Enchiladas

Amy's Enchilada
Let me start out by saying that I don't normally like enchilada's, which meant I was a little hesitant to buy this. But the reason I don't like them is because they are normally far too cheesy for me, and I'm just not big on melted cheese. But since the box says vegan and non-dairy I thought I might be safe. I was a little worried there would be some fake cheese substitute thing, but luckily this was not the case!

This meant the actual enchilada was packed for of just vegetables (and probably tofu as well), but no actual cheese. The sauce that topped it off was really good, and left a little kick at the end. I think my favorite part might have been the rice though. The flavors in the rice just really seemed to work.

The only thing I was a little disappointed with were the beans. I heated it for 5 minutes like the directions said. You can kind of tell from the picture that the beans got heated a little too much. They still tasted fine, but weren't amazing. Of course the instructions do say to use heating times as a guideline, and that they may very per microwave. Maybe that means I should be microwaving my food slightly less. I know I've had this problem at least once before.

One final thing I did like about this it that is was a whole meal (yes, it actually says whole meal on the box). I'm pretty sure Amy's sell its enchilada's two ways. One as a meal with rice and beans (aka what I bought). The second with two enchiladas and no sides. If you planning on eating by yourself I'd say whole meal is the way to go.

~Shoshanah

HP & The HBP: The Review

I know I'm normally pretty good about avoiding all spoilers in my reviews, but this is Harry Potter. My thought process is if you really care about avoiding any type of spoiler, then you probably should have read the book by now.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
I didn't like the last HP movie, Order of the Phoenix very much. Mainly because it seemed to be more of a highlight reel of the book. There wasn't really a cohesive movie in there. Since I had read the book I knew what was happening, but I'm sure if you hadn't read the book you would have no idea what was going on.

This book took the exact opposite approach. Which means that the two only a few main plot lines and expanded them into a movie. This time if you haven't read the books you would at least be able to follow along with what was happening. But having read the books, there is SO much missing. So much vital information the will really be necessary to make sense of the 7th movie. For example, almost all of the pensive Tom Riddle scenes are gone. This is actually something I would have really liked to have seen. The parts with his mother's family, and the scenes of him starting to collect items for the horcruxes.

And the horcruxes themselves? At the end of the movie Dumbledore does tell Harry there are 7 horcruxes, but never goes into what they might be. Since this is so important to know in the 7th book, I'm not sure how they will explain this. Although they do have two movies to fill (yeah!).

One thing that bothered the boy was Snape and Harry confrontation at the end. In the book Snape seems to be trying to help him. Trying to give him advice almost. In the movie he just seemed to be evil.

Also, Dumbledore's "Please," didn't sound the way I expected it too. Although I do think the way he said it fit pretty perfectly.

And the house elves (Dobby & Krecher), weren't there. They didn't have a very part in this one, but they both have pretty big parts in the next. Hopefully they don't get cut out of the final movie(s) as well.

Despite all the criticisms I voiced above, I really did love the movie. I think it might actually be one of my favorite ones. And well, I can't wait for the next one!

Moving past the actual movie to the movie going experience. All 15 auditoriums at the theater we went to were sold out, which is how it was most places. Luckily since it was Baton Rouge we were able to buy our tickets earlier that day. They were letting people sit in whichever theater they wanted. Which means when we arrived just after 11 it was hard to find a good seat. We wound up one of the smallest theater in the 3rd row from the very front.

Then I had to amazing idea to go to the concession stand. Mainly because it was midnight, and I needed caffeine. The entire lobby was FULL of people waiting in line to buy food. After 40 minutes I finally got to the front where they told me they were out of almost all drinks. The only thing they still had left was bottle water, which was slightly warm because they couldn't keep the fridges stocked. I figured I wanted my 40 minutes of waiting to be worth something, so I bought my $5 bottle of water and candy.

Now we live around 2 minutes from this theater. But since all 15 screens let out at approximately the same time into the same small parking lot, well we didn't quite get home that quickly. Let's see, the movie ended at 2:30am, we got home around 3:15. But even having to deal with all of this hassle, it was still SO worth it!

~Shoshanah

HP & the HBP Tonight

I'm posting a little late tonight. Mainly because when I got home from work I figured a nap was in order so I would be fully awake to see Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince tonight. So I figured in honor I would post a little about my Harry Potter history.

The funny thing is I "discover" Harry Potter before it really became mainstream. I remember being in a bookstore around when I was in 8th or 9th grade (aka around '98). (It was a Border's if you're really that curious.) I was in the children/teen/young adult section looking for something to new too read. (Even back then I was reading constantly.) I saw I book that really only jumped out at me due to the cover. Of course this was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I picked it up skimmed the inside cover, and decided the book didn't sound nearly as exciting as the cover made it look so I put it back.

