tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34847383785407417352024-03-19T06:10:08.929-04:00Coffee and Casseroles1 year 1 movie a dayDomestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.comBlogger1605125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-83071883236544871492020-11-03T17:11:00.002-05:002020-11-03T17:19:27.396-05:00November 2020 Coffee-Talk<p>Spudguns! it's been too long since I posted anything, and to be honest, with everything that's been going on the last while, I didn't even realize it's been as long as it has. Each day sort of blended into the other for a while. </p><p>For those of you who have been following me for any length of time, you know I normally do my <i>13 Days of Hallowe'en </i>on here, but this year, since it was all done as videos, I only did them on my facebook page. <a href="www.facebook.com/GhoulNextDoorCanadian/">(</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/GhoulNextDoorCanadian/" target="_blank">here</a>) I did my usual mix of "what that movie inspired me to do" as well as straight up movie reviews, plus a few extra goodies. Somethings turned out much better than others, but it proved to be entertaining either way. </p><p>I think that's about all I have to say for today, just wanted to come in here since I realized it's been a few months. </p><p>Till later</p><p> </p>Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-22007373950296527632020-08-20T19:38:00.001-04:002020-08-20T19:38:19.629-04:00The Nosferatu Adventures s14 p2<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>The Nosferatu Adventures </b></span><br />
<br />
page 353, chapter 353<br />
<br />
<i>1955</i><br />
<br />
Nosferatu stood in the kitchen of the little townhouse, the kettle boiling in a hard whistle as she looked through the steam at Loki. She couldn't believe the last few hours but, there he was in living proof that they had happened.<br />
<br />
<i>5 hours earlier</i>...<br />
<br />
"So talk. Tell me how we can defeat the covens and Edmund?" our heroine said to the god Mercury as they stood in the middle of Astrid's kitchen in 1976. The god tilted his head and smiled.<br />
<br />
"Oh you can't. He's still going to be brought over to this reality by his devotees, and Grandpa Van Helsing is still going to find his coffin and hide it in his house and you lot are still going to end up battling him forty years from now. I just told you what you wanted to hear so you'd let me in the house without much bloodshed." the sandy-blonde haired god replied licking his lips. He tilted his chin slightly as he looked over at the banshee before halfway turning towards the window. "Seems like we've got more uninvited guests." he commented just as Bacchus made his way towards the house. Grabbing our heroine, Mercury shimmered the two of them off into thin air. When they appeared again, they were in the middle of nowhere, a large rock formation just to the left of them which seemed to stretch out for miles. "There, that's a little more private."<br />
<br />
"What the shack!" our heroine ripped her arm out from his grasp. "What the hell is going on then? Where are we?"<br />
<br />
"What's going on is that the universe is sort of out of balance right now. It's out of balance because Loki isn't around. You, sweetheart, might not realize it but, he was more than just the trickster god of shapeshifters." he gestured with his left hand out palm upward, bending at the knees slightly. "In fact, there is so much you haven't clued into yet. For instance, did you know you were supposed to have been Rolf's mate." Mercury nodded his eyes wide. "Oh yes. You were supposed to have been claimed by Rolf, in fact, you were supposed to have been sired by him. But, Bacchus knew that if that happened, you'd never have come into your vampiric side. So he did what he does and poof!" he clapped his hands together creating a thunderous sound. "Suddenly Dagan gets the urge to snap your back like a twig and swap bodily fluids with you. Boom instant soulmate. And you know as well as I do that good old Ripper was nothing but your soulmate. Bacchus knew it, was counting on you two getting super close super quick. Because he knew about the big bad Frankenstein family curse. Only two children a generation. Knew that if you were sired by Dagan, knew that if you were Frankenstein by bloodline, you really wouldn't be much good to Loki in the grande scheme of things given Loki needed you to be the mother goddess for his Lycanthropes." he took a step to her right turning to look out over the large rock formation before levitating a few feet above the ground. He looked down at her then, the brim of his page-boy cap casting shadows across his face. Mercury landing silently on his feet as he continued to walk around Nosferatu in tight circles making her dizzy. "Bacchus didn't kill Loki by the way. I know you think he did, but he didn't. As much as Bacchus might be pissed off at Loki for getting to you first, he loves him too much to do anything that drastic." his British accent heavy with the last sentence, his grey-blue eyes sparkling.<br />
<br />
"Then who did?" our heroine was standing still now, her head down as she forced herself to stop watching the god as he danced around her making her feel lightheaded. His dark trenchcoat floating around him like it had a life of it's own. <br />
<br />
"What kill him? No one. You'd have felt it if he were dead. The covens have him. Tucked away somewhere." he gestured again to the large rock formation as it seemed like it was rising out of the ground some more. "Now, there are some more blah blah blahs we can rehash, but I don't have the time or patience to do that so let's get to the point. With Loki gone, I need you to step up to the plate." he raised his right hand palm facing her, head down in honesty. "You can feel that can't you? The rushing of electric jolts in your veins as of late." he waggled a finger at her before grabbing her arm and tracing the veins in her wrist. "It's what you were designed to do. To be! A god. It's why you were created by both them. Now, you have a choice, you can either take Loki's place. Answering people's prayers, rituals and summons or..." he trailed off dropping her arm roughly. "Or you can help me rescue him." Mercury leaned in slightly towards her, his hands now clasped behind his back. "But, if you decide to take his place, you need to be able to shift. And you know the only way a shapeshifter can shift is to have their soul. So you'd need to take your soul back from the safety deposit box that is Rolf; which would leave him vulnerable to Odin. Not too mention you'd be all claimable again. And wouldn't that be a bit of a pickle given you technically have two mates in two different realities in Edric and Reuben." he licked his lips again as he stared at her chest. "So...what do you say? You wanna be a full on god...I mean you're going to be downline anyways...this would just speed it up by about a thousand years or...do you want to play knight in shinning armor?"<br />
<br />
<i>An hour ago</i>...<br />
<br />
They fell through the portal landing hard in the middle of the street. Our heroine breathing heavy gasping for air, covered in dried blood from having fought both the amazon guards and the few coven members who had been holding Loki captive. Mercury was nowhere to be found. She felt something crack as she realized the full weight of Loki's unconscious body was laying across her leg. She didn't think she'd ever get the image out of her mind. Loki had been chained to the cave wall, half his body a skeleton. He reminded her of the character Two Face from the Batman movies, his jaw exposed, his one eye half out of the socket, his right shoulder nothing more than bones. His left side wasn't much better, only he'd begun at some point to shift. His left ear pointed like a wolf's but more gristle than flesh, his fangs exposed, his muzzle half formed like a stub, his left arm nothing but a paw to the elbow and scales like a reptile from the elbow to shoulder. Our heroine felt her bones re-align when the weight was lifted off her. Mercury had appeared and grabbed Loki as if he were nothing, hauling him over his shoulder and nodded in the direction of the townhouse. It took Nosferatu another long pause to be able to stand when she realized from the look of the neighbourhood cars, that they were in the 1950's. It seemed, she still could only time travel in reverse.<br />
<br />
Loki lay on the sofa his body no longer a mismatched mess. He thought he'd been hallucinating again when he'd first seen her there in the cave. Something the god had done for how long? He wasn't even sure at this point, a decade or a month or a century? This time when he'd seen our heroine's face, felt her touch, heard her voice she did something different. She told him "I've got you." In the past whenever the hallucination had recused him, she'd had some quick witted remark about video tapes and old slasher movies. But, when Loki heard her this time, he knew deep down in his core that she was real. And with the last tendril of fading powers he could gather, he read her mind enough to remember how she viewed him. Saw himself through her eyes and shapeshifted to her ideal of him. Or at lest he thought he had.<br />
<br />
Nosferatu stared at the god from the edge of the kitchen as she poured the tea. The pain he must have been in she thought? Depending on what reality you were in, Loki had been gone anywhere from a few months to a few centuries. She shivered as she thought about how much damage the guards had done to him. How he'd been locked up behind those bars of magick like being in a prison cell no bigger than a cardboard box. It brought back memories of her own captivity in the well. Walking across the length of the house, she placed the tea on the small table by the corner of the sofa; her slim pale hand hovering just above Loki's face. She desperately wanted to move his hair out of his eyes, to pluck the leaves that were still clinging to it's tangled dark knots. When the god shapeshifted into what he thought was his old self, he accidentally created a hairdo that was shoulder length and half filled with leaves. His brown eyes fluttered open halfway as he reached for her hand taking it. "I always knew it would be you." The words were never formed by the god's lips, but still managed to pass between them telepathically. Our heroine didn't scream, didn't pull away when Loki's fangs bit deep into the soft flesh of her palm. Just like when he'd rescued her from the well and allowed her to drink his blood, the time had come to complete the circuit.<br />
<br />
"Uhmm." Mercury cleared his throat causing our heroine to jump. She blushed as she realized their very intimate moment had been witnessed. "I need to talk to you over here." he gestured for her to move away from the edge of the sofa, from Loki. "There's something I don't think you're aware of. You don't need your soul to be claimed by...a god. So before you go any farther with this blood exchange..."<br />
<br />
"Too late." Loki said as he stood on very shaky legs. Mercury glanced at the other god sideways, his eyebrows knitted together in puzzlement. "She's been mine for a very long time. I've just never needed to announce it before now." Loki nodded towards her, his hair suddenly clean of the leaves as he ran his hand through it combing it back from his face. Mercury shook his head slightly in disbelief as he brought his hand up to Nosferatu's. He swore as he pulled his burnt fingertips away from the female. <br />
<br />
<br />
