Monthly Archives: October 2018
The Magic of Movies
“Movies don’t create psychos. Movies make psychos more creative.”
–Scream
Come back every Tuesday for “The Bees Knees”, where I post the best quotes from my favorite movies, TV shows, songs, and books.
Filed under quotes
10 Amazing Apple Recipes
They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away…and we are smack dab at the forefront of apple season! This is my favorite time of year, when honeycrisps and pink lady apples are available in abundance.
While it’s easy to turn apples into a pie or a treat on a stick, there are tons of other ways you can put fresh apples to use. From easy baked desserts to delicious fall drinks, here are 10 amazing apple recipes to get you in the spirit of the season!
10 Amazing Apple Recipes
French Apple Tartlets
Applepom Fizz
Caramel Apple Cider
Cinnamon Roll Stuffed Apples
Dried Apples
Apple Pie Smoothie
Apple Cider Churros
Apple Cider Pops
Apple Pie Pop Tarts
Healthy Apple Crisp
Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.
Filed under dessert recipes
20 Terrifying Lines from Literature
Have you ever come across a line in a book that just shakes you to your core? Maybe it gets under your skin and sits there, tickling the back of your neck…or maybe it haunts you with memories of something past, or something gone, or something to come…
Lucky for you, I’ve collected a handful of good ones just in time for Halloween! From the age-old wisdom of Alfred Lord Tennyson to the sage words of Stephen King, here are 20 terrifying lines from literature.
20 Terrifying Lines from Literature
The man screamed and clawed frantically, like a drowning swimmer. The screaming filled the universe.
–Ray Bradbury, Kaleidoscope
–Gillian Flynn, Dark Places
I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London that a young, healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or broiled.
–Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal
The last man on earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door.
–Fredric Brown, Knock
I thought that Mr. Clutter was a very nice gentleman. I thought so right up to the moment that I cut his throat.
–Truman Capote, In Cold Blood
–Hughes Mearns, Antigonish
Since it’s Sunday and it’s stopped raining, I think I’ll take a bouquet of roses to my grave.
–Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Someone Has Been Disarranging These Roses
You can’t run away from this. The evil is already inside you.
–Danielle Vega, The Merciless III
–Stephen King, The Shining
Monsters come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them are things people are scared of. Some of them are things that look like things people used to be scared of a long time ago. Sometimes monsters are things people should be scared of, but they aren’t.
–Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane
All human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil: and Edward Hyde, alone, in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil.
–Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
–Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes
The monsters that rose from the dead, they are nothing compared to the ones we carry in our hearts.
–Max Brooks, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
I lay in bed and thought about how easy it was to hurt a person. It didn’t have to be physical. All you had to do was take a good hard kick at something they cared about.
–Jack Ketchum, The Girl Next Door
My pain is constant and sharp and I do not hope for a better world for anyone. In fact, I want my pain to be inflicted on others. I want no one to escape.
–Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho
Do not expect me to wish you health and long life. You will have neither. But that is not my doing. I merely foretell.
–J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
–Christopher Pike, The Wicked Heart
Here is a small fact: You are going to die.
–Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
‘I swear on my mother’s grave.’
‘Does she have a grave?’ asked Coraline.
‘Oh yes,’ said the other mother. ‘I put her in there myself. And when I found her trying to crawl out, I put her back.’
–Neil Gaiman, Coraline
Chanted loudly, chanted lowly
Till her blood was frozen slowly
And her eyes were darken’d wholly.
–Alfred Lord Tennyson, The Lady of Shalott
Looking for a new book to read? Check in every Friday for a “Bee Happy” post, where I share reviews of books I’ve read or other book-themed lists.
Filed under quotes
22 Fun Facts about Jeff Goldblum
To know him is to love him.
Whether you know him from Jurassic Park, Independence Day, The Fly, or any of the whimsical Wes Anderson movies he’s appeared in, there’s no denying that we are all so lucky to be alive in the time of Goldblum.
