I made this soup today and thought I should write it down before I forgot all the goodies I put into it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Six cups Chicken Broth

2 tablespoons rosemary

5 cloves minced garlic

1 teaspoon ground pepper (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon Celery Seed

1/2 teaspoon Fennel seed

1 cup clam juice

4 tablespoons oyster sauce

4 tablespoons Fish sauce

2 tablespoons Thai Chili Sauce

1 Cup V 8 Spicy Juice

6 once can Tomato Paste

4 tablespoons garlic salt

1 cup butter

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 pounds seafood

(Optional extra pound of crawfish or shrimp to bulk it up)

2 cups Pad Thai Noodles uncooked

Directions:

Pour broth into a large soup pot. Mix in all the herbs and spices, clam juice,tomato paste, oyster sauce, fish sauce and butter. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Add White wine into soup, and continue to simmer another 2 hours. (If you like it hotter add Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce after the second hour to taste, extra Thai chili sauce is good too.) Just before serving, stir in the seafood (pour lemon juice on seafood before putting in the pot) and Pad Thai Noodles. Bring to boil, stirring, then reduce heat, put lid on and let simmer for 5-15 minutes until seafood is done and noodles soft.

Note:  If you don’t like it spicy, use regular V8 Juice and don’t add the Sriracha Sauce. That will cool the recipe down.

If you want an easy side dish with lots of flavor and not alot of calories, try roasting a cookie sheet of root vegetables.

Take out your favorite large cookie sheet, line it with parchment paper, put to the side. preheat the oven to 385 degrees. You can use any root vegetable you like but my favorite combination is:

3 large onions chopped into rings

5 carrots cut in half and cut long ways again

four or five potatoes depending on size cut up like thick chips

3-5 cut up red, yellow, green bell peppers

optional

3 beets cut up like chips

3 turnips cut up like chips

3 sweet potatoes cut up like chips

5 garlic cloves chopped or minced fine

5-6 fresh basil leaves ripped

1/2 cup pure olive oil or sunflower is also good

Salt and Pepper, if you like garlic, use garlic salt and garlic pepper

toss the vegetables in the oil, basil and garlic, springs seasoning over then and toss again

lay out on the cookie sheet, onions underneath, then peppers, all all other vegetables on top

dust with more spices and bake in oven for 35-45 minutes with just a touch of golden brown on potatoes. (Don’t let the onions get too done).

Serve warm..

(If you want to add green beans and or asparagus add the it the last 25 minutes of cook time. They do not need as long to cook. Also, you can cut the vegetables in wedges or quarters too for a different look.)

When only a smooth rock set will do, here is a list of some of the best soft rock songs out there. Enjoy!

