Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

I've just started listening to this band lately, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., and I really love their sound. When I say, "Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.", I'm talking about these guys...

Not this guy.

The band is made up of Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein, two dudes from Detroit who came together to make a really great indie-pop sound. They have two albums, Horse Power EP and It's a Corporate World. I downloaded both but the full length album has all the songs that the EP has, with the exception of their cover of the song "God Only Knows", by The Beach Boys.

I'm completely in love with their song "We Almost Lost Detroit", which is a cover/rework of the original song done by Gil Scott Heron, but the entire album is worth listening to. Here is the video for that song, and if you like it, download their album from the link below and then go see them at The Troubadour this Friday! Only $16.30 with tax! Be there, buddy!

☊ It's a Corporate World!
Oh and if you have a Mac®, you'll need to download this first...

Israeli Couscous and Corn Salad

THE HIATUS IS OVER!
After two long, relaxing Summer months, I am finally ready to start blogging again. I will start off slow, but hopefully I can just keep a steady flow of posts coming. Today I will start with a post that is delicious, as well as vegetarian and vegan friendly! Enjoy and tell me how you like it ☮

Ingredients:
3 c. Israeli couscous
3 c. vegetable broth
3 ears of corn, shucked, kernels cut off
1/2 c. pine nuts, toasted
1/2 bunch of cilantro, leaves chopped finely

For dressing:
3/4 c. fresh lime juice
1/8 c. virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

1. In a medium sauce pan, bring the veggie stock to a boil. Add the couscous and turn the heat down to low. Cover the couscous for about 15 minutes, stirring it occasionally. When finished steaming, you may want to add salt and/or pepper to the couscous.
2. If your pine nuts are not pre-toasted, toast them in a non-stick pan until lightly toasted. In the same pan, remove the pine nuts and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add your corn kernels and let them cook about 3 minutes on low, or until they are as crispy and as charred as desired.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together your fresh lime juice, olive oil, and salt/pepper. Then set aside.
4. In a larger bowl, combine your couscous, pine nuts, corn, and chopped cilantro. Slowly, add about half of your dressing mixture to the couscous salad. Mix until the dressing is well incorporated. Taste the salad and add more dressing as you feel necessary. How much dressing the salad needs will be based on your preference, as well as how tart the limes were.
5. This salad can be enjoyed warm, or chilled which I prefer. If you are having it warm, serve immediately. If you are having the salad chilled, cover bowl and place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. When removed from the refrigerator, stir and add another tablespoon or so of dressing if the couscous has become dry.

Sorry that there is no picture with this post :(

Hiatus

Hello All! I have been on a temporary hiatus but I will be back with posts as soon as possible!

Film Review: Blue Valentine

This morning, I finally got a chance to see Blue Valentine. It had been recommended to me by a friend who had seen it in theatres but by the time I heard about, it was in it's last week in the theatre in my town. I ran out of time to go see it and figured I would just have to rent it. I had been warned by said friend that the movie was a little sad but after watching the trailer, I had determined that:
1. It didn't look that sad, and
2. I had no idea what this movie was about, other than love (duh).

I promise that in this review I will not spoil the movie if you choose to watch it, but I have to say that I really don't give it my recommendation. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, at all. I can't think of a single person who I think should see this movie. The movie was just really, really sad. I love sad movies, I really do, but only when they're sad-moving or sad with a message about life that gives you a sort of wake up call to live better. This movie just left me really confused and depressed about life. It made me feel that the message I was supposed to get was that sometimes, you can be in a relationship with someone and even if you give it everything you have, that doesn't mean that it will be a healthy relationship and that doesn't mean that you will be happy. I already knew this, but this movie just shoves the concept that "LOVE IS A BITCH" right into your face for about a hour and thirty minutes of the hour and fifty minute long movie. After the finishing the movie, I mostly just felt like my spirits were deflated and that I have very little to look forward to as I get older. A lovely way to start the day today.

Regardless of the fact that this movie did not play out the way I would have liked, the movie did make me respect Ryan Gosling as an actor, even more than I already did. Ryan Gosling is a fabulous actor. The characters he plays, generally, are the kind of men that I am looking to marry. He continually plays characters, like Dean in Blue Valentine, who are romantic, completely giving of themselves, funny, and not afraid to lay it all on the line for the women that they love. Like Blue Valentine, in Lars and the Real Girl and The Notebook, Ryan Gosling's character cries. I don't know about you but I don't watch a lot of movies where the male lead is crying, and crying over a woman that he loves. I really respect his ability to evoke emotions in front of a camera that are so real and so touching every time. Ryan Gosling is not only delicious but he's a damn good actor. Every time. He has my respect and he has me as a loyal audience because I will watch any movie that he makes. Even if the storyline isn't always what I want it to be, I know that his acting, and good looks, will be captivating. I like to imagine that he likes to play the kind of characters that he most relates to, and that therefore he is as wonderful as many of the characters he plays. The only downside is that you never meet men in real life that are as perfect as characters that Gosling chooses to play...

My recommendation is listen to the main song from the movie, "You and Me" by Penny & the Quarters, but skip the rest of Blue Valentine because it will, truly, only depress you. I would watch Lars and the Real Girl instead, if you are feeling like watching a heart-warming Gosling fim. Lars will leave you feeling anxious and optimistic for what's ahead, which is a little more inspiring than the story that is presented in Blue Valentine, but that's just my humble opinion.
RATING: ★★

It Ain't Easy Bein' Cheesy Part 3

Once again, aluminum-free deodorants and I just can't seem to live in harmony. All of the deodorants I have tried so far have been a total disaster. The first burned, the second stank, and the last one that I tried, Jason® Fragrance-free, had it's own set of problems.

