The sublimely multitalented Mary Jane Bilge, known to her fans as "Queen Mary" and MJ, is the only musician with Grammy wins in R&B, Rap, Pop, and Gospel. As of 2010, MJ has sold over 50 million albums and 15 million singles. Billboard Magazine ranked MJ as the most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years.

MJ is also an accomplished a songwriter and has written most of the lyrics for her hit songs such as "Just Fine" released as the lead single from her eighth album, Growing Pains and was nominated in the 'Best Female R&B Vocal Performance' category at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.

“Queen Mary” extended her show business reign by adding the term actor to her resume with her acting debut in 1998, on the sitcom The Jamie Foxx Show followed by a cameo on the Lifetime network series, Strong Medicine. In 2000, MJ was featured in a superhero web cartoon in junction with Stan Lee, and continued with other TV acting roles. In 2012, she starred alongside Tom Cruise, Julianne Hough, and Alec Baldwin in the film musical Rock of Ages. There are also great expectations for the much awaited MTV Films biopic on American singer/pianist Nina Simone scheduled for 2012. MJ also launched her stage career in 2004 an Off-Broadway play, The Exonerated, which chronicled the experiences of death row inmates.

Because we love "It’s a Wrap” from her 2003/2004 album "Love & Life", we suggest celebrating MJ's birthday with a veggie wrap Unfortunately. " It’s a Wrap” also prompted a disastrous Burger King Snack Wrap commercial by Mary in the spring of 2012 in which she sang about the BK's wrap’s “crispy chicken, fresh lettuce, three cheeses, ranch dressing, wrapped up in a tasty flour tortilla" and was so bad that it went viral, and was highly criticized by some complaining that that her peddling of chicken played into racial stereotypes, and was quickly pulled by Burger King. Our Veggie Wrap is far more tasty and no chickens were harmed in creating this recipe which we suggest munching while watching MJ in Rock of Ages.

Veggie Wrap

Ingredients
1&1/2 TB cream cheese 1 large flour tortilla 2 TB shredded carrot 2 TB thinly sliced red pepper 2 TB chopped red onion	1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/2 avocado, peeled and sliced 1 cup baby spinach leaves salt and pepper to taste
Instructions 1. Spread cream cheese over the tortilla to within 1/2 inch of the edges. 2. Arrange all the filling ingredients in a row along the center one-third of the tortilla. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. 3. Roll the tortilla up as tightly as possible to enclose the filling without tearing the tortilla. Cut in half crosswise and eat immediately, or wrap both halves in plastic wrap.
© 2011 Gordon Nary and Tyler Stokes

January 11 Mary Jane Bilge's Birthday


The sublimely multitalented Mary Jane Bilge, known to her fans as "Queen Mary" and MJ, is the only musician with Grammy wins in R&B, Rap, Pop, and Gospel. As of 2010, MJ has sold over 50 million albums and 15 million singles. Billboard Magazine ranked MJ as the most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years. MJ is also an accomplished a songwriter and has written most of the lyrics for her hit songs such as "Just Fine" released as the lead single from her eighth album, Growing Pains and was nominated in the 'Best Female R&B Vocal Performance' category at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. “Queen Mary” extended her show business reign by adding the term actor to her resume with her acting debut in 1998, on the sitcom The Jamie Foxx Show followed by a cameo on the Lifetime network series, Strong Medicine. In 2000, MJ was featured in a superhero web cartoon in junction with Stan Lee, and continued with other TV acting roles. In 2012, she starred alongside Tom Cruise, Julianne Hough, and Alec Baldwin in the film musical Rock of Ages. There are also great expectations for the much awaited MTV Films biopic on American singer/pianist Nina Simone scheduled for 2012. MJ also launched her stage career in 2004 an Off-Broadway play, The Exonerated, which chronicled the experiences of death row inmates. Because we love "It’s a Wrap” from her 2003/2004 album "Love & Life", we suggest celebrating MJ's birthday with a veggie wrap Unfortunately. " It’s a Wrap” also prompted a disastrous Burger King Snack Wrap commercial by Mary in the spring of 2012 in which she sang about the BK's wrap’s “crispy chicken, fresh lettuce, three cheeses, ranch dressing, wrapped up in a tasty flour tortilla" and was so bad that it went viral, and was highly criticized by some complaining that that her peddling of chicken played into racial stereotypes, and was quickly pulled by Burger King. Our Veggie Wrap is far more tasty and no chickens were harmed in creating this recipe which we suggest munching while watching MJ in Rock of Ages.