Tune in again for another installment of the Nosferatu Adventures starring your heroine...me <span style="color: #cc0000;">(straight up story. When things are left unsaid, there is nothing but chaos) </span><br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-88506663252096448492020-07-31T18:54:00.001-04:002020-07-31T18:54:40.511-04:00July 2020 Foodn'Flix Round UpSpudguns!, it's that time when we see what's on the table, and who brought what to our <a href="http://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank">Foodn 'Flix</a> movie and potluck. The selection was <i>Coyote Ugly</i> from 2000, and first up is Wendy from<i> A Day in the Life on the Farm</i>. Inspired by a few different scenes and elements in the film, <a href="http://adayinthelifeonthefarm.blogspot.com/2020/07/coyote-ugly-breakfast-pizza-foodnflix.html" target="_blank">She made a Breakfast Pizza. </a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AolLcWCxUHw/XySaHkt1gRI/AAAAAAAAHBc/SCR-ITH6SwsJH_0jbYVKOcmu8Mh2QvYFACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/adayinthelifeonthefarmPizza.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="485" height="252" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AolLcWCxUHw/XySaHkt1gRI/AAAAAAAAHBc/SCR-ITH6SwsJH_0jbYVKOcmu8Mh2QvYFACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/adayinthelifeonthefarmPizza.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Next up, we have Debra from<i> Eliot Eats</i>. She was inspired by a personal story to do with the film as much as the film being set in a bar, she made<a href="http://eliotseats.com/2020/07/30/food-n-flix-for-july-coyote-ugly/" target="_blank"> A Spiced Moscow Mule.</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-STWeNohu7k8/XySdJ3FdE7I/AAAAAAAAHBo/vucZhaKMwjMhrhljshLzOIS8YWWxY-LtwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/spicedmuleDebra.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="537" height="205" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-STWeNohu7k8/XySdJ3FdE7I/AAAAAAAAHBo/vucZhaKMwjMhrhljshLzOIS8YWWxY-LtwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/spicedmuleDebra.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We're also joined by Amy from <i>Amy's Cooking Adventures</i>. She was as much inspired by the movie as she was with the fact it's based on a true life situation. And after digging for menus from the real bar, she created her <a href="https://www.amyscookingadventures.com/2020/07/caprese-stuffed-portobello-mushrooms.html" target="_blank">Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hNcucl5BfIg/XySemRMFwwI/AAAAAAAAHB0/7fOSDHrtQgwySw_Rkyq1GoyMUEBdsR25QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/amystuffedmush.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="490" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hNcucl5BfIg/XySemRMFwwI/AAAAAAAAHB0/7fOSDHrtQgwySw_Rkyq1GoyMUEBdsR25QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/amystuffedmush.JPG" width="255" /></a></div>
<br />
And lastly, we have mine. I made for you just a good old fashioned <a href="https://coffeecasseroles.blogspot.com/2020/07/foodn-flix-recipe-july-2020.html" target="_blank">pizza</a>. I was inspired by the opening scene of the lead character working in a pizza place, as well as remarks she makes later on when asked about some burn scars. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D1fOIV3L6hA/Xx3DGUfdBYI/AAAAAAAAHBA/CbeAbPq4-scuN-lTWczKzuu5NLsozJSDwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/20200720_173625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D1fOIV3L6hA/Xx3DGUfdBYI/AAAAAAAAHBA/CbeAbPq4-scuN-lTWczKzuu5NLsozJSDwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/20200720_173625.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
That's all that's on the table this time around. Don't forget you can join in with <a href="http://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank">Foodn'Flix</a> every month. August 2020 is being hosted by Tina at <a href="https://tinaculbertson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><i>Squirrel Head Manor</i></a>, and she's picked the first Harry Potter film.<br />
<br />
Until next time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-90779272078333454482020-07-26T14:20:00.001-04:002020-07-26T14:20:11.424-04:00Foodn Flix Recipe July 2020Spudguns!, it's that time again, when we watch a movie and make something to eat inspired by it. I hosted <a href="http://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank">Foodn'Flix </a>again this month, and my selection was the 2000 film <i>Coyote Ugly</i>. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">plot</span>: Violet wants to be a songwriter like her mother had been, and moves to the city in order to do so. Only thing is, she's got stage fright. The first few nights she's in town, she is robbed. This forces her to look for a job, and ends up working at a popular bar in her neighbourhood. Along the way, she meets Kevin, who works at a diner. They quickly start dating, and he helps her attempt to get over her stage fright.<br />
<br />
<b>Notes</b>: pizza, pop, meatball hero (mentioned) oil, sat, pepper, chili flakes, parmesan cheese, dried herbs, beer, eggs, sausage (mentioned) Lean Cuisine (mentioned) coffee, juice, toast, fish heads, celery, chili peppers whole, nuts, crackers, rum, burgers, fries, ketchup, apples, mustard, pie, sugar, hot sauce, milk, cake, cherries, lemons, limes, fried chicken, lettuce, melon, olives, oranges, taco shells, pickles, bananas, whiskey, bread, buns, ice, kabobs, Seafood Market, Chinese food, wine, turkey sandwich with sprouts, MacDonalds, martini (mentioned) breadsticks, sub sandwiches, pears.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0hChZ7djf0s/Xx3CfPJTUfI/AAAAAAAAHAY/SB9JWF5qq14UGHc7uqcf0IdQsumqjj7GwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200720_161546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0hChZ7djf0s/Xx3CfPJTUfI/AAAAAAAAHAY/SB9JWF5qq14UGHc7uqcf0IdQsumqjj7GwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200720_161546.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
So I went with the obvious on this one and made a pizza. I started with a basic dough, which can be found in the <i>Joy of Cooking</i> on page 607. <br />
<br />
1/2 c warm water<br />
1 package yeast<br />
3 and a half cups flour<br />
2 Tablespoon olive oil<br />
1 Tablespoon salt<br />
<br />
now, I didn't have any yeast on hand, so I substituted that for a Tablespoon of Baking Powder.<br />
Mix, then let dough rise for about a half hour. Then roll out, or stretch to desired size/shape.<br />
Bake dough on a floured tray for 30 minutes on 375 degrees depending on your oven. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FYU31ZOrBkc/Xx3Cin49G8I/AAAAAAAAHAc/u2X68SGjd202ccIdor6Zk7FwWZu8w_5NQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200720_163355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FYU31ZOrBkc/Xx3Cin49G8I/AAAAAAAAHAc/u2X68SGjd202ccIdor6Zk7FwWZu8w_5NQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200720_163355.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
While that was pre-cooking, I made my sauce. I used one can of tomato paste, half a cup of grated parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons of garlic salt, 1 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, and water. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0sW1QnWiL7U/Xx3CnvxVfUI/AAAAAAAAHAg/X-Tqrs1fjQUHXnoye1WWw4zZoaSea-xgwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200720_164936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0sW1QnWiL7U/Xx3CnvxVfUI/AAAAAAAAHAg/X-Tqrs1fjQUHXnoye1WWw4zZoaSea-xgwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200720_164936.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
I then topped the pizza with black olives, chopped onions, spinach, and cheese. I used both shredded mozzarella, and a nacho cheese blend. I then added another 3 Tablespoons of grated parmesan.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NSQCsys50tI/Xx3CsPeL9EI/AAAAAAAAHAk/hcZ08QQFBlAv5K3wnXTmFT-0DZ6l2ezYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200720_165730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NSQCsys50tI/Xx3CsPeL9EI/AAAAAAAAHAk/hcZ08QQFBlAv5K3wnXTmFT-0DZ6l2ezYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200720_165730.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rPgCvdmz9As/Xx3CxVdB5AI/AAAAAAAAHAs/FvM_UxBGBmMLpLnB5b-zTIvCjPLHFAZ3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200720_165944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rPgCvdmz9As/Xx3CxVdB5AI/AAAAAAAAHAs/FvM_UxBGBmMLpLnB5b-zTIvCjPLHFAZ3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200720_165944.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I then baked it at 375dgrees for another half hour.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D1fOIV3L6hA/Xx3DGUfdBYI/AAAAAAAAHA8/IB7XyhGu3vY9KKTH5rz4N0rK37Wh5nLCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200720_173625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D1fOIV3L6hA/Xx3DGUfdBYI/AAAAAAAAHA8/IB7XyhGu3vY9KKTH5rz4N0rK37Wh5nLCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200720_173625.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
That's about all I have for you guys, don't forget to come back at the end of the month to see what else this movie inspired people to make. And don't forget, you can join in every month with each<a href="http://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank"> Foodn'Flix</a> host. Next month we've got <i>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone</i> (<i>Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone</i> if you live outside the states) hosted by <a href="https://tinaculbertson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Squirrel Head Manor. </a><br />
<br />
Till next time.<br />
Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-11997966349779843582020-07-01T08:10:00.002-04:002020-07-01T08:19:26.494-04:002020 July FoodnFlix AnnouncementSpudguns! guess what? It's a new season, a new month and once again, I'm attempting to host <a href="http://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank">Foodn'Flix</a>. I've selected the 2000 film <i>Coyote Ugly.</i> (I mentioned this film back in the first year of the blog, Day 91.)<br />
<br />
If you've never seen Coyote Ugly here's a brief plot : Violet moves from her small town to a big city in order to become a songwriter and producer. Finding herself broke after being robbed her first few days there, she ends up getting a job at the hottest dive bar in town. Her time is split between her new friends, her relationship and dealing with some family emergencies.<br />
<br />
<b>To join in</b>: you have to watch the movie, and then head into the kitchen and bake/cook something inspired by it.<br />
Blog about it with a link back to both this announcement post and a link to <a href="http://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank">FoodnFlix</a>, and then send me an email at domesticanddamned (at) gmail (dot) com. and one to Heather at "heather@foodnflixclub.com" titled Foodn'Flix Submission with your name, name of your blog, name of your dish, a link to it, a photo of the finished dish or give us permission to grab a photo.<br />
If you decide to Instagram your dish, make sure to tag me @ardethblood and tag Foodn'Flix and hashtag Foodnflixclub, FoodnFlix. Instagram posts must include a short intro and the recipe.<br />
If you decide to share on Facebook, tag FoodnFlix, All Roads Lead To The Kitchen, (that's Heather) and GhoulNextDoorCanadian. (that's me)<br />
<br />
Submissions must be during the current month -in this case July 2020- and that means, it must be a newly made post. <br />
<br />
Submissions deadline is Thursday July 30th 2020<br />
<br />
I'll see everyone a day or two after that with the group Round Up. Till later.<br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-15706010796615323012020-06-12T10:54:00.001-04:002020-06-12T10:54:03.362-04:00The Nosferatu Adventures s14 p1<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>The Nosferatu Adventures </b></span><br />
page 352, chapter 352<br />
<br />
<i>Bacchus's Day Off</i><br />
<i>Spring 2020 </i><br />
<br />
