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2010 Golden Globe Winners

January 18, 2010 by Elizabeth

Back on December 15th I posted the complete list of Golden Globe nominees in television and in film along with my pick for winner. The awards show aired last night with not a lot of surprises. So who won and how did I do with my picks? Take a look.

In Television

Best TV drama series:
My pick – Mad Men
Winner – Mad Men

Best TV comedy or musical series:
My pick – Glee or Modern Family
Winner – Glee

Best actor in a TV drama:
My pick – Simon Baker, Jon Hamm, and Michael C Hall
Winner – Michael C Hall

Best actress in a TV drama:
My pick -  Glenn Close or Julianna Maargulies
Winner – Julianna Margulies 

 Best actress in a TV comedy:
My pick – Lea Michele
Winner – Toni Collette 

Best actor in a TV comedy:
My pick – Matthew Morrison
Winner – Alec Baldwin 

Best actor in a supporting role:
My pick – Neil Patrick Harris on HIMYM. ( but said I’ll be surprised is Lithgow doesn’t win)
Winner – John Lithgow 

Best actress in a supporting role:
My pick – Jane Lynch
Winner – Chloë Sevigny 

Best TV movie or miniseries
My pick – Little Dorrit or Georgia O’Keefe
Winner – Grey Gardens

Best actor in a miniseries or TV movie:
My pick – Jeremy Irons
Winner – Kevin Bacon 

Best actress in a miniseries or made-for-TV movie:
My pick – Joan Allen
Winner – Drew Barrymore 

In Film

Best drama:
My Pick – Inglorious Basterds
Winner – Avatar

Best musical or comedy:
My Pick -  Julie & Julia
Winner – The Hangover

Actor in a drama:
My Pick – Jeff Bridges
Winner – Jeff Bridges

Actress in a drama:
My Pick – Sandra Bullock
Winner – Sandra Bullock

Director:
My Pick – Quentin Tarantino
Winner – James Cameron

Actor in a musical or comedy:
My Pick – no pick
Winner – Robert Downey Jr

Actress in a musical or comedy:
My Pick -  Sandra Bullock
Winner – Meryl Streep

Supporting actor:
My Pick – Chrisotph Waltz in Inglorisous Basterds
Winner – Christoph Waltz 

Supporting actress:
My Pick – no pick
Winner – Mo’nique

Foreign language:
My Pick – The Prophet
Winner – The White Ribbon

Animated film:
My Pick -  Up
Winner – Up

Screenplay :
My Pick – Quentin Tarantino for Inglorious Basterds
Winner – Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air

Original score:
My Pick – Michael Giacchino for Up
Winner – Michael Giacchino for Up

Original song:
My Pick – The Weary Kind  from Crazy Heart
Winner – The Weary Kind  from Crazy Heart

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Recipe Stash:Pepper-Crusted Steak w/ Worcestershire-Butter Sauce

January 17, 2010 by Elizabeth

I have a confession – I didn’t follow the recipe. What I ended up making was something similar but really quite different. The original recipe is from the Cook’s Country magazine and is posted below. What I did, and what we thought of it, is in the notes following the recipe.

Pepper-Crusted Steak w/Worcestershire-Butter Sauce
 Serves 4

4 strip steaks (8-10 ounces each), about 1 inch thick
Salt
1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 shallot, minced
½ cup red wine
½ cup low sodium chicken broth
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions: Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt. Rub one side of each steak with pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place steaks with peppered side down in skillet and cook until well browned on both sides. 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and tent with foil.

Add shallot to empty skillet and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add wine, broth, Worcestershire, and thyme and simmer, scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add accumulated steak juices back to pan, whisk in better, and season with salt. Pour sauce over steaks. Serve.

Notes: So I had a steak in the fridge that could serve 4 easily so I used that instead of going to buy more steak. I didn’t want to pan fry the steak as it was thicker than the suggested 1 inch, and didn’t want to use oil on it so I followed the directions up to putting oil in a skillet. I also peppered both sides as we love pepper at our house.

For the sauce – I didn’t have red wine and I hated the thought of using chicken stock with beef. Instead I only 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 cup of low fat/low sodium beef broth. The sauce was much like an au jus and quite tasty.

Overall I think I’ll hang onto the sauce part of the recipe with my adjustments. I’m glad I put pepper on both sides and the sauce was nice to use instead of our family standard of A1™.

