a lifetime of chocolate pavlova

The Lifetime Channel has this awesome new show on called Cook Yourself Thin. The premise is to take your favorite calorie filled dishes and revamp them with the hopes of dropping a dress size in 6 weeks…without sacrificing flavor. Thanks to Dish Network I am able to record every new episode so I never miss it and I am not kidding when I say I want to cook every single dish they have made. Not only does everything look absolutely delectable but it is also so easy to make. You can get all the recipes and watch full episodes online and they also have a cookbook…which is definitely on my to buy asap list!

I am dying to make THIS…

Chocolate Pavlova

Serves 6
Calories per serving: 337

For the pavlova
4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cocoa powder

For the topping
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup fresh raspberries
1/4 cup shaved dark chocolate
1/4 cup melted chocolate for drizzling

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Whisk the egg whites and salt on high speed until they hold their shape. Add the sugar gradually until the mixture stands in firm peaks. Add the lemon juice and whisk just to incorporate. Sift the cocoa powder into a small corner of the bowl and lightly fold it into the meringue using a plastic spatula. Do not overmix or you will lose the rippled effect. Pour the meringue onto the parchment-lined sheet pan in an oval shape, roughly 3 inches by 5 inches and 2 inches high. Place into the bottom of the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

3. Switch off the oven without opening the door and leave the pavlova in the turned-off oven for one hour. Remove and set aside.

4. For the topping: Whisk the whipping cream into semi-stiff peaks and spoon on top of the pavlova. Sprinkle with raspberries and shaved chocolate before serving. Finish with drizzled chocolate.

bouncy bouncy...oh such a good time!

I don’t know how they come up with this stuff but the British have done again! Case in point…my new favorite TV show…The Mighty Boosh. I came across it one late night on the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim Channel and have been hooked every since! Even after extensive internet research and multiple visits to Wikipedia I still have no idea what “Mighty Boosh” means or what exactly to even make of this show but I love it!

It was created by and stars Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding who portray the characters of Howard Moon and Vince Noir. I don’t even know how to describe it but I liken it to what I imagine a drug trip would be like. There is a talking

gorilla named Bollo and some crazy pink head with tentacles named Tony Harrison and The Moon (this is genius by the way) is a recurring character that will interrupt an episode with some little irrelevant...yet comical...anecdote.

The one thing I do know...it is ridiculously funny! The Mighty Boosh is a pretty big deal…in-between live stage shows and TV there has been radio programs, books and CD’s…which I am all trying to get my hands on. For weeks now I have been singing this little tune…or what the Boosh call…a crimp…from my favorite season 3 episode entitled Party…enjoy!

eclipse chapters 15-epilogue

Book: Eclipse
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Chapter(s): 15-Epilogue

Page 345…Bella is worried that once she becomes a vampire she might not feel the same way about Edward and wonders…“Was there a human experience that I was not willing to give up?” I don’t know about her but mine would be food. Glorious food…coffee, red wine, cheese fries, kosher hot dogs, chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting…the list goes on. But on the other hand I would be too busy with feathers and broken furniture to think about eating…so food…we had some good times…it was fun while it lasted. I will remember you always.

Page 363…Bella tells Charlie she doesn’t know what to do about Jacob and he tells her…“The right thing isn’t always real obvious. Sometimes the right thing for one person is the wrong thing for someone else.” He is right…“the right thing” is a very subjective idea and one that I have struggled with many times. Often what you think is the right thing turns out not to be. Charlie continues…“So…good luck figuring that out.” Um yeah thanks Charlie…I guess!

Page 421…Bella asks Edward to either let everyone fight without his help or let her be there. This part makes me so mad. Could she be anymore selfish? Way to put someone you love in an incredibly difficult position. This book really shows her manipulative side.

Page 434 starts the chapter entitled Compromise. Bella and Edward go back and forth with the whole getting married thing and basically conclude that Bella will marry Edward only if he agrees to have sex with her before she becomes a vampire so she can experience it as a human. Well played Bella Swan…using your feminine wiles and raging teenage hormones to get what you want. Wait...a minute…are you crazy? Using sex as a compromise to marriage is so messed up. If this wasn’t an argument for their relationship being unhealthy I don’t know what is.

Page 450…Bella is trying to jump Edward’s bones…again (Believe me I don't blame her)…and he tells her…“You just promised to marry me before you do any changing, but if I give in tonight, what guarantee do I have that you won’t go running off to Carlisle in the morning? I am – clearly – much less reluctant to give you what you want. Therefore…you first.” You have been called out Miss Swan! It is totally out of character for Edward not to give in to Bella but I like that he is…even if it is just this once…at least trying.

