Rat City, Flowers, Tribute

What does Rat City, Flowers, and Tributes have in common? Well, pretty much nothing except for the fact that I've enjoyed all three of them in the past week. Let me explain....

Rat City

Get ready for this...roller derby. Here in Seattle there is a roller derby league called Rat City Rollergirls. These girls are rough, and tough, and so unique, they are the badest girls around and you're so weak (<--I had to, it's an old cheer from, well, let's not get into that).

Josh and I decided to twist up our weekend movie night and insert a night out watching some roller derby. I was pretty doubtful about the whole idea, but thought it wouldn't hurt to go for a few hours. Neither of us had any idea how the game was played. Luckily we had our iPhones to look up the rules. After a quick look-up, we had the basic idea, and enjoyed watching girls beat each other up. Get a glimpse of the action...

Flowers

Ready for something sickenly sweet? Josh has gotten me flowers two times in the past 3 weeks. Isn't he the best husband? Today, while in training at work, the knock opens up and my co-worker walks in with a big box from ProFlowers. I immediately knew it was for me, but I just didn't know why. Inside was two dozen roses with a little note wishing me a happy half year anniversary. Okay ladies, say it, "awwww." Yes, I do have the best husband. And I can't believe we've been married half a year - time flies!!

Tribute

If you've read the book or seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then I seriously need you to get with it or else we might not be friends. Tribute, District 12, President Snow...errr, okay, I guess I need to spell it out for you....Hunger Games. And I saw it opening weekend.

Sometimes when books are made into movies, I'm bitterly disappointed. But, this time, I can say with certainty that I was NOT disappointed. Sure, they switched a few things up, took a few things out, but they had to edit it or else it'd be too long - I get it. And they did a very good job. Highly recommend it. Go see it! It's awesome.

New Things

Lately I've been trying some new things. Crazy, right? For a gal that likes to order the same thing at a particular restaurant, or could eat the same cereal for years. Crazy. Here's a few new things I've tried:

Amazon Fresh - This is for the elite part of the country, the special folks that endure rain and gray for three-fourths of the year; this is for Seattleites. Basically, it's a service out of Amazon, which is headquarters in Seattle. You can order your groceries online and then have them delivered right to your doorstep. We've tried the pre-dawn delivery, so they are at your doorstep when you wake up. You open your door and voila, groceries are in crate for you to drag inside and put away. You might be asking the question I asked myself, "what about frozen foods?" Easy. They have some crates with the cooler inside or those special bags that keep food cold. The prices aren't bad and it's super convenient. I'm just not sure if I can give up Trader Joes entirely. We think this will be for weekend where I run out of time to go grocery shopping, or returning from a weekend getaway.



Lunchbox Laboratory - Yum. Burgers. Fries. Shakes. We've been meaning to try this place for a while and finally did on Saturday. I wanted to go to REI and it's just a block away. Although burgers is their thing, I tried their veggie burger. Now, I DON'T like the garden burgers or boca burger things. Yuck. I did, however, like this one. It reminded me of Cornucopia in Eugene. It was black bean based and super delicious. Josh got a special with carnitas. He also had an awesomely thick and delicious strawberry shake.



Intelligentsia - How intelligent of us to try Intelligentsia. It was light, no really, the color was a lighter brown. But yes. It also had a lighter taste, or delicate. I also like the packaging. A nice morning wake-up call.

Pasta Dish - OMG. This is the new dish for us. I tend to find a dish that I just love and I make it every other week. The equation: easy to make + very delicious + cheap + good as leftovers = a keeper recipe. This is it. It's like my straw and hay pasta, but for spring/summer (straw and hay is more fall/winter). Drumroll please...Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Prosciutto. Get the recipe and try it yourself.

Reading Rainbow #1

Fellow Children of the 80's, unite...forget Mister Rogers and Sesame Street, it's Reading Rainbow time!

Here's what I've been reading recently:

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Fall of Giants (Ken Follett) - Currently Reading -- I'm on page 762 of 985 pages. I love this type of book - historical fiction. My all time favorite book is Pillars of the Earth. Love it. And recently Follett release The World Without End. These mega-novels are awesome. I think Pillars of the Earth is partially why I decided to have a Medieval Renaissance history minor at SCU. A lot of people don't know that about me. I hold a secret love of history. It runs in the family. I mean I have an older sister that is a PhD in Early Modern British history for crying out loud. My mom's favorite 4th Grade subject to teach...history. My dad reads history textbooks for fun. We're a bit nuts. Anyhow, I love this book so far for several reasons. Firstly, it's teaching me. I'm learning all out World War I. I feel like WWI was one day in history class before we headed to WWII. It's making me go online and look up peopleand events. Awesome. Secondly, it's got romanic and drama and all the fiction stuff I love. Thirdly, you catch yourself not wanting to stop reading.I love a book that captures you from the start and keeps you going all the way through. 5 Stars!

Book of Air and Shadow (Michael Gruber) - This one took me a while to get going. I rarely give up on a book. For instance, The Dante Club took me f-o-r-e-v-e-r to get "into" but at about halfway through it picked up and I ended up enjoying the book. The first half was a drag though. I always have faith in my books. You could see this as good or bad. This one started to get close to the Dante Club experience, but it turned out it got better earlier than halfway through. It was a slow first few chapters though. However, once through those chapters, I was a reading machine. Again, this was on the historical side although I wouldn't classify it as historical fiction. It had a love piece in it for the romanic side of me, and the mystery, and the dramatic scenes. Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would recommend it, but it's not one that will pop straight to mind type of recommendation. 3.5 Stars!

