AAA 400 Race Recap by Chief 187™

For the second time out of the three Chase races run to date Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 Penske Racing team found themselves in Victory Lane. Crew Chief Paul Wolfe was once again rewarded with his decisions resulting in a win.

Keselowski explained, "This has been one of my worst tracks. I ran up front all day. I may not have had the best car, but hung around in that top five, just creeping around, and when you do that, you put yourself in position for good things to happen.”

"That's what this No. 2 team has done the last few months,” Keselowski continued. “Man, if we keep doing this the next seven weeks, it will be an awesome seven weeks. I'm just really, really proud of the effort."

This was Keselowski’s ninth career win in Sprint Cup.

Although it looked like Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin or Jimmie Johnson "woulda, shoulda, coulda" walked away with the victory at the AAA 400 held at Dover International Speedway, it was Keselowski’s win that raises his 2012 total to two wins in the Chase and five overall this season tying him with Denny Hamlin for total 2012 wins.

Jeff Gordon, for the second straight week, earned a top-five in the race placing second.

Veteran part-time driver for Michael Waltrip Racing Mark Martin served up third. Jimmie Johnson, eager to earn his eighth victory at Dover, settled for fourth as he conserved fuel at the end of the race. Carl Edwards, a non-Chase racer this year, placed fifth.

Martin Truex Jr., Martin’s MWR teammate, was sixth. Race leader for most of the day, non-Chase racer Kyle Busch finished seventh because he needed a splash of fuel in the last laps of the race. Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)teammate Denny Hamlin finished eighth after running near the front for the same reason. Clint Bowyer, MWR’s third car in the top-10, brought home ninth. Joey Logano, the third JGR car and another non-Chase racer, finished tenth.

The Monster Mile wreaked havoc on several Chasers. The points are jumbled and a new points leader was named after the race.

Keselowski takes the NASCAR Sprint Cup points lead for the second time during the Chase. The last time he was leading the points was after his win in the first Chase race this season in Chicago.

He holds the top spot by only five points over second place five-time Sprint Cup champion Johnson.

Hamlin stays in third place for another week. Bowyer moves up two places to occupy fourth. Tony Stewart finished 20th in the race, enough to drop him one spot to fifth.

Kasey Kahne, 15th on Sunday’s race, fell one position to sixth. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 11th in the race and held on to seventh in points another week. Truex Jr. jumped two places to take eighth. Kevin Harvick, 13th in the race, fell one spot to ninth. Gordon bounced up two positions to round out the top-10.

Finishing 11th in the AAA 400, Biffle fell two places to 11th in points. Matt Kenseth, suffering mechanical problems, finished 12th in the race and is currently down one position to 12th in points.

Next week the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers will compete at the legendary Talladega Superspeedway for the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500. The race will be held on Sunday, October 7th. The broadcast will be carried on ESPN at 1pm EST.

Stay tuned for my Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 Race Recap here after the race is run.

Candice Smith is a writer, columnist, and blogger as well as creator of the widely popular Chief 187™ Chatter. Her works have been featured under the pen name Chief 187™ around the Internet including a syndicated post within the Indie Republic Network where she has conducted in-depth interviews with musicians, Mixed Martial Artists, and other personalities as well as waxes poetic on myriad topics.

Candice Smith is currently writing her second season of her original column “Why I Love NASCAR” by Chief 187™ on Skirts and Scuffs.

Additionally, another of her NASCAR columns can be found at MotorsportsUnplugged.com. Smith also contributes articles and NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Recaps weekly at WowShaneRadio.com.

Smith began her Internet writing career at Rowdy.com where she honed her blogging skills and reawakened her love of NASCAR.

Candice Smith can be heard throughout the week co-hosting motorsports programs on Internet radio. She is the guest co-host of Motorsports Unplugged Radio with Michele Rahal, co-host of “Burning Rubber Radio” as well as creator and host of her own racing show “Drafting the Circuits” on WhooBazoo.com. “Drafting the Circuits” and “Burning Rubber Radio” are rebroadcast on Performance Motorsports Network every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

She can be reached via Twitter by following @Chief187s.

To find out more please visit http://Chief187.com.

Friday Music Blog-Dover Part Deux

Welcome to the Friday Music Blog on Chief 187™Chatter.

This week the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers compete in the third of ten Chase Races at the Dover International Speedway for the AAA 400.

Last time the series ran at Dover the music topics examined were “Monster”, “Mile”, and “Dover” song titles, lyrics, and/or artist names.

This time around the focus is changing.

First, in honor of the sponsor of the race, list any and all songs that have the word “A” in the title.

