Sunny With a Chance of Blerg!

Blerg! I have been sucking it up lately friends by not posting. Unfortunately for me life was kicking my butt this round. I've been uber busy lately: stage managing a play, working, applying for certain things, Improv class, interning, helping my sister with her wedding, swimming, thinking about Joe & I getting married, a new group my friend is starting here in LA for actors, dealing with my sister needing ovarian surgery, and still sick to boot! Needless to say it's been a bit of a busy time and I've been thrown a few curve balls like my tire popping on the highway, some finance issues, and very trouble-seeking 2 year old pup! Please bear with me through these, er, growing pains. I am still trying to wrap my head around some things and get my schedule working. Here is some brief stuff to catch up our schedule:

Colonel Mustard Monday:
"I'm still living the good life! I turned 2 in January and mom says I can be "terrible 2" sometimes but I like to think of it as "terrific 2"! Like today, I chewed and chewed and played and slept and had some treats and snuggles and now am back to chewing my dental dino. Can't beat that!"





TCM Tuesday:
To satisfy your need of classic film I give you...


It's showing tonight on TCM at 11:45pm. Here be your quickie synopsis:
Set in July 1912, a traveling salesman, "Professor" Harold Hill (Robert Preston), arrives in River City, Iowa, via train. Intrigued by the challenge of swindling the famously stubborn natives of Iowa as talked about by fellow traveling salesmen. He is a traveling "band instructor". Professor Hill plans to con the citizens of River City into paying him to create a boys' marching band, including instruments, uniforms, and music instruction. Once he has collected the money and the instruments and uniforms have arrived, he will hop the next train out of town leaving them without their money or a band.

With help from his associate Marcellus Washburn (Buddy Hackett), who is now living in River City and is the only one who knows Hill's real name, "Gregory"; Hill incites mass concern among the citizens of River City that their young boys are being seduced into a world of sin and vice by the new pool table in town. Hill convinces them that a boys' marching band is the only way to keep the boys of the town pure and out of trouble, and begins collecting their money.

Hill anticipates the town's librarian and piano instructor Marian (Shirley Jones), will attempt to discredit him, so he sets out to seduce her into silence. Also in opposition to Hill is the town's Mayor Shinn (Paul Ford) & his wife Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn (Hermione Gingold). Meanwhile, Hill attempts to win the heart of Marian, who has an extreme distrust of men and him in particular. His charms have little effect upon her until he wins the admiration of both her mother (Pert Kelton) and her withdrawn and unhappy younger brother Winthrop (Ron Howard). Marian falls in love with Hill, and hides evidence she has that proves he is a fraud.

The band's instruments arrive and Hill tells the boys to learn to play via the "Think System," in which they simply have to think of a tune over and over and will know how to play it without ever touching their instruments. In the meantime, Marian is falling more in love with Harold. Hill's con is nearly complete; all he has to do is collect the rest of the instrument and uniform money, and he can disappear.

He is about to leave town when a disgruntled anvil salesman who had been run out of Brighton, Illinois in a backlash to Hill's having conned the townspeople there comes to River City and exposes Hill and his plans. Chased by an angry mob of River City citizens (and pressed to leave town by Marcellus and Marian) Hill realizes that he is in love with Marian and can't leave. He is captured by the mob and brought before a town meeting to be tarred and feathered. Hill is saved by the boys' band who "play" their own instruments (very poorly). Hill remains in River City and there is a huge parade and fanfare!

Enjoy this delightful musical tonight! :)

Good for the World Wednesdays:
I want to introduce you all to 2 things today. The first being my new favorite go to quick lunch--salad wraps! I know, so simple and everyone knows how to make their own version of one but I am currently obsessed so deal with it. Joe made me blackened tempeh and it's wrapped up with baby greens, scallion, carrot, mushroom, chickpeas, and a hummus salad dressing. We've been snacking on this like whoa! The second thing I want to share is one of my very favorite advocacy groups Farm Sanctuary. They constantly have ways of adopting a farm animal that's been rescued, educational articles, petitions to stand up for animal rights, everything really to help provide an actual sanctuary for farm animals everywhere. I want to adopt everything (I specifically loved their turkeys at "Friendsgiving" and wanted to adopt all of those lil guys) and hope you join me in loving everything they do!