1. Firefall – Strange Way
2. Jefferson Starship- Sara
3. Foreigner – I Don’t Want To Live Without You
4. Styx – Lady
5. Extreme – More Than Words
6. Steely Dan – Do It Again
7. Harry Nilsson – Coconut
8. England Dan & John Ford Coley – Love is The Answer
9. Harry Chapin – Cat’s In The Cradle
10. ABBA – Knowing Me Knowing You
11. Eagles – Take It To The Limit
12. Loverboy – Almost Paradise
13. Hall & Oats – Sara Smile
14. Three Dog Night – One is The Loneliest Number
15. Bread – Diary
16. Electric Light Orchestra – Don’t Bring Me Down
17. The Alan Parsons Project – I Wouldn’t Want to Be Like You
18. The Carpenters – Goodbye to Love
19. Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water
20. Climax – Precious and Few
21. REO Speedwagon – Can’t Fight This Feeling
22. Jefferson Starship – Miracles
23. Billy Thorpe – Children of The Sun
24. Todd Rundgren – Hello It’s Me
25. Olivia Newton John – I Honestly Love You
26. Christopher Cross – Ride Like The Wind
27. 10cc – I’m Not in Love
28. Eric Clapton – Tears in Heaven
29. Bryan Adams – Everything I Do I Do it for you
30. Elton John – Bennie and The Jets
31. Chicago – If You Leave Me Now
32. Pink Floyd – Time
33. Seals & Croft – Summer Breeze
34. Lobo – Don’t Expect Me To Be Your Friend
35. Judy Collins – Both Sides Now
36. The Little River Band – Cool Change
37. Billy Joel Just The Way You Are
38. Fleetwood Mac – Dreams
39. Billy Joel – Only The Good Die Young
40. Foreigner – I want to Know What Love Is
41. Toto- Rosanna
42. Andrew Gold – Lonely Boy
43. America – Horse With No Name
44. Air Supply – All Out Of Love
45. Journey – Faithfully
46. Ambrosia – You’re The Only Woman
47. Phil Collins – One More Night
48. Doobie Brothers – What A Fool Believes
49. Gerry Rafferty – Baker Street
50. Paul Davis – Cool Night
51. Eric Carmen- All By Myself
52. Air Supply – Making Love Out Of Nothing At All
53. Journey – Open Arms
54. Dr Hook – Sharing the Night Together
55. Carly Simon – You’re So Vain
56. Climax Blues Band – Couldn’t Get it Right
57. Peter Frampton – Baby, I love Your Way
58. Starlight Vocal Band – Afternoon Delight
59. Toto – Africa
60. Ambrosia – That’s How Much I Feel
61. REO Speedwagon – Keep On loving You
62. Chicago – Hard To Say I’m Sorry
63. England Dan & John Ford Coley – Nights Are Forever Without You
64. Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
65. Billy Joel – Piano Man
66. Styx – Babe
67. Chicago – Colour My World
68. Steve Winwood – Higher Love
69. The Byrds – Mr. Tambourine Man
70. The Beatles – A Day In The Life
71. The Faces – I’m Losing You

The beginning of the Blues is best represented by the Delta Blues Style songs.. So here is a collection from a variety of Blues Singers, but the songs, why they feel very authentic. This is the kind of blues you expect to hear in the porches and fields of the deep south.

1. Mick Martin – My Babe
2. Bonnie Raitt Rollin’ & Tumblin
3. Muddy Waters – Appealing Blues
4. Miki Nervio & The BluesMakers – My Pencil Won’t Write No More
5. Son House -Death Letter
6. Keb Mo – Come in My Kitchen
7. Harpe – Big Road Blues
8. John Lee Hooker – Bottle Up and Go
9. Peter Green & Nigel Watson – Me and The Devil Blues
10. Lightnin Hopkins – Have You Ever Loved a Woman
11. Skip James – Look Down The Road
12. Maria Muldaur/Del Rey/Steve James – Long as I Can See you Smile
13. Big Joe Williams – Big Roll Blues
14. Lucinda Williams – Ramblin on My Mind
15. Mississippi John Hurt – Make Me A Pallet On The Floor
16. Rory Block – Bo Weavil Blues
17. Tommy Johnson – Cool Drink of Water Blues
18. The Rolling Stones – Love In Vain
19. LeadBelly – Black Betty
20. Ry Cooder – Ax Sweet Mama
21. Sue Foley – Me and My Chauffeur Blues
22. Tim Lothar & Peter Nande – Can’t Get That Stuff No More (feat. James Harman)
23. Bukka White – Aberdeen Mississippi Blues
24. Mississippi Fred McDowell – Fred’s Worried Blues
25. R.L. Burnside – Come On In
26. Erin Harpe – Future Blues
27. David HoneyBoy Edwards – Catfish Blues
28. Junior Kimbrough – Work Me Baby
29. Bonnie Raitt – Richland Woman Blues
30. Charlie Musselwhite – Hard Times
31. Robert Lockwood Jr – CC Rider
32. Taj Mahal – Good Morning Little School Girl
33. Bo Carter – Banana In Your Fruitbasket
34. Eric Clapton – Hellhound on My Trail
35. Tommy McClennan – Katy Mae Blues
36. Robert Petway – Rockin’ Chair Blues
37. Furry Lewis – Roberta
38. Bonnie Raitt & Lowell George & John Hammond Jr & Freebo – Going Down to Louisiana

Whoever said the 80s didn’t inspire great rock tunes didn’t listen to the music of that era.  The mix and styles that were popular were awesome.. Take a peak at these 80s hits and see if you don’t agree.