Next, because Delaware’s nickname is The First State, find the songs that have the word “First” or “State” in the title, lyrics, or artist name.

Finally, assemble the songs that have a specific State named in the title, lyrics, or artist name.

Be sure to leave your selections and then return to this post throughout the day and weekend to see what others have responded.

Weekends are a fantastic time to spend some time at Chief 187™Chatter. Many use it to catch up on reading posts from earlier in the week or explore the writings that are archived.

The recipes on Tantalizing Thursday are easy to peruse using the search feature located in the upper left hand corner of this page. The recipes all tend to be relatively easy to make with ingredients found at your local grocery store. They are simple yet yield delicious meals.

For references the Monday Media Blog and before that the Monday Movie Blog offers up numerous titles to see, rent, stream, re-watch, and/or play in the event of video games. If you have a title to add to the myriad topics present, please do so! These are interactive posts meant to be ever-growing with updated information. It is an ever-expanding resource for all of the Chief 187™Chatter readers.

Simple Joys are my weekly meanderings of my gratitude list. They keep me grounded, put my perspective in positive mode, and resonate with many readers. Read mine, find yours, and start enjoying a happier daily existence – the power to do so exists for all of us.

The Wednesday Freestyle posts are a conglomeration of random thoughts that flow through my brain. Many revolve around love and relationships while others are self-examinations that propel me to continue to evolve.

I am in my third year of writing Chief 187™Chatter and still find topics I have yet to explore. It is deeply gratifying to have you all along for the ride!

As the holidays approach – there are less than three months to Christmas – I implore you to use my link located on the right hand side of this page if you are going to shop Amazon. It is a simple process that costs you nothing extra for your purchases but helps my organization immensely. Enter through the link, browse, add an item or items to your cart, and check out in one transaction and, again, at no extra cost to you, I earn a little bit from the purchase.

If you are looking for Chief 187™ gear, please visit my online store located at http://cafepress.com/Chief187. There are items to wear, for the home, to carry stuff, and even to write your own Simple Joys that feature my unique design, my website, or my likeness. These are quality products that would make a great gift for the Chief 187™Chatter reader in your life.

Once again, thank you to all who join me here. I appreciate each and every one of you who visit daily, check in often, swing by occasionally, and even those of you who stop in every once in a while. From my most loyal readers to the newest who just tried me out today, thank you for being here.

Please join me on Monday as I begin another week of entirely new, fresh, and original posts on Chief 187™Chatter .

Tantalizing Thursday-Delaware Part Deux

Welcome to Tantalizing Thursday on Chief 187™Chatter.

Once again the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers return to Dover, Delaware to compete in the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway. This is the third of ten Chase races.

The last time we explored Delaware through recipes we did so with seafood. This is for good reason as Delaware has an excellent coastline that makes fresh seafood a go-to option for dinners.

Why mess with perfection? Here are some more scrumptious seafood recipes to add to your repertoire inspired by Delaware’s bounty from the sea.

Here is a great appetizer or main dish utilizing clams.

Clam Fritters
Recipe found on http://allrecipes.com/recipe/clam-fritters/detail.aspx

Ingredients:

Original recipe makes 4 servings.


1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 cup minced clams
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons minced green bell pepper (optional)
1/2 cup vegetable oil



Directions:


Beat the egg and gradually beat in the flour. Slowly stir in the milk, clams, salt, pepper and onion. If desired, stir in the green pepper. With hands shape mixture into 2 inch diameter patties.
In a medium skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Fry the patties in the hot oil until golden brown. Place cooked fritters on paper towels to soak up any excess oil.


Salmon is one of those health foods that is easy to love. Full of flavor, stands up to myriad cooking methods and delicious raw (sushi anyone?), it is a great fish to add to your weekly diet.



Crusted Salmon with Honey-Mustard Sauce
Recipe found on http://allrecipes.com/recipe/crusted-salmon-with-honey-mustard-sauce/detail.aspx

Ingredients:

Original recipe makes 4 fillets.


1 (1.5 pound) skinless center-cut salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces
1 cup milk
1/4 cup fine bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon honey


Directions:


Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place the salmon fillets in a baking dish; pour the milk over the fillets. Allow the salmon to soak in the milk 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese together in a wide, deep bowl. Beat the egg in a separate bowl until frothy. Remove the salmon fillets from the milk; shake the excess milk off the fish. Dip each fillet into the beaten egg and then gently press into the bread crumb mixture to coat; gently shake to remove the excess.
Bake in the preheated oven, turning once, until the salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 15 minutes.
While the salmon bakes, stir the butter, mustard, and honey together in a bowl; drizzle over the baked salmon to serve.


