Bad me, I put my reading list on the back burner for a while. I got caught up in work and catching up with my movie list, but I am happy to say that I have finally finished my sixth book! I really enjoyed Starship Troopers, so I decided on another one of Heinlein's works: Have Spacesuit - Will Travel. Technically it's a young adult and a sci-fi novel and it definitely had a lot more action than Starship Troopers, but the novel was still well-developed and thought-provoking. The two main characters are Kip, an 18-year old who won a genuine spacesuit and Peewee, a spirited 12-year old who was kidnapped by an alien race termed the "Wormfaces." Having such young heroes definitely adds appeal to a younger demographic, but readers of all ages can appreciate these two terrific characters. Throughout the entire novel Heinlein provides moments that show that, although the novel's heroes, Kip and Peewee are more than one-dimensional stock characters, such as when Kip catches a typically positive Peewee crying into her doll, Madam Pompadour. Similarly, there's a point in the novel in which Kip is stuck in a cell with two human traitors, "Fats" (aka "Jock") and "Skinny" (aka Timothy). Although the two are generally foul characters, Kip's hatred for Fats wanes a bit as they start talking with one another. Near the end of their time together, Kip began to see a shred of humanity in Fats, even if the rest of him was deplorable. Of course, we cannot forget the Mother Thing, whose mysterious identity is revealed piece-by-piece. It's funny to think of her as a type of intergalactic juvenile officer, but that was one of the many unexpected twists in the novel. I appreciate that Heinlein was capable of making such easily likable characters so complex as well.
Additionally, the philosophical themes presented in Have Spacesuit - Will Travel aren't just randomly thrown into different scenes throughout the novel, but are best seen in the words and actions of Kip and Peewee. From the very beginning, Kip was an embodiment of personal growth, self-assertiveness, and self-responsibility. I admired his devotion to repairing Oscar, especially since it took his entire summer to do so. He and Peewee were incredibly resourceful and always thinking of ways to get their freedom back, all the while never forgetting to watch out for each other and the Mother Thing. Of course, Heinlein's ideas most obviously appeared during the trial of humanity, but even that was done well. Kip didn't attempt to make gigantic speeches or sugarcoat the truth about humanity. Mankind was exposed in all of its forms: violent, self-serving, and cruel, but also smart, young, and with the possibility of change. Most importantly, this novel highlights the hope we all have that one day humanity will have evolved past our worst attributes, and this is best shown in the positive qualities of Kip and Peewee. Anybody else who reads this novel would definitely agree that there should be more Kips and Peewees in the real world!
Rating for Have Spacesuit - Will Travel: 8/10
Books Read: 6/75
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
"You can't touch me, Sheriff. I brought my attack dog with a built-in force field!" "Well, I brought my dinosaur who eats force field dogs!"
Wow, it's been a while since I've updated! I wanted to update last week but I caught this nasty cold and basically just slept when I wasn't at work. The good news is that I am fully recovered now and ready to continue forward!
I've been working out for a few weeks now and it's been going pretty well. Our friend, Jordan, was nice enough to give us his elliptical and so I've been using that every other day. I started using it for 25 minutes each time and am slowly increasing that amount. I've also been adding sit-ups to my routine after I'm done using the elliptical. It's perfect because I can slip my feet right underneath our gigantic couch and it keeps me from shifting around at all. I'm thinking of starting to walk/run on the days when I don't use the elliptical so that I'll be working out every day.
For my lists, the only thing I've added to is the movie list (it's still pretty easy to watch movies when you're sick). I have three films to review! The first one is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), directed by David Fincher and written by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord with F. Scott Fitzgerald as the writer of the original short story. This was a phenomenal movie, largely thanks to the terrific acting by Brad Pitt. He did an exceptional job at playing a man who physically ages backwards and he's growing up. Every stage of his life was fascinating - whether he was a lovable old man with the spirit of a child or a man in his 40s terrified about the potential consequences of being a father. I also must give credit to his makeup artists; they made all of his years look so real. This film's supporting actors cannot be forgotten either. Matthew was the one who realized that Captain Mike was played by Jared Harris, who is also David Robert Jones in Fringe. His character's crass and humorous demeanor was a welcome presence in such a dark and serious environment as the war-filled Atlantic. Tilda Swinton played a mysterious and interesting love interest for Benjamin Button. Their affair kept me on my toes as to whether or not her husband would ever find out. Her final appearance in the movie was surprising but very cute. Although long, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a great movie and it's worth watching every second of this film!
Rating: 4/5
Next up is Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), directed by Edgar Wright and written by Michael Bacall and Edgar Wright with Bryan Lee O'Malley as the original writer of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel. I originally decided not to watch this movie because the previews looked dumb to me, but I was so very, very wrong. This was an insanely creative, funny, and flashy explosion of a movie, and I loved it! Every single scene has a new strange or hilarious situation, and the sheer outrageousness of the entire film makes it a blast to watch! This is a film that actually uses CGI correctly; most films throw in way too much CGI for its own good (ie, the newest Star Wars films), especially when the movie still attempts to convince the audience that everything in the film is real to the characters. But this movie has none of that - this movie knows that there's no way to make a plot about seven evil exes seem realistic, so we get hilarious video-game and pop culture interjections. I was in stitches when they were mocking Seinfeld and loved how Scott shared not just an apartment, but a bed with his gay roommate Wallace (played by Kieran Culkin). Scott Pilgrim, played by Michael Cera, starts off as a rather unlikable unemployed loser but during the film he gains a handful of positive attributes and eventually becomes as lovable as the other characters. Everyone did a great job with their characters; they were all quirky and unique without taking away from the flow of the film. This has been the most pleasantly surprising film I've seen in a long time and I have half a mind to go out and buy it in the near future. You all should!
Rating: 4/5
Finally there is Toy Story 3 (2010), directed by Lee Unkrich and written by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, and Michael Ardnt. Now I realize that I might give this movie a higher rating and more praise than others, but I don't care. I am part of the generation that grew up with the Toy Story movies; the first came out when I was eight and the second when I was twelve, so I have been a fan of this series for quite some time. Toy Story 3 was everything I had hoped it would be and more. All of the characters held true to the same personalities that they had in the first two films, and Woody's devotion to Andy was so completely heartwarming. They were a little bit repetitive with their main villain. Just like with Toy Story 2 he was a seemingly wise, helpful old toy who tried to make the gang feel welcome at first. However, I never trusted him for a second! The scenes with Buzz in demo mode were too funny, as was the scene with the toddlers in the caterpillar room. I must admit that I was actually on the edge of my seat when the toys were in the dump, but an adorably hilarious moment came to the rescue! I didn't know how the movie was going to end, and I was surprised with what Andy decided to do. It does fit with the whole theme of growing up and moving on, but that still doesn't mean it didn't make me sad. Toy Story 3 was an amazing conclusion to such an endearing series, and I think it's a great tribute to all those toys that helped shape our childhoods.
Rating: 4.5/5
Movies: 22/100 viewed
I've been working out for a few weeks now and it's been going pretty well. Our friend, Jordan, was nice enough to give us his elliptical and so I've been using that every other day. I started using it for 25 minutes each time and am slowly increasing that amount. I've also been adding sit-ups to my routine after I'm done using the elliptical. It's perfect because I can slip my feet right underneath our gigantic couch and it keeps me from shifting around at all. I'm thinking of starting to walk/run on the days when I don't use the elliptical so that I'll be working out every day.
For my lists, the only thing I've added to is the movie list (it's still pretty easy to watch movies when you're sick). I have three films to review! The first one is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), directed by David Fincher and written by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord with F. Scott Fitzgerald as the writer of the original short story. This was a phenomenal movie, largely thanks to the terrific acting by Brad Pitt. He did an exceptional job at playing a man who physically ages backwards and he's growing up. Every stage of his life was fascinating - whether he was a lovable old man with the spirit of a child or a man in his 40s terrified about the potential consequences of being a father. I also must give credit to his makeup artists; they made all of his years look so real. This film's supporting actors cannot be forgotten either. Matthew was the one who realized that Captain Mike was played by Jared Harris, who is also David Robert Jones in Fringe. His character's crass and humorous demeanor was a welcome presence in such a dark and serious environment as the war-filled Atlantic. Tilda Swinton played a mysterious and interesting love interest for Benjamin Button. Their affair kept me on my toes as to whether or not her husband would ever find out. Her final appearance in the movie was surprising but very cute. Although long, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a great movie and it's worth watching every second of this film!
Rating: 4/5
Next up is Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), directed by Edgar Wright and written by Michael Bacall and Edgar Wright with Bryan Lee O'Malley as the original writer of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel. I originally decided not to watch this movie because the previews looked dumb to me, but I was so very, very wrong. This was an insanely creative, funny, and flashy explosion of a movie, and I loved it! Every single scene has a new strange or hilarious situation, and the sheer outrageousness of the entire film makes it a blast to watch! This is a film that actually uses CGI correctly; most films throw in way too much CGI for its own good (ie, the newest Star Wars films), especially when the movie still attempts to convince the audience that everything in the film is real to the characters. But this movie has none of that - this movie knows that there's no way to make a plot about seven evil exes seem realistic, so we get hilarious video-game and pop culture interjections. I was in stitches when they were mocking Seinfeld and loved how Scott shared not just an apartment, but a bed with his gay roommate Wallace (played by Kieran Culkin). Scott Pilgrim, played by Michael Cera, starts off as a rather unlikable unemployed loser but during the film he gains a handful of positive attributes and eventually becomes as lovable as the other characters. Everyone did a great job with their characters; they were all quirky and unique without taking away from the flow of the film. This has been the most pleasantly surprising film I've seen in a long time and I have half a mind to go out and buy it in the near future. You all should!
Rating: 4/5
Finally there is Toy Story 3 (2010), directed by Lee Unkrich and written by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, and Michael Ardnt. Now I realize that I might give this movie a higher rating and more praise than others, but I don't care. I am part of the generation that grew up with the Toy Story movies; the first came out when I was eight and the second when I was twelve, so I have been a fan of this series for quite some time. Toy Story 3 was everything I had hoped it would be and more. All of the characters held true to the same personalities that they had in the first two films, and Woody's devotion to Andy was so completely heartwarming. They were a little bit repetitive with their main villain. Just like with Toy Story 2 he was a seemingly wise, helpful old toy who tried to make the gang feel welcome at first. However, I never trusted him for a second! The scenes with Buzz in demo mode were too funny, as was the scene with the toddlers in the caterpillar room. I must admit that I was actually on the edge of my seat when the toys were in the dump, but an adorably hilarious moment came to the rescue! I didn't know how the movie was going to end, and I was surprised with what Andy decided to do. It does fit with the whole theme of growing up and moving on, but that still doesn't mean it didn't make me sad. Toy Story 3 was an amazing conclusion to such an endearing series, and I think it's a great tribute to all those toys that helped shape our childhoods.
