Shrimp and Grits

I was very kindly invited to spend Thanksgiving with my little brother's girlfriend's family this year.  With my parents overseas, I am always a bit of a Thanksgiving orphan.  It was nice to be welcomed into another family for the day, everyone was so kind and welcoming.  When I asked what I could bring I was told to be creative.  I decided to go with a traditional Southern dish, shrimp and grits.  But as usual, I put my own spin on it.  Be warned - this is not a healthy recipe.

I made WAY too much, as I had three pans about this size.  I took two pans to Thanksgiving and I have one left over for me to eat this week.  I was pretty pleased with the results.  My inspiration again comes from the ever lovely Paula Deen.  A coworker of mine often makes her tomato grits recipe for work functions, and it is always delicious.  I decided to make "Shrimp, Sausage and Tomato Grits" and it was very well received by all.  The recipe below is exactly what I made, it fed 18 people with some leftovers plus my extra pan... If you were making it as a main dish it would serve a lot less, but you might want to cut it in half.

Ingredients:

1 Pound Raw Shrimp

1 Pound Smoked Sausage

4 Cups of Quick Grits

4 Cups of Chicken Stock

2 Cups of Water

2 10 oz Cans of Rotel

3 Cups of Shredded Cheese

1/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese

Tony Cachere's 

Put the chicken stock and water in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Add the grits slowly to the boiling stock and water stirring as you go.  (If you dump them all in at once you will get clumps of grits and no one likes that.)  Cover the grits for 3 minutes and then stir very well.  Repeat until the grits are cooked, you will want to taste them and make sure they are done.

Add the 2 cans of Rotel (or any can of tomatoes and peppers) to the grits and stir to combine.  Add in the cheese and stir to combine.  I used 2 cups of Colby Jack, but regular cheddar would be fine as well.  I used a cup of Habenero cheddar as well, but you will want to avoid this if you are not a fan of spicy food.  

Move the grits into a baking dish (or multiple dishes if you don't have a large dish).  Top the grits with a light sprinkle of cheese.  I used about a cup of Colby Jack in total.  Place casserole in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese starts to bubble and brown slightly.  

Slice your sausage into 1/4 inch slices and then quarter each slice.  Saute until the pieces start to brown.  Peel the shrimp and cut into 2 or 3 pieces depending on the size of the shrimp.  Sprinkle the shrimp lightly with the Tony's (or any seasoned salt you like) and then add the shrimp to the pan with the sausage.  Cook until the shrimp turn pink.  Remove the casserole from the oven and top the casserole with the shrimp and sausage mixture.  

Happy Dining!

Stuffed Zucchini

I am a fan of pinterest.  I have been getting a lot of ideas from there lately.  I saw this beautiful picture of stuffed zucchini one day and decided that I had to make it.  This was my inspiration, you can click the picture to go to the recipe.

http://www.kayotic.nl/blog/stuffed-zucchini

As I am want to do, I started tweaking it a bit.  The recipe called for bacon, but I thought that sausage would be better (I was right, it rocked).  I was super happy with the results of this experiment.  It was surprisingly creamy.  The zucchini boat was tender but not mushy, and the filling was packed with flavor.  Here is what mine ended up looking like.

I obviously do not have a great camera like the blogger of my inspiration, and hers were so much prettier.  But I know that mine tasted better. :)

Ingredients:

1/2 Pound Sausage

1 Small Onion 

1/2 Carton of Mushrooms

1 Tomato 

2 Zucchini

Salt/Pepper

Parmesan Cheese

1/4 Cup of Bread Crumbs

1 Egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook sausage in a skillet until browned.  Move from pan into strainer to remove excess fat.  Leave some of the drippings in the pan.

While the sausage is cooking dice the onion and the mushrooms.  Add the onion to the pan and cook until translucent, then add the mushrooms and continue cooking.  

While the mushrooms and the onions are getting happy, slice your zucchini in half lengthwise.  Use a spoon to scoop out the zucchini, you want about a quarter inch of pulp left in the peel. (Reserve your zucchini "guts" in a bowl.)  This will make a little boat to fill with goodness.  Place zucchini boats on a greased cookie sheet.  If they are wobbly you can use a vegetable peeler and peel off a flat section on the bottom so that they will be stable for filling and baking.  

Add a handful or so of your zucchini guts to the onions and mushrooms.  Dice the tomato, but lose the seeds and the juicy part.  Add the tomato to the mixture and cook about 2 more minutes.  Add the sausage back in and remove everything from the heat.  I didn't include a measurement for the parmesan because it is a matter of personal taste.  I grated a whole lot of in at this point, basically blanketed the mixture with cheese.  Taste the mixture after you add the cheese (everything is fully cooked at this point) and then you can season it more if needed.   Set aside and allow to cool.

Once the mixture has cooled sufficiently, you want it cool enough that the egg won't start cooking when you add it, sprinkle in the bread crumbs and mix to combine.   The mixture should be fairly dry at this point, if it is still wet add more bread crumbs, you want something that will stick together if you balled it up but not something that is runny.  Add in your egg and mix it in well.

Spoon your filling into the zucchini boats, top with a little more cheese :), and then bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Check the zucchini to make sure they are fork tender then serve and enjoy.  

Happy Dining!

Breaking Dawn

So at this point I am pretty over the whole Twilight thing.  I liked the books, quite a bit actually.  There is a strength to Bella that often gets over looked by critics of the series.  I won't apologize to anyone for my love of these books.  I will, however, apologize to anyone that I made go see these movies with me.  I am sorry for your wasted time and money.

My issue with the movie boils down to a few points.  My first point of contention is with the lead actors.  They hate the series and it shows.  They have this contempt for a book series that they do not understand and they believe is beneath them.  This fact shines through in every scene.  Things that were sweet or touching in the books just come across as creepy and weird in the movies.  The acting all in all throughout the movie was just terrible.  Robert Pattinson looked like he was constipated for the entirety of the film.  Kristin Stewart shows her emotion through biting her lip... and that's it.  Seriously woman you are a highly paid actress, learn a new facial expression.

To be fair to the movie they did do a relatively decent job of sticking to the book, but they also did a wonderful job of making the book look ridiculous.  Maybe it is ridiculous and always has been, but I was never embarrassed to be a fan of this series until this movie.  The best part of the movie was a part not in the book and it was when people were making toasts at the wedding, Anna Kendrick shined in her small role as Jessica, she had me cracking up.

Spoiler Alert: The werewolf falls in love with Bella's baby. It was weird in the book.   I  remember putting the book down and going "what just happened here?" over and over.  When it happened in the movie I literally laughed at how cheesy the whole thing was.  Truth be told I laughed through most of the film, but I am pretty sure they didn't intend to make a comedy.  Bella and Edward's first night together, overwrought and silly.  Bella giving birth, disgusting and creepy.  Jacob freaking out with the other wolves about the baby, confusing and corny.

Please don't go see this movie.  If you like the books you probably already have, and I hope that you were able to get more enjoyment from it than I did.  If you haven't read them then just walk away now knowing that you are a smarter person for avoiding this series.  Commercialism has bastardized it anyway and you don't want to be a part of that.  They make Twilight covers for classical books and convince young girls to buy copies of "Bella and Edward's Favorite Book" when you can just go get Wuthering Heights off of the freelibrary.com for absolutely no money.  I saw Twilight branded curling irons and hair straighteners last night.  Really people, really?  "Now you too can get Edward's shiny hair look in no time."  I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

I would say Happy Viewing, but if you go see this film it won't be.  Walk away, friend, walk away.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Oh no faithful reader, you did not read this incorrectly.  I made cookies.  The holiday season is quickly approaching, and it is not the holidays without baking cookies.  I have always loved peanut butter and I began to think that maybe I could figure out a way to make a peanut butter cookie that would fit into my post operative world.  I didn't have to search far, and I found a recipe from a surprising person: Paula Deen.  If you know anything about Aunt Paula, you know that the woman is not the healthiest chef and that the woman never met a dish that didn't need more butter.  But lo and behold here was her recipe for magical peanut butter cookies.   You only need 4 ingredients: Peanut Butter, Splenda* (or whatever sugar substitute or sugar you like), an egg and some vanilla extract.  I added chocolate chips because I was afraid that the Splenda would make the cookies taste funny for people who are not living in this crazy post op world.  