Yes, Jeff. Yes you are.
Not only is this man among men a cult actor with a huge following, he’s also an extremely talented musician, a well-read lover of words and art, and just celebrated his 66th birthday on Monday.
From wooing adoring fans with fashion-forward photo shoots to cooking up a storm on Cooking with Jeff on Funny or Die (YouTube), Goldblum is here for the people. He loves us, he loves that we love him, and regardless of what’s happening in the world or the stress of everyday life, there’s no denying that Jeff Goldblum, uh, finds a way.
22 Fun Facts about Jeff Goldblum
Goldblum is the child of a doctor (father) and a radio broadcaster (mother).
When he was a kid, he would write affirmations in the shower, including “Please God, let me be an actor”. He didn’t tell anyone he wanted to be an actor for fear that he would be ridiculed for it.
When he was 13, he stole five dollars from his father’s wallet and headed on down to the red light district to try to hire a prostitute. He ran away at the last minute.
Between acting jobs, Goldblum would sell office supplies to prisoners.
His iconic vocal delivery is thought to have stemmed from his role in the 1978 film, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. He accidentally stammered his line, “I-I-I-I never thought they would come in…metal ships,” and it was met with great reviews from the director. Goldblum had found his rhythm!
During his time filming The Fly, Goldblum was romantically involved with co-star Geena Davis. He had to leave the set because he was so overwrought with emotions during the intimate scenes between Davis and John Getz.
There was serious Oscar buzz surrounding Goldblum’s performance in The Fly; however, he was not nominated…probably due to the fact it was a horror film. Still, Goldblum was hurt and disappointed that he was left out of the running.
Goldblum co-founded an acting school called Playhouse West, located in Los Angeles. He taught classes based on the principles of acting coach Stanford Meisner. Trainees of the class include Jim Carrey and Ashley Judd.
He is a frequent browser of #jeffgoldblum on Instagram.
Goldblum was raised Jewish and attended an Orthodox synagogue. He was also bar mitzvahed at age 13.
If you live in Los Angeles, you might be able to catch Goldblum playing jazz piano at Rockwell Table & Stage. He often mingles with the crowd.
Speaking of, his jazz group – the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra – is releasing an album in November (which you can pre-order on Amazon right now!).
Goldblum made his Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning musical, Two Gentleman of Verona.
For several years, Goldblum was the voice for most US Apple commercials, including advertisements for the iMac and iBook.
He also had a role on Law and Order: Criminal Intent (Detective Zach Nichols).
You can also see him in a few episodes of Portlandia…and it’s EPIC GOLDBLUM.
Goldblum has two children, Charlie Ocean and River Joe.
Goldblum has also offered his voice to a handful of video games, including LEGO Jurassic Park and Call of Duty: Block Ops 3.
Two of Goldblum’s favorite movies in his repertoire are Grand Budapest Hotel and Le Week-End.
His adorable bow ties are from Brooks Brothers.
Goldblum is also a literature lover, with The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, 100 Years of Solitude and American Pastoral named among his favorite books.
The best advice Goldblum ever received and offers to his fans: Do what you love.
Sometimes you just need a little fun in your life! Check back every week for a new “Just Bee-cause” post, where I discuss everything from celebrity news to favorite videos and websites!
Filed under fun facts
13 Cute Crocheted Basket Patterns
One of my favorite ways to use up yarn in my stash is to make baskets. I can always use them to store and organize, and they’re super easy to work up on a lazy weekend.
Crocheted baskets are great for cleaning out any leftover yarn you have lying around, and they also make wonderful hostess gifts for the holidays!
So get out those hooks and make one or more of these adorable crocheted basket patterns!
