For dinner tonight, I was looking for something easy. I picked up some chicken from Wal-Mart and wanted an easy way to prepare it. I happened to be buying some cheese, because cheese is awesome, when I spotted Kraft Fresh Take. There were a variety of flavors, but I chose the cheddar, jack, and bacon combination.
Fresh Takes come in a plastic pack, one half has a cheese blend, while the other has herbs and breadcrumbs. When you're ready to make it, you open up the bag, destroying the center divider seal, and mix up the contents. You can then coat your choice of meat in the mixture. I used chicken breast tenderloins.
As far as ease goes, it was incredibly simple to prepare. You wet the meat and put it in the bag. Toss it on a cookie sheet and dump the excess mix on top of the meat. Cook twenty minutes, and you're golden.
The first annoyance arises when you realize that they don't give you a cook time or temperature. They provide you with a chart that denotes the minimum internal temperature. While this is helpful, it would be nice to have concrete instructions. I winged it, baking my chicken for about twenty minutes. To make sure it was done, I cut into the plumpest piece to make sure it was white all the way through.
The chicken did stay incredibly moist, which was nice. However, the flavor wasn't that great. There was supposed to be some bacon flavor, which I was unable to detect. Also, because the coating doesn't cover the meat well, the instructions have you dump the excess mix on the meat. That would be great, but as mine cooked, it started sliding off of the chicken. The melted cheese is good on the chicken, but not when it all ends up on the cookie sheet.
This dinner aid gets an A for ease but a C for taste. As such, I won't be using it again. If I want to cover and bake chicken, I'll bust out the Shake and Bake. I'll dip my chicken in a barbecue sauce, followed by a bath in Shake and Bake. It cooks just as quick, keeps the chicken just as moist, and brings a lot more flavor to the table. You also get more for your money with Shake and Bake.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Rock 107 (Myrtle Beach)
I know a lot of people don't listen to the radio much anymore, but I've started tuning in to random stations now that I'm driving. When I take Mark to work early in the morning, I really want some good music. I'm usually tired, so I start with 107.1, which is known as Rock 107. As far as the music goes, it's a pretty sound choice. I've heard Metallica, Deep Purple, and the Rolling Stones, just to give you an idea of the type of music they're playing. I'm primarily into classic rock, so Rock 107 plays what I want to hear, as well as some more recent rock that I didn't know I liked until I heard it on there. If you like rock, it's a great station.
Of course, with all good things, there is a downside. In this case, the talk portion is often tasteless. I have wondered if I am just being harsh because I don't care for the radio chatter/banter to start with. I don't tune in to listen to people ramble on. I tune in to hear some classic Aerosmith. I want to hear AC/DC. I do not want to hear you speculate on whether or not a three-way is a good idea. I don't want to hear some dope that calls in telling you that its all about pretending to be more interested in your wife than the additional girl.
Before you assume that I am incredibly prudish, I am not. Any who know me are well aware that my mind spends a great deal of time in the gutter. That doesn't mean that I air it for the world to experience. I'm not really offended at their choice of topic; I just think it is asinine. What's even worse is that it makes me wonder about the type of people who find this type of display entertaining.
Further making me question how I feel about my membership to the rock club is the type of businesses that are advertising on Rock 107. I feel a business has every right to advertise where they choose, but when I am listening to the radio station where Thee Dollhouse is helping to support one of their contests, it all seems a bit odd. By the way, that is their spelling, not mine. Not too long ago, there were ads for a contest to win a breast job. I've also heard ads promoting amateur night at the local adult nightclub. Once again, they have every right to advertise where they choose. I'm not complaining that the ads exist. I'm just wondering what kind of people are into rock. Goodness knows that the ads they're playing aren't for me.
