AFI Movie Date NIght #7

We watched The Apartment, the Best Picture winner of 1960 and #93 on the list. (We skipped over Goodfellas as I'll have to watch that solo - Cathy doesn't want to deal with the vulgarity!) I thought it was ok. It starred Jack Lemmon as the renter of said apartment with Fred MacMurray as a boss who wanted to borrow the apartment so he could take Shirley MacLaine there. But Lemmon is falling for MacLaine. It's listed as a comedy but we found it had more drama than comedy, especially from the midway point.

We wondered what other pictures were up for Best picture. They were "The Alamo", "Elmer Gantry", "Sons and Lovers", "The Sundowners". Some notable ones not nominated that year were Psycho and Spartacus! Some say The Apartment won because Some Like It Hot didn't win the year before (both directed by Billy Wilder).

Playing Catch Up

I stayed offline most of the past week.
My arthritis seemed to be acting up.
I really needed to give my arm a break.
To force myself to stay offline ...
I had Randy take the laptop to a different room.
He used it to enter more movies in the database.
I did write down what movies we watched ...
So will be backdating posts of the past week.

62 degrees in apartment

We noticed when we went to bed at about 1 AM that the furnace was NOT kicking on. We figured at that time it was senseless to call the landlord. I put on a turtleneck to keep warm and we got all the blankets we had onto the bed. At this point it was 70 degrees in the basement apartment we have.

When I heard the upstairs neighbor moving around about 6 AM I gave her a call. She has been here longer and knows the landlord more personally. She also has helped clean and maintain the property. She went down to check the furnace. Apparently the light was on and just had to be restarted. At this point it was 62 degrees in our apartment.

Yesterday there was an insurance guy here inspecting the property to write a new policy. We were told his main focus was to check on the furnace. Got to wonder if he accidently touched a button.

The timing is bad because of how cold it is here in Maine especially over night! The weather channel says it is 4 degrees out right now. And this past week my arthritis has been giving me trouble. Last night was the first night I wrapped my right knee.

I've now had my coffee. The temp is headed up. Currently at 67 degrees.

Wednesday and Thursday

Randy was done with current data entry task.
So these movies we were able to watch together.

Wednesday: Religious mystery
The Da Vinci Code - it was pretty good
The Code Conspiracy - it was just okay
Wholly Moses! - needed some comedy!

Thursday: Time travel movies
Timequest - very cool -
What if JFK was not assasinated?
Sometimes hard to follow the time lines.
Time After Time - pretty cool -
HG Wells follows Jack the Ripper which used his
time machine to escape to the 20th century.
Primer - too much geek speak
Slow start and hard to follow what was going on.

Monday and Tuesday

Randy was busy these days doing data entry.
He brought over his tv series on DVD from storage.
So mostly I watched these myself except last of the day.

Monday :
The Devil Wears Prada - it was a rewatch
Are We There Yet? - excellent family movie
Are We Done Yet? - did not live up to original
Cats & Dogs - great fun!!!!
"Firefly" pilot

Tuesday :
Explorers - it was just okay
The Adventures of Pluto Nash - this was fun!!!!
The Butterfly Effect 2 - easier to follow than original

Chocolate Cinnamon Sundae Cake

This recipe was for 2 people:

2/3 cup Bisquick mix
1/4 cup sugar
2 T unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 t ground cinnamon
2 T fat-free egg product or 1 egg white
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 T margarine or butter, softened

Beat together all ingredients.
Pour into 8x4 inch loaf pan.
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes

Variation:
I doubled the recipe using 1 whole egg.
And I used a square pan instead.

Recipe from Betty Crocker.

Happy Days are here again!

We happened to catch part of the today show.
It was the first in a series to reunite old sitcom casts.
Today was the cast of Happy Days!!!! (1974 - 1984)
I was surprised to learn they are all still active actors.
I'll link to their imdb profiles so you can check them out:

Henry Winkler played Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli
Tom Bosley played the father, Howard Cunningham
Marion Ross played the mother, Marion Cunningham
Erin Moran was Joanie Cunningham
Ron Howard was Richard "Richie" Cunningham
And Richie's other friends were
Anson Williams as Warren "Potsie" Webber
and Don Most as Ralph Malph

Serious Sunday #2

We watched a couple of serious movies.
Since it was the Academy Awards day
we also watched a previous Oscar winner.

Paper Clips - amazing documentary *WOW*
It has to do with a school studying the holocaust.
Since it was hard to visualize the 6 MILLION that died.
They decided to collect paper clips which was symbolic.
I strongly recommend this documentary to others.
I am not big into documentaries but this one is great!
Their Paper Clip Project created a Holocaust Memorial.

The Second Chance starring Michael W Smith
I thought this was a great movie with a great message.
I will let each person decide for themselves.

Crash - 2005 best picture Oscar
My girl, Sandra Bullock, is in it!
The same people keep "crashing" into each other.
Its a six degrees of separation concept ...
People are interrelated in each other's lives.

Marshmallow Treats

I remember Rice Krispie Treats growing up.
I remember at Christmas time using food dye.
Shaped them like wreaths and added red cinnamon for berries.

More recently I had a recipe for peanut butter
chocolate squares which used Kix cereal.
Then my husband brought home Reese's Puffs cereal.

So I googled to find a microwave easy recipe.
I found Cheerios Marshmallow Bars.
Can not go wrong with just 3 ingredients!

In microwave bowl:
3 T butter
1 bag (10 1/2 oz) miniature marshmallows (6 cups)
Bake for 2 mintues stirring after each minute.
Quickly stir in 5 cups Cheerios cereal
Press firmly into 13x9-inch pan.
Let cool.