Okay tomorrow I shall try and post about the theatre I am involved with for your Thursday enjoyment! Thanks chickens and see you soon. Promise!

Cloudy With a Chance of Colds...

Well our house has been over taken by colds. I went home early Friday with a fever spent Saturday in bed, and by Sunday poor Joe was sniffling, sneezing & coughing. Today we both were hacking up our lungs. Not awesome. I wont let it bring me down though!

It's been slightly chilly here in LA which I am loving, I love that SoCal's winters feel like the beginnings of fall. It is delicious. I can wear jeans and sweatshirts and feel comfy-hooray!

Okay-now for the kinda makes me sick how much I am already thinking about all this wedding crap: I think that Joe & I came up with our tentative wedding date & ideas for style. Is that super gross? I'm sure some of you ladies are saying NO (I know you 'gents are saying yes, I kinda agree so don't judge me too harshly)but our tentative date isn't until 2014 so it just seems like a silly rush to me. But then I think, "meh I'm just planning ahead". Regardless I think/know I want to get a wedding coordinator so I can say this is what I want you figure out the details & I don't have to stress and can have fun just "yea"ing or "nay"ing things & going to tastings. I have been looking through pics on Pinterest, The Knot, Once Wed, Wedding Chicks, etc. It's enough to make me puke. Yet it is helping to make realize what I love and what I don't so that's good I guess. Poor Joe doesn't know what he is tangled up in, does he?

I am currently at my Internship at 2nd City and I have to say, I love these people. Super positive. Super supportive. Just a really great place to be. So excited for my classes. :D

Okay, off to sell some tickets to shows. More posts (with pics) soon, I PROMISE!
xoxox

Holy Crap!

HOLY CRAP! So many things to catch up on guys. Those weddings I went to, my & Joe's bdays, the holidays, I got engaged, work stuff, Colonel Mustard is turning 2, New Years Revolutions, SO MUCH!!!!

hmm...


Did you see what I slipped in there? I bet you did. I GOT ENGAGED!!!!!! :D

I'm pretty excited about it in the sense that I love Joe & want to spend the rest of my life with him. I am not excited about all the crazy that can come with it though. So here are the details:

Well as Joe puts it: "Alex & I had a frank discussion, then on the 23rd I asked her Dad's permission & then we were engaged". The events are pretty true to that. Being the non-traditionalists that we are we had talked about "getting married one day" for quite a few years. Serious discussions of a sneak-attack guerrilla wedding at Disneyland started in the Fall of 2011 and by December we both decided ring or no ring it was time we let everyone know we were together for realz.

After we had discussed and decided to engage Joe began psyching himself up to talk to my Pops. I confirmed a million times that the worst thing that he would say would be "took you long enough". So we flew back to the tundra of Michigan to visit our families for the holidays. After a 3 hour delay in Denver we made it to my folks place on 12/22/11 at 6:45-ish A.M. There was a remark made by my mom about the two of secretly being married (details on the conversation are fuzzy as we were exhausted from being up all night). I said no we aren't married but...Joe gave me the panic eyes, I made excuses & we went to bed. The next morning Joe took some deep pump up breaths & walked into my Pop's office. The following conversation is completely verbatim (the notes in parentheses are what I was sensing from the kitchen as I listened to this unfold):

Joe (trying to hide his fear): Hey Larry, can I ask you a question?
Pops (whilst fiddling with the computer & various office items): Sure, what's up?
Joe (holy crap I have to ask!): Can I have your blessing to marry Alex?
Pops (completely shocked by this out of left field question): What? Uh... Sure, of course! Welcome aboard! (sounds of hugging)

I then popped her head in and said "Ta Da!" and hugged my Pops.

And then we pretty much shared with the rest of our families, then my extended family (we went up north that day for my mom's side big extended family get together), then close friends via text/phone calls, and then that night before bed we Facebook-ed it. YAY!



So there is a little update. I'll post more ASAP-I promise. I need to kick my own butt for not being on here enough. I apologize dear chickens. I hope you're still interested in reading about my silly life in La-La Land. :D

xoxox

Sunny With a Chance of Friendsgiving!!!

