Books, Movies, TV & Music – Page 3

amazon gift card deal

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Carol — No Comments ↓

It’s cold and icy again today. I don’t know about you, but this kind of weather makes me want to curl up with a good book. (Of course it also makes me consider purchasing an appetite suppressant because all I want to do is eat brownies and cookies and scones!) Anyway, while I do try to purchase my books from my favorite local bookseller, let’s face it — sometimes you just can’t pass up an online deal at Amazon. Today Living Social has a great deal — you can purchase a $20 Amazon gift card for just $10*. I snatched one up and you probably want to, too!

*Disclosure: this is a referral link. If three people purchase their deal through my link, I get it for free.

popcorn and the movies

Posted on December 2, 2010 by Carol — No Comments ↓

The boys spent last weekend at my parents’ house so Drew and I indulged in some movie-watching during Laura’s afternoon naps. The first one we watched was “The Expendables.” It was OK. I know a few people who love, love, love this movie, and I’m not really sure why. It was fun and entertaining, but… I don’t know. The acting was bad (except for Mickey Rourke), the plot was weak, and there just wasn’t much to it. Still, if you like seeing things get blown up, you’ll probably like this one, LOL! And don’t forget — Jason Statham is in it, so he is reason enough to see this movie 😉 I don’t know what it is about him, but he is definitely one of my favorite action stars.

The next movie we watched was Jonah Hex. I see the comic book all the time at the store, but I’ve never read it and I was intrigued. Plus, I happen to think “Johah Hex” is a cool-sounding name. Now, sure it looks like our main character here needs some acne scar cream, but actually his scarred cheek is due to something a little more frightening. His family was killed and the murderer branded him. Jonah Hex disfigured his own face to remove that brand. I thought this movie was really good. It’s not a Western — it takes place in the South — but it has that vibe to it. Plus, there’s some supernatural stuff going on (Jonah Hex can communicate with the dead). It made me want to read the comics, so I think that’s a good sign.

What movies have you watched lately?

american pickers

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

We don’t have cable or satellite TV at Chez Carol, so I’m really out of the loop when it comes to TV shows. However, over the last couple days my dad got me hooked on American Pickers on the History Channel. It’s way more interesting than Antiques Roadshow ever was, and the two guys have very likeable personalities. Basically, they drive around looking for old barns full of junk, yards full of junk, or houses full of junk. They do get tipped off for some visits, but a lot of times seems to be spent on cold calls. I love when they spend time talking to the people who own this stuff. I heard some great stories on the few episodes that I saw; I can only imagine how many amazing stories don’t make it into the show.

They types of things they pick out are interesting. They go after a lot of old signs and motorcycle/car parts, but I do think anything goes. Who knows — maybe one day they’ll pass through New York and they’ll try to talk to the guy down the road that has the Kohler kitchen sink next to the rusted-out station wagon in front of his house. At any rate, if you have any interest in antiques, Americana, or vintage items in general I think you’ll like this show!

party planning

Posted on June 1, 2010 by Carol — 2 Comments ↓

It’s crazy to think that Laura is going to be one (one!) on Thursday. She’s such a peanut; she still rides in her infant carrier, LOL! But she’s incredibly strong. The grip on this kid is something else.

So I’ve gone back and forth about 10 times on what to serve at her party and I think I’ve finally decided on chicken Parmesan, ziti, and salad. Of course we’ll have plenty of apps on hand, too. But I can make the ziti the night before and heat it in the oven while the chicken parm is baking. Yes, I think that will simplify things immensely.

I think I’m going to bake this chocolate covered strawberry cake for dessert, except I’ll alternate layers of chocolate and strawberry cake. My goal at every party we host is to have lots of delicious food. If our guests feel like they have to look into the best fat burner when they leave… well, then I’ve done my job 🙂

I just hope the weather holds out. I’d rather the kids play outside, so let’s hope that any thunder storms will hold off until the end of the party.

chilly hudson valley

Posted on December 16, 2009 by Carol — 2 Comments ↓

It’s another very cold, very late-autumn afternoon here in the Hudson Valley. Although it certainly looks like winter, we’re not there yet. I’ve finalized the shopping list for our party this weekend and we’re in good shape. I think we need a new filter for our refrigerator, though. I’m not sure if it’s a MWF filter or some other I kind (I need to check the manual, obviously), but that should get replaced soon (though doubtful before Saturday). The only thing left to do is a quick sweep and mop of the floors and boxing up some toys. Because I’m not sure when people will be arriving and there will be children of various ages, I’m not taking any chances with toys getting broken or eaten. (Or my Christmas tree getting taken down by a light saber!). So I’ve explained to the boys why some things will disappear for a day or two and they’re cool with it.

Drew’s set up an area in the basement where the kids can play. We’ll have Christmas movies, a selection of toys, and I’ll get some Christmas coloring sheets or some activity that’s easy to do. I’m realizing that it’s much easier to manage the little ones on the guest list when you can let them run around outside, LOL! It’ll be fine, though.