The sandy haired god shimmered into the parking lot. Glaring around at the faceless sheep before him, he let out a deep breath of disgust. It was training day for the company and he couldn't think of a better way to lay off some steam. Slowly he walked through the patches of crowded people scattered like forgotten weeds in the middle of some unkept garden. He hated it there. The smells of sweat and heat and cheep everything else invading his nostrils like rotten sewage backed up on a hot day. The sound of his shoes crunching on the ground was almost soothing in it's rhythmic patterns. Squish squash squish squash crunch crunch squish squash crunch. The door to the back of the building creaked as he grabbed hold, feeling the metal bend in his fingers. He hadn't even meant to, but the god was so into his own thoughts. First thing first, he needed to find the man who he was being today. That wrestler dude from Detroit. Bacchus had always wondered if he'd just taken the image of the dark haired one instead of Loki that day when they'd probed Nosferatu's mind; would she have been his by now? Would the last decade have even happened if he'd just sussed out which one of the tag team she liked more? Probably not. The god had to shake his head as he scanned the darkly lit locker room. Seeing his prey he snapped his fingers as everyone else in the room fainted into oblivion. Tapping the wrestler on the shoulder, Bacchus didn't wait for him to even turn around, he just waved his palm in front of the guy's ear and watched him shimmer into thin air. The dude would wake up in the cinema reality stuck watching a marathon of some horrible sci-fi movies. At lest 20 hours of bad nerdom that would have the dude mindlessly employed. Bacchus sent him there frequently when he needed to shapeshift into him in this particular reality. Sighing, the god opened the wrestler's locker to see the outfit waiting for him there. "Shack." He pulled the mask over his face a few minutes later as he headed out to the ring in the red and blue costume. He couldn't see properly through the mask as it kept slipping down. Running to the edge of the ring, Bacchus sprang up as if on a trampoline and hurled himself halfway across the ring to land mid-center on one knee. Spinning, he slithered out of the opposite side landing on his toes before grabbing hold of the rope and propelling himself back into the ring with a triple corkscrew. The crowd stood screaming for more. The god smiled to himself under the cartoon's mask, as he played along giving them the character's trademark fingers to the skull to impact his character's name. He did however, love the adrenaline rush that this reality provided. The bell sounded indicating the match was officially underway. Scanning the layout of the arena, he spotted three cameras indicating this was being taped. That gave the god a second boost of the giggles, knowing that while people watched at home thinking it was their favourite wrestler under this mask, he was really the one. Really the one doing the flips and spins and moves that seemed to defy gravity. They were not just witnessing greatness but an actual god. Over the centuries Bacchus had been so many things to so many people in countless realities, but being this wrestler in this reality always had him returning. No; he thought. No, he was glad he'd chosen this one of the two that day when he'd entered Nosferatu's mind raiding her memories. This image, this man she respected and admired for over a decade was the perfect fit. Bacchus rammed his knee into the neck of his opponent as he watched him stumble backwards a few steps arms flaying around before hitting the rope and sliding to his knees hard. Bacchus turned towards the far rope running at a speed too fast to be considered human but too slow for the god; using it to propel himself across the ring once more to land a perfectly timed low drop kick to the opponent's jaw. Bacchus hung there in midair for a long hesitation before allowing himself to fall onto his ass. He then sprang back up from a flat position flying over the opponent, landing on the top turnbuckle, and diving down on the opponent's chest in a backwards frogsplash. Pulling the opponent back up to a semi-standing position, he delivered a hard chop across the collarbone, causing the opponent to rock and bounce off the ropes once more. Grabbing him by the wrist, Bacchus used the age old Irish-Whip to send the almost unconscious opponent two steps and watched him fall flat. He forgot for a brief second that he was wearing the costume. That the dude he'd shapeshifted into was suppose to be playing a completely different wrestler for this match, as he lifted the opponent up and gave him the dude's trademark move. The cradle-shock. He wasn't even breathing heavy yet as the ref leaned down and told him he needed to cut the match as they were already at the time limit. Nodding, the god pinned his opponent. His arm raised in the win. The character's theme music sprang to life through the speakers of the building as the crowd cheered and clapped. Quickly the sandy-haired blue eyed god made his way back to the locker room, removed the mask and headed to the shower.<br />
<br />
He sat in the little cafeteria not more than an hour later, rolling a paper cup steaming with coffee between his palms. It wasn't enough. Shapeshifting constantly into others to create his art, being onstage performing to the love and adore of humans. None of them ever knowing that he was more than what they thought they saw. More than the rock stars they'd loved back in the previous three decades, more than the painters they both scorned and worshiped for the last four hundred years, more than the movie stars or tv heroes that had sprung up in the last fifty years that they threw themselves at. Bacchus had let himself become complacent with the scraps of pop-culture stardom. Had let himself be forgotten along side the other gods. Letting out a deep sigh, Bacchus snapped his fingers once more as the wrestler was returned to the locker room unaware of what had happened, as the god shimmered into thin air.<br />
<br />
His back stiffened as he shimmered back into view in front of the house. There was a faint scent of a protection spell. Snorting, Bacchus squinted up his eyes running a palm across the fringe of bangs still flopping over his eyebrows. The wrestler needed a haircut he thought as he shook his head wildly. The too long shaggy do the wrestler favoured suddenly became an inch shorter allowing the god the relief from the itchiness of the long scruff always had against his neck. He walked a few feet towards the house, stopping for a half heartbeat before rolling his eyes and continuing on. Astrid's grandmother had been a very powerful seer, but Astrid was still too young to have the kind of power her spells needed to keep the god out. Bacchus entered the house letting the door slam against the wall in a single huff as he did. Snapping his fingers, both Edric and Seward fainted on the spot into a deep sleep just as he entered the kitchen to see Mercury shimmer off with Nosferatu. Swearing, Bacchus tilted his head deciding to return to the other reality for another match.<br />
<br />
<br />
Tune in again for another installment of the Nosferatu Adventures starring your heroine...me<span style="color: #cc0000;">(straight up story. Miss me?)</span><br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-17051085802672986132020-05-30T22:27:00.001-04:002020-05-30T22:27:04.160-04:00FoodnFlix May 2020Spudguns!, it's been a few months...I've had nothing to say the last two months. But, I joined in for the May<a href="https://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank"> Foodn'Flix</a>...literally just crawling in under the finish line with my offerings. The May selection was hosted by <a href="http://eliotseats.com/2020/05/01/midnight-in-paris/" target="_blank">Debra over at Eliot's Eats</a> and she picked the 2011<i> Midnight in Paris. </i>Now, I've mentioned this on the blog way way way back in the first year of the blog, Day 75. But, here's a brief recap.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">plot</span>: When a writer suffering from writer's block goes on vacation with his girlfriend and her parents, he finds himself in awe of the city around him. As he ends up spending his nights alone wandering the streets dreaming about his heroes, he mysteriously travels back in time to the 1920's. Inspiration begins to strike as the midnight hour engulfs him, leaving him wondering if it's just a dream.<br />
<br />
Okay, so as I mentioned, I've talked briefly about this movie before when it first came out, and I didn't care for it. I should have loved it. All the markings of my kind of movie was there. It's a Woody Allen movie, it's about a writer, it's about time travel, it's about art and magick. Only, for me it missed the mark. Sitting through it a second time for group, I was halfway hoping I had missed something the first time around, that maybe since it's been almost a decade I'd discover something in it I liked. Nope. Still not doing much for me.<br />
<br />
<b>Notes</b>: beer, baguette (mentioned) wine, bread, sauerkraut and frankfurters (mentioned) whiskey sour (mentioned) petit fours (mentioned) grapes, sweets, candied ginger, nuts, cheese, coffee, cake, Indian food (mentioned) pita bread (mentioned) jam, juice, melon, croissants, strawberries, blueberries, fruit plate, tea, cookies, chocolate, beef bourguignon (mentioned) pineapple, whipped cream, dates, steak, absinthe, honey, meat pie, pears, peaches, butter, lemon, pop.<br />
<br />
Okay, so the food in this movie is sort of there but it's not a main concern, so it's pretty much in the far background most of the time. <br />
<br />
There is a scene near the beginning of the film, where one of the characters mentioned the sauerkraut and frankfurters, and my mind right away went to that. So I went right out to the store and picked up a package of veggie dogs and ...could not for the life of me find any sauerkraut. It ended up being one of the crazy items that the stores in my city have not received since the whole isolation situation has been going on in the world. Then I thought I would just go with it anyway. I "assembled" my loaded veggie dog with cole slaw, mustard, mayo, cheese, onions and peppers.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oto7KXv4XEQ/XtMR9UPTr5I/AAAAAAAAG-U/cyMMikt7A2IFIYUzc56kk1GteIKtrj8mgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200526_161004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oto7KXv4XEQ/XtMR9UPTr5I/AAAAAAAAG-U/cyMMikt7A2IFIYUzc56kk1GteIKtrj8mgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200526_161004.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5w-Y0krBRsA/XtMSBiA13AI/AAAAAAAAG-Y/dZaUcta3Oq4fns0IYN4VRcQFpbovyXplgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200526_162409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5w-Y0krBRsA/XtMSBiA13AI/AAAAAAAAG-Y/dZaUcta3Oq4fns0IYN4VRcQFpbovyXplgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200526_162409.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8W4xVaeP9sA/XtMSFL4HjEI/AAAAAAAAG-c/BqP6qqbTNTwwnzzpblPfiXBopGEsqYasACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200526_162830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8W4xVaeP9sA/XtMSFL4HjEI/AAAAAAAAG-c/BqP6qqbTNTwwnzzpblPfiXBopGEsqYasACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200526_162830.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
But I wasn't happy with how it looked on camera. So, I started thinking about a second dish and my mind kept returning to the end of the film, where we see a very minor character who literally has two scenes near the end of the film, a detective who himself travels back into time to the Court of Louis XIV. This seemingly unimportant character actually ends up being a key player. Through the whole movie till this point, you never know if the lead is daydreaming, or drunk or in a coma from a scene where he trips and hits his head or if he's actually traveling back and forth in time? That is until the detective finds himself trapped back in time. The table of Louis XIV has a breakfast which consists of the pears, peaches and meat pie. So I decided to make a "mock steak and kidney pie".<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<br />
1 can of kidney beans drained<br />
two mushrooms chopped<br />
half a carrot chopped<br />
half a stalk of celery chopped<br />
half a small onion chopped<br />
ground black pepper<br />
garlic salt<br />
cornstarch<br />
jackfruit<br />
pastry<br />
water<br />
<br />
Drain the kidney beans, boiling them till soft. Add mushroom, celery and carrots. Let simmer for about 15minutes.<br />
Add onion, ground pepper and garlic salt. Stir and let simmer for another 10 minutes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wV9GS4TbMEw/XtMS_-JxNpI/AAAAAAAAG-s/QrGkoHL2COM6Csy55s6XnFydnKOxLErAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200530_185849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wV9GS4TbMEw/XtMS_-JxNpI/AAAAAAAAG-s/QrGkoHL2COM6Csy55s6XnFydnKOxLErAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200530_185849.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Add jackfruit, stirring in more water if needed. Simmer for another 15minutes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dFtXt0QRZAQ/XtMTMv17yVI/AAAAAAAAG-w/u9MWRJIRWCgIpukzeDX5tILrqHp4HT48QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200530_164648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dFtXt0QRZAQ/XtMTMv17yVI/AAAAAAAAG-w/u9MWRJIRWCgIpukzeDX5tILrqHp4HT48QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200530_164648.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
Prepare pastry. I used a store bought ready made tart shell.<br />
