Skinny Minnie

Don't you just love puns?

A couple months ago, Yahoo! wrote an article about the Barney's Holiday Disney promo beginning mid-November that creates a high fashion "look" for iconic characters like Mickey, Minnie, Snow White, Goofy, etc. Other news sites like The Huffington Post also published similar commentaries about the effect this visualization would have on body image, especially in young girls. See for yourself:

(photo courtesy of Zap2It)

Was Minnie Mouse a great influence in body image before this makeover? Or Goofy? I'll admit that, as an avid viewer of Disney films, I dearly wanted Princess Aurora's hair and to sing under the sea like Ariel while residing in my castle with a GIANT LIBRARY (so jealous of Belle). Yet I always kept one key factor in the back of my mind: THEY ARE CARTOONS!!! How many women looked at this picture and thought "I wish I had Daisy Duck's legs."

While the Media is doing its typical "make something out of nothing" ploy using the Disney brand to lure readers-- works every time with me!-- the comments to these articles reach a new level of aggravation. A few sane reasonable individuals remind readers that "Hey! These are animals DRAWN (key word... actually maybe "animals" should be the key word) to look like people!" Yet most comments follow themes of not supporting Disney, how could Disney promote this body image to girls, they look like witless size 0 models (I kid you not, someone actually said that), who would buy this stuff, blah blah blah.  

First, Barney's is a super-high-end department store that sells designer clothing modeled by sky high beautiful people. These ads are focused on a specific demographic-- and that's ok! If you don't like the product, don't buy it. That being said, the clothing being "modeled" isn't made for children either-- this is an adult interpretation made to attract adults. Could it be that today's adults may have been children at one time and might be aware of Disney characters? Gasp!

Second, can we please get something straight: "skinny" does not equal stupid, nor does it equal unhealthy or signify an eating disorder. "Model" doesn't equal stupid either. Neither does "fat" for that matter. Let's focus on loving our own bodies just as they are so we can love others just as they are and teach that perspective on body image to kids. 

Third, teaching children the difference between cartoons and real people might be a good idea.

Most of all, there is general shock that Disney would allow such iconic toons to be interpreted in such a way. I'm assuming these people never heard of deviantART or visited my Disney Pinterest Board. And they haven't followed the history of Disney and the evolution of The Mouse either. Oh and they don't seem like fans of ARTISTIC INTERPRETATION.

Personally, I dislike the marketing campaign because I think the overall look is ugly. However, these altered Disney characters are a brilliant strategy by both Disney and Barney's because they're already generating publicity and controversy. Actually, I think Disney is embracing the beauty of artistic contention as a method of garnering attention (as long as it doesn't have strong negative material consequences). Check out the latest drama surrounding Sofia the First .

Perhaps, instead of calling out Disney's influence on body image, we need to dive deeper into the designer fashion industry. Or perhaps even deeper into the media's take on looks and health. Or dive deeper into how we shape our own personal body image, how we let others influence us, and weed out the focus on flaws. In general, negative comments about "fat people" reflect an ignorance on a person's struggle as well as all the different factors toward weight issues, and negative comments about "skinny people" reflects jealousy and more misunderstanding about the human body. Even the terms 'fat' and 'skinny' are subject to interpretation.

In conclusion: all this negativity is bad for the soul. Think positive and love yourself-- it's easier!

What do you think about Minnie and the gang? Does it call into question body image? Will it have any affect on children? I've shared my thoughts, but did I miss something?

10 Films I Love (and why)

Today we're going to talk about movies because... I f**king love them (just trying to class things up with some colorful language!). Before I dive into my analytic perspective on certain films and make you THINK, I thought I'd start out with a list. Actually, it will probably be a few lists because I can't just pick 10 favorite films as choices are hard.

But first-- a disclaimer: if you're looking for a list containing intellectually stimulating films or all-around cinematic masterpieces, I suggest you head over to the AFI and Criterion websites. This top 10 list has movies that I simply love. How do I know if I "love" a film? There are 3 distinct factors:

1. Repeat viewings-- sometimes in the same day.
2. Researching every aspect about the film, including watching all of the bonus features.
3. Quoting the film. As I'm not much of an audible learner, if I remember what was said there's a good chance I loved the movie.

Without further delay and in no particular order, here are 10 Films I Love.

