Taylor Swift has been seen in the last few weeks shopping for property in Rhode Island and it appears she has settled on a mansion officially listed at $20 million. But the pop singer is apparently a savvy negotiator and got the new home for much less than its asking price. Taylor is said to have purchased the property in full for $17.75million with a single payment via wire transfer.

More than 10 years ago, I was making dinner for my friend Amanda. I only had one steak and one chicken breast in the freezer.  That was when I had the inspiration to create what she has named ‘Meaty Treaty.’ Since I first served this dish, my recipe has evolved just slightly over the years, and this hearty entree still packs a punch of true flavor explosion!

What you’ll need:

• 1 lb chicken (tenderloins are generally easier for this dish)
• 1 lb beef (steak or beef for stew works best)
• 2 bottles of wine (I prefer Merlot and White Zinfandel)
• Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
• Lawry’s Garlic Salt1 10oz. bottle of A-1 Steak Sauce

The slide show below will walk you through the preparation of Jeremy’s World Famous Meaty Treaty!

To submit your recipe simply click the box below to email it to recipes@wcrz.com. Send the ingredients a brief walkthough and a picture of the finished product and you could win a $25 gift card to your favorite restaurant and be featured as the Cars 108 Recipe of the Week!

By submitting your recipe (including any photographs or other content submitted with the recipe), you agree that it is your own and does not violate any right of any third party, including copyright, trademark, privacy or other personal or proprietary right. You also grant Cars 108 and Townsquare Media, LLC the irrevocable, non-exclusive, perpetual, fully paid, worldwide, royalty-free right and license to publicly display, sell, have sponsored, transmit, broadcast, distribute, reproduce, edit, promote, make derivative works of, sublicense or otherwise use the recipe in any manner or medium now existing or hereafter developed (including but not limited to print) without compensation of any kind to you or any third party.

Anne and I took a trip yesterday to the ‘North American International Auto Show’ in Detroit. I took some pictures of a few things that caught my eye. Also, I have an opinion on the new Corvette.Let me share.To begin with if your planning on going dress warm and take some patience. It’s crazy down there. We thought we would miss the crowds if we went on a weekday, not so. The place is buzzing.

Out of all the displays both foreign and domestic, I would have to say Ford and the Lincoln brands get the A. Incredible displays. Was a little disappointed with the GM display. Lack of interesting content. But they do have one display that’s interesting. The Corvette display was drawing a lot of attention. My opinion of the new Corvette: It’s very pretty and you could say it’s an engineering marvel. Plus it will cruise at speeds of up to 200mph. The looks are a little disappointing to me. It looks like a cross between the Batmobile and a Viper. I have owned 3 Corvettes so far. I currently own a 1968 convertible.  I had hoped for more of a retro look. That’s the view from the cheap seats.

With that let me share my favorites from the auto show. My taste in vehicles is all over the map. I know I said my five favorites..I lied, here’s six.

See some of the most-talked vehicles on display below!

[button href="http://wfnt.com/2014s-new-cars-on-display-at-the-2013-north-american-international-auto-show/" title="See even more at WFNT" align="center"]

On Saturday night, Perani Arena in Flint was the site of the inaugural Food, Beer & Wine Fest.

The event, co-sponsored by Townsquare Media and Country Smokehouse, featured over 60 vendors with 145 beers and 65 wines on hand to sample, and also included fares from local, area restaurants.

The more than 800 people in attendance were also treated to live music and a backyard-like, lawn area that featured live sod where they could play games like bean bag toss and giant Jenga.

Kylie Gates, live events manager for Townsquare Media, said the Food, Beer & Wine Fest was based on an idea similar to the Craft Beer Festival put on in Grand Rapids. She added turnout was better than expected with many day-of, walk-up ticket purchases.

Although there will be a second Michigan Food, Beer & Wine Fest in 2013, a date has yet to be determined.

More photos below:

When I went back to the Washington D.C. area for my grandmother’s funeral last weekend, a good friend of the family invited me to tour his work facility. How do you turn down a chance to go inside the Discovery Networks? Well, you don’t!  Cory and I had a video editing class together at Fenton High School. Since then, he has gone on to be an editing wizard for the Discovery Channel and its sister networks.

