I did some research into what people who are born on February 29th do to celebrate their birthday for the three years between leap years. Apparently, these people are called "leaplings". Wikipedia says that leaplings celebrate their birthday either on February 28th or March 1st. In the United States, a person legally turns a year older the day before their birthday, therefore a lot of them will choose the 28th instead of the 1st. You learn something new every day.
As it turns out, I don't personally know anyone that was born on February 29th. However, there are some pretty famous people who were born that day: Gioachino Rossini (composed "The Barber of Seville"), Ja Rule, and Antonio Sabato, Jr.
There's also the tradition of marriage proposal. According to folk tradition, a woman may propose to a man on February 29th.
Today has been a pretty mellow day - we had a big storm roll in that was supposed to bring tons of snow. I woke up this morning to rain that changed to snow as I laid in bed and then changed back to rain. So basically all I got was just enough slush to make me slip if I dared to venture outside. So I didn't go outside. See how that works? Fortunately, I had a work from home day planned anyway and stayed hunkered down inside.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Book Review: "One Good Dog"
I took a little break from the alphabet murder mysteries to try a new author. I just finished a book called "One Good Dog" by Susan Wilson. This book was great - it was a super fast read and one of those books I just couldn't put down (I read for two hours straight yesterday!). I loved Susan Wilson's style of writing - every couple chapters switch perspective - sometimes hearing from Adam Marsh, sometimes hearing from Chance the dog.
Synopsis: (from amazon.com):
Definitely give this one a try! It's a wonderful story about resilience, learning from those around us and learning how to move on. Two thumbs up!
Adam March is a self-made “Master of the Universe.” He has it all: the beautiful wife, the high-powered job, the glittering circle of friends. But there is a price to be paid for all these trappings, and the pressure is mounting—until the day Adam makes a fatal mistake. His assistant leaves him a message with three words: your sister called. What no one knows is that Adam’s sister has been missing for decades. That she represents the excruciatingly painful past he has left behind. And that her absence has secretly tormented him all these years. When his assistant brushes off his request for an explanation in favor of her more pressing personal call, Adam loses it. And all hell breaks loose.
Adam is escorted from the building. He loses his job. He loses his wife. He loses the life he’s worked so hard to achieve. He doesn’t believe it is possible to sink any lower when he is assigned to work in a soup kitchen as a form of community service. But unbeknownst to Adam, this is where his life will intersect with Chance.Chance is a mixed breed Pit Bull. He’s been born and raised to fight and seldom leaves the dirty basement where he is kept between fights. But Chance is not a victim or a monster. It is Chance’s unique spirit that helps him escape and puts him in the path of Adam.
What transpires is the story of one man, one dog, and how they save each other—in ways they never could have expected.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Brigitte's Baby Shower
Yesterday we threw Brigitte's baby shower. Seriously, Brigitte has to be the cutest pregnant woman ever. She's like all belly and of course has the cutest clothes ever. I think her preggo clothes look cuter than my regular clothes!
They're naming their baby Aspen, so Alyse made a really cute banner to welcome her:
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| Welcome Aspen! |
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| Mini Seven Layer Dips |
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| Individual Veggie Dip Cups |
We played some of the traditional games (bingo during presents) and then a really fun version of "forbidden words". Like we do at the Hullaballo, we had a list of words you couldn't say (Aspen, baby, mom, labor, and cute). Each person had a clothespin with a diaper on it and you would steal clothespins when you heard someone say that word. At the end, you opened the diapers and scratched off the poo (think of lottery scratchers). The people that had smiley faces got prizes.
My mom made Aspen a super cute quilt and little sweater:
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| Mom's Quilt |
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| Cutest. Sweater. Ever. |
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Herb-Roasted Pork Loin With Garlic Roasted Potatoes
Today I decided to take on the pork loin. You may have noticed that my heart leans towards pasta, so I thought it might be a good idea to try a meal without it. Tonight's meal is herb-roasted pork loin with garlic roasted potatoes and salad. On a side note, the roast I got was actually boneless and two roasts rather than the large bone-in one. It was an accident, but I think cooks a little faster, so it worked out. On another side note, the potatoes took a little longer than the 20 minutes the recipe said - I'd count on 35-40 minutes or crank the heat up (that's what I ended up doing).
There is seriously nothing on this earth as wonderful smelling as a bowl of fresh cut herbs and garlic:
Ingredients
4 large cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons crushed fennel seeds
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bone-in pork loin roast, about 5 pounds
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, halved and sliced
1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Using a chef's knife, very finely chop together the garlic, rosemary, and sage. Transfer to a small bowl, add the fennel seeds, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Make slits 1/2 inch deep all over the pork roast and insert some of the mixture into each slit. Rub the roast with the remaining seasoning, then rub with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place the meat in a roasting pan just large enough to hold it.
Roast the meat for 1 hour. In a bowl, toss the onion slices with the remaining olive oil and scatter them around the meat. Continue to roast until thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast away from the bone registers 155 degrees or the meat is pale pink when cut into at the center, about 1 1/4 hours longer. Transfer to a warmed platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Meanwhile, pour off most of the far in the roasting pan and place the pan over medium-low heat. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up and browned bits from the pan bottom. Simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced.
Carve the roast and arrange on a warmed platter. Spoon the pan sauce over the pork and serve at once.
