The Huggable Boy Won

 It wasn’t supposed to be that way. Adam Lambert had knocked our socks off time after time and his fans were just biding their time until he was named winner of American Idol. In each performance he got better.  With his theatrical talent and wide vocal range, he managed to surprise and electrify his army of fans. From the very beginning he was tapped as the contestant who set the high standards for the others to follow. At least that was what the judges said.

Nipping at his heels was the lovable and shy Kris Allen who  stayed under the radar screen and kept a low profile. One fan called him a "Quiet Fire." Simon Cowell heaped criticism upon him and didn’t let up until near the end of the show. But he is known to have been wrong more than once. Kris took Simon’s nitpicking with quiet grace and proved he could stay in the game. 

Both boys were supremely talented. The best contestants American Idol had ever offered, in my opinion. And when it came down to which one would get the top prize, Americans waited with bated breath, much like they did when J.R. Ewing got shot. It was a real cliff hanger. And it turned out to be an unexpected upset.  

There has been much speculation on why Kris Allen won. Aside from the fact that he  had a beautiful singing voice, he was the nice boy next door, the boy you would allow your daughter to date. And he was the boy old ladies like me wanted to hug.

Adam, on the other hand was professional in every way. He could tackle any song and make it his own. He was extremely handsome and pitch perfect. He could reach the high notes with ease and still stay in key.  Some say Adam lost because of his polished fingernails and black eyeliner. I say this was a singing contest and that’s how it should have been judged.

Neither boy has anything to worry about, though. Their careers are assured and we will be hearing about them a lot in the future.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have my own amusing experience with being a contestant. When I was about 12 years-old, The Hippodrome Theater put on a talent show each Saturday and those who participated received a free ticket to the show the following Saturday. I remember singing a popular song of that era called "The Woody Woodpecker Song." (Blush.)

I wonder what Simon would have said about me. It staggers the mind.

From our friends at White Lily Kitchens

 Buttermilk-Battered Chicken Breast Fillets

1/4 cup Crisco® Pure Vegetable Oil

1 1/2 cups White Lily® All Purpose Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

HEAT 1 1/2 inches oil to 365°F in large heavy skillet.

BLEND flour, salt and pepper thoroughly in medium bowl. Break eggs into small bowl, beat lightly; set aside. Pour buttermilk into separate bowl.

DIP chicken breasts, one at a time, into buttermilk. Coat completely with flour mixture. Dip into beaten eggs, then dip back into flour. Repeat for other pieces.

PLACE chicken breasts gently into hot oil. Fry uncovered 10 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and juices run clear.

DRAIN on paper towels. Serve immediately, or place on pan in 200°F oven until ready to serve.