Rating: 4.5/5
Movies: 22/100 viewed
Friday, April 8, 2011
"Are you anti-Catholic, Mr. Langdon?" "No. I'm anti-vandalism."
Sunday was a big cooking day! My friend, Brian, came over before his big trip to Paris next month and the three of us cooked dinner together and watched a movie. I made deviled eggs as an appetizer and was surprised to learn that neither Matthew or Brian had tried them before, but they both ended up liking them! Deviled eggs are insanely easy to make, too; I have no idea why people don't make them for every holiday or get-together. All it takes are some hard-boiled eggs, mustard, vinegar, mayonnaise, and paprika. Couldn't ask for a simpler recipe. My only issue is with peeling the shells off the eggs and scooping the yolks out without tearing the whites. I guess that perfect presentation requires a little bit of practice. I also baked a ton of these chocolate revel bars, which are comprised of a layer of oat-filled cookie, then a layer of melted chocolate and pecans followed by a thinner layer of the same oat cookie mixture. The recipe made a ton of the bars, and they're really thick! I set aside a huge portion of it to give to another friend for her birthday, and so far everyone has said that they liked them! Normally, baked goods don't last long in mine and Matthew's apartment, but the bars so thick and rich that the leftovers stuck around for a couple days.
Of course, we cannot forget about the actual dinner, which was spinach manicotti. This was an excellent meal! It used three different kinds of cheese - ricotta, swiss, and parmesan, and the spinach-cheese mixture was nearly bursting out of the manicotti shells by the time it was done baking! The recipe also called for this thick and flavorful white sauce that we poured over the noodles before baking, and with the melted swiss cheese, garlic powder and green onions I couldn't have imagined a better sauce for the noodles. For a meatless pasta, it was incredibly filling for just two noodles with the sauce, but I'll definitely be making more of this in the future! We didn't have any leftovers and it was a ton of fun working together to finish making the meal.
Cooking: 25/75 completed
For our dinner entertainment we picked out Angels and Demons (2009), directed by Ron Howard and written by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman. I've already seen The DaVinci Code, and when comparing the two I realized that I liked the conspiracy story from DaVinci Code more than the one in Angels and Demons, but as a movie Angels and Demons was far superior. This "sequel" (though its book was written before The DaVinci Code) has a lot more action, a stronger plot, and more intriguing characters. I started to have my suspicions about how the plot was going to progress, and was right about the intentions of the assassin, but it took me a little while to realize how the film was going to end. Even so, I was a bit saddened by the ending due to my fondness of Ewan McGregor (who doesn't love him after watching Moulin Rouge?). It was nice seeing him in a darker role, though, so I give him props for that. I also enjoyed Tom Hanks' performance. His hair still looked ridiculous, but I doubt that he had much of a say in his costume and makeup. The last thing I want to mention is that the film does a good job at being neutral concerning the science vs religion theme. The film provides positives and negatives to fully embracing either side and if anything, I think that it advocates trying to find a way of weaving them together.
Rating: 3.5/5
Movies: 19/100 viewed
Of course, we cannot forget about the actual dinner, which was spinach manicotti. This was an excellent meal! It used three different kinds of cheese - ricotta, swiss, and parmesan, and the spinach-cheese mixture was nearly bursting out of the manicotti shells by the time it was done baking! The recipe also called for this thick and flavorful white sauce that we poured over the noodles before baking, and with the melted swiss cheese, garlic powder and green onions I couldn't have imagined a better sauce for the noodles. For a meatless pasta, it was incredibly filling for just two noodles with the sauce, but I'll definitely be making more of this in the future! We didn't have any leftovers and it was a ton of fun working together to finish making the meal.
Cooking: 25/75 completed
For our dinner entertainment we picked out Angels and Demons (2009), directed by Ron Howard and written by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman. I've already seen The DaVinci Code, and when comparing the two I realized that I liked the conspiracy story from DaVinci Code more than the one in Angels and Demons, but as a movie Angels and Demons was far superior. This "sequel" (though its book was written before The DaVinci Code) has a lot more action, a stronger plot, and more intriguing characters. I started to have my suspicions about how the plot was going to progress, and was right about the intentions of the assassin, but it took me a little while to realize how the film was going to end. Even so, I was a bit saddened by the ending due to my fondness of Ewan McGregor (who doesn't love him after watching Moulin Rouge?). It was nice seeing him in a darker role, though, so I give him props for that. I also enjoyed Tom Hanks' performance. His hair still looked ridiculous, but I doubt that he had much of a say in his costume and makeup. The last thing I want to mention is that the film does a good job at being neutral concerning the science vs religion theme. The film provides positives and negatives to fully embracing either side and if anything, I think that it advocates trying to find a way of weaving them together.
Rating: 3.5/5
Movies: 19/100 viewed
Thursday, March 31, 2011
"Is there anyone here who speaks English? Or maybe even ancient Greek?"
These last two days have been movie days! On Wednesday, Matthew and I watched From Hell (2001) and on Thursday evening we saw Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). It's nice having movie nights with Matthew where we just grab some food and relax together. Yay for being married! Anyway, here are my reviews for the movies:
From Hell was a good mystery movie. Sometimes I feel like mystery movies are a bit predictable or have cheesy endings, but I was somewhat surprised by the ending of the film. The explanation has its cheesy elements, though; I'm not a fan of conspiracy theories so I found it a little bit ridiculous. I read that this film is based off of a graphic novel, so I don't know how much freedom the director and writer were allotted in terms of the plot. Either way, I still appreciate the perspective of the film in spite of its flaws. Heather Graham was surprisingly impressive with her role as Mary Kelly, especially since I'm not a huge fan of her typical movies (though I loved her as Molly in Scrubs). The other great acting job was from Ian Holme, who played Sir William Gull. He was really creepy at the end, but in a good way. For the most part the movie was entertaining, just not great.
Rating: 3.5/5
"A perfect movie classic" is a great way to describe Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Everything about the movie was incredible - from the flawless John Williams music to the wonderful acting by the cast, I do not have one critique of this film. Harrison Ford and Sean Connery had a hilarious and dynamic father-son relationship, and I loved watching Jones Senior get under the skin of "Junior." The other actors did a great job as well; Denholm Elliott, who played Marcus Brody, and John Rhys-Davies, who played Sallah, had incredibly funny one-liners and slapstick moments. The action scenes were classic with guns going off, near-death moments, and misplaced explosions that are so ridiculous you can't help but love them. I can't believe how many things blew up in that movie, but I still enjoyed watching them. Nazis were aplenty, and who doesn't love watching a hero fight and evade Nazis? I also have a new scene that has joined my list of best movie scenes: the moment when Indiana was pushed through the crowd in front of Hitler and all Hitler did was sign the diary! Man, that is such a great scene. And let's not forget the great ending with the insanely creepy bad guy death (great special effects, again!). This was just a great movie, and I'm very glad to have finally watched it.
Rating: 5/5
Movies: 18/100 viewed
Can't wait to watch the other Indiana Jones movies!
From Hell was a good mystery movie. Sometimes I feel like mystery movies are a bit predictable or have cheesy endings, but I was somewhat surprised by the ending of the film. The explanation has its cheesy elements, though; I'm not a fan of conspiracy theories so I found it a little bit ridiculous. I read that this film is based off of a graphic novel, so I don't know how much freedom the director and writer were allotted in terms of the plot. Either way, I still appreciate the perspective of the film in spite of its flaws. Heather Graham was surprisingly impressive with her role as Mary Kelly, especially since I'm not a huge fan of her typical movies (though I loved her as Molly in Scrubs). The other great acting job was from Ian Holme, who played Sir William Gull. He was really creepy at the end, but in a good way. For the most part the movie was entertaining, just not great.
Rating: 3.5/5
"A perfect movie classic" is a great way to describe Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Everything about the movie was incredible - from the flawless John Williams music to the wonderful acting by the cast, I do not have one critique of this film. Harrison Ford and Sean Connery had a hilarious and dynamic father-son relationship, and I loved watching Jones Senior get under the skin of "Junior." The other actors did a great job as well; Denholm Elliott, who played Marcus Brody, and John Rhys-Davies, who played Sallah, had incredibly funny one-liners and slapstick moments. The action scenes were classic with guns going off, near-death moments, and misplaced explosions that are so ridiculous you can't help but love them. I can't believe how many things blew up in that movie, but I still enjoyed watching them. Nazis were aplenty, and who doesn't love watching a hero fight and evade Nazis? I also have a new scene that has joined my list of best movie scenes: the moment when Indiana was pushed through the crowd in front of Hitler and all Hitler did was sign the diary! Man, that is such a great scene. And let's not forget the great ending with the insanely creepy bad guy death (great special effects, again!). This was just a great movie, and I'm very glad to have finally watched it.
Rating: 5/5
Movies: 18/100 viewed
Can't wait to watch the other Indiana Jones movies!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
"Son, any statement that begins with 'I really ought to -' is suspect. It means you haven't analyzed your motives."
Yay for burn-free cooking! This week's cooking was much simpler, yet still tasty! Thursday night I made banana-berry smoothies, and man were they good! The recipe called for bananas, yogurt, and strawberries, and then my pick of blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries. Since blackberries were the cheapest of the three berries, I went with those, and I wasn't disappointed! I hadn't made smoothies yet with this blender I received last year, and it was a little tricky getting everything blended, probably because there was so much fruit and yogurt that it nearly filled the blender to the brim. But once everything was mixed, Matthew and I each had a giant glass of delicious smoothie. It took a while to finish drinking because it was so thick! I had forgotten how much I love berries, and I am making a mental note to buy a lot more berries once I have more money.
Matthew and I both had work from about 4:15 to 10:30, so I made the new dish as a late lunch. I decided on this peas and mushrooms dish because I already had the frozen peas, half an onion, and all the spices. The only thing I had to buy were the mushrooms, which is good considering how much I had to spend on the berries! The lunch was pretty good; it's mostly meant to be used as a side dish instead of the whole meal, so it wasn't incredibly flavorful. The recipe called for just salt and pepper, but I looked up different herbs in my cookbook to find one that would be compatible with the recipe and chose marjoram. I love using my rotating spice rack, which Matthew's mom was nice enough to buy me as a shower gift! It has all these dried herbs, seeds, and spices, and I'm trying to use them more often in my cooking. I'm not too familiar with marjoram, but it worked well in this peas and mushrooms dish!
