Now I am a person who WELCOMES change. But when a company changes the recipe of a coffee drink (ice blended vanilla with soy) that I have been happily addicted to for 10 years, for no reason, I can not just stand by. Last year, I might have just noted it, and felt frustrated. This year I decided, every customers voice deserves to be heard….especially since this customer gives them about 1200.00 a year for my favorite drink. Why don’t I DO SOMETHING NEW and call the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf headquarters and ask WHY?? WHy did they change my drink?
I deserve an answer! Click play and see what I found out………
Well, although I have not posted for a few days, I have stayed true to my commitment and have been doing a new thing each day. It was challenging to be filming 12 hour days on the Transformation infomercial, and still find time to film a new thing each day, but I made it happen. This is a good one. Since I am a TRUE American Idol fan, and am grief stricken Paula Abdul is no longer on the show, imagine how happy I was to find out I might have the chance to meet her in real life! And who knew she was all about Transformation! She loved Bill Phillips and his transformation program so much, (www.transformation.com) she wanted to come and speak at this event! I even filmed a few of her wise words…..but I still had to figure out how I could get her to teach me a few Paula Abdul dance moves! I cornered her her back in the green room , and click play to see what happens……
Well, you might not think this is a big deal, but if you had any idea how many people’s lives this man has effected, and if you went to www.transformation.com and clicked on the community section, you would see why this NEW THING TO DO might have been my favorite. I joke about the fact that my new thing was to have dinner with “a billionaire” but the truth is, if u make around 100 MILLION, it is a BILLION in my mind, and I did not care about that as much as I cared about the fact that I was going to have one on one time with one of the most inspirational people out there right now. I followed the program and book ”Body for Life” back in 2001 and it changed my life, and now, somehow, I got to work with the man behind the book. I have spent today talking with hundreds of people who are being transformed by this program www.transformation.com and the stories I hear are amazing. Not FAKE “infomercial” AMAZING. Truly, inspirational, heart breaking, eye-opening, amazing. The guy who lost his wife to cancer and did not want to go on, but through the steps and the community of www.transformation.com found a reason to get his life back, and the support to continue…..The woman who finally lost 200 pounds and is living a healthy lifestyle because as she puts it “I worked on the inside, and it transformed the outside’. That is what this is all about and I am sooo excited to be a part of the stuff I have believed in my whole life. And for the first time when I told someone I got my Masters in “spiritual psychology” instead of asking if I counsel ghosts, they asked me to dinner and wanted to know more. Dinner conversation lead to talk of maybe co-hosting a radio show with him (Bill Phillips) which would be pretty cool. Oh, and the Salmon was pretty friggin amazing as well.
And so, here it is…the transformational pre-dinner NEW THING TO DO video. I like this one.
Well here in Texas I am looking for something new to eat. BUT this new thing had nothing to do with Texas, in fact the fish I tried here is only found in the North Pacific. Still, I never had it before,and this is my favorite thing about it when I looked up what I actually ate….
In popular culture
Sablefish made an appearance in the HBO comedy series “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Season 5, Episode 1) as an ingredient in the “Larry David sandwich” sold at a local delicatessen. The full recipe of the sandwich included whitefish, sable, capers, onions & cream cheese, and it sold for $8.95.
nuff said. If it was on my FAVORITE show “Curb your Enthusiasm” and was in Larry David’s Sandwich, even better.
Here is the deal, when I am traveling I have to get a little creative doing NEW things, and I never know when an NEW THING idea will pop up out of nowhere. I am in Dallas Texas shooting an informercial right now, and when I arrived yesterday I kissed the ground when I landed. The flight was so bumpy I never thought I would even get the CHANCE to mess with Texas Keeping in the grateful spirit when I landed, a simple thank-you was not enough….I had to find God and personally thank her for getting me back on the ground safe. BUT—Where does God live in the airport? Click play and you will see…..
oh yeah, I found out what Quibla meant by the way. It’s the direction muslums need to pray in. There is a reason for that but it’s not my new thing today to explain the Mecca, and the muslums prayer life. However, I did find in my research that there is an actual app for the i-phone that tells you where the Quibla is at all times. There is even a GPS that will help you find it as well. Love it.
Well Craig Gummer, you got me to do it again…..Never liked mushrooms as a kid, but now…well, lets just say I am learning NEW ways to turn food I used to hate into an amazing delicious experience!!!
With the help of my own personal “chef Bernard”, check out my easy, EASY recipe for the best mushrooms ever!! Let THIS be the new way you SHROOM out!!! click play and enjoy!! It’s less than 4 ingredients so ANYONE can do it!!!