My notes:
Stirring after a minute is messy.
I ended up letting it bake 3 minutes.
Mixture did not seem to cover whole pan.
Next time plan to just put in 9 by 9 pan.

X-men Trilogy and V

Yesterday we watched scifi action thrillers ...

X-Men (2000) and X2 (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
These were okay. Of course I'd heard about them for years.
I had seen a few scenes from X2 before (on tv).

V for Vendetta (2005) - did not really care for.

I have agreed to watch a number of trilogies and the like.
I personally did not care whether I saw them or not.
But because Randy would like me to see them I will try:
The Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter set.

Pot Roast

3 lb pot roast (angus beef bottom round works)
potatoes and carrots

Peel and cut the vegetables.
Layer them in crock pot.
Place pot roast on top.
Pour 1/2 cup of water over.

Cook about 10-12 hours on low.
One hour on low equates to two hours on high.

Note:
We had previous trouble with cooking potatoes.
We wanted to make sure they were complete done.
Started on high a bit after 10 AM.
Switched to low about 2:45 PM.
Sat down to eat at just after 7 PM.
So total time was just over 13 hours.
The potatoes and carrots were DONE!!!!
The pot roast also was done as it should be.

Maine Movies

We love movies and thought we would mention some Maine movies.
Randy has seen all from the top 10 list but I have not.
I'll mention some I liked or are on the "to see" list.

On the "to see" list:

Cider House Rules
filmed partly in Bernard and at Sand Beach in Acadia National Park

In the Bedroom
locations included Belfast, Camden, Rockland, Rockport, Wiscasset

Twelve Monkeys
One list says it was filmed in Maine - not sure.

Empire Falls
locations included Augusta, Waterville, Skowhegan, Kennebunkport
Like The Man Without a Face (below) dad drove their car in it.

Stuff we've seen:

The Man Without a Face - we have both seen
Rockport, Cape Rosier, Bath, Brunswick, Portland, and Rockland.
My parents were hired to drive their 1961 Plymouth Valiant.
It was an old push button model from the right time period.

Peyton Place - celebrated 50 years in 2007
filmed in Camden and Belfast

Casper - I did not realize that it was set in Maine!!!
filmed in Camden even though story actually set in Friendship.

Steven King often sets his novels in Maine
and some are filmed here like Pet Sematary.

Links:
Top Ten Movies Filmed in Maine
Top Movies Filmed in Maine

(Considered M of HUMORE)

Busy Morning Again

I started another blog called Video Pairings.
I had started putting them in this blog
but decided they would be better separate.
Once we watch a movie I blog about it here.

Randy has already been up and out shoveling.
We probably got 3 to 4 inches since yesterday.

I peeled and cut up potatoes and carrots.
They went into the crockpot with the pot roast.
This is only my second crock pot experience.
We are using 3 pound angus bottom round roast.

Avenging Appleseed

More movie animation picks today.

Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Avengers II
They were okay but not something we would sit thru again.
Interesting the initial characters were all black ...
That included the head military and the astronauts.
Then again the overthrow of planet earth ...
was happening in an African country.

Appurushîdo - American title Appleseed
This was much better.
Although at times still hard to follow.
In this movie women had strong and powerful positions.
It took awhile to understand the title of Appleseed.
I would watch again to better understand all the action.

Apple Crisp

I am going to post my new recipe and then my old recipe.
The new recipe I found on the Cheerio site.
I do not recall where I had gotten my old recipe.

Apple Oat Crumble - new recipe using cereal

Peel and Core about 3 to 4 medium apples
Slice and place in 9 inch casserole dish.

Crumb ingredients:
2 cups Cheerios cereal
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup firm butter or margarine

Crush cereal to flour consistenly.
Combine all ingredients and sprinkle over apples.

Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes

Old Apple Crisp recipe

5 c peeled and sliced apples
3/4 c flour
1 c (white) sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
1/4 lb butter in small pieces

Spread apples in casserole.
Sprinkle 1/3 c water on top.
Mix other ingredients to make crumb.
Spread crumb evenly over apples.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Busy Day planned

I need to get off the computer and moving.
My plan is to peel apples to make Apple Crisp.
I am trying to coordinate it with parent's visit.

My parents get moving first thing in the morning.
Dad will be showing off his new Tacoma truck.
Also we have a small wood project for him.

I still have a bunch more Video Pairings to get blogged.
And then I will have the Apple Crisp recipe to blog.
Thinking about making and blogging another recipe.

Marine Life

Aquamarine (2006)
I had heard it was a good movie and totally concur.
At first I was thinking it was going to be animated.
When I think mermaid I think The Little Mermaid.
Another great mermaid flick is The Thirteenth Year.

Lady in the Water (2006)
This one was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
He started it at Disney but due to creative differences left.
It's listed at imdb under genres: fantasy, mystery, thriller
The mystery element kept my interest. I really liked it.

We had planned to watch Splash but ran out of time.
We had both seen it before so it was not a big deal.
Personally I love both Tom Hanks and John Candy.

Graphic Transparency

It's been a long time since I made graphics transparent.
I found some images I wanted to put on my website.
I loaded up Paint Shop Pro which I have not used in years.
I have forgotten how to turn a graphic transparent.

