{MAN}day Monday:: The Ohio State Marching Band’s Tribute to Hollywood

Happy Monday Luv-lies,

Hope all is well if your neck of the frozen tundra *smirk. smirk. smile. wink*

With the anticipation of  Super Bowl XLVIII in less than a week, I can’t help but wonder ‘how am I going to get through seven months until the next training camp?’  I know that they’ll be loads of basketball (both, college and pro), hockey, tennis and let’s not forget The Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia {just to name a few}, there’s just nothing that seems to take the place of a good hard-hitting, smash-mouth football game.  Oh well! … one can only wish

I’m thinking that perhaps a look back on one of the spectacular half-time shows from the Ohio State Marching Band    juuuuust might do the trick and put me in a better place about this whole ‘no football for seven month thing’.  I’m sure that you’ll agree.

So, like the announcer in the video says “… grab that box of popcorn and settle down in your seats!  We’re going to the movies!…”

*this may be the best spent 8:49 sec of your day!*  I almost guarantee it!

How Food Porn Is Made

Happy Friday Luv-lies,

Have you been staying warm?  The winter blast is still hanging around.  I’m kinda getting used to it? How about you?

There’s quite a bit of  ‘good’ television on the horizon.   The Super Bowl in a couple of weeks. The Grammy’s this weekend.  I had a chance to catch a little of the tennis championship going on in Melbourne, Australia { it aired ‘very’ early in this part of the world – like some time around three in the morning.  I had to catch the highlights, on the sports shows to find out that Nadal won because I couldn’t keep my eyes open *sigh*}.

Even though you want to watch the actual event, don’t you find that you really tune in to watch the great commercials?  Especially on Super Bowl Sunday!  Don’t you find that you the majority of your ‘refrigerator runs’ are made during the game?  Because who wants to hear about the most talked about new commercials while standing around the water cooler? Not me!

And, like you, I often wonder how the producers can get some of the children and animals to do the things that they do.  I bet that it makes for a very, looooong day.  Oh well!, I guess that’s why they charge the bucks – no whammies!

Today’s Friday Food Porn is not a behind the scene look at how they get the kids and animals to look cute and ‘play nice in the playground’.

Noooooo.

Today’s post is a 3:20 video produced by a German production studio that’s famous for capturing some of the most stunning, high-speed photography behind commercials.  This piece features food.  Of course.

enjoy the video!  And your Weekend

8 Food Trends Not To Miss in 2014

Good Morning Luv-lies,

What does: gluten-free everything, the use of natural ingredients, cupcakes {all kinds – including gluten-free & vegan}, kale chips and bacon with chocolate anything, have in common?  If you guessed that they were food trends that came into there own in 2013, then *ding. ding. ding.* you are right!

Because of their short-lived popularity, I don’t usually follow trends.  However, I’ve found that food trends have become the exception to my, otherwise, steadfast rule.  Unlike most trends, food trends won’t leave you with tons of expensive unusable dated  items that you quickly grow to regret purchasing.  Instead, food trends will allow you to explore the world of food, beyond what you may have ever imagined.  In addition to being tastefully pleasing, there is also the visual and olfactory pleasures that can be derived from juuuust the right food .   Through food, we can be transported to that time, place and/or experience that brought us comfort, delight and fulfillment.

In all honesty, it’s been the vast array of food oriented programming that seems to have exploded on the television scene, that has gotten me interested and intrigued with ‘all things food’.  I realized some time ago that their are two types of ‘foodies’ – Those who derive great pleasure from preparing food.  And those who derive pleasure from consuming the deliciousness produced by the former.  For many, many years, I have shamelessly been a flag waving member of the latter.  As such, I just didn’t understand the hoopla about something that it so fundamentally necessary!  After all… food is just food – right?

 NOT!