As you can see from the picture, this produces a really crumbly cookie.  I think this is due to the fact that there is no flour or binding agent aside from the egg.  They taste pretty good though.  For a "diet" cookie they are flippin' amazing.  I guinea pigged them on a few unsuspecting people and got favorable reactions prior to telling them that they were "healthy" cookies.  If you are not used to the taste of artificial sweeteners you will definitely get a slight aftertaste due to the Splenda, but aside from that I don't think that they taste like diet food.

Here's how you make them:

Ingredients:

1 cup Peanut Butter (you can use smooth or crunchy, but seriously why would you want crunchy?)

1 cup plus 1/3 of Splenda

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Chips (optional, I used Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips)

Mix your peanut butter and splenda until thoroughly combined.  I used a fork to do this, and I will warn you that when you are choosing a bowl you want to choose a large one because otherwise you will get splenda everywhere.

Mix in your egg and vanilla to the peanut butter Splenda mixture.

Roll into balls about the size of a walnut and place on a greased (I use Pam) cookie sheet.  Dip your fork into the extra Splenda and then push it into the cookie to make the signature cross.  Top with chocolate chips to your taste level.  

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.  They were fantastic just out of the oven, but they fall apart a little more at this point.  Be warned, these cookies will not stay whole at any temperature.  I will experiment in the future with adding some whole wheat flour and maybe some oats to help stabilize the cookie.  

I was pretty happy with how these turn out.  It was great to be able to share them with people as well.  

*I am not trying to hawk Splenda on ya'll but it is what I use and one of the only sweeteners that you can bake with just like sugar.

Happy Snacking!

Footloose

I was skeptical... very skeptical about this movie.  The darn trailer kept calling to me though.  There is something about that Kenny Loggins song that I couldn't resist.  "I've been working so hard..."  Goodness it just makes you want to get up and dance.  I saw the original Footloose movie one weekend when it was on television.  I liked parts of it, but I thought it was relatively boring and slow. I knew that the newer version would be faster paced so I decided to give it a try.  I loved it!

For those of you that have never seen the original, here is a basic plot break down:  Ren moves to Bomont, GA from somewhere north of the Mason-Dixon line.  Bomont is a unique town in that three years prior the town enacted several laws to regulate teenage behavior after the tragic death of 5 high school seniors.  In Bomont there is no public dancing and no loud music.  Ren falls for Ariel, the rebellious daughter of the town's preacher and biggest advocate of the laws.  Hi jinks ensue and then lots and lots of dancing.

I can't tell you all of the plot deviations from the original film, as I said I thought it was a little dull.  I do know that they definitely paid homage to the film.  The angry dance is still there just like it should be.  The horrible red jacket is still worn to the prom.  Ariel is still a spoiled little whiny brat.  I am still a sucker for a dance movie though.  I also love movies filmed in Atlanta, it is fun to see local things on the big screen.  They drive into the city in one scene and go to Cowboys to go line dancing, I loved it.

Kenny Wormald and Julianna Hough really shined in the film.  The acting was good all around I thought, but the biggest stars to me were the children. The cutest little girls you have ever seen play Ren's cousins, I wish they had given them three times as much screen time.  Adorable.  Dennis Quaid played the reverend, a man who could easily be quite hated.  Quaid did a great job with the character as he did not come across as a power hungry preacher, but as a man struggling to figure out what is right and best for his daughter and the town that he loves.  Wormald and Hough are both professional dancers, this was Hough's first big acting role.  Wormald was in the sequel to Center Stage, a straight to tv movie.  (ok let me be honest, I kinda love that movie.  I am a sucker for a movie with lots of dancing and I might actually own the movie)  Both actors performed well, I liked the Ren character a lot more in this movie than in the original.

Should you invest $10+ to see this film?  Well that depends.  If the original is one of your favorite movies of all time, you might hate the updated version.  If you are a dude, you probably couldn't care less about this movie. Hough does wear some skimpy outfits, so if your lady drags you to chick-flicks this one may not be so terrible for you.  If you love dancing and Kenny Loggins, you have to go see this one.  It is definitely a great film to rent once it is available for that, it would be a really fun girls night movie.

Warning:  I don't care who you are, you are going to want to get up and shake it at the end of this film.  That song starts pumping and your feet just can't keep still.

Happy Viewing!

Moneyball

I have been a bit out of the movie viewing business lately.  This is mostly due to the paltry offerings from the studios as of late.  I am looking forward to the holiday season when we will get some of the better movies for the year.  I did decide to try out Moneyball with a friend recently.  I thought that all in all it was pretty darn slow, but when it did pick up it was pretty interesting.

Moneyball is the story of the Oakland A's 2002 season.  This season stands out for the A's becuase of the interesting tatctics used by the team's general manager, Billy Beane played by Brad Pitt.  Beane is trying to field a winning team with a very small, by the standard of baseball not normal people, budget.  He meets a young man, Peter Brand played by Jonah Hill, who is taking a different view of hiring players.  The plot is pushed forward by the opposition that these two meet while trying to implement their new system of evaluating players.  Brand's theory involves looking at the statistics and the math behind the game of baseball.  The math nerd in me loved this part of the movie, normal people may find it a bit dull.

Hill and Pitt both do a wonderful job in this movie.  It was very interesting to the see the more serious side of Hill.  I would have liked to have gotten to experience a bit of Brand's world away from the stadium to really get to see Hill stretch his ability, but that would have added time to an already very long movie.  Pitt is fabulous as always, although I have to say that one of my favorite things about the movie was watching him stuff his face.  I once read an interview with a man that "plays" Pitt, in voice-over French translations of his movies,  who said that the hardest thing about voicing Brad over was that he was always eating.  Seriously watch any movie with Brad Pitt in it and just watch for him to eat.  It happens a lot!  I find it hilarious for some reason.

In the long run I would say this is definitely a renter movie.  There is nothing that really needs to be seen on the big screen with this film.  If you don't like math, baseball or character movies you should probably skip this one.

Happy Viewing

Pumpkin Yogurt!

I was craving something sweet and pumpkin tonight and I created a dessert, well ok I merged some other people's desserts together into one.  Pumpkin Yogurt is here.

Ingredients:
One cup of non-fat unflavored greek yogurt
One cup of pumpkin puree
Two tablespoons of sugar free pudding mix
One cup of Special K
Splash of Torani Syrup

Put everything but the cereal into a food processor and blend until smooth.  You can then add sweetener to taste.  There is a lot of wiggle room in this recipe, and I am only eating half of the recipe in a sitting.  I used vanilla pudding mix, and caramel syrup (both sugar free).  The cereal just adds a bit of crunch which I thought was needed.  I used Special K because I always have that at my house, but any cereal would do.  I think that even people who can eat sugar would like this recipe as well.  You can always use regular pudding mix and flavrored syrup if you are averse to the artificial sugar thing.  You can also sub in vanilla yogurt.  I would recommend using granola instead of cereal as well, I just didn't have anything.  Anyway my version has about 120 calories without the cereal, 180 with the cereal.  I definitely recommend popping it in the fridge for a bit before chowing down on this deliciousness.

Happy Dining!

50/50

Touching, hilarious, poignant, raunchy, and uplifting.  All of these words describe the movie 50/50.  Like the title implies, this movie has split personalities.  Half hilarious buddy comedy, half touching story of a man battling disease.

50/50 does not actually refer to the dual nature of this lovely piece of film making, but to the odds of survival for the protagonist, Adam. Portrayed perfectly by the ever wonderful Joseph Gordon Levitt, Adam is told that he has a rare form of a cancer when he goes to the doctor due to back pain.  He has a large tumor on his spine, the size and placement of the tumor make operating risky so Adam goes through chemotherapy.  Adam is in his mid to late 20's and the people surrounding him do no exactly know how to deal with someone so young facing such an ordeal.