Cooking: 22/75 completed
There's not much more to say. I'm in the middle of Heinlein's Have Spacesuit, Will Travel. It seems like it could fall into the category of young adult and sci-fi, but I'm going to stick with it because it's still a good book. The beginning was entertaining, especially Kip's father. His character is amusing, witty, and intelligent. I loved how he dumbfounded the tax collectors by proving that he can use cash to pay for everything, including his taxes. I should be done with that in a few days, so there will be a full review soon!
Matthew and I both had work from about 4:15 to 10:30, so I made the new dish as a late lunch. I decided on this peas and mushrooms dish because I already had the frozen peas, half an onion, and all the spices. The only thing I had to buy were the mushrooms, which is good considering how much I had to spend on the berries! The lunch was pretty good; it's mostly meant to be used as a side dish instead of the whole meal, so it wasn't incredibly flavorful. The recipe called for just salt and pepper, but I looked up different herbs in my cookbook to find one that would be compatible with the recipe and chose marjoram. I love using my rotating spice rack, which Matthew's mom was nice enough to buy me as a shower gift! It has all these dried herbs, seeds, and spices, and I'm trying to use them more often in my cooking. I'm not too familiar with marjoram, but it worked well in this peas and mushrooms dish!
Cooking: 22/75 completed
There's not much more to say. I'm in the middle of Heinlein's Have Spacesuit, Will Travel. It seems like it could fall into the category of young adult and sci-fi, but I'm going to stick with it because it's still a good book. The beginning was entertaining, especially Kip's father. His character is amusing, witty, and intelligent. I loved how he dumbfounded the tax collectors by proving that he can use cash to pay for everything, including his taxes. I should be done with that in a few days, so there will be a full review soon!
Monday, March 21, 2011
"I have to return some video tapes."
It's been a while since I've updated, I know, but at least I've checked something off for each list! I'll start with the cooking because I actually have three new recipes completed! Last week I made honey-glazed chicken stir-fry, which Matthew and I enjoyed very much. Upon reflection, I've become quite a fan of stir-fry meals - they're quick and easy to make, they can be just as good with or without meat, they have lots of vegetables, and the wide variety of flavoring agents that can be used in stir-fry meals allows for a wide range of flavors. For this dinner, I loved how the orange juice and honey provided a tart, sweet taste, and then how the soy sauce made a nice contrasting salty flavor. The one mess-up I had was with the rice; the recipe called for two cups of hot cooked rice, so I took two cups of my raw brown rice and cooked it in the designated saucepan. I was quite surprised when I opened the lid after it was done cooking and saw that the entire pan had filled with rice! Luckily, Matthew and I love rice, so we just piled it onto our plates and enjoyed our dinner =]
This week's dinner was beef enchiladas! This was my first recipe that called for beef, and I ended up choosing the all-natural ground beef from Meijers, which actually turned out quite well. I'm not entirely unfamiliar with choosing beef cuts as I've accompanied my dad on shopping trips many times in the past, so I know better than to get the cheapest ground beef that's largely comprised of fat. My opinion is that if you want to make a meat dish, spring for at least a mid-level quality of meat, otherwise what's the point? Anyway, the meal was great! Strangely enough, it called for cottage cheese to be mixed with the beef. I have no idea what the cottage cheese did, but since the flavor was good I'm not complaining! Sadly, Matthew got burned while he was taking the baking pan out of the oven =[ He has a dark scab on his arm now where it hit the side of the oven, and before that it was blistering, but at least it's healing well. Injury aside, the enchiladas were a great lunch before work and also made for tasty leftovers.
I decided to make deluxe chocolate marshmallow bars from the Taste of Home's Holiday Get-Together's cookbook. Oh my gosh, this is a fantastic dessert! It's a blend of every great baking flavor: the bottom layer was like a very soft and fluffy chocolate cake (this was the layer that baked in the oven for a while), the second layer was entirely comprised of mini-marshmallows that were only in the oven for a few minutes so that they would melt and spread evenly, and the third layer was a blend of melted butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter that was mixed with a rice krispies cereal just before pouring it over the marshmallows. After a few hours of chilling, the bars were ready to be cut up and eaten! Funny enough, I ended burning my arm on the side of the oven while getting this pan out! I must have moved my arm away faster than Matthew though because my burn only turned red without blistering or scabbing. This must have been a cursed week for baking or something. Burnt arm aside, the dessert was a big hit for Matthew and his parents, so I'm happy with the outcome!
Cooking: 20/75 completed
The night that Matthew and I ate the stir-fry was also the night that we watched American Psycho. This is a movie that I've seen once before, but that was five years ago, so I didn't remember very many details at all. I did remember that near the beginning there's a very unfortunate scene in which he kills a dog, so I covered my eyes and hummed to myself until Matthew told me that the scene was over. I remember liking the movie, but I had forgotten how many times this movie made me laugh! Christian Bale played the part of sociopathic serial killer Patrick Bateman perfectly! Everything from his great one-liners ("Would you like to hear today's specials?" "Not if you want to keep your spleen.") to his music-oriented monologues that he says shortly before killing someone had me laughing at the utter insanity of the situation. I really can't see how someone would dislike a movie in which an ATM asks the main actor to feed it a stray cat. Hilarity aside, I also appreciate the social critique that is spread throughout the film. Starting with the first scene in which all these clone-looking men fail to correctly identify their co-workers, the film points out how humanity has largely been stripped from the corporate sector. In this movie, the only thing that anybody cares about is money and their reputation. The fact that everyone is sleeping around with each other's significant others shows how relationships are only used for status symbol. What I really like is the somewhat uncertain ending: did Bateman imagine everything or were his killing sprees real? There's quite a bit of evidence that suggests that Bateman did actually kill all those people, and funny enough, if it all was real, then it proves that others are just as evil and emotionless as Bateman. The only thing that really threw me off were the sex scenes. I understand why they're there, it's just too disturbing at times for my taste. This movie is not exactly one that I would want to watch frequently, but it's still a fantastic movie for those who can handle it!
Rating: 4/5
Movies: 16/100 viewed
Lastly, I finished another novel! This one was Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. I'm actually surprised that I liked a war novel as much as I did, but it's a pleasant surprise. Following Juan "Johnnie" Rico through his training in the mobile infantry was exciting, interesting, and actually quite thought-provoking. The novel's political system threw me back for a while, but upon reflection it actually makes quite a bit of sense. In Starship Troopers, there are civilians, who are normal people who have never served in the military but are still protected under all laws, and then there are citizens, who are those that are retired from military service and the only ones allowed to vote. The reasoning for this system is that those who have served voluntarily in the military have proven that they value the survival of the group/country over their own survival; as such, only those people have the authority to make political decisions that will affect everybody. To be honest, I wouldn't be opposed to something like that happening in America. Too many people are greedy and selfish and have a one-track mind when it comes to voting: "me, me, me." Those people would never be able to harm others with their reckless voting anymore because those are the kinds of people who wouldn't risk their lives for complete strangers. If that's how America was, I definitely would have signed up at 18. Politics aside, I enjoyed watching Johnnie grow as a person. He starts off as a confused 18-year old whose only reason for enlisting is so that he doesn't turn out to be a carbon copy of his father, but the military forces him to grow up. Though we don't get much insight into any of the other characters and at times all the listings of the military personnel were confusing, overall this book is a good war novel and a good sci-fi novel.
Rating: 8.3/10
Books read: 5/75
This week's dinner was beef enchiladas! This was my first recipe that called for beef, and I ended up choosing the all-natural ground beef from Meijers, which actually turned out quite well. I'm not entirely unfamiliar with choosing beef cuts as I've accompanied my dad on shopping trips many times in the past, so I know better than to get the cheapest ground beef that's largely comprised of fat. My opinion is that if you want to make a meat dish, spring for at least a mid-level quality of meat, otherwise what's the point? Anyway, the meal was great! Strangely enough, it called for cottage cheese to be mixed with the beef. I have no idea what the cottage cheese did, but since the flavor was good I'm not complaining! Sadly, Matthew got burned while he was taking the baking pan out of the oven =[ He has a dark scab on his arm now where it hit the side of the oven, and before that it was blistering, but at least it's healing well. Injury aside, the enchiladas were a great lunch before work and also made for tasty leftovers.
I decided to make deluxe chocolate marshmallow bars from the Taste of Home's Holiday Get-Together's cookbook. Oh my gosh, this is a fantastic dessert! It's a blend of every great baking flavor: the bottom layer was like a very soft and fluffy chocolate cake (this was the layer that baked in the oven for a while), the second layer was entirely comprised of mini-marshmallows that were only in the oven for a few minutes so that they would melt and spread evenly, and the third layer was a blend of melted butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter that was mixed with a rice krispies cereal just before pouring it over the marshmallows. After a few hours of chilling, the bars were ready to be cut up and eaten! Funny enough, I ended burning my arm on the side of the oven while getting this pan out! I must have moved my arm away faster than Matthew though because my burn only turned red without blistering or scabbing. This must have been a cursed week for baking or something. Burnt arm aside, the dessert was a big hit for Matthew and his parents, so I'm happy with the outcome!
Cooking: 20/75 completed
The night that Matthew and I ate the stir-fry was also the night that we watched American Psycho. This is a movie that I've seen once before, but that was five years ago, so I didn't remember very many details at all. I did remember that near the beginning there's a very unfortunate scene in which he kills a dog, so I covered my eyes and hummed to myself until Matthew told me that the scene was over. I remember liking the movie, but I had forgotten how many times this movie made me laugh! Christian Bale played the part of sociopathic serial killer Patrick Bateman perfectly! Everything from his great one-liners ("Would you like to hear today's specials?" "Not if you want to keep your spleen.") to his music-oriented monologues that he says shortly before killing someone had me laughing at the utter insanity of the situation. I really can't see how someone would dislike a movie in which an ATM asks the main actor to feed it a stray cat. Hilarity aside, I also appreciate the social critique that is spread throughout the film. Starting with the first scene in which all these clone-looking men fail to correctly identify their co-workers, the film points out how humanity has largely been stripped from the corporate sector. In this movie, the only thing that anybody cares about is money and their reputation. The fact that everyone is sleeping around with each other's significant others shows how relationships are only used for status symbol. What I really like is the somewhat uncertain ending: did Bateman imagine everything or were his killing sprees real? There's quite a bit of evidence that suggests that Bateman did actually kill all those people, and funny enough, if it all was real, then it proves that others are just as evil and emotionless as Bateman. The only thing that really threw me off were the sex scenes. I understand why they're there, it's just too disturbing at times for my taste. This movie is not exactly one that I would want to watch frequently, but it's still a fantastic movie for those who can handle it!
