On the Fifth

One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell
One Fifth Avenue tells the story of the residents living in this notorious NYC apartment. Like any good neighbors there's quite a bit of conflict but also a good neighborly feeling between them all. There's a mix of new faces and old friends as well as a mix between those with old money and new.

When I first started reading this book I wasn't a big fan. There were a lot of characters and I couldn't seem to keep them all straight. Since I could never remember the back story of the character I would be reading about, I never seemed to be able to get into it. But by the time I was about one third of the way through, I finally could tell the characters apart and I was able to finally enjoy the story.

One I got them sorted out my favorite character was Analisa Rice, a former lawyer from D.C.. She moves into the building with her husband whose recently made his wealth through a hedge fund. What I liked about Analisa is that she seemed to be able to see through the fake-ness of the New York high society. So I was a little disappointed when so quickly she seemed to disappear and become like so many of the other characters. It was a bit of a let down, but I was still in for a few surprises from her.

Another resident who I had the opposite feeling towards was Lola Fabrikant, a 20-something party girl from Atlanta. And embody that party girl persona did she, but to the point that it was a little over the top. And yet even though I found her naive and a little stupid at first, her antics started to amuse me and by the end the parts from her point of view were some that I looked forward to the missed.

Another aspect I enjoyed reading about were the bloggers. There were several actually by the books end. It's interesting to me to read a book were there are bloggers included. By the range of bloggers in a book we were able to see how blogging can lead to some awful situations, but on the other hand can make you into someone.

By the end of the book I wound up enjoying it. I wouldn't say the book was what I expected it to be, but I still had fun along the way. It definitely became a fun read, but what I enjoyed most about it were probably all of the different characters, who by the end I could easily tell apart.

~Shoshanah

Backyard Medicine

The last time the boy wound up moving the lawn (that's one of his not so assigned chores because I pretty much refuse to do it), he wound up burning his finger. I'm not really sure what happened, besides the fact that he touched a part that must have been near the engine and was hot. It luckily wasn't anything too crazy, but it still hurt.

Once he was back inside he wanted to know if I had any lotion with aloe vera in it that could maybe help the burn a little. In something of a girl fail, I didn't seem to have a single lotion that was even aloe scented. But it turns out we had something better!
Due to my mom's plant identifying skills I knew that these two cacti-looking plants were actually aloe vera plants. (Although I guess aloe is a type of cactus.) We were able to break off a leaf and use the juice to help out on his finger.
Turns out the aloe plant did its job, and the burn wound up healing without even a blister. While the aloe plant might not be as fun as our apricot tree or our fig tree, I guess its a little more useful. I might just have to throw a few steams in my bag for Florida trip at the end of the summer to sooth my sunburns!

~Shoshanah

Baking Break

For whatever reason lately I've been wanting to bake something. I liked the idea of making some type of bread, but the idea of using yeast scares me a little. So I decided to go the easy way and make a box mix. The original plan was to go with banana bread, but after the boy voiced his opinion I changed it up to blueberry bread.
The directions are quite simple when you're following a box and started with draining and rinsing the wild blueberries provided. (I'm not quite sure what makes these wild blueberries, but if I had to guess its mainly a marketing ploy.)
I then added water and oil to the mix and got ready to add an egg.
When I realized we didn't have a single egg in the refrigerator. I had only assumed that we did since we almost always have eggs in the house, but this time we were out. I did a little research on-line and discover there were a few things that could be substituted for eggs, the easiest (which we had in the house) would be milk. But I called the boy up at work to ask his advice, or if I'm being completely honest it was more to complain about the situation. After talking to him I did the normal thing, turned off the oven and headed to the grocery store to pick up a carton of eggs. Several minutes later I was back and able to add an egg to the mix!
Once mixed I gently folded in the blueberries and we were ready to headed to the preheated (for the second time) oven.
After baking for about 30 minutes and cooling for more we officially had bread. As for the taste, it wasn't amazing, after all its just a box mix. But there's still something about eating baked goods warm from the oven.
Have you ever started cooking something when you realized halfway through you were missing a vital ingredient? And I'd love to hear your suggestions for some good (and easy) bread recipes!