You see, what I’ve come to learn and  is that chefs, truly have a different relationship with food *that’s fodder for another post*.  I guess that you can say that, through the magic of television, I’ve crossed over from being just a consumer of food to one who has come to revel in the delight, excitement and enjoyment that can be derived from preparing/presenting/plating food.  *aside*- now I know that a chef that does not make me *big smile*

  That being said, I have to admit, that I now look at these culinary shows with a different insight.  That insight includes realizing that, like other things, food has its trend.  What? Food. Trendy?   …. Well yeeeey!  So without further ado, here is my unofficial list of  eight of this year’s food trends::

~1~

Infused Ice Cubes

~2~

Ice Cream Sandwiches

~3~

Farm 2 Table Eating

~4~

Food Tastings

~5~
 Specialty Food Trucks

~6~

Salad in a Jar

~7~

Cauliflower  {ala ‘Pink Cauliflower Soup’}

~8~

Wine. Champagne.  Beer. {as a braise for whatever it is that your heart desires}

 That’s my list.  I can’t wait until the end of the year to see how many I’ve nailed

How did I do?

… Do tell …

Pinterest-ing

Good Morning Luv-lies

How are you surviving the big chill and deep freeze that has befallen on much of  ‘The States’?  I’ll eventually dig myself out {I guess}.  My hope is that I’ll be able to make it to the market – not that I need anything – I took care of that on Monday before all this ‘weather hell’ broke loose.

For now,  I’m enjoying trekking through the world of social media.  Usually my gallivanting takes to the many sites that I luv to hang out at, but this morning I did something a little different.   Instead, I googled myself  – have you done that?  I find it funny that, even though I know that I was going to show up somewhere on the page, I smiled with delight to find myself there…. silly me :).  I spent some time clicking the links and perusing my sites but eventually I settled in at my pinterest site.  The truth is, I luv Pinterest.  But for some reason, when I’m updating/interacting or just hanging out and spending time, I seemed to forget that I have a page.

I’m not sure why I don’t stop more often.  My lack of being there probably explains why I don’t have many followers.  That’s okay, because amassing some ‘off the chart’ amount of ‘Followers’ is not the reason that I do this.   To date I have 31 Boards, 524 Pins and 239 ‘Likes’ and, suffice it to say that I am grateful.

If you have a little time, I’d luv to share with you, a little bit of what I do when I am there.  Here are a few of the ‘Boards’ that I ‘Pin’ to::

I collect #Yumlicious recipes and meal ideas.  Like this delicious looking Quinoa Pancakes With Blueberry Maple Syrup from a board entitled ‘Food Glorious Food’.

  My goal is to, eventually, prepare every single recipe including this one

Cute and Inspiring Work- out Gear – you know that you’re in shape when you can wear horizontal stripes

Training Tips that I’ve saved for days like today when the weather limits my outdoor activities

Shoe Porn to be ‘sported’ and not really for working out.  I’ve gotta have these little gems…..

I’ve thrown in a board dedicated to all those clever gadgets…. because what is life without clever gadgets? Right?

And because all of this working out has to have a payoff, there’s some awesome ‘pins’ of  what I call ‘the girly stuff’

So there you have it.  A small glimpse into my world on Pinterest.

You know, now that I’ve spent some time in this space and especially since I’ve enjoyed sharing my ‘pinnings’ with you, I really have to get there more often.

It’s a luv-lie space.  Come and join me some time.  I promise to be there more frequently.

Where in the world of social media do you spend your time…..  Do Tell…..

{ManDay} Monday:: ‘… you mad, bro’

Good Morning Luv-lies,

This weekend was filled with loads of good stuff to watch on television, don’t you think?  How about the S.A.G. awards – which I have to say, I kind of watch only when I remember and, if I happen to be surfing through the on screen guide *side eye*.

In case you didn’t tune in, here’s a little (and I mean little) recap: American Hustler won for ‘Outstanding Performance by a Cast in Motion Pictures’, newcomer Lupito Nyongo took won home for ‘Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role’ for ‘Twelve Years a Slave’, and the always delightful, Maggie Smith for ‘Outstanding Female Actor in a Drama Series’ for Downton Abby – just to name a few.  Don’t you find that the most fun in watching these things is, not only finding out if you’ve correctly picked the winners, but also in seeing what (or should I say ‘who’) the celebs are wearing?

