Recipes and Reviews

U2, Me, and a Deadly Sin

2009-03-26T23:17:00.000-07:00

This is a life update blog for the zero people who read this.

At this moment, as iTunes plays in the background (currently listening to 867-5309/ Jenny by Tommy Tutone), life has taken some interesting turns.

M. is gearing up for a second interview with the District Manager of Gamestop to become a manager at our local store. This would be an amazing opportunity for him, and some much needed employment in this unfortunate recession.

Tomorrow morning at 11am I have a pre-interview for a possible interview for the bakery section at the local Whole Foods. Not the writing career move I hoped for, but any work is welcome if it's from God.

The gym in our building has brand new equipment, quite motivating for M. and I to get our asses back into shape-- man, it's going to take a while. Perhaps the discount at Whole Foods can promote fresher meals as well.

The best news came yesterday, when my mother-in-law told my husband he and I were going to see U2's kick off tour concert in September with them-- and the already have tickets! This will be my first rock concert at age... 24!

At the moment, I'm a bit discouraged reflecting on my new "in-law" family. My mother, sisters, father, and brothers-in-law are all GORGEOUS. This is NOT an exaggeration. My 50 y.o mother-in-law is still hit on by twenty somethings, not to mention she has the personality to match.

I saw pictures on facebook of her much younger and then the sadness and jealousy hit me simultaneously. This is definitely spiritual warfare, as lately I've been laying out my current and lifelong goals, following God much more, and learning to love myself. Then I'm hit with the regret of spending my youth and early twenties fat, and being the heaviest I've EVER been after I'd lost so much weight brings tears to my eyes.

However, I'm wiping those tears away, saying FU to Satan, and looking toward God. I am beautiful. I am fun, nice, smart, artistic, and can sing! I LOVE that I can sing and draw and write. Plus, God has given me some amazing spiritual gifts, and has taught me to love and understand people, no matter what their transgressions. And there are all the blessings in my life, past and present, that come together to form the individual life that only I lead, thanks to God.

So peace out, Satan, I'm going to hang with Jesus.

Twilight-- The Movie

2009-03-26T23:02:00.000-07:00

Out of sheer curiosity and my husband's love of bad cinema, I went to see Twilight Thanksgiving weekend in 2008. Now the DVD has reached store shelves, much to the anticipation of its adoring fans and the chagrin of the rest of us. However, we bought the DVD.

My husband and I can't help ourselves when teenage romance, star-crossed lovers, and forbidden vampiric desires are all blended into one deliciously bad film... except... on the second viewing, the film isn't that bad. As long as you aren't expecting an emotionally and intellectually moving cinematic about discrimination and romance, then you will enjoy yourself.

That's all I really have to say about the film, simply because that's all there is TO say-- also the soundtrack is better than both the book and film combined.

For the Twilight series fans who hated the film-- get over it. Film and literature (if you can call Twilight that) are two separate art forms and should be viewed the same, especially in terms of adaptations. The film will cut up the book and most likely add elements for suspense-- I am, of course, referring to the made up friend of Charlie's killed by James-- because these films are trying to bring in an audience larger than the poor saps (I include myself in this group) who bought and read the books. Mass appeal is what film studios are all about and I wish people would accept that fact and move on, rather than waste breath complaining how the film was NOTHING like the book.

Twilight the film was SIMILAR to Twilight the book-- don't be so over dramatic.

As far as the casting goes, if it bothers you so much, move to Hollywood and become a casting agent. So what if Robert Pattinson isn't who you pictured as Edward? Chances are you're one of thousands who feel the same way and have their own individual idea of who should play the characters. And even Anti-Twilight Movie club members must admit Pattinson looks like vampire... a lot.

If you can't tell, I'm still angry at this series...

The Watchman Review

2009-01-21T20:08:00.000-08:00

Anyone who appreciates a sexy trailer with an excellent song has been intrigued by "The Watchmen." After seeing it for the first time, I once again felt the need to investigate and read the original graphic novel, especially to observe the adaption (I refrain from using the word "compare" as film is its own medium and will tell a story differently than text).

Graphic novels never had an appeal to me until recently, thanks to my husband's influence, and I am fortunate the interest has grown. "The Watchmen" is much more than illustrations and a melodramatic superhero story, it questions the price our own civil "superheroes" make from sacrificing relationships and family, to the psychological and emotional effects the responsibility of protecting the public creates. Furthermore, themes of love, betrayal, regret, and age all wind their way through the complex characters and plot lines.

This is definitely a graphic novel that requires rereading, for both the story and the reader. The story is meant to be reviewed and dissected-- every drawing, every character, every word is relevant. And readers must reread to comprehend every lesson, not to mention the ending... Even now my critique feels incapacitated as I've only read The Watchman once.