~Shoshanah

Mystery Fruit Revealed

Since we moved into our new house we've always known there was a fig tree and a satsuma tree. But when we talked to the old owners I remember them mentioning a third tree. Except I couldn't remember the type of fruit it was, nor which tree it was. I been anxiously awaiting to see if any other trees in the backyard with sprout fruit and we finally have a winner!
It looks like we have an apricot tree! The tree is a lot smaller than the other two, which means a lot less fruit. I'm hoping in the years to come it will keep growing to at least match its brother fruit trees, but we'll see. Right now there's only these two on the tree (along with another one that's already half eaten by birds or something).
They're not ripe yet, but hopefully they will be soon. I was temped to trying one now, but figure the waiting will be worth it. Hopefully that is the case. And hopefully when I try it I can confirm these actually are apricots. I mean they're fuzzy, and they look to be the right size, so what else could they be?

Since I've already exhausted questions regarding what type of fruit you'd like to grow, let me know if you truly think this is an apricot tree. (And please say that I'm right!) Or if you really want, tell me what fruit you'd grow yet again!

~Shoshanah

Would You Like Salt With That?

Salt
The first time I saw a preview for the movie I was a little disappointed that it seemed to give away the plot completely for this movie. Luckily I found that not to be the case. Salt tells the story of Evelyn Salt a CIA agent who may, or may not, be a Russian spy.

I wasn't really looking forward to seeing the movie, so in a way it did exceed my expectations. The movies was filled was twists and turns, whenever it seemed we had finally figured out the truth something else would change a few scenes later. But even with all these plot twists the movie was still fairly easy to follow.

There are a lot of good action scenes and chase scenes, and overall it really wasn't as bad as I predicted. It's a fun movie that has its moments. You could definitely do worse than this movie, but on the other hand it isn't anywhere near the best movie currently in theaters.

~Shoshanah

Fro-yo Fix

Last night after sushi at Geisha, we decided to stop next door for frozen yogurt at Yogen Fruz. (And when I saw "we" I really mean I since the boys hates almost all sweets. Instead he was a few storefronts down trying samples of hot sauce and alligator at the Beef Jerky Outlet. I guess he had his dessert of sorts.)

The concept at Yogen Fruz is to take blocks of frozen yogurt and blend it with frozen fruits. They also have a few syrups like mint that you can blend with as well. Then they have a few fun toppings (aka chocolate, granola, cereals) to sprinkle on top.

I decided to go with mango and kiwi blended with low-fat vanilla and top it with white chocolate shavings. I was actually a little disappointed with the lack of color. The people in front of me blended with raspberries and strawberries and theirs was a nice pretty pink.

I can't compare this to Pinkberry since I still haven't been (there aren't any in Baton Rouge, and I've never taken the time to go while I've been in California), but I think it could compare favorably. It wound up being a nice satisfying dessert, that even makes you feel a little good about yourself because its almost healthy. I wouldn't list it as my all time favorite dessert, but I'd definitely be willing to try it again. And next time I'll be sure to pick flavors that make a prettier color. Maybe chocolate fro-yo blended with raspberries? I'm getting hungry already!

~Shoshanah

Theater Thursday

I decided to change things up a bit and participate in Crazy Shenanigans' Theater Thursday. Instead of posting a review of a movie that's currently in theaters I'm posting a review of one that's on dvd (and has been for a long while). This week I'm talking about...

A Little Princess
I still remember when this was released in theaters in 5th grade. Not because I saw it, but two of my closest friends did. I even remember when it was released in theaters in hopes it would do better and a pretty abysmal opening (that's actually what this poster is from). But even then I didn't see the movie. It was only when it was released on VHS that I finally saw it and fell in love.