I will continue to listen to Rock 107 because I love the music they play. It's my default station, followed by Bob FM. I will probably continue to change the station when they start talking though. I usually wait to see what they're discussing before changing the station because there is the potential for awesome, but more often than not, I'm not interested in guys discussing three-ways. The conversations I have with Mark about them are so much more fun and come with less douche chills.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Game of Thrones Trailer - Season Two
While I know I have reviewed Game of Thrones before, I am very tired tonight and saw this trailer for season two, which made it a perfect choice for my review today. If you want to know about the awesomeness of Game of Thrones, check out my review of the first season. This is more of an opportunity to get to you watch Game of Thrones before it is too late.
This preview doesn't seem made for individuals who are just coming to the series. You don't get a great sense of the plot from this trailer unless you already know who the characters are and what purpose they serve. The music is fitting and makes for a good back drop to the epic scenes they are flashing at you. If I was trying to get someone into this show, this trailer would not be my first choice, but it is an opportunity nonetheless.
If you haven't been watching Game of Thrones, it is not too late. The new season does not begin until April 1st. You have two options.
(1) You could purchase the DVD or Blu-Ray for season one, which is available in your local Wal-Mart starting tomorrow.
(2) The other, cheaper choice is to order up some HBO and watch the first season through HBO Go.
I cannot stress enough how much you ought to be watching Game of Thrones. For those of you who are dismissing it due to setting, I know a great deal of people who are enjoying this show when it didn't appear to be their cup of tea. You could be one of those people! Winter is coming. Don't be left out in the cold.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
The Secret World of Arrietty
The Secret World of Arrietty is as animated feature about a group of tiny "borrowers" who live by taking bits of the items needed to survive, which is based off of a 1950s novel with the same premise. It's brought to you by Studio Ghibli courtesy of Disney. A great deal of people will be turned off when they realize the film is the product of Japanese artists, which will immediately allow them to write it off as typical anime. There is no such thing as typical anime, and I encourage you to give the Secret World of Arrietty a shot.
For me, it is refreshing and elicits feelings of nostalgia to see hand drawn animation, which Arrietty utilizes. While Studio Ghibli had utilized computers to embellish some of their films, the cells are primarily drawn by hand. I have seen many beautiful Pixar films, but there is something about a masterpiece created mostly by hand that I find inherently beautiful. The amount of artistry and commitment is astounding.
Animation style aside, the movie provides us with a wonderful story and rich characters. Disney has largely abandoned traditional animation in favor of computer generated films. There is nothing wrong with that, but Disney's films that were done in a traditional animation style that did poorly were the result of lackluster stories and storytelling. Take Tangled for instance; it did well at the box office and was well received. It would have been just as successful done in a classic animation style because the story and characters are engaging. This is why Miyazaki's films are well loved. Studio Ghibli is not afraid to make an animated film that both children and adults will enjoy without having adult jokes hidden throughout. Instead, they provide characters you can related to and care about. The Secret World of Arrietty continues this tradition.
The film isn't perfect, of course. The voice acting is quite good, but it is disconcerting to hear Will Arnett voicing a character that isn't the comic relief. He is largely known as a comedic actor, and it was unusual to hear him do otherwise. I am happy to report that he did a fine job, regardless of what I expected.
While the film is further improved through the sound effects, the main song is just terrible. The artist performs well, but the lyrics just seem silly. The music that accompanies said lyrics doesn't feel right either. The rest of the soundtrack is quite good though.
The Secret World of Arrietty is a successful film that is worth your time. It reminds you how wonderful animation can be while telling an interesting story peppered with rich characters. My favorite two Studio Ghibli films are still Princess Mononoke and How's Moving Castle, but I will eventually be buying the Secret World of Arrietty to add to my collection. Give it a chance; you won't regret it.
For me, it is refreshing and elicits feelings of nostalgia to see hand drawn animation, which Arrietty utilizes. While Studio Ghibli had utilized computers to embellish some of their films, the cells are primarily drawn by hand. I have seen many beautiful Pixar films, but there is something about a masterpiece created mostly by hand that I find inherently beautiful. The amount of artistry and commitment is astounding.
