Welcome to Tantalizing Thursday on Chief 187 Chatter. What’s fun about this post is going with my whims of what sounds and tastes good. From salads to desserts and everything in between, many different recipes have been featured. This week I’m showcasing a dip that was brought to my house for a recent party. My dear friends brought the dip and the recipe so I am able to share it with all of you.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Recipe acquired by The Natales
Ingredients:
2 (12.5 ounce) cans chicken breast (I used Kirkland {Costco brand} & rough chopped it)
2 ounces of cream cheese
1 cup Frank’s Buffalo Hot Sauce
½ cup (liquid measure) Marie’s Chunky Bleu Cheese Dressing
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and bake in an 8”x 8” casserole at 350 degrees until bubbly, approximately 20 minutes. Recipe can easily be doubled, simply put in larger casserole. Serve with Tostitos Scoops tortilla chips or other hearty dipper.
This dip was a huge hit at the party and looks so easy to prepare! I recommend using a good quality canned chicken breast and, if you plan to go lighter on the cream cheese, to use a low fat and not a fat free variety. For more tang, try an extra sharp cheddar cheese.
If you make this recipe, please let me know. If you have other dips to share, please feel free to do so here. If you are looking for other recipes featured on Chief 187 Chatter, please type in “Tantalizing Thursday” in the “Search” feature located in the upper left hand side of this page.
Please help me send this week and this month off with the Friday Music Blog tomorrow!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Marriage
Marriage isn’t easy in fact it’s tough. As the studies consistently show, half of all marriages end in divorce, and those that don’t are the marriages where the couples roll their eyes and wait for death to part them. Is marriage really so terribly miserable, difficult, and hopeless?
As a child I got a lot of my cues about life from television. My parents, happily married, certainly could wrangle up a few arguments a year, but for the most part were contentedly hitched. So television gave me other views of matrimony. From I Love Lucy to The Brady Bunch, Newhart to Family Ties, I immersed myself in TelevisionLand trying to understand the nuclear family and my place in a one-day marriage. Lucy and Desi fought, but they usually found common ground by the end of the half hour. Mike and Carol Brady were so happy to have found a mate in one another after their respective spouses died that they always seemed very appreciative of one another. They didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but marital discord was not a major theme in that show. Bob Newhart used his wickedly dry sense of humor to interact with his TV wife Joanna. And the Keatons on Family Ties were so in love that on a very rare episode when they fought or struggled, I’d get physically sick about it! As I grew up, television couples, no matter how cute they were when the show premiered, became cynical and ended their once-happy unions. As a young married woman I loved watching Mad About You and could identify with some, not all, of their trials and tribulations. I was absolutely distraught, however, to learn that the writers had the couple divorce for the series’ finale. Two people who were so in love wound up divorced albeit fictional people on television. Were there no happy endings even in TelevisionLand? Is marriage obsolete?
As I grew, I witnessed more true-life events; friends’ parents divorcing, my parent’s friends divorcing once their children became adults, and those who chose not to marry at all. It was all enlightening and at the same time quite confusing. I married young for my generation. I was twenty and my husband twenty-three when we tied the knot some eighteen and a half years ago. By then we’d been together more than six years. By all means we shouldn’t make it. We were children when we got together. Most believed we’d grow apart and divorce before our fifth year anniversary. We hit hazardous road bumps along the way. We suffered tragedies and heartbreaks, yet we still remain committed in our marriage. We have epic arguments and disagreements. We have different interests at times, but we try to maintain some that are the same; common bonds to connect us. Still, there is no fairytale ending. We work hard, daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly, to keep our marriage intact. And, as much as we love one another, it is vastly difficult. It is easy to see how some with less history, less commitment, and less passion simply part ways after saying “I do” because it is easier to do so than compromise, change, and work things out.
Marriage is ebb and flow, great passion and great anger, getting along and fighting, spending time together and rarely speaking. If done right these aspects can all be incorporated into a marriage without the marriage being in any danger of ending. But the work is making time to communicate. To stand up to hurt feelings and get passed them. To trust in the love and loyalty of one’s mate. Couples are, after all, two independent people who decide to share a life together, and, in some cases, raise children together. The expanded family offers even more opportunities for stress, lack of communication, and hurt feelings. For marriage to endure, priorities must be set that keep the marriage healthy and intact. Compromise, meeting halfway, and connecting are all vital for marriage to survive and indeed thrive.
