Got the Cooking Bug...

I've been cooking a lot lately - lots of new things. Here are a couple highlights:

My first attempt at risotto...
This involved lots of stirring, my goodness. Surprisingly, it came out looking nice and creamy, like they show it on T.V. Taste? It was okay. Maybe it was the recipe I followed? Or maybe it's because it really shouldn't be eaten by itself. Yeah, I forgot to make something to go with it. You know, all the stirring was a little distracting. Oh well. At least I can say that I've made it once.

Peanut sauce - without peanuts...
My brothers have been telling me that I'm missing out because I can't eat satay. (I'm allergic to peanuts, so I can't have the peanut sauce.) My siblings and one of my cousins have been telling me for years (literally) to find a recipe and make it with almond butter instead of peanut butter. Problem was (I told myself), I wouldn't know if it was a good recipe because I've never had peanut sauce before. Well, I finally saw this recipe that looked good on T.V. and decided to try it. What I didn't do was write the recipe down. So a couple days after I saw the show, I went out, bought the ingredients (What ingredients, you ask? The ones on the list I had in my head...), and made the sauce. Turned out really good! But when I looked up the recipe, it was waaaay off. So essentially, I created a sauce that I liked. Mixed it up with some noodles and veggies, and found myself a new favorite recipe! Now to apply this sauce to other recipes...

Conclusion: I'm making satay tonight! Whooohooo!! No Laker game, so I've got the time to experiment! We'll see how the chicken turns out. :)

Giant Cheetos

I love Cheetos. And now they have GIANT Cheetos! I got a bag to try them out. The little kids loved them because it's the snack that never ends! My nephew ate them like we would eat apples. :)

They're giant cheese balls, and I do suggest you try them. BUT I will warn you that the bottom of the bag could be really oily. Kinda gross, really. But if you avoid that, you'll be all good! You can try them in their original cheese as well as their crazy hot flavor (flamin' something...).

Lollipops minus the stick

Have you ever eaten a lollipop and then had nowhere to throw away the stick? (Litterbugs - it is NOT okay to throw your sticks on the ground!)

Well, if you like Tootsie Pops and Blow Pops, consider your problem solved! Tootsie Pop Drops and Blow Pop Drops are your solution.

For those of you who like Jolly Rancher lollipops, you'll have to revert back to the old school Jolly Ranchers. I know they're not new, but they'll solve your problem.

Pedialyte

Poor kids who have to drink Pedialyte. It's like downing salty Dimetapp! At least the grape one. Boo.

I understand the need to balance your electrolytes - believe me, I've been sick this week, and this stuff actually did help me - so I can't slam it completely. But next time, I think I'll take the first step and work my way from Gatorade up to Pedialyte.

Prison Break Finale

In case you didn't already think of it, there will be spoilers for those of you who wish to watch it but have not yet gotten around to it. Consider yourself warned. But I know there are others who don't care about Prison Break and don't even know why they're reading this entry. For your sake, this will be short, because most of the discussions about this finale are long and must be done in person. Too much emotion and vocal inflection would be necessary in such a conversation. This is just a vent of the few thoughts that I needed to put out there...

1) Stupid Verizon commercial that they stuck in the middle of the first half that showed us exactly what was going to be happening in the second half... What effective marketing. I remembered the company that ruined my night. It so happened to be the company that I left for poor customer service. Those dummies...

2) That dumb operation that they did on Michael to save his life didn't actually save his life?! What a waste...

3) Oh, I forgot to watch Private Practice to see if Paul Adelstein had taken time off from there to come back to Prison Break.

4) What's the deal with Gretchen? She was going to stay out of trouble because she was afraid of what the General would do to her, but he's dead, so what's keeping her out of trouble now?

ARGH. Guess I have to buy that Season 4 release on June 2.

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

If you're looking for info about the movie, sorry. I don't have any exclusive information, except for the fact that it opens on June 24, and I have all intentions of dragging lots of people out to see it with me...either on June 24 or whenever the first advanced screening is.

Oh, and yes, the food release that has accompanied the promos for this film...
Remember that Mars released Mint Crisp M&Ms for the Indiana Jones movie last year? (I still haven't seen the movie...) Well, they've released a new flavor to promote the Transformers sequel - Strawberried Peanut Butter. Now, I'm allergic to peanut butter, but based on my observations of the world, it seemed to be a common combination with peanut butter. I guess my observations were wrong. I got instant feedback saying that it was normal for a sandwich, but it would probably be weird in candy. OH well. No harm done to me though! :)

I'd post a picture, but it's one that I took on my phone and I haven't transferred it over, so you'll just have to go to your local Rite Aid or other fun candy place and check it out for yourselves.

Now I just have to wait for the movie...