Adam's bast friend is played by Seth Rogen, the producer of the film.  Seth does a great job with the role, primarily because he actually lived this movie.  The movie is based on the real life health problems of a friend of Seth Rogen.  After surviving cancer Rogen urged his friend, Will Reiser, to write about it.  The do succeeded in bringing humor to a terrifying situation, but they also succeeded in portraying the dark side as well.  I truly applaud Reiser for being able to laugh at the hard times.  Finding humor in bad situations is something that I have always admired in people.

I don't want to give away to many of the plot points of the movie.  I think that the sucker punches that occur in movies like this are part of the beautiful artistry of films.  The ability to make a person experience emotions akin to the emotions being felt by the characters is the true mark of a good film.  Joseph Gordon Levitt brought the fear of cancer and the unknown to the screen and into the hearts of the audience.  I was reduced to tears on several occasions, both through the pain and fear that were felt, and through laughter.  

I highly recommend this film, but I recommend it with a bit of a disclaimer.  If you know anyone battling cancer at the moment or have lost anyone to it, you definitely want tissues.  Even if you are lucky enough that the disclaimer does not apply to you, I recommend keeping a stash with you just in case.

Happy Viewing.

Tuna Avocado Salsa

I had seen something where someone put tuna salad in an avocado.  I thought this looked yummy, but a bit indulgent considering the price of an avocado.  So I decided to make my own version where I added tuna to an avocado salsa I had been recently devouring.  This way I stretch the avocado to beyond just two servings.

It looks a little gross I know, the salsa definitely looks more brown in this picture than it does in real life.  The tuna adds some good protein and Omega-3s to the dish, but it does make the salsa look a little less palatable.

Ingredients:

1 avocado

1 tomato

1 jalapeno

1 Lime

Salt

Pepper

2 packs of tuna (drained)

Corn Tortillas

Cheese

To make the salsa, first dice the tomatoes.  Then dice the avocado, to do this slice the avocado in half.  Use your knife to pop out the core.  Use a butter knife and slice the avocado still in the peel, don't push through the peel.  Cut the avocado lengthwise and crosswise.  Use a spoon to scoop out the avocado into the same bowl as the tomato.  Dice the jalapeno very finely, I cut out the seeds and the ribs as well so that the heat level is reduced.  Roll the lime on the counter, really push into it to get the juices activated.  Stick a fork into the lime and wiggle the fork, you should get juices bursting forth.  Add lime to your taste level, I don't like my salsa to be too limey.  Taste your salsa to make sure it is the way you like it and then mix in your tuna.  Taste to make sure your spice levels are ok, at this point add salt and pepper as needed.  You can use this as a dip or you can do as i did and use it to top a delicious open faced quesadilla.  

When I make my quesadilla, I grill one side of my tortilla for just a minute.  While it is cooking I spritz a tiny bit of cooking spray on the other side of the tortilla and a sprinkle of salt. Then I flip it over and add the cheese.  The spritz and the salt help make the under side of the tortilla a little crunchy.  I can eat a whole tortilla pictured above, with about a half cup of salsa.  Normal people may want to have two.  

Pancakes Should Be Sweet

Growing up, I was a very spoiled girl.  My grandfather was a fantastic man and an even better pancake chef.  I used to tell him that I thought he was so good at making pancakes that he could get a job at McDonald's.  (To be fair to my child self I thought McDonald's was the bees knees and that was high praise in my opinion.)

When I was little my favorite place to be was the kitchen of my grandparent's house.  One time my brother and I got to stay with my grandparents for a whole week, just us, no parents.  It was awesome.  My mom told my grandpa that he couldn't let us stuff ourselves the whole week (to be fair, I was already quite portly and they were fantastic cooks).  Her rule was that we were only allowed to have one pancake in the morning.  Quite sensible.  Grandpa wasn't into sensible though, he decided to follow the letter of her rule if not the sentiment behind it.  He made the biggest pancakes you have ever seen.  Seriously, they took up the entire plate.

I have no idea what he put in those pancakes, I wasn't old enough to really know how to cook at that point.  As I grew up and started cooking on my own I did discover what I think is the secret to his pancake deliciousness.  Sugar.  His pancakes were so sweet that they didn't really need syrup.  I mean I still put it on there... but you didn't need to.  He cooked them to the perfect level, they got a little crispy on the edge and then the little layer of batter in the middle.  That layer of batter kept the pancake from being too dry.  He put a ton of butter in the pan before dropping the batter in, it was almost like frying a pancake.  I tell you the truth, the sugar and the butter make a world of difference.

Now let's fast forward to the present.  Pancakes always make me think of my grandpa.  He passed away a little over 9 years ago.  I think one reason I have been missing pancakes so much is that they are a link to my memories of him.  Making pancakes on a weekend morning was a grandpa thing, and when I make them I think of him.  I am thrilled to have found a way to make pancakes that will fit into my new world.  It is not the same as sitting down at his table, it is not even the same as experimenting in my kitchen trying to recreate his pancake genius, but it is a small way to recreate my memories.

Pumpkin Ricotta Pancakes

One thing I have really missed as a post-op is pancakes.  There is nothing in the world quite like a hot stack of pancakes covered in a splash of syrup.  Unfortunately regular pancakes do not fit into the strict dietary restrictions of One-der-land (oh yes, I am there!). I came across a bunch of pumpkin recipes from one of my favorite bloggers, Michelle aka Eggface.  If you don't already know about her blog, you must check it out.  I liked her recipe but it called for almond meal which I dont have.  So I decided to search the web for some other recipes.  I put together the elements that I liked from several of the recipes and here is what I came up with.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix, canned pumpkin or pumpkin you roasted yourself)
1/2 cup ricotta
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons Torani sugar free syrup (i used caramel)
1/2 cup of milk
1 egg
sweetener (I used splenda, you could use sugar or anything you like)
syrup (I am using Hungry Jack sugar free, again use whatever you like)

In food processor combine pumpkin, ricotta, egg, Torani syrup, and 1/4 cup of milk.  Blend to combine.  Move into a large mixing bowl and add flour a spoonful at a time until you get the consistency you like.  You hold back some of the milk to mix in in case you add too much flour and the batter becomes too thick.  I like a thick pancake batter so that I get a small layer of uncooked batter in the middle of my pancake, some people think that's weird and may want a thinner batter.  Add you sweetener to taste.  Cook in a non-stick pan with either some butter or Pam butter spray.  Be warned that these take a bit longer to cook than regular pancakes so you may want to plan some extra time.  I think they came out great.  I am loving having some pancakes again. :)

A few notes though.
1) Roasting your own pumpkin is really easy.  I will be doing a blog post on this sometime this week, but if you can't wait till then here is what you do. Cut pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds, drizzle with olive oil and place cut side down on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 for about 40 minutes or until fork goes in easily.  Let cool and then scoop out your pumpkin goodness.  If you do it yourself instead of buying canned you also get to make the pumpkin seeds.  Yum!

2) Pancakes should be sweet.  See next post, for more information, I have decided that the person I am about to discuss deserves his own post.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I was in the mod the other day for some chicken tortilla soup.  Times have been a little tight in the budgetary department lately, and I was definitely not willing to pay $5 for one cup of soup at a restaurant.  So I decided to make it myself.  Turns out that it is really easy.  I modified several recipes that I found online to make my version.

Ingredients:

1 can of corn (drained)

1 can of black beans

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 can of chicken broth

1 can of water

2 large chicken breasts (about a pound)

corn tortillas (one tortilla per serving)

avocados (amount will depend on how much you like them)

limes (again, how much do you like)

Put corn, beans, tomatoes, broth and water into a stock pot and bring to a boil.  Once it comes up to a boil, drop it down to a simmer and let it simmer for about a half hour.  Then add the chicken breasts and let them simmer with the soup for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.  Pull out the chicken and let it cool for a while, once it is cool enough to handle shred the chicken using a fork.  Put the shredded chicken back into the pot and let everything simmer together again for at least 20 minutes.  It is more of a stew than a soup I guess.  I chose to make it extra thick because mixing liquids with food is a post-op no no of sorts, so I like really think soups.  When you are ready to serve, you will want to grill your tortillas.  Spray pan with nonstick spray and place in your tortilla, when it starts to bubble a little flip it over.  Ladle a big spoonful of soup into a bowl, top the soup with a big squeeze of lime, some avocado slices and strips of your tortilla.  I use a pair of ktchen shears to cut up the tortillas.  