And, here's the recipe for the garlic roasted potatoes - they're super easy and really yummy:
Ingredients
1 1/2 pound Yukon gold or other roasting potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the potatoes into 1 inch chunks. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Scatter the potato chunks and the garlic in a single layer on the pan. Sprinkle with the rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Toss gently to combine the ingredients, then spread out evenly.
Roast the potatoes, stirring 1 to 2 times, until the skins are crisp and browned and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve at once.
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| The Final Plating |
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| Yummy Fresh Herbs And Garlic! |
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| The Roasts Ready To Go Into The Oven |
4 large cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons crushed fennel seeds
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bone-in pork loin roast, about 5 pounds
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, halved and sliced
1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Using a chef's knife, very finely chop together the garlic, rosemary, and sage. Transfer to a small bowl, add the fennel seeds, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Make slits 1/2 inch deep all over the pork roast and insert some of the mixture into each slit. Rub the roast with the remaining seasoning, then rub with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place the meat in a roasting pan just large enough to hold it.
Roast the meat for 1 hour. In a bowl, toss the onion slices with the remaining olive oil and scatter them around the meat. Continue to roast until thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast away from the bone registers 155 degrees or the meat is pale pink when cut into at the center, about 1 1/4 hours longer. Transfer to a warmed platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Meanwhile, pour off most of the far in the roasting pan and place the pan over medium-low heat. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up and browned bits from the pan bottom. Simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced.
Carve the roast and arrange on a warmed platter. Spoon the pan sauce over the pork and serve at once.
And, here's the recipe for the garlic roasted potatoes - they're super easy and really yummy:
Ingredients
1 1/2 pound Yukon gold or other roasting potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the potatoes into 1 inch chunks. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Scatter the potato chunks and the garlic in a single layer on the pan. Sprinkle with the rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Toss gently to combine the ingredients, then spread out evenly.
Roast the potatoes, stirring 1 to 2 times, until the skins are crisp and browned and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve at once.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Pork Cacciatore
For Valentine's Day Mike cooked up some crock pot pork cacciatore... it was absolutely delicious! He left the mushrooms out (due to my yucky allergy) and used a plain old jar of marinara sauce. Enjoy!
In the same pan, cook onion in oil over medium heat until browned. Stir in mushrooms and bell pepper, and cook until these vegetables are soft. Mix in pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, and white wine. Season with Italian seasoning, basil, and garlic. Pour over pork chops in slow cooker.
Cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours. To serve, place a slice of cheese over each chop, and cover with sauce.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
4 boneless pork chops
1 (28 ounce) jar pasta sauce
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 slices mozzarella cheese
Directions
In a large skillet, brown chops over medium-high heat. Transfer to slow cooker. In the same pan, cook onion in oil over medium heat until browned. Stir in mushrooms and bell pepper, and cook until these vegetables are soft. Mix in pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, and white wine. Season with Italian seasoning, basil, and garlic. Pour over pork chops in slow cooker.
Cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours. To serve, place a slice of cheese over each chop, and cover with sauce.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Album Review: The Civil Wars "Barton Hollow"
Last night while watching the Grammys, I discovered a new band called The Civil Wars. I'm not entirely sure why I haven't already heard of them - I commute pretty far each day and listen to a good deal of music on the radio on country, R&B, pop and rock stations - I figured there wasn't much that I would have missed.
The group consists of two singer-songwriters, Joy Williams and John Paul White. Both of them have really great voices. I tried to do some research on them, but there is surprisingly little information on the internet. From the sounds of it, both have some very serious vocal training and it translates to absolutely beautiful tone and amazing harmonies.
The album is "a capella" - basically they have no percussion... all guitars, strings and voices. I really like it! I wish they would get picked up on mainstream radio!
Favorite songs: "Barton Hollow", "Poison & Wine", and "Dance Me To The End Of Love".
This is a must-buy album!
The group consists of two singer-songwriters, Joy Williams and John Paul White. Both of them have really great voices. I tried to do some research on them, but there is surprisingly little information on the internet. From the sounds of it, both have some very serious vocal training and it translates to absolutely beautiful tone and amazing harmonies.
The album is "a capella" - basically they have no percussion... all guitars, strings and voices. I really like it! I wish they would get picked up on mainstream radio!
This is a must-buy album!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Grammys in Your Jammies 2012
Hello faithful blog readers, it's time for the annual Grammys in Your Jammies post. This year feels both very sad and very exciting. Sad because of the sudden death of Whitney Houston yesterday, exciting because Adele is going to make her triumphant return to the stage tonight. I really do think she deserves to win tonight. I'm excited about LL Cool J hosting... I don't know why, but I've always liked him. I was wondering how they were going to honor Whitney - I liked LL Cool J's prayer... I like that they weren't afraid to pray - a very touching tribute.
I've never really posted a picture of the legendary Grammys in Your Jammies, but I decided to do one today. Shadow very grudgingly participated:
Bruno Mars: I love, love, love the old school vibe to his performances. From the pompadour hair to the cheesy choreography, I love it all. I bought his album last year and was really impressed by it. I think his concert would be another really fun one to go to.
Alicia Keys & Bonnie Raitt: They sang "A Sunday Kind of Love" as a tribute to Etta James. Bonnie Raitt still has an amazing voice - I was really surprised because I haven't heard much from her in the last few years.I would have rather seen Alisha Keys at a piano instead of a cheesy sounding keyboard, but I think this was a pretty good performance.