Fill pastry and cook at 350degrees for 35 minutes depending on your oven.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LP3T4lMCk_M/XtMTYr_Xd6I/AAAAAAAAG-4/VXrqj44b8MQrXSEKi5kpGY2ia5Gr59yPACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200530_201943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LP3T4lMCk_M/XtMTYr_Xd6I/AAAAAAAAG-4/VXrqj44b8MQrXSEKi5kpGY2ia5Gr59yPACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200530_201943.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I've never used jackfruit before this. In fact, never even tasted it. I wasn't sure if the bitterness would work with the rest of the savoury ingredients so I only used three medium sized pieces. Thankfully it did.<br />
<br />
There you go, two dishes inspired by very different characters. Don't forget to check out June's <a href="https://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank">Foodn'Flix</a> selection, being hosted by <a href="https://culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Culinary Adventures with Camilla</a>. She's allowing the theme of Any Movie that is Set or Made in Hawaii.<br />
<br />
Till next time. <br />
Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-13630188140285395442020-03-30T10:43:00.001-04:002020-03-30T10:43:39.342-04:00FnF Round UpSpudguns!, it's that time of the time, when we offer up a potluck of groovy goodies. As I mentioned beginning of the month, I hosted <a href="http://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank">Foodn'Flix</a> once again, and my selection was not one movie but a whole genre of movies. Your choice of anything by Tim Burton.<br />
<br />
Our first submission was Camilla, from Culinary Adventures with Camilla. She picked the movie <i>Mars Attacks!</i> and made <a href="https://culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.com/2020/03/blue-butterfly-pea-flower-gummy-brains.html" target="_blank">Blue Gummy Brains</a>. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXKK8SgHmPU/XlwrmQMRSlI/AAAAAAAAG6M/eQlJ5wfsXggnZF4FQ5wmyrpfSAee7fmzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/camillaBrains.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="486" height="207" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXKK8SgHmPU/XlwrmQMRSlI/AAAAAAAAG6M/eQlJ5wfsXggnZF4FQ5wmyrpfSAee7fmzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/camillaBrains.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Next up, Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm, gave us a <a href="https://adayinthelifeonthefarm.blogspot.com/2020/03/a-crazy-month-fun-movie-and-weekly-menu.html" target="_blank">Lebanese Salad</a> inspired by the movie <i>Big Fish</i>. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EnPkZuAO1N0/Xm6IkELbE0I/AAAAAAAAG60/7rS4lX2fF-IynMbXnSoHoLZmc8dmQXVrACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/daylifefarmsalad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="493" height="209" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EnPkZuAO1N0/Xm6IkELbE0I/AAAAAAAAG60/7rS4lX2fF-IynMbXnSoHoLZmc8dmQXVrACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/daylifefarmsalad.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We then had an offering from Tina over<a href="https://tinaculbertson.blogspot.com/2020/03/big-fish-and-jacques-pepin-chicken-and.html" target="_blank"> at Squirrel Head Manor.</a> She pulled inspiration as well from the movie <i>Big Fish</i>, and made Pepin's Chicken and Mushrooms.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ptmvIDhV4e0/XnpaJ4fo4YI/AAAAAAAAG7Q/j2icfF88m7kvJhFAae2dLVzGyIzNjB1sgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/squirelhead.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ptmvIDhV4e0/XnpaJ4fo4YI/AAAAAAAAG7Q/j2icfF88m7kvJhFAae2dLVzGyIzNjB1sgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/squirelhead.JPG" width="234" /></a></div>
And then we had <a href="http://eliotseats.com/2020/03/29/pumpkin-apple-donuts-and-sleepy-hollow/" target="_blank">Pumpkin Apple Donuts </a>from Debra at Elioteats. Inspired by the movie <i>Sleepy Hollow. </i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VtLFZQVQ4cA/XoEftf-cyjI/AAAAAAAAG8s/BpJ17J8_bwksRQ2XpcXQQt1NuPXLDLepACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/debradonuts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="498" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VtLFZQVQ4cA/XoEftf-cyjI/AAAAAAAAG8s/BpJ17J8_bwksRQ2XpcXQQt1NuPXLDLepACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/debradonuts.JPG" width="223" /></a></div>
<br />
Up next we have a <a href="http://www.amyscookingadventures.com/2020/03/strawberry-moscow-mule.html" target="_blank">Strawberry Moscow Mule </a>from Amy over at Amy's Cooking Adventures. She was inspired by the live action version of <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-myP_g6-hC3k/XoEhJvnMAMI/AAAAAAAAG84/1mdwesyER_AHphiRfCIWha0r4n_Vd2lXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/amymule.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="493" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-myP_g6-hC3k/XoEhJvnMAMI/AAAAAAAAG84/1mdwesyER_AHphiRfCIWha0r4n_Vd2lXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/amymule.JPG" width="257" /></a></div>
<br />
And next up is Heather from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. She was inspired by<i> Sweeney Todd </i>to make a <a href="https://www.allroadsleadtothe.kitchen/2020/03/peppered-shepherds-pie.html" target="_blank">Peppered Shepherd's Pie.</a> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SrbRldTzhVE/XoEjxUkiWeI/AAAAAAAAG9E/n9fimuEpzskbT2otj_IiIe1xK3bfp7SAACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/heatherShepherd.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="718" height="243" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SrbRldTzhVE/XoEjxUkiWeI/AAAAAAAAG9E/n9fimuEpzskbT2otj_IiIe1xK3bfp7SAACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/heatherShepherd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
And finally, my own offering. I went with the movie <i>Dark Shadows</i>, and made my vegetarian version of <a href="https://coffeecasseroles.blogspot.com/2020/03/2020-march-foodnflix-dish.html" target="_blank">Mock Fish (Tofu) and Chips</a>. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4uxqmCeceo/Xn4sLMt3sqI/AAAAAAAAG8c/clcUa5Wg8NovgNJqFW8BkN9jk0-VbbAIQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/20200310_162710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4uxqmCeceo/Xn4sLMt3sqI/AAAAAAAAG8c/clcUa5Wg8NovgNJqFW8BkN9jk0-VbbAIQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/20200310_162710.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
All in all, a fabulous potluck of ideas, treats, and movies. Don't forget you can join in next month as the <a href="https://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank">Foodn'Flix </a>group watches <i>The Biggest Little Farm</i>, hosted by Wendy at<a href="http://adayinthelifeonthefarm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> A Day in the Life on the Farm. </a><br />
<br />
That's about all I've got for you this month. Until later.<br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-86002475547213014002020-03-28T16:06:00.001-04:002020-03-28T16:06:53.417-04:002020 March FoodnFlix dishSpudguns!, it's been a wacky month to say the lest. I hosted <a href="http://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank">Foodn'Flix</a> once again this month, and my selection wasn't just one movie, but a genre of movies. I asked everyone joining in to pick their favourite Tim Burton film.<br />
<br />
Now, my original plan was to do a dish for at lest three films, but with the zombie apocalypse isolation situation shopping panic; well I was lucky to get one done. Shelves have been pretty empty around my city.<br />
<br />
I ended up doing it backwards because of the shopping issues. I was able to find some tofu at the store, and tried to think what I could make with it. That's when I remembered a subplot in the 2012 Tim Burton/Johnny Depp film <i>Dark Shadows</i>. They owned a fishing cannery.<br />
<br />
I've covered this film in the first year of this blog (Day 281) but for anyone who hasn't seen it here's a brief summary.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">plot</span>: After rejecting his lover Angelique, who is a witch, Barnabas Collins, has a curse placed on him and his family. He is then turned into a vampire by Angelique and is locked in a coffin and buried for 200 years. When Barnabas is released by accident in the 1970's, he returns to his family home to find that the few remaining family members are still living under a form of the curse, and that Angelique has taken over the town. The two immortals end up in a battle of wills as each tries to gain control of the small fishing town they live in.<br />
<br />
<b>Notes</b>: fish, pumpkins, pineapple, whiskey, ketchup, pot roast, carrots, potatoes, wine, salad, pop, McDonalds, milkshakes, pie, pizza (sign) grapes, waffles, cereal, syrup, juice, strawberries, coffee, sugar, milk, cherries, beer, melon, oranges, bread/buns, tomato juice, bacon, blueberries, mustard, crab (ghostly vision) canned seafood<br />
<br />
Even though, there are a bunch of scenes where the family are eating, you don't see a lot of closeups of the food. But, as I said, the situation we are currently in, caused me to work this backwards. I ended up making a Mock Fish (tofu) and Chips.<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<br />
1 egg<br />
1 cups breadcrumbs<br />
1/2 package of tofu<br />
2 medium or 1 large potato<br />
seasoning of your choice<br />
<br />
I started by chopping the potatoes into large strips. I ended up keeping the skins on, and having a thicker cut. I then seasoned with salt, pepper, and a spiced seasoning mix. Then placed them in the oven for half an hour on 350 degrees. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rA_hOc8Uh5Q/Xn4r51PfcwI/AAAAAAAAG8A/n65mzwPfr38C2bnVv5Qs8TE1iFgdflZXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200310_150344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rA_hOc8Uh5Q/Xn4r51PfcwI/AAAAAAAAG8A/n65mzwPfr38C2bnVv5Qs8TE1iFgdflZXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200310_150344.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yCxL0T0KVQU/Xn4rjOKxZWI/AAAAAAAAG7s/2yaZ1wW7JSA7EZ1GCzRY7SazTzbX2IgcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200309_153217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yCxL0T0KVQU/Xn4rjOKxZWI/AAAAAAAAG7s/2yaZ1wW7JSA7EZ1GCzRY7SazTzbX2IgcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200309_153217.jpg" width="320" /> </a> </div>
<br />
<br />
While that was in the oven, I drained and sliced my tofu before dredging it through the egg and breadcrumbs. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LaO8hUbQqOs/Xn4r9UAJv1I/AAAAAAAAG8E/zgEEU4j-qbUZzK_4JGIFFJ00KLoOq2mxACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200310_153704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LaO8hUbQqOs/Xn4r9UAJv1I/AAAAAAAAG8E/zgEEU4j-qbUZzK_4JGIFFJ00KLoOq2mxACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200310_153704.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I then deep fried the tofu, carefully turning it every few minutes, for close to twenty minutes, before placing it in the oven to finish cooking for another half hour. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VQc5M0Bhswg/Xn4sBZ3T0xI/AAAAAAAAG8I/tiZjeZ8DvZgn1WArthKdezr3wbSej8aTwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200310_154238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VQc5M0Bhswg/Xn4sBZ3T0xI/AAAAAAAAG8I/tiZjeZ8DvZgn1WArthKdezr3wbSej8aTwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200310_154238.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
At this point, I switched out the fries from the oven and finished them off in the deep fryer. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cRNh4ph4gdc/Xn4sHhJnlTI/AAAAAAAAG8M/4NyLASEHcdk5xqf8mWeUDX-gmnNHdV-kwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200310_155524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cRNh4ph4gdc/Xn4sHhJnlTI/AAAAAAAAG8M/4NyLASEHcdk5xqf8mWeUDX-gmnNHdV-kwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200310_155524.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
After draining everything, I decided to add a basic bagged coleslaw of carrots, red cabbage and green cabbage. I tossed this with a simple dressing of Miracle Whip, vinegar and ground black pepper. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4uxqmCeceo/Xn4sLMt3sqI/AAAAAAAAG8Q/cqZcsoCu4IId9LzI14k14auJ_qHsLX3xQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200310_162710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4uxqmCeceo/Xn4sLMt3sqI/AAAAAAAAG8Q/cqZcsoCu4IId9LzI14k14auJ_qHsLX3xQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/20200310_162710.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
