Books

Fried Chicken



I have been reading The Help this week by Kathryn Stockett. I expected the book to be addicting but what I didn't expect was the burning desire to crave the food mentioned in the novel. I have never made fried chicken before but I have watched my gramma do it. Well when I say that I have watched her do it I mean that I have one memory of her cooking fried chicken on a summer evening, not actually seeing what she did to the chicken. So when Minny Jackson rattled off her instructions on how she made fried chicken I took a permanent mental note. Buttermilk, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, flour, and Crisco.

Here we are:

Fried chicken
Fried potatoes
Corn

I'm not going to lie, I had planned corn casserole instead of the standard corn side dish but I forgot to put in the oven and it takes about 45 minutes.

Not hard at all! Only patience is required. I think next time I'll tone down the cayenne however!

~ Angela O'

A Beatrix Potter Baby Shower



One of my best friends recently gave birth to her first child, a son.  She introduced the first year of his life to many classic nursery rhymes incorporating them in the baby shower, baby nursery, and soon-to-be first birthday celebration.  A connection that she and her twin sister once shared from their childhood nursery.  Unfortunately I could not travel to the baby shower, as it was to be in St. Louis and I had just gotten settled in at Austin.  Her sister was the hostess and I co-hosted games from afar.  I handmade all of the games to be a custom fit for her Beatrix Potter theme.  In addition, I presented them in a way that she could keep them nicely tucked in a box so that when the baby was old enough Mommy and Daddy could play the games with him.  A neat and interactive way to learn the very interesting history of Beatrix Potter.  

Today I would love to provide inspiration to anyone who is tired of the stale games offered in books, online, and at party stores.

Supplies Needed: color printer (or office printing store), scissors, nice scrapbook paper,  8.5x11" sheets of blank & printed paper, glue, metallic marker, organza ribbon, saftey pins, and a scrapbook brad to connect multiple pages (used on the Left/Right game hostess sheet).  Both the Bazill brand Prince Charming blue and the Beatrix Potter print paper were from Archiver's which I purchased in Winter 2011.  They are in 12x12" sheets that I cut down to size.  These papers were used to make the hostess sheets and game cards so that the back was a pretty sight for the guests and guest-of-honor.

I also made hostess instruction cards that were approximately 6x6 inches (12x12 sheet, quartered) so that when the day came each game would run smoothly.  The colors were coordinated to be tied in to the look of the shower but small enough to hold and be discrete.  All you do is print the instructions on computer paper and then past the instructions onto the cut down scrapbook paper for a matted look.


PASSIVE GAME:  Under the Chair 


Before any of the guests arrive place a symbol under one of the chairs so that the guest who will be seated there will later be announced as the winner of a door prize.  I used a printed nursery rhyme picture adhered to textured scrapbook paper, monogrammed with a silver BP to make a small note card that would fit securely under the chair with tape.   


PASSIVE GAME:   "Don't Say Baby"


As everyone arrives be sure to give them a ribbon with safety pins.  Each ribbon has 4 playing pins plus one attachment pin for the guests blouse.  Instruct all guests to not say the word “baby”.  If they are caught saying "baby" they have to give one of their safety pins to the person they said it to.  At the end of the shower, ask the guests to tally up their pins.  Whoever has the most pins wins a prize.  This would be a great game to designate to a co-host to stand at the door to pass out and quickly explain the rule.


ACTIVE GAME:  "Angela's Signature" Left Right Game

Left/Right Game Hostess Sheet - Front & Back

Left/Right Game Hostess Sheet - Front

The hostess will need to use an object to pass around the table, like a flower or stuffed animal. Only one item can be used.  If there are multiple tables then designate one corner of each as the bridge so that the item moves on to the next table smoothly.  The hostess will read the story out loud to the guests.  Each time the guests hear the word “right” or “left” (spelled in many different ways) the guest holding the object will pass the item in the designated direction.  The last person holding the item wins a prize.  Do this game first as it is very active and will get the ladies excited.  Do this while the guests are sitting but before they eat because it is a bit of a riot.