Rating: 4/5
Movies: 16/100 viewed
Lastly, I finished another novel! This one was Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. I'm actually surprised that I liked a war novel as much as I did, but it's a pleasant surprise. Following Juan "Johnnie" Rico through his training in the mobile infantry was exciting, interesting, and actually quite thought-provoking. The novel's political system threw me back for a while, but upon reflection it actually makes quite a bit of sense. In Starship Troopers, there are civilians, who are normal people who have never served in the military but are still protected under all laws, and then there are citizens, who are those that are retired from military service and the only ones allowed to vote. The reasoning for this system is that those who have served voluntarily in the military have proven that they value the survival of the group/country over their own survival; as such, only those people have the authority to make political decisions that will affect everybody. To be honest, I wouldn't be opposed to something like that happening in America. Too many people are greedy and selfish and have a one-track mind when it comes to voting: "me, me, me." Those people would never be able to harm others with their reckless voting anymore because those are the kinds of people who wouldn't risk their lives for complete strangers. If that's how America was, I definitely would have signed up at 18. Politics aside, I enjoyed watching Johnnie grow as a person. He starts off as a confused 18-year old whose only reason for enlisting is so that he doesn't turn out to be a carbon copy of his father, but the military forces him to grow up. Though we don't get much insight into any of the other characters and at times all the listings of the military personnel were confusing, overall this book is a good war novel and a good sci-fi novel.
Rating: 8.3/10
Books read: 5/75
Thursday, March 10, 2011
"I am a leaf on the wind; watch how I soar."
Sadly, I am done with the Firefly series. I have watched the movie now, and while it was an incredible movie, I still feel rather unsatisfied. However, I think that is a feeling experienced by everyone who's seen Firefly and its accompanying movie, Serenity. I wish there was a way for someone to pick up where the movie left off and continue the series, but it seems unlikely, especially since so much time has passed since the first season. Alas, all of us Browncoats will be frustrated for quite some time. At least I can watch the series and movie any time I please!
15. Serenity - I'm impressed with how the film can stand alone as its own production for those who haven't seen the series, yet it also was a wonderful complement to the show. I'm thankful that the movie provides some character history, particularly Simon's and River's, and that they explain why the Alliance is so hell-bent on finding River. However, there were some character inconsistencies. For instance, Mal was a lot more aggressive than he normally was in the series, and I was a bit surprised to see him and Simon fighting so often and intensely. Still, the characters did a good job at maintaining their personalities from the show, especially Wash and Jayne. The action scenes were impressive and exciting, and I loved watching River go "Kill Bill" in her two fight scenes. I was definitely taken aback with some of the more tragic scenes; one in particular seemed to come from nowhere. Assuming that this film is the final installment of the Firefly series, Serenity was a superb finale to an incredible story.
Rating: 4.5/5
Movies: 15/100 viewed
Lists aside, the Wisconsin unions were put to death yesterday. It's a sad time for the middle class in America. I'm just waiting to see how long it takes before the middle class is completely gone. They're already starting to do the same in Michigan : http://michiganmessenger.com/47158/emergency-financial-manager-bill-on-the-verge-of-passage. The last thing I'm going to say about the whole situation is that people need to prepare themselves for much harder times.
15. Serenity - I'm impressed with how the film can stand alone as its own production for those who haven't seen the series, yet it also was a wonderful complement to the show. I'm thankful that the movie provides some character history, particularly Simon's and River's, and that they explain why the Alliance is so hell-bent on finding River. However, there were some character inconsistencies. For instance, Mal was a lot more aggressive than he normally was in the series, and I was a bit surprised to see him and Simon fighting so often and intensely. Still, the characters did a good job at maintaining their personalities from the show, especially Wash and Jayne. The action scenes were impressive and exciting, and I loved watching River go "Kill Bill" in her two fight scenes. I was definitely taken aback with some of the more tragic scenes; one in particular seemed to come from nowhere. Assuming that this film is the final installment of the Firefly series, Serenity was a superb finale to an incredible story.
Rating: 4.5/5
Movies: 15/100 viewed
Lists aside, the Wisconsin unions were put to death yesterday. It's a sad time for the middle class in America. I'm just waiting to see how long it takes before the middle class is completely gone. They're already starting to do the same in Michigan : http://michiganmessenger.com/47158/emergency-financial-manager-bill-on-the-verge-of-passage. The last thing I'm going to say about the whole situation is that people need to prepare themselves for much harder times.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
"Burn the land and boil the sea / You can't take the sky from me"
Unfortunately I don't have a cooking update for this entry. Matthew and I have been dog-sitting at my dad's house for the last several days, and we've also had work for the entire weekend. However, I do have a great update for movie-watching! Technically, it's a television series, but it was completely new to me and it actually has a thought-out plotline, so I'm going to count it in my movie list. The series that I am fortunate enough to have come across is Firefly, created by Joss Whedon. Matthew received it as a gift a while ago but we just kept putting off watching it. Now that I've seen it, I can't decide whether I'm more glad about having seen it, or pissed off that it was cancelled after one season.
Firefly is an intelligent, entertaining, and captivating show. Every single character is well-developed, unique, and likable in some way. While there are still some unanswered questions about the characters, such as the extent of River's abilities, I know that if given more seasons the show would have artfully explained everything. Speaking of, River is definitely a favorite. This girl is mysterious without being disconnected from the audience. For instance, in the episode "War Stories," Kaylee is outnumbered by Niska's men and would've been killed if River hadn't picked up her gun and shot them all dead from a distance with her eyes closed. Impressive and scary as that is, River just smiles at Kaylee and walks away. Fox could have filled several seasons diving into the expanses of her mind and slowly revealing what the Alliance did with her mind, but instead they leave her story unfinished.
In addition, I like the universe that Whedon imagined. There's futuristic technology, like laser guns and warp drive, but the reality of human selfishness and corporate greed has also left other planets with only the most basic technologies. Hell, on some border planets they're still using horses and carriages! I also enjoy the incorporation of Earth politics into a show that takes place 500 years in the future. It makes sense that America and China were the greatest superpowers when Earth died, so the cultures melted together as people colonized other planets. I find it amusing that most of their slang and swearing is done in Chinese, but I wish they could have at least subtitled those moments instead of just putting "[Speaking Chinese]" at the bottom of the screen. The planets have western and oriental influences in their art, architecture, and customs, which provides for more variety in setting. Similarly, the show's depiction of space is phenomenal. Every single time the camera looks on the ship from space, there is no sound, just background music. This makes the most sense, seeing as there is no sound in space. Attention to details like this is part of what makes Firefly such a great show!
What I cannot understand is why Fox treated this show like crap. In addition to not airing the episodes in order, they also spaced episodes weeks apart, thus making it difficult to have an initial following. Still, I don't know if a second season would have gathered a following large enough to keep it alive. Firefly is one of those shows that is too smart for a large portion of society. We have shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Secret Life of the American Teenager going into yet another season, so that doesn't speak well for the typical tastes of viewers. I'm hoping to see the movie soon, and maybe one day someone with enough money will give all of us "Browncoats" another fix of this amazing show. Anyone who watches the season in order on dvd will admit that Firefly is addictive!
Rating: 5/5
Since each episode is approximately 45 minutes, the 14-episode series comes to about 10.5 hours of viewing time. I'll be generous and say that the average movie is about two hours (even though comedies and romantic movies are often shorter). That would give me five movies worth of time, and it's plot is strong enough to count for five movies! If anything, it's not unlike how the individual movies of a series could be watched as one congruent plot. So, I am now that much closer to my goal! My greatest hope though is that this entry entices more people into discovering and enjoying the world of Firefly. Later!
Movies: 14/100 viewed
Firefly is an intelligent, entertaining, and captivating show. Every single character is well-developed, unique, and likable in some way. While there are still some unanswered questions about the characters, such as the extent of River's abilities, I know that if given more seasons the show would have artfully explained everything. Speaking of, River is definitely a favorite. This girl is mysterious without being disconnected from the audience. For instance, in the episode "War Stories," Kaylee is outnumbered by Niska's men and would've been killed if River hadn't picked up her gun and shot them all dead from a distance with her eyes closed. Impressive and scary as that is, River just smiles at Kaylee and walks away. Fox could have filled several seasons diving into the expanses of her mind and slowly revealing what the Alliance did with her mind, but instead they leave her story unfinished.
In addition, I like the universe that Whedon imagined. There's futuristic technology, like laser guns and warp drive, but the reality of human selfishness and corporate greed has also left other planets with only the most basic technologies. Hell, on some border planets they're still using horses and carriages! I also enjoy the incorporation of Earth politics into a show that takes place 500 years in the future. It makes sense that America and China were the greatest superpowers when Earth died, so the cultures melted together as people colonized other planets. I find it amusing that most of their slang and swearing is done in Chinese, but I wish they could have at least subtitled those moments instead of just putting "[Speaking Chinese]" at the bottom of the screen. The planets have western and oriental influences in their art, architecture, and customs, which provides for more variety in setting. Similarly, the show's depiction of space is phenomenal. Every single time the camera looks on the ship from space, there is no sound, just background music. This makes the most sense, seeing as there is no sound in space. Attention to details like this is part of what makes Firefly such a great show!
What I cannot understand is why Fox treated this show like crap. In addition to not airing the episodes in order, they also spaced episodes weeks apart, thus making it difficult to have an initial following. Still, I don't know if a second season would have gathered a following large enough to keep it alive. Firefly is one of those shows that is too smart for a large portion of society. We have shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Secret Life of the American Teenager going into yet another season, so that doesn't speak well for the typical tastes of viewers. I'm hoping to see the movie soon, and maybe one day someone with enough money will give all of us "Browncoats" another fix of this amazing show. Anyone who watches the season in order on dvd will admit that Firefly is addictive!
Rating: 5/5
Since each episode is approximately 45 minutes, the 14-episode series comes to about 10.5 hours of viewing time. I'll be generous and say that the average movie is about two hours (even though comedies and romantic movies are often shorter). That would give me five movies worth of time, and it's plot is strong enough to count for five movies! If anything, it's not unlike how the individual movies of a series could be watched as one congruent plot. So, I am now that much closer to my goal! My greatest hope though is that this entry entices more people into discovering and enjoying the world of Firefly. Later!
Movies: 14/100 viewed
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
"The point is this: the greed that led you into the teaching profession has led to the corruption of it!"
