best & worst movies of 2010

The list making continues. Next up, my favorite movies of 2010. This is a tough one for me because I've seen some terrible movies this year. However, amidst the garbage there were a few bright spots.*

Judge if you must, but I'm a fan of the Harry Potter books and movies. This film did not disappoint. It was true to the book and set up the end of the series well.

Proof you don't have to really understand a movie to enjoy it. (See also, The Matrix.)

Despite a plot that went in a direction I really hoped it wouldn't, this movie won me over. Annette Bening was brilliant - Oscar worthy if you ask me.

An action movie done right. Well done, Mr. Affleck.

A few movies I haven't had the chance to see yet, but am hopeful would make a best of list: The Social Network, Black Swan, The King's Speech, and Blue Valentine.

Because 2010 really was a year for crappy movies, here are a few that really stood out as the worst of the worst for me:

Even Zac Effron's abs couldn't save this stinker.

Why did I even see this?!?!

Uh, ditto.

Sex and the City 2. By far the most disappointing movie of the year. Hello - it's called Sex and The City. First mistake, taking it out of the city. Second mistake, everything that followed.  

Total garbage.

A few more dishonorable mentions: Dear John, Letters to Juliet, Leap Year, Valentine's Day and The Bounty Hunter.

After looking at my list of crappy movies, I can only think that I brought this upon myself. With the exception of SATC 2, I'm pretty sure all of these movies had donkey trash written all over them. Still, they stunk. Perhaps the plethora of crap movies I've seen this year can't be blamed entirely on Hollywood...

*It could probably go without saying, but a movie snob I am not. I like to be entertained. Thought provoking and insightful are good, but so is funny.

best tv shows of 2010

Continuing with my "best of 2010" lists, today's topic is near and dear to my heart - TV. Lord knows, I watch plenty of it. But I've managed to narrow my list of favorites down to five.  (No small feat for a TV junkie like myself.)  Here are the highlights of my 2010 television season:

30 Rock (and by 30 Rock I mean Tina Fey) just keeps getting better and better. No half hour of television makes me laugh harder.

January 20, 2011, Parks & Recreation returns. Oh happy day! I cannot get enough of this hilarious, off-beat show. It's what The Office wishes it still was.

Simply put, I love this show. The ensemble cast is excellent and it's such an honest portrayal of family.

Community has to be the best show no one is watching. It's smart, it's funny and it's entirely under-appreciated. I only hope it can gain a large enough following to keep it on the air.

I have a bit of a confession. I used to refer to Sons of Anarchy as "that stupid motorcycle show." I would sit on the couch and blog or read while B watched and I'd make the occasional snarky comment about the stupid motorcycle show. One day, I found myself actually paying attention to what was happening on the screen. At the end of the episode, I looked at B and said "I'm obsessed with the stupid motorcycle show." I haven't missed an episode since. The acting is superb and the plot will suck you right in. And Jax Teller isn't half bad to look at either.

Because I'm truly TV obsessed, I couldn't resist a few honorable mentions:

Big Bang Theory
The Good Wife
Dexter
Modern Family
The League

What were your favorite shows of 2010?

2010 in Review: Books

2010 was the year I rediscovered my love of reading. I've always been an avid reader but in recent years the time I've devoted to recreational reading had dwindled.

In law school, I felt like I read (textbooks) almost around the clock. When it came time to relax, the last thing I wanted to see was another book. After graduation, I made the excuse that I was "too busy" to read. In reality, I had plenty of time but reading was not a priority in my life.  I found time for the gym, movies, television and plenty of other activities but not reading. This year, that changed. And I've loved it.

I've read by the pool, at the gym, in bed at night and in the hammock in the yard. I read the books I wanted to read.  Not the book that would make me look like a cultured smarty-pants to passers-by at the hotel pool or the latest novel to receive a glowing review from the New York Times so I could chat about it at a cocktail party. (We've all done this, right?) 

If it looked like it might entertain me for a few hours, I picked it up. Some were good, some were bad and some were wonderful. Here are my favorites.

The Hunger Games Trilogy

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

 The Millennium Trilogy 

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

And for fun, here's a complete list of the books I read in 2010.