Animation style aside, the movie provides us with a wonderful story and rich characters. Disney has largely abandoned traditional animation in favor of computer generated films. There is nothing wrong with that, but Disney's films that were done in a traditional animation style that did poorly were the result of lackluster stories and storytelling. Take Tangled for instance; it did well at the box office and was well received. It would have been just as successful done in a classic animation style because the story and characters are engaging. This is why Miyazaki's films are well loved. Studio Ghibli is not afraid to make an animated film that both children and adults will enjoy without having adult jokes hidden throughout. Instead, they provide characters you can related to and care about. The Secret World of Arrietty continues this tradition.
The film isn't perfect, of course. The voice acting is quite good, but it is disconcerting to hear Will Arnett voicing a character that isn't the comic relief. He is largely known as a comedic actor, and it was unusual to hear him do otherwise. I am happy to report that he did a fine job, regardless of what I expected.
While the film is further improved through the sound effects, the main song is just terrible. The artist performs well, but the lyrics just seem silly. The music that accompanies said lyrics doesn't feel right either. The rest of the soundtrack is quite good though.
The Secret World of Arrietty is a successful film that is worth your time. It reminds you how wonderful animation can be while telling an interesting story peppered with rich characters. My favorite two Studio Ghibli films are still Princess Mononoke and How's Moving Castle, but I will eventually be buying the Secret World of Arrietty to add to my collection. Give it a chance; you won't regret it.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Thai Curry Pork Chops
You may have heard me whining about finding ingredients for this recipe earlier this week, but I finally got around to making the thai curry pork chops today. Consisting of a sauce made from curry powder, cream of coconut, ginger, green and yellow onions, and heavy cream, these pork chops were pretty good. Mark wants me to make them again, but I'm not so sure.
Let's review the largest problem: finding the ingredients. If you factor in the time I spent in three different grocery stores trying to find all the items I needed to prepare these magical pork chops, as well as the cook time, it took me about two hours to make this dish. I spent at least half an hour searching for the cream of coconut at Lowe's Food the other day. Before you assume I wandered around like an idiot, which I only did for fifteen minutes, I actually asked for help. I did this not once, not twice, but three times before someone could actually help me find what I was looking for. Everyone was very nice, but it was not the most fun I've had in a grocery store. (That would be the time I was in the Wal-Mart that had the McDonalds in it with the Ronald McDonald on the bench out front.)
Obviously, I wouldn't struggle to find the ingredients if I decided to make these pork chops again; I know where they are now. I would, however, change up the ingredients a bit. For this batch, I couldn't use the Frank's Red Hot Chile and Lime Sauce called for, as the grocery stores here didn't have it. I used the Frank's sauce that is sweet and sour flavored. This didn't impact the recipe, as far as I can tell, but my other change would. Instead of using one inch thick bone-in pork chops, as directed, I would choose a thinner cut of pork or chicken instead.
The recipe instructed me to grill the pork chops, but as it was raining today, I was unable to use the grill. I had to make due with pan frying them. Because I made a miscalculation, they were a bit over-cooked. The thicker cut of pork undermines the flavor of the sauce you baste with during the last third of the cook time. If there had not been sauce set aside to serve with, the pork would have been flavorless. As it was, I made four pork chops, instead of six, but I only halved the sauce recipe. I still didn't have enough sauce to give my pork chops good flavor. A thinner cut of meat would give you more flavor bang for your meaty buck.
The sauce was wonderful, and I felt a sense of accomplishment having created it. I had to do a few things I had never done before. Some of these tasks were simple, like cleaning and mincing green onions, which I had never cooked with before. Grating and mincing onions did help me decide to pick up a Ninja food and drink making system at Sam's Club.