For all of you who love pork fat with your seafood, this one is for you.


Dad’s Excellent Scallops
Recipe found on http://allrecipes.com/recipe/dads-excellent-scallops/detail.aspx

Ingredients:

Original recipe makes 8 servings.

2 pounds shelled, large sea scallops
1/2 pound prosciutto, thinly sliced
1/2 cup butter, melted
toothpicks, soaked in water


Directions:

Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
Wrap each scallop with a thin slice of prosciutto, and secure with a toothpick.
Lightly oil grill grate. Arrange scallops on the grill, and baste with butter. Cook for 5 minutes, turn, and baste with butter. Cook for another 8 minutes, or until opaque.


Last week Apple Pie ended the meal. This week, Apple Crisp of course!


Easy Apple Crisp
Recipe found on http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-apple-crisp/detail.aspx

Ingredients:


Original recipe makes 12 servings.


6 apples - peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup water
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Arrange apples in an even layer in bottom of baking dish. Pour water over apples.
In a medium bowl mix together cake mix, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter or margarine until ingredients are thoroughly blended; mixture will be crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over apples.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes.


Here’s hoping your driver does well in the Chase Race from Delaware and you enjoy a delectable dinner or series of dinners from this list.

Please join me tomorrow as I close the week down with the Friday Music Blog, the ever-popular interactive post that is a mainstay on Chief 187™Chatter.

Ever-present Change

This past weekend I enacted some change in my life. It was superficial and fun change – I returned to my brunette hair and abandoned the blonde. It had taken me over a year to make this change always choosing the status quo, in this case keeping the blonde.

My oldest child was with me at the salon. He is overly resistant to change in any capacity. He was vehemently against the hair color. I told the lad that I was still going to be the same person that the physical change didn’t change the core person I am. He told me he understood but he was visibly upset by my transformation.

I tried to explain that life is about change in all forms. That change is one of the only constants in life aside from death and taxes. He didn’t want to hear about it. He wanted his momma to stay the same.

Part of that fear is the sense of being out of control of one’s destiny. Change comes in unannounced, unheralded, and wreaks havoc. As humans we have two choices – open our life to change, or fight it tooth and nail and it still comes.

Adults, too, resist change like my ten-year-old son. Whether Facebook changes their operating procedures, a store moves location, or a loved one dies, the change is aggravating, inconvenient, and/or devastating. Yet these scenarios are all facts of life. We should be better equipped to deal with them and move on yet we struggle, complain, vent, and balk.

Even when change could benefit our lives – a new job working for a boss who doesn’t annoy, moving to a new home, divorcing or (hopefully) seeking counseling for reconciliation – we tend to hold on to the sameness that makes us miserable as it is comforting to know the devil you have.

As much as change can be beneficial, the fear of the unknown keeps most of us stagnate and immovable. But if we have faith – in our higher power, our judgment, our selves – then taking the leap to change can be less scary.

My changing of hair colors was a symbolic and conscious change that I found I needed courage to do. That is a commentary on my life, but not the whole story. Like many I am comfortable where I am doing what I do.

Had I not had the courage to throw caution to the wind and embrace change, I would never have become a professional writer. My dream took change to achieve. I needed to shake up my world to create a time and space to be a writer. That happened two years ago and I have never looked back.

Hair color is a superficial change, but it reminds me that I have the power and the faith to trust in my decisions. I got a little rusty and this was the change I needed to remind myself of my capacity to be flexible, open, and free.

When change blows your way, and it most certainly will, try to take a different perspective and welcome it with open arms. It’s something I’m still trying to teach my son and continue to teach my younger children.

These life lessons aren’t easy and I suspect take a lifetime to learn, but I keep trying to work it out. A writing career, a hair color change, and all the rest life throws my way.

Cheers to change – it is ever-present.

Simple Joys

Welcome to Simple Joys on Chief 187™Chatter.

The word simple means not complicated. Joys are the things that bring you happiness. Together these two words form the concept for this weekly post.

Simple Joys are the events that happen in the day that bring you pleasure. They need not be expensive, time-consuming, or life-altering. Simple Joys enhance the day, bring a smile or a ripple of laughter, and provide lightness in the heart.

It’s that simple.

And now, without further ado, is this week’s Simple Joys.

Ninja. My food processor broke this summer. I’d had it a long time and it wasn’t an expensive one so it lived a good life. I found it of its demise when I was preparing to make pesto sauce with the fresh basil from our garden. I scrambled to find an alternative method to process the ingredients and dumped them into my blender. Thankfully it worked and the pesto was delicious.