I’m no expert nor do I portend to be. I am merely someone who has been in a monogamous relationship for the last quarter century. I am someone who reads a lot, listens a lot, asks a lot of questions, and values her marriage above all else, yes, including the children. That doesn’t mean they aren’t priorities, because they most certainly are in their dependent years. But I know I am raising them to leave home with the understanding that when they leave my husband and I will still have a thriving relationship. That is a relationship that is tended to throughout the children’s lives, not only once they’ve left the nest. And, like the rest of you I presume, I fall far short of the ideal. I make mistakes, usually the same ones over and over again. I take my spouse for granted. I forget to communicate, and I become unbalanced. But instead of throwing in the towel when confronted with strife, I am working toward fixing the problems, working in tandem with my spouse to get back on track. I will not be a statistic. I will not let "writers" or anyone else deny my marriage a chance to grow and endure. I am a part of a couple, a married couple, and I intend to stay that way. Others may be disillusioned by marriage, but I know I’m better as us. There aren’t many who will make their fiftieth or higher anniversary between people who marry later in life and those who simply give up. My husband and I have a great shot making those milestones as we married young and simply don’t give up on each other or the marriage. Difficult to be married? Yes. Frustrating? Absolutely. Highly rewarding and worth every downside? You betcha. I choose marriage.
As a child I got a lot of my cues about life from television. My parents, happily married, certainly could wrangle up a few arguments a year, but for the most part were contentedly hitched. So television gave me other views of matrimony. From I Love Lucy to The Brady Bunch, Newhart to Family Ties, I immersed myself in TelevisionLand trying to understand the nuclear family and my place in a one-day marriage. Lucy and Desi fought, but they usually found common ground by the end of the half hour. Mike and Carol Brady were so happy to have found a mate in one another after their respective spouses died that they always seemed very appreciative of one another. They didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but marital discord was not a major theme in that show. Bob Newhart used his wickedly dry sense of humor to interact with his TV wife Joanna. And the Keatons on Family Ties were so in love that on a very rare episode when they fought or struggled, I’d get physically sick about it! As I grew up, television couples, no matter how cute they were when the show premiered, became cynical and ended their once-happy unions. As a young married woman I loved watching Mad About You and could identify with some, not all, of their trials and tribulations. I was absolutely distraught, however, to learn that the writers had the couple divorce for the series’ finale. Two people who were so in love wound up divorced albeit fictional people on television. Were there no happy endings even in TelevisionLand? Is marriage obsolete?
As I grew, I witnessed more true-life events; friends’ parents divorcing, my parent’s friends divorcing once their children became adults, and those who chose not to marry at all. It was all enlightening and at the same time quite confusing. I married young for my generation. I was twenty and my husband twenty-three when we tied the knot some eighteen and a half years ago. By then we’d been together more than six years. By all means we shouldn’t make it. We were children when we got together. Most believed we’d grow apart and divorce before our fifth year anniversary. We hit hazardous road bumps along the way. We suffered tragedies and heartbreaks, yet we still remain committed in our marriage. We have epic arguments and disagreements. We have different interests at times, but we try to maintain some that are the same; common bonds to connect us. Still, there is no fairytale ending. We work hard, daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly, to keep our marriage intact. And, as much as we love one another, it is vastly difficult. It is easy to see how some with less history, less commitment, and less passion simply part ways after saying “I do” because it is easier to do so than compromise, change, and work things out.
Marriage is ebb and flow, great passion and great anger, getting along and fighting, spending time together and rarely speaking. If done right these aspects can all be incorporated into a marriage without the marriage being in any danger of ending. But the work is making time to communicate. To stand up to hurt feelings and get passed them. To trust in the love and loyalty of one’s mate. Couples are, after all, two independent people who decide to share a life together, and, in some cases, raise children together. The expanded family offers even more opportunities for stress, lack of communication, and hurt feelings. For marriage to endure, priorities must be set that keep the marriage healthy and intact. Compromise, meeting halfway, and connecting are all vital for marriage to survive and indeed thrive.
I’m no expert nor do I portend to be. I am merely someone who has been in a monogamous relationship for the last quarter century. I am someone who reads a lot, listens a lot, asks a lot of questions, and values her marriage above all else, yes, including the children. That doesn’t mean they aren’t priorities, because they most certainly are in their dependent years. But I know I am raising them to leave home with the understanding that when they leave my husband and I will still have a thriving relationship. That is a relationship that is tended to throughout the children’s lives, not only once they’ve left the nest. And, like the rest of you I presume, I fall far short of the ideal. I make mistakes, usually the same ones over and over again. I take my spouse for granted. I forget to communicate, and I become unbalanced. But instead of throwing in the towel when confronted with strife, I am working toward fixing the problems, working in tandem with my spouse to get back on track. I will not be a statistic. I will not let "writers" or anyone else deny my marriage a chance to grow and endure. I am a part of a couple, a married couple, and I intend to stay that way. Others may be disillusioned by marriage, but I know I’m better as us. There aren’t many who will make their fiftieth or higher anniversary between people who marry later in life and those who simply give up. My husband and I have a great shot making those milestones as we married young and simply don’t give up on each other or the marriage. Difficult to be married? Yes. Frustrating? Absolutely. Highly rewarding and worth every downside? You betcha. I choose marriage.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Simple Joys
Welcome to Simple Joys, the most popular post at Chief 187 Chatter and the most uplifting blog of any week. There are times that even I find it difficult to stay positive all of the time; I’m human. Even though I had started a list for this week’s piece, my life can be stressful, difficult, and frustrating leaving me in a pickle as to how to gear up to write this anticipated post. What helps me, though, is trying to concentrate on all of the good that has occurred since last week to snap me out of the funk. So now, without further ado, is today’s Simple Joys.