A Little Princess is the movie version of Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Little Princess. Growing up I love the book version, the Shirley Temple version, and even the her book Sara Crew or What Happened at Miss Minchin's which is a shorter version was actually published before The Little Princess. So it was really no surprise that I loved this version too. The movie did take a few liberties from the book by moving it to NYC, changing the time period slightly, and changing the ending.

This is one of the first movies that I remember crying while watching. Even know watching the end with Sara and her father I can't hold back the tears. Even though I have this movie practically memorized and know exactly how its going to end I can't help it.

As silly as it may sound considering I'm in my mid-20s this children's movie is still one of my all time favorites. Whenever I find it on TV I'm sucked in to watching it, even though I own at least 2 copies of it. I can't wait to be able to share it with my future daughters someday, if only so I have an excuse to watch it again myself!

Anyone else love this movie? Or are there movies from your childhood that you still consider to be one of your all time favorites?

~Shoshanah

Playing Four Square

No I'm not talking about the playground game (but I was a big fan in fifth grade), but the social media service. In case you hasn't seen foursquare its a social media devise where you can check in at places to tell your friends where you are and what your doing.

In theory I like the idea behind it. I think it's great for somewhere like NYC, where so many places are so close together. I like the idea that you could be somewhere and find out your friend is right next door so you're able to meet up. We've all had those chance encounters where we've run into a friend randomly, and by using foursquare you have the ability to meet up with your friends for a minute or two when your already close by. I mean let's imagine your on a you're trying to meet up with friends on a bar crawl. Instead of having to meet them at the very start you could know exactly where they are midway through the night and meet them even if they change their mind on where they want to go.

While I do see the pros of it, I think I in some ways the cons outweigh it. I just think overall it feels sketchy. And it almost send an open invitation for people to stalk you. I do get that you can make your actions private. But if they're completely private you can't really "network" using it. I also think I'm already on-line so many others places already (the blog, facebook, twitter, flickr, and I still have my myspace although its rarely used. Come to think of it I had a friendster account back in the day to), but do I really need somewhere else where people can find me?

So tell me, do you foursquare? Is so why do your do it? Or on the other hand why are you not on foursquare? And should I stop worrying about the sketchiness of it all and just join foursquare?

~Shoshanah

Inception of the Sorcerer's Predators

Predators
I had never seen any type of Predators movie and was quite content keeping that streak alive. And yet somehow I wound up seeing this movie. Clearly it wasn't my choice.

Before we saw the movie the boy gave me a quick recap of series. Basically the Predator alien love to hunt, and its not so much about reaching the target but the game of it. So the movie wasn't bad for the type of the movie it was. According to the boy it's the best Predator movie after the first. Topher Grace was the highlight of the movie for me, but even he wasn't enough for me to really enjoy it.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice
I'm a little surprised at how poorly this movie has done considering how enjoyable the movie was. The movie is basically "inspired" by the Sorcerer's Apprentice scene in Fantasia. When I saw inspired I mean, they wanted to turn that scene into a live action and somewhat were able to create a movie that it somewhat "fit" into. But the big scene was a lot of fun, and as expected one of the high points of the movie.

Overall I think fun is the best way to sum up this movie. They tried to throw in an interesting back story with Merlin, and there's a bit of a romantic story. But overall I think its hard to turn something so small as a single Mickey short into a full length Disney movie. I wouldn't call it the best film of the summer, but it's definitely the type of movie to watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Inception
Believe the hype with the one. It really is as good as everyone is saying. In the simplest terms possible it's about being able to escape into the dream world. But really its so much more than that. It makes you question what real and what's an illusion in your current life. And then there's the ending! You're going to want to see this mainly so you can question the ending with everyone else. (As for me, I like to say it has a happy ending.)

What I was surprised to see was the wide range of demographics in the theater itself. There were groups of guys and groups of girls, older couples, as well as high school students. That's actually a good way to describe the movie since it had something for everyone. There was some romance, good action scenes, as well as the fact that it really makes you think. Like I said, its definitely worth it, and I wouldn't be surprised if people are still talking about it come awards season.

So in case you couldn't tell during my reviews, I'd say skip Predators, wait for dvd on The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and go see Inception now.