So googled for instructions to do so:

Ehow: How to Create a Transparent GIF using PSP
Web Developer's Notes: Creating Transparent Gifs
Absolute Cross: PSP Tutorial on Transparent GIFs

In general: Jasc Paint Shop Pro Tutorials

Pineapple Cheese Muffins

1 can (8 1/4 oz.) crushed pineapple
2 c. Bisquick baking mix
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1 egg
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Mix pineapple (with syrup) and the remaining ingredients.
Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full.
Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes.

Not sure where I had originally grabbed the recipe.
Had it in my recipe file for years but had not made it.

Future variation may include a cup of shredded cheese.
Neither the pineapple nor the cheese were obvious.

Disney movies

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
In college I worked in a Christian bookstore and heard about books.
I was a leary about combining fantasy with Christianity.
I finally sat down and watched it and liked it.

The Incredibles (2004) - animated
I liked this the best of the three animated we watched today.
It's about a family of super heroes. They learn to work together.
Some of the voices are Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) - animated
It was okay but I never got much into story.
Michael J Fox was the voice of the main character.

Meet the Robinsons (2007) - animated
A little too confusing for me especially so late.
Some voices were Angela Bassett and Laurie Metcalf.

Afternoon Ride

It was a nice enough day so I wanted to get out.
We had a few groceries to get for specific recipes.
I was able to get out and help with the shopping.
And even checked out in the 14 items or less aisle.

Picked up apples for apple crisp recipe.
Picked up potatoes and carrots for crockpot roast.
Picked up crushed pineapples for pineapple cheese muffins.
And baking essentials: choco chip, coconut and marshmallows.

I was not ready to go home immediately so we just rode.
I was curious about a church school that people spoke of.
It was a couple of towns over and I wanted to look at it.
Vineyard's small groups remind me of the structure of Xenos.

Upon our arrival home we saw a package outside apartment.
It was a Farberware 12 inch skillet from Bed, Bath and Beyond.
It matches the rest of our Farberware Classic Cookware set.
We used a 20% off coupon to purchase it (available online only).

Movie Categories

We enjoy watching movies.
I decided today to tag movies by genre.
We will not do that for all the movies and genres.
But certainly will for the ones that matter the most to us.

AFI/Oscar - movies on AFI list or received Best Picture Oscar
Family Movies - those that can be watched by whole family
Romantic Movies - both romantic drama and romantic comedy
Sci Fi Movies - sci-fi/fantasy movies which may also be thrillers
WOW Movies - that make you say WOW and make you think

previous Christmas category includes Christmas movies

Thinking of adding Musicals, Classics (pre-1970), and Comedy.
After talking to Randy will also be adding Action and Drama.

Family Animal Movies

Today we picked Family Movies about animals.
The titles are just one word long referring to animal.
A couple are old stories retold and a couple are original.
We plan to watch more Family Movies the next two days.

Hoot (2006) - about endangered owls
Big business is trying to build in area where owls burrow.
A small group of children learn of this and try to save them.
Great segments of wildlife shots and children caring for others.

Flicka (2006) - about mustang horse
A young girl finds a wild mustang.
She sets about to capture him and train him.
Against the odds and her father's wishes she does so.

Duma (2005) - about orphaned cheetah
An orphaned cheetah is saved and raised by a family.
The plan was always to return it to the wild.
The adventure is finding the cheetah's homeland.

Lassie (2005) - about beloved collie dog
I grew up watching Lassie the series.
In this tale the family has to sell the dog.
But Lassie always returns to his original home.

Blu-ray wins the war

I suspect most people had figured Blu-ray was going to win.
It is now official. Blu-ray is the VHS of today and tomorrow!

We just purchased our first HD tv this past month ...
But were waiting before deciding which new DVD player to get.

News article from Tokyo: Toshiba quits HD DVD business

"Toshiba said Tuesday it will no longer develop, make or market HD DVD players and recorders, handing a victory to rival Blu-ray disc technology in the format battle for next-generation video. The move would make Blu-ray — backed by Sony Corp., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., which makes Panasonic brand products, and five major Hollywood movie studios — the winner in the battle over high-definition DVD formatting that began several years ago."

Contributing factors:

"Nishida said last month's decision by Warner Bros. Entertainment to release movie discs only in the Blu-ray format made the move inevitable. Warner joined Sony Pictures, Walt Disney Co. and News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox in that move."

"Friday's decision by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the largest U.S. retailer, to sell only Blu-ray DVDs and hardware appeared to deal a final blow to the Toshiba format. Just five days earlier, Netflix Inc. said it will cease carrying rentals in HD DVD. Several major American retailers had already made similar decisions, including Target Corp. and Blockbuster Inc."

HD DVD supporters included Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation, Microsoft Corp., Intel Corp. and Japanese electronics maker NEC Corp.

Family Matters

This morning while drinking my coffee I watched Family Matters.
I have always liked this sitcom. The Winslows are great.
Still as funny today as it ever was during its run 1989-1998.

In today's episode was Myra who played Urkel's girlfriend.
I was telling Randy she, Michelle Thomas, had died young.
She had also played Theo's girlfriend on The Cosby Show.

I found Josh Ryan Evans had also appeared on Family Matters.
I remember him on an episode of 7th Heaven with Matt in hospital.
He probably was more well known to soap fans as Timmy on Passions.

School Days

Decided to mostly focus on movies associated with school.
Simply because it was a holiday which mean "no school".

The Perfect Score (2004) - comedy
An odd combination of high school students ...
decide to steal the answers to the SAT.
They each have their own reason as to why it is unfair.