The blender, however, has never been terrific. It often stops rotating at the first sign of obstruction – ice, hard ice cream, or the like. Blenders are supposed to blend those things so I set out to find a solution to the loss of both of these kitchen appliances.

My search brought me to the Ninja Kitchen System Plus. I was fortunate to find it at Bed Bath and Beyond, use my coupon, and cash in on some store credit I’d had from a return.

This item is fabulous! It pulsed my parmesan cheese in seconds (I buy it in bulk), and made three batches of my adored pesto sauce in record time!

Finding a viable alternative to two much needed kitchen appliances in one item that actually works was a Simple Joy I was thrilled to invest.

Pesto Sauce. Fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, toasted pine nuts, and parmesan cheese are the only ingredients. Process them together and they make manna.

I am making batch after batch to freeze so I can taste my basil pesto all winter and spring long!

Having my pesto sauce in the house is a Simple Joy I savor all the year through.

Play. On a nasty day that kept my daughter and me inside I decided to take her to the mall for some playtime at the indoor playground. It is not elaborate, big, or even the coolest, but it is fun and safe. She ran in with reckless abandon after chanting “indoor playground” the entire twenty minute drive to the venue.

With shoes off and energy abounding she ran, climbed, drove a pretend car, rode a cow jumping over the moon, scaled a giant baseball, and interacted with other children around her age.

Having a place to take my pre-schooler on crummy weather days is a Simple Joy that I am most thankful.

Change. I was courting a hair color change for a year. Each time my appointment came around I decided to stay with the status quo. I loved the way my hair came out, but I was always dissatisfied with myself that I hadn’t asked for change.

This past weekend I mustered the courage to ask for the change I’d been wanting for a long time.

Change is never easy to accept – the kind we are forced to accept or the kind we desire. But without change we stagnate.

I’m no longer a blonde. I am now, once again, a brunette.

The Simple Joy of bringing a desired change into my life is very satisfying and exciting indeed!

Selling Popcorn. Both of my boys are in the Cub Scouts. Their father is the youngest boy’s den leader and I am the older boy’s. This is the first – and only – year they will overlap as scouts as my oldest is crossing over to Boy Scouts in February.

On Sunday we were thrust into duty selling popcorn at a local car wash for fundraising. We set up a table at the exit and unsuspecting, kind-hearted people buy the popcorn or, at the very least, leave a donation for the Pack.

For the first time we sold popcorn at the same location at the very same time. It was the whole 187 crew in force!

Spending a Sunday morning together for a good cause in our uniforms was a Simple Joy I will always remember.



My Simple Joys are, by definition, not elaborate and bring me immense happiness throughout my days, weeks, months, and years.

The key to getting through rough days, difficult periods in life, and the rigors of everyday life is to find and embrace the Simple Joys.

Wishing you all another week filled with Simple Joys.

Please join me tomorrow as I wax poetic on yet another topic on Freestyle Wednesday on Chief 187™Chatter.

Monday Media Blog-Pirates!

Welcome to the Monday Media Blog on Chief 187™Chatter.

Last week I observed “Talk Like a Pirate Day” and had a great time online sharing a link that generates pirate names.

It was a ton of fun. If you’re curious to know your pirate name, here is the link: http://gangstaname.com/names/pirate#.UFmu-19PjWk.facebook.

Recently my children have all become intrigued with pirates. The older boys have been exposed to the Disney series of movies called “Pirates of the Caribbean”.

They were first introduced to the movies through Lego toys based on the successful films. A video game followed so their father allowed them to watch the movies with him to get familiar with them. Even our daughter warbles “Pirates of the Caribbean” in her own adorable toddler-speak.

The little girl is also enamored with a Disney animated television series called “Jake and the NeverLand Pirates” based on characters originally from “Peter Pan”.

She cannot get enough of these pirate tales that entertain and delight her.

The children all have various books about pirates as well.

So, this week’s focus is clearly about pirates. What are your favorite pirate books, movies, and/or television programs that you have enjoyed?

Argh me mateys! Mighty kind of you to leave yer selections!

Please join me tomorrow for the uplifting and ever-popular Simple Joys on Chief 187™Chatter.

Sylvania 300 Race Recap by Chief 187™

Denny Hamlin, Darian Grubb, and the entire Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) No. 11 Fed Ex Freight Toyota team flexed their collective muscle by dominating the Sylvania 300 from New Hampshire International Speedway.

Starting 32nd for the race held on Sunday afternoon in Loudon, NH, Hamlin plowed through the field and took the lead around lap 100. He held fast to that lead the rest of the day (193 laps led) with the team executing flawless pit stops and great strategy that led to their fifth win of the 2012 season and the first for the Chase this year.