Chris Brown: I've had a hard time with this guy ever since he beat the crap out of Rihanna. I'm fairly certain that he was lipsynching "Turn Up The Music", which completely pisses me off since this is the freaking Grammys... a show about MUSIC. And what the heck was up with the guys with the capes and SARS masks? Two thumbs down on this one.
Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson: I absolutely love "Don't You Want To Stay". Oops - they forgot to turn her microphone on. I love when two people dueting a love song sing to each other like they're really in love. I liked her voice a little better in this performance than his... he seemed a little bit nervous and warmed up as the song went on. And now his microphone died. Get it together Grammys.
Foo Fighters: Maybe I missed it, but why are the Foo Fighters performing in the parking lot? Mike thinks they wanted a rock audience to play in front of and that the Staples center might have been a little too high brow. Their song was called "Walk" from their latest album. I love the Foos (as I call them) because they're true to their music and just legitimately a great band.
Rihanna & Coldplay: I have never really been a Rihanna fan - something about her voice just kind of irks me. Her dancing looks like it's out of an 80's aerobics video. I think she was lipsynching too - there was a point where she moved the microphone away and the singing kept going. So lame. She sang the whole first song alone ("We Found Love" in case you're wondering) which really doesn't constitute singing with Coldplay. Chris Martin came out to sing "Princess of China" a capella and then she joined him on the yodeling. It was really bad. Just plain not a good match up in my opinion. Finally the band joined in, which was a little better, but I wasn't really a fan of this one.
Maroon 5, Foster The People & The Beach Boys: I love Adam Levine and I think he did a great job on "Surfer Girl". I haven't heard of Foster The People, but I really liked their version of "Wouldn't It Be Nice". I'm not sure what their normal music sounds like, but they did a great job covering. It was great to see the Beach Boys back on stage - who doesn't love their awesome sound?! "Good Vibrations" sounded awesome and I can't believe these guys can still sing that well!
Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, & Diana Krall: First of all, I love Joe Walsh. I wasn't a super huge fan of this song ("My Valentine"). It was sort of sad and weird and all minor. I like my love songs to be in major keys. The whole performance was a little blah for my taste and if you didn't know who Diana Krall was, you wouldn't have even known she was there...
The Civil Wars: I haven't really heard of them, but I sorta dug their weird little song. Mike liked them too.
Taylor Swift: While I think her songs are catchy on the radio, I think her performances haven't really improved over the years. In fact, she tends to be just a little off key, which I find disappointing (although it does prove that she's not lipsynching... so she's got that going for her). I'm also a little tired of the teen-angsty songs... Taylor, you're 22 now. Move on to grown up topics.
Katy Perry: I don't really understand the draw to Katy Perry. I don't love her voice, I don't love the blue hair and she doesn't really dance. She comes across like a Bible school version of Lady Gaga, without the voice and without the balls.
Adele: I think she is so beautiful and I love how she stuck with a simple dress. I'm so happy that her voice is back and that she's able to sing again. I absolutely love "Rolling In The Deep". I really love her performance style - just stand in the middle of the stage and sing your heart out. I absolutely loved this performance.
The Band Perry, Blake Shelton, & Glen Campbell: I really liked the Glen Campbell tribute and the Alzheimer's thing hits close to home. The Band Perry is one of my favorite new bands out there and I loved hearing them do that little bluegrassy version of "Gentle On My Mind". Blake Shelton has one of those voices I just like to listen to - his version of "Southern Nights" was pretty good. Glen Campbell was awesome, as always. I loved when they cut away to the audience and Joe Walsh was dancing with his date.
Tony Bennett & Carrie Underwood: I love "It Had To Be You". I've actually been really impressed with Tony Bennett's voice in recent years. The man is 85 years old and sounds great! Carrie Underwood could sing the phone book make it sound good. This was a classy little duet.
Jennifer Hudson: I am so not ok with this performance. You are not, nor will you ever be Whitney Houston. Maybe it's too soon for me on this. "I Will Always Love You" was Whitney's signature song and anything someone else tries to do to it right now is just going to bastardize it. This is just a cheap imitation of Whitney. Mike and I both agree that if anyone was to sing it, it should have been Dolly Parton. I love Jennifer Hudson and think she has an amazing voice, but I found this to be a lame tribute.
Dance Music Mash Up: Maybe I'm just not over the Whitney thing, but I wasn't really into this. I like the idea of honoring dance music as it's definitely a genre that's around to stay, but I'm tired of Chris Brown. I don't really see how the Foo Fighters fit into the dance music thing unless it was just that they still didn't want to let them into the building...
Nicki Minaj: She sounds like a scared lamb. I can't get into her. And I don't dig the costume crap or the weird video stuff. This is not the Oscars. Learn to sing and then come back to the Grammys. I'm still bitter about Whitney. I dont' get the performance at all.
Paul McCartney: I suppose THE Beatle deserves an encore. I was sort of hoping for "Maybe I'm Amazed" (that was the first dance at our wedding) but I'll settle for some "Golden Slumbers". I loved when they had all of the guitarists come out on stage to jam with him... to me that's what music is all about.
Adele: I love her simple but sparkly black dress and her crazy sparkly shoes. Classic, yet fun. I think she's really beautiful and am so glad she's not giving into society's pressure to be thin.
Fergie: What the hell is that dress? Honestly, don't care to see your black bra and panties under your lacy red dress. Not even a little sexy.
Reba McEntire: Love her dress, love her hair and love her body. I hope that when I'm 56 years old I can still rock a kick ass dress like that.