The Thin Man

Believe it or not, this 1934 comedic "Who Done It?" is actually a Christmas movie! At least... it takes place during the holiday and it's tradition that I watch this and its New Years Eve sequel, After The Thin Man, every year. The film stars Hollywood "Golden Age" power couple William Powell and Myrna Loy. Separately, they're both fantastic comedic actors, but together their banter and on-screen chemistry are what truly makes the movie.

Pride and Prejudice (2005) 

Few films ever come close to cinematic perfection, but Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley is, to me, perfect. Forget that it's a fantastic Jane Austen adaptation, forget that it hosts a legendary cast of young and seasoned talent, and forget that it's a timeless romance that filmmakers and writers will still be adapting decades to come. Take those factors away and the film has stunning cinematography beautifully edited into one continuous visual journey accompanied by a score so lovely that I actually used the music for my wedding ceremony. To say that I love this film would be an understatement.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (extended editions)

I haven't read the books so I have no basis to judge LOTR as an adaptation. Honestly, it's such a gorgeous fantasy production that this, too, is another perfect piece of cinema. What more can I say?

Clue

Nothing can really explain the comedic scope and legendary quotations from this amazing ensemble film. If you've seen it you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you haven't, well, get to it because you're missing out on a movie you'll never tire of watching, especially with a great group of friends.

Love Actually

Films with large, all-star ensemble casts have a tendency to be... well... awful, i.e. New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day. It might have something to do with needy, greedy stars that fight over the most screen time BUT I wouldn't want to speculate.  So Love Actually is a breath of fresh air. It works as a smart, witty, and sweet RomCom, a warm and fuzzy Christmas movie, and a great example of how to do ensembles right.  I think it's a British thing.

Persuasion (1995 and 2007)

Persuasion happens to be one of my favorite novels in all the Universe, thus it makes sense that TWO very different yet equally well-made adaptations would become two films I love. And I do love them, like Captain Wentworth loves Anne Elliot.

Sherlock Holmes 

As a kid I spent my Thursday nights watching PBS Mystery! hosted by Diana Rigg. It was here I developed a love for David Suchet's Poirot, Joan Hickson's Miss Marple, and Jeremy Brett's Holmes. So when Robert Downey Jr. (a favorite actor of mine) landed the role of my favorite detective, you needed four burly men and tranquilizers to keep me from the theater. A stellar film and I love watching on repeat. Oh and I loved the sequel as well.

A Christmas Carol

A favorite story in general, you can't go wrong sticking me in front of a television playing any adaption of A Christmas Carol. While the Ebenezer Scrooge played by both Reginald Lockhart (1938) and Alistair Sim (1951) will forever hold a special place in my heart, Robert Zemeckis re-imagined the tale in ways I never thought possible. The imagery alone is incredible and Jim Carrey does a fabulous job jumping from Scrooge to all three ghosts (even if the Ghost of Christmas Past is a little weird).

The Court Jester

If you've ever watched White Christmas, you've seen Danny Kaye's incredible triple-threat talent hard at work. While The Court Jester has less singing and dancing (though there is some), this film offers oodles of slapstick comedy from a master comedian. Imagine if Robin Hood had a bumbling sidekick who must impersonate a traveling jester (who also happens to be an assassin) to infiltrate the castle to overthrow the tyrant ruler and place the rightful heir on the throne.

The famous "Vessel with the Pestle" dialog scene is from this movie.

Robin Hood Men in Tights

Speaking of Robin Hood and comedy, Robin Hood Men in Tights is a legendary comedy on its own. Though you can't go wrong with anything by Mel Brooks. I don't have anything else to add other than "Did you say 'Abe Lincoln?' "

There are many more films I love but this is just a taste of... my taste!

Jambalaya (and my review for "Slow Cookers for Dummies")

This is a two-part blog, the first being a review for "Slow Cookers for Dummies" and the second is my recipe for Jambalaya that I adapted from SCFD (hence the review). So there.

Slow Cookers for Dummies

After expressing my dire need for a more current slow cooker book, my wonderful mother-in-law sent me this book full of slow cooking tips, tricks, and recipes. As I am not a "slow cooking dummy," I'm going to be honest: I have not read the text book information on crockpots and how they work. There could be oodles of slow cooking secrets hidden within the pages of endless text, but as to what they are, I am clueless.

One of my weaknesses My ONLY weakness in this world is that I do not learn well through reading; put another way, I learn best visually (pictures!) and kinetically (aka by doing it). Sadly, SCFD doesn't have pictures. 

Sidebar: I think all cookbooks should have pictures of EVERY RECIPE! I want to know if that casserole I made is supposed to look like sewage.