Other tasks were a bit stranger and unfamiliar to me, like grating ginger root. I had read online that freezing ginger root makes it much easier to grate. Unfortunately, I didn't take the advice of more experienced chefs and attempted to grate the root at room temperature. It was a nightmare, and the leftover ginger root is now chilling in the freezer.
The recipe Mark chose this week definitely challenged me. I had to find and use ingredients I was unfamiliar with, and I also got to try a meal I would not have chosen on my own. I will be making the sauce again in the future, as it was delicious, very sweet, but I will probably utilize a different meat next time. If you want to have a cooking adventure, you should definitely try making thai curry pork chops. I'm pretty sure I leveled...
Let's review the largest problem: finding the ingredients. If you factor in the time I spent in three different grocery stores trying to find all the items I needed to prepare these magical pork chops, as well as the cook time, it took me about two hours to make this dish. I spent at least half an hour searching for the cream of coconut at Lowe's Food the other day. Before you assume I wandered around like an idiot, which I only did for fifteen minutes, I actually asked for help. I did this not once, not twice, but three times before someone could actually help me find what I was looking for. Everyone was very nice, but it was not the most fun I've had in a grocery store. (That would be the time I was in the Wal-Mart that had the McDonalds in it with the Ronald McDonald on the bench out front.)
Obviously, I wouldn't struggle to find the ingredients if I decided to make these pork chops again; I know where they are now. I would, however, change up the ingredients a bit. For this batch, I couldn't use the Frank's Red Hot Chile and Lime Sauce called for, as the grocery stores here didn't have it. I used the Frank's sauce that is sweet and sour flavored. This didn't impact the recipe, as far as I can tell, but my other change would. Instead of using one inch thick bone-in pork chops, as directed, I would choose a thinner cut of pork or chicken instead.
The recipe instructed me to grill the pork chops, but as it was raining today, I was unable to use the grill. I had to make due with pan frying them. Because I made a miscalculation, they were a bit over-cooked. The thicker cut of pork undermines the flavor of the sauce you baste with during the last third of the cook time. If there had not been sauce set aside to serve with, the pork would have been flavorless. As it was, I made four pork chops, instead of six, but I only halved the sauce recipe. I still didn't have enough sauce to give my pork chops good flavor. A thinner cut of meat would give you more flavor bang for your meaty buck.
The sauce was wonderful, and I felt a sense of accomplishment having created it. I had to do a few things I had never done before. Some of these tasks were simple, like cleaning and mincing green onions, which I had never cooked with before. Grating and mincing onions did help me decide to pick up a Ninja food and drink making system at Sam's Club.
Other tasks were a bit stranger and unfamiliar to me, like grating ginger root. I had read online that freezing ginger root makes it much easier to grate. Unfortunately, I didn't take the advice of more experienced chefs and attempted to grate the root at room temperature. It was a nightmare, and the leftover ginger root is now chilling in the freezer.
The recipe Mark chose this week definitely challenged me. I had to find and use ingredients I was unfamiliar with, and I also got to try a meal I would not have chosen on my own. I will be making the sauce again in the future, as it was delicious, very sweet, but I will probably utilize a different meat next time. If you want to have a cooking adventure, you should definitely try making thai curry pork chops. I'm pretty sure I leveled...
Friday, March 2, 2012
The Kindle Fire
When the e-readers began coming out, I was one of those people who hated them. I like having a book in my hands, not reading a little screen. It probably stems from my dislike of change, but there you have it. My mother got a regular Kindle over a year ago, and I played a few games on it when I saw her last spring. It didn't really interest me, and I went on my merry way, continuing to buy more books that I have shelves to hold.
For my birthday in December, my husband, with a bit of help from his parents, got me a Kindle Fire. What makes this hilarious is that I told both him and my own mother that I didn't want one. I was very loud and obnoxious about my dislike for e-readers, so you would think they would have gotten the picture. Instead, Mark decides to get me one and then my mother is annoyed because she wanted to get me one for Christmas. My family loves me, but I sometimes wonder why they all decided to get me something I didn't want.