*The Left/Right story is at the bottom of the blog


ACTIVE GAME: Beatrix Potter Trivia 

The Beatrix Potter Trivia Hostess Cards










Beatrix Potter trivia cards.  Use these hostess cards to announce the question.  They are made to look like game show cards.  Give the guests approximately 10 seconds or so to hand write their answer on their own answer sheet.  There are 13 questions, at the end of all the questions the hostess will then announce the answers.  Making sure to  re-read them in the same order.   The person with the most correct wins a prize. 

**Save time by placing the guest blank sheets at the guest seats before they arrive.  Include pens.  This game should be done during eating or after, while at the table.

*The Beatrix potter trivia is at the bottom of the blog



ACTIVE GAME: The 23 Tales

The 23 Tales Hostess Sheet

The guest answer sheet for 23 Tales & BP Trivia

The 23 tales of Beatrix Potter. The hostess will announce to the guests that they will get 4 minutes to jot down as many Beatrix Potter tales that they know on their game sheet once you say “GO”. Once the four minutes are up the hostess will read off the answers from the hostess sheet.  Ask the guests how many they got right.  The person with the most wins a prize.
**Save time by placing the guest blank sheets at the guest seats before they arrive.  Include pens. This game should be done after eating or during dessert, while at the table.


*The 23 Tales List is at the bottom of the blog



PRESENTATION:

An easy way to transport to the shower and to present is to tie organza ribbon on the game cards.  





BP TRIVIA:  All based on my own research of Beatrix Potter

Q: What is Beatrix Potter’s first name? 
A: Helen 

Q: What year was Beatrix Potter born? 
A: 1866 

Q: What was Beatrix Potter’s brother’s name? 
A: Bertram (Walter Bertram) 

Q: What year was The Tale of Peter Rabbit published? 
A: 1901, privately 

Q: How many children did Beatrix Potter have? 
A: 3 

Q: After receiving book proceeds and a legacy from her aunt, what did Beatrix Potter purchase? 
A: “Hill Top Farm” – near Sawry, a tiny village 

Q: How many books did Beatrix Potter publish? 
A: 23 

Q: Beatrix Potter stories have been told in four ways. 1. Song 2. Film 3. Animation and 4. _________ 
A: Ballet 

Q: To earn money in the 1890’s what did Beatrix and Bertram do? 
A: Designed and printed their own Christmas and Special Occasion cards 

Q: What were Beatrix Potter’s “Four Little Rabbits” names? 
A: Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter 

Q: Finish this title… “The Tale of ______Nutkin” 
A: The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin 

Q: What are two stories that represent Beatrix’s life of Hill Top Farm? 
A: The Tale of Jemima Puddle Deck & The Tale of Tom Kitten 

Q: What was the name of the ballet film released in 1971 and directed by Reginald Miller? 
A: “The Tales of Beatrix Potter”   **This was performed in costume by the Royal Ballet




The 23 Tales

The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902)
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin (1903)
The Tailor of Gloucester (1903)
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny (1904)
The Tale of Two Bad Mice (1904)
The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (1905)
The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan (1905)
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher (1906)
The Story of A Fierce Bad Rabbit (1906)
The Story of Miss Moppet (1906)
The Tale of Tom Kitten (1907)
The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck (1908)
The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or, The Roly-Poly Pudding (1908)
The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies (1909)
The Tale of Ginger and Pickles (1909)
The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse (1910)
The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes (1911)
The Tale of Mr. Tod (1912)
The Tale of Pigling Bland (1913)
Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes (1917)
The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse (1918)
Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes (1922)
The Tale of Little Pig Robinson (1930)




Angela’s Signature Game “Right/Left” 
This is a story about Mrs. Wright's baby shower tea party. She lived right at the end of Lefty Lane, the third house on the left. Today, Mrs. Wright was hosting a baby shower tea party. The women would enter left, right through the front door and greet Mrs. Wright, they would head right down the stairs, turning left then right into Mrs. Wright's family room where the mommy-to-be was.


Two of the girls were left-handed so they would sit at the left of the table. Mrs. Wright held up her right hand and all of her friends grew quiet, except the left-handed girl on the right patting Mrs. Wright's dog named Hefty Lefty.



Mrs. Wright asked Sarah Wright and Julie Wright to pass out the teacups starting to the left. Sarah Wright and Julie Wright started out left but turned back because they left the cups just to the right of the table, right next to the spoons. Mrs. Wright said, "That's all right." 