Sorry about the weird picture, I thought to take a picture after I had already started chowing down on my lunch.  Pretty inexpensive all around, you can totally leave out the avocado if they are pricey in your region.  Some people also like to use corn chips for extra crunch, but i like the softness of the grilled tortilla instead.  You can totally customize this to your specific tastes, I hate cilantro but it would go well in this soup.  Adding more chicken stock would make it more soupy if you like that.  

Happy Eating!

Abduction

Ok, I know, I know... You are right.  I should have known better.  I thought the movie looked like it could be good.  I thought maybe Taylor Lautner just sicked in the Twilight films cause everyone in the Twilight films sucks quite a bit.  Turns out that Taylor Lautner is actually just a pretty crappy actor.  I thought maybe Maria Bello and Sigourney Weaver would not have attached themselves to a film that was absolute crap. I was wrong.  

This movie was pretty bad from beginning to end.  It starts with Lautner's character, Nathan, riding recklessly on the front of a truck as it races through the mountains.  What this had to do with the rest of the film, I have no idea.  Next we see Nathan getting trashed with his friends and waking up passed out on some girls lawn.  This leads us to seeing his father push him to fight even though he is hung over.  The acting is forced, the fighting is obviously staged, the whole thing is trite.  

If you can't tell from the previews, Nathan isn't who he thinks he is, and neither are his parents.  His real father is CIA, well sort of.  His parents, well the people he thinks are his parents, are CIA agents as well.  They were assigned to protect him.  Then there is the bad guy, a weird man who wants a list that Nathan's real father has, but he has decided to go through Nathan to get it.  Oh yeah and then there is Nathan's shrink, Sigourney Weaver, who is CIA also.  As well as the head of the CIA who is trying to find Nathan but apparently can't be trusted.  Are you following all this?  If not don't worry, none of it was really important.  

What is important in this movie?  Lautner's fighting and jumping over things, that happens a lot.  Lautner making out with his female costar who is a bit of a wuss and with whom he had zero chemistry.  Alfred Molina being outsmarted by a teenager, that happens a good bit as well.  

I will finally admit it.  Taylor Lautner is a crappy actor.  The boy is as fine as the day is long, but he could not act his way out of a paper bag.  Too be fair to the young man, he was trained to fight and be an actor by Billy the Blue Ranger.  I guess if that is your mark for being talented then he is doing a fine job.  The rest of the cast pretty much stank up the screen as well.  The dialogue was forced, the fight scenes were obviously choreographed (and poorly at that), the acting was flat, and the story was just plain boring.  Please save your money.  Even fans of Taylor will leave the theather disappointed, there are only two scenes where he takes his shirt off.  When I shell out ten bucks I expect no less than five gratuitous shots of that beautiful body.  I mean seriously when he acts that badly, what else is the kid good for besides being some serious eye candy?

Happy Viewing (of anything else in theaters)!

Where Were You?

This weekend marks the tenth anniversary of September 11th.  Ten years have come and gone since that day when our world forever changed.  I teach high school students, most of them were too young to remember what happened.  They told stories of being told that a tower fell.  They knew it was a bad thing but they couldn't really comprehend why.  It is like my generation hearing about the assassination of our country's president, or the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  Events we know to be world altering, but that do not feel real.  This, however, was very real.

It was my senior year of high school.  AP Calculus was first thing in the morning.  I couldn't tell you what we were doing in class that day.  We were meeting in a classroom that belonged to another teacher. She came in at some point that morning, which was very unusual, and apologized for interrupting but she said she had to turn on the tv.  Something was wrong with the world trade center in New York.  Before that day I don't know that I ever would have been able to identify exactly what was in those two towers in a city full of such large buildings.

We turned on the television and watched the news reports.  At first we couldn't tell what was wrong, we could only see a lot of smoke coming from the building.  It quickly became evident that a plane had crashed into the side of the building.  Such a horrible accident, how did it happen, what went wrong with the plane?  I remember thinking, how tragically sad this accident was for the people in the plane, and I remember worrying for the people in the building, but at this point I was moving on and thinking that I should really get focused the big chemistry test next period.  That's when we saw the second plane.  I admit that I thought for a moment how strange it was that two planes accidentally crashed into neighboring buildings... something must be very wrong with the computers in the planes.  It slowly started to dawn on us that this had been done on purpose.  That's when the fear kicked in.  When the plane when into the pentagon, panic had taken the place of fear.  What else would be hit today, what would happen tomorrow?  What was going to happen to my dad?  Were the people on base safe?

Shortly after this, the bell rang and we switched classes. How strange it was to be going through the normal motions of a school day.  Shouldn't we be going home, locking ourselves up in a bunker or something?  I'll never forget my chemistry teacher keeping her cool that morning.  Most of us from calculus were headed right to chemistry, AP kids flock together, and we entered the room just going a mile a minute.  Did you hear?  What's going to happen?  How could this be happening? She quieted us down, and calmly handed out our tests.  She had to be kidding right?  Surely we would turn on the tv and keep watching the news.  She was not kidding, she told us that as soon as we change our plans and alter our lives in response to the terrorists, they win.  They may knock us down, but they don't get to keep us there.  So we took our tests and went on to our next classes... that is until the bomb threat.

I am pretty sure that there is a very special place set aside in hell for the person who called in the bomb threat that day.  Bomb threats were not uncommon in my life, they happened multiple times in middle school, military schools being an obvious target overseas.  I have never once been actually frightened of there being a bomb in my school, I always assumed that if you actually wanted to blow up the school you wouldn't warn anyone first.  I was scared that day.  They evacuated us to the soccer field, not a safe distance, and really open for flying shrapnel.  We milled nervously around waiting for the all clear to go back inside, and a shout rings out across the field "I see an airplane."  That kid has a spot in the special hell as well.  I went straight home after school.  My mom and I sat on the couch and watched the coverage of the events of the morning.  When my brother came home and saw the tv, he asked us what movie we were watching.  The middle school had not told the students anything.  Routines went back to normal, but life was never the same again.

It was not a lot more than a year later when I sat in a room in the history building of Georgia Tech and heard that the war had officially begun.  Of course for me the war began a long time before that, when we said goodbye to my dad and he headed to Iraq.  It is hard to describe what it is like to have a parent off at war.  I am so thankful to the community that I had built up around myself, and to my professors, for helping me at that time.  I have never been great at dealing with my feelings, and I did a truly fantastic job that semester of running away from my fears but embracing them at the same time.  I went a really long time skipping class and obsessively watching the news.  Luckily for me, I never heard the names of people that I loved.  There are so many people who were not so lucky.

I was sitting at CCF a few years later when I heard about the death of Laura.  Laura and I were not close, I don't think you could call us friends.  We went to high school together for one year.  It was a very small school.  Laura was a senior when I was a freshman.  We were both on the Model UN team that went to the Hague that year.  I stuck with my freshman friends, and annoyed her and her older friends.  She loaned me her shoes one night though.  They were cute and tall, I was clutzy and I broke them.  She was so angry with me.  I wrote her a letter apologizing about the shoes, she wrote me back telling me not to worry.  In my letter I wished her luck at West Point, she would be attending there in the fall.  Graduating just in time to serve in Afghanistan and get hit by an IED.  I learned of her death from my friend DeSean.  He had always wanted to fight in a war when we were growing up.  He spoke of it often.  We were able to meet up one spring in Tucson, TX.  Sadly, he wasn't the same young man anymore.   He had served in Afghanistan as well and seen up close and personal the effects of those deadly devices.