I am surprised how well this ended up fitting together. It's not the way I had hoped to go with this month's movie selections, but in the end it worked nicely. Okay, I'll be back at the end of the month with the group round up. <br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-63915563958811719242020-03-01T06:49:00.000-05:002020-03-01T06:49:01.926-05:002020 March Foodn'Flix Announcement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--49jrw1zqUg/XlkExrxI3SI/AAAAAAAAG58/c0HCFnQ5LnAC2-FjmBQQRThggGNuRSQuACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/burtonTV1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="999" height="154" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--49jrw1zqUg/XlkExrxI3SI/AAAAAAAAG58/c0HCFnQ5LnAC2-FjmBQQRThggGNuRSQuACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/burtonTV1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Spudguns! it's that time of the season again when I host <a href="http://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank">Foodn'Flix</a>. And this month, my selection is...any Tim Burton movie of your choice! Yeah, I decided not on one film but on a genre of films.<br />
<br />
To join in, you just pick a Tim Burton movie, watch and then head to the kitchen to cook/bake anything it's inspired. Your post must be current, which means in this case done in the month of March 2020.<br />
<br />
Then post on your blog with a link back to this post and the Foodn'Flix site. Then email your submissions to me at domesticanddamned at gmail dot com as well as Heather at heather@foodnflixclub.com. Don't forget to add your name, the name of your blog, the name of your dish with a link and a photo. Or give us permission to pick a photo from it. Make sure the email says Foodn'Flix Submission on it. If you post a copy of your dish on instagram, don't forget to tag me at ardethblood, and heather with the hashtag FoodnFlix. And lastly, if you post on facebook, don't forget to tag me at GhoulNextDoorCanadian, as well as FoodnFlix<br />
<br />
Deadline is Sunday March 29th 2020 6pm EST I plan on doing the round up the next day.Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-46714616018471570592020-02-08T18:24:00.001-05:002020-02-08T18:24:04.245-05:00Coffee Talk Feb 8th 2020Spudguns! how's it on your end? Spiffy. Hard to believe we are in 2020. That just blows my speakers. Wacky to think we've hit that magickal number. That year that all science fiction used to it's advantage. Craziness. Crazier to think I turn 46 in a few weeks. I never thought I'd still be living in Thunder Bay at this age. Nutballs man.<br />
<br />
I've got a few video reviews up on my facebook page if you haven't caught them yet. I've done a few with my neighbour where we talked about our thoughts on the new <i>Star Trek</i> show <i>Picard.</i> I've been focusing mostly on my facebook page and doing video projects the last few months. Just something I sort of want to get under my listings while I'm still in my 40's.<br />
<br />
I will be hosting<a href="http://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank"> Food n'Flix,</a> next month for March. Which, I know, I said almost two years ago I was done hosting, then I hosted last October and I'm doing one more. Maybe two.<br />
<br />
I have no schedule right now. Yeah, I finally admitted that trying to have any kind of schedule for this blog just made me crazy, depressed and guilty feeling when I didn't make my deadlines. So, I'm just not going to promise that this or that is coming up within any time frame. I will just promise I will post stuff this year. I'm looking forward to seeing <i>The Invisible Man, Bill and Ted Face the Music, The Craft</i> remake and <i>Ghostbusters 4 Afterlife</i>. <br />
<br />
Okay my lovely Spudguns! I'll be back soon, but in the meantime don't forget to check out my facebook page (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GhoulNextDoorCanadian/" target="_blank">here</a>) Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-35122503425750363372020-01-22T08:44:00.003-05:002020-01-22T08:49:15.177-05:00FoodnFlix Jan 2020Spudguns!, it's that time again. This month's <a href="https://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank">Foodn'Flix</a> selection was 2019 movie <i>Always Be My Maybe</i>, and is being hosted by <a href="https://culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.com/2020/01/always-be-my-maybe-homemade-pocky.html" target="_blank">Culinary Adventures with Camilla</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">plot</span>: A celebrity chef returns to her hometown to launch a new restaurant and reconnects with her childhood best friend/first love.<br />
<br />
I didn't really care for this film. I've said before, I'm not a big fan of romantic comedies, and this really felt too formulaic for me. The highlight for me were the scenes with Keanu Reeves playing a hyped up version of himself.<br />
<br />
Okay, so the amount of food in this movie is really high. I was not even ten minutes into this movie when I already had a half page of written notes.<br />
<br />
<b>Notes</b>: canned spam, rice, herbs, soup, kimchi, lemons, apples, green onions, bananas, melon (in painting) greens, potato-chip sticks in chocolate, pop, fries, jack'O'lantern, onion, beef, sauces, dumplings, dough, juice, potstickers, sugar, salt, pepper, beer, hamburgers (mentioned) oranges, grapes, ham, coffee, casseroles, parmesan cheese (mentioned) Burger King menu, wine, prawns, tuna, cereal, donuts, fish-sauce (mentioned) tea, roast beef sandwiches (mentioned) saffron (mentioned) limes, scallops, lettuce, garlic, oyster sauce, kale, popcorn, <span style="color: #cc0000;"> <b><span style="color: black;">a scene with a walk in freezer (at the 15 minute mark!)</span></b></span> count chocula (mentioned) breakfast burritos, ginger (mentioned) cabbage, dragon fruit, carrots, mushrooms, chilies, asparagus, sesame seed mixture, hot dogs and spaghetti, ketchup (mentioned) matcha (mentioned) rice paper (mentioned) goats, buffet, lemonade, chocolate, iced tea, spare ribs, chop suey (sign) chicken (sign) martini, lobster (screen saver) pineapple sandwich (mentioned) a scene at a farmer's market, beets, tomatoes, venison (mentioned) micro-greens, fish flakes, caesar salad, mango, lamb carpaccio, quail parfait, rice noodles (mentioned) scotch, fig (mentioned) daikon, red and orange peppers<br />
<br />
I just gave up trying to take notes on the walk-in freezer and farmer's market.<br />
<br />
I had a difficult time with this one. But the scene with the breakfast burrito sort of stuck in my mind. I've done one before though for the blog few years ago (one of my zombie recipes) so sort of didn't want to go that route again. Then I was thinking about the potstickers and I ended up going with a super simple snack. A deep fried wrapped banana.<br />
<br />
Super simple, simple, simple dish (3 ingredients so can't really call it a recipe) with just sliced banana, chocolate and eggroll wrappers.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XtQ0U7qdV_4/XihNmunBAaI/AAAAAAAAG5A/EzPOkHK6YX0iJYWd3AJwPyJS3gc2G1toACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200114_150033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XtQ0U7qdV_4/XihNmunBAaI/AAAAAAAAG5A/EzPOkHK6YX0iJYWd3AJwPyJS3gc2G1toACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200114_150033.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I just cut the banana in half, then cut each half on the diagonal, and rolled them each with two squares of the chocolate. Then deep fried them for about five minutes, rotating the rolls constantly. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JciDYK2fwus/XihNqCcvF4I/AAAAAAAAG5E/q8k5Hbw8p5syg6oFQOy4LGncAxM95VLjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200114_150506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JciDYK2fwus/XihNqCcvF4I/AAAAAAAAG5E/q8k5Hbw8p5syg6oFQOy4LGncAxM95VLjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200114_150506.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RkQj1hErB-8/XihNukmTRGI/AAAAAAAAG5I/2k0nAYrAPW8w9_3ADxHX86Q0_VTr0MCqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200114_151837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RkQj1hErB-8/XihNukmTRGI/AAAAAAAAG5I/2k0nAYrAPW8w9_3ADxHX86Q0_VTr0MCqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200114_151837.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I drained them on a paper towel, letting them cool for another five minutes, and ate them while still warm.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zRUsYYub_lo/XihNxy42Z2I/AAAAAAAAG5M/21ekE_9vnbsyfAEv552Qj1morZBCN2ucgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200114_152613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zRUsYYub_lo/XihNxy42Z2I/AAAAAAAAG5M/21ekE_9vnbsyfAEv552Qj1morZBCN2ucgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200114_152613.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I decided to use a heavy cream at the end instead of a dipping sauce, as the chocolate made the rolls a bit sweet already.<br />
<br />
That's all I have for you this time around, don't forget to check out <a href="https://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank">Foodn'Flix</a> next month, as our selection will be <i>Nina's Heavenly Delights</i>, and it's being hosted by <a href="https://www.allroadsleadtothe.kitchen/" target="_blank">Heather at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen</a>.<br />
<br />
Till later. <br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-66845819546914118772020-01-03T13:11:00.001-05:002020-01-03T13:11:24.907-05:00The Nosferatu Adventures s13 p21<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>The Nosferatu Adventures</b></span><br />
page 351, chapter 351<br />
<br />
<i>1976</i><br />
<br />
"You're pacing." Edric said coldly.<br />
<br />
"I'm pissed off." our heroine snarled as she continued to walk in a tight circle in the little room. Her hands on her hips, her eyes cast down as she felt her double row of fangs threatening to break through her gums. The banshee cast a half glance down the hallway at the direction the voice was coming from. Astrid had found the little trio sitting in the middle of a Robin's and told them she knew who they were. Nosferatu now snorted as she heard the sound of the woman's muffled voice as she whispered to someone.<br />
<br />
"Come on, take a chill already. So this chick knew we portalled. So, she's a witch." the male hybrid continued as he tapped his fingers on his knee.<br />
<br />
"She's no witch." the pale female spat as she pointed towards the hallway. "She's a Librarian." she continued to move around the room like a caged animal.<br />
<br />
"And?" Edric shrugged as he nodded towards Seward who'd been in the back area of the room, pressing his palms tight to the walls looking for what he was sure was a hidden door.<br />
<br />
"As in magick mirror dumbass." our heroine growled. It was all she could do not to rip through the walls. Ever since they'd landed back in this decade, something had been nudging at our heroine's nerves. For a reality that wasn't suppose to have much, if any magick, she was sure she could feel it tightening around her. Something she just couldn't put her finger on. <br />
<br />
"Again I say and?"<br />
<br />
"Uh magick mirror? Do you think I could get a message to Landin then?" Seward asked as he continued to knock on the wall near the window looking for a soft spot.<br />
<br />
"I don't know?" our heroine said her fingers now at her shoulders and neck. "Your cousin seems to think he's so upper class." she hissed in frustration.<br />
<br />
"You say that like it's a bad thing." Edric snorted, sighing loudly. The male hybrid crossed his ankle over his knee before uncrossing them and propelling himself out of the chair he'd been sitting in. Since they had entered Astrid's home, Edric's senses had been on fire with some unknown scent.The banshee-werewolf hybrid was down the hallway in a half a breath his overly sensitive nose leading him to the source of the irritant. It wasn't until he found himself standing in the basement did he realize that the smells were coming from hair products. Astrid was a hairdresser. It was the chemicals from her perming solutions and dyes that were causing him issues. Sitting down in the salon chair, the male let out another sigh as he twirled the chair around before staring at his reflection in the work mirror. Bringing his right hand up to his chin, Edric raised an eyebrow thinking it was time for a new look.<br />