Victor Cruz: Your pants are too tight. I don't even know why you're on the Grammys.
Adam Levine: I loved his striped shirt and vest.
Chris Brown: There was absolutely no need to show your ugly chest tattoo off. Button up your shirt. Now.
Paul McCartney: The man is looking pretty dang dapper in his white suit. I like it.
Kate Beckinsale: I love her little white dress. And apparently, she's British. I had no idea.
Mirnada Lambert: I loved her pretty sparkly dress. I love that she is a little curvier and is not afraid to flaunt it!
Carrie Underwood: I loved her dress, but her spider leg eyelashes scared me. A lot.
Diana Ross: Her dress was so pretty and she looks really good! I love how classy and elegant it was!
Who Got Screwed
I've never really posted a picture of the legendary Grammys in Your Jammies, but I decided to do one today. Shadow very grudgingly participated:
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| Camping Out On The Sofa |
Performance Reviews
Bruce Springsteen: I could have done without the very 90's earrings, but he's a rocker so I guess he can get away with it. The man can still rock and "We Take Care of Our Own" is a pretty catchy tune. I really liked this performance. Mike and I even looked up tickets to his 2012 tour just now - sadly, he's going to be in San Jose on a Tuesday night and we both have to work on Wednesday. Boo. I bet it would be a great show!Bruno Mars: I love, love, love the old school vibe to his performances. From the pompadour hair to the cheesy choreography, I love it all. I bought his album last year and was really impressed by it. I think his concert would be another really fun one to go to.
Alicia Keys & Bonnie Raitt: They sang "A Sunday Kind of Love" as a tribute to Etta James. Bonnie Raitt still has an amazing voice - I was really surprised because I haven't heard much from her in the last few years.I would have rather seen Alisha Keys at a piano instead of a cheesy sounding keyboard, but I think this was a pretty good performance.
Chris Brown: I've had a hard time with this guy ever since he beat the crap out of Rihanna. I'm fairly certain that he was lipsynching "Turn Up The Music", which completely pisses me off since this is the freaking Grammys... a show about MUSIC. And what the heck was up with the guys with the capes and SARS masks? Two thumbs down on this one.
Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson: I absolutely love "Don't You Want To Stay". Oops - they forgot to turn her microphone on. I love when two people dueting a love song sing to each other like they're really in love. I liked her voice a little better in this performance than his... he seemed a little bit nervous and warmed up as the song went on. And now his microphone died. Get it together Grammys.
Foo Fighters: Maybe I missed it, but why are the Foo Fighters performing in the parking lot? Mike thinks they wanted a rock audience to play in front of and that the Staples center might have been a little too high brow. Their song was called "Walk" from their latest album. I love the Foos (as I call them) because they're true to their music and just legitimately a great band.
Rihanna & Coldplay: I have never really been a Rihanna fan - something about her voice just kind of irks me. Her dancing looks like it's out of an 80's aerobics video. I think she was lipsynching too - there was a point where she moved the microphone away and the singing kept going. So lame. She sang the whole first song alone ("We Found Love" in case you're wondering) which really doesn't constitute singing with Coldplay. Chris Martin came out to sing "Princess of China" a capella and then she joined him on the yodeling. It was really bad. Just plain not a good match up in my opinion. Finally the band joined in, which was a little better, but I wasn't really a fan of this one.
Maroon 5, Foster The People & The Beach Boys: I love Adam Levine and I think he did a great job on "Surfer Girl". I haven't heard of Foster The People, but I really liked their version of "Wouldn't It Be Nice". I'm not sure what their normal music sounds like, but they did a great job covering. It was great to see the Beach Boys back on stage - who doesn't love their awesome sound?! "Good Vibrations" sounded awesome and I can't believe these guys can still sing that well!
Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, & Diana Krall: First of all, I love Joe Walsh. I wasn't a super huge fan of this song ("My Valentine"). It was sort of sad and weird and all minor. I like my love songs to be in major keys. The whole performance was a little blah for my taste and if you didn't know who Diana Krall was, you wouldn't have even known she was there...
The Civil Wars: I haven't really heard of them, but I sorta dug their weird little song. Mike liked them too.
Taylor Swift: While I think her songs are catchy on the radio, I think her performances haven't really improved over the years. In fact, she tends to be just a little off key, which I find disappointing (although it does prove that she's not lipsynching... so she's got that going for her). I'm also a little tired of the teen-angsty songs... Taylor, you're 22 now. Move on to grown up topics.
Katy Perry: I don't really understand the draw to Katy Perry. I don't love her voice, I don't love the blue hair and she doesn't really dance. She comes across like a Bible school version of Lady Gaga, without the voice and without the balls.
Adele: I think she is so beautiful and I love how she stuck with a simple dress. I'm so happy that her voice is back and that she's able to sing again. I absolutely love "Rolling In The Deep". I really love her performance style - just stand in the middle of the stage and sing your heart out. I absolutely loved this performance.
The Band Perry, Blake Shelton, & Glen Campbell: I really liked the Glen Campbell tribute and the Alzheimer's thing hits close to home. The Band Perry is one of my favorite new bands out there and I loved hearing them do that little bluegrassy version of "Gentle On My Mind". Blake Shelton has one of those voices I just like to listen to - his version of "Southern Nights" was pretty good. Glen Campbell was awesome, as always. I loved when they cut away to the audience and Joe Walsh was dancing with his date.