13 Cute Crocheted Basket Patterns
- Easy Crochet Basket
- For the Love of Baskets
- Apple Bobble Basket
- Long Storage Basket
- Mini Crochet Basket
- Crocheted Nesting Baskets
- Granny Square Basket
- Rainbow Crochet Basket
- Birchbark Basket
- Diamond Stitch Basket
- Sweet Granny Square Basket
- Beaded Crocheted Basket
- Mini Storage Baskets
Celebrate creativity every Wednesday with a “Creativi-bee” post, where I share easy craft tutorials, project ideas, and craft collections.
Filed under crocheted tutorials
The Simplicity of Magic
“Magic is really very simple, all you’ve got to do is want something and then let yourself have it.”
–Halloweentown
Come back every Tuesday for “The Bees Knees”, where I post the best quotes from my favorite movies, TV shows, songs, and books.
Filed under quotes
Braised Short Ribs with Cilantro Slaw
My first introduction to Matty Matheson was this MUNCHIES video for Braised Short Ribs.
It was basically love at first sight.
First of all, I wish I loved anything as much as Matty Matheson loves food. I mean just look at the joy on his face! Second of all, he’s literally the most colorful man I’ve ever seen. He’s like a big, loveable, cuddly coloring book.
As a lover of Cholula hot sauce and basically any meat that’s cooked low and slow, I bookmarked this recipe and continued my deep dive into the rest of Matheson’s videos.
It wasn’t until the first frost hit Chicago a few weekends ago that I decided it was time to finally bust out this recipe. Full of amazing flavor and stick-to-your-ribs deliciousness, this Braised Short Ribs recipe is just as good as it looks. Serve it with the homemade slaw and some salt and vinegar chips for a hearty, rich meal that is certain to warm you, body and soul.
Braised Short Ribs with Cilantro Slaw
*Based on Braised Short Rib Sandwich Recipe, courtesy of MUNCHIES
Ingredients:
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
- 1 poblano, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 rib celery, roughly chopped
- 3 sprigs cilantro
- 3 sprigs parsley
- 3 bay leaves, dried
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 (6-inch) long short ribs (about 3 pounds)
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (5-ounce) bottle Cholula® Original Hot Sauce
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (I used an IPA)
- 4 cups beef stock
For Slaw
- 1 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
- 4 limes, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat the oven to 325°F. Place garlic, bell pepper, jalapeño, poblano, carrot, onion, and celery in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Set aside.
Tie the cilantro and parsley sprigs together with string. Set aside. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Season the ribs all over with salt and pepper and cook, turning as needed, until brown all over, about 10 minutes. Set aside on a plate.
Add chopped vegetables to the saucepan and cook until soft and the liquid has evaporated, about 20 to 25 minutes (it’s gonna start smelling amazing in your kitchen). Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes more.
Add the Cholula® Original Hot Sauce (yup, the WHOLE thing) and cook 2 minutes longer.
Add the beer and beef stock and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Again, I used IPA, but a stout or porter would also be really good here.
Return the short ribs to the saucepan. Top with herb bundle and dried bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover, then place in the oven. Cook until the ribs are soft, about 3 hours.
For slaw, toss all of the ingredients together in a bowl about an hour before you’re ready to serve. Cover and refrigerate until ready to plate.
Remove the ribs from the oven and set aside (remove and discard the bones). Strain the liquid, discarding the solids. Place the liquid back into the pan and bring to a boil. Simmer until thick and reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
Roughly chop the rib meat and toss in the reduced sauce. Stuff into toasted buns and top each with the slaw. Serve immediately.
Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.
Filed under beef recipes
I Let You Go Book Review
In a split second, Jenna Gray’s world turned upside down.
In the wake of a horrible accident, the only hope Jenna has of moving on is to walk away from everything she knows and start anew. She drives to a remote cottage on the Welsh coast, but her memories and fears continue to haunt her. The flashbacks of that night remain ever present, no matter how far she takes herself off the grid.