Bewitched (2005) - romantic comedy
Not about school but loved this as a youngster.
It's a reinvention of the tv show with a great cast...
Nicole Kidman as "Samantha" and Will Ferrell as "Darrin".
Supported by Shirley MacLaine and Michael Caine.
It was co-written and directed by Nora Ephron.
She is known for great romantic comedies such as
Sleepless and Seattle, You've Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally.

Finding Forrester (2000) - drama
It stars Sean Connery as a reclusive author only publishing once.
An "afro-american teen writing prodigy" befriends him.
Randy was anxious for me to watch this. Overall it was okay.
It is slow moving building the characters but ended very well.

P.S. (2004) - romantic drama
This is one I thought would be cool to see.
The plot reminded me of Chance Are which I loved.
I enjoyed it but it still left a lot of unanswered questions.

Serious Sunday

We decided to watch some more serious movies today.
We are thinking we may continue to do that on Sundays.
Maybe movies about actual events and maybe religious.

Come to the Stable (1949)
It was about two nuns from France who came to America.
They are determined to build a children's hospital.
They have great faith and friends to help.
It was written by Clare Boothe Luce.

Schindler's List (1993) *** WOW ***
This was a first time watch for both of us.
It was really good and seemed realistic to me.
There were disturbing scenes but not sensationalized.
It was a good follow up movie to seeing Freedom Writers.

I found this actual copy of Schindler's List.
Schindler and his wife Emilie are both individually
included in the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations.
Steven Spielberg was the director and all his royalties/residuals
go to Shoah Foundation which preserves history of genocide.

The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (1952)
I had seen this when young at my grandmother's house.
Three children living outside Fatima claim to see a lady in a cloud.
It is presumed to be the Blessed Mary who wants to use them.
It is based on actual events that occurred in the summer of 1917.

Sister Lucia was the only surviving visionary.
On February 13, 2008 the process towards sainthood for her began.
Francisco and Jacinta were declared venerable and then blessed.
Other associated links at wikipedia follow:
Our Lady of Fatima, Miracle of the Sun, Three Secrets of Fatima

Blissful Ambrosia

It's a hit! We had it both with lunch and dinner.
Randy loves pineapple, cherries, and coconut.
We still have a bit left for tomorrow's lunch.

Mix together and chill:

20 oz pineapple drained
1/2 cup of cherries (about 20-25)
2 cups coconut
1 cup mini marshmallows
Cool Whip to your preferred consistency *

* I used 2 big serving spoonsful
I prefer mine on the lighter side
Although may try a little more next time.
Thinking about replacing it with banana yogurt (pint?).

Don't be afraid to add more or less of any ingredient to your liking.
I could not find a recipe I liked so created my own for our likes.

Comedy Please

After being disappointed with the movie picks yesterday
we really tried to find some that were bound to be comedic.
One out of two isn't bad - is it?

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World
It's an Albert Brooks movie.
Written, directed and starring him.
Some of his stuff I like and some not so much.

Guess Who is a nice romantic comedy!
The title is a take on Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
Bernie Mac plays the father who's daughter brings home
a "white boy" to marry played by Ashton Kutcher.

Freedom Writers

The first movie we watched Valentine's Day was Freedom Writers.
We thought it appropriate since it was about the love of a teacher
for teaching and especially for each of her students individually.
It is an amazing story of a first year teacher making such an impact.
Hats off to teachers everywhere especially those who truly care!!!
Teaching really should be a labor of love.

Erin Gruwell, the teacher portrayed in the movie, definately felt that.
She went the extra mile or maybe MILES for her students.
She took on her first part time job to pay for reading books.
And then a second part time job to defray field trips expenses.
She gave the students the learning experience they needed.
She and her students became family and still are today.

The journals she had them keep were turned into a book.
The script went around for awhile waiting for the right backing.
Hillary Swank got a copy and read it and wanted the part.
Many of the actors playing the students are first time actors.
But they truly could relate to the experiences they were acting.
The actors along with Hillary also became a close knit family.

Erin found out the students had never been taught the "Holocaust".
She took them to the Musuem of Tolerance in Los Angeles.
She also sent their dairies to Miep Gies who had hid the Frank family.
Miep and other Holocaust survivors met and shared their stories.
Erin and her students started Freedom Writers Foundation.

Maine connection: Patrick Dempsey played Erin's husband.
Patrick was born and raised in Lewiston, Maine.

(Considered MRE of HUMORE)

Food tasters

Not officially but we have been trying new food options.
Both for snacking and actual real meals - breakfast and dinner.

Chex Mix snacks - different types:
Salty, Chocolate, Sweet and Salty, Fruit and Nuts and Simply Cheddar

Nutri-grain yogurt bars
The yogurt is a creamy filling - very good.
Claims to have 20% of Recommended Daily Value for calcium

Pillsbury Toaster Scrambles and Toaster Strudels
I preferred the toaster scrambles - easy way to get my eggs.
Down side is that all six are packaged together in the freezer.

Barber Food Stuffed Chicken Nuggets - four cheese
Could not find it on their list of hors' doeuvres.
Had this with the calzone mentioned below.

Hot Pockets Calzone
We had the four meat and four cheese- it was good.
May have to do this as a replaceement for pizza again.

Quaker Oatmeal To Go
I love the banana bread and the brown sugar cinnamon was okay
I did not care for the apple cinnamon yet I eat that flavor as regular oatmeal.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins

Combine:
1 1/2 flour
1 T baking powder
1/4 t salt
3/4 c oats
2/3 c brown sugar
3/4 t cinnamon

Separately combine:
3/4 c skim milk
1/3 c unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 t oil
3 egg whites

Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes. Makes a dozen.