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Good Eats in Rockland Maine

January 14, 2010 by Elizabeth

It was so nice to see Rockland Maine  all over the television Wednesday night. The Food Network aired episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay who was here this past summer to challenge Lynn Archer of the Brass Compass on making Lobster Club Sandwiches. I can always tell when the episode airs because at work we get notes and emails about Chef Anne Mahle’s appearance as one of the expert judges. It’s always fun to watch and see so many familiar faces.

In last nights episode of 207, a local news magazine, there was a segment on the Historic Inns of Rockland’s Pies on Parade. This will be its 6th year and as of right now there are 16 or so locations where you will be able taste both savory and sweet pies. A gal pal and I will be going together this year and I can’t wait. I don’t know about you, but with this photo the fella’s at the Limerock Inn shared, I can almost taste the tartness of the kiwi, the sweetness of the strawberry and the feeling of a blueberry pop in my mouth. Yum-E!

Pies on Parade

Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children. The proceeds go to the Interfaith Outreach Food Pantry in Rockland. Over the last 4 years almost $20,000 has been donated to help families. How great is that!

I love the whole idea of this event and can’t wait to go. Don’t worry I’ll blog about it and of course take photos to share!!

To tide you over until the big event enjoy this video of Frank from the Limerock Inn making their famous (and very very tasty) Key Lime Rock Pie! Get ready to start smacking your lips and adding Key Limes to your shopping list this week.

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Wednesday Photos – StirFry

January 13, 2010 by Elizabeth

Today my boss was testing stir fry recipes she made on the schooner this summer. Making something on a woodstove is very different from making something on your home stove/oven. As she was testing, I was photographing, and then eating (of course that’s the best part!).
Here are some of the photos I made today. 
Swiss Chard Sea Salt Sesame StirFry

Swiss Chard Sea Salt Sesame StirFry

Cashew Tofu Scallion StirFry

Cashew Tofu Scallion StirFry

Spicy Carrot Shitake Mushroom StirFry

Spicy Carrot Shitake Mushroom StirFry

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US Postal Service – a wee rant

January 13, 2010 by Elizabeth

I have nothing against the US postal service. I love our mailman – he’s great. Actually there was an article not too long ago about how he saved a woman’s life in our local news paper. Anyway he and I got chatting a couple of weeks ago about if they (the postal service)  just followed through on what they promise they would have to spend millions in television ads trying to get their image up.  

I mean seriously when I pay to ship something priority and it says 2-3 days until arrival and it doesn’t get to its destination for 5 days, why in the world did I pay twice as much to send it Priority when I could have sent it 1st class and had it arrive in the same time frame. Or when I order stamps…it’s supposed to be more convenient. I order them online and then it takes 2 weeks to get them?! Or I give my order to the mailman and they don’t get here for 3 days? They are supposed to come back to me the next day with my mail. And why can’t the mailman provide me with one stamp ONE STAMP, if I have run out – nooooo I have to go to the post office for that. Oh and don’t even get me started on the whole if its over 1 pound and you use stamps instead of a printed label with a bar code, you have to hand it to a postal worker but the mailman DOESN”T count?!?!?! Seriously??

How about just following through on what you promise? If you just practiced good customer service you wouldn’t need to be spending millions of dollars on advertising to boost your image. Instead you could use that money to not raise postage rates or hire a few more workers so it doesn’t take 7 days to get an envelope from one town to the next – yep that has happened to me too.

Wow – I guess I had a lot to say on that matter. {smile} It actually feels kinda good to rant about something every now and then.

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Recipe Stash

January 8, 2010 by Elizabeth

The next recipe in my stash is from At Home, At Sea: Recipes from the Maine Windjammer J&E Riggin. I’ve had this dip on the schooner before while out sailing and I always think that a food tastes better on the boat and I know I’m not alone in this thought.  

Artichoke & Red Pepper Dip
Recipe by Anne Mahle 

Ingredients:
1  8-ounce jar marinated artichokes, liquid drained, minced
1 small can chopped green chilies
1 small can chopped red peppers
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup salsa
Fresh black pepper to taste
2 cups grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients together then spoon the mixture into a large oven proof platter or shallow casserole dish. Bake until bubbly and lightly brown on top, approximately 15 minutes. Serve with crackers or corn chips.
Makes 3 cups 

NOTES: I made this dip to bring with me to my in-laws for Christmas this year and it was a big hit. I was so glad to have made more than I needed and got to bring some home with me to snack on later in the week. I couldn’t find chopped red peppers so I used a 1 cup of salsa instead. When at the store I saw a bag of already grated cheddar/Monterey jack blend – this worked out quite well. I like the combination of the two cheeses but imagine one or the other would work out just fine too. 