I ask you to take a look back this weekend as well.  Remember where you were when you heard about the twin towers.  Be thankful for the freedom that you have in your life.  If you see a soldier, a police officer, or a firefighter stop them to say thank you for everything that they do and for the sacrifices they make.  So many men and women have died since that day fighting to protect you and I.  We are truly blessed to have the freedoms that we do, but freedom is definitely not free.  It is paid for everyday by people in uniform, take a minute and say thanks, it may mean more to them than you will ever know.

Uglies

As most of you by now know, I am an avid reader of young adult fiction.  I gobble up these books like I used to gobble... well everything.  I think the appeal of these books is that you can fully escape into them.  It's like boarding a plane to a new place (without the pricey plane ticket).  People often dismiss these books as trivial, and it's true that some of them are.  Admittedly there was not a whole lot to the Pretty Little Liars series, what you read was what you got.  The truth is, though, that most of these young adult novels are quite thought provoking.  They ask you to question things that you have always believed, to look at the world through a different set of eyes.  I think this quality is especially important for the intended audience, teenagers so often merely skim the surface of life without bothering to think any deeper.  The Twilight series, the books people not the movies, encourages girls to find strength in themselves.  Not physical strength like what is so obvious in the vampires, but mental and emotional strength is what makes Bella special and in the end saves everyone.  The Host makes us question what it means to really be human, and look at the dangers of thinking you can fix all the problems of the planet.  The Heist Society books highlight the importance of family and not giving in to what seems like impossible situations.  The Uglies series raises a bunch of similar questions.

Uglies is yet another dystopic society book.  Years in the future, the Rusties (us) have all died out and civilazation has "evolved" and learned from it's "mistakes."  Realizing that people were treated differently based on their looks, the government gives everyone an operation at the age of 16 to make them pretty.  This way everyone is treated equally, no one is picked on for their looks, and problems essentially disappear.  Everyone is sorted into groups.  You start as a Littlie, living with your parents who are "Middle Pretties." When you are 12, and thus reaching your awkward years, you move into Uglytown and you are considered to be an "ugly".  When you are 16 you are turned surgically into a "New Pretty."  The surgery not only changes your appearance to what is considered classically beautiful (big eyes, smooth skin, full lips, medium height, medium build, silky hair, etc.) it also fixes your vision, strengthens your immune system and tones your muscles.  The theory is that when everyone is pretty, no one really stands out anymore.  The Uglies all tease each other and point out their worst features, but it doesn't bother them because they know when they reach 16 they will be pretty.  Anorexia is a disease of the past, so is obesity.

The questions this book raises are very interesting.  I can see the appeal of taking appearance out of the equation, but is their solution the best one?  Would it not be better if people could start seeing the pretty inside of people instead of having to have people look just so before they are valued.  I like the way it highlights the dangers of judging people based on their looks, their skin tone, their clothes.  Yes, the solution in this book was extreme, but was it warranted.  How far will we go in our hatred?  Not that long ago we enslaved people based purely on their skin.  We thought of them as inhuman, and why? Because they looked a little different?  Ridiculous.  The effects of that stupidity are still haunting us today.  Now we have somehow decided that people that practice different religions than us are dangerous.  We have based our beliefs of a whole group of people based on the actions of a few.  Ironically it is exactly that thought process that spurred the extremists to attack our nation.  If you could fix these things, would you?  Where would you draw the line if you thought you could help the world?  This book has definitely got me thinking, and I am hoping that it has the minds of the younger generation churning as well.

While I definitely enjoyed the story of Uglies, I found the writing to be a little immature.  It is definitely aimed at a younger group than I usually read.  The descriptions of situations were a little simpler than I would like, and the book reads very quickly.  Despite this simplification of wording the book still resonates and makes the reader question who they are and what they really believe about beauty.  I definitely recommend the story.  I am going to read the rest of the series as well, I hope that the thought provoking questions still ring out from the concurring pages.  I will definitely let you know.  :)

Happy Reading.

My Current Favorites

So I go through phases in my life where I get a little bit obsessed with different foods.  I get on a Thai food kick occasionally and I will eat Massaman curry 4 or 5 times in a week.  I am on several kicks currently, so I thought I would share.

Ham and Cheese Pickle Wrap:
Many props have to go out to my Gramma Lou for this one.  She shares my affinity for all things spicy.  Last time we visited she had jalapeno pickles.  These are regular dill pickles that have been pickled along with jalapenos so they take on some of the spice.  I love them.  Pickles are a great snack food for those of that crave salty and crunchy.  They have very few calories, but taste great.  I take a few pieces of ham, a slice of havarti cheese and warp it around a pickle.  Munch and enjoy.  You get the protein from the ham, the creamy from the havarti, a little crunch and spice from the pickle.  So good! One of these fills me up for a little while, but I don't like to make it an actual meal.

Greek Yogurt - Audrey Syle:
Greek yogurt is a WLS patient's dream.  It is chock full of protein, and when you buy the fat free version it is very good for you.  Unfortumately the flavored store brands have way to much sugar.  To get around this I make my own.  I take plain yogurt then mix in a splash of sugar free vanilla syrup and a spoonful of low sugar jam.  After that I add some Bear Naked protein granola and a sprinkle of Special K.  The Special K absorbs the yogurt and thickens everything up.  The granola adds a nice crunch and a little extra protein.  Yumm-O!

Special K:
Low sugar, decent protein for a serving.  I sprinkle a teaspoon of splenda over the top and then add skim milk.  A sliced banana or a couple of berries completes this awesome meal.

Mexican Food:
1 can of fat free refried beans.  A big splash of salsa and hot sauce.  A handful of mexican cheese.  Mix together over low heat until the beans are easy to stir.  I like to add in shredded chicken (marinate it in greek yogurt before cooking for extra tender chicken).  I eat this with a spoon.  High protein and spicy - just the way I like it!

Happy Munching ya'll!  Hopefully some of my food obsessions will become your tasty snack!  :)

The Help

Truth be told, I became interested in this book when I saw the trailer for the movie.  I have said it before, and will say it again, I love Emma Stone.  As soon as I saw her in the trailer I decided that I must read the book and see the movie.  I am here to testify that neither will disappoint you.

The story is about black maids working for white families in Mississippi, except that its about so much more than that.  Each lady in this story unfolds as a character with more depth than you would suspect.  One thing that I loved about this book is that it didn't paint anyone as purely evil or purely good.  I read so many young adult fiction stories where the antagonist is so clearly evil that there is not any real fun in hating them, it is just to easy.  Hilly Holbrook though, she was fun to hate.

The basic plot is that Skeeter has come home from college at Ole Miss and takes her aspirations of being a journalist to unexpected levels by interviewing the black maids that work in the houses around her town.  The story takes place as the civil rights movement is picking up in America.  The story is told from 3 different persepectives: Skeeter, Aibileen and Minny.  Aibileen is a voice of reason and calm who cares deeply for the children that she cares for.  Minny is a spitfire of a woman who rarely holds her tongue.  Together in secret these ladies work to gather the tales of other maids in town to build a book they call "The Help."

The characters in the book are vivid and bright, and the movie does not alter them at all.  So often I go to the theater in anticipation of the adaptation of my favorite books only to be disappointed.  (Harry Potter anyone?) So I went to see The Help expecting them to change the story that I had loved so much.  I was in for a shock.  The movie and book flow very seemlessly together.  The timeline is altered a bit to add some extra drama, and the story line of one maid is changed, but all in all it was like watching my imagination from the book on screen.

Emma Stone plays the comedic loud woman so excellently in her films, yet she brought a different perspective to Skeeter.  Octavia Spencer plays Minny to perfection.  From the waggle of her eyebrows to the wiggle of her hips, Minny jumps off the page and onto the screen flawlessly.  Viola Davis wows as Aibileen.  She manages to convey strength and softness all at the same time.

