Bridesmaids

4.4 out of 5 stars

Judging from previews I saw of this movie, I was kind of reluctant to see it at first. It seemed like just another typical trying-to-hard-to-be-funny chick-flick type of movie... which is not really my type of movie.

But then, Vern pointed out that it was produced by Judd Apatow AND directed by Paul Feig (of Freaks and Geeks fame) AND written by and starring Kristen Wiig (who we always love). I don't know why I didn't know all of that in the first place (besides the Kristen Wiig part). I guess my movie knowledge has kind of dwindled since we let our subscription to Entertainment Weekly run out.

Anyway, it was our anniversary, so it seemed appropriate to see a wedding themed type of movie.

And, let me tell you... it did not disappoint! The was the funniest movie I have seen in a loooooooooong time. It was laugh-out-loud funny from someone who doesn't always laugh out loud (me). And there is this one scene in this movie, the bridal shop scene, that will go down in the history of movies as one of the most hilarious scenes ever made.

But not only that, this movie had heart. It was sweet and funny and just an all around really good flick.

Now, let's talk about the previews. There is this new Amy Adams / Jason Segel movie coming out that had the best trailer. So cute... and surprising! Watch to find out...

Anniversary Pictures

Here are some pictures we took yesterday, for our anniversary...

Then, we ate at The Cheesecake Factory (yes, again) because I really, really, really love their Spicy Chicken Chipolte Pasta. And then we went to the movie Bridesmaids (review to come). It was a good anniversary.

P.S. Do you all pose for pictures like this on your anniversaries too, or is it just us?

12 Years

Falling in love is easy. Anybody can do it.

The tricky part is staying in love.

Happy Anniversary, Vernon.

I still love you.

How I Boil a Chicken

I've mentioned in recipes before about how I use meat from when I boil a chicken (in like curries, etc.), but I've never actually told you what I do to boil a chicken.

So, here is what I do...

1) At about 8:00 in the EVENING, I put a chicken in a pot and add 4 quarts of water and a splash of vinegar.

2) I bring it to a boil. It will start to foam, and I will scoop off the foam. Then, I will cover it (somewhat ajar) and let it simmer OVERNIGHT.

3) When I wake up in the morning, I drain the broth into another pot.

4) I put that pot of broth in the fridge and let it sit there for the ENTIRE DAY.

5) With the chicken, I dump it from the pot onto a plate.

6) Then I separate the bone / scraps from the meat. I throw the bones / scraps away.

7) I separate the chicken meat into four sections and put it on tin foil.

8) I wrap them up and put them in the freezer and then take them out whenever I need them.

9) Now, back to the broth. At the END OF THE DAY (or into the next day if I forget about it or don't feel like doing it at night), I take the broth out of the fridge. The fat will be hardened at the top. I scrape the fat off and throw it in the garbage.

10) Then, I pour the broth into jars, being careful not to overfill the jars (because I have overfilled the jars many, many times before and they will BREAK when frozen if they are overfilled. Believe me. I know.). So, for a jar that holds 4 cups, I will generally fill it with only 2 cups of broth. I put them in the freezer as well and take them out when needed. I yield around 3 quarts (12 cups) of broth.

Pretty good deal for the price of one chicken.

Race to Nowhere

2 out of 5 stars

I saw this movie at a community showing a couple of days ago. I was really, really excited to see it beforehand. It's a documentary described as "tackling the tragic side of our often achievement-obsessed culture, with interviews that explore the hidden world of over-burdened schedules, student suicide, academic cheating, young people who have checked out."

But here is what it was...

About 15 different people saying different versions of the same three things. And those things were:

1) Kids today have too much homework.
2) Schools are educating kids in how to be good test takers over actually educating our children.
3) Homework / school / activities stress out our kids and take a lot of time away from the family.

And it was these same three things over and over and over again.

And I already knew all that stuff anyway so it wasn't eye-opening or interesting to me at all. I think they could have dug a lot deeper into this subject, but they didn't. This film only touches the tip of the iceberg, and I think there was a lot more that could have been done with it.

The lady who put together this film was interviewed on camera a lot, and her children were interviewed throughout. Her children were all stressed out about school and homework to the point that it was giving them headaches and upset stomachs. So, she makes this movie, giving light to these issues... but then, by the end of it, she didn't change anything! Her kids are still stressed out and getting sick!

So, yeah, this movie just left me with a "meh, nothing special" sort of feeling.