The Other Women's Movie

So thankful for The Other Woman!

Not a sentence a girl could normally say.

The Other Woman was worth my hard earned $6.50 and the crinkling family of four in the back row. I'm not unconvinced they were wrapping gifts the whole length of the movie.

It was so refreshing to see a female driven comedy that's not just a raunchy rip-off of the male-centric cinematic crudity! (I'm looking at you, Bridesmaids.) Sure, there was some good old fashion toilet humor fetchingly draped amongst the floral dresses and girl talk. The significantly diminished vulgarity and surprisingly respectable characters made it feel new and nuanced. Even the newly remodeled Nicki Minaj was a not-so-terrible treat. She brought a level head (ever changing in hair color) to the strong but love-troubled lawyer Carly (Diaz). A movie that puts Nicki's boss ass in a clASSy business setting, dishing out relationship advice? I will chuck the deuce up for that--in the form of two thumbs!

In a world of male driven comedies about sex, pranks and grotesque everything, Leslie Mann fits right in. She's equally explicit. Unafraid of scripts that humiliate and expose. Sometimes she even goes a little too far and pukes all over Steve Carrell. The Other Woman shone a new light on Mann. We still get to spend 109 minutes with the wacky, squat over a toilet, publicly drunk lady we've grown to love.

Mann is a queen at the slapstick and anything physically funny. There's no shortage of that in this film but we also get to meet a more sincere side to Mann. She's surrounded by females, a gorgeous wardrobe, BFF montages and she feels more real. Of course a happy housewife would lose her sanity when she meets the mistress...and the other mistress. It's a sweet yet unexpected surprise that the mistress and the wife become friends. Even more so when they both befriend Hotty McCutie, Kate Upton.

The Other Woman is a touching story about female bonding without feeling like a pushy Lifetime movie. Plenty of w(h)ine. Just enough cheese. Not all men are deemed the devil, just the one. In the end, he gets whats coming but that's not the prize. Of course the ostentatious demise of Mr. Wrong is gratifying. What the audience leaves smiling about, however, is a champagne brunch honoring the friendship of three successful and stunningly dressed women.

Nothing chases cold revenge like mimosas and happiness.

Macaro(o)n Majesty

Guys, I'm basically French now.

My strong desire (desperate need) to travel the world has found it's way to my mouth.

That probably doesn't sound as poetic as planned. French food is my jam. Especially when it's covered in jam. My recent delicious discovery is thanks to the simple marvel that is My French Cafe. My palette doesn't get tested as often as I'd like. Sure, EPCOT for dinner can take me around the world in 1.2 miles. There is just something different about this little cafe, tucked behind some palm trees, in the middle of a grocery store parking lot, that feels authentic. It could have to do with the classically French trained owners from France who speak French.

It is there that I was introduced to my first macaron.

First, a quick lesson:

Macarons are light, crisp, meringues made from almond flour, sugar and egg whites, sandwiched with buttercream or a fruit preserve. 

Macaroons are more of a mound of meringue made typically with coconut. Far inferior to the previously defined treat.

These delicate, crunchy pillows changed my life. Something with such a snap when you bite into it, but then so soft and airy--it must be made by the gods. Macarons may taste otherworldly but guess what...they are totally bake-able! And I baked some! They definitely take a higher skill level in the kitchen OR a very patient baker. 

A borrowed macaron bible, several pounds of homemade almond flour and a few batches later and voila! I made my very own edible piece of France.

These babies are my 2nd or 3rd attempt. Vanilla/Vanilla macarons. The Mickeys were just too cute.

Vanilla Macarons
Oven Temp: 300F Bake Time: 12-14mins 

 (remember this recipe came from a random macaron book; if I get the title, I'll post it!)