This was the 100th win for JGR and the 202nd win for the No. 11 car.

Jimmie Johnson placed second in Sunday’s race. The finish was strong enough to propel the five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion to the top of the leaderboard in points.

Jeff Gordon, pole sitter for Sunday’s race, bounced back a bit from last week’s frustrating finish with a solid third place run. Clint Bowyer took fourth. Kasey Kahne, winner at New Hampshire earlier this season, took fifth.

Brad Keselowski finished sixth. Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup ChampionTony Stewart came in seventh. Non-Chase racer and teammate of Hamlin’s Joey Logano brought home eighth. Brian Vickers, part-time driver in the Michael Waltrip Racing No. 55 car, earned ninth. Ryan Newman, teammate of Stewart, brought up the top-ten.

As mentioned, Johnson currently has the lead in the NASCAR Sprint Cup points. He has a one point lead over Keselowski.

Hamlin is only six points behind Keselowski. Stewart is in fourth and Kahne is in fifth.

Bowyer is in sixth for another week. Dale Earnhardt Jr. who finished 13th in the race, maintains the seventh spot. Kevin Harvick improved his position by two with his 11th place finish that landed him in eighth. Greg Biffle fell one spot to ninth after his 18th place finish in the race. Martin Truex Jr. finished 17th in the race and dropped one spot to tenth. Matt Kenseth, 14th in the race, and Gordon, third, are still 11th and 12th respectively in the points.

Chase Race No. 3 is happening at Dover International Speedway for the AAA 400. The race will be run on Sunday, September 30th. The broadcast will be on ESPN at begins at 1pm EST.

Stay tuned for the race and then tune in here for my AAA 400 Race Recap.




Candice Smith is a writer, columnist, and blogger as well as creator of the widely popular Chief 187™ Chatter. Her works have been featured under the pen name Chief 187™ around the Internet including a syndicated post within the Indie Republic Network where she has conducted in-depth interviews with musicians, Mixed Martial Artists, and other personalities as well as waxes poetic on myriad topics.

Candice Smith is currently writing her second season of her original column “Why I Love NASCAR” by Chief 187™ on Skirts and Scuffs.

Additionally, another of her NASCAR columns can be found at MotorsportsUnplugged.com. Smith also contributes articles and NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Recaps weekly at WowShaneRadio.com.

Smith began her Internet writing career at Rowdy.com where she honed her blogging skills and reawakened her love of NASCAR.

Candice Smith can be heard throughout the week co-hosting motorsports programs on Internet radio. She is the guest co-host of Motorsports Unplugged Radio with Michele Rahal, co-host of “Burning Rubber Radio” as well as creator and host of her own racing show “Drafting the Circuits” on WhooBazoo.com. “Drafting the Circuits” and “Burning Rubber Radio” are rebroadcast on Performance Motorsports Network every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

She can be reached via Twitter by following @Chief187s.

To find out more please visit http://Chief187.com.

Friday Music Blog-New Hampshire Again

Welcome to the Friday Music Blog on Chief 187™Chatter.

Race two of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase finds the drivers returning to New Hampshire International Speedway for the Sylvania 300.

As autumn begins, the Chase is well underway, and New England is the setting, musical topics were numerous.

First, list any songs that have the number two (2) in the title, lyric, or artist name.

Second, list any songs that have the word “fall” in the title, lyric, or artist name.

Finally, list any songs that have the words “New England” in the title, lyric, or artist name.

Please leave your selections and then return here throughout the day and weekend to see what others have included.

Weekends are an excellent time to peruse Chief 187™Chatter for articles you may have missed during the week or to read archived pieces that interest you.

Recipes, movies, television, music, Simple Joys, and Freestyle Wednesday posts offer great entertainment, good information, and a fun escape.

When shopping Amazon, kindly consider using the link to enter the site located on the right hand side of this page. Simply enter Amazon through my link, browse, add to your cart, and check out all in one visit and to no extra cost to you my organization is helped greatly.

Looking for Chief 187™ gear to wear, display, and/or use? There are over 60 items from which to choose at all price points. Check out my online store at http://cafepress.com/Chief187 to shop for everything from mugs and water bottles to t-shirts and aprons. For the writers there are even journals and notecards! Use Google to find coupon codes to use at checkout for cafepress and you will be rewarded with percentages off.

As always, I thank you for being here and am so very honored and pleased to be beginning the third year of Chief 187™Chatter with you! Your presence is acknowledged and appreciated daily.

Please join me on Monday as I begin another week of entirely fresh, new, and original posts on Chief 187™Chatter.