Update time! First, in movies, Matthew and I watched Kick-Ass this weekend, which despite its flaws was an overall entertaining movie:
9. Kick-Ass - It was very interesting, to say the least. I enjoyed the combination of Kick-Ass' innocence and naivety with the serious and deadly demeanor provided by Big Daddy and Hit Girl. While their motivations are completely different, they make a likable trio. The action scenes were very intense and choreographed, and enjoyed the use of different weapons rather than just the constant gunfire seen in other films. Blood and gore don't bother me in the least, but there's quite a lot of it in the movie, so I wouldn't recommend it for people who enjoy cleaner action. I also appreciated some of the funny moments, like the progression of Dave's relationship with Katie. However, even with the impressive action scenes and the occasional moments of laughter, the two contrasting tones did not mesh well throughout the movie. Some of the humor in Big Daddy and Hit Girl's storyline was too disturbing or strange to make me laugh, and it felt like there were two separate story lines that melded mostly during violence. Not to say I'm opposed to violence in movies, but it felt like this movie was having a hard time deciding if it wanted to be a comedy or a gory action film, which is why it's not a great movie.
Rating: 3/5
Movies: 9/100 viewed
For cooking, I made two new dishes this weekend. The first were southwest-style turkey burgers that featured ground turkey meat mixed with egg, crushed tortilla chips, chopped green pepper, chopped onion (my own personal addition!), salt, pepper, and chili powder. After broiling, I added some sliced pepper jack cheese, salsa, and lettuce. That made a delicious lunch! The taste was perfect; the flavors complemented each other and turned an otherwise ordinary burger into a fun and spicy dish! I would love to taste these in the summer after grilling on a nice charcoal grill.
Peanut butter fudge was my second dish this weekend. My sister just had her birthday and so for her gift I asked her what her favorite dessert flavors were, which led me to making the fudge. I had no idea that fudge stiffened so quickly! Not to mention the constant stirring I had to do while heating the peanut butter, evaporated milk, and sugar - this dessert is best mixed by someone with upper body strength! However, in spite of my arms feeling like they were going to fall off, the fudge turned out to be very good! The added peanuts help out when trying to chew the intensely rich fudge, and I'm glad that it can keep in the fridge for a month because it'll take about that long to get through it all!
Cooking: 17/75 completed
I'm still rooting for the Wisconsin workers, and my friend Rachel posted this hilarious link to one of John Stewart's video clips. The sad part is that people actually do believe that teachers are lazy, stupid, and overpaid, which is funny considering that most parents don't even bother to teach their kids to read before sticking them in kindergarten at age five. Parents need to get their kids interested in learning and at least starting to learn well before they're put into a classroom. Hell, I was starting to read before I entered kindergarten and I was four when I started school! I'm not going to lie and say that every teacher is a saint, but the majority are underpaid and under-appreciated, and without further ado I give the link to Stewart's lecture to teachers:
Friday, February 25, 2011
"Kill the bill!"
I'm making progress on my lists! First, my friend Jenn let me borrow her copy of Easy A, which I watched with Matthew a few days ago. So, I'll start with my newest movie review:
8. Easy A - Matthew and I shared the same sentiment about this movie, which is that the film was fine but not great. It started off a bit slow, but the movie became funnier about halfway through. There were quite a few good one-liners, but in other moments the dialogue was a bit forced. What I don't understand is why all these high school movies feature a hot female character who is apparently ignored by everyone. Emma Stone is really pretty, and most high school guys would be itching to ask her out. That aside, the movie was overall entertaining and I'm glad I watched it.
Rating: 2.5/5
Movies: 8/100 viewed
Yesterday I made a new dessert as a birthday treat! I decided to try these cream cheese brownies from my New Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. While I was mixing the batter, it told me mix until the batter was thick and lemon-colored, but it never really matched the picture in the book. I ended up mixing it a few minutes longer, and still no change to the batter. I don't know, maybe it wasn't supposed to match the picture exactly, but the brownies tasted great anyway! The texture was very soft and creamy, and I liked how the marbled top looked after baking. Everyone else enjoyed them too, so I doubt they'll be around much longer!
Cooking: 15/75 completed
Since I don't have any evidence that anyone reads this blog, I feel safe in documenting some of my feelings concerning the issue in Wisconsin. Now, I understand that as groups gain power and money they face a greater risk of corruption, and unions are not exempt from that. I'm aware that there have been times in which union leaders were not what one would call "moral," but to demonize all unions like this is absolutely ridiculous. People are calling to an end to all unions, but I don't think that these people are looking at the long-term consequences of the demise of unions, which would be an entirely corporate-run country. Granted, we're almost entirely at that point, but it will become much worse if the unions are defeated.
By taking away worker's rights, it essentially gives a free pass to businesses to do whatever they want. None of us were alive when businesses had no restrictions, but this country will go right back to those days if we don't do more to keep them in check. The truth is, without unions there wouldn't be a minimum wage, weekends, child labor laws, mandatory safe working conditions, etc. People need to stop believing in the perfection of corporations. Without opposition, corporations will do whatever they want to whomever they want, and that includes their employees. Before unions, businesses could send their workers into dangerous situations and not face any punishment when they killed or injured their workers. Do you really think we're that far away from going back to how American workers were treated back in the early 1900s? Laws mean nothing when corporations have more power and money than the government, which is our current situation (does anyone remember that Exxon got away with paying only a fraction of what they should have due to all the appeals they could afford?).
In addition, breaking up the unions would destroy the only major monetary contributors to the Democratic Party. Once this occurs, Republicans would be able to buy victories in every single election. This would turn the United States into a one-party country, and once the Republicans have complete control of the country do we really think that they'll continue to pretend that they care about the people of the United States? Republicans are bought out by the corporations, which is why they've been able to play with the Supreme Court so easily in the last several decades. It is the Republican Party's dream to continue to push the United States in a direction in which the top 10% own everything in the country while the rest of us barely scrape by.
I guess if people like the idea of returning to the feudal society, then we should definitely try to break the unions! It's not fair that corporations should have to continue to comply with laws regarding worker's safety, taxes, environmental protection, and wages. We should just give corporations a free-for-all, since they've always been so compassionate to the common worker in the past!
For a little more information, this website explains things pretty well:
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/479560/9_things_you_need_to_know_about_the_uprising_in_wisconsin/#paragraph3
And here is the beginning of our country's future under the care of corporations:
http://www.alternet.org/teaparty/149861/top_4_victories_handed_to_corporate_america_by_the_supreme_court_--_so_far/?page=1
8. Easy A - Matthew and I shared the same sentiment about this movie, which is that the film was fine but not great. It started off a bit slow, but the movie became funnier about halfway through. There were quite a few good one-liners, but in other moments the dialogue was a bit forced. What I don't understand is why all these high school movies feature a hot female character who is apparently ignored by everyone. Emma Stone is really pretty, and most high school guys would be itching to ask her out. That aside, the movie was overall entertaining and I'm glad I watched it.
Rating: 2.5/5
Movies: 8/100 viewed
Yesterday I made a new dessert as a birthday treat! I decided to try these cream cheese brownies from my New Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. While I was mixing the batter, it told me mix until the batter was thick and lemon-colored, but it never really matched the picture in the book. I ended up mixing it a few minutes longer, and still no change to the batter. I don't know, maybe it wasn't supposed to match the picture exactly, but the brownies tasted great anyway! The texture was very soft and creamy, and I liked how the marbled top looked after baking. Everyone else enjoyed them too, so I doubt they'll be around much longer!
Cooking: 15/75 completed
Since I don't have any evidence that anyone reads this blog, I feel safe in documenting some of my feelings concerning the issue in Wisconsin. Now, I understand that as groups gain power and money they face a greater risk of corruption, and unions are not exempt from that. I'm aware that there have been times in which union leaders were not what one would call "moral," but to demonize all unions like this is absolutely ridiculous. People are calling to an end to all unions, but I don't think that these people are looking at the long-term consequences of the demise of unions, which would be an entirely corporate-run country. Granted, we're almost entirely at that point, but it will become much worse if the unions are defeated.
By taking away worker's rights, it essentially gives a free pass to businesses to do whatever they want. None of us were alive when businesses had no restrictions, but this country will go right back to those days if we don't do more to keep them in check. The truth is, without unions there wouldn't be a minimum wage, weekends, child labor laws, mandatory safe working conditions, etc. People need to stop believing in the perfection of corporations. Without opposition, corporations will do whatever they want to whomever they want, and that includes their employees. Before unions, businesses could send their workers into dangerous situations and not face any punishment when they killed or injured their workers. Do you really think we're that far away from going back to how American workers were treated back in the early 1900s? Laws mean nothing when corporations have more power and money than the government, which is our current situation (does anyone remember that Exxon got away with paying only a fraction of what they should have due to all the appeals they could afford?).
In addition, breaking up the unions would destroy the only major monetary contributors to the Democratic Party. Once this occurs, Republicans would be able to buy victories in every single election. This would turn the United States into a one-party country, and once the Republicans have complete control of the country do we really think that they'll continue to pretend that they care about the people of the United States? Republicans are bought out by the corporations, which is why they've been able to play with the Supreme Court so easily in the last several decades. It is the Republican Party's dream to continue to push the United States in a direction in which the top 10% own everything in the country while the rest of us barely scrape by.
I guess if people like the idea of returning to the feudal society, then we should definitely try to break the unions! It's not fair that corporations should have to continue to comply with laws regarding worker's safety, taxes, environmental protection, and wages. We should just give corporations a free-for-all, since they've always been so compassionate to the common worker in the past!
For a little more information, this website explains things pretty well:
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/479560/9_things_you_need_to_know_about_the_uprising_in_wisconsin/#paragraph3
And here is the beginning of our country's future under the care of corporations:
http://www.alternet.org/teaparty/149861/top_4_victories_handed_to_corporate_america_by_the_supreme_court_--_so_far/?page=1
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
"Choose again."
Valentine's Day gave me a great opportunity to complete two more recipes: sugar cookies with red-colored sugar on top and this spicy chicken and rice dish. The dinner was fantastic! It called for three boneless skinless chicken breasts on top of a combination of brown rice, black beans, onions, green pepper, corn, diced tomatoes, tomato juice, red pepper, chili powder, and paprika. All of those vegetables and spices made the dish so flavorful; Matthew and I were so happy with how the dinner turned out! The cookies were good as well, but I might have stirred the dough a little too much because they were a little more dry and crunchy than I would have preferred. Still, the sugar cookies tasted great and Matthew liked the red sprinkled on top. Yay for having two new recipes under my belt!
Cooking: 14/75 completed
Matthew and I also watched Inception during our Valentine's dinner. Being a fan of science fiction, I really enjoyed the movie. Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page were particularly impressive with their performances, though there wasn't anyone that I would call out as having done a poor job either. The film was largely action-filled, but the scenes with DiCaprio and his character's haunting wife provided balance. While some may complain that the plot was too detailed and easily confusing, I found that as long as one pays close attention, the movie is never lacking in clarity and is very exciting. It reminds me of the original Matrix movie without any messiah-oriented undertones. I'm glad that Inception has been nominated for eight Oscars and I'm hoping that it wins a few.