Ever so slowly, Jenna begins a new life in this quaint coastal town; however, her memories are far from the only thing chasing her…
I Let You Go is a delicious thriller with more than one epic twist. One part murder mystery and one part romantic flirtation, this book will grab you from the first chapter and won’t let you go until the final words are uttered.
Told from the perspective of Jenna herself, as well as the lead detective on the murder case, I Let You Go brings to life a bittersweet story that will certainly tug at your heartstrings. It offers characters that are surprisingly flawed, real, and dare I say – relatable. It’s unlike most other thrillers in that way, which made me appreciate I Let You Go all the more.
A quick read that will keep readers engaged from start to end, I Let You Go is a moving story of a woman who tried to run away from what she knew only to end up finding what she needed.
Looking for a new book to read? Check in every Friday for a “Bee Happy” post, where I share reviews of books I’ve read or other book-themed lists.
Filed under book reviews
17 Fun Facts about Raul Esparza
If I could sit down and share a Cuban meal with Raul Esparza, I would die a happy person.
Now best known for this role as ADA Rafael Barba on Law and Order: SVU, Esparza is a titan of the stage, starring in big-name Broadway musicals and racking up awards and nominations left and right.
Born to Cuban parents and raised in Miami, Florida, Esparza appeared in several on and off-Broadway productions before landing his big role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He then went on to star in many more Tony-Award winning productions, including Tick…Tick, Boom! and Stephen Sondheim’s Company.
In addition to various theater performances, Esparza has also appeared in a handful of TV shows and has even done narration of audiobooks. THIS MAN DOES EVERYTHING.
Next week Esparza will be celebrating his 48th birthday, so in honor of this amazing talent, here are 17 fun facts about Raul Esparza!
17 Fun Facts about Raul Esparza
Esparza’s father was an engineer and his mother found work wherever she could, including jobs as an interior designer, banker and travel agent.
While he was in school, Esparza wanted to be a lawyer. Visions of things to come!
Esparza has been nominated in all Tony categories for which an actor is eligible, though he’s yet to win one.
Esparza was born to Cuban parents, but he was born in Delaware. His family then moved to Miami, Florida where Esparza spent most of his childhood.
He has two Bachelor’s degrees from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts: one in Fine Arts, the other in English.
Esparza had a small role on the ABC series, Pushing Daisies, a role originally offered to Paul Reubens.
Besides stage and TV acting, Esparza has lent his voice to audiobook narration, reading Under the Dome by Stephen King, The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer and The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark.
In 1994, Esparza married his high school sweetheart, Michele Marie Perez; however, the couple divorced 14 years later.
In 2006, Esparza revealed in a New York Times profile that he was bisexual.
Originally Esparza didn’t want to take the role of ADA Rafael Barba on Law and Order: SVU, but did so as an acting “rebound” from a lackluster Broadway production. He’s since left SVU to return to the theater.
Besides SVU, Esparza has also appeared on Law and Order: Criminal Intent and the original Law and Order.
Though he’s never won a Tony (WHAT?!) Esparza has taken home three Drama Desk Awards, namely for his work in Taboo!, Company and The Homecoming.
The production of Company which starred Esparza as Bobby (2006 Broadway revival) DID take home the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. Esparza was nominated for Best Actor; however, he lost to David Hyde Pierce (Curtains).
The director of Company (John Doyle) loved Esparza so much after their first meeting that he hired him to play Bobby on the spot without ever having heard him sing.
Bobby’s swan song, “Being Alive”, is the only thing Esparza can play on the piano.
Esparza has appeared in several Stephen Sondheim musicals, including Company and Sunday in the Park with George, but the role he’s itching to play: SWEENEY TODD.
In a 2012 interview, Esparza revealed that he’s most similar to John Larson, the character he plays in Tick, Tick…BOOM!
Sometimes you just need a little fun in your life! Check back every week for a new “Just Bee-cause” post, where I discuss everything from celebrity news to favorite videos and websites!
Filed under fun facts
The Hob-bee Hive 