The Art of Racing in the Rain (Garth Stein) - This is a classic feel good type of book. You might recall seeing it in Starbucks stores a few years ago. Also, you might remember that I mentioned it in my Bauhaus Coffee Tour post - the main character stops there. I actually cried while reading this one. Yea yea, over the years I've become a real sap. At least I'm not crying at Hallmark commercials - sorry mom. If you love goldens or just dogs in general, this is a must read. It's along the Marley lines. A man and his dog. Awww. 5 Stars! P.S. I want a dog...

The Strain (Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan) - Ready for a thriller type book? This is it. Pan's Labyrinth and The Orphanage are Guillermo Tel Toro's films. "Ahh," you say, "I know those" as goose bumps run up and down your back. I read this one since my Starbucks manager lent it to me after we talked about vampires. He said it was a vampire-like story. I agree, it has vampire vibes to it, but different than the historical, popular vampire view. I had to read this one only during the day - on the bus to work, at work, or days off (not at night!). I had a some crazy dreams and learned my lesson quickly when I tried reading at night. That or I'd read some of it, and then switch to my Total Money Makeover book. It's interesting, thrilling, and keeps you reading. If you're in the mood, like these types of books, you should read it. I'm deciding if I can handle the next in the series...4 Stars!

The Critic Returns

You may recall that I review stuff every now and again. It started with my first review, The Critic. I realized in this original post I said I'd spring "Heather, the critic" on you occasionally. I've been neglecting my critic obligations, so I thought I'd give you some reviews on recent things in my life. These are quite random, but that's just how I roll (get used to it - wink wink).

• The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - I finished this book shortly after my visit to Chicago (boy, you sure get lots of reading time when you fly!). I had a good feeling about this book from the start considering it was historical in nature and had a fictional twist - love that historical fiction. Plus it was about the Salem Witch Trials which I've always found intriguing. The first two chapters made me re-think whether I'd really like the book, but I charged on. As happens with some books, you just need to get past the first chapter or so to get into the follow. By the end, I couldn't put it down. I thought it was an interesting perspective and a clever way to reveal the tale. I would recommend this book for those who like the historical fiction slash supernatural stuff (note: supernatural not quite the right word, but it's the best I can come up with for it - read it, you'll see). Since we're talking books, these are two sites I've checked out recently: Good Reads and the Book Seer.


• Simplenote - This is an app for the iPhone and/or iPad. It's probably my favorite app. Josh, my tech dude, found it for me and downloaded it. However, if I inspire you to download it for yourself, then I wanted to also let you know that it's free! Best part, right?!? Anyway, it's sooo cool and incredibly useful. Seriously. It totally fits my note taking needs / obsession. I can access a note from any of my electronic gadgets -- iMac, iPhone, or iPad. If you update a note in one, you update them all. It's simple too (hence the name) - creating a note is quick and managing an exciting one is a synch. The power of the list unleashed!


• Swifer Duster - Yes, I'm talking about a cleaning product. A girl at work mentioned it to me when I was complaining about house cleaning. I saw it on sale at Target, so I grabbed one. Now, let me tell you, I dislike cleaning.  Like most folks, you probably assumed I like to clean considering how I like cleanliness; however, I don't actually like doing the physical cleaning part. Not to mention, I now clean at work. This intensifies the home cleaning dislike. The Swifer Duster changed that experience for me (just a bit mind you). I enjoyed seeing the dust magically disappear - visible results (okay, that's probably more visible because dusting was highly necessary). The Duster, though, it really did it's duty - dust clung to it and didn't create a tornado of dust bunnies. With one sweep, the dust was gone. Loved it. Yea for stuff to make cleaning easier!


• Whole-Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies - These were "healthy" cookies in disguise. My co-workers didn't even realize they were whole wheat. I even put in a tad bit of wheatgerm. All totally unnoticed until I brought it up (not sure why I even brought it up). Anyway, these were delicate and scrumptious; a definite crowd-pleaser. I think they made a nice sweet tooth treat after dinner, too. Caveat: This never out-beats froyo.


• Open-Face Turkey Burgers with Gruyère, Mushrooms, and Arugula Salad - I made this tasty dinner a few weeks ago and it turned out great. I used par-baked potato bread (obviously I baked the rest at home and got it nice and crispy). Since it was raining, I ended up cooked the burgers on the stove top inside. This method didn't prevent them from jaw-dropping awesomeness. They were fast and easy to make - a 30 minute meal (take that Rachel). I found the recipe on Epicurious as I was exploring the app on my iPad and planning the week's meals out. To end, I'd like to make a quick call tech out: Epicurious is another fav app.


• Florence + The Machine - I'm not talking construction in Italy, rather a music group. Their songs are very mellow and nice for chilling out - i.e. while you are napping or cruising the Internet. I guess this would go under the Indie genre. Josh actually got the Lung album on iTunes and I used iTunes home-sharing feature to download it for myself. If you need something pleasant, I highly recommend this one.