Headquartered in Silver Spring, Mayland, Cory works in an amazing building editing together programming and promos.  Known for shows like ‘Mythbusters’ and ‘Dirty Jobs,’ and interesting features like ‘Curiosity’ and ‘Shark Week,” Discovery Channel signed on in 1985.  Since then, the company has created or purchased other networks like Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery, Military Channel and TLC.  I was surprised to learn that they also operate The Hub, a joint venture with Hasbro with entertainment for kids, and OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network.

At the beginning of the tour, Cory showed me row after row of computer racks that hold all of the raw video that needs to be edited, as well as the completed shows and promos that get sent to their broadcast center just across town.  In this room, they also have every kind of video player/recorder ever made, that can be accessed from each of its 62 editing bays.  There are several thousand miles of cable that run through the complex connecting everything.

Cory showed me that while they edit and assemble most of the programming that airs on Discovery and its sister networks, a few shows, like ‘Mythbusters,’ come pre-assembled.  They do go in and add photo credits as needed throughout the show, and closing credits that run over the last few minutes of the show.

Last year, Discovery Networks launched 3Net, a joint venture with Sony and IMAX, that broadcasts in 3D 24 hours a day.  Cory showed me their two 3D editing bays, aptly named “Left Eye” and “Right Eye.”  He then let me stand in for the announcer and record the ‘scratch track’ promoting the premiere of “Monster House” on 3Net.  I told him that I would love to do voice work for Discovery Networks.  You never know, you just might here me on TV one day!

It was a very cool experience.  I want to thank Cory again for letting me snoop around, and to the gang at Discovery Networks for allowing me to share this with you.  All I can say is, “The World is Just Awesome!”

stu allen photo

It was literally a cold day in Hell, Michigan.  My wife Shelia and I lined up in the dark waiting to start our day of adventure.  That would entail 50 miles of insane terrain known as Dances With Dirt.

Just as the race was starting at 6:15 a.m., a light rain began to fall.  It increased in intensity and before the first mile was done, most of us were already wet.  The rain would come and go multiple times before the day was  over, and it would bring some other stuff with it.

50 miles of trail running is a challenge.  Throw in rivers and mud and hills and off-trail running and you are looking at a full day’s work.   That was our attitude as we began the day.  We would be out there all day.

Daylight came a little after 7, so it was time to put away the flashlights and headlamps.  Sometimes, being able to see where you are going is overrated.  By first light it was easy to see that were were running through poison ivy.  Turns out, it would be our companion for a majority of the day’s adventure.

We hit our first water crossing at about 20 miles, and would encounter three more before heading upstream in Hell Creek for about a quarter mile.  From there we came out of the water to the aid station behind the general store in Hell.  Waiting at the top of the bank was the Prince of Darkness, Beelzebub, a.k.a. the Devil shouting out “Welcome to Hell.”

We paused in Hell for a few minutes to take off our shoes and remove any  zebra mussels that we had picked up in Hell Creek. 

It started raining again as we traversed the hills and swamps heading back to the 50k start/finish aid station.  It was cold and miserable and the thought of bailing out at 50k was starting to look appealing.

We got to the 50k checkpoint just before 1:30 p.m. and quickly loaded up on snacks and fluids.  The longer we stayed there, the harder it would be to head back out for 19 more miles of this. 

The last 19 miles of the Dances With Dirt course is shared by the Ultramarathoners and the Relay Race teams.  The relay people cover 100k with 5-person teams.  That works out to around 12 or 13 miles per person.  Needless to say, they mostly flew past us at most encounters on the trail.

We reached the aid station at 41.5 miles with about 3 hours of daylight left.  We were still able to run on downhills and flats and were keeping a good walk pace on the other stuff.  The sun was shining and we were feeling pretty good about our chances to finish.

Not long after that, the skies darkened and a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder made us jump.  It started to rain.  Hard.  We are tired and still have about 7 miles to go and we are once again soaked to the bone.  Then it started to hail.  Fortunately, it was just buckshot sized hail, but they were cold and so were we. 

As quickly as the storm started, it ended.  The sun came back and helped to warm us up for the final push.  We made the last aid station at mile 45.9 at around 5:20 p.m.  It was time to head for the finish!