Otherwise things are just rolling along. Drew and I watched Angels & Demons the other night and I thought it was good. I read the book years ago and don’t remember much so I can’t really say how they compare. I’ve also made it through Chapter One of Julie & Julia. I tried to go at it with an open mind. Really, I did. But she doesn’t exactly come across as very likable so I’m having a hard time getting into the book. I mean, when someone writes (about supposedly being found curled up with a copy of the Atlantic Monthly at age five), “I think the point behind this was that I’d been singled out as an early entrant to the ranks of the intellectually superior,” it’s hard to take her seriously. I suppose she meant that tongue-in-cheek, but… really, I doubt it. I’ll force myself to read a bit more before I return it to the library. Just not really my cup of tea.

Speaking of tea (how’s that for a segue?)… I picked up some of Harney & Sons’ Hot Cinnamon Spice. Ooooh, it’s so good! I also have a small tin of their Christmas tea that I haven’t tried yet. Maybe tonight. I’m also on the lookout for a new knitting or crochet project. I really should make hats, you know, but… I think I also have to start a scarf or something that is a little more challenging. What’s on your needles at the moment?

life without cable/satellite

Posted on October 12, 2009 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

Back in July we decided to cancel our DirecTV subscription and I have to say, after my initial withdrawal from MSNBC, it hasn’t been a big deal for anyone in the house. I asked the boys if they missed it and they said they didn’t. Because of the tall trees near our house we can’t even get a signal for basic channels with a digital receiver/antennae so we have been getting by on Netflix and DVDs. I’ve just increased the time I spend listening to NPR for my news fix and it’s all working out quite well. I certainly don’t miss the commercials, especially the ones for prescription meds. Those used to drive me crazy. I’ve never been sure how I feel about the way they offer free samples. It’s like hey — here’s a Concerta coupon. Not quite the same as a Cheerios coupon. Personally I feel that doctors should be giving out the info on prescription meds, and not the producers themselves. But that’s just my own little pet peeve.

I also enjoy the lack of toy commercials and not having to hear the “I want this, I want that.” The boys also watch substantially less TV as a result, even though we’re pretty willing to put on any of their DVDs for background noise. So that’s been good, too. And, of course, the cost savings. We maximize our Netflix subscription by watching lots of stuff online, and I use Hulu for shows like The Office, The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report. I thought this would be a lot harder than it was. I’m in no rush to go back to it, either. Of course, we’ll see how we feel in the middle of winter when the list of things to do becomes a bit more limited. We shall see.

TV Time

Posted on June 18, 2009 by Carol — 3 Comments ↓

I’ve watched more TV in the last two weeks than Ii have all year, I think. In the comments of an earlier entry, Sara asked if I’ve been watching the show “Say Yes to the Dress” and I’ve caught several episodes! It’s so fun seeing all the wedding gowns. I’ve also (embarassingly) seen most of the season of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” as well as tons of cooking shows and infomercials. I’ve also seen some clever commercials. Last night there was one for some variety of yellow pages. The husband comes home, thrilled that he got a job at a plant that makes explosives. The wife asks if he’s working at a desk or on the field. When he replies that he’s working in the field where they test everything, she immediately turns to the yellow pages where she hopes to find a company that will offer her the best term life insurance rates. It’s funnier than I describe it, trust me! I also love the Heineken ad with the people in the back of a cab and the fun cabbie who turns up the radio and starts singing along to that Biz Markie song, “Just a Friend.” It totally takes me back to college and living in Boston afterwards! The one for some juice is good too — a guy and girl are on an escalator and she says, “I think you’re the father of one of my kids.” Shocked, he makes mention of spring break in Cancun. Of course, after drinking the juice he realizes that she’s his child’s teacher. Again, I’m not explaining it well, but it’s pretty clever. Hey, I gotta take whatever entertainment I can get, LO!L

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day

Posted on May 28, 2009 by Carol — 7 Comments ↓

Several months ago I heard about this book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Basically, it showed you how to make artisan-quality bread with minimal effort. The “five minutes a day” part is a little misleading, but nevertheless the method is quick and easy. My experiences with bread baking have been restricted to my bread machine because I’ve been intimidated by all the kneading and rising and punching that real bread baking requires. As I mixed up a batch of the artisan bread dough yesterday, I thought that the process was way too easy and there was no possible way this was going to work.

Here is the dough right after I made it. Notice how wet it is:

I covered the bowl (you don’t want a tight-fitting lid, just something that covers it) and let it rise. Oh, and rise it did! It spooged over the sides a bit. Clearly I need to use a bigger bowl next time. Here is the same dough, two hours later:

At this point, it was time to stick the bowl in the fridge. The book recommends refrigerating the dough overnight or at the very least for three hours after you make the dough initially. This is because refrigerated dough is easier to handle. Naturally, I could not wait that long! After about one hour in the fridge, I lopped off my grapefruit-sized chunk and formed it into a ball, being sure to slash the top as directed in the recipe. Since I don’t own a pizza peel, I decided to use my wood cutting board and that worked fine:

It didn’t really rise as much as I expected it to and right about now was when I started to think that there was no way this was going to work. Imagine my surprise when I peeked in the oven and saw it looking, well, like I figured baking bread should look!