This spring's film adaptation seems to have the imagery dead on, but I can't imagine how it will capture the depth and content of the graphic novel. If nothing else-- read "The Watchmen."

The Twilight book series... and all its disappointments

2009-01-19T14:02:00.000-08:00

Because of the overwhelming amount of publicity, popularity, and good things said about this series on facebook, the Twilight books lit up my curiosity. First, my husband and I saw the movie, a regular vampire love story cheese fest equipped with a teenager-friendly soundtrack, attractive actors, and ridiculous dialogue. I had to stop myself from laughing out loud during several key moments of the film, but I love to laugh so God bless bad films.

Now that I'd had a taste of the hype, I decided to begin the series, especially since all the Twilight fans I met seemed adamant about the book's superiority to the film. Despite my reservations about vampire books (I've never been a fan), I bought the first two and added three and four to my Christmas list.

It took me a while to get through Twilight simply because I'd just seen the movie thus all suspense was... suspended. It was better, more detailed and offered insight into the characters, but the books had one irreversible effect: I hate Bella Swan. I don't much care for Edward and Jacob either, but I loathe Bella. Never have I encountered such a stupidly selfish and dumbly love struck character of literature in all my life. I am all for a well-rounded, three dimensional character full of flaws, but the amount of her selfishness makes her villainous.

The series itself had such potential, but went absolutely nowhere, wrapped up in a pretty box with a pink bow at the conclusion. Disgusting. Happy endings are wonderful, but Meyer builds and builds a battle scene, encouraging excitement and anticipation in her readers, only to deliver a giant let down that ruins the entire series. This is one story I hope gets completely rewritten for the screen and alter the terrible ending of Breaking Dawn. And now, Meyer is retelling the whole thing from Edward's perspective, as if it was so amazing the first time.

I could get into more detail and nit pick each book, but it all comes down to the same conclusion: a waste of time. People have referred to Stephanie Meyer and her books as the next J.K. Rowling-- what an insult. These books, the stories and characters are nowhere near the caliber of Harry Potter-- nowhere. If you're looking for a series of young adult, fantasy fiction full of adventure, complicated characters, relationships, winding stories offering an escape into another world, The HP series still remains number one on my list. Though not to completely discredit the series, there are definitely good moments and the supporting characters pique the reader's interest enough to keep you occupied. My suggestion to the curious reader: get a library card and check out the books for free... or call me and I'll give you mine.

Quick View Review #1

2008-11-30T18:46:00.000-08:00

Introduction: The "Quick View Review" is a summary of a few films I've seen recently. I realize my reviews can get long, so these will be short and sweet.

KUNG FU PANDA

With Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Lui, Seth Rogan, and Dustin Hoffman (just to name a few) doing character voices in this entertaining children's film about a panda who dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master, you know it can't be that bad. And it isn't. Good story, excellent message, and an admiration for animating actual Kung Fu moves, KUNG FU PANDA is a definite rental.

OVERALL: Rent before buying... unless you have kids, they'll love it.

WALL E

If anyone knows how to type the dot between the 'L' and the 'E' I'd love to know.

In my opinion, this is Pixar's best film yet, and it was smart to wait until the company was well established in its quality of films before releasing one with such complex themes, lack of dialogue jokes, and its extended length. However, I watched it with a group of children on Thanksgiving, and the laughter was loud and consistent. The simple robot love story paired with environmental and health issues seems dry but is quite the opposite. This film gets better and more poignant each time I watch it and should be a part of every film library.

OVERALL: Must buy!!!

Hancock

The story of a less than super Superhero, Hancock must learn to embrace humanity rather than resent it, in order to discover his past. Sounds boring? It was. The film begins well, but takes an entirely different turn half way through, and becomes inconsistent and confusing. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough comedy to save the fallen hero.

OVERALL: Don't bother unless your only other option for a Superhero movie is Catwoman.

Quantum of Solace

2008-11-30T18:17:00.000-08:00

When reviewing a film in a series among many others, with various actors playing the lead, a variety of styles expressed by directors, and countless screenwriters dabbing and polishing scripts, it's hard not to think of the film's predecessors. In the case of Quantum of Solace, the 007 flick, I'll avoid comparison to all but Casino Royale, and even that will have its limits.

The film picks up right where Casino Royale left off, our beloved James Bond vengeful and angry over the betrayal and death of Vespa, stopping at nothing (and I mean nothing) to bring those responsible to the same fate. Very dramatic.

As expected, Daniel Craig is ever so charming as the gentleman spy, delivering those cheesy one liners with the usual British dryness. M is the same, which suits me since I love Dame Judy Dench, the women are the same, and gorgeous cars are all the same. Overall, I liked it and didn't mind the shortness of the film one bit-- I only needed to take one bathroom break.

