Top Five Horror Films Streaming on Netflix

Posted on October 30, 2012 by ThatMikeGuy

As I write this, I must admit – as much as I love film, horror is my least favorite genre. When I was asked to write a Top 10 Streamable Horror Movies List, I took it as an opportunity to reevaluate my ongoing perceptions about the horror genre. Most of the time, I tend to call it “torture porn”; or “derivative” of earlier horror cinema. Most of the titles on Netflix streaming horror are B-grade: the logical result of low-cost production values. Therefore, these titles are a cheap license for Netflix.

Now, for most of October, I watched quite the number of horror films listed in the Netflix horror page. While there are quite a number of watchable films, I felt it best to create a Top 5 list. The intent is to give a fine focus to some exceptional films that are perfect watching for this All Hallow’s Eve.

Honorable mentions – Evil Dead, Red State, American Werewolf in London.

5. Audition – A suitable introduction into the warped filming of Takashi Miike.

4. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil – Taking a horror-genre trope (kids on a camping trip amongst rednecks) and flipping it right on its ear.

3. Let The Right One In – In my opinion, the only vampire film to come out in the last ten years that’s worth a damn. It was so good that Hollywood immediately remade it.

2. The Omen – Starring Gregory Peck, the film is so affecting and scary that it’s on my list of films I never need to watch again (along with Fight Club, Exorcist, and A Clockwork Orange).

1. Nosferatu – The granddaddy and gold standard of cinematic horror. Max Schreck’s commitment to the look and performance of the vampire lead to the movie Shadow of the Vampire (which supposes Schreck was an actual vampire).

Also – do yourself a favor and watch the British miniseries Ultraviolet, which stars up-and-coming actors Idris Elba, Jack Davenport, and Stephen Moyer.

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Visiting Yosemite National Park in Fall

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Adie

Come fall, the crowds begin to thin in Yosemite Village and the nights become chillier. It’s the perfect time to get in a few last hikes before Tioga Road closes for the season, and maybe even get a peek at a few stars, too.

We spent our time on the trails through Mariposa Grove, an area that can be found near the southern entrance to the park off Highway 41. The trails are moderate in difficulty here, some quite easy to walk. And there is plenty of shade from the Sequoias to keep you cool, as daytime temperatures can still climb as high as 80+F.

The park is huge, awe-inspiringly huge. From the Sequoia groves to Tuolumne Meadows and beyond, the landscape varies enough to make you dizzy. Being a weekender, I tend to visit the park in small bursts throughout the year. Late summer/early fall is a great time to star gaze at Glacier Point, something I didn’t get to do this year. Maybe I can sneak back before Tioga Road closes?

Posted in Outings | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Recipe: Cinnamon Tea Latte

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Adie

I’m by no means a connoisseur, but I do enjoy tea. I downed iced tea by gallon over the summer but now that the temperature is beginning to turn chilly, I find myself making hot tea almost every day. A few weeks ago, I started to crave a tea latte and went about coming up with my own recipe. And, voila! I came up with a cinnamon tea latte.

For this recipe, I use: Teatulia’s Earl of Bengal Tea, warm milk and a cinnamon-infused simply syrup. The tea itself is a black tea, and I enjoy its naturally citrus-bergamot flavor mixed with a hint of cinnamon. However, most any black tea should do. Also, I use two tea pyramids per cup and this may seem too strong or too weak depending on your own tastes, so adjust accordingly.

Tea latte:

8 oz. water
2 pyramid bags
1/8-cup warm milk
Cinnamon-infused simple syrup to taste (see recipe below, make in advance)

First, set your water to boil. Then put your milk on the stove or in the microwave to heat—but don’t let it boil! When the water is ready, pour it over your tea bag(s) or loose leaf tea and let it steep according to package directions. Once the tea is done, add the warm milk. You can add more or less milk, depending on your own preferences. I don’t like my tea overly sweet, so I add around 1/8 of a teaspoon of the cinnamon simple syrup—but add the amount of syrup that meets your own preferences.

Cinnamon-infused Simple Syrup:

1-cup water
1-cup sugar
3 cinnamon sticks

Combine the water, cinnamon sticks and sugar in a saucepan, bringing the water to a gentle boil on the stove. The syrup will be finished when all of the sugar has dissolved into the water. Carefully remove the cinnamon sticks and then let the mixture cool. Store in the refrigerator, in an airtight container. (For me, the simple syrup usually last for 7-10 if refrigerated.)

If you have your own variation of a tea latte recipe, please let me know in the comments! I’m always curious to try something new.