~Shoshanah

Getting to Know All About You

I've done it once before, and this week I'm back participating in Manland5' Getting to Know you!

1. If you had to choose a country to live in besides USA (or the country you live in), which would it be?
I would say in a villa in the French or Italian countryside. Pretty much a place where I could do nothing all day but read and eat good food.

2. Which would be worse, wearing flip flops in the snow or wearing gloves in the summer?
I'm pretty sure I've worn flip flops in the snow before, so I would have to say wearing gloves in the summer would be worse.

3. Fried or Bake and why?
As unhealthy as it make sound probably fried. But if we're talking about baked goods like cake and cookies, I would probably choose them over most fried foods.

4. If you were an entertainment reporter, which celeb would you love to interview and why?
Since I just finished rereading the Twilight books and I'm still in a Twilight mood, I'd have to say Robert Pattinson.

5. What was your favorite book as a preteen/teenager?
The Betsy-Tacy Series.

6. List your top 3 guilty pleasure television shows.
Teen Mom/16 & Pregnant, Real Housewives of NYC/NJ (and I'm sure D.C. to come), Jon & Kate Plus 8.

7. What bumper sticker slogan best describes you/your attitude/your life?
I'd love to say "Don't Worry, Be Happy," but in a way that's more of a goal for my life and not necessarily the way it actually is.

8. If you were to join a circus - what performer would you be?
I would say a trapeze artist. Not that I'd be any good at in the real life, but this is supposed to be imaginary right? And I think doing the trapeze would be the most fun.

~Shoshanah

Roast in the Pot

Last week the boy and I decided to buy our first crockpot. We of course had to put it to use as soon as possible, so this past Sunday we decided to make pot roast one of his favorites.

To start with early Sunday morning we browned the outside of the meat. (At least it was early considering it was a Sunday.) He also stuffed a few garlic cloves in the meat which you can see in the picture.

Then we added the meat to the pot along with some potatoes, carrots, and celery.

We also added a can of coke, a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, water, more garlic cloves, and various spices. (I believe just salt, pepper, and onion powder but it might have been more.
We let it cook for 8 hours and it was done! Although we probably did add a little too much water, and it boiled over slightly. But if wasn't anything too crazy.
Even with our minor disaster it wound up tasting really good. One of the bests parts was how easy it was to make! Of course there's the fact you do have to plan 8 hours or so in advance, but as long as you plan ahead that's not a problem

Now that we have a crockpot I need some good ideas for recipes we should try. I know you have your favorites, so let me know!

~Shoshanah

Callin Baton Rouge

Last week I posted a few songs that reminded me of California. So its only fitting that this week I post a few songs that remind me of my new home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Callin Baton Rouge by Garth Brooks
This song was actually on the first cassette tape I ever bought (Garth Brooks' In Pieces). I guess it was a sign that I was going to end up in Louisiana someday. I was actually confused back then as to why he called the girl both Samantha and Baton Rouge. Yes, I thought Baton Rouge was somehow the girl's name.

Louisiana Saturday Night
No this is not the original which I believe was done by Mel McDaniel. But I found this version while searching for a video, and its Keith Urban so I wanted to share. The song was almost definitely performed in Louisiana on a Sunday night, so the lyrics are changed up a bit.

Down at the Twist and Shout by Mary Chapin CarpenterThis is another one that I remember listening too while I was growing up. But its only been recently that I've started listening to the lyrics, and now I actually know what she's talking about throughout the song.

Eye of the Tiger
No I realize this isn't a song most people associate with Louisiana. But if you've ever been to an LSU football game, you'd understand. I figured this would be a fun video of the song to share, because it shows Mike the Tiger out on the football field. And I don't mean some person dressed up in a tiger suit. But an actual live tiger on the field. I'm pretty sure LSU is the only college that has an actual tiger actually living on campus.

I know there's a lot of other songs out that that remind people of Louisiana. Since last week we shared songs that reminded you of your hometown, how about this week we share songs that remind you of Louisiana, or just a certain song that reminds you of some place specifically when you listen to is.