Alright, I covered a plethora of topics there - cleaning, cooking, and more. I have another blog topic in mind, but I need to find the time to write. I'm busy these days since [A] I'm getting more hours at work, and [B] Josh's graduation is this weekend and the parents are both going to be in town soon (now you understand the Swifer topic).

I'll end with a picture since it's my "blog thing" and I enjoy photos (plus I hear adding visuals to your blogs make it more interesting for the audience - and I'll do anything for my fan club).

P.S. I like to think this is Josh laughing at my clever, and witty post above. Rather, he's just laughing at a cupcake (he's gone a bit crazy with finals).

Froyo Alert

My froyo (frozen yogurt) rader went off this week...beeeeeep, new froyo shop in town. Beeeeeep!

Of course, being me, I had to investigate this supposed new froyo shop. My friend Kim joined in on the first visit adventure. Going into it I was a bit apprehensive. Would this be a tart, plain, original froyo shop that's all the rage right now? Would it be a hippy, organic, hemp place common to Eugene? The hopes were high entering into it though. I mean YoCream is just up the road in Portland, so there was a fair chance this could be a great place. The only way was to make a visit...

Upon entering the store, I was a bit shocked at the brightness. It wasn't sunny, but it was sure darn yellow inside -- the walls were neon yellow! They took it to the extreme with the neon and candy everywhere. It was like a little kids heaven. I definitely knew who the target was for this place...kids. What about us young adult with crazy like addictions? Would this work? I continued further.

I spotted my friend inside toward the back where the machines were located. Good news...YoCream. The shop owner was there helped us out and giving samples (my appetizer). The atmosphere was forgiven when I saw three beautiful machines - that means six flavor options. Oh boy, oh boy!

Of course, I had to discuss the froyo with the owner. Does she really know her stuff? I mentioned the article I found online with the local newspaper. Apparently her husband and her got the idea from a Cali visit, the land of froyo. She really didn't seem to want to go into much further detail, so I decided to go for a taste test.

Sadly, I found that cookies 'n cream was a recent past flavor (so hope for it next visit). There was peanut butter, blueberry, strawberry, cheesecake, chocolate, and vanilla. Very standard. In fact, most of these flavors are at the sub shop. If you know me, you know I tend towards the cookie type flavors so I opted for the PB and chocolate and vanilla swirl combo. Verdict? It was decent. The texture was decent, but not as smooth as it could be (Yumi is safe). I think they might need to play with the temperature and mixes a bit to get it more velvety. Perhaps I'll mention it next time if I find the same situation.

As for pricing, well it was self serve. I get carried away with self serve and it can add up quick. TCBY is cheaper for sure. However, it could have been worse. On a good flavor visit, this could be totally worth every penny. I shall just have to visit again SOON.

All in all, I was happy to get my froyo fix and hang out with a friend. Oh, and BTW, I did join their FaceBook group. You can check it out.

Kim & Me @ Sweety's

Seen it?

Have you seen Avatar? I thinking most of you have since apparently it's the highest grossing movie of all time. Now Josh and I are one of the multitudes that have helped it reach that ranking. It took us several tries to get there. The first two attempts we were rejected with the blinking "sold out" at the ticket booth. We decided to just buy the tickets in the afternoon and see it in the evening - it worked. We saw it this Saturday at the very front of the theater with the music pounding in our ears.

Even if you haven't seen it, you might know the story already. How's that you say? Well, it's one part FernGully, one part Pocahontas, one part Dances with Wolves, and one part Star Wars. Okay, maybe throw in some Last of the Mohicans. Yes, my friends, it's a combination of these movies. Top it with some major themes like religion, evil corporations, and go green. Wait, wait...don't take any of this the wrong way; I did enjoy the film. The 3D special effects were awesome and the Avatar concept was very well done. I'm glad I saw it in the theater and got to see it in all it's glory. It was a great action flick for sure. And I always enjoy the movie-going experience (especially when I still have gift certificates - dang, movies and 3D is expensive!). Oh, and it was quite funny to see Phoebe's brother in Friends playing the big Corporate guy - HA!

Anyway, fun movie, fun times, and I'm glad I saw it in theaters. Not to mention, I got Thai food beforehand - Yum yum!

Randomly Routine

I've been thinking and thinking about what to write my next post about unsuccessfully. We're just not doing that much, and I don't want to bore people either with stupid things- all this makes posts tough. I decided to write some random stuff on my routine and everyday life that might be somewhat interesting, or not, but you can choose which bullets to read. Up to you!

• Netflix: I love Netflix. If you see a preview that you're not sure about, reviews aren't great but you want to see it, or you just can't pay for the movie theater experience, then I say "just Netflix it." It also gives the opportunity to watch past television series that you never knew about until it was over. One such tv series is How I Met Your Mother. Josh and I are going through this series right now and loving it. Watch it.