In the cookbook Chef Anne says this dip can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to bake it. I made the dip early in the morning, used a pie/quiche dish and brought it with me. I baked it at my mother-in-laws – it worked perfectly. This is an easy to make, wonderful hot dip to have during a football game or with afternoon snacks at a B&B. I served it with mixed basket of crostini and sliced baguette.

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2010 People’s Choice Awards

January 7, 2010 by Elizabeth

The People’s Choice Awards are one of my favorite award shows, because I get to help pick who wins. The last 3 years I’ve voted for my favorites.  This year about half of my picks won! Below is a list of the categories, nominees, my picks in teal and the winners (in bold). And yes, there are som categories that I picked two in :-) As usual I’m disappointed that NCIS didn’t win  – though they were FINALLY nominated!

If you want to vote in next year’s awards just head on over to the People’s Choice Awards website and sign up!

TV Drama:  “House”, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Lost,” “NCIS.”
TV Comedy: “The Big Bang Theory“, “Desperate Housewives,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “The Office,” “Two and a Half Men.”
TV Drama Actor:  Hugh Laurie, Kiefer Sutherland, Mark Harmon, Matthew Fox, Patrick Dempsey.
TV Drama Actress:  Katherine Heigl, Anna Paquin, Blake Lively, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Mariska Hargitay.
TV Comedy Actor:  Steve Carell, Alex Baldwin, Charlie Sheen, Jim Parsons, Neil Patrick Harris.
TV Comedy Actress: Alyson Hannigan, America Ferrera, Amy Poehler, Eva Longoria Parker, Tina Fey.
TV Obsession:  “True Blood”, “Dexter“, “Gossip Girl,” “The Hills,” “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,”
TV Talk Show:  “The Ellen DeGeneres Show“, “Chelsea Lately,” “Live with Regis & Kelly,” “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “The Tyra Banks Show.”
TV Sci-Fi / Fantasy:  “Supernatural”, “Heroes,” “Lost,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “True Blood.”
TV Competition Show: “American Idol”, “Dancing With the Stars,” “Project Runway,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” “Survivor: Samoa.”
Animal Show: ”Dog Whisperer”, “Animal Cops,” “DogTown,” “It’s Me or the Dog,” “Rescue Ink.”
New TV Drama: “The Vampire Diaries”, “Eastwick,” “FlashForward,” “Melrose Place,” “Mercy,” “The Forgotten,” “The Good Wife,” “Three Rivers,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “V.”
New TV Comedy: “Glee“, “Accidentally on Purpose,” “Brothers,” “Community,” “Cougar Town,” “Hank,” “The Cleveland Show,” “The Middle,” “Modern Family.”
Movie Actor:  Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Hugh Jackman, Robert Pattinson, Ryan Reynolds.
Movie Actress: Sandra Bullock, Anne Hathaway, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston, Kristen Stewart
Action Star: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Gerard Butler, Shia LaBeouf, Vin Diesel.
Comedic Star: Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Ryan Reynolds, Vince Vaughn.
Breakout Movie Actress: Miley Cyrus, Anna Kendrick, Emily Osment, Ginnifer Goodwin, Zoe Saldana.
Breakout Movie Actor: Taylor Lautner, Chris Pine, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sam Worthington, Zachary Quinto.
On-Screen Team: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, “The Twilight Saga”; Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”; Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, “The Proposal“; Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”; Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, will.i.am, Dominic Monaghan and Daniel Henney, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.”
Family Movie: ”Up”, “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,” “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” “Where the Wild Things Are.”
Independent Movie: “Inglourious Basterds,” “(500) Days of Summer,” “District 9,” “Paranormal Activity,” “Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail.”
Movie Franchise: “The Twilight Saga”, “Harry Potter,” “Star Trek,” “Transformers,” “X-Men.”
Comedy Movie: ”The Proposal“, “17 Again,” “Bride Wars,” “He’s Just Not That Into You,” “The Hangover,”
Favorite Movie: ”Twilight”, “The Proposal,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” “Star Trek,” “The Hangover”
Male Artist: Keith Urban, Eminem, Jason Mraz, John Mayer, Tim McGraw.
Female Artist: Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Carrie Underwood, Pink
Country Artist: Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift.
Breakout Music Artist: Lady Gaga, Adam Lambert, Demi Lovato, Kris Allen, Susan Boyle.
Hip-hop Artist: Eminem, Flo Rida, Jay-Z, Lil’ Wayne, T.I.
Rock Band: Paramore, Daughtry, Green Day, Kings of Leon, Muse
Music Collaboration: * Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West, “Run This Town”; Cobra Starship & Leighton Meester, “Good Girls Go Bad“; Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat, “Lucky“; T.I. & Rihanna, “Live Your Life”; The Lonely Island & T-Pain, “I’m on a Boat.”
R&B Artist: * Mariah Carey,Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson, Usher.
Pop Artist: * Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, the Black Eyed Peas.
Web Celeb: * Ashton Kutcher, Andy Samberg, Miley Cyrus, P. Diddy, Will Ferrell.