Blast from the Past: Pinwheel

So my sissy and I used to watch this ALLLLL the time when we were little...
I don't think very many other people have heard of it, and if they have it takes them a while to remember it.

Back at Work

Yesterday was my first day back at work after a month of being on medical leave. Oh man…the first half of yesterday nearly did it for me. I was so tired. Luckily they have something called the “lunch break” – this is a foreign concept to me. Apparently people take off in the middle of the day to take a break from work and eat a meal?!

Well, I'm back for day number 2. We will see how this goes! :)

Pepperidge Farm goes Petite

Pepperidge Farms now has little tins that can satisfy your sweet tooth.

Petite Pirouettes - rolled wafer cookies filled with either Chocolate Creme or Chocolate Hazelnut filling.

Petite Twists - little puff pastry twists in Cinnamon or Raspberry.

My brother bought some for me last night, so the cookies are on the dining room table patiently awaiting their taste test.

Free Chicken Week

Next week will be filled with free chicken! Both KFC and El Pollo Loco are giving away free chicken.

On Monday (April 27), KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) will be giving away a free piece of their new grilled chicken to every customer. (Info here)

On Tuesday (April 28), El Pollo Loco is giving away 2 pieces of chicken, tortillas, and salsa to every customer until 8 p.m. (Info here)

Islands!!

I know that Islands makes spectacular veggie patties that you can have in any of their burgers, but now you can substitute a turkey patty too! So many choices.

Yay!

I've been craving a turkey burger for a while now...well, I was...
But I don't have an appetite for much anymore. Oh well. I'll work on it.

Man vs. Wild and Will Ferrell

Will Ferrell and Bear Grylls together. Yay!

The two spent two days in Sweden's mountains, and Will did everything that Bear normally does. This might turn out to be my favorite episode of Man vs. Wild ever! Story here, but if you're lazy, it's scheduled to air in June.

Free Food on Tax Day

These types of promotions caused some controversy last year, but they're popping up again this year. If you're inclined to stand in line for some free food tomorrow (Tax Day - April 15), you may want to try Cinnabon - they're giving free Cinnabites from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Other deals are easy to find online. Cinnabon was just the one that sounded most delicious.

Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day

And your second annual reminder...Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day is upon us as well!

This year it will be on Tuesday, April 21 from noon until 8:00 p.m. It's your opportunity to try out their new flavors for 2009: Chocolate Macadamia, Mission to Marzipan, Orange & Cream, and Peanut Butter Cookie Dough.

Here are your details!

31 Cent Scoop Night - Baskin Robbins

Here it is - your annual announcement of the Baskin-Robbins 31-cent scoop night. This year, it will be held on Wednesday, April 29 from 5 to 10 p.m.

So drive on over, buy a scoop for 31 cents (you can always donate more to your local firefighters), and enjoy for a good cause!

More details here...

New Chocolate

I love imported chocolate...so much that I will wait (hanging on to the craving) and make trips to specialty stores to get my candy fix instead of getting the U.S.-produced version. Example? Cadbury - especially the Fruit & Nut. Yum.

Well, now Toblerone makes Toblerone Fruit & Nut! Whoohoo! Had it today. For dinner. HA!
How's that for a fat kid?

I Want To Be A Producer...

And it can happen with as little as $1!

With the 1-second film, you can be listed in the 90 minutes (yes, that is an hour and a half of credits) as an Associate Producer, a Producer, or even an Executive Producer. Of course, this all depends on how much you donate. Lots of celebrities have joined - many of them have just given $1, so you can easily out-do them! :)

If you're interested, check it out here.

Hannah Montana Movie

This is not a review, nor an effort to encourage you to watch this movie. I won't be watching it...at least I don't think I'll be watching it...unless my nephews for some reason ask to watch it. It's likely that I will watch Monsters vs. Aliens a few (dozen) times before seeing any Hannah Montana.

This is merely an announcement that my brother is going to watch it tonight. Not of his own will, but because one of our nieces turned 12, and this is her wish. So, out came the LED belt buckle with the message "HANNAH MONTANA I <3 U" scrolling on it. Luckily he had the good sense to change it to a happy birthday message for Syd before the public saw him.

Kogi BBQ Update

So the waiting paid off - instead of me having to seek out the Kogi BBQ truck, it came to me. :)

We got there early, and they got there late, but at least we got to try them. We got to meet some cool people - like our local oceanographer and natural disaster reporter from JPL! - and about half of the employees from the City of Glendale stepped into line in front of us, but hey, I guess that's what friends are for. We still got to try it, and got to share it with some of the fam.

I'll withhold my review for the sake of those who have not yet tried it and wish to without having read someone else's opinion about them...just wanted to update you on the taco truck following status.

Simpsons Stamps Part Deux

USPS is now previewing the stamps, which go on sale on my sissy's birthday! (BTW, that's May 7)

New link here!