Thus, I jumped into the recipe section and started guessing what might taste good. So far, I've made an excellent vegetarian chili that I forgot to photograph and probably won't make again because my husband doesn't like all the beans that make him (us) gassy. I must say, bean farts are really painful-- you know you were thinking it! And I also made Jambalaya.

My one MAJOR complaint about the recipes in "SCFD is that each recipe requiring vegetables (onions, peppers, garlic) directs that you sauté everything first. The whole point of a slow cooker is to save time and effort by slowly cooking your food! Which makes me wonder if "Slow Cookers for Dummies" was actually written by dummies.

On the plus side-- the food is great. With a little tweaking, I've got a great selection of current dishes to make and serve in my crockpot.

Jambalaya

For whatever reason, I occasionally crave New Orleans style cuisine even though I've never been there. Jambalaya is at the top of that list because I happen to love spicy sausage, shrimp, and peppers. 

If you frequent or are from New Orleans, you'll probably eat this and say "What the fuck?!" but for those of us who just love tomatoes, sausage, shrimp, and spices, it's delicious. This isn't the exact recipe from the book: I changed a few ingredients and a bit of the process, but the overall result was delicious. Enjoy!

1 lb. pre-cooked and deveined shrimp, tails removed

12oz pkg fully cooked andouille chicken or chicken apple sausage, diced

1 green pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp parsley

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 freshly ground pepper

Hot Sauce (I used Sriracha because it's what I had) 

28oz can crushed tomatoes

1 cup instant rice

Combine everything but the shrimp in your slow cooker. Cook on Low for 3 hours. Once cooked, add the shrimp and cook 20 minutes more until shrimp is pink. Serve.

Tips

•  I suggest buying a 1 lb. bag of frozen shrimp to save $$$
• When choosing a hot sauce, pick what you like and choose whatever level of spice you want. If you're not sure, start with 1 teaspoon.
• If you're not a fan of instant rice, omit the rice from the slow cooker. Cook the rice to package directions on the stove or with a rice cooker and add it to jambalaya when you add the shrimp.

Disney Baby

Not to be mistaken for my catchphrase: "Disney, baby!" Another classic example of why punctuation is important.

Now that I've reminded you of all those years you were forced to study dangling participles, conjunctions, and the Oxford comma, let's get to the point: SHOPPING! More specifically, baby shopping which, in my opinion, is the most fun ever in all the Universe!!! Can shopping for tiny clothes, tiny shoes, and tiny hats get any cuter? 

YES.

Just. Add. Disney. 

Gather Mickey and the Gang, Winnie the Pooh (and Eeyore too), all of our Pixar heroes, and suddenly shopping for babies goes from cute to MAGICAL. Disney Baby has been around for awhile but only online. So imagine my giddy excitement when I found out a Disney Baby Store would be opening at the Americana (our local fancy-pants shopping center that I apparently never blogged about). Take that giddiness and times it by a million when I discovered this was the flagship store!

I've never been one that needs the latest trendy thing before everyone else... BUT, I love Disney and it will be wonderful watching the growth of this branch of the company.

  

Almost bought a pair of these!

 

Ever since I watched the Tinker Bell films, I've been in love with all things Pixie Hollow.

Wishing they had these in plus-size adult.

DB also had a great selection of Classic Pooh.

 

 

As always, the store has that atmospheric charm Disney does so well.

I spent most of my life rejecting the idea of having children. Then I met my husband-- he makes me want to be a parent because I believe the world will be a better place with a few more people like him. My husband and I hope to start trying for kids next year! Crazy! Don't hold me to that because we have to cement a few aspects of our life first, but we're both feeling the urge to raise a family of animals AND children!

Los Angeles: Year One

It's no secret the City of Angels has a dubious reputation throughout the country. After a year out here I would say that many of those rumors hold truth and yet... overall... it's not that bad. People emphasize the "Love/Hate" relationship most have with LA, but mine is more of a "Kind of Like/ Mostly Dislike" relationship. I try to see the silver lining whenever I'm in a less than pleasant situation ("try" being the keyword). To be honest, I don't think anyone LOVES Los Angeles-- they love LA when life is good and hate LA when something shitty happens and that's not really love, is it? I'm going for a less fleetingly emotional approach with the perspective of one who observes.