End of the School Year. It’s arguably the best day of the school year – the last! My third grader came home with a report card and a pencil box (all of his workbooks, notebooks, and artwork came home earlier in the week) and… was weepy. He earned an awesome report card and was most certainly promoted to the fourth grade, but his heart was a bit heavy. This is my child who is very sensitive and felt an attachment to his teacher who worked above and beyond her contracted day to offer guidance, assistance, drills, skills, and help to provide the most opportunities for my son to grow and succeed. She was firm, challenging, yet nurturing and kind. He, in his heart, knew that not all teachers will be as wonderful. “I’m going to miss her,” he cried as he threw himself into my arms before the bus pulled away. He moped around for about an hour, but snapped out of his funk after lunch. Still, I know we were so lucky to have had this teacher, and, quite frankly, I was a bit sad, too. Fortunately, we both resumed our excitement for the glorious summer sprawled out before us! Summer is ripe for Simple Joys!
Belt Promotion. My four-year-old son earned a belt in Karate. He tested and a few days later was awarded his belt during a special ceremony where he got to perform some basic skills as well as his Kata (choreographed fight sequence). He was so wide-eyed and excited and showed no signs of being ill-at-ease as he’s been doing this for over a year now. Seeing my son shine in something he loves to do is certainly a Simple Joy!
Time Alone with One Child. With the summer schedule in place, my husband was able to take the boys out one evening without worrying about early bedtimes, so I was left to spend some quality time with my daughter, a rare occurrence for us. She reveled in having Mommy’s undivided attention and squealed with delight while we played bubbles on the back deck. I’d blow the bubbles and she would chase and stomp them! At one point, about a half hour into our game, I put the bubbles down and tried to engage her in another activity. She climbed up on a chair, then onto the table where the bubbles were located, and handed them to me petulantly! Without speaking the child got her point across loud and clear! Finally, after a few more minutes of bubbles, she tired of the game. I pushed her on her swing, gave her a fun (bubble bath) and kissed as I placed her in her crib. It was a night filled with Simple Joys!
70th Birthday Party. My mother turned seventy at the end of last month. Since she was still in Florida we were unable to celebrate properly together. I had told her that my gift was going to be a party at my home where she could invite whomever she wanted to celebrate. This delighted my mother who enjoys a good party! At first her list was rather endless, as my mother has made friends throughout her life. But, upon closer inspection she realized that with too many people present she wouldn’t be able to talk to everyone. So, she whittled the list down to 3 couples that she enjoys immensely. Three of the friends she has known for nearly forty-five years, when they were all neighbors in a new development, raising children, playing bridge, and throwing neighborhood parties. The other friends were more recent in her life but no less important! She laughed, talked, ate homemade food (no need to cater a small affair), and cavorted for hours at my home surrounded by these dear friends. It was a beautiful thing to see friendship that has endured throughout the decades; it was comfortable and well loved with no pretense or excuses. It was also awesome to see the strength of the newer friendships, equally as potent if not as aged. Seeing my mother surrounded by her friends, taking in the day, and truly enjoying every moment offered me a very sweet and powerful Simple Joy!
Bowling Party. My boys were invited to a Bowling Birthday Party. It was their first time bowling that had nothing to do with a Wii Remote! Watching them deal with the heft of the ball and launch it noisily and clunkily down the lane was a bit painful and a heck of a lot of fun! It had been so long since I’d been to a bowling alley I didn’t realize they had lanes with bumpers, presumably for novice bowlers (kids) who don’t have to suffer gutter ball after gutter ball. My four-year-old was able to produce a strike and two spares in his first game and tied an eleven-year-old for second with a score of 96! The boys enjoyed the game so much they want me to take them back so they can “get good” at playing! You betcha!! And next time Mom is going to get to play, too! Bowling for real is a Simple Joy we all would like to explore more of in the near future!
As is usually the case I find myself stopping before my list of Simple Joys is exhausted. Even in a week where my stress levels were higher and some of my relationships were tested, I was able to find my Simple Joys. Simple Joys are powerful if you open your heart and mind to them. They are there for the finding/taking; you just need to keep searching for them. Wishing you all a day and week filled with Simple Joys!