Rating: 5/5
Movies: 7/100 viewed
Now, time to move on to the most important topic of discussion - the discussion of The Rise of Endymion.
Warning: Spoilers below!
This novel has, without a doubt, one of the most powerful and emotional endings of anything that I've ever read, and I've read quite a lot. While I did have a slight prediction of how the story would end, that inkling did not detract from the novel's conclusion. Although incredibly sad, The Rise of Endymion still managed to have as happy and hopeful of an ending as possible, filled with characters that I've become so fond of: the Consul's ship, Kassad, Rachel, Theo, Father de Soya, Martin Silenus (and as vulgar and hilarious as ever), Bettik, Raul, and Aenea. Simmon's depiction of Aenea as a messiah was done quite tastefully; she was brave, intelligent, and beautiful, but also emotional and vulnerable to the cruelties of man. Her communion, while very similar to the communion the Jesus Christ shared with his followers, differed greatly because those who drank of Aenea's blood received the same gifts that she possessed, thus making them closer to equals than the Apostles were to Christ. Speaking of Christianity, Aenea's demise was horrible to read, but after finding out that her torture and death was a crippling blow to the Church, I was happy that Aenea was able to destroy the corrupt relationship between humanity, the Church, and the Core. Although the scenes of her teaching to the crowds was a bit repetitive and by-the-book, Raul's eventual comprehension of the Void Which Binds made Aenea's teachings much more dynamic. Some people have critiqued the novel in their online reviews for wandering away from the technical aspects of science fiction, and while the novel was mostly focused on human nature, philosophy, and relationships, it still had plenty of moments of "science," such as their entire time within the Biosphere. By focusing more on the characters, The Rise of Endymion grew into a magnetic and unforgettable novel, and is a great conclusion to the Hyperion Cantos. I'm sad that the series is over, but am very glad that I chose these novels as my first for this year. My only worry now is that the other novels that I read will be slightly shadowed by this fantastic series!
Rating for The Rise of Endymion: 9.5/10
Books Read: 4/75
Cooking: 14/75 completed
Matthew and I also watched Inception during our Valentine's dinner. Being a fan of science fiction, I really enjoyed the movie. Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page were particularly impressive with their performances, though there wasn't anyone that I would call out as having done a poor job either. The film was largely action-filled, but the scenes with DiCaprio and his character's haunting wife provided balance. While some may complain that the plot was too detailed and easily confusing, I found that as long as one pays close attention, the movie is never lacking in clarity and is very exciting. It reminds me of the original Matrix movie without any messiah-oriented undertones. I'm glad that Inception has been nominated for eight Oscars and I'm hoping that it wins a few.
Rating: 5/5
Movies: 7/100 viewed
Now, time to move on to the most important topic of discussion - the discussion of The Rise of Endymion.
Warning: Spoilers below!
This novel has, without a doubt, one of the most powerful and emotional endings of anything that I've ever read, and I've read quite a lot. While I did have a slight prediction of how the story would end, that inkling did not detract from the novel's conclusion. Although incredibly sad, The Rise of Endymion still managed to have as happy and hopeful of an ending as possible, filled with characters that I've become so fond of: the Consul's ship, Kassad, Rachel, Theo, Father de Soya, Martin Silenus (and as vulgar and hilarious as ever), Bettik, Raul, and Aenea. Simmon's depiction of Aenea as a messiah was done quite tastefully; she was brave, intelligent, and beautiful, but also emotional and vulnerable to the cruelties of man. Her communion, while very similar to the communion the Jesus Christ shared with his followers, differed greatly because those who drank of Aenea's blood received the same gifts that she possessed, thus making them closer to equals than the Apostles were to Christ. Speaking of Christianity, Aenea's demise was horrible to read, but after finding out that her torture and death was a crippling blow to the Church, I was happy that Aenea was able to destroy the corrupt relationship between humanity, the Church, and the Core. Although the scenes of her teaching to the crowds was a bit repetitive and by-the-book, Raul's eventual comprehension of the Void Which Binds made Aenea's teachings much more dynamic. Some people have critiqued the novel in their online reviews for wandering away from the technical aspects of science fiction, and while the novel was mostly focused on human nature, philosophy, and relationships, it still had plenty of moments of "science," such as their entire time within the Biosphere. By focusing more on the characters, The Rise of Endymion grew into a magnetic and unforgettable novel, and is a great conclusion to the Hyperion Cantos. I'm sad that the series is over, but am very glad that I chose these novels as my first for this year. My only worry now is that the other novels that I read will be slightly shadowed by this fantastic series!
Rating for The Rise of Endymion: 9.5/10
Books Read: 4/75
Thursday, February 10, 2011
"So if you've got a torch to carry hold it high . . . Let it light up the sky"
Another recipe finished! Last night I made Brownie Pudding from the New Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book, and man was that good! I haven't had something that rich and chocolaty in a while, but I guess that's what happens when one uses a fourth of a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder. Making it was really interesting; I had no idea how it would bake with a layer of nearly boiling water on top of the actual batter, but somehow the pudding-like sauce ended up underneath the cake. Talk about tricky food chemistry! Brownie Pudding is definitely a dessert that should be accompanied by a tall glass of milk. Needless to say, I'm very pleased with how this recipe turned out!
Cooking: 12/75 completed
If I had any spending money, I am certain that I would spend it on Cartel's new album, Cycles. I've only been able to listen to the four songs they have available for listening on their website, but I really like all of them. I'm sure I can listen to the other songs if I looked on YouTube, so I'll probably do that later today. What's great about their songs is that they're all distinguishable from each other. So many bands have songs that all sound exactly the same, and Cartel avoids that. I also enjoy their mix of subject matter for their lyrics - some songs are softer and more melodic, others are fast-paced with socially-oriented lyrics, and others are more for fun. They didn't have any touring information, which is a shame because I think they'd be great to see live! The title of this post is taken from their song "Let's Go." I hope that others get into them!
I think I might actually add another goal to my list: watch 100 new movies this year. By new I don't mean that they have to be recently produced, I'm referring to movies that I have never seen or haven't seen in so many years that I've basically forgotten the entire thing. Since Matthew and I have Netflix I figure that it shouldn't be too hard to watch 100 movies in a year. I'll try to at least give them all ratings and small reviews in a timely fashion, but I've already seen quite a few movies this year, so let me try to remember them all:
1. The Departed - Talk about a great mix of good actors! The acting by Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, and Mark Wahlberg was superb, but I have to give a few more props to DiCaprio for giving us a truly tortured character without ever going over the top. The plot was incredibly intricate, but not too difficult to follow as long as you pay close attention to everything. The movie was a bit long, but I didn't notice how much time had passed until the movie ended, and that's usually the sign of a great movie!
Rating: 5/5
2. Under Siege - Matthew owns this collection of Steven Seagal movies as a joke, and we decided to watch a couple of them for laughs. What I love is that an entire Navy ship is overthrown by a few terrorists, even though the terrorists are vastly outnumbered. Why wouldn't the tons of Navy personnel just rush the terrorists? Granted, a couple of guys might've died, but the terrorists wouldn't have been able to kill all of them. Ah well, at least Tommy Lee Jones was in it, and man was he a funny hippie. Oh yeah, there was a boob scene as well. Can't remember much else about the girl.
Rating: 2/5
3. Under Siege 2 - Dark Territory - Yet another funny Steven Seagal movie, and it's really just Under Siege on a train. I had no idea that a little Katherine Heigl was in it until I recognized her face, and according to IMDb it's one of her earliest roles. I really love the scene where Seagal is hanging onto the train and someone shoots him in the shoulder, yet this doesn't faze Seagal at all. Nevermind that he was shot with a sniper rifle whose bullet would've ripped his arm off (or at least destroyed his nerves and vessels). He's Steven Seagal, and regular bullets cannot harm him! So many laughs in this movie. Oh Steven Seagal . . .
Rating: 2/5
4. The Prince of Egypt - It's been out for a long time, but I don't remember seeing this movie, and I feel like I would have remembered at least something with how good it is. I didn't expect a biblical movie to be so good, but I was pleasantly surprised by The Prince of Egypt. Although the plot is based upon the Exodus of the Hebrews, the main focus of the movie is the relationship between Moses and Ramses, which gives it more of a human focus rather than a preachy one. There were quite a lot of well-known actors in the cast - Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, Val Kilmer, and Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort!). Great music and good portrayal of God. Overall, I think that this was a well-made and entertaining movie.
Rating: 4/5
5. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark - Before anybody goes crazy on me for not having seen the Indiana Jones movies, I must clarify that I did see bits and pieces of the movies a very long time ago, but I don't really remember anything specific about any one movie. That aside, I really liked watching Raiders of the Lost Ark. The action was nearly constant, the swooning female students were hilarious, and the Nazis were perfect villains. Of course it didn't have much depth to it, which is why I can't give it a perfect score, but I can see why it's a classic. Looking forward to watching the others!
Rating: 4.5/5
6. The Last Exorcism - For an exorcist-themed horror movie, I was fairly impressed. Many horror movies now just pile on the gore or action scenes, but this movie took a more subtle approach. For a while it seemed like there wasn't any paranormal activity involved, but I knew in the back of my head that it wouldn't be much of a horror movie if the good ol' devil or one of his minions never showed up. The documentary style was distracting at times, but done much better than Blair Witch or Paranormal Activity. I was not expecting the ending to take the twist that it did, but it only reinforces my rules about traveling: never go to the Deep South and stay away from isolated rural areas.
Rating: 2.5/5
Cooking: 12/75 completed
If I had any spending money, I am certain that I would spend it on Cartel's new album, Cycles. I've only been able to listen to the four songs they have available for listening on their website, but I really like all of them. I'm sure I can listen to the other songs if I looked on YouTube, so I'll probably do that later today. What's great about their songs is that they're all distinguishable from each other. So many bands have songs that all sound exactly the same, and Cartel avoids that. I also enjoy their mix of subject matter for their lyrics - some songs are softer and more melodic, others are fast-paced with socially-oriented lyrics, and others are more for fun. They didn't have any touring information, which is a shame because I think they'd be great to see live! The title of this post is taken from their song "Let's Go." I hope that others get into them!