I kept exploring, and eventually my mom found me and told me to make my final selections. Along with the books I wanted, I figured I'd show her the fun book cover I found. She read the insides and said something along the lines of, "I'm sure your brother would love this!" I was a little surprised since I didn't think it sounded that amazing, but if she thought so.

Secretly I was hoping a little inside that my brother wouldn't like the books that much, and that I would have been right. Clearly that wasn't the case. My brother, like everyone else LOVED them. This must have been around the holiday, because I remember driving down to my grandparents house and my brother reading various aspects of the book. I specifically remember him reading several scenes at the Dursley's. Since he loved them so much, I figured I should probably read them as well. And not long afterwards the rest of the world followed! I'm glad I was such a trendsetter. (OK, maybe I wasn't the FIRST person to get in Harry Potter, but I was least one of the first right?)

~Shoshanah

I Love You Bruno

So this entry will probably be a little short. Mainly because I wasn't paying attention to the time and The Bachelorette is starting in about 10 minutes. Luckily, there isn't a crazy amount I want to say about either of these movies so it shouldn't be too bad.

Bruno
Please know what you are getting into when you see this movie. Do not be like the people who left within the first 5 minutes of the movie in the middle of the first gay... love scene. (Yes, there is a word that would have worked slightly better there.) If you are easily offended you probably will be offended. And know that there will be a lot of nudity. The majority of it male, but some female as well.

If you have seen Borat you have a pretty good idea what you're getting into. I don't think its a good as Borat. I think part of that is that there isn't as much novelty. We know what to expect, and know that all the skits are 100% real. It is still funny, and if you liked the first you will probably be amused as well. Overall, I'd say my favorite part is the celebrity sung song at the very end.

I Love You Beth Cooper
No, this movie wasn't that offensive, but it wasn't very good either. There were a few scenes that worked, and were almost good. But overall the movie just wasn't very good. I actually asked the boy if we could live halfway through the movie. I wasn't completely serious because I love the theater atmosphere, but it was bad enough that I said it.

I'm hoping for Hayden Panettiere's sake she made this a WHILE ago. Back when she was acting in the Bring it on sequels. I think she better than this now. Although she hasn't really been in many movies, so maybe this is the best they're offering her. If so, yuck! I'd tell her to stick to tv acting.

There were several 12-year-old boys in the audience who seemed to think it was hilarious. So if you're a 12-year-old boy you might love it. I would say if you really want to go to a movie, skip these two, wait till tomorrow night and go see Harry Potter!

~Shoshanah

Chicken and Eggplant

Last night I decided to go all out and make dinner. I found some recipes that I thought looked interesting, and of course the Boy shot them down. So I took out the multitude of cookbooks I have to see if we could agree on something. He winds up finding the main course, and I found the side dish in a different cookbook. Then we headed of to Fresh Market to pick up groceries. (Since we have no Trader Joe's here, this has quickly become my favorite grocery store.) I was steered away from the giant cupcakes. (They were huge! Some topped with jelly beans, others topped with small silver balls. Unfortunately, they were not quite allowed in the cart. But I'll move on, eventually.) Even without the cupcakes we still spent far too much. And now, without further adieu...

Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Sage Pesto
Taken from Nancy Silverton's A Twist of the wrist, a cookbook my parents bought and had signed for me. 1. Rub canola oil on both sides of the chicken breasts and pound till approximately 1/2 thick, and has doubled in size.
2. Press 3 sage leaves onto the skinned side of each chicken beast and wrap one prosciutto slice around. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
3. Heat canola oil in large skillet. When the oil's almost smoking press two chicken breasts into the skillet sage side down and sear for two minutes

I failed a little as this part. Because every time I would try to set the chicken breast down nicely I would feel the oil splattering my hand. So I would freak out and drop the rest of the chicken breast, which only made the oil splash EVERYWHERE. Onto the stove, the ground, even the burned itself which made quite a pretty/scary flame. But getting back to the recipe.

4. Flip the chicken breasts and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove chicken breasts and set on plate. Repeat with remaining breasts.

The is the part where we altered with recipe a little. At this point to mix sage pesto and vegetable broth on the stove and let it reduce into a sauce. Then top the whole thing with lemon infused olive oil. The Boy saw vegetable and freaked out. So instead we just heated up the store bought pesto and mixed it up the lemon infused olive oil. Which was only olive oil that we'd mixed with lemon zest.

The recipe says to serve over a bed of mixed greens. But again The Boy nixed that. Instead we made some penne pasta and served the chicken over that. Since we were taking the vegetables out of the main dish I figured with need at least some time of veggie on the side.

Mediterranean Eggplant
From The Little Black Apron, yet another cookbook my parents bought and got signed for me. Before I start with the recipe, the eggplant itself is from The Boy's parents' garden. I'm not sure what kind of eggplant this actually is. Japanese eggplant, maybe? Either way, I felt the need to actually use it before it went bad.