Please join me tomorrow for a whole new topic for me to wax poetic!
End of the School Year. It’s arguably the best day of the school year – the last! My third grader came home with a report card and a pencil box (all of his workbooks, notebooks, and artwork came home earlier in the week) and… was weepy. He earned an awesome report card and was most certainly promoted to the fourth grade, but his heart was a bit heavy. This is my child who is very sensitive and felt an attachment to his teacher who worked above and beyond her contracted day to offer guidance, assistance, drills, skills, and help to provide the most opportunities for my son to grow and succeed. She was firm, challenging, yet nurturing and kind. He, in his heart, knew that not all teachers will be as wonderful. “I’m going to miss her,” he cried as he threw himself into my arms before the bus pulled away. He moped around for about an hour, but snapped out of his funk after lunch. Still, I know we were so lucky to have had this teacher, and, quite frankly, I was a bit sad, too. Fortunately, we both resumed our excitement for the glorious summer sprawled out before us! Summer is ripe for Simple Joys!
Belt Promotion. My four-year-old son earned a belt in Karate. He tested and a few days later was awarded his belt during a special ceremony where he got to perform some basic skills as well as his Kata (choreographed fight sequence). He was so wide-eyed and excited and showed no signs of being ill-at-ease as he’s been doing this for over a year now. Seeing my son shine in something he loves to do is certainly a Simple Joy!
Time Alone with One Child. With the summer schedule in place, my husband was able to take the boys out one evening without worrying about early bedtimes, so I was left to spend some quality time with my daughter, a rare occurrence for us. She reveled in having Mommy’s undivided attention and squealed with delight while we played bubbles on the back deck. I’d blow the bubbles and she would chase and stomp them! At one point, about a half hour into our game, I put the bubbles down and tried to engage her in another activity. She climbed up on a chair, then onto the table where the bubbles were located, and handed them to me petulantly! Without speaking the child got her point across loud and clear! Finally, after a few more minutes of bubbles, she tired of the game. I pushed her on her swing, gave her a fun (bubble bath) and kissed as I placed her in her crib. It was a night filled with Simple Joys!
70th Birthday Party. My mother turned seventy at the end of last month. Since she was still in Florida we were unable to celebrate properly together. I had told her that my gift was going to be a party at my home where she could invite whomever she wanted to celebrate. This delighted my mother who enjoys a good party! At first her list was rather endless, as my mother has made friends throughout her life. But, upon closer inspection she realized that with too many people present she wouldn’t be able to talk to everyone. So, she whittled the list down to 3 couples that she enjoys immensely. Three of the friends she has known for nearly forty-five years, when they were all neighbors in a new development, raising children, playing bridge, and throwing neighborhood parties. The other friends were more recent in her life but no less important! She laughed, talked, ate homemade food (no need to cater a small affair), and cavorted for hours at my home surrounded by these dear friends. It was a beautiful thing to see friendship that has endured throughout the decades; it was comfortable and well loved with no pretense or excuses. It was also awesome to see the strength of the newer friendships, equally as potent if not as aged. Seeing my mother surrounded by her friends, taking in the day, and truly enjoying every moment offered me a very sweet and powerful Simple Joy!
Bowling Party. My boys were invited to a Bowling Birthday Party. It was their first time bowling that had nothing to do with a Wii Remote! Watching them deal with the heft of the ball and launch it noisily and clunkily down the lane was a bit painful and a heck of a lot of fun! It had been so long since I’d been to a bowling alley I didn’t realize they had lanes with bumpers, presumably for novice bowlers (kids) who don’t have to suffer gutter ball after gutter ball. My four-year-old was able to produce a strike and two spares in his first game and tied an eleven-year-old for second with a score of 96! The boys enjoyed the game so much they want me to take them back so they can “get good” at playing! You betcha!! And next time Mom is going to get to play, too! Bowling for real is a Simple Joy we all would like to explore more of in the near future!
As is usually the case I find myself stopping before my list of Simple Joys is exhausted. Even in a week where my stress levels were higher and some of my relationships were tested, I was able to find my Simple Joys. Simple Joys are powerful if you open your heart and mind to them. They are there for the finding/taking; you just need to keep searching for them. Wishing you all a day and week filled with Simple Joys!
Please join me tomorrow for a whole new topic for me to wax poetic!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday Movie Blog
Welcome back to the Monday Movie Blog on Chief 187 Chatter. Our alphabetical odyssey is winding down. Since January we have been going letter by letter naming our favorite movies. This week’s letter is “Y”. Please list any and all movies you enjoy that begin with the letter “Y’. Please list any stars of note and remember to include a brief synopsis or review.