Oh friends! I am so sorry for not posting in quite some time. It has been a month. I have so many pictures from the weddings last month that I want to share with you & loads to catch you up on (some great things & some trials/tribulations). But today I just want to give thanks.

So thank you to all of you who do read this little blog & to those who follow it publicly super thank you! I promise I will get my butt in gear and get back to posting on the regs!! Thank you to all my friends for being friends, to all those friends I have parted ways with (good and bad partings) thank you for making me who I am today and being my friend at the time you were. You all have helped me learn who I am & who I am not. To my family thank you for being bat-shit crazy and so loyal and supportive. Though we don't always get along you are always there for me. Thank you to my boyfriend. I LOVE YOU!!! Thanks for being "home", my safe place, my best friend, my sweetie, and my MoneyPenny! LOVE LOVE LOVE you! Thank you to my puppy Colonel Mustard for all your puppy kisses, snuggles, pounces, prancing, keeping my feet warm, and your soft ears! You're are the best fur baby a rescue mama could ask for & I am so lucky that Kari found you that 14th of August & that we got there one day before they were going to euthanize you! Thank you to all my doctors-my back is literally a huge pain in the ass but I am so thankful to the doctors, my pilates/rehab instructor & friend Dionna, my acupuncturist Oscar, my new Swim instructors at SCAQ, and everyone who is helping keep me healthy!

Basically I am thankful for all the people in my life, for the ability to live each day in a city always showing me new things, the ability to pursue my acting dreams whilst still paying the bills, the fact that I've stayed out of surgery for 6 years, the fact that I have a honey who loves me as fiercely as he did almost 6 years ago (AHHH! February is rapidly approaching), and that tomorrow I get to host our 2nd annual Friendsgiving! I am so excited y'all!

Joe & I have meticulously planned out this menu & here is what we are making for dinner (eat your hearts out):

Appetizers (to be served with homemade bread):
-Sun-dried Tomato Dip
-Savory Tofu Dip

Salads:
-Warm Spinach Salad
-Pressed Salad

Main Dish:
-Lemon-Thyme-Agave Braised Vegan Short Ribs and Seared Tofu Scallops in a Mineola Tangelo-Saffron Sauce!

Sides:
-Kabocha Squash with Creminis & Herbs
-Sweet Potato & Banana Casserole
-Polish Dill Mashed Potatoes
-Garlic Glazed Green Beans
-Kale with Pine Nuts & Currants
-Chestnut Stuffing
-Cranberry Chutney

Desserts:
-Chocolate Pumpkin Tart
-Apple Crisp
-Pumpkin-Cranberry Scones
-Almond-Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Isn't your mouth just watering right now?! Mine is (Colonel's too)...mmmm! Hope you all have wonderful Thanksgivings full of love & traditions. Cannot wait to hear all about them & tell you how ours goes! See you soon chickens! :D

Sunny With a Chance of a Celebration!

Happy World Vegan Day friends! Hope yours is amazing! :D

It's kind of weird not to be posting a recipe after this past month but we'll try to get back to our normally scheduled program here. I am at work and then auditioning for a play so I will try to post some TCM Tuesday goodness when I get home.

Until then, look back at our 20-ish recipes, pick one & eat up & enjoy since it IS a celebration of all things VEGAN!! :D

Vegan Mofo Day 20.5!

Fitting in one more recipe here for the last day to make up for my sucky posting this past week. This one is an amazing one though so ENJOY!!

Gołąbki!!!!! (or stuffed cabbage rolls)

RECIPE:
The Cabbage:
2 large heads of green cabbage, cored

Boil a large pot (approx. 1-2 gallons) of salted water. Submerge cored cabbage. Continue to boil until cabbage leaves are pliable. Drain. Cover in cold water 5 minutes. Set aside.