Just so you know, neither Michael nor I saw this city as a long-term settlement when we moved out here: LA is a stepping stone onto bigger and better opportunities. Michael has a career he can basically do anywhere, and as a writer (yes, I've graduated myself from screenwriter to writer) so do I. However, we knew we had to start in Los Angeles. So here is what I've learned so far:

WEATHER

If you know someone living in California, you know they LOVE to brag talk about the weather. I can't speak for Northern California, but in LA the amazing weather and ocean breezes are only to be found BY THE OCEAN. Move away from the coast and it is HOT in the summertime (and apparently the early autumn as well-- ugh), pushing the 100's.  And don't let anyone ever tell you there's no humidity because that's just delusional.

Apparently it wasn't always like this. I've talked to many people who have lived in LA for more than 10 years (in one case over 30) and they admit the climate was never this ridiculous. I can even attest to the fact that when we moved here at the end of Sept last year, it was in the mid 70's until wintertime. If you want that gorgeous, cooler weather stick with Santa Monica. There's also oodles and oodles of sunshine. I love my Vitamin D as much as the next person, but I really miss overcast, rainy days which are prominent during the winter.

FOOD

Once the topic of weather has been exhausted, Los Angelites love recommending restaurants, especially out-of-the-way, hole-in-the-wall places that no one has ever heard of but them. The food is usually an infusion of some kind, a strange ethnicity, or a lifestyle such as vegan. And food trucks are big out here too. Honestly, the food selection, variety, availability in LA and the surrounding cities is incredible. One of the best parts of living here, in my opinion.

DRINK

Just like restaurants, there is a bar in LA to satisfy every taste and and style of person: modern, dive, hipster, etc. Celebrities, tourists, and those that love to party in style are attracted to West Hollywood. I have yet to go but I hear The Abbey is fantastic. Cocktails in LA, on average, run $10 and up, but are delicious as LA has some of the best mixologists behind the counter. However, I've enjoyed the food and drinks in Glendale (the city right next door to our neighborhood) and haven't felt the need to venture west.

ACTIVITIES

For such a dirty city-- and LA is SUPER DIRTY-- there are tons of places to go, things to do, and plenty of hiking. Citizens love their cars and they love their hiking trails... it's ironic. Plus to the north, south, and east are even more things to do: Disneyland, surfing, skiing, national parks, music festivals, wineries, etc. If you have a little money and transportation, you can have quite an active life out here.

PEOPLE

I've met great people in Los Angeles. While there is an assumption that LA is riddled with shallow, snobby people, I think that's true of any community in the world. Oh, and it's true that celebrities are everywhere-- it's the norm around here. I must say, it's odd because you see people that look familiar but you've never met and you can't place them...

Crazy is also an issue out here: there is an over OVER abundance of crazy people, homeless and otherwise, in LA. Sometimes it's unsettling because these people can be unpredictable. I've never lived anywhere I was uncomfortable walking alone at night-- including Chicago's South Loop-- LA is the first.

And finally--

DRIVING

I could write an entire blog (probably 2) on the idiocy of the roadways and drivers in Los Angeles. Oh, and the parking. Traffic-- LA's most notorious "troublemaker"-- is abundant but not that bad because one knows to expect it. It's the most frustrating when caught in event jams, say... like... stand still traffic for the Oscars.

However, it's the drivers themselves that cause the most frustration/ paranoia/ high blood pressure. A recent All State survey stated that every time you drive on the roads in LA, you risk a 76% chance of having an accident. At that rate I'd rather deal with snow! Jenna Marbles described LA drivers as 16 year old girls that just got their licenses-- totally true! Add cell phones, iPods, GPS and you've got roughly 11 million idiots driving huge weapons on a daily basis. It's incredible.

Am I being dramatic? Could I possibly be exaggerating?! Let's see... the first week our van was sideswiped while PARKED ALL THE WAY IN THE BACK of the mall garage. And no, they didn't leave a note.  It happened AGAIN a couple months later. Turn signals are nonexistent on the highways (okay, everywhere), drivers turning right on red treat their red light as a green light. I've actually had drivers use right turn lanes as left merge lanes.

Yet, strangely, these are the same drivers that sit and sit and SIT waiting for pedestrians to cross a 5 or 6 lane intersection when they have plenty of time to turn before the person(s) reach their part of the crosswalk. Sheesh.

Then there's the cluster fuck of highways and merges into each poorly labeled highway and roads that seem like they're going in one direction then take you in a completely different one. I was intimidated to drive for months because of the confusion. You know how each exit has a number? Directions will give you a number but the highway signs will only label the street-- you'll see the exit number on a small sign at the split of the highway and exit. Yeah... it's BRILLIANT.

