Sorry for the "premature publication" on my Oscar picks earlier in the week...
For the first time in many years, I've seen all of the movies up for best picture at tonight's Oscars. Not a small feat, since there are 10 of them this year! Given how expensive movies are now, I feel sort of vested in the awards, as I've done my fair share of supporting those involved.
We're sitting here watching the "Live From the Red Carpet" coverage on E and I figure I better get this posted before the awards begin. Here are my picks...
**Updated Apr. 3 - we tied on 5, neither of us picked the winner in 5 catagories, I picked 3 winners, and Brian picked 5...another bet lost!
Best Picture - The King's Speech (tied)
Best Actor - Colin Firth in The King's Speech (tied)
Best Actress - Natalie Portman in Black Swan (I made this pick before I saw Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole - it's the only pick I'm not 100% sure of.) (tied - thank God I didn't change my vote!)
Best Supporting Actor - Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech (Brian)
Best Supporting Actress - Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit (Brian)
Animated Feature Film - Toy Story 3 (tied)
Costume Design - Alice in Wonderland (Jen)
Directing - Black Swan (Brian)
Foreign Language Film - Biutiful (neither)
Music (Original Score) - 127 Hours (neither)
Music (Original Song) - We Belong Together from Toy Story 3 (Jen)
Visual Effects - Alice in Wonderland (Brian)
Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - Winter's Bone (neither)
Writing (Original Screenplay) - The King's Speech (tied)
I don't really know what these categories mean or how they are judged, but I made some picks anyway...
Cinematography - Inception (Jen)
Film Editing - Black Swan (neither)
Sound Editing - True Grit (Brian)
Sound Mixing - The King's Speech (neither)
I'd love to say I'll be up to see the awards as they are presented live, but after a fun-filled weekend on the Plum, I'm just hoping to stay awake 'til 8 p.m. tonight! Can't wait to read all about the winners in the morning. Hope it works out in my favor...dinner's riding on it.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Coming of Age
I am fortunate for many things in my life, not the least of which is a job I genuinely enjoy and which allows me to live a life I have become sort of passively comfortable with.
Every once in a while, though, that job smacks me in the face and reminds me of the good "we" are doing beyond our hallowed, 160-year-old, New England conservative walls...
One of those times is now.
I had the honor this week of viewing a sneak peek of a production that my company co-sponsored with public television. And I'm here to tell you: You must see it.
Tonight at 9 p.m., our local PBS station - WBGY in Springfield - will be airing a documentary entitled "Autism: Coming of Age." You'll learn about three men who, solely by virtue of their chronolgoical age, are aging out of the system America has put in place to help them.
We hear a lot about Gen X- and Y-ers and Baby Boomers and the impact they have on society, the marketplace, the workforce, etc. But, did you know that in 10 to 15 years, 800,000 disabled children will "age out of" the system? That means that they and their families will be ineligable for the supports and services that have allowed them to function in typical school and residential settings.
I remember being so confused when I was 18, heading out into the "real world." I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to be when I "grew up," but I knew I wanted to have an independent life of mine own, doing things I enjoyed, with people I connected with. And I know my mother wanted the same thing for me.
I can't help but imagine how Dan and Dougie and Tomas and their families must feel.
Please take an hour to watch - I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Every once in a while, though, that job smacks me in the face and reminds me of the good "we" are doing beyond our hallowed, 160-year-old, New England conservative walls...
One of those times is now.
I had the honor this week of viewing a sneak peek of a production that my company co-sponsored with public television. And I'm here to tell you: You must see it.
Tonight at 9 p.m., our local PBS station - WBGY in Springfield - will be airing a documentary entitled "Autism: Coming of Age." You'll learn about three men who, solely by virtue of their chronolgoical age, are aging out of the system America has put in place to help them.
We hear a lot about Gen X- and Y-ers and Baby Boomers and the impact they have on society, the marketplace, the workforce, etc. But, did you know that in 10 to 15 years, 800,000 disabled children will "age out of" the system? That means that they and their families will be ineligable for the supports and services that have allowed them to function in typical school and residential settings.
I remember being so confused when I was 18, heading out into the "real world." I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to be when I "grew up," but I knew I wanted to have an independent life of mine own, doing things I enjoyed, with people I connected with. And I know my mother wanted the same thing for me.
I can't help but imagine how Dan and Dougie and Tomas and their families must feel.
Please take an hour to watch - I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy Heart Day!
We were out with my brother, sister-in-law, and nieces a few weeks ago for dinner, and somehow the topic of Valentine's Day came up. I didn't catch the start of the conversation but my ears perked up when I heard Kelly deem it a "stupid" holiday.