I should probably back up and explain a little further what happened with the very first deodorant, Tom's of Maine®. Not only was it not keeping me dry, but it did sting a lot of the time when I put it on. It wasn't just burning when I put it on after shaving, but burning a lot in general. It left a red mark in my armpit (I know you're loving hearing about this, but this is the real deal) that did not go away even as I was switching deodorants. The Jason® deodorant hadn't been burning but it was making my armpit, in the region where I apply deodorant, sort of darker in color and more brown. I am pretty fair-skinned so this new coloring is pretty obvious and not attractive at all. I really don't know what is causing it. I read the labels of both of the deodorants and I shouldn't be allergic to anything in them. It is very, very strange but it led me switching deodorants again, for a fourth time.

This time, I chose Crystal® Essence Pomegranate. I have used Crystal® before. The last time I bought it was years ago when I used the mineral rock and I found that no matter how much I dampened the rock-crystal-thingy, I never felt like it was really taking to my skin. So then, I was still smelly, like I never even bothered to put anything on. Despite that incident, I thought that I would try this "essence" kind since it is a spray, meaning that I will know that something is actually being applied when I use it. I picked it mostly because there are only three ingredients: water, mineral salts, and pomegranate scent. Easy-peasy Lemon-squeezy.

I'm really hoping that if I take a few days and use this new deodorant, my armpits will go back to their normal color and I can stop dreading sleeveless tops. It's Summer dammit, and I want my sleeveless tops!! So far, this Crystal® deodorant has been working pretty well. I feel dry and clean for the most part but this time, I'm maintaining skeptical about it until I know for sure that it's not trying to sabotage me like the last deodorants. Hopefully I will be cheesy no-longer pretty soon. If the coloring doesn't go away soon I will see a doctor, but lets hope it doesn't have to come to that. Fingers crossed!

Not Barfing is Always Good

SUCCESS! GREAT VEGAN SUCCESS!!

I buckled down the other day and bought some rice shreds, imitation cheese, so that I can get a true taste of what part of my life will be like if I become a vegan. I honestly can't fully fathom what it's going to be like to not eat cheese. I eat cheese daily and I can say without any hesitation that I find it comforting and delicious every time. It is going to hurt to have to give up cheese, so I was really looking for a potential subsitute that would make feel equally comforted. While at the Co-op in Santa Monica, I decided on Galaxy® Cheddar Rice Shreds. I made a grilled cheese on honey wheat bread when I got home and I have to say, I was really skeptical. It seemed like this cheese must be pretty processed to look and taste like cheddar cheese but I had my doubts that it really would taste and melt like normal cheese. Regardless, I took the first bite and, to my surprise, no barfing ensued. To my even greater surprise, the grilled cheese tasted great!! It was creamy, real cheese-tasting, and it did not have any grossly-funky qualities! I would classify it as a success. It makes me hopeful and a little more positive about my potential vegan fututre. I look forward to whipping up some more rice shred meals! Next time, I will document my eatings with pictures. This time the grilled cheese just went down too easily and I didn't make it in time to take any photos. I definitely think that these rice shreds are worth trying, so if you haven't yet, go pick yourself up a bag! Then, let me know if you have any tasty, rice shred adventures.

Day 22

I am still in Yuma but I thought I should throw a quick post up since I have some free time. I am craving meat terribly! It has been twenty-two days and thus far, I have done really well. I haven't felt like meat up until today when I was with my aunt, walking down the grocery store aisles. In the frozen food section, I just kept seeing frozen pepperoni pizza, orange chicken, and corn dogs. All looked delicious. I didn't buy any, naturally, but it did make me believe, momentarily that I am missing out on some really tasty food and that maybe I won't be able to keep this up after my 60 days are up. Nonetheless, today was a meat-free day and I will abstain from meat at least until the VegPledge is over. I'm really trying to keep the faith, keep my head up and remember that what I'm doing is really what is right. Maybe not right for everyone, but right for me.

On a much happier note, I have to profess my deep, new love for COCONUT OIL!! It is amazing.

I came to learn about coconut oil through some very strange and alarming circumstances, which I will not go into, but when I did first try it, I noticed how soft it made my skin feel. My skin felt refreshed and less dried out than it sometimes does after using regular skin lotions. I had been using Nivea® Happy Sensation lotion but I used EWG and noticed what an alarmingly high chemical content it had, so I felt really compelled to switch. Now, I've been using coconut oil made by Spectrum Naturals® and I love that it's all natural so when I put it on my skin, my skin isn't coming into contact with harmful chemicals and when I wash it down the drain during my shower, it isn't washing anymore chemicals into our water supply. I feel good about using it. It can be used for so many things, which surprised and intrigued me. You can cook with it, use it for your skin, and hair. I use it to treat small blemishes, as conditioner, and hair gel, but mostly I have been using it as sunblock. It does leave my skin feeling greasier while down at the beach but it ultimately protects my skin better and is chemical-free! You can't beat that. I highly recommend it to anyone. Although it may seem a little pricey to pay $8-$10 on a tub of coconut oil, when you consider all its practical uses and that it is less harmful to the environment, the price doesn't seem as steep. You should definitely check it out! Go nuts, COCONUTS, and cook with it, treat your skin and hair with it, and get frisky with it; it can be used as lubricant I've been told!! What can't this stuff do?!

I have yet to try cooking or baking with the coconut oil but when I do, I will write about it and let you know if it was a success! If you have any coconut oil recipes you would like to share with me, please feel free to do so ☮