This is where I play ‘the Joan Rivers of it all’ and become the fashion police!  I do find that for the most part, my list of the celebs that come ‘dress to the nines’ closely matches The Best Dressed List.  I might have one or two that, either, should be included in the list or should be on The Worst Dressed List.

more

‘ManDay Monday’  Musings !

And for all of us Sherlock Holmes fans, there is the Season 3 return of our fav sleuth in ‘The Empty Hearse’.  I don’t know about you, but just the title was intriguing enough for me to tune in.  After a two year wait (Yes! I can’t belief that they’ve made us wait two loooong years!) and trying to figure out if/how our beloved Sherlock, faked his death at the conclusion of Season 2, this season’s episode opens with

Holmes about to rise from the grave, in all of his splendor and glory!

Isn’t that what we wanted {and predicted} anyway.

  Needless to say, his bestie, wouldn’t have it any other way {right?}.  Makes me want to say, ‘Hey Watson! Be careful what you wish for’!   And, if, during his two year hiatus,  Sherlock thinks that things have remained the way that he left them, he has another think coming!…. It’s been TWO YEARS after all!!!!

[SPOILER ALERT!   SPOILER ALERT!] :

by the episodes end, we find out that –  we are only hearing a theory –  from someone who wishes that the nominal sleuth were still alive!

Ohhhhhh. The delightful. Well written.  World of Sherlock Holmes!

…. More …. ‘ManDay Monday’

Lately, we seem not to be able to get through a week without a story of some ‘bone head’  wagging their damned tongue before putting their brain in gear!  This week’s  Ass that’s on the chopping block::  Reality- TV  ‘The Bachelor’s’  star Juan Pablo Galavis.   This dude has his PR people in overdrive trying to repair/make excuses for and/or, otherwise attempt to minimize the thoughtless Anti-Gay ‘Pervert’ comment that he made in reference to the homosexual community.

If you’re like me, you rather hear it with your own ears! So, listen to the sound bite here.

Want to see it in print?  Read it here.

He says that he meant to say homosexuals are   “…. more affectionate and intense”.  He says that his ‘misuse of the word ‘pervert’ is because he doesn’t have a complete grasp on the English language.  I have just one word.  BULLSH!GG!TY !!!!

AND. 

What’s a Sunday without Football?!

…. ManDay Monday Madness ….

“… DON’T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT ME!

There were two exciting NFL Playoff games this weekend.  Both games were nail biters, to say the least.  And both were not without their controversy

but it was the ‘off the hook’ ‘rant heard around the world’ by the Seahawk’s Cornerback, Richard Sherman,  that left sports reporter Erin Andrew, speechless {almost}.

Listen to the Sound Cloud here 

Read the Twitter-verse’s response here

Witness the madness with your own eyes here

Well Luv-lies, I’m fresh out of Men acting badly fodder.

How was your weekend?  Did someone talk about you?  *sarcasm intended*

Do Tell …

Sunday Weigh-in & Some Fun

Happy Sunday Luv-lies,

Just a short post today.  Couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share some fun news with you.

A little over a year ago I started this trek down the path of a healthier lifestyle.  On December 31st 2012 {on a whim.  You know.  Now that I think about it, some of my best successes have resulted from a whim…} I decided that I had had enough of making excuses for not living a healthier lifestyle.  I was tired of referring to the excess weight that I had been hauling around as, ‘Baby fat’.  Who the hell was I lying to {I know. I had been lying to myself and for a loooooong time!}?  After all, ‘my baby’ was twenty-nine years old!  I was tired of not being able to fit into the beautiful clothing that I had purchased {all year!} with the promise that ‘One day I’m going to be able to fit these’.  You’ve made that promise to yourself – haven’t you?  Tired of huffing and puffing after walking short distances.  Tired of eating too much, too late.  Waking up the next  morning feeling like a stuffed pig.  I could go on but I won’t.  This is suppose to be a ‘short’ post.

