These Are My Obsesssions: May 30

You have to love a long weekend but somehow that first day back to your routine still feels like the second week at school when you have already used all your exciting new school supplies and worn your cutest outfits. You know, the thrill is gone and summer is over. In this case summer is just beginning but I needed some extra exciting things to kick off the week.

Anthology is beautiful lifestyle magazine. I just saw that I will be getting a new issue shortly and I can't wait to see what they have in store for me in their "Life's a Party" issue. I love reading blogs but there is something about a well done magazine that really appeals to me. When I saw the description of the intended audience in the chronicle, I was immediately sold on Anthology. The describe their reader as:
"We envisioned a woman with an appreciation for art and good design," says Ilasco, the magazine's creative director, of the target audience. "She's a bit crafty, likes to dabble in cooking, enjoys entertaining and loves to travel." (Read more)

The most accurate/ridiculous description of life in San Francisco. It's on a great new San Francisco experience blog, The Bold Italic, with tales of riding in food trucks and meeting interesting locals.

Amusing, original greeting cards at Fomato. Just reading through them makes me giggle.

A journal entitled "People I want to punch in the face" just seems like a great way to get through frustrating days without any punching of actual people. My number one entry would be RJ Berger show commercials.

Lupe Fiasco on Stephen Colbert. Great performance, adorable interview.

Scones

It is a rainy, dreary day in May here in Oakland and all I would like to do is curl up with a book, a cup of tea and nice selection of pastry. It is interesting how bad weather makes you want to consume massive amounts of carbs and sugar. Not that I am encouraging that behavior, I mean you should definitely eat a salad for dinner. But if you are heading to a tea party or thinking of having one of your own you will need this scone recipe. Now there are a lot of different types of scones; various flavors, crunchy or cakey, sweet or savory. With no bias I would say my mom’s scone recipe is the best out there. I consider the texture to be like a lightly sweetened biscuit. It is a very flexible recipe in terms of creating a flavor. You can add different herbs, fruits or chocolate. My personal favorite are chopped chocolate covered candied orange. I served it with a homemade butter with orange zest and honey.

Maureen’s Scones

3 ¼ c flour

1/3 c sugar

2 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp grated lemon peel or orange peel

¾ - 1 c butter

After whirling & pouring into mixing bowl, add: chopped fruit (about 1 cup but use your judgment on what can be incorporated).

Pour in 1 cup buttermilk.

Flatten dough out in a circle about one inch think and cut triangles of dough (like cutting a pizza). Place on a greased baking sheet.

Bake at 375 x 15-20 min.

Tips: If you aren’t used to baking biscuits, the dough will be dry, you will likely have to do some smushing with your hands to get all the flour incorporated after you have added the buttermilk. The butter doesn’t have to be extremely soft but definitely don’t use it straight out of the fridge.

If you prefer a savory scone, this cheddar chive scone will make everyone at your party ask for the recipe.

Alt.Latino Music Discoveries

Who doesn’t love the feeling of discovering a new band(especially when you haven’t heard their music on a car commercial or an Apple ad)? Somehow you feel like they are yours and yours alone and it is your responsibility to share this band with everyone you know. It can seem like your evangelism of this band is the thing that is going to lead to their success. Of course realistically, you know that plenty of other people are discovering this band at the same time. One podcast I turn to for new discoveries is Alt.Latino on NPR. Alt Latino features artists from all over Latin America and Latino artists in the U.S. They feature rock, rap, cumbia, singer-songwriters and other things.

A few bands I have recently “discovered”. I have included links where you can hear some tracks.

Los Rakas-Panamanian-American Hip Hop Duo based in East Oakland. They make you want to get out and shake it. Not to mention that they have a song with a gun noise which I have a secret weakness for (see Tupac and Bone Thugs song, Thug Luv).

Holger-Brazilian band with fun, pop-y sound. They kind of remind me of Ra Ra Riot. I love that their album is called Sunga, which is Portuguese for speedo. When I listen to their music I feel that they must be adorable and that we should be friends.

