My husband and I love Alfred Hitchcock movies, and we'd thought we'd seen all the ones worth seeing. A few weeks ago I was looking at something else entirely on IMDB when I stumbled across To Catch a Thief (1955). Last weekend my husband and I were looking for something to watch on Netflix after the kids were in bed, and I decided Cary Grant and Grace Kelly were too awesome to pass up.
Both my husband and I loved To Catch a Thief. In classic Hitchcock style, there's witty dialogue, interesting characters, red herrings, long camera shots, great buildup to a nailbiting ending, and awesome costumes by Edith Head. Seriously, I would love to own almost every item of clothing Grace Kelly wore in that movie.
Cary Grant plays a former cat burglar who is under suspicion for a new string of thefts in the south of France. He decides to catch the thief before the police catch him. He meets Grace Kelly along the way, and she figures out who he is and is convinced he's the thief. Through an elaborate plan involving the insurance agent, Grant, Kelly, and her mother finally catch the real burglar.
We had a great time watching, and it took us quite awhile to figure out who the thief was. Go watch it.
http://pinterest.com/pin/353180795747712913/
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
BBQ sauce
I like making my own barbecue sauce. Ever since I found this recipe from the excellent book, Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart's Everyday Food department, I haven't bought the bottled stuff, though I still have a soft spot for Sonny's. Martha Stewart's is particularly good for shredded pork, beef, or chicken sandwiches, as it isn't too thick. Sweet, but not too sweet. A little mustard, but not a mustard base. Vinegar and hot sauce for a little kick, but not overpowering (and you can always adjust the hot sauce to taste).
But it calls for molasses, which is hard to come by here in Brazil. I know it exists, but I have yet to see it in a conventional grocery store. Last night I had a leftover (and slightly overdone) beef roast that didn't sound good as a repeat but sounded great as a BBQ beef sandwich. I needed a sauce without molasses and a minimum of brown sugar, as that doesn't exist at all here and I guard it like it's gold. I dug around online and found this little gem.
It calls for apple cider vinegar, which I couldn't find, but I used Brazilian apple vinegar, which is close. Other substitutes for apple cider vinegar include diluted red wine, sherry, or champagne vinegars. I also didn't use as much hot sauce or salt as it called for. Result: Good vinegar-based thin sauce, if you like that kind. If you like a sweeter or thicker sauce, or if you balk at the tang of the vinegar (and it's pretty strong), the Martha Stewart one is a safer bet. It made our meat a lot tastier, and even my two-year-old liked it. I might try it again after getting back to the states, as I think real apple cider vinegar would really help. If you try it, let me know how it went.
http://pinterest.com/pin/353180795747794362/
http://pinterest.com/pin/353180795747798345/
But it calls for molasses, which is hard to come by here in Brazil. I know it exists, but I have yet to see it in a conventional grocery store. Last night I had a leftover (and slightly overdone) beef roast that didn't sound good as a repeat but sounded great as a BBQ beef sandwich. I needed a sauce without molasses and a minimum of brown sugar, as that doesn't exist at all here and I guard it like it's gold. I dug around online and found this little gem.
It calls for apple cider vinegar, which I couldn't find, but I used Brazilian apple vinegar, which is close. Other substitutes for apple cider vinegar include diluted red wine, sherry, or champagne vinegars. I also didn't use as much hot sauce or salt as it called for. Result: Good vinegar-based thin sauce, if you like that kind. If you like a sweeter or thicker sauce, or if you balk at the tang of the vinegar (and it's pretty strong), the Martha Stewart one is a safer bet. It made our meat a lot tastier, and even my two-year-old liked it. I might try it again after getting back to the states, as I think real apple cider vinegar would really help. If you try it, let me know how it went.
http://pinterest.com/pin/353180795747794362/
http://pinterest.com/pin/353180795747798345/
Friday, March 1, 2013
Abs
I gave birth to my second child about two months ago. I've begun exercising again, and I'm determined to strengthen my abs better this time around. After my first kid, I tried half-heartedly to work on my core but never really saw much improvement. Two friends posted ab/core workouts on the same day, so I thought I'd give them and another I'd pinned earlier a try while both kids are down for their naps.
The first is specifically geared toward women who've had kids, as the abdominal muscles can not only stretch but also separate during pregnancy. This is particularly a problem for women who have had C-sections. I liked this but got a little lightheaded during the second exercise. I'm probably breathing wrong. Also, I don't have a stability ball, so the fifth exercise was hard to do. I'd like to continue with this series of exercises, but I think a lot of the impact comes from just keeping your abs tight. I can do that without a big set of moves.
The second is a Jillian Michaels workout on YouTube. I have an aversion to Jillian Michaels after doing her cardio yoga video a year or so ago, but I think that was because she was so out of her element. This video seemed much more her style, and it's hard to argue with the results of her body. The video is about 6.5 minutes and does a great job at targeting your bottom and thighs, but there was only one ab strengthener. I'd like to find another video of hers that deals more with abs.
The third is from Prevention. I pinned it because it doesn't require any extra equipment—just you and your mat and a wall. Again, the ab part of this was less noticeable (we'll see how my tummy feels tomorrow), but I imagine this workout would be very effective in slimming your bottom and thighs.
http://pinterest.com/pin/353180795747742470/
http://pinterest.com/pin/353180795747742653/
http://pinterest.com/pin/353180795747673277/
The first is specifically geared toward women who've had kids, as the abdominal muscles can not only stretch but also separate during pregnancy. This is particularly a problem for women who have had C-sections. I liked this but got a little lightheaded during the second exercise. I'm probably breathing wrong. Also, I don't have a stability ball, so the fifth exercise was hard to do. I'd like to continue with this series of exercises, but I think a lot of the impact comes from just keeping your abs tight. I can do that without a big set of moves.
The second is a Jillian Michaels workout on YouTube. I have an aversion to Jillian Michaels after doing her cardio yoga video a year or so ago, but I think that was because she was so out of her element. This video seemed much more her style, and it's hard to argue with the results of her body. The video is about 6.5 minutes and does a great job at targeting your bottom and thighs, but there was only one ab strengthener. I'd like to find another video of hers that deals more with abs.
The third is from Prevention. I pinned it because it doesn't require any extra equipment—just you and your mat and a wall. Again, the ab part of this was less noticeable (we'll see how my tummy feels tomorrow), but I imagine this workout would be very effective in slimming your bottom and thighs.
http://pinterest.com/pin/353180795747742470/
http://pinterest.com/pin/353180795747742653/
http://pinterest.com/pin/353180795747673277/
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