Tony Bennett & Carrie Underwood: I love "It Had To Be You". I've actually been really impressed with Tony Bennett's voice in recent years. The man is 85 years old and sounds great! Carrie Underwood could sing the phone book make it sound good. This was a classy little duet.
Jennifer Hudson: I am so not ok with this performance. You are not, nor will you ever be Whitney Houston. Maybe it's too soon for me on this. "I Will Always Love You" was Whitney's signature song and anything someone else tries to do to it right now is just going to bastardize it. This is just a cheap imitation of Whitney. Mike and I both agree that if anyone was to sing it, it should have been Dolly Parton. I love Jennifer Hudson and think she has an amazing voice, but I found this to be a lame tribute.
Dance Music Mash Up: Maybe I'm just not over the Whitney thing, but I wasn't really into this. I like the idea of honoring dance music as it's definitely a genre that's around to stay, but I'm tired of Chris Brown. I don't really see how the Foo Fighters fit into the dance music thing unless it was just that they still didn't want to let them into the building...
Nicki Minaj: She sounds like a scared lamb. I can't get into her. And I don't dig the costume crap or the weird video stuff. This is not the Oscars. Learn to sing and then come back to the Grammys. I'm still bitter about Whitney. I dont' get the performance at all.
Paul McCartney: I suppose THE Beatle deserves an encore. I was sort of hoping for "Maybe I'm Amazed" (that was the first dance at our wedding) but I'll settle for some "Golden Slumbers". I loved when they had all of the guitarists come out on stage to jam with him... to me that's what music is all about.
Clothing Reviews
LL Cool J: I love his tux and even more, I love his newsboy cap.Adele: I love her simple but sparkly black dress and her crazy sparkly shoes. Classic, yet fun. I think she's really beautiful and am so glad she's not giving into society's pressure to be thin.
Fergie: What the hell is that dress? Honestly, don't care to see your black bra and panties under your lacy red dress. Not even a little sexy.
Reba McEntire: Love her dress, love her hair and love her body. I hope that when I'm 56 years old I can still rock a kick ass dress like that.
Victor Cruz: Your pants are too tight. I don't even know why you're on the Grammys.
Adam Levine: I loved his striped shirt and vest.
Chris Brown: There was absolutely no need to show your ugly chest tattoo off. Button up your shirt. Now.
Paul McCartney: The man is looking pretty dang dapper in his white suit. I like it.
Kate Beckinsale: I love her little white dress. And apparently, she's British. I had no idea.
Mirnada Lambert: I loved her pretty sparkly dress. I love that she is a little curvier and is not afraid to flaunt it!
Carrie Underwood: I loved her dress, but her spider leg eyelashes scared me. A lot.
Diana Ross: Her dress was so pretty and she looks really good! I love how classy and elegant it was!
Who Got Screwed
The Mumford & Sons writers - it's not really that they got screwed, but more that it sucks they were nominated in the same year/category as Adele.
The Band Perry: They TOTALLY deserved best new artist. If I, a music enthusiast, can't name a single Bon Iver song, they probably shouldn't win best new artist. Lame. P.S. You should never use "sweet hookup" in your acceptance speech.
Closing Comments
I loved Dave Grohl's acceptance speech - it's great to hear that someone still sits in their garage and makes music. I also loved that he talked about learning the craft of music and that it's not about being perfect - maybe a slight dig at those lipsynching?
I noticed a surprising lack of Lady Gaga this year - they showed her once when they were talking about album of the year. I guess it's because her album isn't new, but I would have thought some of her singles would have been nominated.
Finally, in case you're wondering every year like Mike and I what the difference between record of the year, song of the year and album of the year, here's the breakdown:
- Record of the Year is awarded for a single song. The award goes to the performer, producer, recording engineer and mixer for the song.
- Song of the Year is awarded for a single song. The award goes to the songwriter.
- Album of the Year is awarded for a whole album. The award goes to the performer, producer, recording engineer and mastering engineer.
Adele definitely deserved her sweep - congrats to her for her six wins! Good night!
The Death of Whitney Houston
Late yesterday afternoon the news broke that singer-actress Whitney Houston had died at the young age of 48. For me, this is one of those celebrity deaths that takes your breath away for a minute. I grew up listening to Whitney sing. In fact, any female singer probably held a hairbrush in her hand at some point, belting out "I Will Always Love You".
She clearly had a very public struggle with addiction and drugs. In recent years, her performances have been ragged and incoherent. Sadly, I have a feeling that when her official cause of death comes out, it will either be some sort of overdose or some sort of drug related heart attack. The hardest part of all of this for me is the waste of her voice and her talent.
In her short life, she accomplished many things, including being the most awarded female artist of all time (according to the Guinness Book of World Records). She was awarded 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards as of 2010. She paved the way for singers such as Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and many others.
I leave you with Whitney in better times - singing what I consider to be the all time best performances of the National Anthem. Rest in peace, Whitney.
She clearly had a very public struggle with addiction and drugs. In recent years, her performances have been ragged and incoherent. Sadly, I have a feeling that when her official cause of death comes out, it will either be some sort of overdose or some sort of drug related heart attack. The hardest part of all of this for me is the waste of her voice and her talent.
In her short life, she accomplished many things, including being the most awarded female artist of all time (according to the Guinness Book of World Records). She was awarded 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among a total of 415 career awards as of 2010. She paved the way for singers such as Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and many others.
