A culinary trip to England.

Ok my fellow bloggie friends. Now is the time for active participation. I know *I* truly enjoy English food. I like the simplicity of taking basic ingredients and tossing them together. Having just unleashed my inner Nigella Lawson, I recently purchased a Gordon Ramsay *swoon* recipe book and have started cooking home meals. I find English food the easiest and most satisfying. So far I've made a lemon and sage roast chicken and Shepherd's Pie.

So this is where you come in. It is time to post your favourite English recipe's. Post them in the comments section and let us share our England culinary expertise. Hopefully we will learn a recipe or two. If you post on my FB wall (or better even, FB e-mail if you don't want to post here), then I will copy and paste in. Also feel free to comment on other recipes if you do something different. And if you try something posted here...let us know how it turned out!

P.S...Is Nigella not the most gorgeous woman? Gah.
Cheers!

British Monday: Footie!

It has always been a dream of mine to go to a soccer/English Football game. Ever since I saw my first game in 1992, I have been a mad avid fan of Team England. Of course, this is me. So you know that hot men folk largely determines my interest in any sport. And I have to say, you want sexy, go watch a soccer game on a hot day when they strip off their shirt....oh..wait..what was I saying? Check out Hunky McHunkerson (aka Michael Owen who btw, happens to be Canadian born)..

Where was I again? Let me wipe my drool.....

It is well known that English Football is like Canadian Hockey...avid fans/backseat critics/the occasional drunk lunatic. English fans tend to take the lunatic thing to the extreme, with their riots and general bawdiness.

I know that football can be considered somewhat boring. I mean, you watch guys one from one side to the other kicking a ball...and at the end, in theory, you could have a nil-nil match. Where is the fun in that?

But there is a nuance to the sport. There is a finesse. A certain sense of athleticism. Plays that become legendary. Fakes and "fake injuries" that would rival any soap opera. And add to that the general atmospher of thousands singing their team song, known by heart, in key, at the same time, repeatedly? Sure beats any other sporting event I have attended.

I'm going to leave you with a funny comedy sketch...hehehe.

It's UK WEEK!

I have been waiting for SO LONG to have my England week. I love the British. Not exactly a state secret, but there are so many things I love about England. I've never actually been to England, but one can dream. I guess growing up in Canada, part of the Commonwealth, we have closer ties to the mother country. We spell the same, use the same imperial measurements, and there are British programs on the tele. Squeee.

So for the upcoming week, I will talk about various things. But for now, i will leave you with my DILF *Daddy I'd like to F**K!*. I am a bit embarassed in some ways because I recognize that he is not exactly sexy to most people. But he's so sexy to me. It is CHEF GORDON RAMSAY.

I never used to like him, until I saw his show "The F Word" that shows him in a much gentler light. Maybe it's because I LOVE FOOD. But I have his recipe book and I have become a much better cook. He's so simple in his approach. And anyone that can teach me anything at my age, I love even more.

So stay tuned for more British posts coming up!

The Sunday Swoon

Blatant rip-off of my good friend Juniors' regular blog feature (see side wall for link). But I have to put my new swoon up...2010 Daytona 500 winner JAMIE MCMURRAY.




After this interview, how can you not LOVE HIM? So genuine. So sweet. No sponsorship spewing. All thanks. All grace. All emotion. And..he's cute.

Happy Valentine's indeed.

Secret Gem: The Zac Brown Band

Anyone who reads my facebook page will be sick of the frequency in which I post my love for the Zac Brown Band! But seriously, these guys are the best band I have heard in quite some time. You cannot fake raw talent. They can be fun and goofy. Or they can be intensely serious. Have a listen.

My favourite song: Highway 20 Ride.



I find this song amusing: TOES



Makes me want to move to the South: Chicken Fried



Squeee.

So Small.

I think that sometimes there is a song that just FITS YOUR LIFE. Like the lyric Gods were waiting for you to listen to it.



This is truly my perfect song that sings...shouts...my life story from the rooftops.

So Small- Carrie Underwood.