To access any of the previous Monday Movie Blogs, simply type “Monday Movie Blog” into the “Search” box in the upper left hand corner of this page. The archived Monday Movie Blogs should all appear. Feel free to add selections to older topics. Remember to utilize this resource, as that is its intended purpose.
Please join me tomorrow for Chief 187 Chatter’s most uplifting blog of the week, Simple Joys. I thank you for spending time with me and appreciate your visit.
To access any of the previous Monday Movie Blogs, simply type “Monday Movie Blog” into the “Search” box in the upper left hand corner of this page. The archived Monday Movie Blogs should all appear. Feel free to add selections to older topics. Remember to utilize this resource, as that is its intended purpose.
Please join me tomorrow for Chief 187 Chatter’s most uplifting blog of the week, Simple Joys. I thank you for spending time with me and appreciate your visit.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Charlie Rader
With eyes twinkling Charlie Rader takes you in and hypnotizes you. As sultry as a night in the bayou, Charlie Rader’s classic, hard-body good looks lull you into a superficial feeling of lustful fantasy. And then, in a flash, the twinkle vanishes and is replaced by a deadly stare, the eyes of a predator who has narrowed in on its prey. This is Charlie Rader.
Charlie Rader came to national attention during Season 13 of the popular reality series The Ultimate Fighter Season 13 on Spike cable television that concluded on June 4, 2011. During filming Charlie Rader’s life was in constant turmoil as he is embroiled in a fierce custody battle for his five-year-old son. A costly situation that dictates every move he makes in his career, it did not allow Charlie to perform at the highest level needed to take the title.
Causing the most furor were remarks made by fellow contestant and ultimate winner Tony Ferguson who, during a drunken rant, verbally abused Charlie Rader for so long that it contributed to Tony Ferguson’s unpopularity with some fans and gained Charlie even more respect for not “destroying Tony so close to the final”. Among the hurtful things Tony Ferguson said was an invalid remark that Charlie Raider does not provide child support for his son. This is false. A subsequent apology on the last day of filming followed with Dana White, one that Charlie Rader accepted, but now there is nothing Charlie would rather do than step into the cage with Tony Ferguson to prove that he belonged in the competition and he could be a worthy opponent to Ferguson. “It will never be 100% over in my heart or my mind until we can fight in the cage. For me in my heart it has to happen. “I don’t think Tony was 100% sorry. The editing on the show, had it not happened, would have made Tony look 1000% times worse. He was so drunk he kept saying I wasn’t being his friend and he tried to push me over a few times. I kept telling him I was going to show him what kind of a friend I am but not letting him ruin his chances with the finale. I was upset about my horrible performance on the show and then I was thinking if I had won the show I would have had enough money to get my son back.”
Charlie Rader was raised in Chalmette, Louisiana right outside of New Orleans since he was about 5 years old through high school and up to about age 21. According to Charlie, “Chalmette was a very small city, everybody knew everybody, which was sometimes good and sometimes had its disadvantages. Since it’s such a small place the people are born, live, and pretty much die there. A lot of people do not go on to bigger and better things. That’s not a bad thing. It’s basically a lot of people who go shrimping and fishing.” It wasn’t the easiest childhood for Charlie. It was a rough time growing up with divorced parents who, “did a bad job putting me in the middle when it came to, ‘Where do you want to live?’ They put a lot of pressure on me, which really helped me grow up fast. It made me who I am today.”
As a young man Charlie Rader struggled with anger and acting out. While in middle school the wrestling coach noticed Charlie and “pressured me into checking out a wrestling seminar”. Coach Ballentine told Charlie’s mother that wrestling would “calm him down”. That’s all it took. Charlie wrestled all through Middle School and High School.
“Wrestling kept me grounded,” Charlie Rader explained. “Chalmette was a small place with not a lot to do, which means people could get into trouble a lot. Instead of going out to the parties and drinking and drugging, I was at wrestling tournaments that kept me focused. Wrestling allowed for release (of anger) in a controlled setting.” Charlie enjoyed and was a natural at sports like baseball, football, and rugby, but the seasons for those sports were short whereas wrestling was a full time sport; it was year round.
It wasn’t until his early twenties, living in Metairie, Louisiana, Charlie Rader became introduce to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). “MMA wasn’t talked about or really popular around here,” Charlie reminisced. “ My sister and her friends were interested and got me involved. I was helping a friend train for an event in two weeks. That night of his fight was my first fight; I wasn’t training or anything.” I inquired what Charlie’s nerves were like on that fateful night he stepped into the cage for the first time. Charlie supplied, “ It’s very easy to get into the cage once because you don’t really know what to expect; it’s kinda exciting at the same time. It was actually the worst experience of my life!” Charlie suffered a broken hand that night. As the next four years unfurled, Charlie fought sporadically in the amateur rounds. “It wasn’t anything I ever planned on doing professionally. I worked in real estate and selling memberships to a gym. I really liked the rush and excitement of fighting in front of a big crowd. In 2007 I was offered a thousand dollars to turn pro. With my custody battle for my son, any chance to make money I would do.” Wanting to know how going from amateur to professional changed his routine, Charlie exclaimed, “The training aspect of it sucked!” But the determination to make a name for himself and, more importantly, to make enough money to continue to fight for custody of his son propelled Charlie Rader. “All I saw at that point was dollar signs, if I could earn an extra 1000 or 2000 dollars that was money to help me fight for my son so I would do it.”