Variation:
I used 3 packets of apple cinammon oatmeal
And I only used 1 whole egg

I believe I found the recipe in a newspaper
shortly after my mother told me she had diabetes.

British movies

I'll start by saying Randy and I were both under the weather.
I was still battling what I hope is just allergy symptoms.
Randy thought he might be getting a cold.

We watched three British movies.
The actors were British filmed in the UK.
We found a huge difference in what is considered comedy.

Little Voice with Michael Caine and Brenda Blethyn
Jane Horrocks (as Little Voice) and Ewan McGregor
imdb genre: comedy, drama, romance, music
We classified this one as romantic drama.
To us the romance was between the young people.
Not sure where the comedy was in this movie.

I'll be There with Craig Ferguson and Charlotte Church
Jemma Redgrave played the mother
imdb genre: comedy, musical, romance
This was the best of the three movies watched today.
We classified this simply as drama while we did notice some comedy.
It's a great little movie about a father and daughter reuniting.
There was rekindled love (romance) between father and mother.

Born Romantic cast included Jane Horrocks and Craig Ferguson
We actually stopped watching a little over half way thru - bored
imdb genre: comedy and by title would expect romance
We could not figure out the point of the movie.
We simply classify this one as drama NOT comedy or romance.

Jim Brickman love songs

When looking up love songs on YouTube for Randy.
Love of My Life was written by Jim Brickman.
Of all things he was born and raised in Ohio.
He started his career writing tunes for Jim Henson.

Other YouTube videos featuring his songs:
Your Love Is the Greatest Gift of All (with Michelle Wright)
The Love I Found in You
(My) Destiny (clicks from Shrek)

With Olivia Newton-John:
Change of Heart
My Valentine
I Honestly Love You

Valentine's Day recap

The day started with a snow-rain mix.
We mostly were planning to stay in anyway.
In the morning we watched Freedom Writers.
It's a love story of a different kind - a teacher's.
I will write more about this movie Saturday in the blog.

I made some Macaroonies while Randy cleared snow.
There was a lot of ice so decided to see if sun would help.
So we watched second movie of the day: Catch & Release
It's a romantic comedy starring Jennifer Garner of Alias.
I liked it although there were some strange elements.

Randy again attempted to go out to do a few errands.
We needed the paper because I had placed a "love message".
Decided to watch another movie: Come Early Morning
It stars Ashley Judd in what some say is her best performance.
It was a good relationship movie that included country music.

Randy finally headed out while supper was heating up in the oven.
So I did not have to cook we decided on On-Cor lasagna.
I was going to make bread sticks but temps varied too much.
When out Randy picked up Little Caesar's cheese bread sticks.
We ate by candlelight with a glass of Welch's Sparkling fruit cocktail.

During the course of the day my left eye had become a "red eye".
My nose was also draining pretty heavily as well - thinking allergy.
I decided to lay down and put a hot compress on eyes for a little bit.
This gave Randy a chance to sit down and read the paper.
He did find the "love message" I had placed for him.

We finally settled into watching the last movie of the day.
It was Elizabethtown with Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst.
Since I was not feeling well I feel asleep in Randy's arms.
I saw the beginning and the end. Will watch the rest of it later.
Evening snack: Chubby Hubby for me and Moose Tracks for Randy.

My wife is amazing!

She sent a message through today's paper. It read:

Randy,
I will always love you.
You are the love of my life.
Thank you for two plus months of wedded bliss.
I Love You, Cathy

Plus all these Youtube love videos has made this a memorable week!!!

Thanks honey!

When God Made You

Happy Valentine's Day, Randy, my beloved.
Last Valentine's Day was our first phone conversation.
And this year we are happily married now for two and a half months.

Romance for Cathy and Action for Randy

Tuesday:

Paris Holiday with Bob Hope and Fernandel
The tagline is "The Comedy Team Of The Century".
Fernandel is Bob's comedian counterpart in his homeland of France.

Deja Vu with Denzel Washington and Val Kilmer
I am not big into action but I liked the intrigue in this one.
It was a combination of drama, romance and sci fi.

Wednesday:

Paris - When It Sizzles with William Holden and Audrey Hepburn
It's marked as a romantic comedy but I just consider it a comedy.
The romance seemed contrived as they wrote a screen play.

Sky High with Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston
It's a great movie - action, adventure, comedy, family, sci -fi.
Another of the super hero movies I would recommend to others.

A New Kind of Love with Paul Newman and (wife) Joanne Woodward
Also in it are George Tobias aka Abner Kravitv from Bewitched.
Thelma Ritter and Eva Gabor were also a part of this great movie.

Batman Begins with Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Liam Neeson
Randy calls it a "reinventure of Batman".
There is more looking into his young adulthood.

Chocolate Cherry Crisp

1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup firm butter or margarine
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Spread pie filling in 8 inch square pan.
Mix the rest of the ingredients until crumbly.
Place evenly over pie filling.
Bake at 350 for 30 - 35 minutes or until bubbly.

Variation: I actually let butter soften before using.

Original from Betty Crocker's Chocolate-Cherry Crisp

Endless Love

For my love, Randy.

Love of My Life

Randy, YOU, are the love of my life!!!!!
I found this song by Jim Brickman listed as
one of the Top 10 Christian Wedding and Love Songs.

This version is sung by Donny Osmond.
And the clips are from Scarecrow and Mrs. King.
I thought this appropriate since we are in our forties.

I found another similarly titled song on YouTube.
It is titled Love of My Life (The Wedding Song).
It was written by Darla Day and music by Mark Phillips.