3/4C ground almond (almond flour) *You can make it yourself or buy it.
1C confectioners sugar
2 egg whites
1/4C fine sugar
1/2TSP vanilla extract

1. Throw almond flour and confectioners sugar in a food processor. Grind them both down till they make a fine powder but before they make any kind of almond paste. Put the mix through a sifter and process again if necessary.
2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. I was able to fill a little more than 2 sheets so be prepared. You want all the batter used and no extra sitting in a bowl.
3. Whip egg whited till they form soft peaks; gradually beat in fine sugar to make a glossy. Add vanilla.
4. Gently fold in almond/sugar mix a 1/3 at a time; fold until it is a shiny, ribbon-like consistency.
5. Fill pastry bag; pipe small circles (using a template is the best idea, like this one. just don't forget to pull the template out before baking!) Tap the baking sheet to let out any air bubble in the batter
6. Let the shells rest for 20-30 minutes
7. Bake 12-14 minutes until "foot" appears--the tiny, crinkly ring around the base of the shell. 
8. Shells should be hard to the touch and sturdy on their feet!
9. Let cool; they will easily peel off parchment
10. Fill with your favorite buttercream or preserve. I made vanilla with vanilla. I also put some sprinkles on my shells before they completely baked to add some fun!

Pretty Little Encounter

Spotted: One pretty, little liar.

Ashley Benson made a pit stop in Walt Disney World this week on her way to Miami! She is currently filming Spring Breakers with Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens and James Franco. Yeah, I'm interested to see how that plays out.

While strolling through Hollywood Studios, I spotted some Green Army Men under the Pixar sign. The typical line of kids and push moms was forming and my eye went elsewhere. I caught a glimpse of a well-dressed young lady arm-in-arm with her beau and the big giveaway--a Disney Tour Guide.

EEK! I may have made a little gasp because the blond in front of me shot a quick glance my way. We made eye contact. It was brief, awkward and so cool. Her eyes said, "Please don't call me out." And mine replied, "We're cool, blond girl from PLL." "Thanks," she smized.

Just like that, our moment ended. I creepily took a phone pic, shown above. But sadly, she had to move along when a group of tweens started screeching through their braces. I'd like to think she was grateful in that split second. Maybe she told Selena and V-Hud that some cool girl didn't blow her cover.

Or they all pranced around in bikinis making millions of dollars without me.

2011 Emmys...and TV

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Clearly I don't blog enough.

It's been basically a year since my last "real" blog--about the last Emmys. Those were worth blogging about and so were this year's!

Jane Lynch set some obviously high expectations being Jane Lynch and all. I would say she did not disappoint. There was just the right mix of Sue Sylvester sarcasm, slightly masculine charm and proud lesbian sweetheart. She let the show roll on as scheduled and picked up some great jokes along the way as they happened. Her nod to the Modern Family sweep was well received ("Welcome back to the Modern Family Awards.")

The video clips/parodies were a bit lengthy. The opening number could have been a little shorter, as Jane calls out herself in the actual dialogue, but the singing was surprisingly good. Hated the Jersey Shore junk--don't care if they're spoofing themselves, they are still being featured on national television which is a travesty. The only clip I can't complain about was The Office parody--I'm biased being obsessed and whatnot. On a similar note, loved that Ed Helms came out for the phenomenal Lonely Island medley. And John Stamos too? Yes please. And I'll have seconds. *Favorite at home moment for me: When my sister asked me, "Who is that Michale Bolton guy dressed like Johnny Depp?"*

Overall, a great night of television honoring television. Kate Winslet, Boardwalk Empire, Modern Family--all of my favorites at least. Can't wait for the new seasons to premiere this week and next. Already loving the new show 2 Broke Girls from the creator Sex & the City. A little risque. A little cliche. Pretty enjoyable for a pilot. And Up All Night exceeded my expectations which were already pretty high for a Will Arnett/Christina Applegate/Maya Rudolph/Lorne Michaels/Cute baby show. Such a refreshing and realistic new take on family life. Felt like they could have been related to the Modern Family. The GLEE premiere was everything it should have been--glittery, over-the-top-showstopping and flamboyantly full of bow-ties! Good choice of songs, however, I think they missed a real chance at a fantastic mash-up of "We've Got the Beat" and "You Can't Stop the Beat." Just my opinion.