My not-so-feminist self was beyond pleased that my teenaged nieces haven't fallen for the commercially-driven hearts and cupids thing that is a big part of Valentine's Day. Or, worse still, the notion that Valentine's Day is a holiday created solely for women to demand things from the men they love and then be completely b*tchy if the gift isn't big, bright, sparkly, chocolately, or decadent enough...which seems to be the case surprisingly often if the women's magazines and TV ads are to be believed.
Not that all of that annoys me too much... ;-)
On the other hand, I have a confession to make: I love Valentine's Day! I can't wait to send cute cards and sweet treats to people I love - family, friends, kids, grownups, and yes, even my guy. I do it because it makes me feel good and because it's a great excuse to remind people that I care about them.
Here's to being caught up in all that is good about Valentine's Day!
Here's to being caught up in all that is good about Valentine's Day!
How fortunate I am to have a long list of people to wish a Happy Valentine's Day...xo!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Steakhouse Steaks
We celebrated an early Valentine's Day last night by staying in and making a fabulous meal together.
Brian was in charge of appetizers and made these Spicy Chipotle Grilled Shrimp from Allrecipes. They were so good that we ate them before we had a chance to take a picture! He updated the original recipe for just two servings, so some of the ingredient measurements were a little weird, but he rounded up or down on those and the end result was perfect.
The shrimp were so good I could imagine using them as a main dish over some rice or pasta, or on a pizza...so many options...!
Neither of us had worked with canned chipotles in adobe sauce, but I'll be looking for other ways to use them. They have a creamy, smokey heat that was just delicious.
For dinner, I wanted to try filets mignons. I decided to make Ina Garten's Steakhouse Steaks from her new cookbook, "How Easy is That?" - a Christmas gift from Brian's mom and dad.
Surprisingly, I made them almost exactly as the recipe directed - there aren't many editing options with only five ingredients. My notes:
Brian was in charge of appetizers and made these Spicy Chipotle Grilled Shrimp from Allrecipes. They were so good that we ate them before we had a chance to take a picture! He updated the original recipe for just two servings, so some of the ingredient measurements were a little weird, but he rounded up or down on those and the end result was perfect.
The shrimp were so good I could imagine using them as a main dish over some rice or pasta, or on a pizza...so many options...!
Neither of us had worked with canned chipotles in adobe sauce, but I'll be looking for other ways to use them. They have a creamy, smokey heat that was just delicious.
For dinner, I wanted to try filets mignons. I decided to make Ina Garten's Steakhouse Steaks from her new cookbook, "How Easy is That?" - a Christmas gift from Brian's mom and dad.
Surprisingly, I made them almost exactly as the recipe directed - there aren't many editing options with only five ingredients. My notes:
- The filets I used (from Arnold's, of course) were about 8 oz. each, and measured 1.5" thick. I adjusted the cooking time accordingly and roasted them for nine minutes, let them rest for 10. The larger of the two came out perfectly rare for Brian, and mine was a little firmer - still fully reddish pink but warm throughout.
- A tablespoon of salt seemed like a lot, so I just sprinkled them with kosher salt before searing.
- Again, a full tablespoon of butter seemed excessive, so I used about 1/2 T for each.
- Melt 2T butter in a saute pan. Add 1 large onion and 8 oz. of cremini mushrooms, both sliced, and saute over medium high heat until juices start to evaporate.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, 1 T finely chopped fresh rosemary, and 1/2 T fresh thyme. Stir to combine and cook 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle with 2T flour. Stir to combine and cook 2 - 3 minutes to cook out the raw flour flavor.
- Add 2 C beef stock. Stir or whisk well to combine. Bring just to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Game on!
Brian and I have been talking about making ribs for ages. I love the flavor of barbecue and my favorite is pulled pork; Brian has developed a taste for ribs. So, for our Super Bowl Sunday Funday, we invited his mom and dad over and decided to give barbecue ribs a try.
(I say "we" pretty euphemistically - I was definitely the sous chef for this meal.)
We went to Arnold's for the ribs and Brian spoke at length with one of the butchers about the best cut of meat and the best way to prepare them. We left with six pounds of spare ribs, freshly cut.
After speaking with the butcher and investigating different recipes online, this is how he prepared them...
First, a dry rub:
Preheat oven to 300. Cook ribs covered in pan for 1.5 - 2 hours. Remove from oven, pour one bottle of the barbecue sause of your choice over the ribs, recover with foil, and roast for another 1.5 - 2 hours. Remove from oven, turn oven to broil, remove ribs from roasting pan and place on an aluminum-foil lined cookie sheet, and broil 10 - 15 minutes, or until caramelized. Watch closely so they do not burn!