1. Peter Gabriel – Sledgehammer
2. Robert Palmer Addicted to Love
3. Irene Cara – What a Feeling
4. Ray Parker Jr -Ghostbusters
5. Bon Jovi – Livin’ on A Prayer
6. Paula Abdul – Cold Hearted
7. Madonna – Papa Don’t Preach
8. Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning
9. The Clash – Rock The Casbah
10. Foreigner – I want to Know What Love Is
11. Joan Jett & The Black Hearts – I love Rock & Roll
12. Queen – Another One Bites The Dust
13. AC/DC You Shook Me All Night Long
14. Guns N Roses – Welcome to The Jungle
15. The Rolling Stones – Start Me Up
16. Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time
17. Madonna – Like A Virgin
18. AC/DC – Back In Black
19. Prince – Kiss
20. Phil Collins – In The Air Tonight
21. Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Relax
22. Van Halen – Jump
23. Tracy Chapman – Fast Car
24. Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar
25. Dire Straits – Money For Nothing
26. Price & The Revolution – Purple Rain
27. Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want to Have Fun
28. Blondie – Call Me
29. Rick Springfield – Jessie’s Girl
30. Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
31. The Plimsouls – A Million Miles Away
32. Tina Turner – What’s Love Got To Do With It
33. Run DMC Walk This Way
34. U2-With or Without You
35. Soft Cell – Tainted Love
36. Bruce SpringSteen – Born in The USA
37. Olivia Newton-John – Physical
38. Rick James – Super Freak
39. R.E.M. – Orange Crush
40. The Police – Every Breath You Take
41. Beastie Boys – Fight for You Right
42. Prince – When Doves Cry
43. Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams
44. Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Come on Eileen
45. The Buggles – Video Killed The Radio Star
46. Tears for Fears – Everybody Wants to Rule The World
47. The Human League – Don’t you Want me
48. Duran Duran – Hungry Like The Wolf
49. Devo – Whip It
50. Red Hot Chili Peppers- Higher Ground
51. Go Go’s – Our Lips are Sealed
52. Simple Minds- Don’t You Forget About me
53. Love and Rockets – So Alive
54. Talking Heads – Once in A  Lifetime
55. The Church – Under the Milky Way
56. U2 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
57. A HA – Take on Me
58. Depeche Mode – Just Can’t Get Enough
59. the B-52’s – Love Shack
60. The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary

Ok there is just something about Chicago Blues..  Fuller, richer tunes? Or just because it is Chicago?  I don’t know for sure, but I love playing the tunes and listening to the music. So here is a mix of Chicago Blues songs you really need for your Blues Library if you don’t already own them.

