Shrek the Halls!

Last night, ABC premiered a new holiday special, Shrek the Halls, starring all of the original cast members of Shrek. I had a couple of gal pals over to watch and eat gingerbread and we loved it! It's cute and funny and sweet - just what you'd expect a Shrek special to be. I think my favorite part was when the Gingerbread Man sneezed a chocolate kiss. Funny! Also, who knew ogre babies were so darn cute?

For you crafty types, may I recommend taking a cue from Shrek and hanging a toilet seat wreath on your door for a festive touch?

I also recommend Emeril's Gingerbread recipe from the Food Network web site. Very tasty, very easy, and particularly excellent under a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum!

My Favorite Things

After weeks of cranky pants comments, I've decided to redeem myself with a nice cheery list.

I was all set to channel my inner Julie Andrews. Sadly, it turns out Oprah beat me to the punch and released her list of Favorite Things last week. Perhaps even more sadly, I didn't get any free stuff to inspire my list (Oprah is so lucky), and you aren't getting any free stuff for hearing about it. Alas.

Ramona Quimby's Favorite Things, 2007 edition:

CRAFT magazine blog-- if you like to make stuff, or contemplate making stuff, this is the best blog ever.

not martha. This blog is like having an uber crafty creative friend who always has her finger on the pulse of the next hip thing to make or covet.

Carolyn Hax & Tell Me About It. You know how sometimes you wish you could say what people need to hear, rather than what they want to hear? That's Carolyn Hax. Columns are great; weekly chats are even better.

the Bug Theatre's Santaland Diaries. 'Tis the season for the exploits of David Sedaris as a Macy's elf. Thanks to Nancy Drew, this is one of my new favorite Christmas traditions.

The Waltons. Some people will tell you that this classic '70s show is schmaltzy. They are wrong. This is a great family drama set against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains during the Depression and World War II. Yes, the family cares about each other. Yes, their problems are neatly wrapped up in an hour, with enough time for everyone to say goodnight. Yes, the brass in the soundtrack often blares too loudly during dramatic scenes. I don't care, its still lovely television.

Dirty Sexy Money. Imagine John-Boy with a transvestite girlfriend and Olivia having a torrid affair with Mr. Godsey. This is the modern anti-Waltons.

Tim Gunn. Yes, Tim Gunn's Guide to Style is a bit... tedious. But after seasons of watching his saintly calm and restraint on Project Runway (a favorite thing in its own right), its lovely to see him let loose a bit. Those scenes where he giggles with Veronica Webb... priceless. Or, if you just can't handle the show, stick to his blog.

The Long Winter. One of the best books ever. Now that winter has descended upon Denver, its the perfect time to curl up and read about the Ingalls' plight to survive.

Finally, the Turkey Newton at mise en place. Seriously. If you work in LoDo, you should really stop by and get one this week. I'm over turkey, but this sandwich is sublime.

Thanksgiving in Thailand?

2 sweet potatoes, baked for 30-40 minutes in 400 degree oven; then cubed
1 lb green beans, washed, snapped in half.
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 can coconut milk
1/2 C chicken stock
1-2 T curry paste (green or red)
Brown sugar, lime juice, ginger, garlic cilantro, salt to taste
Cooked rice

Quick saute pieces of chicken in hot skillet with plenty of oil. Set aside.
Quick saute green beans in same manner, set aside.
Drain oil from pan, leave the nice bits of browned stuff in the bottom, add the chicken stock to deglaze. Add the coconut milk, curry paste, brown sugar, lime juice, ginger, garlic to taste. Reduce the sauce for 5-10 minutes. Add more sugar/lime juice to balance flavors. Remember the potatoes are a bit sweet and will also thicken the sauce a little bit.
Add sweet potatoes, chicken, green beans to the sauce, simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Add cilantro if desired.

Serve over the hot rice.

best.parody.ever.

Click here to find out what happens if they had try to film 24 in 1994.

It's hard to imagine life without all the amenities we have today. Cell phone, digital camera, laptop, wireless. All of which have both connected us beyond belief but also isolated us in some ways.

cheap ass landlord

So I got my deposit back today. Not only is it past the 30 day mark (both in terms of moving out and the end of last month), he also deducted $77 for cleaning and cleaning supplies. Let's note that the manager who did the walk through (to be fair, who isn't actually the landlord) said the place looked fine. Also, when I moved in, the place definitely wasn't thoroughly cleaned. There was semi-solid liquid in the fridge drawer. I scrubbed and cleaned a lot in my first days in the apt and I definitely left it cleaner than when I got it. And over time they've been so slow to fix stuff (a/c, fridge) that I can't believe he had the gall to deduct my deposit.