My ‘whim’ took me first to my local fitness center, where I eagerly signed on the dotted line.  ‘There!’ I thought.  Proudly, I was on my way to escaping this delusion that I had been living – for years!  I returned home, knowing that I was only halfway vested in this journey.  I knew then, like I know now, that I needed a weight loss program that offered me several things.   I needed a program that {amongst other things}:

~  held me accountable for walking the talk.  Because, the mouth will say anything.  Enough said.

~ addressed the ‘Why?’ of my eating behavior.  You see, getting to the gym has never been the problem.  controlling the eating behavior has.

~  didn’t promise a short-term, quick fix-it solution.  Didn’t get this size fast.  Not going to lose it, and, more importantly, get to goal quickly. Got to put in the work!

~ offered a forum where I could have some face-time with others – in real time.  Face-time has a way of not allowing you to hide from the truth.

~ had a long-standing history & tried and true scientific basis for it’s success.  Longevity has its place.

~ allowed me to eat ‘real’ food.  My food mantra is that, ‘… there’s too much good *read- natural* food out there, not to be able to eat it!

~ that worked, seamlessly, with my present lifestyle.  You want to guarantee failure? Implement too many unrealistic changes too fast in a schedule with little to no room for change.

~ taught me that the path to a healthy lifestyle can be measured in many different ways.  The scale can not & should not be the only measure of ‘winning’

I’ll stop here.  {I could really go on 🙂

So without much thought *it was a no brainer for me* – I returned home and, because the physical center was closed –  I joined my local Weight Watchers group – via the website. 

A year, and some change later {pardon the pun}, the program has and continues to live up to everything that I wanted and needed.  The group that I attend is slowly growing. Over the last year, we have transitioned from individuals gathered in a common space for individual reasons, to a cohesive, supportive, fun, trusting, understanding ‘family’ who at the core of it all, has each others best interest at heart.  I ask you.  What more can you ask?

… so here’s the fun part  {it’s all fun. but. you know what I mean}

This morning I arrived to the meeting a lot later than I usually do.  My late is about three to five minutes.  Not today. I was about fifteen minutes late *yikes*.  Not good when the meeting is only thirty minutes long to begin with *crinch*.  It was nice to see all of the new attendees.  My hope for them is that they come back enough to realize that the program really does work – when you work the program.

Since the beginning of the year – yes.  just nineteen days ago – The group has been increasingly interested in increasing the our presence on #Facebook.

*aside* I think that it’s a great idea!  Especially since I spend a lot of time promoting a healthier lifestyle on my Facebook page

See, we have an official Weight Watchers Facebook page; however, it has its limits {at least for right now}.  We can’t wait to share recipes, successes & fitness info.  So our  fearless Leader, Nancy,  suggested that we start another page where we can post pictures and other incentives.  Looooove it!!!

But first, we have to come up with a name for our page!

This is the fun part!  We have until our next meeting to come up with some suggestions.  My mind is going a million miles a minute trying to think of something 🙂

Now, I am really looking forward to this upcoming meeting-  more than ever –  because I can’t wait to hear all of the suggestions! 

Did I say that we are a pretty witty bunch?

 So Luv-lies, I’ll be sure to let you know how this turned out.  One thing that I’m almost certain of.  I wouldn’t be late for next Sunday’s meeting 🙂

Do you have any suggestions?

Do tell …..

{Man-Day} Monday:: My News Programming is filled with too much testosterone…

Happy Evening Luv-lies

Hope that your day was relaxing and your morning weather ‘uneventful’.

After the polar vortex of last week, which, by the way… how did you make out with that? Bar living in Hawaii, I’m sure that- last Monday- the temperature  in your neck of the woods, dipped well below anything that seemed conducive to human life ….

Whew! That was a real mess!  I didn’t open doors, windows – nothing….. alllllll daayyy!  It was too damned cold!  Just the memory has me shi-vvvvering….

This has certainly been a better Monday…. actually, the end of last week was far better than its beginning.

Okay.  That’s enough of that thought.

Can you say, ‘ I want summer’?