The complaints from fans and critics involve both the length and lack of content in the film; Quantum of Solace has more of an action feel, and many believe it does not align well with the character of James Bond, plus it is the shortest Bond film ever made. For me, that was a relief, since I found most of the Bond films tiresom. What little action they had could be compared to a wet blanket. All insults aside, yes, the content level with story and character development lacked in the new Bond, but here's why:

This isn't a separate story with a new mission, new villain, and new characters. Quantum is a continuation of Casino Royale, and thus the introductions, development, and motivation have all been presented in the first film. As a result, the second is a whirlwind for Bond and is a whirlwind for the audience, following James's emotions and 'shoot first ask questions later' attitude based on the death of Vespa. In other words, it's supposed to have more action-- it's the climax of the first story.

One side note: the song is terrible. Whoever thought putting Alicia Keyes and Jack White together was a good idea is responsible for my ears bleeding during the opening credits. My husband and I turned to each other and silently asked, "What the hell?" Overall, those credits were the biggest disappointment of the film. I loved the song and opening for Casino Royale, and appreciated someone thinking outside the box instead of sticking to the same naked female silhouettes seen in EVERY SINGE JAMES BOND FILM EVER!

I predict the third Daniel Craig/James Bond installment will have much more of the flare and technique of the originals, especially since Quantum ended with the introduction of a new mystery. Not to mention, the critic and fan complaints will influence the next film as well. If you're a die hard James Bond film fan, you will most likely be disappointed; if you enjoy a good action flick, liked the Pierce Brosnan Bond and Casino Royale, this is worth a trip to the theater.

Cooking Tips, Part 1

2008-11-20T14:00:00.001-08:00

In the midst of the economic crisis, cutting costs is essential, and what better way to start than by cooking at home instead of eating out. I know, I know, I love to eat out too, but it's too expensive when you're trying to save money, especially around the holidays.

So my first tip: Stop eating out. And stop Starbucks too.

Other Cooking Tips

1. Set time aside once a week to cook a few meals in one day and freeze them. Pampered Chef offers a Power Cooking Show with meals that cost around $2 per serving, using chicken or ground beef. Power Cooking takes about 30 to 40 minute to prepare ingredients for 3 meals, and either cook one for that day's meal and freeze the other 2, or freeze all 3.

2. When cooking a meal and freezing in a ziploc bag, flatten the full bag and lay in the freezer. This saves space and defrosts faster. Plus, Pampered Chef's pans conduct temperature so well, you can pull one of those meals from the freezer an hour before you need it, place it in the skillet (still in the bag), and it'll be ready to heat! Quite the time saver. I don't know how many times I've forgotten to take dinner out of the freezer the night before and then needed to order take out.

3. Do not use nonstick spray or oil (unless it's for flavor) in nonstick cookware, it actually wares down the finish in the pans over time.

4. Shred blocks of cheese instead of buying pre-shredded cheese. It saves money, plus those convenient bags of shredded cheese contain cellulose, the equivalent of saw dust. Gross.

5. When removing the tops from strawberries, use a small paring knife with a long, thin blade. Cut directly around the top and pull out the core. This saves more meat on the strawberry as slicing the tops wastes more.

Smoothie Goodness

2008-11-20T13:34:00.000-08:00

All my life I've had a weight problem. Briefly, between my freshman and junior years in college, I believed the problem solved after Weight Watchers (though I couldn't afford to finish the program and get my lifetime membership). Unfortunately, since my husband and I first began dating, we've gradually gained more and weight and become less and less active. I guess you could say we were going for the fat and happy lifestyle. Now it's to the point where I am obese again, I have a closet bursting with clothing that's too small, and I've lost the motivation to exercise.

Now, I don't bring this up for pity. This situation is my fault and I have to climb out of this abyss and conquer it on my own (with the help of God, of course). I mention this because we are slowly trying to develop healthy habits and have begun having fresh fruit smoothies nearly everyday.

These smoothies are an excellent source of fruit, covering 2 servings of the desired daily amount. Not to mention they're filling and are a great replacement for a meal such as breakfast or lunch-- I believe in a nice hearty dinner.

Give this excellent recipe a try and feel free to mix it up a bit. The best part about smoothies is their flexibility of flavors.

Fresh Fruit Smoothies for Two

2 Bananas

8 to 10 Strawberries

1 small can Pineapple Juice

4T Orange Juice

10 Ice Cubes

Toss in a blender and blend until smooth. Garnish with a strawberry on the side of the glass.

Smoothie Tips

Substitute real pineapple for pineapple juice, and add more orange juice.