Bomba Estereo-Columbian electro-tropical group. I think they sound like what would happen if M.I.A. went to Columbia and listened to a lot of cumbia then got an electronic dj to be her partner.

Diego Garcia-An Argentinian-American singer-songwriter with a super melancholy album that would be good to stay in your room and cry to but is still really enjoyable.

DJ Geko Jones-Brooklyn based DJ who takes old tracks from South American artists and mixes them with a beat to make extremely danceable mixes.

PS Who knew you could go to MySpace to listen to music?! I just assumed it was only used by people still enjoying 2006.

Alt.Latino also has a blog where you can read about the podcasts.

The Hunger Games

No matter what your age, there is something special about young adult fiction. In general they are quick reads and often there is more immediacy to the story, a sense that you will just explode if you don’t find out what happens next. I read the Twilight series over the course of several weeks and I have gone to see each of the movies in the theater but I kind of hate that I loved these books. The writing is not great and the female character is not someone I would want any teenage girl to admire. If you liked Twilight but wished Stephanie Meyer knew how to write and you didn’t kind of hate Bella, you will love The Hunger Games. Even if you couldn’t ever be bothered to read Twilight and think you are too cool for young adult books, I still think you will love The Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games is a story about a postapocalyptic society that rises from the ashes of North America. It is ruled by a central power, the Capital, and made of twelve subject districts that provide everything the capital needs to live a life of luxury. Meanwhile, in the districts people live on the brink of starvation. Many years before there was a rebellion where the districts tried to overthrow the capital. As punishment for this uprising, each district must send two tributes (teenagers between 12 and 18) to the capital each year for a fight to the death in a stylized arena. They are chosen via a lottery in a process called the reaping. The heroine of this story is Katniss Everdeen, a girl who supports her mother and sister by any means necessary. She is a wonderful character, willful and single-minded in the ways of a teenager but compassionate and mature at the same time. The reaping completely changes her life and sets the course for the three books.

The story is so gripping. I read all three books in three days and really never knew what turn the story would take next. There is a love triangle along the way, humor and lots of action. Katniss is an impressive heroine, someone you cheer for and occasionally want to shake some sense into. She is not afraid to stand up for what is right and to make difficult decisions. The overarching story line of the society they live in with all the control that is held over them is really interesting and could even make you think about deeper questions like the role of government. On the other hand you can just read the story, enjoy it and begin counting down to the movie (coming in March 2012).

Another enthusiastic review of the first book.

Entertainment Weekly’s mini-site dedicated to all things Hunger Games if you have already read the book.

If you have already read the books, this weeks Entertainment Weekly is all about the movie.

These are my Obsessions: May 23rd

I heart the internets! Here are the things that caught my fancy this week:

The Chronicle reports on a Whole Spice in Napa: providing recipes, information on how spices are used and a history of the family that owns the shop. They also have an online store.

Pinterest: a user created collage of many interesting pictures on the internet, from recipes to clothing to home decor and many other things. This site will inspire you to craft, cook and possibly shop.

I heart big books and I cannot lie: My new favorite catchphrase. Now if only someone will craft me this tote bag.....

Learning that "Keep Calm and Carry On" was a propaganda poster designed by the British government prior to World War II and meant to be used as part of series to boost morale in case of an invasion by the Germans. After it was discovered in a used bookstore in the UK it got adapted into a million other slogans, one for anyone. I just love the Britishness of the original saying!

Michael Bolton finally bringing the cool back to the Bolton name with the Lonely Island collaboration "Jack Sparrow". This video makes me smile.

Masterpiece Theater

There is nothing like making a nice cup of tea and sitting down to watch Masterpiece on PBS. It sounds like something your grandma would have done and I do have some tendencies in the grandmotherly direction but actually Masterpiece has recently come out with some great miniseries. Recently I have watched Sherlock, Downton Abbey and 39 Steps. All have been highly entertaining and most offer history lessons without a hint of boring. I was even inspired to enter the sweepstakes to go on a Masterpiece tour of England, I didn't win so I may have to create my own.