I leave you with Whitney in better times - singing what I consider to be the all time best performances of the National Anthem. Rest in peace, Whitney.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Double Digits
Well, today I headed out bright and early to do my first double digit run. That's right, folks, today was 10 miles. It was a solo run because my sister was off enjoying the wonders of Vegas. For a self-proclaimed "hate-running-with-people" runner, I have to say, running alone today sucked. I did make friends with a very nice fellow runner lady around mile 4, who ran with me until my mile 5 turn around. I also saw an old friend from high school (Hi April!) who was having her own fun 8 miler with the Fleet Feet Training Team.
Today's run felt really good at the beginning, which is odd because that's usually when I feel the worst. Miles 1-6 felt great and then I hit some sort of wall around mile 6.5. My tummy started acting up and for a minute I wondered if I was even going to get back to the car. I blame my new Cytomax. As I mentioned a couple posts ago, I've converted to Cytomax as my training drink. I committed the other day and bought the big jug of powder at REI... and followed the directions precisely this morning to mix it - 2 scoops to 1 water bottle full of water. Not right. Not even a little. It went from being this wonderful nectar as I ran last week to tasting like I was sucking down pure Tang powder. I think this might have had something to do with today's tummy troubles. Note to self #1: dilute Cytomax next week.
I seriously wonder what I need to do to make sure I don't turn so red when I run. I felt fine, but people always look at me like "Are you ok?". I made the mistake of climbing right in the car without doing a ton of stretching because I was eager to get home to my boys... I felt perfectly fine until I tried to actually get out of the car when I got home. Note to self #2: more stretching.
All in all, it was a great training run because I was able to push myself past some obstacles and I was able to do it alone. My final time was 1 hour, 35 minutes, which equates to 9 minute 30 second miles. Now I'm off to have some lunch and maybe take my second nap of the day.
Today's run felt really good at the beginning, which is odd because that's usually when I feel the worst. Miles 1-6 felt great and then I hit some sort of wall around mile 6.5. My tummy started acting up and for a minute I wondered if I was even going to get back to the car. I blame my new Cytomax. As I mentioned a couple posts ago, I've converted to Cytomax as my training drink. I committed the other day and bought the big jug of powder at REI... and followed the directions precisely this morning to mix it - 2 scoops to 1 water bottle full of water. Not right. Not even a little. It went from being this wonderful nectar as I ran last week to tasting like I was sucking down pure Tang powder. I think this might have had something to do with today's tummy troubles. Note to self #1: dilute Cytomax next week.
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| This Is What Ten Miles Looks Like |
All in all, it was a great training run because I was able to push myself past some obstacles and I was able to do it alone. My final time was 1 hour, 35 minutes, which equates to 9 minute 30 second miles. Now I'm off to have some lunch and maybe take my second nap of the day.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Equality
It's actually taken me almost an hour to write this post... I've spent a lot of time trying to collect my thoughts.
Today the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Proposition 8, stating it "works a meaningful harm to gays and lesbians" by denying their right to civil marriage in violation of the 14th Amendment. By no means is this the end - there will likely be endless appeals, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.
Here's the deal people. We live in the United States of America, a country whose foundation is built on liberty and justice for all. That means even if you don't agree with that liberty (same sex marriage, abortion, smoking, etc), our laws protect you. The minute that we allow one person or group of people to start taking those liberties away just because they disagree means that our country is on a slippery downward slope.
My friend Sean put it perfectly today. He simply asked if Proposition 8 were about interracial marriage instead of gay marriage, would you be speaking out against it? Most people would probably say no.Yet, not so long ago, we took rights away from those who had a skin color different than our own. I would hope that we learned our lesson from 50s and 60s.
Then we get into the emotional side of the argument - the groups out there that are just uncomfortable by gay couples. I happen to know a lesbian couple who I would be more than happy to see married. In fact, I can't wait to dance at their wedding someday. They're in a committed relationship and are raising an amazing, beautiful baby girl together. That little girl is lucky to have the two fantastic mommas that love her, care for her and are going to teach her to be an amazing woman. There are plenty of heterosexual couples out there that wouldn't be half the parents that these women are. Shoot, one of them just blew his own kids up in Washington.
My point is that just as being heterosexual doesn't define who I am as a person, how I raise my children or whether I am a good person, being gay should not either. And they should have the same rights that I have. Period.
Today the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Proposition 8, stating it "works a meaningful harm to gays and lesbians" by denying their right to civil marriage in violation of the 14th Amendment. By no means is this the end - there will likely be endless appeals, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.
Here's the deal people. We live in the United States of America, a country whose foundation is built on liberty and justice for all. That means even if you don't agree with that liberty (same sex marriage, abortion, smoking, etc), our laws protect you. The minute that we allow one person or group of people to start taking those liberties away just because they disagree means that our country is on a slippery downward slope.
My friend Sean put it perfectly today. He simply asked if Proposition 8 were about interracial marriage instead of gay marriage, would you be speaking out against it? Most people would probably say no.Yet, not so long ago, we took rights away from those who had a skin color different than our own. I would hope that we learned our lesson from 50s and 60s.
Then we get into the emotional side of the argument - the groups out there that are just uncomfortable by gay couples. I happen to know a lesbian couple who I would be more than happy to see married. In fact, I can't wait to dance at their wedding someday. They're in a committed relationship and are raising an amazing, beautiful baby girl together. That little girl is lucky to have the two fantastic mommas that love her, care for her and are going to teach her to be an amazing woman. There are plenty of heterosexual couples out there that wouldn't be half the parents that these women are. Shoot, one of them just blew his own kids up in Washington.
