Update on Twilight

So I saw the movie.
Didnt love it, didnt hate it. Many, Many, Many uncomfortable scenes and oddities. I found a review that sums up the way I felt about it

"The early scenes between Bella and Edward are thoroughly awkward and unintentionally funny. Pattinson, groomed as a just-add-hair-gel heartthrob, seems to confuse "brooding" with "constipated," and saddles every line reading with so much Byronic teen angst that you wonder if director Catherine Hardwicke ("Thirteen," "Lords of Dogtown") has played a terrible joke on the book's fan base and crafted a cruel parody. But, like the teen romance it portrays, the fumbling first act gives way to a more relaxed and confident manner." -by Marc Mohan, Special to The Oregonian

Seriously, the scene in Biology class is the stupidest thing I have ever scene. They totally missed the whole point. He is supposed to want her so badly that he cant control himself. But as Entertainment Weekly writes " he acts like he's suffering a seizure (or an attack of bad Mexican food)".
Dumb and major Dumb...
Overall, I give it a C+...a bigger movie budget and better studio could have done much better. I hear they are making a sequel..I hope someone takes it off SUMMIT'S hands, it wasnt great.

First Snow

Since I use this as a online journal, I figured I'd mark today on the calendar. The first snow of the year fell on the ground during the night.
The boys went out in their new snow gear to play for a while. Zach was more busy eating the snow than playing in it. After I noticed him eating dirt and leaves, we had a discussion about the yellow snow.
Let he walked around looking for more of it, being sure to tell Tanner that we "DONT EAT THE PEE-PEE SNOW, ITS DOG PEE FROM THE SKY".

Its cold here. Finally, it feels like fall should. This week the temps are in the 30-40's. No snow yet, but definitely freezing!
Appropriately, I decided that we should eat something that was a staple in a hearty fall diet. CHOWDER!
Seriously, I have the best recipe ever:

1/2 cup cooked diced bacon
4 medium potatoes, chopped
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
2 ribs of diced celery
2 cups water
2 cans corn
3 tlbs butter
1 can chicken stock
1/2 tsp Garlic salt
2 teaspoons salt
pepper to taste
2 cups half-and-half

Preparation:
Sauté bacon until browned and crisp; add chopped potatoes and onions and celery. Add chicken stock, corn, and seasonings; cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. on Medium heat, in separate pot melt butter, add 1 tbsp flour, stir until creamy add all but 1/3 of the half and half slowly to mixture, stirring constantly. In a bowl, mix 1/3 half and half to 2 tbsp flour (we are making a roux here). Slowly pour this cold mixture into the warming cream on stove. Heat until it starts to come to a small boil (make sure to regularly stir). Add to pot with corn and potato's.
Feeds 5-6 adults.

I made honey cornbread on the side. It was delicious!!! And Zachary ate 2 bowls! Although, I think the Ritz crackers were more the appeal there. But, my family loved it. Even picky MIKE ate it with "green thingys" in it.

The word Chowder comes from the French chaudière kettle, from Late Latin caldaria — or cauldron.
When I think of the word chowder, I think of ciao- ---like goodbye in Italian.
Ciao means literally in Italian, "(I am your) slave", from Medieval Latin.

Hum...well, Ciao Chowder!,.. I will always be your slave, you delicious soup! See you soon, my temping mouthful of goodness.

Twilight

So I'll admit it. I put off reading the series Twilight for a couple reasons.
1) They were so popular-- I felt "peer pressure" to read them. And naturally, I decided that I would go against the grain and hold out.
Needing something to read on the airplane, my mother in law suggested I read them. I gave in, and read the first 3 books in 3 weeks. I am surprised how much I have loved them. I dont read them for any other reason than to get lost in the simple love story of youth. It reminds me of some of my past relationships (isnt that why we all love them?). The danger, the mystery, the adrenaline?
2.) Time-- With 3 little kids, who has time to read a book that has sequels that may or may not come to and end. I didnt want to get trapped into another Harry Potter saga. I guess its too late. Im reading the fourth book now.
3) Vampires--I mean come on! It sounds so lame, but man was I wrong.

So I really enjoy seeing some of the trailers to the movie that is coming out on Nov 21st. I already have my tickets and I am counting down the days!! The casting is pretty good I think. My only issues are the casting of Edward, Carlisle and Alice. These are the actors that most closely match my imagination of these 3 characters.


Hayden Christensen as Edward . Darth Vader he isnt, but a vampire he is!!!

Carlisle as a young Robert Redford (like when he was in The Way We Were), not current old wrinkly Robert

Nora Zehetner as Alice...she was in Everwood for a while, also played Eden McCain on Hero's