1. Jimmy Rogers – Gonna Shoot You Right Down
2. Johnny Young Chicago Blues – Wild Wild Woman
3. Magic Sam – Mama Talk To You Daughter
4. Pinetop Perkins – 4 O’Clock in the Morning
5. Jimmy Dawkins – Hard Life Blues
6. Carey & Lurrie Bell – Heartaches and Pain
7. Paul Btterfield Blues Band – Born in Chicago
8. Sonny Boy Williamson & The Yardbirds – Pontiac Blues
9. Luther Allison – Cherry Red Wine
10. James Cotton – Cotton Mouth Man
11. Buddy Guy & Junior Wells – Come On In This House/ Have Mercy Baby
12. Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, Matt Murphy, Billie Stepney – Sittin’ and Cryin’ The Blues
13. Fleetwood Mac and Little Walter Jacobs – Last Night
14. Bo Diddley – Don’t Want No Lyin Woman
15. John Primer – How Long Will You Be Mine
16. Lonnie Brooks – Two Headed Man
17. Magic Slim – Crazy Woman
18. Eddy Clearwater – Came Up The Hard Way
19. Howlin’ WOlf – Goin’ Down Slow
20. George Smith & The Chicago Blues Band – Everything Gonna Be Alright
21. Blues Brothers – Sweet Home Chicago
22. KoKo Taylor – Wang Dang Doodle
23. Muddy Waters and The Rolling Stones Live at Checkerboard Lounge- Hoochie Coochie Man
24. Otis Rush 0 I Can’t Quit You Baby
25. Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues – As The Years Go Passing By
26. George Smith & The Chicago Blues Band – Can’t Hold Out Much Longer
27. Buddy Guy – How Blue Can You Get
28. Howlin’ Wolf – Back Door Man
29. Willie Dixon – DOn’t Mess with the Messer
30. Otis Rush – RIght Place Wrong Time
31. The Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band – All Night Long
32. James Cotton – Got My Mojo Working
33. Billy Branch Feat Lurrie Bell & The Sons of the Blues – Help Me
34. Little Walter – Ah’w Baby
35. John Primer – Red House
36. Lonnie Brooks – Voodoo Daddy
37. Bo Diddley – I’m Bad
38. Magic Slim – Spider In My Stew

I got married in the early 80s but had my kids in the late 80s early 90s.. So the Songs of the 90s are near and dear to my heart.  This is the music I turned way way up and sang to my kids and cleaned the house to the music..

Enjoy this mix list…

1. Lenny Kravitz – Are You Gonna Go My Way
2. Seal – Kiss From A Rose
3. Natalie Imbruglia – Torn
4. Green Day – Good Riddance
5. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Scar Tissue
6. Blink-182 – All The Small Things
7. Nirvana – Heart-Shaped Box
8. Nine Inch Nails – Closer
9. Foo Fighters – Everlong
10. Guns N’ Roses – November Rain
11. Spice Girls – Wannabe
12. Alanis Morissette – You Oughta Know
13. Aerosmith- I don’t want to Miss A Thing
14. The Cranberries – Zombie
15. Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun
16. Metallica – Enter Sandman
17. Third Eye Blind – Semi-Charmed Life
18. The Smashing Pumpkins – 1979
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under The Bridge
20. Christina Aguilera – Genie In A  Bottle
21. Radio Head – Creep
22. R.E.M. Losing my Religion
23. TLC – No Scrubs
24. Goo Goo Dolla – Iris
25. The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony
26. Beck – Loser
27. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
28. No Doubt – Don’t Speak
29. Coolio – Gangsta’s Paradise (Feat. L.V.)
30. Elton John – Something About the Way You Look Tonight
31. Oasis – Wonderwall
32. Santana and Rob Thomas – Smooth
33. Bryan Adams – I do It For You
34. Mariah Carey – I’ll Be There
35. Britney Spears – Baby One More Time
36. Cher – Believe
37. Savage Garden – Truly Madly Deeply
38. Barenecked Ladies – One Week
39. Wilson Philips – Hold On
40. MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This
41. All 4 One – I Swear
42. Meat Loaf – I’d Do Anything For Love
43. Los De Rio – Macarena
44. Alannah Myles – Black Velvet
45. Whitney Houston – I will Always Love you
46. Fugees – Killing Me SOftly with his Song
47. Nelson – Love and Affection
48. Ricky Martin – Livin’ La Vida Loca
49. Janet Jackson – Escapade
50. Paula Abdul – Opposites Attract (Feat. Wild Pair)
51. Sinead O’ Conner – Nothing COmpares 2 U
52. Sheryl Crow – All I Wanna Do
53. Madonna – Vogue
54. Celine Dion – The Power Of Love
55. Roxette – It Must Have Been Love
56. Wilson Philips – Release Me
57. Mr. Big – To Be With You
58. Elton John – Candle in The Wind (97 version)
59. Destiny’s Child – Bill Bill Bill
60. Pearl Jam – ALive
61. Brandy Have you Ever
62. Sublime – What I got