… Moving On …

As of late, I’ve been lucky enough not to have to navigate the craziness that is ‘rush hour’ traffic.  Throughout the day,  I do get out and about, but I try, very hard, to miss that lunacy.

 

 So, today was no different.  I came in, threw today’s ‘goodies’ on the island in the kitchen, washed my hands in preparation for fetching something soothing to drink from the fridge and turned on the evening news.  The early version.  Now, I live in what I consider to be a somewhat ‘big city’.  If not by residents per capita, at least by the – more than daily – crime reports, weather disturbances and traffic foul ups.  So, suffice it to say, there are three crucial local news stories that I, immediately expect to hear, whenever I turn on my local morning/afternoon/evening report ::

1.   The latest Local Crime Report … what occurred … and where it occurred while I was sleeping/at work or running errands.  (I need to assess how unsafe my neighborhood may have become while I was out being me) & any follow up to any recent unresolved and/or unsolved criminal activity (I need to remember where to be especially vigilante while I’m out and about)

2.  The Local Traffic Report … need to know if I have to leave earlier/ hang around a little longer or to stay put altogether.  The other decision that is  driven (pardon the pun) upon the traffic conditions are: any accidents/incidents that may lend itself to me taking an alternate route (because being stuck in traffic is not my first choice of fun places to be)

and

last, but not least

3.  The Local Weather Report … again, any weather-related conditions that may have happened while I was sleeping/at work or somewhere shopping (and not paying any attention to what is going on outside…. Shopping does that to us.  Doesn’t it?)  Don’t you want to know ifWill I need an umbrella, rainboots ( when I was younger, we called them galoshes.  Are they still called that?  Okay, Okay!. I digressed….) or no coat at all? And here’s that school bus question again –  how many school buses can I look forward to sitting behind? (because in my neck of the woods, school is cancelled if the fog is too thick, the snow too deep or the wind is too blustery. And, needless to say, the number of school buses on the road definitely makes a difference.  Big. Difference.) Other considerations –  Will I have to shovel/scrape or blow snow off of and/or away from some surface before I get started?  Will there be a rain event sooooo wet that it rivals going through a carwash?

All super-duper important.

 

 …. you get the idea….

So, needless to say, I was  fit to be tied  beside myself when the FIRST fifteen minutes of My Local  news cast was monopolized by multiple national/regional  eff -ups!  All male related!

First Up! The

  A. Rod Doping Debacle!

Yes!  Although, I am interested in knowing what is happening in the world of crime.  It is the crime that is occurring in my backyard that reeealllly concerns me!

… Followed By …

THE CHRISTIE CRISISES  !!!  {Not One. BUT Two!  YES. TWO.}

FIRST!  BRIDGATE!!!

Again!  I am concerned about the traffic!  But. This!  This is too much to try to digest!

W.T.W.?!!!

 Then….

SECOND!  Allegations of questionable misuse of Hurricane Sandy Funds!

Yes!  I want to be kept abreast of the latest criminal activities…

…. bahhhhhhht ….. ‘come on Chris…

… you had to know this might fall into the category of  ‘Shady‘

And.  Waaaaaaay!  Way! before we got to the part of the news that are the ‘must have’ entrees on my News Menu, there were these other ratchet testosterone driven acts!::

 ~ The Dennis Rodman Basketball bullshiggity!

~  A rebroadcast of the peeping-tom case, of the award-winning urologist, Adam Levinson

~  The continued, boring Eliot Spritzer sexual scandal ‘thang’

Are you serious!

This is far too much reporting of non-Local,  male deviant behavior for me!  Especially at the start of the news cast!

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I really can care less about the gender of the offender of bad news, regardless to when in the newscast it is reported.  But today’s broadcast  just wreaked of ‘maleness gone bad’.  And too much of it, up front and in my face!

Me: thinking ~~~*could  this be me in a cray cray moment? or, perhaps … in a menopausal madness moment*

hummmmmmm … I’m just saying

What is there too much of in your day?

Do tell….