Cream Cheese Cookie Bar

Combine for crumb mixture:
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 c. Bisquick
1/2 c. walnuts

Combine for filling mixture:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg

Of the crumb mixture set aside 1 cup for topping.
With what is left press into the bottom of the 8x8 pan.
Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

Pour filling mixture on top of baked bottom layer.
Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over the top.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Store in refrigerator.

Variation:
I do not do walnuts so crumb mixture was not enough
so I ended up using whole crumb mixture for bottom.
Made up a second halved crumb mixture for top.

In future may consider adding to filling ...
fruit like cherries or good old chocolate chips.

Hearty Chicken and Noodle Casserole

Combine:
1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or 25% Less Sodium)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
2 cups medium egg noodles, cooked and drained

Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.
Top with 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Variation:
I used cream of chicken soup.
I used frozen peas instead of mixed.
And I did not add topping of cheese.

From Campbell's Soup advertisement

Because of You

Because of you there's a song in my heart
Because of you my romance had its start
Because of you the sun will shine
The moon and stars will say you're mine
Forever and never to part

I only live for your love and your kiss
It's paradise to be near you like this
Because of you my life is now worthwhile
And I can smile
Because of you

Posted this for my loving husband, Randy

Oldies but Goodies

I was surprised I had not seen either one of these oldies but goodies.

Sunday I watched the musical Hit the Deck (1955).
There were so many great folks in it ...
The ladies - Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds and Ann Miller
The gents - Walter Pidgeon, Vic Damone and Richard Anderson
Randy was surprised to see a young Russ Tamblyn, Amber's dad.
Richard Anderson we knew better (in the 70's) as Oscar Goldman.

Today I watched the romantic comedy with music Honolulu (1939).
Eleanor Powell was the female lead and did many tap numbers.
Robert Young was the male lead playing multiple roles.
Husband and wife, George Burns and Gracie Allen were in it.
I believe this is the first movie I've seen Gracie in - she's funny.
Young George I did not easily recognize until I heard him talk.

Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

Cook up:
1 lb. hamburger
1 1/2 c chopped onion

Mix until smooth:
1 1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. Bisquick
3 eggs

Layer in pie pan:
bottom layer hamburger mixture
top layer is milk and eggs mixture

Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.
Top with 2 sliced tomatoes and
1 cup shredded cheddar or american cheese
Bake an additional 5 to 8 minutes.

Variations I made:
I do not use onion or tomatoes
Substituted handful of mozarella cheese.
Mixed everything together: beef, milk, eggs, cheese, bisquick
Did not add anything to the top since cheese inside

From Bisquick recipe book circa 1982

Seat Filler leaves Deep Impact

Yesterday we watched a romantic comedy and an action movie.

The Seat Filler (2004) starred Duane Martin and Kelly Rowland.
While I did not recognize either of their names it was a good movie.
Different elements reminded me of a couple other movies ...
Maid in Manhattan for its mistaken identity/deception for love.
The Bodyguard for its entertainment industry and class difference.

Deep Impact (1998) is a drama sci-fi thriller according to imdb.
We definately also classify it is an action movie. AMAZING cast!
Morgan Freeman plays the President of the United States.
Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, Elijah Woods, Vanessa Redgrave.
And Leelee Sobieski who I recently saw in My First Mister.

Week ending 02-09-08

At the beginning of the week we purchased our first HDTV.
We spent the week watching Alien Nation the series from 1989.
Among those 22 episodes we also did watch some other movies ...

White Noise (2005) and Good Luck Chuck (2007).
I was not impressed with White Noise at all.
Good Luck Chuck was an okay romantic comedy.

The Country Girl (1954) and Blue Skies (1946).
I also was not impressed with The Country Girl.
Blue Skies' story got lost in the 32 Irving Berlin hits.

Friday night's AFI selection was Pulp Fiction. I did not watch it.
There simply was too much foul language for my liking.
Instead I watched an episode of CSI: Las Vegas.

Pineapple Coffee Cake

Combine for cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 oz can (8 ounces) pineapple, crushed, undrained
4 egg whites
1/4 cup natural applesauce

Combine for topping :
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pour cake mixture in 8x8 pan.
Then pour topping mixture over it.
Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Modifications:
I replaced the white flour and wheat germ all with whole wheat flour
I replaced the 4 egg whites with 2 eggs (recipe was considered "light")
After reading reviews saying too dry, used 20 oz can of pineapples

From Light Pineapple Coffee Cake

American Film Institute

In January Randy and I started watching a movie a week from the AFI top 100 movie list. AFI stands for American Film Institute. We are watching backwards from the original list put out in 1998.

Back on June 21, 2007 Roger Ebert blogged on AFI 100: Kane still #1

Randy was disappointed about some that made the new list which meant others fell off. After attempting to watch Pulp Fiction with its most foul language I have to wonder what the people making this list were thinking. And next week's is no better - Goodfellas.

The AFI also puts out other lists. The new ones coming out this year are 10 Top 10. Its the top 10 in 10 classic movie genres ... animation, romantic comedies, westerns, sports, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, gangster, courtroom drama, and epic.

Where's the top musicals you may ask (as I did) ... In 2006 they had a list of the top 25 greatest musicals. Bottom line they have bunches of lists if you are interested in what others picks. I think they are fine to look out but remember everyone has different tastes.