Try various juices like orange, pineapple, grapefruit, lemonade and limeade, though keep an eye on the sugar content.

For more anti-oxidants, toss in blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, and decrease the banana. Pomegranate Juice is great as well.

Banana is the thickener, so use more or less depending on thickness preference. You can use milk, but the flavor becomes diluted unless you add sugar.

Frozen fruit is great to use since it's cheaper, lasts longer, and doesn't require as much or any ice depending on how much you use.

And if you're worried about cost, think about it. You spend more on a bunch of bananas, container of strawberries, and the juice, but you could end up with about 5 to 6 single servings with just the fresh fruit. The juice will last even longer. A much cheaper alternative to Jamba Juice, and dairy free!

Left4Dead for the Xbox 360

2008-11-19T21:14:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday, the highly anticipated Xbox 360 video game exclusive, Left4Dead, was released by Microsoft. Its creator is Valve, the people responsible for Counter Strike, Team Fortress, Half-Life, The Orange Box, and Portal.

The game centers around four survivors of... what else? Why, a zombie apocalypse, of course! Bill, Francis, Zoey, and Louis must shoot and blast their way through urban, rural, and industrial environments, while constantly bombarded by lots and lots of rushing zombies.

Recently, Microsoft released the demo and opening scene to the game, an intense survival clip, offering a strong example of what awaits on the dark streets of the now zombie populated city. It's awesome, and one of the top opening scenes of a video game ever, in my opinion.

Check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFOVIgY45ks

Incidentally, my husband and I couldn't wait to play the game (now, let me be fair, he plays and I watch, though I did play the demo. I'm afraid of zombies). However, in terms of cut scenes and a developing story, the opening scene is it. Character connection and back story are all but abundant, and an explanation of what caused the world to be over run by flesh eating monsters is never offered, though it's safe to assume a virus caused the outbreak of walking dead.

Since my favorite part about video games is story and character, I cried for my disappointment. Kidding. Also, the single player campaign takes only about 2 to 4 hours to complete, which seems to lack effort on Valve's part.

One of the biggest advertising points of Left4Dead is the A.I. For anyone who enjoys a run and gun, first person shooter with unlimited replay value, this is the game for you. The A.I. adjusts to a player's skill level; in other words, the more zombie carcasses you smear all over the screen, the more zombies the computer will send after you. Not to mention, the variety of zombies-- the Witch, Hunter, Boomer, Smoker, Tank, and the hoards. Word of warning: Don't shoot the cars.

In addition, each time a player dies and re-spawns, the A.I. rearranges itself, so memorization is out of the question. Plus, the experience and weapons differ depending on which character is chosen. Another excellent aspect of the game play involves teamwork. Staying in a group is essential to survival, and a player who attempts a solo campaign will find himself overrun in a matter of seconds. Moreover, there are about ten different guns-- at least that was advertised, but counting the Double Hand Gun as 2 of those, as well as the Molotov cocktail and Pipe Bomb each as a separate weapon is thin.

Overall, the single player mode lacks story, character, and as a result, effort in the campaign. However, for someone who with a hankering to kill something or blow off stress, it's still exciting, intense, challenging, and fast-paced-- stopping means zombies, so run!

The main draw for Left4Dead is the online campaign. As we were unable to get a wireless router to work on the 360, my husband goes through the landline, but can only do so in our bedroom. My point: he hasn't had a chance to play the online campaign, but he's definitely excited.

This is where the replay value lies, not to mention you can play offline and online co-op. And there are plenty of achievements to earn, so start working. The part I am most interested in is playing online as a zombie boss-- definitely a creative idea, not to mention fun.

So, is Left4Dead worth picking up? If you love intense first person shooters, zombie games, playing online, or want something short and to the point, then ABSOLUTELY.

On a zombie scale of Boomer, Smoker, Hunter, Witch, and Tank, I'd give it a Witch: Appears weak, but packs a killer punch.

The Usual Greeting

2008-11-16T12:25:00.000-08:00

Hello cyber world! Like most first blogs, this is a hiya to anyone who may stumble across this page in search of information or something interesting to read. I hope to provide both.

I call this blog "Recipes and Reviews" because I hope to post such items on here. Of course, I'll also be adding commentary, the occasional 'bitch' session, and other nonsense, but mainly I'll be sharing my opinion on food, books, music, movies, TV, and anything else of which I may feel strongly.

Since I love to cook and am also a Pampered Chef Consultant (so cooking is my LIFE!), I'll also be posting recipes, cooking and cleaning tips, as well as restaurant reviews. Just a note: I live in Chicago so those are the restaurants I'll be reviewing.

And let me know if you have questions, comments, recommendations, or would love to get a recipe or opinion on anything.