September 28, 2008

Movie Trailer: "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist"



From Wikipedia: "After seeing his ex-sweetheart Tris (Alexis Dziena) with a new guy at his band's gig, high school student Nick O'Leary (Michael Cera), member of The Jerk Offs, is asked by college-bound Norah Silverberg (Kat Dennings) to be her boyfriend for five minutes to prove something to her friend Tris. Little does Norah know, Nick is Tris's ex-boyfriend, who Norah has developed a crush on even before seeing him. This is due to his mix CDs he had made for Tris after she broke up with him. Nick's friends then attempt to set them up, thinking it would help Nick get over Tris."

This looks like way too much fun to miss.

September 26, 2008

Today's Breakfast

Huevos Rancheros, Noto Brand Hickory Smoked Jalapeno Pepper Sauce, and a hot cup of coffee. The hot sauce is home made by my brother Frank, from his own organically grown, home smoked jalapenos.

Aaron Sorkin Conjures a Meeting of Obama and Bartlet

By Maureen Dowd, New York Times, September 20, 2008
"Now that he’s finally fired up on the soup-line economy, Barack Obama knows he can’t fade out again. He was eager to talk privately to a Democratic ex-president who could offer more fatherly wisdom — not to mention a surreptitious smoke — and less fraternal rivalry. I called the “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin (yes, truly) to get a read-out of the meeting. This is what he wrote"

September 22, 2008

Memory Lane: My 1970 Z/28 Camaro

Back in 1970, I owned a car that looked exactly like this, except for the license plate.

Since I considered my driving skills to be exceptional, I did not always drive this amazing vehicle in what you'd call a responsible fashion.

One afternoon my brother Frank and I drove to a brand new section of road, freshly paved, flat as a pancake and straight as an arrow for a mile or two, way out in the middle of nowhere west of then-developed suburban Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We turned off the radio, rolled up the windows, tightened down our seatbelts (no shoulder harnesses in those days, kids) and I put my foot down. Up through the gears we screamed, until the telephone poles were flicking by at an amazing rate, and I noticed that we were in fourth gear and the engine was wailing away, 500 rpm past its redline.

Some years later, sitting with coffee after a family Christmas-season dinner at my parents' place, with the car safely gone to other parts, I was remembering the car fondly. My mother asked me how fast I had gone in it. I told her, "You really don't want to know." She insisted. I reiterated. She insisted again. So, I told her, "One hundred and forty-five miles an hour."

"I wish you hadn't told me." she said.

My Favorite Atlanta Area Bakery

Having grown up in a household managed by my mother, who was, among other things, a German-American Baker-Woman Superhero, baked goods have a special place in my universe.

With that in mind, I thought I'd turn on all you Twitter-less souls to my Favorite Atlanta Area Bakery, Southern Sweets, across from the Dekalb Farmers Market, off Laredo Drive, in Decatur. It is a family business. Mom bakes, her twenty-something red-haired son fronts the retail operation, and Dad is the artist who has produced the delightful paintings that fill the walls.

Go. Buy. Eat. Enjoy. Then write to me and tell me all about it.

September 19, 2008

Laurel's Kitchen - Oatmeal Pancake Recipe

This is one of our all time breakfast favorites, from Laurel's Kitchen, our favorite cookbook back in the hippie days. The two things we always added was hot real butter and real maple syrup!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup rolled oats

1 tablespoon oil
2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Process

Combine the milk and rolled oats in a bowl and let stand at least five minutes.

Add the oil and beaten eggs, mixing well. Stir in the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Bake on a hot, lightly oiled griddle, using 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Turn them when the top is bubbly and the edges are slightly dry.

Makes 10 to 12 pancakes.

P.S. We also got used to having to make a double batch of this great recipe. Enjoy.