Posted in Food, Recipes | Tagged | Leave a comment

Review: Product Swap – Glytone Nail & Cuticle Cream

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Adie

To be honest, I like to shop for skincare and body products online. But I’m not great at remembering to reorder things that I’m close to running out of, so experience has taught me to buy more than one at a time. This has worked brilliantly for the most part because I often find great deals when buying in bulk, but I also find myself trying new products pretty often, which means that I sometimes end up with a small assortment of products that need to be used before they go bad. Plus, I don’t always enjoy the new products that I try but hate to throw anything out. So, last month, a friend and I decided to swap a few of these excess products with each other. And, truth be told, I’m thrilled with the outcome!

I won’t bore you with the products I gave to my friend because: 1) They didn’t work for me and; 2) The products I received from my friend are way more exciting. For now, I thought that I’d share a product or two at a time as I see their full results.

The first item I tried was a cuticle cream from Glytone. It’s a little pricey for a cuticle cream, I know, but my friend insisted that I take it because she doesn’t have any use for it. I, however, suffer from painfully dry cuticles, especially in the winter and while I’ve found a few oils that help—the treatment is usually only effective for a few hours at a time. Actually, once I wash my hands my cuticles are back to normal. However, the Glytone nail and cuticle cream contains glycolic acid, which is supposed to help create a barrier around the nail that slows moisture loss.

I used it once and it worked pretty well over the next few days. The results lasted much longer than the oils I’d tried but I was looking for something a little more powerful and told my friend so. She wasn’t impressed that I hadn’t gone online to read the instructions for use, so she emailed them to me and I am so glad that she did. I realized that I needed to apply it once a day over a period of time to see the best results. After a week, I completely forgot about my cuticles because they were no longer an unsightly mess of dried out annoyance. And just in time for the cold weather to approach! A+

I’ll write more about the rest of the products in our swap over the next few weeks—but, if you’ve ever organized a product swap or have tried Glytone’s Nail & Cuticle Cream, let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Posted in Beauty | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Adie’s Cold Vegetable Pasta

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Adie

Pasta is my favorite way to combine food groups, and it’s great to have in the refrigerator as a snack, to take to work for lunch or to complement an evening meal. This dish will provide you with vegetables, fruits, grains and dairy all in one sitting. It also contains healthy fats, and is pretty easy to make. If you’re not a pasta fan– try substituting the penne with quinoa instead, and get a complete protein while you’re at it.

Depending on the season, and what I happen to have on hand, I change the vegetables and fruits in this recipe up pretty often. If you have a farmer’s market close by and you haven’t checked it out—please, do! Often, you can get in-season fresh produce that comes literally from the farm to the table, still packed with its nutrients, at a better price than you can get at the grocery store. Plus, vendors are usually pretty enthusiastic to provide tips regarding how to pick the best produce and may also offer new ideas on preparation.

The dressing is optional. According to your own tastes, you may need more or less. Of course, what is nice about making your own dressing is that you can cut out excess salt, sugar and preservatives while adding fresh ingredients that pack a powerful, nutritional punch. However—everything is optional. Add whatever sounds good to you and leave out what doesn’t!

And, of course, the best thing to do is taste as you go and make adjustments to suit your own preferences. Now, onto the recipe!

Veggie Pasta (serves six as a side)

1 lb. whole-wheat penne pasta
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1 ½ cups of broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces
1 avocado, cubed
¾ cup of gouda cheese, cubed
½ red onion, thinly sliced

Put the pasta on to cook according to the package instructions, and then prepare the vegetables and dressing. Drain the pasta and let it cool to room temperature.

If you are short on time, you can run the pasta under cold running water to help it cool. Rinsing pasta is usually not recommended because it can remove the starch that helps the dressing stick—but if you don’t have a lot of time, my motto is: “Don’t worry about it!”

Combine the veggies, pasta and cheese together in a large bowl and then pour the dressing over the top and toss thoroughly. I recommend refrigerating it for at least an hour before serving.

Dressing

1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbsp. of white wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 pinch of salt (to taste)
1 pinch of granulated onion (to taste)

In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil while adding the white wine vinegar until blended. Add the garlic, and then add the salt and granulated onion to taste– mix well. I happen to crush the garlic raw but that can be a bit much for some people, I know. Roasted garlic works just as well.

If you have any variations you’d like to suggest or your own tips for cold pasta salads, please leave them in the comments!

Posted in Farmer's Market, Food, Recipes | Tagged , | Leave a comment