Happy Birthday Emily!

Rain, Rain Stay Stay Stay!

It's raining! Hooray! For an instant earlier this week I was envious of my siblings already having snow this year, but then I remembered that I haven't gotten enough rain yet. I love the rain. It's so soothing. And it keeps the kids from the playground outside my apartment (I think I should get my rent lowered because of that playground. It is non-stop screaming from 2:45-8PM (or later - the parents in this place - I couldn't even see the children one night, but I could hear them. It was like a G-rated horror movie)). When I got the place, it was a tennis court.

How did this get into a Kristen is an old-fuddy-duddy rant? RAIN. I occasionally consider buying one of those nature sound albums, but it's just not the same. There isn't the same misty feeling in the air. You can't fantasize about going outside and dancing in the puddles.

One of my most relaxing memories is being in the parking lot of my first apartment in Texas and hearing a rustling, I turned and was able to watch the rain come across the parking lot towards me. It was summer so it was also a warm rain. BLISS.

Smell Like a Monster

Brilliant Idea: Portion Plate

On my incredibly annoying drive home today (charities are stalking all the intersections...again), I randomly came up with the idea for a portion plate.  It is not really a plate per se, but an overlay that people can put over their plates while they are doling out their portions.  There would be sections for protein (size of the palm of your hand), starch, and vegetable. It would give weight watchers an easy guide to what the size of their meals should look like, but would be removable so they an eat their meals on a normal plate.  And of course, it would be collapsible for easy storage.  Maybe there would be a secondary type of tupperware so you can have the correct portion sizes for lunch the next day - the lid would also help limit the height.  What do you think?  Is there something like this already out there?

Happy Birthday Samuel! (one day late)

What you looking at?

"I've always been scared of you." "That's cause you're smart." Movie Review: Winter's Bone

Mesmerizing and traumatic.  This movie was like a modern-day, non-stereotypical western.  Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone tells the story of a seventeen year old girl who is raising her two younger siblings in a backwoods town in modern-day Arkansas.  She goes on the search for her crank-cooking father so he can make his court date and her family doesn't lose their house due to his bail bond.  To find him, she has to deal with a bunch of people who pride themselves on not talking, and will kill anyone who does (even if they are family).  There is a lot of menace and the need to read between-lines.  I found myself feeling the emotions for the lead character (Ree) because there was no way she could show them to anyone else - and those emotions were a roller coaster ride from small moments of joy to one of the most traumatic things I've seen on film.  Highly recommend.  Rated: R  Type: Film  Grade:  A.

Jello 123

Do you remember Jello 123?  It was an awesome Jello treat that was out in the early 90's (discontinued around 1995 I believe).  It was so good I still remember it today.  I was lucky enough to get a Christmas gift from my parents last year of a similar product called Trio Treat.   On Sunday I made my last box.  See the awesomeness below.

Trio Treat

This is the first time I've tried making them in the champagne style glasses - had to use a chopstick to get to the part in the stem.  But it looks so pretty, doesn't it?

I have also tried several recipes for Jello 123 - this is the tastiest one I've come across - though the middle layer in the separation is usually really thin.  It's a great low-cal and inexpensive treat.

Jello 123
Ingredients:
Water
1 small package Jello  (regular or sugar-free)
Ice cubes
Cool Whip Non Dairy Whipped Topping

Instructions:
Pour 3/4 cup boiling water into blender
Add Jello mix
Cover and blend at low speed for 30 seconds
Combine 1/2 cup cold water and ice cubes to make 1 1/4 cups.
Add to gelatin and stir until ice is partially melted.
Add 1/2 cup Cool Whip Non-Dairy Whipped Topping
Blend for 30 seconds
Pour immediately into dessert glasses (I recommend filling half full and then topping off)
Chill for 30 minutes.
Makes 3 cups.

Let me know if you try it!