What you got if you ain't got love
the kind that you just want to give away
It's okay to open up
go ahead and let the light shine through
I know it's hard on a rainy day
you want to shut the world out and just be left alone
But don't run out on your faith

Cause sometimes that mountain you've been climbing is just a grain of sand
What you've been up there searching for
forever is in your hands
When you figure out love is all that matters after all
It sure makes everything else
seem so small

It's so easy to get lost inside
a problem that seems so big at the time
it's like a river thats so wide
it swallows you whole
While you sit around thinking about what you can't change
and worrying about all the wrong things
time's flying by
moving so fast
you better make it count 'cause you can't get it back

Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing is just a grain of sand
What you've been up there searching for
forever is in your hands
When you figure out love is all that matters after all
It sure makes everything else
Seem so small

Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing is just a grain of sand
What you've been up there searching for
forever is in your hands
When you figure out love is all that matters after all
It sure makes everything else
Oh it sure makes everything else
Seem so small

MI-5

Sometimes the television Gods smile down upon us and grace us with quality programming. With all the crap on the tele right now, it's refreshing when you stumble upon something so good it leaves you salivating for more. I must admit that I don't watch a lot of dramatic shows because the quality is ...well...just not that good these days. It's not that there there are no drama's out there, but I'm not wanting to watch dramatic shows that are a blend of comedy/irreverant satire. I just want good old classic drama shows that are smartly acted, written, suspenseful that make me sad when the hour is up and leave me wanting for more.

So imagine my surprise when I accidently stumbled upon MI-5 (a.k.a "Spooks" in the UK). I should have known it was going to be a gooder because it's British Drama and it's televised on PBS, my favorite channel for quality programming. But I had NO IDEA I would go all mad love over it.

Where do I even begin? First of all, and i'm not going to lie...the good looking guy sucked me in. I have hearted Rupert Penry Jones since his commanding (read: sexy) performance in the BBC adaptation of Persuasion. And in researching the show, it appears that the first couple of seasosn, the show starred Matthew McFadyen (see picture in post below), another Austen film alumni. How thrilling.

But sexy guys (and he his sexy), however tempting and enticing, are not enough to keep me glued to the show. And for the record, I'm not normally into suspense type shows involving secret agents and espionage and counter terrorism. I like happy romantic stuff or trashy reality t.v. But MI-5, based on the British Intellegence Organization, has challenged my notions of what I enjoy.

This show kept me glued to the screen, sitting on the edge of my sofa, holding in my breath wondering what was going to happen next. And the thing with this show is that it's not always as you predict. In fact, in one episode, it can result in a happy ending and they are the hero's of the hour. In another, it could all go wrong or a main character can die. You just don't know. And it's fast paced and intellegent, but not so that it swoops above your head in a cloud of confusion. And while it helps to watch previous episodes for underlying arcs, each episode is more or less stand alone and so it's not difficult to jump into.

So anyways, I needed to let the world know that great shows do exist and to watch MI-5 (Sunday's on PBS...and quite possibly on other stations like BBC or A&E but I don't know as I have peasent basic cable).

Most Romantic Picture Alert.

Is this not the nicest couple pic ever? S'rsly. I know it's just a movie promo (Pride & Prejudice) but still, this is really nice. When I get married, I want a pic just like this (and it would work since I want to have a fall wedding and a Jane Austen inspired regency wedding).

Squee.

DILF: Denis Leary - Rescue Me Edition.

It's been a while since I put up a DILF pic (Daddy I'd like to F**K) but to kick off my Rescue Me Blog Series, I thought I would start off with a pic biggest crush ever....Denis Leary. You have absolutely NO IDEA the things that I want to do if I ever got a chance to be in a dark room with Denis Leary. *Just thinking about even being in the same planet with this guy...breathing the same air... is making me hypervenilate*

Yes, he's not convential sexy. He's rude sometimes. He's brash. He tells it like he sees it, regardless of what anyone else thinks. He stands by his convictions.

But damnit, I don't know if it's his Irish looks, or his sarcastic voice, or his strung out look that makes me want to do WICKED things to him.

Plus he is in my most favourite show ever ...Rescue Me (on FX in the States and Showcase in Canada).

My God, just staring at him makes me dizzy with anticipation. Squeeeeeeeee!