~Shoshanah

Getting Figgy With It

The time has come and the figs in the backyard are finally ripe. I didn't remember liking figs previously, but since I had so many growing in my backyard I had to try them. So this past weekend I settled down with Breaking Dawn and a few figs to try (as well as some other snacks just in case).
Turns out I like figs. Or at least I like fig fresh picked from my backyard. (I have a feeling store bought figs don't quite taste the same.) It's a good thing I love them because we have tons.
I probably ate 15 or so just over the weekend. And the boy's parents stopped by and grabbed a bagful for themselves. If I had to guess there's probably 20 or so ripe figs still on the tree, but twice as many that are still green. Looks like I'll have figs to snack on for a while now!
Anyone else a fan of figs? Or have any ideas of good ways to use the figs that doesn't involve me eating them straight off the tree?

~Shoshanah

Don't Be Despicable

Despicable Me
When I first started seeing previews for this movie I didn't really want to see it. But as more previews came out my feelings started to change. I think when I realized that this wasn't just some type of superhero movie is what really triggered the change. I'm glad I had the change of heart because I did enjoy the movie, despite my initial hesitations of the previews.

The movies tells the story of a supervillain (voiced by Steve Carrel) who wants to be the world's greatest supervillain. His evil plot is to steal the moon! (All you need to do to unearth this is to pay attention to the previews. I do try to avoid spoilers, but if the previews already give it away I don't quite consider myself ruining anything.) The movie changes course a bit with the introduction of 3 little girls the Gru becomes responsible for. (Now how he acquires these girls isn't in the previews, and it a fun bit during the movie.)

The movie had its fair share of evil villain tricks and some cute "aww" moments with the girls. There's all types of funny gags with the minions for the kids, and even a few one liners thrown in for the adults in the audience.

Besides the story, the way they used the 3-D in the film was a lot of fun. When they ride the roller coaster in the film it makes you feel as if you on an actual ride. It's actually a similar film to the type of ride you see at theme parks where they make you feel like you're moving with only mild jerks to your seat. And if you've ever tried to reach out and touch the screen during a 3-D movie you have to be sure to stay for at the the start of the credits.

I would say its definitely a movie that's not only worth seeing, but is easily worth paying the difference to see it in 3-D.

~Shoshanah

Bathing Beauties

I wasn't sure if I was going to be taking any type of vacation this summer. But know that we're in July, vacation plans for the end of the summer have been finalized. And we're off the the beach! Destin, Florida to be more precise. We weren't sure if we were going to go to Florida still after all the oil, but after talking to several people who have been to Florida already this summer its game on.

Now that I know we're off to the beach, comes the important stuff. What I mean is decided on a new bathing suit. It's been 3 years since I bought a new bathing suit, which seems like too long for me. Maybe its my California girl creeping out, but I feel its completely normal too buy a new bathing suit every single summer. Anyone else with me?

I almost always buy my bathing suits from Victoria's Secret (and all images below are from their website). So let me know which one you think I should go with!
If I got this one I'd probably go with the blue version. I really like it, but I'm not sure how the sequins would actually hold up with sand and water. This one might really only work for laying out in the sun only.
I like this one since its simple, and should easily fit considering the top is sized with a bra cup. But my fear is that it looks a little too much like a bra, and not enough like a bathing suit.
I like the circle design on this one. But there's nothing specific I can point out as to why I dislike, but neither is there anything I absolutely love about it.
I've actually loved this one for years. Every year they sell this one, and every year its on clearance at the end of the summer. I guess what worries me is the fact that they can't get rid of it. If no one else seems to like it, then it seems like a risky choice to make.
I love this one, but no only do I love it, it has a ridiculously low sale price. But the reason its so cheap is because the bottoms are sold out. But I could always go with the top and try to find a bottom in a similar color.
Another one with a ridiculously low sale price. While this one had bottoms available in about 4 different styles, none of these styles matched the 5 or so styles from the top. I could try to pull off a top and bottom in completely different colors or patterns, but I'm not sure I could get it to come together.