This new thing is dedicated to Jamie Edwards Helle, who asked me if I could learn how to change my oil for a NEW THING. Since I already know how to do that, I thought I would take it ONE STEP FURTHER, and learn how to change a flat tire! I can not believe it has taken me so long to learn this, but sometimes it takes an entire new blog idea to force me to learn things that take me out of my comfort zone. I would say I have always felt too TIRE—D to even try to learn this, but that is just an excuse (and a lame joke.)
Well, leave it to my lovely 2006 BMW 325 to give me plenty of chances to learn how to change tires,since this would be the 3rd one I have gone through since I got the car.
But thank God for Arshak and “The Best Car Towing Company” to help me learn this NEW THING which apparently might come in handy if I decide to keep my car. Click play if you TOO would like to learn how to change a tire in less than 3 minutes and 53 seconds….
This new thing suggestion was from TIMOTHY KELLY, who suggested that I do a “random good deed” for a new thing to do. I loved the idea, but was not sure how to execute it. My car got a flat tire a few nights ago so I went to a deli nearby to wait for the tow truck. Then I met a humble beautiful woman who lit up the place she worked (Jerry’s famous Deli) and I knew this was a moment to give back. I thank Timothy Kelly because it made what would have been a frustrating night for me, a beautiful experience. Sometimes just stopping for a second and noticing a hard worker who puts smiles on the faces of everyday customers, and who never usually gets recognition for it, is a good thing to do. But it’s even more fun to surprise that person with a tiny gift. Here it is. Click play to watch the random good deed played out. And thanks again to Timothy Kelly for the idea.
This was a suggestion from Craig Gummer–that I try something as an adult that I HATED as a kid! The first thing that came to mind was BRUSSELS SPROUTS. I could not imagine EVER liking these horrible things. I used to hide them under the carpet when I was forced to eat all my “vegetables”. (thank God we had a dog) They were repulsive to me back then, and just the thought of eating them now made me angry that Craig should suggest I be put through that torment all over again….BUT–..my good friend Angela SWORE by a recipe that guaranteed I would like them if prepared as instructed…….I did not believe there was even a WAY to cook brussel sprouts that would make them edible unless you fried them and covered them in chocolate….
BUT—With the help of my good friend (and secret chef) Bernard, we executed this NEW THING challenge with grace and ease,…(and garlic)….Press play and see if I am now a fan of Brussel Sprouts as an adult…….did my feelings change??? Craig this ones for you….
OK my favorite dessert in the world is a SMORE. But I decided this year, why wait till I go camping?? I can do this at home…….can’t I??? Well, Press play and see if doing one SMORE thing was a good idea……
Who knew in L.A. there was something as innocent as a 70′s, 80′s sing-along at a BAR! Once a month at the M-bar a bunch of people get together and sing their heart out to the songs we forgot we knew (no need to hand out song sheets, but they still do) This was a NEW thing I KNEW I would love, and as an added plus my good friend Mark Cade played along to one of the classics…..here’s a hint…..Turn around bright eyes……..
I love coffee, but I found a NEW way to make it even better then it already is. If you have a friend who never liked coffee, this might just win them over…….and it is soooo easy to do! Click play and see……
For all those mid-westerners that still can NOT bear to jump on the raw fish sushi bandwagon…. I just made it alot easier. CHOCOLATE SUSHI! And yes you can try it at HOME! ( or on the set of a commercial as I did)
Chocolate ganache center, surrounded by coconut, with chocolate shavings and toasted coconut on the outside covered in a dribble of carmel for the “sauce”. Here is a web address for more Choc. sushi ideas and if you would like to order some for a special event! http://www.chocolatesushi.com/whatIs.html Short, but VERY sweet! Now, to find chocolate sake!!
Well, I never had any idea about what a Joshua Tree was before my birthday. My sister booked a few days for my birthday in a place called Joshua Tree. This was a new thing for me to actually see what a Joshua Tree was all about and to take a hike in the actual “Joshua Tree Park” itself. I am so grateful that I got a chance to visit one of the most serene and beautiful places I have ever been to with some of my very best friends. I hope you can get a chance to experience it as well!. Here is just a glimpse of the Joshua Tree experience……
Since I have an addiction to ice blended vanilla soy drinks at Coffee Bean, I looked in the back seat of my car and see that it has turned into a dumpster for plastic. Normally I would just feel guilty and move on, knowing the thought of giving up my addiction to these ice blended drinks was NOT an option. But no longer! I must DO SOMETHING NEW and take ACTION! I decided to call Coffee Bean head offices and ask them if they would start using recyclables for their cups, so I am no longer a part of being a big hazard to the environment.
Watch and see the many attempts it takes to try to make a change, and then watch and you might be surprised at what I discover when I finally get COFFEE BEAN HEADQUARTERS on the phone……
Keeping in the grateful spirit when I landed, a simple thank-you was not enough….I had to find God and personally thank her for getting me back on the ground safe. BUT—Where does God live in the airport? Click play and you will see…..