The ribs were literally falling off the bone! In fact, as we moved them to a cutting board, some of the bones actually fell out...so delicious! We each had 2 ribs and there were 4 large ribs leftover.
Brian's mom brough the most delicious cole slaw - soooo much better than the Boston Market variety I had considered buying! Maybe if we ask nicely, she'll share the recipe with us...hint, hint...
My contribution to the feast were these Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits from another fun blog I've found. I've never eaten at Red Lobster, but if these gems are any indication of their food, I just might seek one out! I used the heart-healthy (aka low fat) Bisquick, fat free cheese, and fat free half and half. Anything made with Bisquick I've found to be heavy and dense - not so with these biscuits. They were fluffy and delicious. Blend just until all ingredients are combined - be careful not to over mix. I had one with soup tonight for dinner and it was almost as good as it was frest out of the oven.
We had a fun, finger-licking good time - great food, great company, and "my team" won the game! Not a bad way to start the week!
(I say "we" pretty euphemistically - I was definitely the sous chef for this meal.)
We went to Arnold's for the ribs and Brian spoke at length with one of the butchers about the best cut of meat and the best way to prepare them. We left with six pounds of spare ribs, freshly cut.
After speaking with the butcher and investigating different recipes online, this is how he prepared them...
First, a dry rub:
- 3/4c. brown sugar
- 4 1/2 Tbsp. paprika
- 3 Tbsp. kosher salt
- 4 1/2 Tbsp. black pepper
- 4 tsp. garlic powder,
- 4 tsp. onion powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. cayenne red pepper.
Preheat oven to 300. Cook ribs covered in pan for 1.5 - 2 hours. Remove from oven, pour one bottle of the barbecue sause of your choice over the ribs, recover with foil, and roast for another 1.5 - 2 hours. Remove from oven, turn oven to broil, remove ribs from roasting pan and place on an aluminum-foil lined cookie sheet, and broil 10 - 15 minutes, or until caramelized. Watch closely so they do not burn!
The ribs were literally falling off the bone! In fact, as we moved them to a cutting board, some of the bones actually fell out...so delicious! We each had 2 ribs and there were 4 large ribs leftover.
Brian's mom brough the most delicious cole slaw - soooo much better than the Boston Market variety I had considered buying! Maybe if we ask nicely, she'll share the recipe with us...hint, hint...
My contribution to the feast were these Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits from another fun blog I've found. I've never eaten at Red Lobster, but if these gems are any indication of their food, I just might seek one out! I used the heart-healthy (aka low fat) Bisquick, fat free cheese, and fat free half and half. Anything made with Bisquick I've found to be heavy and dense - not so with these biscuits. They were fluffy and delicious. Blend just until all ingredients are combined - be careful not to over mix. I had one with soup tonight for dinner and it was almost as good as it was frest out of the oven.
We had a fun, finger-licking good time - great food, great company, and "my team" won the game! Not a bad way to start the week!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Mmm mmm, good!
One of my favorite meals is Campbell's tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. Creamy soup with lots of black pepper and a melty, crunchy sandwich perfect for dunking. Mmm mmm, good for sure!
But my favorite soup to make from scratch is Hunter's Minestrone.
I am not a recipe purist and rarely follow a recipe to the letter. This soup sounded so good, though, that I made it (almost) exactly as the chef did. Here are my edits and notes:
But my favorite soup to make from scratch is Hunter's Minestrone.
I am not a recipe purist and rarely follow a recipe to the letter. This soup sounded so good, though, that I made it (almost) exactly as the chef did. Here are my edits and notes:
- Veggies - I cannot figure out how to finely chop veggies in my food processor, and end up with either huge chunks or puree - neither of which I want in this soup. So I chop them by hand. Somewhat time consuming but definitely worth it.
- Herbs - You. Must. Use. Fresh. Herbs. No, I've not tried this recipe with dried, but the fresh are sooo good, I can't imagine not using them. This can add an expense to the soup, but you can always dry or freeze any leftover herbs for future use.
- Sausage - I have always used the loose sausage the recipe calls for and it really flavors the soup well. I shopped yesterday while I was hungry, and they were giving away samples of cooked chiorizo. Of course they were on sale AND there was a coupon, so I got them. They taste good, but the flavor doesn't go through the soup like when I use the loose...go with that.
- Bread - I serve bread for dipping, but don't do the cheesey crouton (a la french onion soup) that the recipe calls for. Hmmm....but a melty, crunchy grilled cheese for dunking might be good! Next time!
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