Happy Five Friday.

Lately, I have been little miss doom & gloom. Bitching about pretty much everything, everyone & life in general.

Today, I am going to post about things that made me happy this week. Because it's Friday and
I'm allowed to be happy on Fridays. So in random order, here are some things that made me happy this week.

#1) So You Think You Can Dance- Jason and Jeaninie doing Travis's first choreographed routine. Both Jason and Jeanine had dead weight partners up until this week so neither really shined. Then they got to performance this and I almost fell out of my chair it was so good. I would say it is on par with Kourtini's and Mark's routine called "The Garden" from last year.

Jason & Jeaninie

Kourtni & Mark Just to refresh your memory!

#2- Theresa's & Dan's Wedding Rehersal - I am doing the readings, but I am so happy for both of them. They are one of the genuninely nicest couples I know.

#3- The return of Big Brother on CBS.-> Squeeeeeee! My shameless summer past time. This year is delightful in that it's broken into high school cliques. A bit too much drama right from the get go..but that will settle down as the season goes on.


#4-I sorted out my closet finally into like items, even going as far as colour co-ordianate my hangers. It's delightful.

#5- Rescue Me. Oh fricken squeeeee and a half squeee! I love this show and although it wasn't nominated for an Emmy because the Academy sucks monkeys, it is still the best show on television. I mad love Dennis Leary Keep and eye on my blog as I plan on doing a Rescue Me post coming up.

*mmm...Denis Leary all burnt up...dribble drool.

OK mes amies...what are your Happy Five Friday reflections on the week that was.

Shoot the Shit Saturday's: Things that made Dani go squee!

Hello friends! So it's almost midnight and I'm finally getting around to blogging. I had to admit that today was just one of those lazy days that I did not feel like doing much. I slept in, had breakfast, had a nice spa bath, watched a bit of t.v. and surfed the net for a bit. This change of pace allowed me to discover, or rediscover as the case may be, some awesome stuff that made me go squee. So here is a list of random squeeness worthy things that just made me happy.

1) Unexpected viewings of Bob Harper. Today, while surfing the tube, I came across and unexpected episode of The Biggest Loser. So of course, any chance to see Bob Haper, or his tattoos, or the chance of a possible *glimpse* of his abs is enough to make me go squee.

2) Junior's blog.. Junior posted what I thought to be the funniest thing I have read in a long time. I'm sitting here giggling thinking about it. John Cena brings out a whole different side of Junior. And kudos to Joanne for adding the insightful idea of adding Robert Patrick as the wise Police of Cheif. And the idea that I would be worth to spray the sweat on John Cena is enough to make me squeee.

3) The song Thunderdome by Tina Turner. Belt it with me folks...*All the children say...We don't need another hero. We don't need another way home. All we want is something something, Thunderdome.* *squee*.

4) The Godfather opening theme song. "Dahhh da da da do dah dah. Dooo do do do do dah do dah dooooooo" *squee*.

5) Peach Tea with honey. Nothing soothes the soul like peach tea with honey. (well, if you don't count pints of roasted marshmallow icecream). *squee*.

6) Slippers. Oh how my tender tootsies were cold. But they found their way into nice warm snuggly slippers. *squee*.

7) The Family Stone. I love this movie. It's one of the greatest movies that fly's under the radar of recognition. Sarah Jessica Parker and Luke Wilson were superb, as was Diane Keaton. And oh, oh, do I cry at the end. Every stinkin' time. *squee*.

8)Talking to my mama. I love my mom. She's the best mom. I can just call her and talk and talk and talk. And we will talk about anything and everything. And it doesn't matter what topic, she will be interested in speaking about it, even if it requires some explanation. I'm a little concerned about her short term memory, and it hit's me more and more each day that she is getting a little bit older. But in conclusion: I love my mom. *squee*.

9) Bella's Lullaby from the Twilight soundtrack. I haven't yet run out and buy the Twilight DVD (because I am lazy), but I do own the soundtrack, and I listened on repeat the instrumental to Bella's Lullaby as I had a nap. *Squee*.

Squee moments totally make it worth getting up everyday and working like a slave, don't you agree?