<br />
<i>Meanwhile</i>...<br />
<br />
The male looked down from the building's roof towards the street below him. Fresh painted had just been added to the asphalt in course yellow lines. One long run-on line that looked more like morse code than directions. Waving his hand he watched as the yellow stretches directly below him disappeared then reappeared in the form of an x. He giggled to no one as he jumped. The dark trenchcoat he'd stolen from the store in London blew out behind him like a cape, as he landed on his feet. Mercury stuffed his hands into the pockets of his dark jeans and continued on down the street at a human's pace. The god whistled as he stopped at the nearest store window seeing a display of hats. He'd always favoured the page-boy style, and grabbed one in tweed. No sooner had he plopped it on, when a voice screamed at him that he couldn't do that. Smirking, the sandy blonde male continued on his path.<br />
<br />
"Sorry officer. Can't stay and chat. I'm late for a very important date." Mercury tossed the words over his shoulder in a crisp British accent at the police officer as he staggered from his car. The cop followed him around the corner of a building but lost him as the god had already shimmered into thin air.<br />
<br />
He stood outside under a lamp post waiting. The god knew he wouldn't have long to wait, knew all he needed to do was pop into the room. He simply wanted to wait to the last possible second, to have his timing on the dot in order to express the most dramatic affect. Shimmering now would kill the mood. Mercury toyed with the idea of just letting the female make her own choice without all the information. Toyed with the briefest of hesitations before shrugging off the idea. He walked silently from the end of the street towards the house with the lilacs in the garden. Walked smoothly across the wet grass that had been watered too much to the point it was squishy and not at all soaked in. Walked up the two stairs to the porch, opened the front door and just let himself in. Edric was standing in front of him before the front door even closed, his nails sharp, his fangs exposed. "No need for that." Mercury said snapping his fingers, sending the male hybrid across the room. "Sit. Good boy."<br />
<br />
"Who the hell are you?" Astrid asked grabbing a hockey stick that had been sitting discarded near the kitchen door.<br />
<br />
"I need to borrow Nosferatu." he nodded smiling. "I've got a message or two for her." he ran the palm of his hand across the length of the hallway, exposing a small wave of blue light. "Here's my card." he replied too casually as a small white business style card appeared out of thin air.<br />
<br />
"Mercury." our heroine's voice broke the tension from a few feet behind Astrid. "Why are you here?"<br />
<br />
"Hello lovely. Been a few years. Well, centuries actually. I do believe it was just outside of Wallachia in the 1400's when I saw you last. How is Vlad?" he tilted his head to the side the brim of the hat casting shadows across his face. <br />
<br />
"Again why are you here?" she crossed her arms under her chest giving her boobs a lift.<br />
<br />
"In this reality or Thunder Bay?" he continued to smile, his roundish face warm as his grey-blue eyes shone. "Short answer, it's Thunder Bay and you're here in this reality." Mercury cast a glance around the little house. "We need to talk and we should do so before you let Edmund through the portal. Unless you want to repeat what happens in forty years with the Van Helsing house."<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>TO BE CONTINUED...NEXT SEASON</b></span> <br />
<br />
Tune in again for another installment of the Nosferatu Adventures starring your heroine...me <span style="color: #cc0000;">(straight up story. I know this last season has lasted way too long; almost two years so just time to turn the page on the season)</span><br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-57667385338498358912019-12-29T11:05:00.001-05:002019-12-29T11:05:25.437-05:00Foodn Flix Dec 2019Spudguns!, it's time for this month's<a href="https://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank"> Foodn'Flix </a>recipe. This month was hosted by<a href="https://www.foodnflixclub.com/2019/12/favorite-holiday-movies.html#more" target="_blank"> Heather on the FnF site, </a>and the selection was your favourite holiday film. I know, this was a difficult one for me, given I'm not a xmas person. I ended up settling on <i>Christmas with the Kranks</i>, for a few reasons. 1) it's one I've seen before 2) it's on Netflix Canada and constant rotation on tv, 3) I know it's got a ton of food scenes in it. <br />
<br />
Now, as I said, I've seen it before and briefly mentioned it back in year one of the blog but here's a more in depth recap.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">plot</span>: After learning that their adult daughter is not coming home for the holidays, Luther books a vacation holiday for himself and his wife Nora. Knowing they won't be home themselves, they decide to not bother decorating their house, even though the entire neighbourhood is decked out trying to win the yearly lights contest. The neighbours then begin to pressure them into decorating as well. On the day they are supposed to leave for the vacation, their daughter calls and tells them she's changed her mind and is coming home. This sends Luther and Nora into a scramble trying to make everything like their daughter expects for Christmas eve.<br />
<br />
<b>Notes</b>: water, white chocolate (mentioned) pistachios (mentioned) cheese, fruit baskets, coconut, tea/coffee, pears, apples, pop, steak, wine, salad, pasta, buns, salt, pepper, pumpkin seeds (sign in background) cheesecake, beer, yogurt, fish tacos (mentioned) milk, chicken (mentioned) brownies, carrot cake, cottage cheese and fruit, pot pie, pizza, ham, juice, candy canes, hard candy, eggs, butter, canned food, tomato sauce, bologna, bacon, prepared lunches, cookies, lettuce, onions, ice cream, chips, turkey, rice, spices, lemons, potatoes, maple syrup, cereal, smoked trout, bread, caramel pie, marshmallows, grapes (photo) strawberries (photo) alcohol, gingerbread house, cinnamon sticks, punch, icing, veggies and dip, cake, pumpernickel bread with salmon, tarts, cauliflower, radishes, cranberries, brussel sprouts, nuts, mashed potatoes<br />
<br />
Okay, so after staring at my notes for a few days, I finally came up with the idea of a brussel sprouts dish. Now, I watched this on Netflix Canada the day I decided to do this film and took all my notes. And as I was at the grocery getting the ingredients arguing with myself on if it was enough of a dish, something happened. The grocery I was at has a $5 movie bin and as I was making my way down the produce area the stock guy was refilling the bin, causing a stack to fall to the floor. I helped him pick them up, and there in the middle of the mess was a copy of the movie. Dude. I mean, dude come on how much clearer of a message is that? So yeah, not only did I make the dish, had to get the dvd.<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<br />
2 cups brussel sprouts<br />
2 cups cauliflower chopped<br />
1/2 cup onion chopped<br />
salt to taste<br />
ground pepper to taste<br />
1 Tablespoon butter<br />
2 Tablespoon parmesan cheese<br />
handful of chopped/slivered almonds<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x-eh-fY5SCA/XgjJO3sbKCI/AAAAAAAAG4E/YS9RKeICI_89sMqobRw55jg2NORYzSHggCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191228_140814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x-eh-fY5SCA/XgjJO3sbKCI/AAAAAAAAG4E/YS9RKeICI_89sMqobRw55jg2NORYzSHggCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20191228_140814.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Mix the brussel sprouts, cauliflower, onion and butter. Bake at 325degrees for 45 minutes, stirring at the midway mark.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MBsYOxbl6x8/XgjJTS8fYCI/AAAAAAAAG4I/VB30BMLrT1E0YmSWOjCyttIx4mW0JRaiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191228_141155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MBsYOxbl6x8/XgjJTS8fYCI/AAAAAAAAG4I/VB30BMLrT1E0YmSWOjCyttIx4mW0JRaiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20191228_141155.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Add salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese stirring again, and bake for another 15 minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the almonds and return to oven for another 10 minutes. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tu3Eb78s3_Q/XgjJZCqaeLI/AAAAAAAAG4M/SRlFbnAxr2IBVbl3gGPBm_l_9YxEvsy6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191228_155005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tu3Eb78s3_Q/XgjJZCqaeLI/AAAAAAAAG4M/SRlFbnAxr2IBVbl3gGPBm_l_9YxEvsy6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20191228_155005.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
It's a simple side dish that works in a pinch. Much like how the characters manage to bring together a last minute xmas dinner/party for their daughter in the film. This was literally inspired more by the way my list of seen foods in the film were written down and less of any real scene in the film. <br />
<br />
And that's about all I have for this time. Foodn'Flix will be back in 2020 kicking off another year and a new decade with the January selection <i>Always Be My Maybe</i> which is going to be hosted by <a href="http://culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Culinary Adventures with Camilla</a>. <br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-60725108791882962552019-12-13T12:26:00.002-05:002019-12-13T12:26:26.387-05:00Random Xmas movie part 2<span style="color: #cc0000;">movie</span>: Christmas Under Wraps<br />
starring: Candace Cameron Bure, David O'Donnell<br />
genre; Romance, Comedy, <br />
year: 2014<br />
format: TV EDIT<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">plot</span>: When a doctor takes a job in a remote area of Alaska, she begins to wonder if she's really landed at the North Pole and if the man she's dating could actually be Santa Claus Jr. ?<br />
<br />
So this is one of the Hallmark movie. One of just a million they seem to produce every single year to no end. I have to say, I've seen a ton of these over the last couple of years, and this is one of the better ones. It's not too overly sappy, nor is it too preachy. It's just the right amount of fluff.<br />
<br />
It starts out like so many seem to this decade, a strong willed business/successful woman who's love life is not as desired, who needs to reinvent herself. Cut to, the job of a lifetime that seems to slip through our heroine's fingers, causing her to take anything she can which leads her to the middle of nowhere. And of course then it's the traditional fish out of water theme for a few clicks before she settles into the coziness of the town's pace.<br />
<br />
Yes, I said I liked this one. You know when you see Bure as the lead that it's going to be a little lighter than some of the other Hallmark movies, not that I've ever seen one get "dark" really; but you also know it's not going to get overly sappy either. There's always a sense of "what if" with the roles she seems to take on. That leads almost to a fantasy element.<br />
<br />
As the movie progresses, we see her thrown into the heart of the story; she's actually landed at the North Pole and Santa's workshop village. Which doesn't really seem to cause her any strife. She almost seems to accept the idea too willingly. Add to that, she finds herself then dating the son of Santa. It's a Hallmark movie, so I'm not spoiling anything by saying that the whole thing gets a happy ever ho-ho-ho, as she decides being the next Mrs Claus wouldn't be so bad.<br />
<br />
The over all theme of this isn't really new as we saw a similar story in the <i>Merry In-Laws</i>, and <i>Becoming Santa</i>. As someone who's not a big xmas person, I could sit through this one again.<br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-75435690021454623482019-12-05T13:42:00.001-05:002019-12-05T13:42:12.716-05:00Random Xmas movie part 1<span style="color: #cc0000;">movie</span>: The Grinch<br />
starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones<br />
genre: Comedy, Cartoon<br />
year: 2018<br />