My favorite thing about going to see this film was the mix of people in the audience.  From old to young and skin tones of every shade.  This story touches everyone.  The audience roared with laughter at the terrible awful (read it, you will understand).  The sweet lady next to me handed me a tissue as Constantine's story came to it's conclusion.  I found it remarkable how this story of segregation brought so many people from so many walks of life together.

Dear friends and readers, if you only ever see one film that I recommend, please make it this one.  Go get the book then go see the movie.  OR go see the movie then go get the book.  Either way you will be glad you did.

Happy Viewing and Reading!

Soul Surfer

Every once in a while a movie or a story comes along that changes you.  It may be a small change, but there is the way you were before and the way you will be forever more.  Soul Surfer is one of those movies.  You know the story already, it was all over the news.  A girl from Hawaii has her arm chomped off by a shark while surfing, she goes on to not only surf again but to win national competitions in surfing.  It is one thing to hear about this amazing young woman, it is another thing to watch her story unfold before your eyes.

AnnaSophia Robb (you may recognize her from the Bridge to Terribithia movie) plays Bethany Hamilton a surfer girl from Hawaii.  Her parents are portrayed by Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt.  Kevin Sorbo plays the father of her best friend, he was with her when the shark attack happened.  These actors were given immensely difficult roles to play, they manage to convey so many emotions and challenges without overacting.

What makes this movie so amazing is that it is a true story.  The strength of Bethany radiates off the screen.  It is s true testament to the human spirit, it is amazing what we can do when we put our minds to it.  The movie does not shy away from the spiritual side of Bethany's life.  She openly admits that her faith is what helped her stay strong, and the movie embraces that in a marvelous way.  They frequently reference the verse that says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  It is so obvious in everything that Bethany does that she truly believes that to be true.  They show her doubts and her fears as well, and I love that.  So often in films you get either characters that claim to have faith but truly lack it, or people who are so blind in their beliefs that they are unbelievable.  Finding a character with real balance is not a common occurrence.
 
I highly recommend this film, especially for the younger generation.  All too frequently today I hear excuses on why something can't be done, I wish that there were more people of Bethany's generation that know how persevere.  She never took an advantage over other surfers, she didn't want her disability to even be a factor in her surf competitions.  That is amazing in today's society where it seems like everyone is looking for a handout or a hand up in some way or another.  To the real Bethany Hamilton - I thank you for sharing your story with the world.  It could not have been easy to watch people take your life and put it on film for the world to see, and I so value the courage that you have shown.   

Happy Viewing!

Below is an article that was posted by a fellow WLS recipient.  She did not post it to support it, but because it angered her.  I was thouroughly angered as well.  I will let you read the vitriol, and you will find my comments below.  The article can be found in italics, my thoughts in regular font.  

Fuming Foodie
US News & World Report recently noted that gastric bypass surgery not only cuts your appetite but also might reduce your desire for high-fat foods. Over the years, I've had friends who have suffered through gastric bypass or lap band procedures. They've all shed weight as if they had made a pact with Satan -- quickly and what appears to be easily.

People applaud their weight loss and congratulate them on how thin they've become and how good they look.

Not I.

I don't like cheating and I don't like short cuts, especially (at least) when it comes to such a big thing (pun totally intended).

My weight has yo-yoed during the years. I've been normal weight, thick, chubby, and obese. When I was at my heaviest, 250 pounds, I did the unthinkable. I cut my calories to less than 500 per day and began exercising two hours daily. Guess what? I also lost weight as if I had a pact with "he who must not be named." (Oh, wait, that's Lord Voldemoort; I mean the other guy.)

It was difficult, especially at first. But every day I -- and my will -- grew stronger. And after three months (in which I lost 80 pounds), I was very, very proud of myself.

How can I be proud of someone who takes the easy route? Someone who decides that having a surgeon cut them open and rearrange or modify their insides is easier than eating less and exercising more? It's just lazy.

And if you're too lazy to cut calories and exercise, you don't deserve to be skinny.

Before I get a ton of comments about how some people are so obese they don't have a choice -- chill, please. You're the type of person who enables drug addicts and criminals. I have the Learning Channel. I've seen those shows about the heaviest people on the planet, including Manuel Uribe from Mexico, who weighed more than 1,000 pounds and was dubbed "the Fattest Man on Earth." He began losing weight by exercising and cutting down on eating. Sure, his exercise consisted of doing arm circles while lying in bed, but it burned more calories than lying there eating tacos.

And if the fattest man on Earth can say no to food and yes to exercise, so can all of the self-indulgent, overweight, spineless jellyfish who take the easy way out.


In the beginning, I was hesitant to tell anyone about my decision to have gastric bypass.  This hateful person is the reason for that hesitation.  The attitude that the surgery is an easy way out, or in some way cheating, is one that scares me.  My journey has been in no way easy.  If you saw me get wheeled into my room from the OR, then you know that from minute one after surgery I have been in a fight.  If you saw me work with my doctors and surgeons and anyone who would listen at the insurance company, you know that I was fighting long before the surgery.  


Let's start at the end.  You call me self-indulgent.  That's a laugh.  For me indulging is eating a piece of fruit, or maybe a bowl of Special-K.  I no longer "indulge" anything, you obviously know nothing about my life.  You call me overweight.  Ok, you have me there.  I am still overweight, but I won't be for long.  You call me a spineless jellyfish.  You must never have had surgery.  It is a little bit terrifying.  I give myself shots once a month, yet I used to be terrified of needles.  My spine is perfectly intact, thank you very much.  Oh yeah, and it's stronger than ever.


If you could have seen me sit in the teacher's lounge this week while my coworkers all ate a beautiful cake for someone's birthday and not even take a lick of icing, you know that I can "say no to food."  The surgery didn't prevent me from picking up the plastic knife, sliding it through my fingers and popping that icing in my mouth.  They didn't sew my mouth shut.  They made the consequences of that action much more tangible to me.  Instead of only knowing that eating that icing is not good for me in general, the surgery allows me to know that I will instantly regret that decision.  I will be so sick to my stomach within minutes of eating that icing.  


This author obviously has a very warped view of dieting.  Anyone eating 500 calories a day in addition to working out for an extended period of time is anorexic.  Congratulations moron, you had a very serious disease for a period of time and it helped you lose weight.  Eating 500 calories a day is not something to be proud of.  It is a sickness.  Within weeks after my surgery I was required to get at least that much a day, within a month and a half I was supposed to be getting 800 calories a day.  Now I go for 1000 calories.  After three months of starving yourself, you should be seeing a therapist.   


Yes, I made cutting the amount that I ate easier on myself.  I took an opportunity to change my life.  It hurt, a lot.  It has been emotionally very challenging.  I struggle every day with how much to eat.  I feel terrible if I don't eat enough, I feel terrible if I eat too much.  I didn't only have someone gut me, I had them take away my options.  I boxed myself into a corner so that I didn't have the option of quitting anymore.  I walked away from the thing I love best in this world, eating.  How dare you judge me for having the courage to do that.  Do you hate people who use Nicotine patches as well?  And those damn diabetics with their insulin shots... I applaud anyone who is able to change their lives for the better.  No matter how they get there.  


On behalf of all of the "self-indulgent, overweight, spineless jellyfish" out there, I sincerely hope that you get some help.  

Crazy, Stupid, Love

I wasn't sure about this movie.  It had cute film potential, but such things often disappoint.  I was not at all disappointed.  The basic story is that Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily (Julianne Moore) are getting divorced.  Cal seeks solace at a singles bar and meets Jacob (Ryan Gosling) there.  Jacob takes pity on Cal and gives him a man-over, teaches him to dress better and to pick up women.  The side stories are what make this film special though.  There are several unrequited love stories happening in the same triangles that are so so cute.  Emma Stone plays Hannah, a lawyer who meets Jacob at the same bar where he meets Cal.  There interactions have a certain sizzle to them, I just wanted to see more of them together.

Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling actually have great chemistry together.  Julianne Moore had a tough role to play, but she manages to bring a grace to the role and style so that you still end up liking her.  Emma Stone is always a favorite, I will watch her in anything.  I definitely recommend this one.  I don't want to say much more about it because the little things are what makes this movie so charming, but if you know to look for them I think they will lose some of their endearingness.   This film will lose not one iota of charm by waiting for it to come out on video, but definitely pick it up from the redbox when it is available.