• TJ Groceries - Trader Joe's is the bomb. I go to TJ's once a week for our grocery needs. It's like a small town market that's fun to walk around with nice people, yet still has good stuff. Plus I think the prices on most items are pretty dang good. Not to mention I've had success with the TJ brand items and semi-premade meals. For instance, the stuffed pork chops, ricotta chicken with marinara, and their Balsamic dressing are some of my favorites. In fact, I was told by an employee that they often take popular, successful brands and then sell practically the identical item with their TJ brand/label. There is a whole TJ culture out there. While we were roaming Barnes and Nobles, I saw this book: The I Love Trader Joe's Cookbook. I'm tempted to purchase it. P.S. Check of these nifty grocery shopping list planners here. I just downloaded the list template - neat!


• TCBY: Yes, frozen yogurt is still a routine thing. Josh and I like the daily specials. Monday and Tuesday specials stink, but we enjoy Wednesday's waffle cones, Thursday's shivers, Saturday's parfaits, and Sunday's sundaes the most. Wait, that's almost every day of the week. For the days I can't con Josh into going, I have the Sub Shop frozen yogurt quart in the freezer to hold me over.


• Relaxation: This isn't totally routine, but I'm trying to make it part of my a routine. I've been testing some relaxation dash anxiety-reducing type techniques to help. One of the best relaxation scents is lavender so I've been on the look out for anything lavender. I bought this lavender spray to put on my pillow at night - quite nice (although I got Josh's pillow and he was like, "what's that smell?" - haha). Anyway, I'm trying all sorts of relaxation stuff  - candles, incense, reading, calm music, tea, stretching. All of these have worked pretty well. My New Years resolution of yoga might still happen, but it's hard to get any sort of routine with the Starbucks gig - we'll see. Maybe a DVD would work (hey, just Netflix it). Oh, and my moto and desktop picture (from WWII): Keep Calm and Carry On.


• Dining Out: Josh and I don't dine out very much (I've amped up my cooking), but we do get to go out and treat ourselves occasionally. One of our favorite Eugene spots is Yi Shen. The pho is delicious and prefect on a cold, wet day (and they add broccoli - makes me happy). Josh likes the Vietnamese sandwiches too. Ehh, we like all of it really. Another frequent dining option is Thai, which generally defaults to Chao Pra Ya. And the third most dine-out food is pizza. That's it: Vietnamese, Thai, and Pizza/Italian.


• Hanging Out: Generally we enjoy just hanging around town. For instance, we'll go walk around areas of town or high-end grocery stores like Market of Choice (similar to Whole Foods). I'm starting to make friends too. Last week I had a friend over to hang out. We bonded over the fact we both grew up on The Cutting Edge, so that's what we did. I picked up Thai food and we chowed and watched the movie. Can't beat that combo!

We do plan on doing fun stuff soon. Actually, tonight we went to the theater to go see Avitar 3D. We thought it'd been out long enough, it was Sunday night, and we were ~15 minutes early, yet it was still sold out. Boo! We still plan on seeing it though...perhaps Thursday.

Also, I have plans to go home for a friend's wedding in March and check out Seattle again. Then there is Valentines Day potential. So we'll break the routine and get out soon! Stay tuned, more post ideas will come...eventually.

Yi Shen's Pho

Tale of Teas

Since I started working at Starbucks, I've spent a lot of my time talking about coffee. However, I realized tea just isn't getting enough coverage. And you know what...it totally should! I love tea. Tea was a beverage I enjoyed even before coffee. I must attribute my enjoyment of hot tea to my sister. She taught me to add sugar and milk to my black tea - the British way.

Anyway, tea isn't just a terrific drink to have during the cold weather to keep you warm. Nay, it's also quite delicious during the summer as iced tea. Although, I must admit my preference is for hot tea. That said, let's talk about some teas I enjoy...

• Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: This is mostly a Southern California chain and their best product is the tea lattes. Heather Richardson introduced me to these lovely tea lattes when I visited LA (a long time ago now). The first favorite was the English Breakfast tea latte. They also had a lemon chamomile tea latte in the springtime. My all-time favorite is the Winter Dream tea latte, which is only available during the winter month (shocking, Winter tea only during winter). The thing that makes the tea lattes so special is this magic vanilla (or chocolate in some) powder that you add to the brewed tea and before adding the frothy milk. Since I knew the ingredients, I thought I could whip up some up of these wonderfully delicious drinks myself at home. While down in SoCal for the holidays, I picked up some of the vanilla powder. Sadly I couldn't find the Winter Dream tea. Luckily Josh's parents came to the rescue and sent us some. My creations are very similar to the in-store drink (perhaps not quite the same, but pretty dang good).


• Starbucks Loose Teas: This is the latest and greatest at Starbucks. We just released all our teas in loose leaf tea bags. These bags are so much better than the compact, little bags we carried previously. The loose bags allow the tea to disperse and steep, so there is just more flavor burst. We had three teas available in loose bags before the release that were used for our tea lattes - these we didn't have out for purchase in boxes. Now, all teas are loose bag and available for purchase. Now, I can get my favorite tea and bring it home. My favorite is Vanilla Rooibos. It's an herbal, naturally caffeine free tea. It's decent as a latte, but I like it just brewed with a bit of sugar-free vanilla. I just bought it yesterday with my markout.


• Starbucks Chai Latte: This is still at our stores even though we had the tea bag renovation (mentioned above). It's similar to Oregon Chai in that both are basically a syrup. We add hot water to it to activate the "spices" and then top it off with steamed milk. This is one of my classic favorites, especially adding a bit of vanilla. I enjoy this more than Oregon Chai as it seems to have more spice, yet it's still sweet (you know some chai lattes can be uber spicy).