I just did a quick google of colorado renter's rights, which i know there aren't many. So I have rights if they haven't returned my deposit at all and if they didn't itemize the deductions.

Good riddance i say. I guess you really do get what you pay for. And don't rent from Frank K at 970 Penn and whatever other properties he owns. It might look nice but it's rotten underneath.

Lars and the Real Girl

Run, don't walk, to a theater near you to see Lars and the Real Girl! I saw it on Saturday and it is FANTASTIC. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to move to Wisconsin.

I don't want to tell you too much of the plot - I didn't know much about it going in, and I think the surprise of it was part of the fun. But it's sweet and funny and creative, and I think it speaks volumes about love and family and community. Plus it's hilarious!

Yech

Ramona and I went to the Holiday Food & Gift Festival today. It was inspired by our trip to Gordman's yesterday and walking through aisles of "who buys this stuff? and if no one buys them, where do they go?" The amount of useless crap sold in our society amazes me. It's not even a matter of asking yourself if you really need it (e.g., do i really need wineglasses if i have cute mugs). I can't imagine anyone "needing" $30 ceramic frogs. But maybe we all have different needs.

Anyhow, we ended up at the festival figuring we'd either find something good or we'd end up blogging about it. First issue was parking. Parking downtown at meters on Sunday is a myth. An expose from Ramona is forthcoming... It doesn't matter if it's free, you have to find it first. And why are there so many cars/trucks towing trailers parked at the meters anyway?

Then we tried to navigate the poor signage to find the festival. You would think a big festival like this would have better signage than our meetings. But no.

There were lots of fascinating things, even though we were definitely the wrong audience for those knickknacks. Mostly it was the same stuff as any of the festivals in Civic Center throughout the summer ("People's" Fair, Taste of Colorado, etc) but more holiday-themed. It was easier to try the food though. There were some interesting things like soup mixes you boil in a bag, cookie/brownie mixes, dried meats, flavored oils, dips, jams, and so on. By the end I couldn't eat another thing flavored with jalapeno or habanero. I know we live in the southwest, but it's a bit much. In fact, I don't think I can eat anything for a while...

When Urine Love

Holiday Gift Suggestion #1

Ramona Comic

So check out this comic blog -- you'll have to scroll down a little bit.

There's a snippet of a funny little comic called "Repressed Memory Theater" in which the narrator remembers Ramona and Beezus.

Apple Cider Braised Pork Roast

Sear pork blade roast in skillet.

Place seared roast in oven safe roasting pan. Slice 3-4 tart appples; 2-3 onions into the pan. Pour on 2-3 cups spiced apple cider. Sprinkle with sage, salt and pepper.

Roast at 350 degrees for 3 hours. Add more spiced cider to the pan as needed.

Serve with mashed taters and green beans.

Ramona -- did you like this for dinner?

Do you feel fulfilled?

Today the Washington Post published an article titled Fulfillment Elusive for Young Altruists in the Crowded Field of Public Interest.

I found this part the most interesting.

"They say the high competition for comparatively low-paying jobs saps their sense of adulthood, forcing them to spend their 20s or early 30s moving from college to work to graduate school and back to work that might or might not be temporary.

These wannabe world-changers, ubiquitous in Washington, New York and San Francisco, appear to be part of a larger demographic trend in which this age group is pushing off marriage and kids. The do-gooders' wanderings often clash with the expectations of parents who want them to stay longer in jobs and settle down."

I guess if a car, house, marriage, and kids an adult make, then I am not. (Now, do these things qualify Britney as someone who has a sense of adulthood? I know I'm oversimplifying, but still.)

I feel like if anything, it's made me face adulthood much sooner than a cushy job or more schooling would have. I've learned to plan, I've learned to push forward in some situations (or through people, as the case may be), I've seen and experienced more of the world. Given that I had a sheltered upbringing and went to school in a place we lovingly called a bubble, this was how I grew up.

I guess I could be making tons of money as an IP lawyer in China. But then I wouldn't have you guys...