I think I might actually add another goal to my list: watch 100 new movies this year. By new I don't mean that they have to be recently produced, I'm referring to movies that I have never seen or haven't seen in so many years that I've basically forgotten the entire thing. Since Matthew and I have Netflix I figure that it shouldn't be too hard to watch 100 movies in a year. I'll try to at least give them all ratings and small reviews in a timely fashion, but I've already seen quite a few movies this year, so let me try to remember them all:
1. The Departed - Talk about a great mix of good actors! The acting by Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, and Mark Wahlberg was superb, but I have to give a few more props to DiCaprio for giving us a truly tortured character without ever going over the top. The plot was incredibly intricate, but not too difficult to follow as long as you pay close attention to everything. The movie was a bit long, but I didn't notice how much time had passed until the movie ended, and that's usually the sign of a great movie!
Rating: 5/5
2. Under Siege - Matthew owns this collection of Steven Seagal movies as a joke, and we decided to watch a couple of them for laughs. What I love is that an entire Navy ship is overthrown by a few terrorists, even though the terrorists are vastly outnumbered. Why wouldn't the tons of Navy personnel just rush the terrorists? Granted, a couple of guys might've died, but the terrorists wouldn't have been able to kill all of them. Ah well, at least Tommy Lee Jones was in it, and man was he a funny hippie. Oh yeah, there was a boob scene as well. Can't remember much else about the girl.
Rating: 2/5
3. Under Siege 2 - Dark Territory - Yet another funny Steven Seagal movie, and it's really just Under Siege on a train. I had no idea that a little Katherine Heigl was in it until I recognized her face, and according to IMDb it's one of her earliest roles. I really love the scene where Seagal is hanging onto the train and someone shoots him in the shoulder, yet this doesn't faze Seagal at all. Nevermind that he was shot with a sniper rifle whose bullet would've ripped his arm off (or at least destroyed his nerves and vessels). He's Steven Seagal, and regular bullets cannot harm him! So many laughs in this movie. Oh Steven Seagal . . .
Rating: 2/5
4. The Prince of Egypt - It's been out for a long time, but I don't remember seeing this movie, and I feel like I would have remembered at least something with how good it is. I didn't expect a biblical movie to be so good, but I was pleasantly surprised by The Prince of Egypt. Although the plot is based upon the Exodus of the Hebrews, the main focus of the movie is the relationship between Moses and Ramses, which gives it more of a human focus rather than a preachy one. There were quite a lot of well-known actors in the cast - Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, Val Kilmer, and Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort!). Great music and good portrayal of God. Overall, I think that this was a well-made and entertaining movie.
Rating: 4/5
5. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark - Before anybody goes crazy on me for not having seen the Indiana Jones movies, I must clarify that I did see bits and pieces of the movies a very long time ago, but I don't really remember anything specific about any one movie. That aside, I really liked watching Raiders of the Lost Ark. The action was nearly constant, the swooning female students were hilarious, and the Nazis were perfect villains. Of course it didn't have much depth to it, which is why I can't give it a perfect score, but I can see why it's a classic. Looking forward to watching the others!
Rating: 4.5/5
6. The Last Exorcism - For an exorcist-themed horror movie, I was fairly impressed. Many horror movies now just pile on the gore or action scenes, but this movie took a more subtle approach. For a while it seemed like there wasn't any paranormal activity involved, but I knew in the back of my head that it wouldn't be much of a horror movie if the good ol' devil or one of his minions never showed up. The documentary style was distracting at times, but done much better than Blair Witch or Paranormal Activity. I was not expecting the ending to take the twist that it did, but it only reinforces my rules about traveling: never go to the Deep South and stay away from isolated rural areas.
Rating: 2.5/5
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
"You are reading this for the wrong reason."
Now I have three new recipes under my belt! Last week I made brown and wild rice pilaf. The dinner was really tasty, and I loved the chewy texture of the wild rice combined with the softer consistency of the mushrooms and shredded carrot. The hardest part of making the dinner was finding plain raw wild rice. I guess that there's not much of a demand for wild rice outside of canned soup and prepared dinners, but I finally found tiny four once boxes of it in between the piles of other rice varieties. Either way, I enjoyed the pilaf and so did Matthew!
I also made almond-cherry candies last week. I already have a big bag of dried cherries in my pantry, so the only things I had to buy were almonds and a block of white chocolate. As I found out, white chocolate melts very quickly! I had to constantly stir it with the Crisco to make sure it wouldn't bubble. I also discovered that even though caramels can becomes really smooth while on the stove, the mixture hardens within a minute after removing it from heat. It was pretty difficult drizzling the melted caramel on top of the candies, but I managed with some hot water. They turned out to be really good though, and I ended up making a second batch to give to our families the morning of the Super Bowl.
Then, on Monday, I made this dinner called Crunchy Cabbage, which is really just shredded cabbage and carrots cooked with green onions, beef bouillon, and pepper that is mixed near the end with butter, mustard, and chopped pecans. The whole dinner took about twenty minutes to make (including prep time), and for being so simple it had a great taste! I actually think that it would be a good vegetable side-dish for holidays or parties and could completely replace regular coleslaw. I'm not much of a coleslaw fan; I find it pretty boring, and while this recipe used a bag of coleslaw mix for the cabbage and carrot, it had a completely different taste. Plus, this meal was pretty healthy, with only 9 grams of fat, 98% daily vitamin A and 31% daily vitamin C. Definitely making this again!
Cooking: 11/75 completed
I am also pleased to say that I have finished Endymion! It was a bit different than the previous two novels with having fewer main characters, but they were well-developed and incredibly likable. Even the man who was trying to capture Aenea, Father Captain de Soya, is a sympathetic character that I can't help but enjoy. At first, I was taken aback with what happened to mankind after the fall of the Hegemony. The Church is just as bad, if not worse, than the TechnoCore, and its levels of corruption are slowly revealed as Aenea, Raul, and Bettick travel along the River Tethys. As they make their way across different planets, Simmons does a fantastic job at making each planet unique in its terrain and obstacles. Some of my favorite scenes in the novel include Raul and Aenea's swimming in a zero-g pool on the Consul's ship, Raul's brave and nearly fatal task of rigging explosives on the docks at Mare Infinitus, and the ending of the novel with the fight, the Shrike, and where Aenea, Raul, and Bettick conclude their river journey. I'm also happy that Simmons made this novel not as tightly-knit to the previous two, but he brought along enough to keep me happy. This novel had a lot more physical action, but the scenes with the Pax figures and Raul's Schrödinger's cat box provide some balance. Endymion is another great addition to the Hyperion series, and I cannot wait to see what happens to the new heroes in the last novel!
Rating for Endymion: 9.5/10
Books Read: 3/75
I also made almond-cherry candies last week. I already have a big bag of dried cherries in my pantry, so the only things I had to buy were almonds and a block of white chocolate. As I found out, white chocolate melts very quickly! I had to constantly stir it with the Crisco to make sure it wouldn't bubble. I also discovered that even though caramels can becomes really smooth while on the stove, the mixture hardens within a minute after removing it from heat. It was pretty difficult drizzling the melted caramel on top of the candies, but I managed with some hot water. They turned out to be really good though, and I ended up making a second batch to give to our families the morning of the Super Bowl.
Then, on Monday, I made this dinner called Crunchy Cabbage, which is really just shredded cabbage and carrots cooked with green onions, beef bouillon, and pepper that is mixed near the end with butter, mustard, and chopped pecans. The whole dinner took about twenty minutes to make (including prep time), and for being so simple it had a great taste! I actually think that it would be a good vegetable side-dish for holidays or parties and could completely replace regular coleslaw. I'm not much of a coleslaw fan; I find it pretty boring, and while this recipe used a bag of coleslaw mix for the cabbage and carrot, it had a completely different taste. Plus, this meal was pretty healthy, with only 9 grams of fat, 98% daily vitamin A and 31% daily vitamin C. Definitely making this again!
Cooking: 11/75 completed
I am also pleased to say that I have finished Endymion! It was a bit different than the previous two novels with having fewer main characters, but they were well-developed and incredibly likable. Even the man who was trying to capture Aenea, Father Captain de Soya, is a sympathetic character that I can't help but enjoy. At first, I was taken aback with what happened to mankind after the fall of the Hegemony. The Church is just as bad, if not worse, than the TechnoCore, and its levels of corruption are slowly revealed as Aenea, Raul, and Bettick travel along the River Tethys. As they make their way across different planets, Simmons does a fantastic job at making each planet unique in its terrain and obstacles. Some of my favorite scenes in the novel include Raul and Aenea's swimming in a zero-g pool on the Consul's ship, Raul's brave and nearly fatal task of rigging explosives on the docks at Mare Infinitus, and the ending of the novel with the fight, the Shrike, and where Aenea, Raul, and Bettick conclude their river journey. I'm also happy that Simmons made this novel not as tightly-knit to the previous two, but he brought along enough to keep me happy. This novel had a lot more physical action, but the scenes with the Pax figures and Raul's Schrödinger's cat box provide some balance. Endymion is another great addition to the Hyperion series, and I cannot wait to see what happens to the new heroes in the last novel!
Rating for Endymion: 9.5/10
Books Read: 3/75
Saturday, January 29, 2011
"On he flared . . ."
I really need to get on the phone with Comcast about fixing our internet. Matthew's computer has no trouble connecting to the internet, but no matter what I do with the cords or the router my computer cannot receive internet. This means that I have to wait until Matthew is asleep or away from his computer before I can go online. Bah.
Anyway, onto the important stuff.
Cooking: Last week I made chocolate-caramel bars and broccoli carrot stir-fry. Both were really tasty and fun to make! I had never made a stir-fry by myself before but I imagine that I'll be making a lot more this year since Matthew and I really enjoyed it. I must say that as simple as they are, toasted walnuts are delicious and I might add them to other stir-fry recipes even if they aren't specifically requested.
This week I made banana bread and peach breakfast slush. I hadn't realized how long banana bread takes to bake and almost left for work late, but luckily I made it on time! I also didn't know that you can buy apricot nectar in cans. I was afraid that I'd have to buy apricots and squeeze the juice out of them after not finding anything at Kroger, but then I went over to Meijer and luckily they had some apricot nectar. Either way, both recipes were successes!
Cooking: 8/75 completed
I completed The Fall of Hyperion a couple days ago and am once again very impressed with Simmon's work. This novel had a lot of new plot lines and examined interesting new characters but also held onto enough of Hyperion's plots and characters to make a smooth transition into the second novel. I was glad to finally learn more about Meina Gladstone and how the Hegemony functions. Gladstone's story is very interesting and quite surprising at the end. Without revealing anything, I'm just going to say that she made a difficult and admirable decision. I truly enjoy how well Simmon's weaves the different stories and perspectives together, and we find out in this novel how Sol and Rachel's story is connected to everyone else's. Simmon's also focuses more on Sol's inner struggle in this novel, which I think added a lot to the overall plot. There really wasn't a single story that I didn't enjoy, and the novel ended with the possibility of a few of the plots continuing into the next installment.