Like with any athlete, how Charlie Rader deals with losing is just as important as how he deals with victory. Charlie relayed, “Win, lose, or draw I’d walk out of the cage asking my coach what I could have done to do better. As soon as I walk out I think about what I did wrong, what I could have done different, and what I’ll need to do in the gym to do better. Losses are immediate for me for what I can improve on.”
In an interview I conducted with TUF13 contestant Chuck “Cold Steel” O’Neil, O’Neil named Charlie Rader as “my brother”. Charlie had to say in return, “He was the person on the show who kept me sane. He reminded me why I was there; one of the main reasons that kept me there.” With everything going on in Charlie Rader’s personal life, especially the fight to see his son, Chuck O’Neil provided a calming influence and unwavering support for Rader. The two are still “and always will be” great friends. They even talk about opening a gym together in the future.
With so much going on in Charlie Rader’s life; obstacles to overcome, matches to prepare, disappointments to handle, I was curious to who he looked up to and relied. “I’d have to say my mentor, well, we’re very good friends, my priest Father Morrel. He is the guy I go to before I travel before I fight. I go to, say some prayers, and have a normal conversation with him. I go to him for every day problems; he’s probably the main person I look up to.” In the world of MMA, “Rampage is definitely my favorite fighter to watch on TV.” Finally Charlie Rader closed with, “If there is one person I want to live my life good for it’s God.”
Charlie Rader was exuberant when mentioning those who support him in his professional career. He mentioned, “MAL, they got behind me a year ago and do my shirts and shorts. Theo’s Pizza, my sponsor and the greatest pizza in New Orleans! And Power MMA my gym and management who work hard to get me good fights.” Charlie Rader became very serious when he reiterated, “Every day when I’m fighting or training with every second of every day I’m doing it for my son Jaden with every ounce and every breath is to get to him.” Charlie Rader is focused, hardened, and dedicated; yet he’s still a caring, generous, and sweet man. With a goal so personal and tangible, he will not be denied and will work to the end to achieve. His short-term goal is to fight Tony Ferguson in his native Louisiana come September. He wants everyone to use the power of Twitter to drive that point home to Dana White. His long-term goal is to bring his son back into his life. “You just can’t quit or you’re never going to get there,” Charlie told me at the end of our conversation. He’s right, of course. And I believe Charlie Rader will get there.
Charlie Rader came to national attention during Season 13 of the popular reality series The Ultimate Fighter Season 13 on Spike cable television that concluded on June 4, 2011. During filming Charlie Rader’s life was in constant turmoil as he is embroiled in a fierce custody battle for his five-year-old son. A costly situation that dictates every move he makes in his career, it did not allow Charlie to perform at the highest level needed to take the title.
Causing the most furor were remarks made by fellow contestant and ultimate winner Tony Ferguson who, during a drunken rant, verbally abused Charlie Rader for so long that it contributed to Tony Ferguson’s unpopularity with some fans and gained Charlie even more respect for not “destroying Tony so close to the final”. Among the hurtful things Tony Ferguson said was an invalid remark that Charlie Raider does not provide child support for his son. This is false. A subsequent apology on the last day of filming followed with Dana White, one that Charlie Rader accepted, but now there is nothing Charlie would rather do than step into the cage with Tony Ferguson to prove that he belonged in the competition and he could be a worthy opponent to Ferguson. “It will never be 100% over in my heart or my mind until we can fight in the cage. For me in my heart it has to happen. “I don’t think Tony was 100% sorry. The editing on the show, had it not happened, would have made Tony look 1000% times worse. He was so drunk he kept saying I wasn’t being his friend and he tried to push me over a few times. I kept telling him I was going to show him what kind of a friend I am but not letting him ruin his chances with the finale. I was upset about my horrible performance on the show and then I was thinking if I had won the show I would have had enough money to get my son back.”
Charlie Rader was raised in Chalmette, Louisiana right outside of New Orleans since he was about 5 years old through high school and up to about age 21. According to Charlie, “Chalmette was a very small city, everybody knew everybody, which was sometimes good and sometimes had its disadvantages. Since it’s such a small place the people are born, live, and pretty much die there. A lot of people do not go on to bigger and better things. That’s not a bad thing. It’s basically a lot of people who go shrimping and fishing.” It wasn’t the easiest childhood for Charlie. It was a rough time growing up with divorced parents who, “did a bad job putting me in the middle when it came to, ‘Where do you want to live?’ They put a lot of pressure on me, which really helped me grow up fast. It made me who I am today.”