Coming up: the highly anticipated Office premiere. Who will be the new manager? What is James Spader doing as Robert California? Will Pam be super pregnant (since Jenna Fischer is also expecting)? Did Jim Carrey's character ever make it to the Finger Lakes?

Only time and shrinking DVR space will tell. Now that State of Georgia was canceled, I need me some good TV replacements. Bring it on, Fall season.

Eat. Pray. Love. Just get me out of here.

My intense desire to travel and growing need to get the h-e-double hockey stick out of here, grew exponentially with each of these gorgeous photos.

A friend from PA posted this link and I wondered what's more likely: I will someday have the opportunity to travel to these unbelievable locations, OR that I someday will develop the ability to climb into computer screen photos...

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GLEE Birthday Cake

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The much anticipate cake for my sister's 17th birthday....


This year, it was all about the GLEE. It's one of her favorite shows (a Vampire Diaries cake would not have been nearly as fun) and there was an all new episode the night of her party. The episode may have been aptly titled"Funeral," but the cake was the life of the party.

I used a large layer of banana cake on bottom and a small, two layer chocolate banana cake (recipe is for muffins but I added an extra 3T water and 1T of vegetable oil.) These recipes are from the FAAN website for allergy awareness. My sister lives with severe allergies and it feels good finally giving her birthday-worthy cakes.
I'm no Duff but I wanted to capture GLEE with the iconic slushie. Came up with the idea and ran. The colors match the themed plates and I chose a large tube of blue piping gel, blue and clear sugar sprinkles and white cake sparkles which looked like confetti.
The gel gave the real, gooey slush look and the varying sprinkle added texture like slushy ice; I mixed in a lighter blue gel in to add another depth of swirly color. The gel really oozed down the side of the cake well and the extra splatters were a finishing touch. I was quite proud of the finished result. The frosting and piping work could use some refining on my part--I'm taking cake decorating classes this summer--but I think I won on the design and detailing. Everyone loved it and Sara was happy, which was really all that mattered.


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Cake Balls!

Back by popular demand--well by request of one person--Cake Balls!

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My first attempt at making these little luscious treats was for my Easter baskets.
Tried to make them Cake Pops but after several failed attempts at putting them on the lolipop sticks, I dropped them in some decorative cupcake tins and called it a Happy Easter!


This time around, I went for no sticks or frills. Just some sprinkles and colorful tins. They were a graduation gift for my boyfriend's sister who is also leaving for a cruise tomorrow, hence the little umbrella and tree.



How to make Cake Balls:

• One (1) boxed cake mix, any flavor you like

• One (1) can of frosting, whatever flavor goes best with the cake you chose

• One (1) bag of melting chocolate, white or semi-sweet are my favorite

• A pack of fun cupcake tins

1. Bake the cake as directed for a large 13x9 pan, or something similar in size.
2. Let cool COMPLETELY. Not the kind of "cool" that you let slide when you're desperate to just frost and eat. *I found it speeds up the process to crumble into hot cake chunks and put into a bowl in the fridge.
3. After the cake is cool, attack the cake with a fork in a large mixing bowl til it is almost like cake-bread crumbs. Some bigger chunks may remain mixed in.
   
4. With a big rubber spatula, scoop almost the whole can of cool frosting into the cake crumbs. After attempting to mix with the spatula, you'll find your hands will do a much better job. Add the rest of the frosting if it's not moist enough.
   
5. Thoroughly mix until all the crumbs are almost mushy with frosting and the cake is mold-able.
6. Roll the cake mush into smallish, palm-sized balls and place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Let the cake get cool and firm in the fridge (or freezer if you're in a rush.) Melt your chocolate in a tall/deep mug while you're waiting.
   
7. When they are firm enough to work with, use a fork to dip the cake balls into the chocolate, and place back onto the parchment. Add some sprinkles while the chocolate is still warm.
   
8. After they're all dipped in goodness, again place them in the fridge until they have a hard outer shell.
   
9. Place the little rounds into cupcake tins and serve!
10. If I figure out a way to make them work on the lolipop sticks without sliding off, I'll let you know!

Got the idea from www.Bakerella.com!

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