Page 456…Edward tells Bella…“We’ll go to Vegas – you can wear old jeans and we’ll go to the chapel with a drive-through window. I just want it to be official – that you belong to me and no one else.” Well this sounds like my kind of wedding! But I have to say this scenario reminds me of another little love triangle…Carrie…Aidan…and Mr. Big! Aidan too wanted to “lock this thing down” and make it official. This attitude toward marriage is another reason why I fear it so. Maybe it is the use of the word official? Yes being married does afford a couple a reasonable amount of assurance that they will be faithful to each other emotionally and financially but divorce does happen. But aside from that I don’t like the idea of belonging to anyone. If I were to get married it wouldn’t be because I want to belong to anyone or have anyone belong to me. I would want to be together but belong to ourselves.

Page 528…Bella and Jacob kiss and she realizes that she is in love with him but not enough to change how she feels about Edward. This is sort of crazy to me. I am not saying it can’t happen but Bella is only 18. It is hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that she is squeezing in a lifetime of love and heartache into one year.

In conclusion:

Eclipse was a nice change of pace after New Moon. While we see some other sides to the characters throughout the book I feel Jacob has the best development. He really becomes the most interesting character since it is pretty much inevitable that Bella and Edward will end up together. Like I mentioned before reading about Rosalie and Jasper’s past was definitely the highlight for me. Now all I'm waiting for is Bella and Edward to finally do it!

the trick for carrying a dead body

There is no question about it…I LOVE to laugh! I have seen many movies that have me laughing out loud…but if you were to ask me about the last time I laughed so hard I could barely breathe...my reply would be the same every time…the restaurant scene in Mickey Blue Eyes!

Four of the funniest minutes in movie history ever!

hebrew national league

One of my favorite seasons is Baseball Season…and it is here! There is nothing I enjoy more than a cloudless sky, great seats, the smell of grilled onions in the air, and drinking some cold beer in the middle of the day! That was my reality last Friday at the Cubs vs. Cardinals game at Wrigley Field.

Chances are if you ever had a conversation with me and the topic of

baseball came up it immediately defaulted to Wrigley Field’s kosher hot dogs. I have been to many different ballparks and I have yet to find better hot dogs than at Wrigley Field. Now let me clarify...I am not talking about the hot dogs you get at the concession stands but the ones that are cooked alongside fresh onions on an open grill right in front of you at what I call the red stands. They are grilled to perfection then nestled in-between a poppy seed bun and for the piece de résistance topped with Guldens Spicy Brown Mustard. I guarantee it will be the best five dollars you ever spend.

You can’t say you have been to Chicago until you eat one of these dogs. I feel I must also mention the stand called Big Dawgs I discovered last year that has the best cheese fries ever! A boat of deliciousness will cost you $5.75...but it is totally worth it!

Club box seat: $65.00
Cold beer: $6.50
Kosher hot dog & cheese fries $10.75
Enjoying America’s favorite pastime: priceless

so let it be written...so let it be done

One of the greatest epic movies of all time is Cecil B. DeMille’s masterpiece, The Ten Commandments. With such talents as Charlton Heston, Anne Baxter, Yul Brynner, and Edward G. Robinson this film…with a running time of 4 hours…tells the story of Moses and his journey to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. Although I'm not very religious I have always loved this film and it has become a tradition to watch it every Easter Sunday.

The film is visually stunning with its grand scenery…vibrant colors…and special effects that are quite good for a film made in 1956. The parting of the Red Sea is one sequence that should be seen at least once by every film aficionado.

As great as this film is…every time I see it I can’t help but become frustrated with how easily led the Hebrews are. One minute they believe Moses to be the deliverer and the next they want to stone him. Even after Moses parts the Red Sea in front of their very own eyes a few words from Dathan and they are making a golden calf to worship and partaking in all sorts of debauchery. It really makes you look at the power of leadership and the power of fear.

I always come away from it though...at the very least...being reminded to be thankful for my own free will and the ability to think for myself.

my favorite brand!

Last night I had a dream about Russell Brand. I lost my purse and he was helping me find it…and then one thing led to another…and well lets just say it turned out to be a very good dream!

I have to admit that I love Russell Brand! He is intelligent, charming, very good looking, sexy, has a great English accent, and is hilarious! What's not to love? Not only does he have a successful career as a stand-up comedian, but he has also been in such films as Forgetting Sarah Marshall (which I might add I only saw because he was in) and Bedtime Stories. If that was not enough he has also made it onto my reading list with his book entitled My Booky Wook: A Memoir of Sex, Drugs, and Stand-Up. Sort of a Jack of all trades if you will. Now if he will only come to Chicago...I assure you I would be first in line for tickets.

p.s. we never did find my purse!