1. A Window Across the River by Brian Morton
2. The Associate by John Grisham
3. The Gatecrasher by Sophie Kinsella
4. The Quickie by James Patterson
5. Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner
6. The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monkk Kidd
7. Cross Country by James Patterson
8. Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger
9. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
10. It Sucked and Then I Cried by Heather Armstrong
11. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
12. Mommywood by Tori Spelling
13. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
14. The Profiler by Pat Brown
15. Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
16. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
17. My Fair Lazy by Jen Lancaster
18. The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch
19. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen
20. The Secret Life of Cee Cee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain
21. Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner
22. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larsson
23. One Day by David Nicholls
24. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
25. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
26. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson
27. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
28. The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc by Loraine Despres
29. Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan
30. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (re-read)
31. Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger
32. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

*Note - many of these books were not published in 2010, so this is not a true "Best books of 2010" list. It's simply a list of the books I read in 2010 - whenever published.

lists

I love lists.

Grocery lists, to-do lists, Christmas lists, best dressed lists - I love them all. 

I love the organization, the prioritization. An orderly ranking of items just makes me happy. Even more, I like checking things off lists. It gives me a sense of accomplishment.  Even if is just striking a line through "Pick up Diet Coke at Target." 

To my nerdy delight, the end of the year seems to prompt people to make lists. Christmas wish lists are distributed. Goals and resolutions for the upcoming year are made. Magazines publish countless "10 Best" lists. 

In the spirit of reflection, I'll be posting some year end lists of my own. If you give a hoot about my favorite books, TV shows and movies of 2010...stay tuned.

Happy Everything!

Holiday wishes from Florida...

Wishing you and your families a very merry holiday season!

Rekindling an Old Love

An old love has recently found it's way back into my heart shopping cart. 

Cinnamon Toast Crunch. 

I don't think I've had a bowl of this deliciousness since college but my resolve was weakened at the grocery store last week.  I brought a box home and now it's the only thing I want to eat. Breakfast, lunch or dinner - doesn't matter. Bring on the Cinnamon Toast Crunch! 

I'm not usually a big cereal eater. Probably because you usually only find healthy, grown up cereal in our cupboard. It's hard to get excited about Kashi, ya know?

But now, there's a cereal revolution going on in my house - and I love it. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go pour another bowl.

can't believe i'm posting this mess

The weather here won't make up it's mind. It's 72 one day and 42 the next. I blame the crazy shifts in the weather for the nasty cold I have right now. And I'm going to blame the nasty cold & my foggy head for this incoherent, bullet list post. (How was that for a lame segue?) 

* An alliterative rant at Starbucks - The Ready Brew Vanilla Via is vile.

*A few weeks ago, I left my car overnight in a parking garage downtown. (A day of tailgating followed by drinks downtown = cab home.) When I picked up the car the next morning, there was a strange substance on the passenger side window. As I drove home, I pondered what it could be. It sort of looked like someone threw a taco at my window and let it slide down. But that seemed implausible as the nearest late night taco place is many miles away. And who would waste a taco? 

Rather than say, take the car to the car wash, I continued to ponder the origin of the substance. It was the topic of much discussion with the lucky passengers in my car that week. A coworker suggested little person vomit** but that too seemed implausible.  (The height was right but the substance field was too narrow.) (Totally disgusted yet?) (Yeah, I'm gross.) The origin of the mystery substance was really starting to bother me. (Strangely, driving around with the revolting window gunk - not so much.)

Finally, last week, it was suggested that perhaps the mystery window substance was the result of someone spitting dip on my window. (Classy.) By golly, I think that's it!  Mystery solved. I feel so much better now. (And I should really get to the car wash soon.) Can you believe I just made you read that ridiculous story? Me neither.

* I heard Tracy Morgan recently had a kidney transplant. Which reminded me of this gem:



I wish I could find a video of the actual clip from the show, but it wasn't available on YouTube. Side note: If don't watch 30 Rock, I feel sorry for you. You're missing the best show on TV.

* I don't drink calories. It's a rule I have. I eat plenty of them, so I don't like to drink them. There are two longstanding exceptions to this otherwise firm rule: alcohol and Starbucks.  After many years, I believe I'm ready to add a seasonal exception to this list: apple cider.  So delicious. And worth the extra jiggle in my middle.

* Why are people so pissy during the holidays?  It's the most wonderful time of the year people! You know the crabby jerks I'm talking about - they seem to multiply as Christmas approaches, don't they?  (I understand the holidays can be a hard time for some people, but that's not what I'm talking about. Sad is understandable, grinchy is not.) If you didn't start your Christmas shopping until December 20th, you have no one to blame but yourself. Quit driving like an a-hole in the mall parking lot, don't scowl at your fellow grocery store shoppers and stop whining loudly in your cube about how badly you need a vacation. This has been a holiday PSA.