My point is that just as being heterosexual doesn't define who I am as a person, how I raise my children or whether I am a good person, being gay should not either. And they should have the same rights that I have. Period.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
AdBowl 2012
For those of you living under a rock, today was the Super Bowl. I was cheering for the Giants (they're my mother-in-law's team) since my 49ers were out of the running. I think it was a great game - it seemed like it was going to be easy for the Giants at the start but then it got much more competitive. I love a good game that stays close!
We had a regular smorgasbord of food - chips, onion dip, queso, sturgeon (yes, there was fish in my house), Kona ribs, curly fries, chicken wings, and mozzarella sticks. We were definitely not lacking in the food department.
I loved the halftime show. I think this was one of the best ones they've had in years. I loved Madonna and loved that she incorporated LMFAO. Special thanks to Charlie (my brother-in-law) for asking me to explain what LMFAO stands for to my mother-in-law. Awesome. I can't wait for her new CD to come out and can't wait for her to go on tour!!!
On to the ads. My hands down favorite ad was played at the very end of the game - in fact, most of you probably missed it because it was after all of the awards. It was for the Chevy Sonic and was called "Joy":
My favorite part was the grasshopper saying "Everyone remember to go pee pee?". Seriously reminds me of my dad before we hit the road for just about every vacation.
I also really liked the Volkswagon "The Dog Strikes Back" commercial.
Seriously, who doesn't love "Get Up Offa That Thing"?! And that chubby dog was freaking adorable.
I was pretty disappointed with the Budwiser commericals this year - I really think they fell flat. Coca Cola was another one that wasn't that great (sorry Kimi!). Both of these companies have had such amazing commercials in the past that I have started to expect that level from them.
We had a regular smorgasbord of food - chips, onion dip, queso, sturgeon (yes, there was fish in my house), Kona ribs, curly fries, chicken wings, and mozzarella sticks. We were definitely not lacking in the food department.
I loved the halftime show. I think this was one of the best ones they've had in years. I loved Madonna and loved that she incorporated LMFAO. Special thanks to Charlie (my brother-in-law) for asking me to explain what LMFAO stands for to my mother-in-law. Awesome. I can't wait for her new CD to come out and can't wait for her to go on tour!!!
On to the ads. My hands down favorite ad was played at the very end of the game - in fact, most of you probably missed it because it was after all of the awards. It was for the Chevy Sonic and was called "Joy":
I also really liked the Volkswagon "The Dog Strikes Back" commercial.
I was pretty disappointed with the Budwiser commericals this year - I really think they fell flat. Coca Cola was another one that wasn't that great (sorry Kimi!). Both of these companies have had such amazing commercials in the past that I have started to expect that level from them.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Tagliatelle alla Bolognese
Tonight's dinner was tagliatelle alla Bolognese... it's sooo delicious!
Ok, folks, I'm not gonna lie, this one is a little labor intensive. It's also 1000% percent worth every minute you put into it. I love to make my own pasta and have attachments for my KitchenAid mixer that make it super easy - if you don't, you can use dried fettuccine as a substitute.
The key to this dish is the soffritto, the mixture of carrot, onion and celery. You may remember this from some of my other food posts, as soffritto is the key to many Italian sauces, stocks, stews and soups. It's also used in French cooking (mirepoix), German cooking (suppengrün), Spanish cooking (sofrito) and Polish cooking (włoszczyzna). This conjures up that absolutely amazing "something's cooking" smell that will stick in your house long after you've snarfed the last noodle. I think they should make a candle.
It's also pretty tasty once you add in the pancetta, ground pork and ground beef:
Ok, for those of you patiently waiting, here is the recipe:
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 small carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 ounces thick-cut pancetta, chopped
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef chuck
1/2 cup dry red wine, such as Barbera
1 cup drained, chopped canned Roma tomatoes (aka plum tomatoes)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups beef stock, plus more as needed
1 cup whole milk (I just use my fat free milk, but I'm sure whole would be yummy)
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pound fresh egg pasta dough
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Directions
To make the Bolognese sauce, in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the carrots, celery, onion and pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients are tender and a rich golden brown, about 30 minutes. If the ingredients begin to brown too much, reduce the heat and stir in a spoonful or two of warm water.
Add the ground meats to the pot and stir well. Raise the heat to medium and cook, breaking up the meats with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and crumbly and their juices have evaporated, about 20 minutes.
Add the wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up the browned bits from the pot bottom. Cook until the wine evaporates, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, the tomato paste, the 2 cups stock, the milk, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the nutmeg. Cook the mixture until it just begins to simmer, then reduce the heat to very low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour. If the sauce becomes too thick or threatens to scorch, add a little more stock.
Partially cover the pot and continue cooking the sauce on the lowest heat setting until it is thick and dark brown, 1 - 1 1/2 hours longer. When the sauce is ready, use a large spoon to skim off and discard any fat that floats on the surface. Cover the pan and set aside.
While the sauce is simmering, make the pasta dough, then divide and roll out each piece into a sheet 1/16 inch thick. Cut the pasta into tagliatelle and let dry for 10-20 minutes.
Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a rolling boil and add about 2 tablespoons salt. Add the tagliatelle, stir well, and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 1 1/2 - 2 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, reheat the sauce over medium-low heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and/or nutmeg.
