Blueberry Loaf Cake

Posted on September 29, 2025 by Tina Garceau

Summer is coming to a close (although it was it was 80º here today), so I’m trying to squeeze in a few more summer fruit recipes before making the switch to apples, pears, and stone fruit. This blueberry loaf is moist – thanks to the addition of vegetable oil and milk. It has a tender crumb, packed with fresh blueberries, and is wonderfully sweet with the addition of a glaze that’s drizzled on top. Continue reading →

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Godspeed Scooter

Posted on September 27, 2025 by Tina Garceau

His name was Rick, but he was known as Scooter when I worked with him at a restaurant named Frog in the 80s. He got the moniker because he ran circles around everyone on staff. Funny, but I don’t think most people that we worked with knew his first name.

One night, Scooter decided to have a secret contest with myself and another staff member to see who could do the most work in our co-worker John’s station without his knowledge. I can’t remember who won, but I do remember we kept score, and we were hysterical because John HATED anyone messing with his station!

After the restaurant closed, Scooter got married and started a courier business. Yesterday, a former co-worker informed us of his passing. My condolences to his wife Linda and their children.

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Caturday

Posted on September 27, 2025 by Tina Garceau

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Terrible Movie, Great Soundtrack: The Unlikely Brilliance of Casino Royale’s Music

Posted on September 25, 2025 by Joe

Casino Royale (1967)

Back in the day, I stumbled across a song that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. It was on WPEN, a Philadelphia “easy listening” station that’s long gone, catering to the Geritol set with its smooth, unhip vibes. I’d heard the track before, probably during a TV broadcast of Casino Royale in the 1970s. It stuck with me, but radio stations rarely played anything like it in the decades that followed. Why? Maybe it wasn’t “cool” enough for the Woodstock crowd, with their solipsism and tedious guitar solos. But that melody—catchy, sophisticated, and undeniably magnetic—stayed in my head. I had to have it.

So, I trekked to Tower Records on South Street, a place I loathed for its overpriced CDs and sullen, too-cool-for-you register jockeys. I handed over a crisp twenty-dollar bill, got a few coins and a dose of attitude in return, and walked out with the Casino Royale soundtrack on compact disc. This wasn’t just any CD—it’s the greatest one I’ve ever bought. Back then, there were no MP3 downloads or Amazon. Physical media was king, and you paid a premium for it. But for this album? Worth every penny! Continue reading →

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The Frugal Review • The Pen+Gear Sketch Diary

Posted on September 23, 2025 by Joe_Williams

A pen-and-ink drawing of the Teenage Beast in a variation of its final demonic form. Done with pencil and pen, it was my first test of this sketchbook, and the paper didn’t let me down.

When my wife and co-host of this fabulous site, Tina, calls about a cheap sketchbook she’s found at a big box store, I’ve learned not to question her. I just say, “Buy it!” She’s got a knack for spotting art supplies that work better than their price suggests. Case in point: the Pen+Gear Create a Cover Sketch Diary she grabbed for me at Walmart for under five bucks. Continue reading →

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Pineapple Bread

Posted on September 22, 2025 by Tina Garceau

Taking stock of what was in my pantry cabinets, I came across a can of crushed pineapple that for the life of me, I can’t remember why I bought it. It may have been on sale, or I may have mistaken it for chunk pineapple – which is why it was banished to the back of the cupboard. Fortunately, I found this recipe for pineapple bread that called for crushed pineapple!

The crushed pineapple adds the perfect amount of sweetness and moisture to the bread – along with the pineapple glaze. Good with a cup of coffee, or topped off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Continue reading →

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Godspeed Bernie Parent

Posted on September 21, 2025 by Tina Garceau

I shot this photo of Bernie Parent during The Mummer’s Parade in 2016. Mr. Parent was born in Quebec, but loved Philadelphia something fierce – and was considered NHL Royalty. He was the first Philadelphia Flyer to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984, and had his No. 1 jersey retired in the Flyers Hall of Fame in 1988. Our condolences to his family and friends.

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Caturday

Posted on September 20, 2025 by Joe_Williams

Plywood • 09-14-2025

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The Cheapskate Strikes Back!

Posted on September 18, 2025 by Joe_Williams

The Pen+Gear Sketch Diary—just under $5 and ready for my next masterpiece (or at least some decent doodles).

I was in an art supply store recently to pick up some gift items for a friend, and I thought I would pick up a smallish, mixed media, sketchbook for myself. I was thinking a 7-inch by 10-inch sketchbook would suit me well. It fits in my bag nicely and offers more drawing real estate than the tiny tablets I have been using. I was willing to settle for the less expensive store brand, but they had either pads that were too small or too large — nothing that was just right for old Baldilocks. So I started looking at the name brands of sketchbooks, and I was horrified to see that a 7-inch by 10-inch sketchbooks would eat up most of a twenty dollar bill! I decided that the paper I had at home was perfectly suitable, and I would give my wallet a break. I fled the store with the gift items and nothing else. Continue reading →

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