(Considered R of HUMORE)

AFI Movie Date Night #6

Pulp Fiction (#95) was tonight's movie and Cathy didn't make it through the opening scenes. I may have to agree with her about the necessity of the excessive profanity. Even though the process of the storytelling is ingenious, I wonder if anyone would have cared about this movie if it would have gotten a XX rating for it's excessive profanity and violence. But our society's (and the decreasing standards relating to "censorship") allowance of such excessive profanity puts this film on the AFI list.

I do admit that the film has many memorable moments. It might have been nice to see such moments without the excessive profanity. When we get to The Godfather Part II, we'll see how much profanity they needed to get their point across.

Impossible Brownie Pie

Combine:
4 eggs
1/4 cup butter, softened (or melted)
4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup biscuit baking mix
1/2 cup white sugar

Pour into 9 inch pie pan.
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

From Bisquick recipe booklet

Cheese Garlic Biscuits

Combine:
1 c Bisquick mix
1/3 c milk
1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese (1 oz)
1/4 t garlic powder

Drop into 5 spoonfuls - perfect for two.
Bake at 450 for 8 minutes.

From Betty Crocker

Variation:
I used a tad bit more milk - reviews said too dry.
I used about 1/2 c shredded mozarella
I used about 1/2 t garlic powder

Family Griddle

We got this as a wedding gift (from Kohl's).
Amazon: T-fal Double Burner Griddle
I've never owned one of these before.
Thought with two of us it would be useful.

I have used it many times now and am very happy.
One time fried left over potatoes and eggs for brunch.
Another time cooked up New York Sirloin Steak.
And most recently cooked a dozen bacon strips at once.

Can not imagine life without nonstick surfaces.
Cleaning is no trouble at all - just a quick wipe.
First, I use a paper towel to soak up any grease.
After wiping the actual dish washing is effortless.

I have some other plans for it ...
Pancakes and Sausages
Grilled cheese sandwiches
Hotdogs and hamburgers

Mini Loaf Pan

I purchased four new ones to replace older ones.
From Amazon: World Kitchen Fruit/Mini Loaf Pan.
I love making bread as gifts so prefer to use the mini pans.
I had a hard time finding the individual ones at this size.

It is actually a Baker's Secret pan.
World Kitchen sells both Baker's Secret and Ekco.
Kind of confusing but they seem to sell all good products.
Baker's Secret and Ekco both have great reputations.

For Christmas I made Banana Bread for family and friends.
I was amazed at how easily the bread popped out.
I had expected to have to give it a shove but NO.
I simply put it upside down and the bread slid out.

Medium Loaf Pan

I purchased two new ones to replace older ones.
From Amazon: Chicago Metallic Gourmetware
For those curious like me "In 1996, Chicago Metallic
purchased the Ekco/Glaco factory in Tennessee".

I was originally concerned not knowing the company.
But when I received it and the packaging had Ekco ...
I was completely at ease and glad I had purchased it.
For the record Ekco still exists sold under World Kitchen.

I am very happy with the medium loaf pans.
I truly appreciate the non-stick surface.
They seem better than the ones I had years ago.
And the cleaning is a breeze!!!

I just got done making Cranberry Fruit Bread.
The sweet bread just popped out of the pan.
All I did was flip the pan upside down to cool.
Waited a few minutes and lifted it back up (empty).

Product Reviews

As a newlywed couple we have been purchasing new items.
We have blogged about household items we were considering.
Even started some research categories to keep links handy.

Thought it appropriate to review those products for ourself.
We may also come back months later for an updated review.
I like to see reviews after people have used item for awhile.

The new category is called Product Reviews.
I plan to start with the new bakeware items.
Randy will review the initial setup of LCD tv.

Eternal Flame

Something for my hubby now that he got the speaker and printer hooked back up on the desktop PC. I've always liked this song by the Bangles. Since Randy does like some anime thought the version with couples from Final Fantasy X would be cool. I love you, Randy, the love of my life.

Alien Nation

Yes, we both like science fiction!!!
Previously we watched Alien Nation, the 1988 movie.
Last night we started watching Alien Nation, the 1989 tv show.
The show only ran one full season and then had some tv movies.
"Alien Nation: The Ultimate Movie Collection" has those 5 movies:

Alien Nation: Dark Horizon (1994),
Alien Nation: Body and Soul (1995),
Alien Nation: Millennium (1996),
Alien Nation: The Enemy Within (1996),
and Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy (1997).

I bought the 1989 tv series as a christening gift for our new LCD tv.
I also let Randy know I pre-ordered "The Ultimate Movie Collection".
It does not come out (for the general population) until April 15th .
That works good since Randy's birthday is after that. Yeah!
I had to tell him so he did not pick it up himself.

Week ending 02-02-08

I did not blog last week but wanted to mention some things that we did do partly for our own benefit so we remember what we did when. I tried a few new recipes. The first new recipe was Macaroon Cookie Cake, a chocolate cake with coconut topping made with pre-melted chocolate. It was from an OLD cookbook my mother had given me from the sixties, a Pillsbury Cook Off compilation. I asked my mom if that ingredient still existed today and found that it did. Me thinks I will use it again; it beats melting chocolate squares. The second new recipe, Potato Bacon Casserole, was my first use of our crockpot. It went well enough. The original recipe called for hash browns but I replaced it with potatoes thinly sliced. Only slight problem was that even after cooking for 6 hours the potatoes were somewhat hard. We both did like it so will be doing it again with precooked potatoes. I will be backdating the recipes a little later and adding links in this post.