Well, I have had my Kindle Fire for almost three months, and I actually like it quite a bit. It has multiple functions that make it a fun toy. Mark knows that I disliked the idea of using an e-reader, so he made me a case for my Kindle Fire out of a book he bought from the clearance shelf at the bookstore. This way, I can still feel like I'm reading a book. The best part is that it protects my Kindle.
I've carted my Kindle around quite a bit, but it looses some of its functionality when it is away from an internet connection. At home, I can use our wi-fi, but it is not always available when I am out and about. I haven't actually connected to any wi-fi away from home, so I can't say how easy it is to connect. I know it was simple to set it up at home. Someday, I would like to see a more effective way to stay connected.
For the most part, I use my Kindle to play Words With Friends and Wordfued, hence the need for an internet connection. Our music is also uploaded to the cloud courtesy of Amazon, so I sometimes use it to access my music when Mark is using his computer, which houses the iTunes. The games and music play nicely on the Kindle. The volume doesn't get particularly loud for the music, but it gets loud enough to hear when I'm in the shower and it is laying on the counter.
As for battery life, I really can't complain. I often go a few days without charging my Kindle. If it is the weekend and I am playing a lot of games, I usually need to charge my Kindle that night. For my needs, the Kindle has good battery life.
To this day, I have still not purchased a book to read on my Kindle. I'm the tiniest bit stubborn. Instead, I have continued to buy books that don't fit on my shelves. Eventually, I'll be desperate and get a book for on the Kindle, and I'm sure I'll love it. Until that day, it will continue to be my gaming tablet, since I don't need a whole lot of memory or power.
When I asked Mark why he would buy me a Kindle when I didn't want one, he told me that he thought I should have one so I could be more comfortable. At night, ge had noticed me playing word games on my phone, which has a pretty small screen. I'm glad he got me the Kindle Fire. It's a nice piece of hardware that suits my needs. Someday, I'll use it as an e-reader and wonder why I didn't use it that way earlier. Until then, I'm going to go lose a game of Words With Friends to Rick.
For my birthday in December, my husband, with a bit of help from his parents, got me a Kindle Fire. What makes this hilarious is that I told both him and my own mother that I didn't want one. I was very loud and obnoxious about my dislike for e-readers, so you would think they would have gotten the picture. Instead, Mark decides to get me one and then my mother is annoyed because she wanted to get me one for Christmas. My family loves me, but I sometimes wonder why they all decided to get me something I didn't want.
Well, I have had my Kindle Fire for almost three months, and I actually like it quite a bit. It has multiple functions that make it a fun toy. Mark knows that I disliked the idea of using an e-reader, so he made me a case for my Kindle Fire out of a book he bought from the clearance shelf at the bookstore. This way, I can still feel like I'm reading a book. The best part is that it protects my Kindle.
I've carted my Kindle around quite a bit, but it looses some of its functionality when it is away from an internet connection. At home, I can use our wi-fi, but it is not always available when I am out and about. I haven't actually connected to any wi-fi away from home, so I can't say how easy it is to connect. I know it was simple to set it up at home. Someday, I would like to see a more effective way to stay connected.
For the most part, I use my Kindle to play Words With Friends and Wordfued, hence the need for an internet connection. Our music is also uploaded to the cloud courtesy of Amazon, so I sometimes use it to access my music when Mark is using his computer, which houses the iTunes. The games and music play nicely on the Kindle. The volume doesn't get particularly loud for the music, but it gets loud enough to hear when I'm in the shower and it is laying on the counter.
As for battery life, I really can't complain. I often go a few days without charging my Kindle. If it is the weekend and I am playing a lot of games, I usually need to charge my Kindle that night. For my needs, the Kindle has good battery life.
