Family Equality Council

Family Equality Council - December, 2010

Family Equality Council Awards Dinner
Saturday, January 29th, 2011
House of Blues
8430 Sunset Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA

Can’t attend but would like to make a donation towards the event?
Click here.

Honoring

Dan Savage & Terry Miller
Founders of the It Gets Better Project

Kris Perry & Sandy Stier and Paul Katami & Jeff Zarrillo

The Plaintiffs from the Perry v. Schwarzenegger Trial

Luke Macfarlane

"Scotty" from Brothers & Sisters

The Family Equality Council Awards Dinner brings together LGBT parents, friends and allies to celebrate the progress we have made as a community of loving families towards full equality. In 2011, the Awards Dinner will feature a cocktail reception, a full-course seated dinner, live entertainment and the opportunity to mingle with old friends and meet new ones.

Use the buttons above to purchase tickets or tables, donate to the auction, learn about sponsorship opportunities and purchase advertising space in the program book. Please feel free to contact Major Gifts & Events Manager Daniel Robinson at daniel.robinson@familyequality.org or 617.502.8700 x 224 with any questions.

This event is generously sponsored by:

Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsor

Bronze Sponsor

Side Dish - 13th Dec

Side Dish from ABC, Brothers & Sisters.

A Wandell Holiday Delight!

The holiday season is already upon us and the signs are everywhere: Christmas songs are on the radio, Starbucks is serving out o.f their seasonal red cups, and our halls are decked with more holiday cheer than you could shake a bough of holly at.

One tradition we always had in my family was to come together and make Christmas cookies and it’s a tradition I continue in the kitchen of my restaurant. Next week, everyone at Café 429 will bring in 36 of their family’s favorite holiday cookie and we’ll share the cookies (and the recipes!) with each other before the dinner service? Dessert before dinner?! Maybe just this once…



Perhaps I’ll post some pictures of my favorite holiday cookies, but for my loyal readers I have decided to share something very special: give my mother’s famous fudge recipe. Every year she would whip up a big batch of this fudge and pack it up for everyone in my town – my teacher, her friends at work, the mail man, her hair stylist. It was the hit of their holiday season and now you can spread some holiday cheer in your town, Wandell-style!

As anyone who has read my blog will tell you, I don’t usually advocate microwave cooking, but my mother always insisted that when she gave out the recipe that she had to include microwave instructions. So, here you go…

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

WANDELL HOLIDAY FUDGE
Makes 3 pounds

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup margarine
1 7-oz. jar marshmallow creme
1 12-oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Traditional Method
1) Combine sugar, margarine and milk in medium saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
2) Continue boiling 4-6 minutes over medium heat, stirring.
3) Remove from heat, stir in chocolate until melted and smooth.
4) Add marshmallow creme, nuts, vanilla and mix until blended.
5) Pour into greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
6) Let cool and cut into 1-inch squares.

Microwave Method
1) Microwave margarine in large microwave-safe bowl on high about 1 minute or until melted.
2) Add sugar and milk; mix.
3) Microwave on high 5 minutes or mixture just begins to boil, stirring after a few minutes.
4) Mix well, being sure to scrape down the sides with a spatula.
5) Continue microwaving on high 5-1/2 minutes; stir after a few minutes.
6) Stir in chocolate chips until melted.
7) Add remaining ingredients; mix well.
8) Pour into greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
9) Cool at room temperature
10) Cut into squares. Makes 3 pounds.

Brothers & Sisters S5E10

"Cold Turkey"

yfrog video

From Jesse Tyler's Tweet

The last tweet stared Kate Reinders' Halloween, Luke Macfarlane's St. Pattys, Eva Mendes' July 4th, @kevincahoon's Thanksgiving & my V-day.
9:24 AM Dec 13th via Twitter for iPhone

Quite a motley crew took over All Saints children hospital today for a Christmas skit with @TheArtOfElysium http://yfrog.us/j2qvsz
9:16 AM Dec 13th via Twitter for iPhone

http://yfrog.com/j2qvsz
@jessetyler Quite a motley crew took over All Saints children hospital today for a Christmas skit with @TheArtOfElysium

Or watch here.

On the Red Carpet

Side Dish - 6th Dec

Side Dish from ABC, Brothers & Sisters.

Brownies!

All my life, my sweet tooth has gotten me into trouble. On my 8th birthday I ate so much chocolate cake that I was sick for a week.

I even went trick or treating until I was 16. Come on…free candy! Can you blame me? After I was about 11 some of my neighbors said: “Scotty, aren’t you a little OLD to be trick or treating?” So for the next 5 years I made sure my costumes always covered my face so no one knew who I was. ;)


Which brings us to this past weekend when Kevin’s sweet tooth – and his emotional eating in general – got him into a little bit of trouble, too. Suffice it to say, I think he will ask around the kitchen before diving into brownies in the future. Of course, after getting sick from the “special” brownie he ate, I wonder if he’ll want to eat brownies at all. But I can promise you that if there is any brownie recipe that can reignite his passions for fudgy brownies, this is it. I like this recipe for the fine line it walks between being fudgy and cakey and they freeze beautifully too!

SCOTTY’S IRRESISTIBLE BROWNIES Makes sixteen 3x2-inch brownies

Ingredients
- 12 ounces good quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, broken or cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, plus one more for the baking pan
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for the baking pan
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼-teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

1. Melt the chocolate, sugar, and butter in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water (or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmer water). Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, about 10 minutes. Make sure the water stays at a bare simmer; if it gets too hot, the chocolate will separate. Cool to room temperature.
   
   
2. Heat the over to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter and flour a 13x9-inch baking pan.
   
   
3. Stir the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside. Beat the cooled chocolate mixture with a handheld mixer at medium speed until shiny. Add the eggs one at a time, beating very well after each. Beat in the vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients just until no streaks of white remain. Fold in the nuts, if using. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
   
   
4. Bake until the edges are crisp and begin to pull away from the pan and the top is set, about 18 minutes. The center of the brownies will still be slightly soft to the touch and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center will not come out clean.) Let cool completely.
   
   
5. Cut the brownies into 2x3-inch bars. This is easier if the brownies are chilled in the pan for 10-20 minutes first. The brownies may be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving. The brownies may also be frozen, well wrapped in aluminum foil.

Brothers & Sisters S5E9

"Get a Room"

Brothers & Sisters 100th Episode Party

Clip: Victor Sampaio

The AfterElton.com 2010 Visibility Awards

http://www.afterelton.com/poll/2010/visibility-awards-voting

Luke, Matthew and Brothers & Sisters are nominated.

*Favorite TV Drama (Brothers & Sisters)
*Favorite TV Actor (Luke Macfarlane, Matthew Rhys)
*Favorite TV Couple (Kevin & Scotty)

FIY: Other than that, they have
@ Favorite TV Comedy
@ Favorite Reality TV Series
@ Favorite Reality TV Contestant
@ Best Movie
@ Worst Movie
@ Favorite Movie Actor
@ Best Gay Moment of the Year
@ Worst Gay Moment of the Year
@ Gay/Bi Man of the Year
@ Favorite (Real Life) Gay Couple
@ Best "Coming Out" Story This Year
@ Favorite Gay Ally
@ Biggest Homophobe
@ Best Book
@ Favorite Gay Musician
@ Favorite Music Video

Check it and vote!