Happy Viewing!  

On Going For a Run...

So today I did something I haven't done since elementary school.  I went running just for the hell of it.  I didn't go far, 2.05 miles.  I didn't go fast, 35 minutes total.  I didn't run the whole time, I alternated between running and walking.  I don't even think that I ran even half of the total time, but I did run.  


I mentioned in a previous post that while driving down the road rocking out to some sweet tunes, I had a mental image of myself running to those tunes.  This planted the seed.  It was a small seed, granted but it was there.  I am back in the full swing of things at work, and one thing that I was adamant about was implementing a work out in to my routine. I started with some Jillian Michaels Wii Fit, I have to be honest I didn't really like it, but the running part was kind of fun.  The next day I switched to Wii Fit Plus, I went for a "run" on that as well.  My left leg is really sore and I was thinking that it may be from running in place like that without any shoes on.  So the plan was to actually run full out the next day.  


Ah but the best laid plans of mice and women... I wanted to run with my music to pump things up, but I left my ipod at work.  Ok, back up plan - run with Pandora on my phone, but my phone had no charge.  So I decided not to go running.  Then I read an article... I will post about it later, but it pissed me off something fierce.  I thought screw that b**ch, I'll show her, I'm going running.  So I go to get my running shoes... I can only find one.  So I give up again.  But that was Old Audrey's way of doing things.  New Audrey set her mind to something, and I was going to make it happen.  I looked in one last box and found my shoe!


My plan was to follow the Couch to 5k program.  I got on the treadmill and I thought "Ok, I can actually do this."  Then my ego kicked in to gear.  I read on the Couch to 5k plan that I should go for a total of 30 minutes and run for minute periods though out.  Humph, I can do better than that.  I ran for a tenth of a mile.  Ok, I got this.  I ran for .15 miles.  Ok, I so got this.  So then I decided to run faster.  Run for 2 minutes at a time.  Run a little faster.  I guess you could say that my ego was writing checks that I am not sure my body can cash.  (Yes, I am watching Top Gun as I write this post)


I stopped sweating about halfway through.  Never a good sign.  My abdomen started really cramping at about minute 18.  I remembered that I should have brought some water with me at around minute 20.  I will definitely run again, but I am going to be smarter next time.  The C25K plan works for people cause it keeps them from going to far too fast in the beginning and then quitting cause they are hurt.  I kinds forgot that while I was going.   Music is a must, I think I am going to pace myself on songs not the clock on the treadmill.  One song running, two songs walking.  I am going to bring my water bottle with me next time.  duh.  


All in all it was a positive experience.  We will see if I can walk tomorrow.  

Friends With Benefits

I questioned whether or not I should go see this movie.  In premise it is remarkably similar to a recent movie called No Strings Attached (NSA).  Both movies feature an attractive pair of friends who decide that they can engage in intimate relations without actually being in a relationship with each other.  NSA starred Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher, she was a busy doctor and he worked in television.  There was not a lot of chemistry between them, the humor fell short in most places (the obvious exception being Mindy Kaling playing the best friend who was quite hilarious), and it was too formulaicly stuck to the romantic comedy genre.  Friends with Benefits, however, was constantly funny, the stars has a sizzle factor with each other, and the formula was not strictly adhered to.

Let's start with the basic plot.  Justin Timberlake plays Dylan a graphic designer from LA.  Mila Kunis plays Jamie, a head hunter from NY.  Jamie recruits Dylan to be the art director of GQ, he moves to New York and they become friends.  From there they decide to have casual relations and obvious complications ensue.  Please don't get me wrong folks, this was a romantic comedy.  The formula was followed, however the manner in which we reached our inevitable conclusion made this movie stand apart from is counterparts.

I have been a fan of Justin Timberlake for a long time.  In fact, it was his appearance on MTV's Punk'd that made me like him.  Don't get me wrong, I liked N'SYNC along with all the other girls my age, but I was more into Lance Bass.  Justin was one of the first people Punk'd on Ashton Kutcher's prank show.  They acted like they were IRS agents seizing all of his property.  I started to really like Justin as I watched him react to this situation.  He didn't scream at the agents, he didn't threaten anyone.  When someone started smashing his guitar he said please when he asked them to stop.  Above all else though, when faced with the scary situation of having people seize his stuff, he called his mom.  It's exactly what I would have done, it made him seem like a real person and not a celebrity.  In addition to that, Justin makes music that makes you want to move.  He has an impecable sense of comedic timing and is not afraid to commit to a role.

I am also a fan of Mila Kunis, she was awesome in Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  I also liked Mila in this role because, while a very skinny girl, she managed to look like an actually human being instead of an emaciated actress.  Together these actors had definite chemistry, they also played well comically off of one another.  I got the sense that they were allowed to adlib some scenes and took the jokes to a new level.  The rest of the cast was stellar as well.  Jenna Elfman plays Dylan's sister, but she is not the zany Dharma that you remember she has a sense of depth in this role that I loved.  Patricia Clarkson plays Jamie's mother and showed us once again how she can play crazy and yet still make us love her.  Woody Harrelson, Bryan Greenburg and Richard Jenkins shine as well.  The humor was exactly my brand of funny.  They didn't take it anywhere gross, there weren't sex jokes that made you cringe.  There was just pure hilarity in two friends who had no problem making fun of each other.  One thing that I really liked was that Dylan and Jamie were actually friends and it was clear how important that aspect of their arrangement was.  Their chemistry was not just physical, but emotional as well.

This is not a movie that it is necessary to see in the theaters, but you will not be disappointed if you choose to shell out the movie theater prices.  I think this is one that I will be buying when it is available.  I immediately wanted to watch it again when the credits rolled.  

Happy Viewing!

Captain America

I am not the kid who grew up reading comic books.  In fact, I don't believe that I have ever read an actual comic book from cover to cover (with the exclusion of Archie and the gang).  I do, however, really like the comic book movies.  Maybe it has something to do with going to school with thousands of boys who did grow up reading these stories, and are now seeing them come to life.  I think that is more likely stems from the fact that the stories providing plot to these movies are just really good.  There is always a cute love story, a lot of drama and a bit of adventure.  A little something for everyone, if you will.

The latest installation in the comic book franchise is about Captain America.  This one particularly appealed to me because of the army aspect.  I love a good story about soldiers going above and beyond for their country and for their compatriots.  Captain America is the tale of a scrawny kid, Steve Rogers, from Brooklyn, he is a young adult during the second world war and wants nothing more than to enlist and fight for his country.  It hearkens to a time when the entire country was behind the soldiers.  There was no greater honor than to serve your country, the movies didn't show previews, they showed you how to help with the war effort.  Steve is continually turned down for enlistment due to his health and his size.  He tries again and again changing his name and his hometown and he is finally spotted by a doctor who is looking for a soldier to use in an experiment.  The experiment turns scrawny, short Steve Rogers into ripped, tall and incredibly hot.

I don't want to give away to much plot, but Steve is turned into Captain America - a symbol to promote war bonds.  On a morale trip overseas he finally gets his chance to fight for his country, and fight he does.  The action scenes are intense and fun.  The real greatness from this movie, though, comes through the characters that are developed.  Chris Evans does a great job playing both the scrawny and buff version of Steve.  He manages to convey his sense of duty and honor without being over the top or showy.  Stanly Tucci, always a favorite of mine, does a wonderful job as the German doctor/scientist who invented the process that "creates" Captain America.  His accent is subtle yet quite good.  Hugo Weaving plays red skull, the evil German scientist who develops evil weapons and is bent on destroying the world.  Hugo has proven his acting chops to the world in The Matrix and V for Vendetta, and he does not fail his fans here.