When the tagliatelle is ready, scoop out and reserve about 2 ladlefuls of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the sauce in the pot and stir and toss until well coated with the sauce, adjusting the consistency with some of the cooking water if needed. Serve with fresh grated cheese.
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| The Final Presentation: Tagliatelle alla Bolognese |
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| Fresh Pasta! |
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| Glorious Soffritto |
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| Everything Is Better With Beef & Pork! |
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 small carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 ounces thick-cut pancetta, chopped
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef chuck
1/2 cup dry red wine, such as Barbera
1 cup drained, chopped canned Roma tomatoes (aka plum tomatoes)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups beef stock, plus more as needed
1 cup whole milk (I just use my fat free milk, but I'm sure whole would be yummy)
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pound fresh egg pasta dough
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Directions
To make the Bolognese sauce, in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the carrots, celery, onion and pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients are tender and a rich golden brown, about 30 minutes. If the ingredients begin to brown too much, reduce the heat and stir in a spoonful or two of warm water.
Add the ground meats to the pot and stir well. Raise the heat to medium and cook, breaking up the meats with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and crumbly and their juices have evaporated, about 20 minutes.
Add the wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up the browned bits from the pot bottom. Cook until the wine evaporates, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, the tomato paste, the 2 cups stock, the milk, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the nutmeg. Cook the mixture until it just begins to simmer, then reduce the heat to very low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour. If the sauce becomes too thick or threatens to scorch, add a little more stock.
Partially cover the pot and continue cooking the sauce on the lowest heat setting until it is thick and dark brown, 1 - 1 1/2 hours longer. When the sauce is ready, use a large spoon to skim off and discard any fat that floats on the surface. Cover the pan and set aside.
While the sauce is simmering, make the pasta dough, then divide and roll out each piece into a sheet 1/16 inch thick. Cut the pasta into tagliatelle and let dry for 10-20 minutes.
Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a rolling boil and add about 2 tablespoons salt. Add the tagliatelle, stir well, and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 1 1/2 - 2 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, reheat the sauce over medium-low heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and/or nutmeg.
When the tagliatelle is ready, scoop out and reserve about 2 ladlefuls of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the sauce in the pot and stir and toss until well coated with the sauce, adjusting the consistency with some of the cooking water if needed. Serve with fresh grated cheese.
Milestone
Today was a pretty decent milestone for my short running career. I hit the 100 mile mark in my training. It doesn't mean that much, but to me it was one of those mental things that just sounded good to say in my head when I was on the trail.
Kati and I ran our 9 mile long run this morning on the American River Trail. It was absolutely beautiful and we couldn't have asked for better weather. It was a little chilly when we first started running, but warmed up nicely after the first couple miles.
I'm really proud of my sister... today was not only the farthest run she's ever done, but she did the entire thing without walking and at a 10 minute/mile pace. She's going to rock the Shamrock!
In other running news, I've been working on trying different drinks while I run. Apparently for a marathon, plain old water (which I love) just doesn't cut it... you have to get electrolytes and other nutrients back into your system. I'm not a big Gatorade fan as it's super sweet and tends to contain a ton of sugar. My boss recommended Cytomax which is far less sweet and has very little sugar.
I've been taste testing the flavors (they sell little packets that you can mix into a bottle of water. I've tried the cool citrus, tropical fruit and pomegranate berry. Shockingly, my favorite flavor was the cool citrus, which is just a fancy name for lemon lime. I'm definitely not normally a fan of that, but it was very mellow and tasted more like water with lemon than anything. I don't even like my water with lemon in it, so that's saying a lot. I think I'm going to take the plunge and buy the bulk pack!
Kati and I ran our 9 mile long run this morning on the American River Trail. It was absolutely beautiful and we couldn't have asked for better weather. It was a little chilly when we first started running, but warmed up nicely after the first couple miles.
I'm really proud of my sister... today was not only the farthest run she's ever done, but she did the entire thing without walking and at a 10 minute/mile pace. She's going to rock the Shamrock!
In other running news, I've been working on trying different drinks while I run. Apparently for a marathon, plain old water (which I love) just doesn't cut it... you have to get electrolytes and other nutrients back into your system. I'm not a big Gatorade fan as it's super sweet and tends to contain a ton of sugar. My boss recommended Cytomax which is far less sweet and has very little sugar.
I've been taste testing the flavors (they sell little packets that you can mix into a bottle of water. I've tried the cool citrus, tropical fruit and pomegranate berry. Shockingly, my favorite flavor was the cool citrus, which is just a fancy name for lemon lime. I'm definitely not normally a fan of that, but it was very mellow and tasted more like water with lemon than anything. I don't even like my water with lemon in it, so that's saying a lot. I think I'm going to take the plunge and buy the bulk pack!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Christmas In February
Today poor Shadow had some serious barking at the doorbell to do... we were visited by both FedEx and UPS! We ordered some more stuff off our registry (we got a gift card from Macys!) and today there arrived a fantastic package from FedEx:
Your eyes do not deceive you - those are the wonderful KitchenAid attachments to grind meat and stuff sausage. I sense a weekend husband and wife bonding event coming up. I can't wait... do you have any idea what kind of stuff you can put into sausage?! I'm hoping to make some really spicy ones and maybe try some apple cinnamon!
And then, there was my little present to me...
Apparently Shadow was wondering how he got caught walking by. He really does look busted. I seriously love this dog.
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| Various Attachments To Make Sausage |
And then, there was my little present to me...
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| Ashley Black Leather Stachel |
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