If you know us you know we love movies. I was still a little out of it health wise so spent even more time than usual watching movies. I'll list by genre things we or just I watched. Later I may backdate entries to expand on some of these so look for last weeks entries a little later. The sci-fi picks included Taken (mini series), Lost Room (mini series), Alien Nation (original movie), and Stargate (original movie). Musicals watched Babes on Broadway, Broadway Melody of 1936, Broadway Melody of 1940, Ziegfield Follies and Words and Music. Comedies including romantic comedies included My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Repli-Kate, Just Like Heaven, My First Mister, Music and Lyrics and The List. The latter is the best romantic comedy I have seen in a long time.

During the last week we also found imdb's My Movies feature. It's your personal subset of their database. We each created an account over there. Randy is inputting all our movies and tv shows. Right now he is doing the DVDs and later the VHS. I am keeping track of what movies we actually watch. I have it set up by genre according to us (not imdb). Some of these will be linked on our website. Needless to say we are keeping busy.

LCD and stand

We got two more wedding cards from Ohio today. Thanks.
We got up and moving early this morning.
We headed to Augusta's Walmart to get our LCD.
Our local store did not have the one we wanted.

We purchased the Vizio 26 inch LCD HDTV with tuner.
We also purchased a highboy television stand.
We used the money we had gotten for wedding and Christmas.
In the end we only paid $19.00 for the tv itself.

It is our first HDTV and we did much research.
We decided on the smaller screen ...
to aid in watching our VHS collection.
Christening video will be Alien Nation series!

Final HDTV research

We have pretty much decided on which LCD/HDTV to purchase.
But did a final google search this morning on VHS on LCD tv.
Remember we have a HUGE collection of VHS movies and tv shows.

Will an LCD Television work with my old VCR?
HDTV FAQs and LCD Television FAQs
VHS goes high definition
All the above links are from hometheatre.about.com

Other links:
A Buyer's Guide to LCD TV's
VCR lets you upscale VHS to HD ... and Upscale your VHS to 1080i

How to copy VHS to DVD - not for article itself but link at bottom
Best LCD TV for NON-High-Def programs

Super Bowl

I am not much into football but I do know it's Super Bowl Sunday.
Hubby is into sports a little bit more than I am ...
so will likely periodically check into the game tonight.
He now lives in Patriot Nation (aka New England) so can be a winner!
If they Pats indeed win again they can be the "greatest eve".

Thought I would post a few links associated with the Super Bowl.
Patriots can do a lot more than win fourth Super Bowl
'Twas the Night Before the Super Bowl
Official Super Bowl site
NFL Pulls Plug On Big Screen Church Parties for Super Bowl

Potato Bacon Casserole

3 large potatoes sliced *
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 c. sour cream
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 lb. sliced bacon, fried and crumbled
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. crushed black pepper

Place potatoes in a 5 quart slow cooker.
Combine the remaining ingredients.
Pour over potatoes and mix well.
Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.

This was my first crock pot recipe.
Original recipe called for 1 package frozen hash browns.
* the number of potatoes may vary
Some recipes suggested cooking potatoes ahead of time.
I did not cook my ahead of time but plan to next time.
Another recipe I looked at used 4 cans of potatoes.

Variations: I did not add onio or black pepper
And I used two cans of cream of chicken instead.

Anadama Bread

When Randy was out today he picked up some Anadama Bread at Wild Oats Bakery and Cafe. Anadama Bread is one of the breads it makes on Saturdays. I've had it before and liked it so wanted to share it with Randy. We used it for our sandwiches for lunch.For those that do not know Anadama Bread is a traditional bread on New England. It is made with white flour, cornmeal, molasses and sometimes rye flour. It's "very hearty, nice & dense, and just sweet enough" bread.

There is no clear cut answer as to where the name came from or when or where the bread originated. The most common story as to the name "anadama" is ... a fisherman, angry with his wife, Anna, for serving him nothing but cornmeal and molasses, one day adds flour and yeast to his porridge and eats the resultant bread, while cursing, "Anna, damn her."

While I have repeatedly read anadama bread "traces its roots back to colonial New England, the northeastern part of the US. It is characterised by its inclusion of cornmeal and molasses, which are two very American ingredients" I also read a story that suggested it came from California and it was miner's wife that was "damned".

Update Sunday: For breakfast I like it lightly toasted and buttered.

(Considered MO of HUMORE)

AFI Movie Date Night #5

Tonight's movie was #96 on the list, The Searchers starring John Wayne. This movie was the biggest jumper between the two lists, jumping up to #12 on the 2007 list. After viewing it, I'm not sure why it took such a jump. I have heard that this one is considered the best of director John Ford's movies. Sure it's got some great moments, some great views, perfect directing, decent acting from the Duke but I wouldn't think of it as within the top 20 movies ever made. I would keep it within the Top 100 though.

I didn't really like the ending though. I think it was unrealistic and therefore, it sold out.

Macaroon Cookie Cake

Combine:
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 teaspoon soda
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1/2 cup soft butter
3 eggs
3 envelopes (3 ounces) premelted unsweetened chocolate
1 t vanilla

Pour batter into 13 x 9 pan.
Carefully spoon macaroon topping over it.
Bake at 350 for 35 - 40 minutes.

Macaroon Topping:
Combine:
15 ounce condensed milk
2 2/3 cups ( 7 ounces) coconut
1 t vanilla

Tip: To prepare sour milk, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice
or vinegar to 1 cup milk. Let stand 5 minutes.

From: The Pillsbury Busy Lady Bake-Off Recipe Cookbook

TWO MONTHS!!!

Hard to believe it's already been two whole months since we got married!

It's been an incredible two months. I'm looking forward to many years!!!