Sherlock is set in modern day London, with Watson as a vet returning from Afghanistan. The episodes are entertaining and really draw you into the stories. I really loved they are filmed with a grey tinge; it added this element of doom to everything. There are three 90 minute episodes and each one is taken from one of the Sherlock Holmes characters. Sherlock is an interesting character, unlikeable but somehow you are still rooting for him. Watson is played by the Martin Freeman who was Tim on the U.K. version of The Office.

Downton Abbey is set in 1912 at the country estate of the Earl of Grantham. The show starts with the heirs to the title and estate perishing on the Titanic. This starts a scramble to train the new heir in the ways of the estate and secure husbands for the three daughters, one of whom was promised to the son of the heir who was lost to the Titanic. The show goes back and forth between the Earl and his family and the servants that work for them. There is loads of drama, manners and history to keep you entertained.

39 Steps is a romantic thriller based off a book that was later turned into a Hitchcock movie. The lead character is a bored playboy who gets caught up in a spy plot that involves threats to Britain’s national security. As he is running from the people trying to stop him from revealing the information to the government he meets a young suffragette and romance ensues. There is action, humor and suppressed Victorian style romance.

Learn more about these shows and other upcoming Masterpiece films and miniseries.

Downton Abbey and Sherlock are both currently available to watch instantly on Netflix.

Farm Shares

There is nothing like fresh picked produce. I have fond memories of picking peas at my grandparents in the one for me, one for the bowl method of picking. When I learned about farm shares, also known as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), it seemed like a great way to get my produce. I love farmers markets and picking out a variety of produce but more often than not I end up sleeping too late or making other plans instead so I don’t make it every week. CSAs offer you an opportunity to learn more about a farm and connect with the owners. I also love being forced to figure out what to do with a new ingredient that I have never seen before. I get a box and a half a dozen eggs each week. It can be a little much for one person but it's a good challenge to try to use it in one week. This week my box contained: Strawberries, Lemons, Mixed Lettuce, Parsley, Sugar Snap Peas, Fava Beans, Red Russian Kale, Stir Fry Mix, Green Garlic, Red Spring Onions and Lemon Verbena.

I need to use the strawberries right away, they are so fresh, they still seem warm from the sun. I am going to make a strawberry shortcake for me and the roomies.

Can’t wait to figure out what to do with this bounty!

I belong to Eatwell Farm in Dixon but you can learn more about CSAs and locate options in your area at Local Harvest.

Specials Ops Romance

There is a genre of romance novels for every fantasy type of guy: princes, foreigners, vampires, construction workers. Whatever you can imagine, chances are good that there is a romance novel with that guy as the protagonist. A year ago the library introduced me to a new genre, romance novels with a highly trained Special Operative Alpha Male hero. These books are always action packed and generally result in me devouring the book in one sitting. Since they are written for and by women, the woman at the center of the story is always extremely capable, in fact sometimes she is also a highly trained operative. Most of these books are series so two weeks may go by without me leaving the house to run through these novels. My favorite authors are:

Suzanne Brockmann (Troubleshooters Series)

Tara Janzen (Steele Street Series)

Lora Leigh

Shannon McKenna

Lori Foster

Roxanne St. Clair

Summer 2011 Movies

I get super excited when I see the first summer movie previews and this year when Transformers 3 appeared on my screen I started thinking about all the other movies that are coming out. I love all the big budget action flicks, sequels and romantic comedies. I have been looking all over the internet for one printable pdf of all the release dates for the movies I want to see with no luck so I thought I would compile my own.

I've already seen Prom (Cute, Disney version of High School), Something Borrowed (Enjoyable but nowhere near as good as the book) and Bridesmaids (My favorite so far, funny, touching, an all around good time).

IMDB Summer Movie Guide: The ultimate source to find out all the details on the movies you want to see or have seen.

BuzzSugar Highlights of Summer 2011 for Romance and Drama, Comedy and Action