And the final result…

I could not believe how well this bread came out. The crust was nice and chewy. The inside was soft and “bready” (for lack of a technical term). It was perfect with our dinner — onion soup and an arugula salad with pears and walnuts with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

I have enough dough in my fridge for three more loaves. The dough lasts between 10 and 14 days and I’m going to try my best to make it stretch! I promised my dad a loaf when he and my mom come down next Tuesday and I don’t think I will want to make a new batch of dough between now and my C-section. I love this method of bread baking and hope to continue it. Normally we try to not eat too much in the way of carbs (though I’ve gone way overboard during my pregnancy — that’s got to stop soon). But the way I see it, if I’m going to enjoy some bread, I would much rather be the one making it so I know exactly what goes into it. The book also has whole-wheat and rye breads, both of which I’d like to try at some point.

I waited for this book for nearly two months (I borrowed it from the library and there was a huge wait list), but I have to say that it was worth it. This is one I might consider buying for all of the extra bread recipes. Good stuff.

Oh, That’s Right…

Posted on March 25, 2009 by Carol — 2 Comments ↓

I have a blog. It’s not even like I’ve been that busy, so I guess I just have not had much to write about. Actually, the last two days have been spent primarily in the rocking chair with a sick little boy cuddled up on my lap. Monday night around 10 p.m. Noah started coughing and just didn’t stop no matter what we did. He’d had a bit of a cough off and on since late last week, but nothing alarming. I ended up taking him to the pediatrician yesterday morning and thankfully his chest sounded clear, so the doctor chalked it up to post-nasal drip. Some Benedryl and rest have worked wonders. He’s still in no shape to go out and play or anything, but he’s got a little more life to him today. Poor little man was so pitiful yesterday. 🙁

Let’s see… what else is new. I had an OB appointment today and everything was fine. I hate seeing my weight go up, but at least it’s temporary. I’ll be happy when I can start losing it again. We’ve been watching quite a few movies lately: Klute (awesome 70s pseudo-noir flick), Punisher: War Zone (rather disappointing, read Drew’s take on it), Moving Violation (sheer 80s fun), and The Transporter 3 (entertaining, plus Jason Statham is pretty tasty!). We’ve got Midnight Run coming from Netflix today. I haven’t seen that in ages!

I haven’t done much crafting since I made the crayon rolls last week. I’ve crocheted a few rows on my ripple blanket, but that’s about it. I have lots of ideas, just not the time. Hope things have been swell with you!

What a Day…

Posted on March 6, 2009 by Carol — 3 Comments ↓

What a week, really. It’s hard to believe that tomorrow’s going to be in the mid-50s (Sunday might reach the 60s!) and it was just Monday when it seemed the whole east coast was bracing for awful winter weather. Drew’s been sick. I’ve been sick. And while thankfully I’m generally feeling better, save for sinus pressure and a runny/stuffy nose, now poor Jake is sick.

Yes, it’s been a long day already. I woke up around 3:30 and couldn’t fall back to sleep. Shortly after 4 we heard some strange coughing coming from Jake’s room and sure enough, he’d thrown up. Drew and I both got up. He brought Jake downstairs and I stripped the bed and got everything into the washer. Jake seemed to be OK, though he was still sick every so often.

Around 7 I headed over to the hospital to have my one-hour glucose screen done. I won’t lie — it was kind of nice to enjoy the quiet waiting room and work on my afghan. It’s been a while since I picked it up. Last night was the first time in a couple weeks. Here’s how it’s looking so far (I’m not all that much further along since I first wrote about it):

So after my blood draw I got myself a bagel and a decaf. Even though this wasn’t the fasting glucose test, I was still really hungry and I knew it was going to be a long day, LOL! While at the store I rented “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” from the Redbox machine. Both boys wanted to see it and I thought it would be a nice treat for the afternoon. Once I got home, Drew took off for the office and I worked on laundry and caring for my sickie. He doesn’t feel like eating lunch, but at least we’ve been puke-free for probably an hour and a half now, so hopefully that’s a good sign.

I’m exhausted after not only getting up so early, but also going to bed late last night. (I knew it would come back to bite me!). Here’s a snapshot of what my afternoon looks like:

I was lucky to get a free subscription to Martha Stewart Living and over the last couple days I’ve gotten the current issue and a couple back issues as well. So I plan on looking through those, as well as working on the baby sweater I am crocheting, all while watching the chihuahua movie, of course! While being sick is, of course, no fun, sometimes I think it’s a way to remember that we all have to slow it down once in a while. And that’s exactly what we’ll be doing! Happy Friday!