format: Crave<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">plot</span>: When the holiday hits the town of Whoville, everyone gets a little bit crazy, as the mayor has informed them to make everything three times larger than previous years. This is bad news for the Grinch, who just wants a quiet holiday. Deciding he must stop the festival, he hatches a plan to steal everyone's xmas related things. Meanwhile, a local group of kids decide to stay up late and capture Santa. Unknown to them, they accidentally trap the Grinch instead.<br />
<br />
Okay, so if you've been following me for any amount of time, you know I don't celebrate winter holidays, so for me to sit down and watch an xmas movie something is going on. In this case I was looking for something for the upcoming Foodn'Flix. I actually ended up liking this new version of the story.<br />
<br />
The characters in this new version of The Grinch have more depth and they are fleshed out a lot more than previous versions. You get to know the kids in the neighbourhood as characters this time around with personalities which is something previous versions didn't really do. And the addition of the reindeer buddy was cute. I found myself giggling at the scenes of the Grinch, his dog and the reindeer thinking they'd make a great buddy comedy. Which, is basically what this boils down to be. An animated buddy comedy with some over the top slapstick gags. Which, are actually funny.<br />
<br />
I think this version is smart, witty and likeable. Though, ironically, I decided not to go with this for Foodn'Flix, it's got a ton of food scenes. <br />
<br />
The moral of the story hasn't really changed, the Grinch unwittingly reminds everyone the lesson that having tons of stuff isn't the point of the holidays, or the point of anything really. The rest of the town seem to bounce back from their "loss" easily as if it never happened.<br />
<br />
I will say this about the film though, you almost get a sense that the producers/directors wanted to give the Grinch a romance because they point out more than a few times that the lady down the road is a single mom. That would have been an interesting twist I think. <br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-16498456452022027552019-11-30T19:01:00.003-05:002019-11-30T19:01:22.350-05:00Coffee Talk Nov 30th 2019Spudguns!, how's everything? Fabulous. Okay, so here we are on the last day of the month, and I just thought I would slide on in for a moment because I realized I hadn't blogged all month. <br />
The blog's new blogging year is a few days away, and I don't have a plan. Isn't that horrible? Since starting this blog, I've tried to challenge myself to a theme or year long project. Some of which have been successful - such as year one of this blog - and some have failed completely. Here we are at the edge of the next blogging year and I've got no theme or challenge for it.<br />
<br />
Usually, the downtime in November gives me a chance to think about what I want to attempt for the coming blogging year, but this time I came up empty. I maybe looking at another "random" year on here.<br />
<br />
And I know, I know, it's been a couple of months since I wrote anything for The Nosferatu Adventures or Cinema Files, but the blog serials are still on my "to do list". Writer's block really isn't any fun trust me on that. <br />
<br />
But, none the less, I will be back later in the week with <i>something</i> for you all. In the meantime, I post something everyday on my facebook page...even when it's just the daily countdown. (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GhoulNextDoorCanadian/" target="_blank">here</a>) <br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-75406282799323053502019-11-01T09:13:00.002-04:002019-11-01T09:13:40.761-04:00FoodnFlix 2019 RoundUpSpudguns!, it's time to see what my ghoulfiends dug up for our kooky spooky October <a href="https://www.foodnflixclub.com/" target="_blank">FoodnFlix</a> selection. This month we watched <i>The Addams Family</i> and <i>Addams Family Values</i>. <br />
<br />
First up is a deadly delicious looking offering from Camilla, of Culinary Adventures with Camilla. She brought to the table <a href="https://culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.com/2019/10/a-plate-of-creepy-crawlies-and-other.html" target="_blank">"Creepy Crawlers and other Ghoulish Gobbles."</a> The main of which was a plate of Squid and Peanut Dipping Sauce. Inspired by a few scenes of Grandma Addams's cooking. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xpghh80V-v4/XZUBmcnFp0I/AAAAAAAAGyo/141mUYGVOSgCqC_MYotBQrSpCII8hLxfACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/CulinaryAdventureswithCamilla.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="492" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xpghh80V-v4/XZUBmcnFp0I/AAAAAAAAGyo/141mUYGVOSgCqC_MYotBQrSpCII8hLxfACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/CulinaryAdventureswithCamilla.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Next up was actually myself, with my offerings of <a href="https://coffeecasseroles.blogspot.com/2019/10/foodnflix-recipe-addams-family.html" target="_blank">Wednesday's Lemon and Poppy Seed Ghoul Guides, and Uncle Fester's Poisoned Pineapple Punch</a>. I was inspire by the lemonade scene in the first movie, and more than a few scenes from the second movie.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yxBSF3xNjwk/XaBt4Z2Wj1I/AAAAAAAAG0o/mMPno53GsKkzySMJEQnu-deKfHWgmDrtwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/20190930_164857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yxBSF3xNjwk/XaBt4Z2Wj1I/AAAAAAAAG0o/mMPno53GsKkzySMJEQnu-deKfHWgmDrtwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/20190930_164857.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
From there we went to Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm, for her <a href="https://adayinthelifeonthefarm.blogspot.com/2019/10/monster-brains-and-witches-brew.html" target="_blank">Monster Brains and Witches Brew</a>.Who was inspired by her love of her family's own spooky Hallowe'en dishes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fQJOnlxbFaI/XbBIrJNScGI/AAAAAAAAG1k/VfmGEhApPhoyKeL3UfM7gz-YrhZM12iCgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/wendyFarm2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="629" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fQJOnlxbFaI/XbBIrJNScGI/AAAAAAAAG1k/VfmGEhApPhoyKeL3UfM7gz-YrhZM12iCgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/wendyFarm2019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Then we have Amy from Amy's Cooking Adventures, <a href="https://www.amyscookingadventures.com/2019/10/addams-family-pancakes.html" target="_blank">with her Addams Family Pancakes</a>. Her inspiration came from not just Wednesday Addams in <i>Addams Family Values</i>, but also the fact the new animated movie is trending on breakfast menus everywhere.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--OYE2qu1HhM/XbbXVQi33OI/AAAAAAAAG2A/pb5tPAQ11-8MR5NQBFrjvFUt2nxMiYQLACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/AmyCookingSpider.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="663" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--OYE2qu1HhM/XbbXVQi33OI/AAAAAAAAG2A/pb5tPAQ11-8MR5NQBFrjvFUt2nxMiYQLACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/AmyCookingSpider.JPG" width="294" /></a></div>
Then from Heather at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen, we have her<a href="https://www.allroadsleadtothe.kitchen/2019/10/pork-pineapple-meatloaf.html" target="_blank"> Fester's 3 Week Anniversary Meatloaf </a>She took her inspiration from a scene in <i>Addams Family Values</i>, where Uncle Fester is cooking dinner for his new bride.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6JJ9Dk54mYc/XbwoDAAZI9I/AAAAAAAAG2k/rmF1KOOMRY0pjYYuhFWJTmygifOovzIIwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/heatherFesterloaf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="906" height="211" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6JJ9Dk54mYc/XbwoDAAZI9I/AAAAAAAAG2k/rmF1KOOMRY0pjYYuhFWJTmygifOovzIIwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/heatherFesterloaf.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And then to Debra from Eliot Eats with her <a href="http://eliotseats.com/2019/10/30/frog-eye-salad-for-food-n-flix/" target="_blank">Frog Eye Salad. </a>She was inspired by the vintage feeling of the 1990's, and a scene in <i>Addams Family</i>, where Grandma tells Fester to "start with the eyes" when serving him a meal.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZXYj_pSzgbQ/XboThUonuGI/AAAAAAAAG2Q/CCBrjtbsOv8D-dhjOMsP58n9x0QBual6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/EliotEatzFrogEyeSalad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="533" height="226" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZXYj_pSzgbQ/XboThUonuGI/AAAAAAAAG2Q/CCBrjtbsOv8D-dhjOMsP58n9x0QBual6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/EliotEatzFrogEyeSalad.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This was a fun table this month. Don't forget to join Heather from <a href="https://www.allroadsleadtothe.kitchen/2019/11/whats-cooking-movie-announcement.html" target="_blank">All Roads Lead to the Kitchen </a>for November. Her selection is the movie <i>What's Cooking?</i> (2000) <br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-21496425593441888152019-10-31T21:01:00.001-04:002019-10-31T21:01:05.048-04:0013 Days of Hallowe'en 2019 Day 13<b>Day 13</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">SPOILER ALERT</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">movie</span>: Zombieland 2 Double Tap<br />
starring: Woody Harrelson, Roseario Dawson,<br />
genre: Comedy, <br />
year; 2019<br />
format: Cinema<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">plot</span>: Its been ten years since the zombie outbreak and they have evolved to smarter, faster and harder to destroy. Little Rock has decided that she wants to find other survivors closer to her own age and runs away from the rest of the group. This sends Wichita into a panic, and forces Columbus and Tallahassee to follow. Along the way, Little Rock meets Berkeley, who talks her into joining him at a love in commune where the only rule is no weapons. Too bad for them, the new zombie terminators follow them.<br />
<br />
Well, I liked it. It was half the gore of the first one, and twice the relationship issues. The comedy came more in the form of how the characters seemed to be smarter than everyone else. The idea that the family dynamic gets disrupted by simply growing up and not by any outside forces, lends it to a family drama more than anything else. I think it could have explored that a lot deeper, but instead, once again the characters end up isolated by choice. Where as the first film was about learning to trust the outside world; this was more about accepting things change.<br />
<br />
What I found interesting from both movies, is that both films deal with the illusion of hope. In the first film, we see Little Rock still young with a hopeful innocence about a fair ground being a safe place, where as in part two we see Tallahassee in the same light as he finds out Graceland has been zombied. There is just this great sense of full circle and sort of this message that no matter how old you are or how tough you think you are, everyone has a bit of innocence they are holding on to. Even in the worst of times, there is always that glimmer of hope.<br />
<br />
One thing I wasnt super crazy about was the whole idea of each character having a double. I know, that was a big chunk of the gimmick for the movie, but it just feel flat for me in the end. It happens midway in the film, and is over too soon. I would have expected that gag to have followed through to the end.<br />
<br />
I am going to bury this one here in the graveyard. Happy Hallowe'en.<br />
Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-8752542502094035402019-10-30T18:36:00.002-04:002019-10-30T18:36:31.571-04:0013 Days of Hallowe'en 2019 Day 12<b>Day 12</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">movie</span>: Friend Request<br />
starring: Alycia Debnam-Carey, Brooke Markham<br />
genre: Horror, <br />
year: 2016<br />
format: Netflix Canada<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">plot</span>: After accepting a friends request on facebook, Laura, the most popular girl on campus becomes the latest obsession of the school's outcast Mia. Things quickly become stressed as Laura finds herself stalked by Mia and unfriends her profile, who then commits suicide live on camera. Before long, Laura's friends begin to die one by one in horrific ways.<br />