• MyChai: This is a local chai from Bend, OR. A few places offer it on their beverage line-up: Full City and Market of Choice. I even like this better than Starbucks Chai (shh, don't tell). It has a bit more bite (spicy) and still slightly sweet, but it's a perfect blend. Sadly, you cannot purchase it to bring home. A in-store enjoyment only.


• Evening Decaf Tea Options: Good Earth Decaf Vanilla Chai is my favorite. This is just a tea brand you can get at the grocery store, but it's quite good. I first had it in New Haven at Lindsay's apartment. This is great just before bed since it's decaf. I just add a drop of milk and splenda. I enjoy it almost every night. The second runner up is Celestial Seasoning's Sweet Coconut Thai Decaf tea. That's pretty good too - it's more exotic tasting. Beth and Chris had this tea at their place and that's were I discovered this option. Besides these, I've tried other decaf vanilla chai teas and they just don't quite cut it. (Caroline gave me some German teas for Christmas too which I've been enjoying, but those are a Christmas speciality and hard for me to buy for everyday consumption).

This is probably more than you ever wanted to know about my tea drinking. Let's face it though, I've got good taste (wink wink). Plus, you've now taken a step into my life and what I drink in the evenings (besides a large sparkling water).

Josh and I shared some tea during lunch on our mini-trip to Portland over the weekend. Here's a funny photo of us with the tea pot...

On the First Day of Xmas

...my true love gave to me...permission to start watching Christmas movies! Okay, honestly I could have started earlier if I wanted (and we sorta did with the 3D movie); however, as I said before, we must give Thanksgiving due justice. I mean the pilgrims worked hard to get across that ocean and get going over here. And by golly, we must celebrate that momentous occasion with food and friends (and yes, I just say by golly...it's a good phrase, try it).

So now it's post-Thanksgiving, which means all Christmas is ON. By "on" I mean: music, movies, decorations, shopping, cooking/baking, and reading. All of it. Makes me all giddy. I just love the holidays. Just so you have enough time to watch them all before the 25th, I'm going to list my xmas movie favorites. Plus I really thought a movie list would be clever since Christmas is full of lists. This list is a good list (no bad or coal here, nor need to check it twice). I wouldn't dare say this list is anything near that the length or importance of Santa's great list, but it's a pretty darn good list with commentary too.

Enough of this lengthy intro (did I get you excited for it?), let's get to it. Here is my movie list. Let's call it my joy.us must-see Christmas movie list:

• The Muppet Christmas Carol - I know what you're thinking, "that's a kids movie, no thanks." I counter that (Josh's legal terms are rubbing off) with so what! Not only is it one of the best christmas stories of all time, it's with muppets! Can't beat that. Oh wait except that it's singing muppets. I know all the songs by heart and have the CD too which would go on my fav xmas music list. Plus there is comic relief in it with Rizzo the Rat who is there for the food. And Gonzo thinks he is Charles Dickens. Every time I watch it I find a little humorous thing they've discretely inserted into the movie. I saw a user comment that I agree with: "witty, far too good for kids." Oh, and Michael Caine is in it. Just watch it.


• Scrooge - This is a West Coast O'Neill family favorite. If you know us, it's best that you watch it so you know what the heck we are singing when we break out into random song about liking life or thank you very much. And yes, you are catching on to a theme here, we like music in our movies. As a heads-up, this is an older movie that was made back in 1970. But don't let that prevent you, the songs are quite good and it's a good, heart-warming movie.


• Miracle on 34th Street and Miracle on 34th Street (No typo) - There are two versions of this movie that I enjoy and watch each year. Once is a black and white version made in 1947. I like see how each version differs. Like will the judge get a dollar bill or a pile of letters from the post office? Does Santa speak Swedish or do sign language for the little kid? Is it Macy's department store or a store they make like Macys but don't actually call Macys? No music in this one, so if you're not the musical type, these might be a better route for you. Both versions here still have that heart-warming xmas message.


• Christmas Vacation - Time for some xmas humor. What kid doesn't want the super xmas lighting job that appears on the Griswold home? I mean the squirrel and the tree. I'm already chuckling to myself. It's the typical family disasters taken up a notch. It's over the top humor, but not so much that you're disappointed.


• Home Alone - No way can you beat a kid defending his home with all sorts of pranks -- pranks that both makes you laugh and cringe. If this movie doesn't bring out the kid in you, I don't know what will. Kevin get to do all sorts of crazy, fun stuff (although "don't try this at home" type). An added benefit is that the music is surprisingly good (although background mostly). John Candy makes an appearance too with a polka band.


• A Christmas Story - Yet another humor xmas movie. Actually some of the humor I didn't get until I was a  tad bit older. For instance, fragile and the lamp. But this is a true, 100%, all American Christmas classic. I don't know how you could not like this movie. Ralphie tells his Christmas in true kid fashion. Not to mention the bunny costume or Randy falling on his back an added funny bonus. Oh and you learn stuff too like not to stick your tongue out in the cold to a pole.