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Giggles & Glee

January 7, 2010 by Elizabeth

You may have noticed that the past 7 Giggles & Glee posts have disappeared. Well they didn’t disappear exactly, they’ve been moved. Because I’m going to be posting themevery day I didnt want to take away from what I really want to be writing about.

With this in mind I’ve created a new space for them. You can find the link at the top of the page under, what else….Giggles & Glee. On this page you’ll find the link to the posts. Hope to see you there….and feel free to leave something that’s made you laugh recently too.

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My Favorite 2009 Photographs

January 6, 2010 by Elizabeth

As I was going through my photos from 2009 I thought it would be fun to pick 25 of my favorites to share with you. Some you may have seen before and some you haven’t. I didn’t include the photo from the Camden Windjammer Festival because I just posted that a few weeks ago. I hope you enjoy. I’m looking forward to 2010 and applying all the new things I’ve learned about photography over the last several months.

All of these photos (except the ones of people) are available for print and matted or as note cards. If you’re interested, please drop me an email.














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Posted in Beach/Ocean, Family, Garden, Maine, Photography, Sailing, Windjammers | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment »

Cook the Book/Recipe Stash

January 4, 2010 by Elizabeth

I’ve heard of a lot of people cooking their way through a cookbook one recipe at a time. I’ve decided to do the same thing – in a way. I have a bunch of recipes I’ve collected from newspapers, magazines, online etc and they are all just floating around in notebooks and cookbooks just waiting to be tried. So instead of cooking my way through a book, I’m going to cook my way through my recipe stash. I’m shooting for one new recipe a week and as I go I’ll blog about the recipes, what my family thought of them and a photograph- if I can. I’m looking forward to embarking on this journey.

Most recently I made two recipes by Chef Anne Mahle of At Home & At Sea. One came from her Cookbook of the same title and the other, Sage & Rosemary Gravy, is from a column she writes for the Portland Press Herald.

This one I made for Thanksgiving and then again for Christmas. I think it’s now my new favorite gravy recipe – so herby tasting.  It helps that I have a Sage plant outside and Rosemary inside – though as of the other night the sage is now covered in a snow pile.

Sage & Rosemary Gravy
Recipe by Anne Mahle

Ingredients:
¼ cup butter (1/2 stick)
1 tbs finely minced sage
1 tbs finely minced rosemary
3 cups low-salt chicken stock
6 tbs flour
½ tsp salt
Several grinds of black pepper

Directions:
From the pan in which the turkey was cooked, drain liquid. Skim fat from top and reserve the liquid. Place pan back onto medium –high heat and add the butter and herbs – sauté herbs until they begin to become fragrant. Add the flour and whisk continuously until fully incorporated. Whisk for another minute. Add the reserved liquid from the pan and whisk vigorously until that is fully incorporated. Add the salt and pepper and bring to a boil, whisking continuously again. Simmer for 1 minute or reduce heat to lowest heat/tiniest flame to keep warm while you finalize the rest of your dinner.
Serves -12

NOTES: I ended up using a little less butter and not skimming the turkey juice for just a little more turkey flavor. I also found that the next day with leftovers the gravy had a much richer flavor, so if you don’t care to add the turkey juices make this a day ahead and just reheat. You could always add the turkey juice then too I’m guessing.

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