As a young man Charlie Rader struggled with anger and acting out. While in middle school the wrestling coach noticed Charlie and “pressured me into checking out a wrestling seminar”. Coach Ballentine told Charlie’s mother that wrestling would “calm him down”. That’s all it took. Charlie wrestled all through Middle School and High School.
“Wrestling kept me grounded,” Charlie Rader explained. “Chalmette was a small place with not a lot to do, which means people could get into trouble a lot. Instead of going out to the parties and drinking and drugging, I was at wrestling tournaments that kept me focused. Wrestling allowed for release (of anger) in a controlled setting.” Charlie enjoyed and was a natural at sports like baseball, football, and rugby, but the seasons for those sports were short whereas wrestling was a full time sport; it was year round.
It wasn’t until his early twenties, living in Metairie, Louisiana, Charlie Rader became introduce to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). “MMA wasn’t talked about or really popular around here,” Charlie reminisced. “ My sister and her friends were interested and got me involved. I was helping a friend train for an event in two weeks. That night of his fight was my first fight; I wasn’t training or anything.” I inquired what Charlie’s nerves were like on that fateful night he stepped into the cage for the first time. Charlie supplied, “ It’s very easy to get into the cage once because you don’t really know what to expect; it’s kinda exciting at the same time. It was actually the worst experience of my life!” Charlie suffered a broken hand that night. As the next four years unfurled, Charlie fought sporadically in the amateur rounds. “It wasn’t anything I ever planned on doing professionally. I worked in real estate and selling memberships to a gym. I really liked the rush and excitement of fighting in front of a big crowd. In 2007 I was offered a thousand dollars to turn pro. With my custody battle for my son, any chance to make money I would do.” Wanting to know how going from amateur to professional changed his routine, Charlie exclaimed, “The training aspect of it sucked!” But the determination to make a name for himself and, more importantly, to make enough money to continue to fight for custody of his son propelled Charlie Rader. “All I saw at that point was dollar signs, if I could earn an extra 1000 or 2000 dollars that was money to help me fight for my son so I would do it.”
Like with any athlete, how Charlie Rader deals with losing is just as important as how he deals with victory. Charlie relayed, “Win, lose, or draw I’d walk out of the cage asking my coach what I could have done to do better. As soon as I walk out I think about what I did wrong, what I could have done different, and what I’ll need to do in the gym to do better. Losses are immediate for me for what I can improve on.”
In an interview I conducted with TUF13 contestant Chuck “Cold Steel” O’Neil, O’Neil named Charlie Rader as “my brother”. Charlie had to say in return, “He was the person on the show who kept me sane. He reminded me why I was there; one of the main reasons that kept me there.” With everything going on in Charlie Rader’s personal life, especially the fight to see his son, Chuck O’Neil provided a calming influence and unwavering support for Rader. The two are still “and always will be” great friends. They even talk about opening a gym together in the future.
With so much going on in Charlie Rader’s life; obstacles to overcome, matches to prepare, disappointments to handle, I was curious to who he looked up to and relied. “I’d have to say my mentor, well, we’re very good friends, my priest Father Morrel. He is the guy I go to before I travel before I fight. I go to, say some prayers, and have a normal conversation with him. I go to him for every day problems; he’s probably the main person I look up to.” In the world of MMA, “Rampage is definitely my favorite fighter to watch on TV.” Finally Charlie Rader closed with, “If there is one person I want to live my life good for it’s God.”
Charlie Rader was exuberant when mentioning those who support him in his professional career. He mentioned, “MAL, they got behind me a year ago and do my shirts and shorts. Theo’s Pizza, my sponsor and the greatest pizza in New Orleans! And Power MMA my gym and management who work hard to get me good fights.” Charlie Rader became very serious when he reiterated, “Every day when I’m fighting or training with every second of every day I’m doing it for my son Jaden with every ounce and every breath is to get to him.” Charlie Rader is focused, hardened, and dedicated; yet he’s still a caring, generous, and sweet man. With a goal so personal and tangible, he will not be denied and will work to the end to achieve. His short-term goal is to fight Tony Ferguson in his native Louisiana come September. He wants everyone to use the power of Twitter to drive that point home to Dana White. His long-term goal is to bring his son back into his life. “You just can’t quit or you’re never going to get there,” Charlie told me at the end of our conversation. He’s right, of course. And I believe Charlie Rader will get there.