<br />
I thought I was getting just another creepy stalker film, but it ended up becoming a ghost story. So bonus. I have to admit too, that this one made me jump a few times. Yes, there are a lot of old fashioned jump scares in it, and they work.<br />
<br />
You've got a few things going on here. The obvious, which is the whole cyber stalking/bullying issue, and the psychological effects/side effects of how jacked-in society has become. When you strip away the paranormal elements of the story, you are left with just as scary a one. The fact that from a day to day stand point, social media allows people to get personal without getting too close, is scary all on it's own. Add to that the growing number of people with anxiety issues who find it easier to live "online" than it is in reality; and you've got the perfect cocktail to build upon. And build upon it does.<br />
<br />
If you remove the reality based story and simply go with the paranormal elements; then you've got a really great ghost story that has some cliched ideas that come across as fresh and new. The orphan who's family died in a mysterious fire, the occult, and a haunting.<br />
<br />
Jealousy is used as a weapon in this. From Laura's boyfriend who feels insecure towards her best male friend, to the actual idea that one media profile is something to covet.<br />
<br />
I am going to bury this one here in the graveyard. I'll be back tomorrow with one last treat for your Hallowe'en displeasure.<br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-84162540254754479192019-10-29T21:34:00.001-04:002019-10-29T21:34:16.174-04:0013 Days of Hallowe'en 2019 Day 11<b>Day 11</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">movie</span>: Wishmaster 2 Evil Never Dies<br />
starring: Andrew Divoff, Holly Fields<br />
genre: Horror, Comedy<br />
year: 1999<br />
format: TV Edit<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">plot</span>: When an art thief accidentally releases a centuries old djinn, she finds herself in the middle of a prophecy trying to return him to his prison.<br />
<br />
This is a made for tv/straight to video sequel.<br />
<br />
This is suppose to be a horror film, but like so many movies that were released between 1997 and 2012, it plays more like a comedy. The moments it hits the horror is sadly with too much of the gore factor and not really what I consider horror. The story itself is pretty much been done to death and I actually found myself cheering on the djinn played by Divoff.<br />
<br />
Honestly, the idea is there, I just felt it was lost under the typical religion vs the world thing that horror films have fallen prey to so often.<br />
<br />
Divoff is about the only bright spot in this. He plays the villain as the straight man in what feels like a bad comedy duo. The fact the djinn begins paling around with a Russian mobster begins to make the audience believe he's softened, as the movie begins to dip into buddy comedy territory. Which, plays better than the rest of the plot of bringing on the end of days.<br />
<br />
I'm going to bury this here in the graveyard. I'll be back tomorrow with another treat for your Hallowe'en displeasure.<br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-10038208468676053542019-10-28T20:07:00.001-04:002019-10-28T20:07:34.879-04:0013 Days of Hallowe'en 2019 Day 10<b>Day 10</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">movie</span>: Sheep Skin<br />
starring: Michael Schantz, Laurence Mullaney<br />
genre: Crime, Thriller<br />
year: 2013<br />
format: TV Edit<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">plot</span>: After his sister is killed, a drug addict and his friends kidnap the ex-boyfriend, believing he's a werewolf.<br />
<br />
Not really a horror film, not really a thriller either, but a decent drama. Except for the first five minutes, everything happens within one room, and the character's paranoia pits everyone against each other. I think that's what brilliant about this story. It plays on the claustrophobia and mistrust created by the fear and prejudice the main characters already have. You've got a great metaphor happening for 90% of this film, the other 10% is ...well a werewolf movie.<br />
<br />
The pay off in the last 2 minutes, you can see coming a mile away, but it works. I found myself smirking and nodding to the last scene as the screen went black. It takes a long time to get to the point, but the rest of the movie is actually good. You don't mind how long it takes to get to it.<br />
<br />
And yes, there is a werewolf transformation, even though it ends up more of a man in a gorilla suite which makes you laugh out loud. I don't know if the intention was just to straight up do a werewolf movie, or if the intention was more to explore the metaphor of fear? I felt it did one better than the other. Through most of the movie you are watching the lead character lose his mind more and more as he's trying to prove he's right and coming up empty. The fact that midway the character is caught taking a handful of pills, causing his credibility to be questioned helps to put more doubt in the viewer's mind.<br />
<br />
As a movie about fear and paranoia, this is pretty decent. <br />
<br />
Okay, I'm going to bury this here in the graveyard. I'll be back tomorrow with another treat for your Hallowe'en displeasure.<br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-62258081046773848812019-10-27T18:32:00.001-04:002019-10-27T18:32:07.660-04:0013 Days of Hallowe'en 2019 Day 9<b>Day 9</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">movie</span>: Plan 9<br />
starring: Brian Krause, Mr. Lobo<br />
genre: Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi<br />
year:2014/2015<br />
format: TV Edit<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">plot</span>: After a meteorite strikes the earth, a small town is overrun by zombies, with only a handful of survivors making it through the night.<br />
<br />
This is a remake of the 1959 cult-classic <i>Plan 9 From Outer Space</i>. I have to say, this was really good given it's an independent remake of one of the most famous movies known to man. This version of the story is 50% Plan 9 From Outer Space, 50% every other zombie movie you've seen in the last 50 years. I kept thinking about <i>Return of the Living Dead</i> while watching this. I found this version of the story to be more complete, smarter and also easier to follow. Besides the baseline story of Plan 9, you get a few little nods through out, like seeing a model spaceship and graveyard that our lead scientist is for some reason playing with. They even managed to get Conrad Brooks, who at the time was the last living actor from the original Plan 9 movie. <br />
<br />
Where it sort of leaves Plan 9 and becomes it's own movie, is with the science behind the story, as well as the wonder twins of doom...er the aliens. By giving them a more fleshed out...no pun intended...back story you get where this version is able to stand on it's own. And can I say, I'll forever think of this movie whenever I see baby food or apricot jam again. <br />
<br />
Where as, I've always considered the original Plan 9 to be more a vampire movie than zombie mostly because of the way it was shot, you know this is straight up zombie gore. There's no hiding the intention of the film makers here. I've had to sit through enough zombie genre films in the last few years to know this one is worth checking into. And if you've followed me much at all over the years, you know the zombie genre is still one I'm only lukewarm towards.<br />
<br />
I'm going to bury this one here in the graveyard. I'll be back tomorrow with another treat for your Hallowe'en displeasure.<br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-75689248452423937862019-10-26T19:34:00.002-04:002019-10-26T19:34:22.762-04:0013 Days of Hallowe'en 2019 Day 8<b>Day 8</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">movie</span>: Holiday Hell<br />
starring: Jeffery Combs, Joel Murray<br />
genre: Comedy, Horror<br />
year: 2019<br />
format: TV Edit (Tubi)<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">plo</span>t: 4 short stories about cursed objects/murder weapons told in an occult shop.<br />
<br />
This is done in the same vein as <i>Tales From the Crypt</i>, <i>Are You Afraid of The Dark</i>, <i>RL Stine </i>etc. And I have to say, this was the best thing I've seen so far this week for my Hallowe'en week. I mean, you've got a drunk paranoid husband who slaughters everyone at x-mas, a deranged teenaged serial killer, a golem and a coven of angry witches. And Jeffery Combs. Everything is better when Jeffery Combs is in it!<br />
<br />
The movie starts off with Combs's character about to close his shop for the long weekend, when a customer comes in, and quickly the set up for the first story is given. It centers around a broken mask that had belonged to the teenager who wanted revenge on her classmates. The second story is about a wooden doll that was brought to life by a little boy. The third centers around a santa suit that had been worn the night a jealous husband killed his rivals. And the final story about a fertility cult who raise the dead. That last one also ties up the ending of the film by interacting with the Combs's character.<br />
<br />
I thought this movie was well thought out and the creep factor is there without getting too gory;<br />
although, I felt the first segment is the weakest link. Given the amount of time each piece had, this one takes way too long to set it's pace and actually dive into it's story. The third segment was the most realistic, therefore I remembered the most. An executive who gets his hands on an experimental drug blacks out and goes on a killing spree. Dude, that's down right nerve racking because it could happen.<br />
<br />
I'm going to bury this one here...in the front yard near the pumpkin patch. I'll be back tomorrow with another treat for your Hallowe'en displeasure.<br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3484738378540741735.post-61621044121677552992019-10-25T18:42:00.000-04:002019-10-25T18:42:00.614-04:0013 Days of Hallowe'en 2019 Day 7<b>Day 7</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">movie</span>: Soul Survivors<br />
starring: Eliza Dushku, Luke Wilson<br />
genre: Thriller<br />
year: 2001<br />
format: TV Edit<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">plot</span>; On their first night away at college, a group of friends end up in a car accident. Three of them survive and end up grieving over the death of their fourth. A few days later, one of the survivors begins to have hallucinations and can no longer tell what's real.<br />
<br />
Um...er yeah, I'm not having a lot of luck this season with the movies. This is one that could have been good, but it just manages not to put you to sleep...mostly because of the headache inducing light show you get through out. Seriously, there isn't a lot going on here. You have some stupid teenagers who are all cheating on each other and cause a two car accident, one of them begins to see ghosts and becomes paranoid to the point of confused black outs. You're purposely tossed in circles for the second act of the movie, with the lead character's sanity in constant question. She's seen in and out of the emergency having surgeries on her after the accident, and drifts in and out of consciousness. Which of course is set to make you wonder at this point what's really going on. The "big twist ending" - spoiler alert- is that the lead is still in a coma after the accident and the ones who "survived" are actually the ones who died, but because she's in a coma hovering between life and death, she's the only one who can see their ghosts. Been done to tears.<br />
<br />
We see the lead character being chased more than once by the three people in the second car. I was fully expecting for the ominous looking guy with the scars to have been a grim reaper or something, but sadly he was just the drunk dude from the other car she was paranoid about. I think if they had actually given this film more of a supernatural plot and less of the relationships, it might have been better.<br />
<br />
Okay, I'm going to bury this here in this unmarked grave. I'll be back tomorrow with another treat for your Hallowe'en displeasure.<br />
<br />Domestic and Damnedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03584541111465460996noreply@blogger.com0