• It's a Wonderful Life - I always used to push this one aside when I was younger because it was black and white. Boring. Then back in college or so I decided to actually watch the whole thing. And now it's a favorite. It just makes you realize the important, good things in life. I think Josh might watch this with new eyes now that he's gone through law school, but that doesn't mean he won't be watching it with me (mwahaha). Seriously though, this one sends a good message. Watch to find out why life is worth living!

A few other options if you get through all of the above and need more - The Holiday has some Christmas scenes which gives it Christmas movie status. It just a cute love story with some good actors. The Polar Express has some good music and the animation is neat, but it's a bit weird in some parts (the same weird category as the newest A Christmas Carol I saw last week). Love Actually is good, but nothing great. I just like the one song in it by Mariah Carey.

I could (and just may) make even more Christmas lists. Perhaps one on cookie recipes, books, or music. Christmas is full of so much good stuff!

Holidays Begin. Bah Humbug.

Actually, there is not a inch of bah-humbug in me (or with holidays). But there is, ok there was, in Scrooge! And so, it was with bah-humbug that Josh and I decided to kick-start our holiday season.

I know it's early, but the stores* are doing it, so why not? I'm probably a hypocrite going to see a Christmas movie before Thanksgiving since I'm always saying how we need to celebrate each holiday. Poor little Thanksgiving always gets brushed aside in the big Christmas preparation rush. Seriously, we still need to appreciate Thanksgiving. It deserves it's rightful time and enjoyment, not to mention my love for turkey and all the goodies that come along with it (yum, leftovers).

*Side Note: Starbucks is starting Christmas already with our holiday cups, special drinks (eggnog, gingerbread, and creme brulee), and coffee blends.

Anyhoo, Christmas is coming none-the-less and I must begin preparing. I'll start with movie watching (the music I only give myself permission to start the day after Thanksgiving -- Josh will love that I'm sure). The movie I really need to start because there are so many favorites that I must watch each year. So little time, so many movies! By the way, I'll write a post on my Christmas favorites soon.

The actual purpose of this entry was to tell you about the movie I that started the holidays this year. It was Disney's A Christmas Carol 3D with Jim Carrey. Charles Dickens' classic tale has always been a special story. I enjoy watching all the different variations / versions and I've even read the book. We decided to see the flick Friday night (later at night so as to miss the kiddie crowd). Here's some thoughts on the movie:

• Special Features - The movie wasn't over done with 3D features. As tempting as I imagine it might be for a director, there weren't many scenes added just because it was 3D and would be "cool." Rather the effects were nicely weaved into the film so that I even forgot it was 3D at times. It was my first time seeing 3D (besides Captain-E-O at Disneyland). Although it was a fun experience, Josh and I found it was a bit pricey (luckily I had some handy Regal gift certificates to use). I'm  not sure if we'd pay the big buck for it on too many occasions. I think it's Hollywood's idea to get us back at the theaters, but it's just too much mulla right now.


• True to Story - This very seemed to stick true to Dickens' tale. In fact, so close that parts were pretty darn scary. When you think about it, the tale wasn't really meant to be a children's story, but to get the holiday spirit going again in Britain. Read more.


• Setting - Josh and I really enjoyed some of the images and scenes of the story's setting. For instance, at the begin the film took us flying over London--showing fun famous points of interest and whatnot. Actually, it really made us want to go back for a visit (and good memories from our trip a few years ago).


• Scary, Bizarre, yet Humorous - I made a comment on the movie being scary above, but I thought I'd give some more detail. We all know the 3rd ghost is really the scariest, but I thought he was down-right frightening in this version. I mean, how do kids watch this and not have nightmares? And the usual jolly ghost of Christmas Present, my favorite by the way, had some scary moments. You might recall how he only has a certain amount of time upon this Earth. Well, the ending to "his time" was a bit chilling (this ain't Halloween folks, what the heck?!?). The first ghost was a bit bizarre if you ask me--portrayed as a candle. Plus some of the facial movements of the ghosts and whatnot throughout the movie were a bit strange. But there were some humor twisted in as well. I though mini Scrooge funny and some of the remarks they added caused some laughter.

Overall, the movie was entertaining and fun. And being that to entertain is the purpose of movies, then that means it was a success. Josh and I were glad we went and saw the movie. I would recommend it as a Netflix or if you haven't seen a 3D flick get, then go see it in the theaters!

Remember, coming soon is a entry on Christmas favorites--movies (plus other A Christmas Carol version I love), books, and more baking.

Music Buzz

or DJ Heather...
For those of you who don't know my music habits, I go through song obsessions. I find a song (and sometimes it extends to two songs) and listen to it over and over until I tire of it or find another new song. Right now my song (and it's recent so I'll be listening to it a lot) is Beggin' by Madcon. As I went to find a link for this post, I found some fun facts on Wikipedia. Madcon is a Norwegian hip-hop band, which I find totally hilarious slash awesome. In case you're curious, recent song obsessions include: Replay by Iyaz (a good workout song), Fireflies by Owl City (now a top 10 on iTunes - ha! I got it as a free iTunes download), I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas (ugh, now way over played on the Radio), and Forever by Chris Brown (from the now popular wedding ceremony video, which Josh found before the hype. Not sure what I'm talking about? Check it out on YouTube).