So, which one do you think I decided on? And which one would you choose?

~Shoshanah

More Shoe Addicts

Secrets of a Shoe Addict by Beth Harbison
After I read Beth Harbison's book Shoe Addicts Anonymous I knew I had to read the sequel, its just taken me a while to make that happen. (Fun Fact: Shoe Addicts Anonymous was actually the last book I read before I started writing all my book reviews on-line!)

Reading the back of the book, I wasn't sure if this was actually a sequel. It didn't seem to be about the same girls as the first, and none of these girls seemed to be shoe addicts. So I was pleasantly surprised to discover the title refers to Sandra Vanderslice, one of the original members of Shoe Addicts Anonymous. Sandra confesses secrets of her past to her sister and two of her sister's friends, in order to help them fix the mess of their lives after a weekend in Vegas. Funny enough the problems caused by the Vegas weekend, aren't quite what you'd expect.

I read this book really quickly, and think its the perfect summer read. The books tries for some substance dealing with the marriages and children of a lot of the girls, but I would still classify it as a light and fluffy book. Definitely the type of book you'd want to take with you to a day on the beach!

~Shoshanah

Mayan Harvest Bake

Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake
I've spend months looking for this meal so I could try it. And last week I finally laid eyes on it. I was so excited that I was finally going to be able to buy one. So did it live up to expectations?

One thousand times yes! It was even better than I had hoped for. I knew it was going to turn out well when I could smell the dish cooking in the microwave. I mean microwavable food doesn't normally have incredible smells. The last step on the directions said to leave it in the microwave so it could finish cooking, which I did but was a bit torturous.

When I was finally able to take a bite, well... It had a nice sweetness to it at first, but after wards there was a nice kick from the "spicy ancho sauce." The sweet potatoes (which I sillily thought were carrots while eating) had the perfect texture, and there was a nice little crunch from the pumpkin seeds. Then there were the plantains, which were kind of the cherry on top.

I was a little afraid parts of it were going to be burnt. But the cooking directions were pretty spot on. The only think I would maybe change would be mixing it a little before I started eating. I was about half way through when I realized I had far more grains (pilaf, amaranth, & polenta from the packaging) than the sauce. But I mixed it up at that point, I it worked out fine. Now hopefully I can find this again so I can stock up several in my freezer.

This post is no way sponsored. I paid for the meal, and decided to write this point mainly on my own, mainly so I could remember what I liked and what to buy next time. Although if Kashi wants to send me a few off these let me know! Or I'd settles for stocking them at my local market!

~Shoshanah

California Gurls

I've really been loving the new Katy Perry song. Of course the fact that its called California Gurls makes it almost impossible for me not to love. Since I grew up in California I have a soft spot for any some that reminds me of home. So I figured I'd share a few of the songs that remind me of home.

First there's the original California Girls by The Beach Boys

And who could forget the classic California Dreaming by The Mamas & The Papas

Getting a little more modern with California Love by 2Pac

And a little bit closer to my actual home, I love L.A. by Randy Newman

Not only can I find songs about California in general, and even Los Angeles, there's a few songs that remind me of my home town of Long Beach specifically.

We have Snoop Dogg's Gin & Juice, which starts with that classic line "With so much drama in the L.B.C." Yes, that's me, lots of drama!

And who could forget Sublime. I thought about going with Doin' Time, since I'm clearly "well-qualified to represent the L.B.C." But I went with April 1992, since one the addresses listed in the police background tape is only a few blocks from the house I grew up in.
I hope you guys have enjoyed this little musical tribute to home state and hometown. Do you have a favorite song (or two) that reminds you of home?

~Shoshanah

The Last Eclipse

The Last Airbender
After hearing the reviews I was a little skeptical going into this movie. While it might not have been as bad as a lot of the reviews, it still didn't live up to the previews.