**As in person of small stature, not a child. I asked the twitter-verse and apparently midget is offensive and "little person" is the preferred term. If you ask me, little person sounds more offensive and is potentially confusing, as to me a little person is a child but what do I know.  I'm not here to offend people, even if "midget vomit" sounds way better than "little person vomit." 

Amazingly Good Apple Pie

I'm not really a fan of pie. Sure, it's okay but I'd choose a cookie or a piece of cake over a slice of pie any day. 

But this pie is different. It's not just good, it's damn good.

The apples are sweet but tart and the crumb topping adds great texture. It's delicious by its self but why stop at delicious? Served warm and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream - this pie is sinfully good.

If you're looking for a delicious dessert to bring to a holiday party or to serve after your Christmas dinner, this Sour Cream Apple Pie should be at the top of your list.

This picture is crap, I realize. I'm working on it. Photography lessons are imminent.

Sour Cream Apple Pie

Recipe from Smells Like Home

 For the Apple Filling:


2 lbs Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar

For the Sour Cream Custard:

2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream

For the Crumb Topping:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

One 9-inch pie crust, unbaked (you can use store-bought or your favorite recipe)

Directions:

1. Set a rack on the lowest level of the oven an preheat to 350 degrees F. Transfer the pie crust to a 9″ pie dish and crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork.

2. To make the filling, place apples in a large saute pan with butter and sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring and tossing, for 5-7 minutes until about half of the apples have dissolved. Transfer the apple mixture to a bowl and let cool.

3. To make the custard, whisk together the flour and sugar in a bowl, then whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream in that order.

4. To make the topping, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Pour in the melted butter and stir until the mixture forms a crumbly mass.

5. Stir the cooked apples into the sour-cream custard filling and pour into the dough-lined pan. Sprinkle the crumbs over the filling.

6. Bake the pie until the dough is baked through, the filling is set, and the crumbs are a deep golden color, 50-60 minutes. Cool the pie on a rack.

Try to save a piece for your family - it's nice to share at the holidays.

A Lazy Weekend & Menu Monday

I love a lazy weekend.  This weekend was just that.

Friday night I perused the aisles of Super Target and picked up a pizza on my way home. I finished hanging ornaments on the tree and put out the Christmas decorations.  Brian and I caught up on some shows we'd recorded during the week and lounged on the couch. If all Friday nights at home were that good, I might just stay in more often!

Saturday morning B went golfing and I went to Park Avenue to finish up a little Christmas shopping. It was a little chilly, Santa was strolling the avenue and a saxophone player was filling the street with Christmas music. Sounds serene right? Sort of. But there were people EVERYWHERE.  I walked into Williams Sonoma and it was so crowded I thought I'd never get back out again.  (Not a bad place to be trapped if you ask me.) Shopping in December, how I loathe thee. I got the things I needed and left before the crowds got really insane.  I went home and wrapped all my presents and lounged on the couch a little more. Saturday night my girlfriends and I watched a movie in our pjs. (We watched Charlie St. Cloud. Aside from the 3 seconds Zac Effron took his shirt off, it was a snooze. What? He's legal.)

Sunday I laid on the couch almost all day long. It was glorious. I did shop for golf clubs with B, run to the grocery store and make dinner but other than that, it was couch lounging all day. 

We've got a busy week coming up and next weekend is filled with Christmas and birthday parties so the rest was much needed.

I did mention a Menu Monday, didn't I? Here it is:

Sunday - Cooking Light's Beef Stew. I've been craving beef stew. I have no clue why as I don't know that I'd ever really had beef stew. And I'd certainly never made it. So I found this recipe and decided to give in to my craving. The result - Eh. I thought maybe I'd just been expecting something else but B was pretty ambivalent about it too.  It just wasn't all that exciting. Guess I'm not a big fan of stew.

Monday - Cider Glazed Chicken with Browned Butter Pecan Rice and Green Beans.  Kate of Elefantitas Alegres raved about this dish, as did Slynnro. On their glowing recommendations, I decided to give it a try. Plus, I needed a reason to justify buying a half gallon of apple cider. (Which is flippin' delicious by the way.)

Tuesday - Ocean Prime for Brian's birthday dinner.  Truffle Mac & Cheese, here I come!

Wednesday - No cooking - we won't be home until late.

Thursday - Chili (adapted from here) with cornbread.