This is definitely a movie to go see in the theaters.  The action sequences play well on the big screen, and ladies you do not want to miss a chance to see all 30 feet of Chris Evans.  The PG-13 rating comes from the violence of the fighting, so I would say that even younger boys could go see this movie without their parents feeling like the exposed them to something they shouldn't have.  I also felt, that in the current political climate, it was nice to escape to a time where we were united as a country.  The sense of loyalty to his country that Steve shows is something that we could all take a lesson on.  I liked the story as well because our hero was picked because of who he was, not what he could do or some kind of accident.  There was nothing special about Steve before the experiment, at least nothing physically or mentally special.  His value came from his heart, his desire to do what was right, his passion to serve his country, and his determination to never give up. He truly is a hero before he ever attains his physical attributes.

Happy viewing!

My Just Desserts

I usually handle my dietary restrictions pretty well.  I have a proclivity towards bread, but for the most part that is my only real weakness with the new rules on my diet.  Recently, though, I have been craving all sorts of things that I am not supposed to eat.  It started innocently enough, a coupon for a bagel thin appeared at my door.  In my head, a bagel thin is much better than a bagel. It is much much smaller, and if I got some cream cheese that would even add protein.  I know that I would desperately regret eating such a thing, but the thought was planted none-the-less.  Next came ice cream.  I am reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone at the moment, and Dudley gets a large chocolate ice cream at the zoo.  Now I want some chocolate ice cream almost as much as I want to keep breathing.  With these cravings forcing their way into my thoughts, they seem to have brought others along as well.  A whopper with cheese, waffle fries, apple pie, and last but most assuredly not least - a peach milkshake.  I'm not hungry in the slightest, even as I type out all of these nastily dangerous words, I feel no hunger.  But oh how I want them, that little thought keeps niggling at my brain.

I have successfully resisted temptation so far, and one of the awesome things that has come out of my new life, I know that I will continue to resist.  That's not to say though, that I get no satisfaction.  That chocolate craving was cured with a 100 calorie dark chocolate bar from Trader Joe's.  Only 5 grams of sugar in the whole bar, and it takes a good long while to eat the whole bar.  I combined that with an ice cold glass of milk, and I was one happy lady.  The burger craving was fixed with alternate fast food, Taco Bell fresco chicken soft taco.  Now I am pretty sure that the peach milkshake has no fix, there is nothing in the world quite like it. However, I am finding that the simple things in life are just more fun for me these days.  So, ok, I am missing out on a few flavors and sensations that I once liked.  I have gained so many other things that I now love.  While listening to music on my drive to Athens today, I daydreamed about going for a run.  That is not something that I do.  I parked my car and walked back in to my building and on a few quick errands around my apartment complex today instead of figuring out the least possible steps I could take and still get my tasks done.  I reveled in each step in the sunshine.  Way better than a whopper.  :)

Winnie the Pooh

I took a 5 year old precocious young lady to see the new Winnie the Pooh movie the other day.  It was like being transported back in time.  The movie plays like a very long episode of Winnie the Pooh from back in the day.  John Cleese's narration is spot on.  Zoey Deschanel brought a wonderful sense of lightness to the theme song.  Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore are as delightful as always.  The movie feels exactly like it should.  The premise is that Pooh wants honey, obviously, Eeyore has lost his tail, and a note from Christopher Robin leads everyone to believe has has been kidnapped by a monster called a Backson.  This isn't a twisty complicated plot, it's not going to win any Oscars.  For fans of Pooh and friends, though, it is perfect.  Not so long that it will fail to hold the attention of youngsters, but not so short that you feel cheated for paying movie prices.  (I do recommend matinee though, this is not a Friday night movie.)  If you don't have little ones to accompany you, wait till it comes to DVD and rent it.  I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful retreat into my past.

Bad Teacher

As an educator, I was particularly excited about seeing this movie.  I thought it would be awesome to see a teacher just do whatever she wanted.  I thought it would be even more awesome to see the administration try to crack down and mess up.  I was super excited to see the shenanigans that the kids got up to in the classroom.  I was utterly disappointed.

The kids sat quietly in the classroom and watched the movies that she showed.  They even complained a little that they had to watch movies instead of learn.  What a joke.  The people who made this film have obviously never sat in a classroom.  Sure after a month of nothing but movies kids would definitely speak up, but not on the first day.  They would love it.

The only good thing about this film was Jason Segel.  Good lord do I love that man.  They did not give him nearly enough screen time.  They devoted more time to Justin Timberlake, who did an admirable job bringing a poorly written character to life.  He worked well in the construct he was given, but JT has major acting chops.  Don't pin him in like that, let his timing and brilliance shine through.  Jason's role fit him much better, the sarcastic gym teacher who mocked everyone else.  I loved it.  Cameron Diaz fell flat as the shallow teacher who didn't care.

Bad Teacher implies that she truly is terrible.  At worst she was negligent.  She drank in class and slept while her one class watched films.  Seriously writers, have you been to a middle school before?  She taught middle school English, where were her other classes?  The story says that all she wanted was to get enough money to get a boob job so that she could find a rich person to marry her and she wouldn't have to work anymore.  She falls for JT's character, the substitute who comes from money.

I laughed at the appropriate parts, but all in all this movie is what was really bad.  You had a talented cast of comedic actors, yet their skills were not really showcased.  One of the things that I think makes a comedy great is spontaneity.  When the actors know the general direction the scene should go, but then they are allowed to explore their characters a little by ad-libbing lines.  It felt like everyone stuck precisely to the script on this one.

All in all, I say skip this film.  There are much better and funnier movies out there.  If you really want to see it wait for it to come to the redbox, it might be worth a dollar.

Traditional Sunday Dinner

I have had the urge to cook this week.  My summer is coming to a close and I have to go back to work and move apartments very soon.  I am babysitting some people that I love very much for the next two weeks, so it is going to be interesting.  This is pretty much my last free weekend before chaos erupts.  Consequently the urge to cook has been bubbling up.

Last night I made a Quiche, a go to favorite of mine due to the high protein content it offers.  I used half a pack of bacon, cut it into little strips and then crisped it up in a frying pan.  I don't like quiche that contains only meat and cheese, but I was feeling pretty agoraphobic yesterday and I didn't have any fresh veggies in the house.  I cracked open my pantry and found a can of tomatoes.  I found out after I opened the jar that they were designed to go into a chili base.  I found this out because the smell of chili powder hit me like a ton of bricks when I opened the can.  I put the tomatoes in a strainer and gave them a good rinse, but the chili powder still clung to those tomatoes.  I decided to use them anyway.  The effect was quite good.  The quiche did not have an overpowering chili flavor, but it did hang around in the background.  All in all I am quite pleased with my creation.

Tonight, I am making a traditional Sunday dinner.  My goal is to create something you might see in a tv dinner,  but the good version.  I was ironically enough inspired by cupcakes.  Paula Deen made cupcakes the other day and decorated them to look like fried chicken, mashed potatoes and peas with carrots.  The mashed potato cupcake was eerily accurate.  I can't eat cupcakes, man I miss them though, so I decided that I would make the actual food instead.  I don't eat fried foods any more either, so the fried chicken is becoming a meatloaf.  Mashed potatoes are definitely a go, and I am going to make green beans as well.

While my family was visiting earlier this summer, we took a trip to the Dekalb farmer's market to buy things to make dinner.  We ended up making a delicious meatloaf.  I got my inspiration from Ina Garten but I used ground beef instead of turkey.  Man o man was it tasty.  Tonight I will be going with the healthier turkey option because my roommate does not eat beef.  The trick is to let the meatloaf sit with everything mixed together for a while, that way the flavors marry before they are baked.  I add saute'd mushrooms to the recipe as well.  Cooking the vegetables first helps develop the moisture in the meatloaf, and adds nice depth of flavor.

For my green beans, I am going to saute them with mushrooms and toasted almonds.  I was originally planning to use pine nuts, because of the creamy texture and crunch they add.  Trader Joe's sold their pine nuts for $8 a bag.  I found that to be a ridiculous price, so I am substituting the much cheaper almonds.  I will get the same nutty flavor and crunch, for less than half the price.

Happy Cooking!