Friday Music Blog
Welcome to the Friday Music Blog on Chief 187 Chatter. This is the close of another amazing week at this site. With pageviews at an all-time high, changes happening in my personal life that I get to share on these pages, and an ever-increasing readership, I am more thankful than ever for this outlet.
This week’s music focus is songs that have “Summer” in the title. Please list any and all songs containing the word “Summer” and remember to include the artist. To broaden the topic, the word “Summer” need not only appear in the title, it may simply be in the lyrics, too.
To access past Friday Music Blog topics, please type “Friday Music Blog” in the “Search” box in the top left part of this page. All of the FMBs should appear; there are many! Feel free to peruse older topics and add to any that strike you! Return over the weekend to see what has been added to the current Friday Music Blog, read other blogs from this week you may have missed, and/or read some archived material. I will be back, as always, on Monday with another week of original blogs for your reading pleasure. Like what I’m doing? Let me know on Twitter (@Chief187s) and tell a friend! To find all that I do in a week, check out my website http://Chief187.com. Thank you for your much-appreciated support!
This week’s music focus is songs that have “Summer” in the title. Please list any and all songs containing the word “Summer” and remember to include the artist. To broaden the topic, the word “Summer” need not only appear in the title, it may simply be in the lyrics, too.
To access past Friday Music Blog topics, please type “Friday Music Blog” in the “Search” box in the top left part of this page. All of the FMBs should appear; there are many! Feel free to peruse older topics and add to any that strike you! Return over the weekend to see what has been added to the current Friday Music Blog, read other blogs from this week you may have missed, and/or read some archived material. I will be back, as always, on Monday with another week of original blogs for your reading pleasure. Like what I’m doing? Let me know on Twitter (@Chief187s) and tell a friend! To find all that I do in a week, check out my website http://Chief187.com. Thank you for your much-appreciated support!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Tantalizing Thursday
Welcome in to Tantalizing Thursday on Chief 187 Chatter. After a few weeks of sinful desserts, I’m changing direction to a fantastic side dish that pairs perfectly with beef, chicken, pork, seafood, or as its own meal. Made of pasta, rice, and bulgur wheat, this dish is commonly known as Pilaf, but is far more wonderful than any supermarket-boxed version could ever be. Try it once and you’ll be hooked!
Rice Pilaf
187 Family Recipe
Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons butter
½ cup uncooked brown rice
½ cup cracked bulgur wheat
¾ cup or 1 ½ coils whole-wheat thin spaghetti
3 cups broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
Directions:
Sauté the uncooked rice and bulgur wheat in the butter on medium high heat in a large pan. Once the butter is melted and the mixture becomes browned, nutty and aromatic (5 minutes or so) add the spaghetti broken into approximately 2” sized pieces (by hand) and stir in while pouring broth. Cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer on medium heat for approximately 15-20 minutes, until broth is absorbed and the pilaf is tender.
Serves 6. Double to serve up to 12 or for leftovers.
Butter is recommended to keep the integrity of the dish; it simply gives peak flavor to the ingredients used. We use bouillon cubes reconstituted with water for our broth. It is easy to keep on hand and reasonable. Although the pilaf can be made with all of the “white” grains, the brown ones are more flavorful and healthier and add a nutty background to the dish that their white counterparts do not. We get our bulgur wheat at a health foods store and keep it in the freezer. It need not be defrosted, as it doesn’t freeze; storing it there keeps it fresh and free from critters. This side dish is truly a winner! Serve with grill food or any favorite meal and it’s a healthy, can’t go wrong accompaniment to the main course. Add a salad and dinner is done!
Rice Pilaf
187 Family Recipe
Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons butter
½ cup uncooked brown rice
½ cup cracked bulgur wheat
¾ cup or 1 ½ coils whole-wheat thin spaghetti
3 cups broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
Directions:
Sauté the uncooked rice and bulgur wheat in the butter on medium high heat in a large pan. Once the butter is melted and the mixture becomes browned, nutty and aromatic (5 minutes or so) add the spaghetti broken into approximately 2” sized pieces (by hand) and stir in while pouring broth. Cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer on medium heat for approximately 15-20 minutes, until broth is absorbed and the pilaf is tender.
Serves 6. Double to serve up to 12 or for leftovers.
Butter is recommended to keep the integrity of the dish; it simply gives peak flavor to the ingredients used. We use bouillon cubes reconstituted with water for our broth. It is easy to keep on hand and reasonable. Although the pilaf can be made with all of the “white” grains, the brown ones are more flavorful and healthier and add a nutty background to the dish that their white counterparts do not. We get our bulgur wheat at a health foods store and keep it in the freezer. It need not be defrosted, as it doesn’t freeze; storing it there keeps it fresh and free from critters. This side dish is truly a winner! Serve with grill food or any favorite meal and it’s a healthy, can’t go wrong accompaniment to the main course. Add a salad and dinner is done!
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