Life Indoors: Reports from the Weather Underground

Weather Report: It seems that the Oregon rain season is upon us. The first few days of rain started this past week. I posted a small picture earlier--the official first day. We've had a few rain days intermixed with days of sun this week, so we're still getting some sun. I am worried about the colder weather expected to come. I mean it's only mid to upper 50s and my feet are ice already (not that this isn't typical of me, but not so early in the year). In the coldest of SF area weather I had my feather blanket, quilt, blue blanket, fuzzy tan blanket, and often a throw on me at night. Hmm, we'll see; I might have to invest in an electric blanket, flannel lined jeans, and more fuzzy socks. I appreciated my car's seat warmers previously, but now I think I'm going to come to love them (I picture Josh walking into the garage to find me hanging out in the car just to have the seat warmers and heater blasted on me!). Happy news is that the leaves are starting to turn colors now--it's beautiful! I'm going to take some pictures and post soon.

Movie-Going: Last night we went to the cheap theater to see The Hangover. By the way, the cheap theater is awesome. On weekends it's only $2 to see movies that are not really at main theaters anymore, but not out on tape yet (and it's $1 during the week). The theater isn't stadium sitting, but it's the regular theater experience, so you really can't beat it--great deal! Anyway, The Hangover was a bit over-hyped for me. Everyone said how funny it was, and it was funny but not as funny as everyone said it would be. The movie was really pushing it with some of the humor and it some of it was just wrong. Don't get me wrong, I did think it was funny and I laughed a bunch, but it's just wasn't Old School or me. As for previews, I think Extract looks freakin' hilarious & can't wait for that to release. Our other cheap movie fun is Netflix. Right now we're going through the first season of True Blood (more vampires).

In the Kitchen: I'm still on the muffin quest. Yesterday, I tried bakig Pear and Apple Muffins. These tuned out pretty well. I cooked half of the batter to see how they were, and decided to add more sugar and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc) on the second batch. The second batch was better. But there is something I'm missing. I think it' an oaty, bran texture and nuttiness that I love that my attempts have failed to meet. Josh is the lucky taster (I don't think he minds). I've still got plenty of recipes to try though. Next I might add oat bran to the recipe to see if that helps me with the texture I'm looking for. Again, I'm open to any recipes you might want to share --please send!

SBux: This is going great--I'm enjoying the people and job. The change in weather brought some big crowds to some of my shifts. It can get pretty crazy with a long line-up of cups to make, but it really makes the day go fast (and learn quick). Also, you may have seen all the commercials on the newest product, Via. It's the micro-brew 100% Arabian bean coffee. You should really try it (really, it's good). I used it to bake some biscotti and there are so many more recipes that call for instant coffee which will work perfectly with this stuff.

P.S. I can now wear my Crocs with the soft liner around town unabashedly. Unlike the Bay Area, they are true Oregonian style so nobody judges you wearing them around. I'm enjoying this, although I do think I need to find a nice pair of cute, water proof, versatile, comfy shoes.

Traversing the Yogurt Wasteland

or: how I learned to stop eating Yumi and love alternatives

You had to expect this post from me sooner or later. Actually, probably more sooner more than later...come on, really, how could I resist? I'm in love (and/or obsessed) with the stuff. I could go on talking about it forever (so beware, this might be longer than you'd care to read). But I must spread the word & share the love for the froyo. Plus, I know you are all very curious about Oregon's options. Side Note: In case you were uninformed on the lingo, "froyo" means frozen yogurt.

To start, let's delve into some of the nearby, local Eugene options.

• TCBY: This is probably the best option in Eugene for the frozen yogurt craving fix. The reason this one beats the Sub Shop (below) is for two main reason: (1) it has a variety of flavors that change every few days, (2) and the daily specials. Josh really enjoys the daily specials and he almost asks for froyo because of them, which I can't object to. They are pretty good deals though. For example, something like $1.50 for a shiver on Thursdays, which is like a blizzard type thing. The pricing in general is actually quite good. One downside is that they lean heavier on the fruit flavors, and I prefer the candy/chocolate based flavors. Also, the yogurt doesn't keep very well in the freezer for a long time. Overall, I wouldn't go so far as to say it's The Country's Best Yogurt and definitely no Yumi Yogurt, but it does help satisfy my yogurt addiction. BTW, another point earned this week from TCBY by serving Pumpkin!


• Campus Sub Shop: I don't think I would have ever known about this place (well, my froyo radar probably would have kicked in at some point) if it weren't for my friend Jessica Geller. This may lead you to ask: how did she know there was froyo at a tiny sub shop in Eugene? Well, Jessica went to U of O and we meet while I studied abroad in Madrid. And we talked much about our froyo cravings. Anyway, this is really like the name of the establishment indicated, a sandwich joint. They do have 4 standard machines (yields 8 flavors) and have the YoCream brand. However, they never change flavors. Luckily, they have peanut butter, chocolate, and vanilla. I get this mix as a quarter once a week to keep as "safety stock" in our freezer. Someone did mention they get pumpkin in the late fall though...only time will tell. For that, I'll ignore the funny smell in the store (yes, a funky store smell).