Rating for The Fall of Hyperion: 10/10
Books Read: 2/75
Hoping to finish the third novel, Endymion, in the next few days!
Anyway, onto the important stuff.
Cooking: Last week I made chocolate-caramel bars and broccoli carrot stir-fry. Both were really tasty and fun to make! I had never made a stir-fry by myself before but I imagine that I'll be making a lot more this year since Matthew and I really enjoyed it. I must say that as simple as they are, toasted walnuts are delicious and I might add them to other stir-fry recipes even if they aren't specifically requested.
This week I made banana bread and peach breakfast slush. I hadn't realized how long banana bread takes to bake and almost left for work late, but luckily I made it on time! I also didn't know that you can buy apricot nectar in cans. I was afraid that I'd have to buy apricots and squeeze the juice out of them after not finding anything at Kroger, but then I went over to Meijer and luckily they had some apricot nectar. Either way, both recipes were successes!
Cooking: 8/75 completed
I completed The Fall of Hyperion a couple days ago and am once again very impressed with Simmon's work. This novel had a lot of new plot lines and examined interesting new characters but also held onto enough of Hyperion's plots and characters to make a smooth transition into the second novel. I was glad to finally learn more about Meina Gladstone and how the Hegemony functions. Gladstone's story is very interesting and quite surprising at the end. Without revealing anything, I'm just going to say that she made a difficult and admirable decision. I truly enjoy how well Simmon's weaves the different stories and perspectives together, and we find out in this novel how Sol and Rachel's story is connected to everyone else's. Simmon's also focuses more on Sol's inner struggle in this novel, which I think added a lot to the overall plot. There really wasn't a single story that I didn't enjoy, and the novel ended with the possibility of a few of the plots continuing into the next installment.
Rating for The Fall of Hyperion: 10/10
Books Read: 2/75
Hoping to finish the third novel, Endymion, in the next few days!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Salts containing Cl -, Br -, I - are generally soluble. Important exceptions to this rule are halide salts of Ag+, Pb2+, and (Hg2)2+
Well, it took longer than anticipated, but I have finally finished reading my first book for the countdown! I chose Dan Simmon's Hyperion, which upon reflection was a great choice for a first book. There wasn't a single thing that I disliked about the book; the characters were dynamic and compelling, the plot was interesting and exciting. I really like books that weave several stories together, and Hyperion did it with perfection. I don't want to reveal too much, but I also enjoyed how Simmons explained the fate of Old Earth, and it was quite clever how he brought small pieces of Old Earth to each of the stories. To be completely honest, I'm actually rooting for the Ousters and I hope that they keep humanity in check in the next three novels! I'm going to start on its sequel, The Fall of Hyperion, as soon as possible. I'm planning on finishing that by the end of the week!
Rating for Hyperion: 10/10
Books Read: 1/75
Now, on to cooking.
The first new dish was Broccoli-Cauliflower Bake from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. It actually turned out to be very good and very simple. I went online to learn exactly how to cut raw broccoli and cauliflower since I had never done it before, and the rest of the recipe was pretty self-explanatory. The vegetables were cooked but still crunchy, which is just how I like it. I'll definitely make more of it in the future. I actually have some leftover cauliflower and broccoli after unknowingly buying too much, but I love having them raw in my salad, so I'm sure they'll disappear soon!
The next recipe completed was for lemonade, which I know seems like it shouldn't count, but my family always bought lemonade from the store, so I'm counting it. I had no idea how much sugar goes into a pitcher of lemonade! Sad as it is, I was remembering my chemistry lectures about solubility while I was waiting for the sugar to dissolve in the warm water, and that lead to trying to remember the solubility rules. And yes, I am aware that that it pretty lame. After that, I just added the lemon juice and shredded lemon peel and I was surprised at how much better it tasted than store-bought lemonade. Matthew said he'd like it if I made the lemonade more often, so that's a good seal of approval!
Finally, I made blueberry muffins, and that recipe also came from the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. The crater I had to make from the dry ingredients rather interesting; I've never had to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients like that before. I also decided to make the streusel topping for the muffins, and the brown sugar and walnuts went very well with the taste of the muffins. They had a great taste, and we ate most of them within a few days! I definitely plan on making other types of muffins this year!
Cooking: 4/75 completed
Rating for Hyperion: 10/10
Books Read: 1/75
Now, on to cooking.
The first new dish was Broccoli-Cauliflower Bake from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. It actually turned out to be very good and very simple. I went online to learn exactly how to cut raw broccoli and cauliflower since I had never done it before, and the rest of the recipe was pretty self-explanatory. The vegetables were cooked but still crunchy, which is just how I like it. I'll definitely make more of it in the future. I actually have some leftover cauliflower and broccoli after unknowingly buying too much, but I love having them raw in my salad, so I'm sure they'll disappear soon!
The next recipe completed was for lemonade, which I know seems like it shouldn't count, but my family always bought lemonade from the store, so I'm counting it. I had no idea how much sugar goes into a pitcher of lemonade! Sad as it is, I was remembering my chemistry lectures about solubility while I was waiting for the sugar to dissolve in the warm water, and that lead to trying to remember the solubility rules. And yes, I am aware that that it pretty lame. After that, I just added the lemon juice and shredded lemon peel and I was surprised at how much better it tasted than store-bought lemonade. Matthew said he'd like it if I made the lemonade more often, so that's a good seal of approval!
Finally, I made blueberry muffins, and that recipe also came from the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. The crater I had to make from the dry ingredients rather interesting; I've never had to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients like that before. I also decided to make the streusel topping for the muffins, and the brown sugar and walnuts went very well with the taste of the muffins. They had a great taste, and we ate most of them within a few days! I definitely plan on making other types of muffins this year!
Cooking: 4/75 completed
Saturday, January 8, 2011
"The world is on fire / Since you've come near / All I've ever desired / Is here with me"
It's been a week since my first post, so now it's assessment time.
Cooking: 1/75 completed. My first recipe was peanut butter blossoms. I've made peanut butter cookies in the past, and I've helped to make peanut butter blossoms, but I've never made them all by myself before. The choice for the cookie recipe was also largely influenced by my friend, Jenn's, birthday. Since she likes peanut butter cookies, I figured I'd make them a little more festive. Tip for future baking endeavors: when using two baking sheets, remove the bottom sheet from the over about a minute and a half before the top sheet is ready (or at least check on them). I made the mistake of letting both sheets bake for the same amount of time, so a dozen cookies ended up with burnt bottoms, which saddened me. However, my husband, Matthew, doesn't mind eating burnt food sometimes, so he happily took those cookies. The rest of them were good, so I'd consider this first recipe a success!
Since all of our fiction books are still in boxes at my dad's house, I haven't been able to read anything yet, so I'm going to have to play catch up at some point during the year. However, the apartment is almost completely unpacked and cleaned, so I'll be ready to kick back and start reading in no time!
With all my free time being used up with unpacking a cleaning, I haven't formulated a workout plan yet, but I have formulated a healthy eating plan. Granted, we are impoverished post-graduates, so I'm not going to run out to Whole Foods and buy organic meats and produce all the time, but I have decided to completely cut fast food out of my diet for this entire year. Not only will this help my arteries, it'll also help my wallet. In addition, aside from crazy days in which I'll be running around all over the place, I'm going to try to eat a salad and an apple every single day. I already have a solid healthy breakfast routine, so a salad and some fruit for lunch or dinner shouldn't be a problem. Besides, I like chopping vegetables with the brand new knife set that I received for Christmas; I'm having fun slicing things up in one tenth the time it took me when all I had were dull dinner knives!
Now it's time to study a little from my MCAT books before going to bed. Before I sign off, I also must mention that Matthew bought the new Anberlin album, Dark is the Way, Light is the Place, and it is fantastic! Lyrics from this entry's title are from their song "Take Me (As You Found Me)." Goodnight all!
Cooking: 1/75 completed. My first recipe was peanut butter blossoms. I've made peanut butter cookies in the past, and I've helped to make peanut butter blossoms, but I've never made them all by myself before. The choice for the cookie recipe was also largely influenced by my friend, Jenn's, birthday. Since she likes peanut butter cookies, I figured I'd make them a little more festive. Tip for future baking endeavors: when using two baking sheets, remove the bottom sheet from the over about a minute and a half before the top sheet is ready (or at least check on them). I made the mistake of letting both sheets bake for the same amount of time, so a dozen cookies ended up with burnt bottoms, which saddened me. However, my husband, Matthew, doesn't mind eating burnt food sometimes, so he happily took those cookies. The rest of them were good, so I'd consider this first recipe a success!
Since all of our fiction books are still in boxes at my dad's house, I haven't been able to read anything yet, so I'm going to have to play catch up at some point during the year. However, the apartment is almost completely unpacked and cleaned, so I'll be ready to kick back and start reading in no time!
With all my free time being used up with unpacking a cleaning, I haven't formulated a workout plan yet, but I have formulated a healthy eating plan. Granted, we are impoverished post-graduates, so I'm not going to run out to Whole Foods and buy organic meats and produce all the time, but I have decided to completely cut fast food out of my diet for this entire year. Not only will this help my arteries, it'll also help my wallet. In addition, aside from crazy days in which I'll be running around all over the place, I'm going to try to eat a salad and an apple every single day. I already have a solid healthy breakfast routine, so a salad and some fruit for lunch or dinner shouldn't be a problem. Besides, I like chopping vegetables with the brand new knife set that I received for Christmas; I'm having fun slicing things up in one tenth the time it took me when all I had were dull dinner knives!
Now it's time to study a little from my MCAT books before going to bed. Before I sign off, I also must mention that Matthew bought the new Anberlin album, Dark is the Way, Light is the Place, and it is fantastic! Lyrics from this entry's title are from their song "Take Me (As You Found Me)." Goodnight all!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
"Only the Beginning of the Adventure"
With the beginning of the new year, people have already begun to make resolutions, promises, and agendas. Most of us know that these resolutions will only last for a couple of days or weeks before they are abandoned. Silly enough, I am one of the many making such promises, but these will not be crazy or unrealistic. While they might be difficult and stretch the boundaries of the life to which I've become accustomed, this is the time in my life where I should be pushing boundaries. So here it is, my promises for 2011:
1. Read 75 books this year and writing short reviews on all of them before moving on to the next one
2. Learn 75 new recipes for this year. I've always wanted to cook, and now that I have new cookbooks and new wedding gifts, I can do it
3. Stick to an exercise routine and make sure to log it.
4. Get into medical school
This blog will mostly keep track of my progress with these goals. While it may not be super personal or very interesting, I think that keeping track of everything online will push me to finish all of these goals.
Wish me luck!
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