Mrs. Wright began to serve her friends some pie when Grandma Wright smelled the delicious desserts and left her bedroom to join the Wright girls. She went down the stairs and turned left than right, right into Mrs. Wright's family room.

Grandma Wright knocked and entered left and sat in the rocking chair on the left. Sarah Wright and Julie Wright invited Grandma Wright to join them at the table.

Grandma Wright had been to many baby showers as a young girl and right before they realized it, Grandma Wright was telling them stories from when she was the mommy-to-be and went to the right cabinet and in the left drawer were pictures of her baby shower.

As the party ended right on time, they all put their dishes right in the left side of the sink and thanked Mrs. Wright and Grandma Wright for such a wonderful time. Soon, all of the women from the Wright baby shower tea party turned right than left, then left again to return to the front door and out to the right car that they arrived in. Down lefty lane they went. Now who ended up with the right gift?


 **This is considered Angela's signature baby shower game simply because it is always so popular and the guests have so much fun.  I did not create this game but it has been so long since I first used it I can't remember who was the original source.

Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-centered, Smart-ass, Or, why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office : a Memoir



I just finished reading (actually listening) to this book.  It was hilarious but I mostly enjoyed Jen Lancaster's tart and truthful commentary.  Not that I would ever publicly shred someone or something at that level it was still fun to read.  Being that I have a one) have a fashion background  and 2) grew up in Illinois it was easy to relate to some of the scenarios that were applied in the book.  Of course there were very heartfelt moments when Jen realized that she had to give up the material things to take care of her depressed husband or when she took the greyhound bus to be by her injured mother's side.

Every chapter that she wrote I related to in some way whether it was how people addressed me or navigating through the tough economy.  It was definitely worth the read.  It is likely the person who reads this book is going to know that it is was written as memoir when they pick it up but I had no idea until the epilogue!!

www.jennsylvania.com


Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 - May 6, 2012

Okay I know I am very late watching Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 but there is a very good reason.  I was never seriously into any of the Twilight movies.  In fact I never once had the urge to go to the theater for any of the first 4 movies.  However, one day while visiting San Marcos, Texas my husband and I stumbled upon this amazing bookstore in downtown.  One that sold all their books for $2.00 or less on a dated scale.  Meaning they were all pre-ticketed with 3 dates and 3 prices and if the book was on the shelf when the second and third date hit the the price dropped to the next level.  Well needless to say I got 3 of the 4 Twilight Saga books for less than $5.00 so I bought them.  This was way back in July and I had to really motiviate myself to read them. Finally I cracked open cover in September.  Now before reading the book I was a firm believer that the acting in the Twilight movies 1 through 3 was terrible.  I totally felt that the storyline had potential in the movies but acting...UGH!!!  As I began to read the first book I started to understand why the casting was done as it was and why the movies were written as they were.  However, I was never trulyable to appreciate the books until I started Breaking Dawn as I had seen the first three movies on DVD so it left little to properly imagine.  Anyway, I continued to tell myself through all of these books that I needed to finish them before the last movie was released in theater so I could actually see it on the big screen for the final judgement.  Okay so I finally finished the last book on May 6, 2012, yes I know I am a slow reader.  I'm very busy so there is not a whole lot of time to put into reading a leisure book.  By noon I finished the book and was super excited to watch the movie today.  The Breaking Dawn book was totally amazing.  Absolutely excellent. Details were great.

THE MOVIE:  .......Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1:   SUCKED!!!  Absolutely horrible.  I will state this up front.  I am no longer biased because I have read the book and can honestly say that the movie was horrible not due to the acting but solely because of the director/movie direction. Utter Crap!!   The movie completely strayed away from the book.  Let me make very clear for those who have never read the book and only seen the movie that the wolf physical fight scene never actually happened.  Not once!  So many necessary moments were skipped in the movie and so many fake stories were added in.  They could have definitely found a better way to portray the book in 2 hours or less if time was a concern to the director.

Now what I don't understand is when I read movie reviews online why I haven't run across someone who has actually read the book and dislikes it.  The only reviews I find are either A) you liked the movie and never read the book or B) you hate the movie but never read the book to actually have anything to compare it too.


REALLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All I can say now is please, please, please read the book.  My teachers could never persuade me that books are always better than movies.  But Twilight has made me a firm believer.  Maybe that is why Bella Swan appreciates Wuthering Heights.