Honestly, I'm excited for the day we leave LA, even if it's just moving an hour or so outside the city. I have no interest in clubs, the "scene," celebrities, or crazy. Yet LA is an interesting place for human study and growth, but you have to be careful. If you lack confidence in who you are, you're in danger of being corrupted by the desperation all over this city, as well as the fear and arrogance. I think that's why many people have nervous breakdowns and head to rehab.  Visit by all means but there are far more beautiful places to live in California... as long as you're not trying to make it in Hollywood.

Chicken Salad

For some unearthly reason, it's still stupidly hot in Los Angeles (100 degrees on October 1st? F**k me.) so I'm not cooking at all much. Not only does cooking require heat (duh) but the actual act also makes me warm. Blah. So chicken salad it is!!

In my extensive years as Someone-Who-Eats-Food, I've noticed there are two types of chicken salad: sweet and savory. I have a recipe for each, my sweet chicken salad recipe practically an exact copy of the Corner Bakery version. However, this is the savory one.

Super delicious as a sandwich...

To make this recipe (or any chicken salad recipe) even easier, skip the whole cooking chicken breasts/ boiling a chicken thing and just pick up an already roasted chicken at the grocer. It also saves on the heat and energy use at your place. Unless you're also making soup that requires broth: parboil a raw roasting chicken and BOOM! The liquid is automatic broth. You're welcome.

If your store has "flavored" chickens-- bbq, smokey, lemon & olive oil-- and hardly ever has plain like mine, go with something using rosemary, thyme, lemon, or olive oil. It adds a little extra zest to the salad too.

...or by itself.

Yes... I used mayo. Smart Balance Mayo since that's what was left in my fridge. And I just read that SB isn't so smart. Mayo is from the devil. Blah blah blah-- I'm not going to apologize anymore! I keep trying and changing my ways, but if I want to use mayo in my chicken salad then dammit-- I will! While Greek yogurt is great for sweeter versions, I don't think it would mix well with the green olives in this one. Same goes with Miracle Whip.

One final note: the problem with this recipe-- adapted from my mom-- is that I "eyeball" everything. So you might need to do a little tweaking to get the consistency just right... but hey, it's a great way to get the creative culinary juices flowing, right? RIGHT?!

Savory Chicken Salad

1 whole roasted chicken OR 3 chicken breasts parboiled OR 1 raw roasting chicken parboiled, remove skin, de-bone, and shred the meat

1 to 2 celery stalks, chopped fine

1/8 onion, chopped fine (optional)

1 cup small pimento stuffed green olives, sliced

2 to 3 Tbsp green olive juice

1 to 1-1/4 cups mayo (basically figure out how creamy you like it and go with that)

Fresh ground pepper & salt to taste

Put chicken, onion, celery, olives, salt, pepper, and olive juice into a medium bowl and mix well. Add mayo and stir until everything is well-coated. Let sit in the refrigerator for one hour. Serve plain or as a sandwich.

Taco Dip with Greek Yogurt

On Pinterest the other day, I saw a lovely pin for Skinny Taco Dip that gave me a mad craving for the treat. Having tried numerous grocery store taco dips full of calories and little flavor, I decided to attempt my own. 

One problem: my husband hates cream cheese. Plus the cream cheese/ sour cream mixture is full of cholesterol. So I substituted nonfat Greek yogurt. For fun and to include more green & cooling foods in my life, I added a layer of fresh guacamole as well. And I must say...

SUCCESS!!

As this is a party dip, it makes a lot.

Now you're craving taco dip, aren't you?

The results were worth the effort.

Taco Dip with Greek Yogurt

For the Dip:

16oz nonfat Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning OR 1 packet of Taco Seasoning

8oz shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 head of shredded iceberg lettuce

3 tomatoes, chopped

15oz can of black olives, sliced

Chopped green onion as garnish

For the Guacamole: (optional)

3 avocados, mashed

Juice from 1/2 a lime

Tiny bit of chopped onion - to taste

2 dashes of tabasco

Pinch of Salt

In a medium bowl, mix yogurt with taco seasoning. Spread yogurt mixture evenly in the bottom of a 9x13 dish and chill in the fridge. 

Prepare the guacamole by mashing the avocados then adding all the ingredients listed. Also add 1 of the  chopped tomatoes. Spread guacamole evenly on top of the yogurt mixture.

Layer the rest of the ingredients in this order:

Cheese

Lettuce

Tomato

Black Olives

Green Onions