times bigger than our own. The massive "binary" star system, located in a galaxy orbiting the Milky Way, has been captured by NASA scientists using satellite and ground-based telescopes.

read more | digg story

Idaho Becomes 29th State with Official English

2007-03-30T19:22:00.000-06:00

on Wednesday, Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter signed a bill making English the official language of the state of Idaho. Idaho now becomes the 29th state to enact official English, following Arizona in 2006.

Arizona Votes Yes on Proposition 103

2006-11-11T12:15:00.000-06:00

Arizona Proposition 103:English as Official Language

With 99% of precincts reporting in, Arizona votes FOR English as the Official Language with votes of 849,772 (74%) to 295,632 (26%) OPPOSED.

English - Our Official Language

2004-07-28T04:37:00.000-05:00

One very important issue I want to discuss is the fact that the United States does not currently have an official language. The fact is most of the world uses English as the international language to communicate. And while most Americans speak and write in English, it is still not established as our official language. There are many sound reasons why we should make English our official language. I will bring out points in my future blogs.