1. Heat the oven to 400*F.
2. Cut eggplant into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices and place on baking sheet.
3. In a bowl combine 1 tbls olive oil, juice of half a lemon (the same lemon we used for the lemon zest above), and 1/4 teas cumin.
4. Brush both sides of eggplant with the juice mixture and season both sides with salt and pepper.
6. Roast until tender. Sprinkle feta over each slice and cook for two minutes longer until the feta starts to melt.
7. Remove from oven and scatter with chopped mint.

Overall, I was impressed with how I got everything to finish at around the same time. The Boy helped a little, mainly with pounding and wrapping the chicken. But I did most of it. Things did get a little hectic when the smoke alarm started going off at the same time the water for the pasta started boiling over. And there was all the oil spillage I mentioned earlier, but other than that no major problems. On of this first chicken breasts I cooked was a little raw on the inside. I made sure the heat the rest a lot longer. It wasn't a big deal though, because the Boy decided we needed leftovers and bought 8 chicken breasts for the 2 of us. So yes, there are leftovers.

The chicken itself was really good, but I'm not too sure about the pesto sauce we brought. I think I might have enjoyed it more over lettuces, but the pasta turned out well. My favorite thing about the eggplant was probably the feta (surprise surprise). But I didn't really like the cumin flavor. Not sure if I added too much or if it just didn't mesh well. Next time though I would probably add less cumin or maybe take it out altogether.

I think though I am impressed with the way it all turned. And of course, one picture of my plate to see how it all turned out. Anyone else have any exciting meals over the weekend?

Indian Vegetable Korma

Amy's Indian Vegetable Korma
Yes, I had Indian food last week. But I haven't had Amy's a good while so I figured it evens out. Now taken directly from the box:

"Made with organic vegetables and rice. Curried vegetables with rice & dal."

Not sure what dal is? Well neither did I. Turns out from the back of the box its the Indian word for lentils. And I know what lentils are! Honestly, I had forgotten how much I love Amy's product. It was so good, the whole time I was trying to eat slowly so it would last longer.

Starting with the rice. It had kind of a lemony flavor, and it was the pretty temperature and texture. But the rice for probably my least favorite part. Not because it was bad, but because the other parts we so good. The curried vegetables were really good. Pieces of potatoes, peas, and carrots. All perfectly soft. And then there were the lentils which were also really good. They actually had a few raisins mixed in with them which was a pleasant surprise.

What I loved about this product was that it felt like an actual meal. It gave me a variety of thing to eat. And made me realize I need to start buying more Amy's products again!

And for dessert? Well its been a while since I've had one of these!
Betty Crocker Mini Warm Delight in Molten Caramel Cake
And the caramel sauce? I was aiming to make a heart. Clearly a fail there. Even with the lack of a heart, still really yummy.

~Shoshanah

7 and 7

Amber at Girl With the Red Hair sent me this award!
I'm not really sure what the same of it is. The image is called premio meme award, and if you look really closely the award itself say Meme blog 2009 award. So I guess I will officially call it Premium MEME 2009 Award.

Let's begin. The rules of the Premium MEME 2009 Award are as followed:

"To accept this award, the recipient must list 7 traits about myself and then pass the award onto 7 other bloggers who deserve recognition for the personality they share through their blog."

And we're off.

1. I have a ginormous sweet tooth. If I could I would love off candy 100%. This means of course I waste far to much money at the movie theater.
2. Continue with number 1, I love Little Debbie snack cakes. My favorite are zebra cakes, although I love buying the holiday themed ones. The 4th of July ones of probably my favorite, although silly me forgot to buy any thing year.
3. I don't really enjoy shopping. I think part of it is because I don't like spending money. I think part of it is because I don't think I have any fashion sense and want someone to tell me what looks good or not.
4. I am always smiling. And no, this is not necessarily a good thing. Its not good when someone dies, and you have to turn away because you literally can't get the smile off of your face.
5. I am obsessed with bad reality television. Anybody else planning and watching 16 and Pregnant tonight?
6. Going back to number 1, my favorite candies are normally fruity, sour, and chewy. My all time favorite would be Zours.
7. If I could the only shoes I would wear would be flip-flops and Uggs.

I'm not actually sure how much the list above is classified as "traits." I'm thinking it might be more correct to have listed things as, procrastinator, sweet tooth, easily excited, and so on. But it looks as if this is what other people are doing, so who am I to argue? And of course the 7 bloggers whose personality deserves recognition

1. Amber at A Little Pink in the Cornfields
2. Carissa at the lovely dove
3. CeeCee at Pin-Up Paper Rockstars
4. Jennifer at Crazy Shenanigans
5. KAC at A Boston Belle
6. Karie at Wife of a Wounded Marine
7. Lacey at Perks of Being a JAP

~Shoshanah