At mile 47 we ran through a campground and my wife needed to make a pit stop, so we stopped for a couple of minutes.  While I was waiting near the outhouse, a relay runner came up to me who appeared to be lost.  He was mad as a wet hen because he had just ran 4 miles  and realized he had 3 more to go.  I didn’t have the heart to point out to him that we had already covered 47 and was thinking only 3 more sounded pretty darn good.

We caught up with another 50-mile runner in the last 3 mile stretch and ran together the rest of the way.  It was his first 50-mile run, so we were happy to see him accomplish his goal. 

When the finish line was finally in sight, Shelia turned on the jets and was heading for home.  I didn’t have quite enough speed left to catch her, but she slowed down and we finished together, hand-in-hand.

It took us 12 hours and 8 minutes to cover 50 miles on foot.  Shelia won her age group (I won’t tell how young she is) and I finished 5th in the 50-54 year-old men.  Not a bad day’s work.  Normally, we would jump into the lake by the finish line and wash some of the grunge off, but we were both really cold so we headed for our truck and cranked the heater up while changing into dry clothes. 

For more on Dances With Dirt, visit www.dwdhell.com 

 We will be running some shorter events in the coming weeks, like Run 4 Wine www.run4winerace.com on October 11th, and The Zombie Run on October 13th www.thezombierun.com

Hope to see you on the roads and trails!

There are always so many cars that catch your eye.  Here were some of my favorite “grilles.”  I could have included hundreds of them, and I’m sure that there were a few that I missed.  All the more reason to head back next year!

Maybe you recognize some of these beauties.  Maybe it’s your car!

http://www.backtothebricks.org/

This is one of the main reasons I grow a garden every year.  I have been picking lettuce for salads and sandwiches for quite some time, but have been patiently waiting for my tomatoes to ripen.   

Finally, my prayers were answered!  Two of my Rutgers tomatoes reached their peak of ripeness this week.  So I plucked them from the vine and picked some lettuce and spinach leaves from my container garden.

As luck would have it, Meijer had turkey bacon on sale this week, so I grabbed a couple of packages while we were there this morning.  I had my bread, my Miracle Whip.  I was ready.

I like mine toasted and my bacon a little chewy but on the verge of crispness.  I managed to cook it up without setting off the smoke alarm, so I was truly on a roll today. 

After making one for my wife, I had enough to make two for me. 

BLT’s fresh from your garden, truly one of the simple pleasures of life. 

Go make yourself one!

I have a garden at home and one at the radio station.  The two couldn’t be more different.  The one at home I am able to water regularly.  The station garden requires frequent trips with a watering can.

My home garden is flourishing with tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers and potatoes.  The radio station garden started out with potatoes, broccoli, carrots, peppers and tomatoes.

Between the drought conditions and varmints, the garden at Cars 108 has suffered.  The potatoes seem to be doing okay, but I am left with just a few tomato plants.  Everything else either burned up in the heat or was mowed down by hungry deer.

My garden at home also has much better soil than the dusty dirt at the radio station.  The loose, sandy soil seems to be a good place for potatoes.  And weeds.

I hope your garden is doing well in this hot, dry summer.  Watering makes the difference between having something to harvest and having to go to the store or farmer’s market to get good produce.

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The last Thursday in July is National Chili Dog Day.  The holiday was cooked up by a chain of restaurants on the East Coast called the Hard Times Cafe.  www.hardtimes.com

Folks around the Flint area know the difference between a Coney Dog and a Chili Dog.  The main difference is that a Chili Dog has beans in it’s sauce.  A Chili Dog can be topped with any kind of chili (including beanless), but a Coney Dog has diced or chopped onions and mustard to go with meat sauce.

A Coney also has a steamed bun and the hot dog should have a natural casing (like a Koegel Vienna).

However you like your dogs, tomorrow seems like a good day to have a couple of them for lunch or dinner.  You can argue the finer points of the various recipes between bites.

My family, the kids especially, love a good water park.  We’ve been to Kalahari in Sandusky, Ohio, Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City, but of them all I think our favorite is Zehnder’s Splash Village in Frankenmuth.