To this day, I have still not purchased a book to read on my Kindle. I'm the tiniest bit stubborn. Instead, I have continued to buy books that don't fit on my shelves. Eventually, I'll be desperate and get a book for on the Kindle, and I'm sure I'll love it. Until that day, it will continue to be my gaming tablet, since I don't need a whole lot of memory or power.
When I asked Mark why he would buy me a Kindle when I didn't want one, he told me that he thought I should have one so I could be more comfortable. At night, ge had noticed me playing word games on my phone, which has a pretty small screen. I'm glad he got me the Kindle Fire. It's a nice piece of hardware that suits my needs. Someday, I'll use it as an e-reader and wonder why I didn't use it that way earlier. Until then, I'm going to go lose a game of Words With Friends to Rick.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Seckels!
Did you know that seckels are pears? I didn't either, until Mark asked if he could buy some sugar pears that were on clearance at Sam's Club. Mark got eight pounds of the tiny little things for only four dollars. They are tiny little pears, a bit bigger than a large super ball. These ones are green with some red on them, but apparently, that's the color they are when ripe. I had never had one before, so it was a perfect candidate for today's review!
The first observation regarding seckels is that they are tiny and green. Frankly, it kind of creeps me out. They look like unripe pears, which has kept me from trying one a bit sooner. I had one tonight though, and they are quite sweet. The skin can begin to taste bitter if you chew it too long, but once I realized that, I stopped doing it.
They have the same consistency as larger pears, but they don't appear to bruise as easily. It is extremely difficult to find a large pear that isn't bruised. I have only had one, and it came in its own container when I purchased it for $3.50 at Epcot a few years back. These little guys came in big plastic cartons like they sell grapes in, but they don't appear to be bruised or in poor shape. Because of their condition, I was shocked they were on clearance.
Their diminutive size could be a problem if you were hoping to have one and be filled up. Fortunately for me, I have eight pounds of them. I don't know that I've seen them for sale before, so it may not be good to get attached.
Perhaps the weirdest characteristic of the seckel is its smell. After taking a couple bites, Mark told me to smell it. I took a big whiff, and it smelled like flowers. It was very odd. I had some roses on the table for Valentine's Day, and this little pear packed the same scent.
If you want to try something a bit different but relatively the same, go find some seckels. You might find them listed as sugar pears, because apparently some people find them to be very sweet. I thought mine was delicious and not too sweet, but that is probably a personal taste thing. Couple their size with their resilience, and you have a perfect lunch box fruit. They are tasty and easy to eat. No muss. No fuss. Cute little pears. It's all win.
The first observation regarding seckels is that they are tiny and green. Frankly, it kind of creeps me out. They look like unripe pears, which has kept me from trying one a bit sooner. I had one tonight though, and they are quite sweet. The skin can begin to taste bitter if you chew it too long, but once I realized that, I stopped doing it.
They have the same consistency as larger pears, but they don't appear to bruise as easily. It is extremely difficult to find a large pear that isn't bruised. I have only had one, and it came in its own container when I purchased it for $3.50 at Epcot a few years back. These little guys came in big plastic cartons like they sell grapes in, but they don't appear to be bruised or in poor shape. Because of their condition, I was shocked they were on clearance.
Their diminutive size could be a problem if you were hoping to have one and be filled up. Fortunately for me, I have eight pounds of them. I don't know that I've seen them for sale before, so it may not be good to get attached.
Perhaps the weirdest characteristic of the seckel is its smell. After taking a couple bites, Mark told me to smell it. I took a big whiff, and it smelled like flowers. It was very odd. I had some roses on the table for Valentine's Day, and this little pear packed the same scent.
If you want to try something a bit different but relatively the same, go find some seckels. You might find them listed as sugar pears, because apparently some people find them to be very sweet. I thought mine was delicious and not too sweet, but that is probably a personal taste thing. Couple their size with their resilience, and you have a perfect lunch box fruit. They are tasty and easy to eat. No muss. No fuss. Cute little pears. It's all win.
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