To start off wit the good, it was visually stunning, and this was in 2-D. We try avoid seeing 3-D movies, when they aren't filmed in 3-D and the effect is added afterwards. I also really liked Nicola Peltz, the young actress who played Katara, the last waterbender from her tribe.

But as for the actual movie? The first half was really slow, and felt the need to spell out every detail instead of letting the audience figure is out on its own. Most of the fighting scenes weren't that great, and looked a little stupid.

The movie was clearly designed to be part of a series. But any sequels? While I know there were a few loose ends hanging by the end, I still don't have an incredible desire to see the next. It was definitely a movie with a lot of potential, but it didn't quite get there.

Eclipse
I loved the original Twilight film, even though I can admit it was a bit cheesy at parts. So it wasn't really a question about whether I would like this, but more of how much I would like it. It is my favorite movie far, but I also think the books get better throughout, so the idea that the movies do the same makes sense.

I think like everyone else I was looking forward to the tent scene. It was a little worried at how they would do it, since so much of the scene takes place in Jacob's thoughts. But I do think they were able to pull it off. The only complaint I have is that I seemed to spend the whole movie waiting for that one part. And when it finally happened it was a little disappointing to think that the movie was almost over. Part of me know wants to see the movie again, so I can enjoy it all as it happens.

A lot of times seeing the movie after the book I get frustrated over small details that get changed. Except its been almost two years since the only time I've read the books, which I do think helped. Although I did just finished reading The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, and there were a few minor details from the Voltorri confrontation in the book, that I wished had been in the movie. I'm sure if Eclipse the book was fresh in my mind, there would have been quite a bit more small details that bothered me.

The movie definitely made me want to reread the series. Which I'm in the middle of doing; I just started New Moon. And part of me wants to sit down and rewatch the movies as well. I do have Twilight on dvd, but this might be the time to buy New Moon as well. And in case you couldn't figure out which of the two movies I'd recommend, I hope this helps... Go Team Edward!

~Shoshanah

4th Recap on the 5th

I hope everyone had a Happy 4th of July with lots of fun and of course, lots of food. At least that's how ours turned out.

The boy used our smoker to smoke a pork shoulder for pulled pork.
Whereas I contributed a few side dishes. I went with bruschetta, as well as a few slices with store bought olive tapenade and feta.And also made a potato salad.For dessert I went with some lemon bars. I realize this isn't quite the traditional berry dish, but for whatever reason I've been craving lemon bars lately. I found the recipe online, and they were ridiculously easy to make as well as ridiculously delicious.After we ate all the food we even had time to light off some fireworks over at the boy's parents' house.
It wound up being a nice relaxing day overall, and I hope yours was as well!

~Shoshanah

Book Blogger Appriciation Week

I know there's a lot more than book on From L.A. to LA. But even so my entries about books do make up a good portion of the site. After my small redesign a few ago, its easy to quickly find all my book entries. With that said, I think there's more than enough book-y posts for this site to qualify as a book blog. Hence the reason I'm registering myself for Book Blogger Appreciation Week! I'm hoping these links are able to give the feel for the books of From L.A. to LA. I hope you all enjoy!

Niche Category: Best Historical Fiction Book Blog
Juana the Mad
The King's Bastard Grace
Professor Plum in the Library with the Rope
Show Us Your Life: Children's Books
The Spanish Bridegroom

~Shoshanah

Down on the Farm

Yes, I play Farmville. I know a lot of people have moved on and are over it, and I know how annoying it is when Farmville posts take up your whole newsfeed. But I can't stop.

Now that we've established that I'm a bit obsessed, this past week was Farmville's first anniversary. One of the ways they celebrated was by having a limited time crop of cupcakes. (Here's my farm all ready to harvest the desserts!)
Now I know you can't grow cupcakes in real life. But imagine if you could! I would definitely have a crop of cupcakes growing in my backyard! I wonder if you'd be able to specialize and grow different types of cupcakes. Oh the possibilities!

What food do you wish you could grow in your backyard? (Real or imaginary) And please tell me I'm not the only one still playing Farmville?

~Shoshanah