The Stuffing:
1 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled & finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can tomato paste (6 oz.)
2 tbsp red wine
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp paprika
1.5 cups uncooked rice
12 oz. Yve's Veggie Cuisin Meatless Ground (you could use 1 cup TVP or some tempeh if you prefer, find a flavor and texture you enjoy [whilst saving the beef & pork traditionally used in this recipe])

Cook your rice until ALMOST done. Set aside. In another pan saute onion & carrots over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add garlic, continue for another 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, parsley, wine, mostly cooked rice, meatless ground, & some salt & pepper to taste. Mix for 2-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

The Sauce:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 18oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 cup veggie stock
1.5 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp tofutti sour cream
10 oz. button mushrooms, sliced

Saute garlic in oil over medium high heat for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes & stock. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar & brown sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Use an emulsion blender to blend until mostly smooth (my mom prefers chunkier, Joe prefers smooth, do whatever makes you happy peeps). Add tofutti sour cream in slowly & stir with spoon. In separate pan saute mushrooms with oil for approx. 10 minutes. Add mushrooms to tomato sauce.

To assemble & cook:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Carefully peel off cabbage leaves (I usually set aside the first 2 leaves because there is always a little dirt left no matter how much I clean them & they're usually ripped up a little or too huge to roll-DO NOT THROW AWAY THOUGH! You'll use them later). Just to one side of vein take a heaping scoop of your filling. Wrap it up burrito style (tuck the non vein end over, then fold the side that the filling is close to over & roll). Place little cabbage-burrito into pyrex baking dish or roasting pan SEAM SIDE DOWN. Keep up this process using the larger leaves of the cabbage first until your filling is all gone (this filled 2: 13"x9" meatloaf sized pyrex dishes for us). Cover the stuffed cabbages with sauce (leave some sauce aside for after they are cooked). Cover with any unused (the biggie leaves we set aside!) cabbage leaves & any smaller unused leaves (they will keep your rolls from burning in the oven). Cover dish with aluminum foil or lid. Place in oven & bake for 1.5 hours. Remove from oven & allow to cool.

To Serve:
Place rolls on plate. Top with some heated left-over tomato sauce & a dollop of tofutti sour cream. Chop some sprigs of parsley & sprinkle on top. Serve with your favorite red wine or some Warka or Żywiec beers from the motherland! Na zdrowie!!




REVIEWS:
Alex: an old family favorite this dish reminds me of winter in Michigan. Great stick to your ribs & keep you warm kind of dish. Rolling these reminds me of good conversations & eating them reminds me of amazing family dinners! Love making & eating these!! DELICIOUS! :D

Joe is half asleep right now as I type this up (it IS 1AM after all) but he still managed to mutter out in his sleep when questioned "It's so good, I love them". So from the mouth of a half asleep non-Polish kid they're truly delicious!

Vegan MoFo Day 20!

Day 19 has us enjoying a quickie recipe we converted from an old stir fry fave of ours.

Beef(less) & Broccoli Stir Fry

RECIPE:
2 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion
12 oz. broccoli florets
3 scallions
2 tbsp. hoison sauce
2 tbsp. mirin
1/4 cup water
red chili flakes
2 tbsp. peanut (or veggie) oil
2 packages Gardein homestyle beefless tips

Mince garlic & thinly slice white parts of scallions & red onions. In wok (or large skillet) preheat 1 tbsp oil on high heat until faint wisps of smoke start to rise. Add garlic & sliced white parts of scallions. Stirring until fragrant (about 10 seconds). Add thinly sliced red onions & Gardein beefless tips. Stir until browned on all sides. Add 1 tbsp mirin & 1 tbsp hoison sauce. Continue to cook for 30 seconds. Reserve this mixture into a large bowl.

In same pan add remaining tbsp oil & bring to heat (about 45 seconds). Add broccoli florets, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Add water & remaining mirin & allow broccoli to steam until water evaporates (3-5 minutes). Add the beefless mixture back into wok as well as remaining hoison. Thibnly slice remaining green sections of scallions, add to wok with large pinch of red pepper flakes. Serve with steamed rice & enjoy!





REVIEWS:
Joe: Pretty great, quick, & easy meal. Perfect for weeknights!

Alex: I love broccoli so this really hit the spot for me when I crave green veggies. Delicious quick stir fry ready when you are starving and don't want to wait to cook a big fancy meal. Yum! :)