Friday - Cheeseburgers on the grill. It's supposed to warm up on Friday so we'll take advantage of the warm weather and fire up the grill. 

Saturday - Christmas party.  Dinner will likely be six glasses of wine and whatever I sneak off the appetizer table. Just keepin' it real.

Have a great week!

fa la la la la la la la la

Our tree is up! While not quite a Christmas miracle, I'm pretty happy that it's finally done.

Well, hello Ina! Thanks for popping in the picture!

I just have to point out to my mom - look under that tree. My presents are bought, wrapped and under the tree. Neener neener! Better get caught up!  :)  Just kidding Momma - I love you!

I'm feeling extra thankful this year because we've already used our fireplace - twice! It was pretty chilly here last week and it will be even colder during the early part of this week. Chilly weather is always a welcome surprise for this Florida girl. It gives me an excuse to pull out my scarves!



The vase above is filled with fresh cranberries.  I think it looks so fun and festive! Thanks to Mom for the idea.  

A few of our favorite ornaments...

The Mister proposed at Disney World during Christmas time.  Snow was falling on Main Street and the castle was lit up with Christmas lights. It was beautiful. We picked up this ornament the night I said yes!

Love our UCF snowmen ! (snow people?)

That's the Florida Governor's Mansion. B worked in the Governor's office from 2004 - 2006.

Picked this one up at Restoration Hardware last week.

So there you have it - our decked halls! I'd show you the lights outside but...well, we haven't put them up yet. Oops!

Hope you're taking some time to enjoy this busy time of year!

look jill - i blogged! (sort of)

Well what do you know? The old blog is still here.

Sorry for the absence. I'm sure most of you haven't noticed it's been a while but my sister has ever so kindly reminded me to "freaking blog already." 

I will, I promise.

But first I have to get lights and ornaments on the tree we brought home on Sunday, finish addressing the Christmas cards, coordinate the donation of presents to 70 children and finish my Christmas shopping.

See you in January.

(I'm kidding. I hope.)

better to give than receive

Finding the perfect gift for all the people on your holiday shopping list can be difficult.  I think we've all been the person at the mall on December 23 desperately searching for that last present you've yet to find. If you're looking for some gift-giving inspiration, here are a few ideas that might make your Christmas shopping a little easier.

For the coffee lover in your life:

(photo credit Kim White Creations)

Reusable Coffee Sleeve  

A reusable coffee sleeve is the perfect gift for the caffeine junkies in your life. I love the cable knit pattern on the sleeves made by Etsy seller Kim White Creations.  (She's offering free shipping until New Year's Eve!) The sleeves come in a variety of colors and fit perfectly over your take-out coffee cup to protect your hands.   As a bonus, it's also an eco-friendly gift. No need to waste that paper sleeve with each new cup of coffee. Pair the coffee sleeve with a gift card to a local coffee shop or a pound of beans for a thoughtful holiday gift your coffee loving friends will appreciate.

For everyone on your list - even the person who has everything:

Restoration Hardware Luxury Plush Throw

Restoration Hardware Luxury Plush Slippers (Foot Duvets)

By now, you all know how much I love this blanket. Hands down, it's the softest thing I've ever felt. I don't have the slippers (hint, hint honey), but they have to be just as heavenly.  And it must be pointed out that the blanket and slippers are a friggin' steal at just $29 and $16, respectively. Buy them for everyone on your list.  And then pick up an extra set for yourself. You'll thank me.

For the shutterbug:

 photo credit: Cotton Candy by Natalie

photo credit: Cotton Candy by Natalie

How cute are these reversible SLR camera straps?!?! The straps are made by a fabulous Etsy seller Cotton Candy by Natalie.  She has tons of patterns and prints to choose from, so you're sure to find the perfect strap for the photog on your list.

For your Secret Santa:

Need a generic, impersonal gift for an office gift swap or a Secret Santa you don't know well?  Sure you could go the gift card route, but I think a board game is much more fun!  Partini and Apples to Apples are two of my favorites. 

For the baker:

What Martha Stewart-minded girl (or boy!) wouldn't love a mixing bowl full of baking goodies?  All the goodies above are from Crate & Barrel but you could easily create your own bowl of treats from just about anywhere!  This would also make a great hostess or teacher's gift. 

Hopefully this list will help you with your holiday shopping. What's your favorite gift to give?



*I was not compensated in any way by anyone to write this post. This is just this girl's opinion of a few nice holiday treats.