• All American Frozen Yogurt: This is at the bottom of the list. I've been only a few times, as it's not the best. The flavor and texture just doesn't compare. Plus it's inside the mall, so it's funky hours and not the most accessible. It is close to the movie theaters though, so it might work out for a pre-show treat. I ought to give it a few more chances especially since the Starbucks I will work at is in a center just across from the mall. Still, I'd probably try to head out to TCBY or Sub Shop even it is more out of the way...worth it.

And there are more options in Oregon, but not as close as the above.

• YoCream: YoCream is probably the most widely distributed frozen yogurt mix to all the froyo stores. Most stores don't actually make their own yogurt, but rather get it from distributors like YoCream, Wow Cow, or Carbolite. Anyway, YoCream recently opened their own store in Portland airport PDX at Cascade Station (next door to IKEA). They opened very trendy self-serve shop. It's like a mini-yogurt heaven with 5 machines, tons of toppings, and other yummy goodies. I am also able to purchase the mix, bring it home, and put it into my Cuisinart machine. It's not the same, but it works. This probably ties for best option in all of Oregon (alongside A.C. below) that I know of at the moment. Still, I think Yumi is the best. Yumi just knows how to mix the flavors and get the best texture. However, don't pass this up if you're near PDX. It's a hip, and lively place with great froyo!


• Active Culture: Here's the kicker on this one...the owner of this shop was a former Yumi Yogurt employee down at the Santa Clara location! He was inspired and opened his own shop, trying to follow many of Yumi's methods. I really liked this place as the temperatures seem to be set right to get a great consistency. The only probably is that the flavors change only weekly, and sometimes I've gone and they had only fruity type flavors (boo--give me cookies n cream, give me graham cracker cheesecake!). And it seemed on the pricy side. All things considered, I rank this right up there with YoCream as an Oregon top option.


• Yogurt Hut: This shop is located in Ashland (Southern Oregon) and is yet another ever-so-popular self-serve option. It serves the YoCream brand, so it's pretty good. I don't think they have the temperature quite right, so it loses a few points there. Again, a bit pricey (or maybe I just don't know when to stop!). I don't get down to Ashland too often, but it's there if I travel back to CA by car or go to a play.

And for the yogurt alternatives, I'll leave out descriptions since they are froyo after all...

• Coffee: Lots of shops in Pacific NW for this tasty alternative


• Ice Shack: Shaved Ice in Grants Pass


• Homemade Baked Fruit: Better for cooler weather--apples and bananas mostly

If you are in Oregon or know of any other Oregon options, please let me know with a comment or email!

P.S. Josh says I should actually watch Dr. Strangelove

The Critic

You'll see that I have categories in my blog. One such category is titled Review. These posts will be quality time with "Heather, the critic" and surprisingly I will review something (there's a bit of sarcasm right there). This could be anything, but I'll probably review such things as books, food (i.e. restaurants, recipes, grocery items), music (mostly just a song I like at the moment), movies, etc. I'm not really critical, and usually will chose to review something I enjoy, but hey it's a review.

Today is the Heather Book Club day, so I'll review some recent reads. Before we get into the books, I want to make a call-out to my personal librarian and book-recommender, my sister. Thanks Lindz!

• Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay: I finished this just last night! I really enjoyed this book. It isn't a happy-go-lucky type book. No, not at all. It is a World War II book about the Jewish round-up in France in July 1942. They were all round up by French police into a stadium called the Vlodrome d'Hiver. I won't go more into the history because you should read the book. Moving on, it is sad overall (again, the topic), but you go into it expecting sad so with the right expectations it's easier to "take." In general, it is very well written (a different style w/ 2 voices) and great character development. A few side notes: (1) As I looked for a hyperlink for my blog, I just saw they are making this into a movie. (2) I discovered this book by asking a lady next to me at the Sacramento airport...random I know.


• And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander: This was lighter than the above, but was again historical in style. Although this is one was on the fictional side of historical fiction - like a history beach read type book. Basically the main character is about a lady that makes some striking discoveries about her husband's past. I enjoyed the wit of the character and it was a nice, quick read.


• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova: This was because I wanted a more "legitimate" vampire book that was not quite Dracula but not the teenie-bopper books. It was a very interesting take on vampires and the Dracula story. I got very wrapped up in the story. At parts it started to be somewhat repetitive, but it sort of had to be that way with the storyline. And best part, I didn't really have nightmares about vampires after reading this (although, I did dream about them).


• The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer: Okay, I admit it, I read them all. And...I LOVED them. There I said it to the world; it's out & no taking it back. A guilty indulgence. I flew right through all the books, and ended up staying up late way too many nights. The books just engulf you and suck you in (or maybe that's just me). To be honest, I am upset with all the teenie-bopper hysteria around the books. They seem more into the movie and actors than the book story. Do they really know the true Bella and Edward? I get sad because there is so much more in the book than the movie and hype. I hate those islands in the bookstore dedicated to Edward. Really? It's more like a shrine to Robert Pattinson. Geez, there are other characters too. Enough bitterness now. I just had to get that out. Anyway, you obviously get the fact that I enjoyed, and got a bit obsessed with, the book (only as I read them though).

Another review, but different topic, food. What? Trader Joe's wheat pizza dough. I made this for dinner and it was fabulous! I caramelized onions and mushrooms with balsamic vinegar. Added my roast eggplant (leftover from the lasagna from earlier), prosciutto, and goat cheese (mozzarella too of course). Delish!