I had a remote broadcast there a few weeks ago, and Linda from Zehnder’s invited me to bring the family back and enjoy the park.  On Father’s Day, we did just that.

Not only is it a great one-day or weekend getaway, it’s only about 30-45 minutes up I-75, followed by a short drive through some beautiful country.  We all had a blast, and now I won’t just recommend you check it out, I’ll tell you about 5 things you must check out at the 30,000 square foot Splash Village!

Obviously the food is amazing, there is a full bar for the grown-ups, and a zero-depth entry play area for small kids.  But there are five things you must do at Zehnder’s Splash Village:

1)  Dumping Bucket – One of the largest in the Midwest, the dumping bucket sends a powerful rush of water down every 5 to 20 minutes.  Better hold on as this could easily knock you off your feet.  It’s so much fun!

2)  Crooked Brook Creek Lazy River – One of my personal favorites, this lazy river is perfect for family members of all ages.  While my oldest swam and played tubeless, my youngest son and I as well as my wife and daughter got in a tube and did what you are supposed to do on a lazy river… relax!

3)  Splash Pad - Designed for kids, this monstrous play scape had my wife and I battling it out with giant squirt guns, mini-dump buckets and more.  Oh, yeah… the kids liked it too!

4)  Giggling Gorge & Perilous Plunge – These two 4-story water-slides will take your breath away!  For a majority of the time on each of these high-speed treats you are in the dark, leaving you to wonder which way you’ll be zooming next!

5)  Whimsical Whirl Hot Tub – Easily one of the biggest hot tubs I have seen, the Whimsical Whirl offers a nice relaxing break from the fast pace of the rest of the village.  However, I recommend doing this last, because once you get out of the hot tub and try to go into another area, you may find the water a bit cold!

There is no doubt that Back to the Bricks has become one of, if not he biggest event in Flint.  I am pleased to announce that this year’s events have already begun!

Back to the Bricks chairman Al Hatch and Flint Mayor Dayne Walling were among those who addressed the drivers before the ‘Heart of Michigan’ Promotional Tour hit the road at 10:00am this morning.

They began the cruise traveling south on Saginaw Street from Hemphill, before heading west on Bristol Road.  The cruise will end up in Mt. Plesant tonight before leaving for Grayling tomorrow morning.

Get the entire tour schedule here, and prepare yourself for another amazing summer of events with Back to the Bricks August 14th through 18th!

The 2012 Flint Health & Wellness Expo is happening at the Genesee Valley Center in Center Court until 3pm.  Great vendors from all over Mid-Michigan are on hand doing various health screenings and much, much more!

Join Cars 108 and Chasse Ballroom & Latin Dance Studio for this great event, and you can even register to win some great prizes!

After getting slammed with more than six inches of rain overnight, Genesee County is now trying to dry out even with more rain in the forecast.  As of 11am, I-75 is still closed near the I-69 interchange, and I-69 is closed in the Swartz Creek area.

I went out on the roads to see the flooding first hand, and Cars 108′s Ryan Reynolds sent some pictures that I will share with you as well.  Knollwood Apartments is being evacuated due to very high waters.  Check out the photos after the jump!

During our stay, we had the opportunity to visit the 9/11 Memorial.  It was a very emotional visit, and I will remember it always.

This week, the construction effort will hit a milestone.  For the first time since the Twin Towers were destroyed, the Empire State Building will no longer be the tallest building in New York.  One World Trade Center has made it to 100 floors, and upon it’s completion in December of this year, it will be the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, and 3rd tallest in the world!

The memorial features two pools that are located exactly where the twin towers stood.  Standing between the pools, you can’t even hear the noise of the city. It was a very surreal and somber experience.

I thanked every police officer I saw at the memorial and thanked them for all they did on 9/11 and all they do now.  They were very receptive and enjoyed talking to us.  They truly are heroes.

One thing that caught my attention was the Survivor Tree, a tree that was badly damaged, but survived the collapse of the towers on 9/11.  It was nursed back to health and now stands tall in full bloom near the twin memorial pools.

Air traffic in and out of the city is always busy, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up as jets flew near the towers, just a few blocks away.

If you ever vacation in New York City, the 9/11 Memorial is a definite must-see.