Fast Five

In a few short minutes, I'll be walking out my door to go see Fast Five. In case you are unfamiliar with the best movie franchise about car racing EVER, it's the fifth movie in the Fast and the Furious series. Not only are they bringing back all your favorite characters from Fast and the Furious (Paul Walker), 2 Fast 2 Furious (Tyrese), Tokyo Drift (Sung Kang), and Fast 4 (Jordana Brewster), but they have added Dwayne THE ROCK Johnson as the FBI agent who tries to bring this cast of serious bad boys in. After breaking Dom (Vin Diesel) out of jail, the gang is in Brazil, and have to complete one ultimate job to get out of the game for good. It's going to be epic.

Now, I know what you're thinking, first I'm a Maxwell fan, now this. Bear with me. This movie, while Tokyo Drift was questionable, even got good (ok, average) reviews from the critics. Take it for what it is, a fun action movie with bad actors that when combined make for a glorious film. At the very least, it will get you pumped for the start of summer. And, just in case you were wondering, that Jesus statue from the preview in Rio de Janeiro? Not the tallest in the World. That guy actually stands in Cochabamba, Bolivia (and I climbed it!).

Home Free

I love having people visit me, and have been known to accommodate friends in need of a home on my couch for as long as they wish to stay. Why? Because:

Words of Wisdom

Happy Easter!

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. It's not as hectic as other holidays. All that's really involved is a good meal, and maybe church. If you're lucky, an Easter egg hunt. It's a relaxed time to be with family and indulge in some pastel colored marshmallows. It's the only holiday you can not only get away with, but are encouraged to wear a ridiculous(ly awesome) bonnet. You get to dye eggs into neon shades, and decorate them with stickers. It's totally acceptable to have chocolate for breakfast, as long as its in the shape of a lamb or a bunny.

Then there's the holy grail: Cadbury Eggs. I'm not talking about the gross kind with the gooey egg colored stuff inside. I'm talking about the delicious little milk chocolate ovals covered in a delightfully thin chocolate shell. I could eat an entire bag.

This year I'm spending the holiday in Hawaii with friends. We're making a big dinner together, and everyone is cooking up a dish. I plan to make the recipe below for Chipotle Cheddar Mashed Potatoes. They're spicy, they're cheesy, they're easy and they're delicious. The perfect salty antidote to the sugar high you had from eating half a box of peeps and jelly bellies before noon.

Chipotle Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

-2.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes with skins, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch cubes. 

-2.5 tsp salt

-1 cup milk

-2 tbsp butter

-1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

-1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese (4oz)

-2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped (1tbsp)

-1 tsp adobo sauce from canned chipotle

1. In large saucepan, combine potatoes, 2 tsp salt, and enough cold water to cover potatoes.  Bring to boil over a high heat.  Reduce heat to medium; gently boil about 30 minutes or until fork-tender.

2. In small saucepan, combine milk, butter, cinnamon and remaining ½ tsp salt.  Bring to boil.  Set aside.

3. Drain potatoes.  Return potatoes to saucepan.  Place over medium heat; toss about 1 minute to dry out.  Remove from heat.  Add cheese; stir to combine.  Add milk mixture, chipotles and adobo sauce.  Mash.  

Ranunculus, and beautiful weddings

Today I am in the wedding of two dear friends. In the spirit of happiness and love, I'd like to share a little beauty with you: the ranunculus. It is a lesser known flower that I like to think of as a cross between a peony (but smaller), and a rose, with a tight little blossom. They grow in the most wonderful array of pastel colors, and appear in florists markets in the spring. Ranunculus are my favorite flower.

Wouldn't these buds look great paired with a rainbow of tulle pastel bridesmaid dresses like these? How romantic!

Cute Roulette

Does anyone else primarily use YouTube to watch videos of cute animals doing cute things? Cats in boxes? Dogs in cake bowls? Hands?

Well, if you're anything at all like me, then you'll love Cute Roulette a website that randomly selects a video of animals acting adorable for your viewing pleasure. A friend emailed me the site with one line of text, "This has Janice written all over it." And you know what? It does. The first cute I got is the helpless little kitteh pictured above. The next? A little something they like to called puppy vs. mirror.

As my BFFL said, you can thank me later.

To-Do List for when I Return from Paradise