Tuesday {Shoes}day

Good Morning Luv-lies

How are you fairing in this weather?   Today was an all shovel day for me *urgh!*

I sure hope that the abdominal part of this definition is true 😉

Today, the city broke its own temperature record!   You see, the city’s average minimum low is 25 degrees (F).  The record high for today is listed as 74 degrees (F).   Today’s temperature is 3 * yes! – 3 / three/ tre’-* degrees!!  According to the weatherman, that’s a record.

… As far as I’m concerned, this is one record that we didn’t have to break…

A sunny beach will do just fine, right about now.

* as long as my electronic devices work … I’m just sayin’ *

Well, today is ‘Tuesday ShoesDay’

and although the weather is next to unbearable, I  had a chance to sport this ‘must have’ D.I.Y. cap

*Laaahv it!!*

and these ultra sassy but super warm snow boots that almost makes me forget about all of this cold stuff!

Almost. Not. Quite.

Did I say that I ‘love them’?

But, given a choice, I chose the record high 74 degree  Day!!!!

How are you fairing in this weather, Luv-lie?

Do Tell…..

{Man} Day Monday:: The First 49 Covers in Less than 60 seconds

Good Monday Morning Luv-lies,

With the upcoming February 2014 Swimsuit edition, Sports Illustrated will be celebrating its fiftieth coveted cover.  That’s 5-0!  WOW!  Who knew that when German-born Babette March appeared on the first cover in  January 1964– standing on the sandy beaches of Cozumel –  that annually, men would be waiting in uncontained anticipation for a glance of the magazines newest buxom bathing beauty?

So here it goes …. 49 years of Cover Beauties in less than a minute….

A New Friday Theme & Simple home-style food

Happy Friday Luv-lies,

Today is just plain ‘ol  cooooold!!  All week, the weather prognosticators have been predicting this sub-zero, artic blast that they’ve – most appropriately- dubbed  ‘a polar vortex’.   The temperature outside can’t be described as nothing short of bitterly cold!  This is the type of cold that freezes EVERYTHING on contact.  The weather guys  have also been promising that milder temperatures are in store *side eye*.  The snow is coming down fast! crazy fast!  and the wind is brutal! making it feel even more bone chillingly {is that a word? – ‘chillingly‘?} frigid!

I’m really glad that I didn’t ignore the pre-shopping warnings and not wait until the last minute to do that ‘bad weather grocery shopping’.   The procrastinator in me usually waits until the last minute to do those ‘must get done’ things that should be done waaaaay before the weather related closings, delays and traffic snarls have occurred.

And so.  Here I sit.  It’s Friday.  I’m snowed in.  sitting in front of my laptop … and thinking about food….

{Alert! Alert!} Okay. Right about now, I feel a ‘theme’ coming on.

Yes. A Theme.

I think I like the idea of blogging about food.  And the fact that it’s Friday lends itself nicely to a themed alliteration.

I think I have it!

Friday’s around here will feature at least one post that will have a food theme …. and it will forever be known as  ‘Friday Food Porn’.  *throwing confetti in the air*

I can’t guarantee that all of the foods featured will be the healthiest, but I can promise that they will leave your mouth watering….

With the weather today being as it is, I think that it is most befitting that the first post Friday Food Porn be about ‘comfort food’

Why start with the first meal of the day?

Breakfast.

What is could be more decadent than donuts & coffee?   The mini size is a fantastic way to satisfy that ‘first thing in the morning’ sweet tooth without overindulging

Mini Coffee with Donut
#Yumlicious!

… and for Lunch

Mac ‘n Cheese.  Again, I’m staying with the mini bite.  With a side garden salad – Yowza!

Mac ‘n Cheese

…. Dinner

a second meal with cheese?  It’s cold outside…

ahhhhhh. yes.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

and ….Dessert

Warm apple pie

just add a glass of cold milk.  no greater way to end a day

Warm Apple Pie
What a way to end a day 🙂

 So that’s it.
This has certainly been a deliciously fun way to spend the morning.  Snowed in.  Comfy P.J.’s.  and comfort food.  The greatest beauty of comfort food is its simplicity and the magical way that it transforms us to a time & place that is familiar and safe.

#Yumlicious!