Christmas Countdown Day #2: Star Wars Gingerbread Destroyer

I almost forgot to post today's Christmas Countdown. I found this really cool gingerbread Star Wars Destroyer and had to post it. I can only image the time and effort that went into building this. Happy Holidays and May the Force be with You!

Picture Source: Star Bakery (Instagram: star_bakery_)

Wellness Wednesday: Eat Berries for a Healthy Heart

Happy Wednesday!

According to research, cardiovascular disease which includes stroke, hypertension and heart attacks is one of the leading cause of death. Which means keeping our hearts healthy is very important. And one thing that may help is by eating more berries which are rich in antioxidants.

According to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health, it reports that eating at least three servings of blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc. per week may result in fewer heart attacks. So when you're looking for a snack, choose berries for that heart health benefit.

Wellness Wednesday: Drink Water

One of the best things we can do to stay healthy is to drink water. But most of us don't drink enough. However, drinking water increases blood flow, improves our body's absorption of nutrients and helps rid toxins. And added bonus is that it keeps our skin looking good as well. Studies recommend we drink at least eight cups of water per day. And besides drinking water, another way to increase our intake is to eat food that contains water such as: apples, grapes, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon, lettuce and celery to name a few.

Being healthy doesn't have to be something overly complicated just a simple act of drinking water can help benefit our bodies and keep us hydrated. And a tip to encourage the reluctant to drink more is to use a colorful glass, mug or reusable water bottle. Maybe seeing your favorite color will help you associate it with drinking more water.

For Heart Health, Eat (or Drink) Beets!

Happy Wednesday or should I say Wellness Wednesday!

Heart disease is the #1 killer of women and is responsible for one in three deaths each year according to the American Heart Association. For comparison, one in 26 women die of breast cancer. For some good news, according to a Kansas State University study, red roots such as beets could help keep our hearts healthy. So, researchers have found that eating two to three medium size beets or drinking 16 oz. of beet juice may increase blood flow to our muscles. Which according to their research can lower high blood pressure and improve mobility in someone with heart failure. And according to research, even if you don't have any heart issues, adding beets to your diet may help prevent future issues.

This is good news but since I don't like eating beets, maybe I'll try drinking the juice instead. So before you play your favorite games, read your book or watch shows or movies, make a snack of sliced beets (or you can find different recipes to try) or pour yourself a glass of beet juice. And enjoy all the heart healthy benefits while enjoying your favorite form of fandom.

Video: Spooky Cocktail by Tia Mowry

Halloween is three days away and whether you're throwing a big party or having a ghoul's night in, here's a spooky cocktail actress Tia Mowry created. So if you're looking for a little drink inspiration maybe give this drink a try. I included the recipe from the video below:

Mix:

- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup vodka
- 3 cans of sparkling water
- 4 cups of tart cherry juice
- create "eyeballs" with lychee and blackberries - add dry ice for a dramatic effect

Please make sure to drink responsibly and don't drink and drive.

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A post shared by TiaMowry (@tiamowry)

Food & Drink: The Republic of Tea: Get Relaxed Tea

I have a question for my fellow tea drinkers, have any ever tried this Get Relaxed tea from The Republic of Tea? I was thinking of trying this but I was wondering if it was good? I was mainly wondering if it taste good?

I already have a relaxing tea that's my tried and true that I love but I was looking to try something else as another option. This definitely cost more than the tea that I usually drink which is why I asking if anyone else has tried it? Maybe I'll get it to see how it is.

The Republic of Tea - Get Relaxed Tea                     36 tea bags                        Retail Price: $13.00

Product Description:

Relaxing Herbal Tea for Relieving Stress - Stressed out and feeling kind of edgy? Join the club. Ours is a fast-paced, demanding world. The good news is this caffeine-free, herbal blend delivers composure in a tea cup - if only you'll take a moment to brew and sip.

The mood-mellowing begins instantly with the calming aromas of lavender and rose petals gently wafting up from the steaming cup. Ahhhh. With each sip of this stress relief tea, a blissful blend of health-promoting organic rooibos laced with nerve-soothing chamomile and passionflower, along with stress reducing eleuthero root that helps you chill out, unbend and unwind.* Simply brew and breathe. Deep.

* This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Video: Chelsea Gilligan's interesting twist for Thanksgiving leftovers

Not sure what to do with your upcoming Thanksgiving leftovers, well actress and model Chelsea Gilligan has some interesting recipes to show us. I think all the recipes: Phyllo Leftover Bites, Autumn Apple Snap Cocktail and the Berry Gallette look absolutely delicious. The only thing I would do is leave out the mashed the potatoes (I really don't like them) in the Phyllo Leftover Bites, I wonder if I could substitute it for rice, either way no more boring leftovers.

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A post shared by Chelsea Gilligan (@chelseagilligan)

Can You Describe Your Wintery Mood?

It may not be officially winter but it's already cold and chilly outside and it's making me think of being warm and cozy wrapped up in fleece blankets. This unofficial winter season has me inspired to be very cozy. I plan on wearing soft cuddly cozy pajamas, relaxing with a face mask while reading a book or watching a movie and drinking a mug of hot tea. It's all about taking it easy and enjoying life.

I plan on baking a lot of cookies and making (or at least attempting to make) homemade vegetable soup. I just love a hearty soup. I also have a recipe for salt-and-vinegar roasted potatoes that I want try. The recipe seems easy, I just need to get the ingredients. I'm already imagining how good this will be.

I guess that's my current wintery mood, warm and cozy.

Williams Sonoma selling The Child's Blue Macarons

If you were interested in the blue macarons The Child was eating (after stealing them) in The Mandalorian season 2 episode The Siege. Well you're in luck. The Star Wars inspired macarons are available at Williams Sonoma for $49.95 for a set of 12 cookies. It's a little pricey but if you're a fan of French cookies and Star Wars then this might be something you might want to get.

I've never eaten a macaron maybe I'll try one at my favorite bakery first before ordering this, to see if I even like them. Does this seem like something you'd order for yourself or as a gift?

Star Wars Nevarro Nummies™ Macarons                       $49.95 (for 12)                                 Williams Sonoma (williams-sonoma.com)

- Shipped frozen or chilled (depending on time of year)
- French-style almond macarons artfully hand-piped with a rich, creamy vanilla filling.

TV Show to Watch: Foodie Love

I love finding new shows (or new to me shows) to watch, I recently found Run on Saturday (which I'm really enjoying) and now I just found Foodie Love. It's an eight episode Spanish drama series that premiered on HBO on July 13th that follows two foodies falling in love (at least I hope so).

The trailer totally captured my attention, from the witty banter to the characters' chemistry to the food, it truly made want to watch this show.


Foodie Love

Starring: Laia Costa, Guillermo Pfening, Édgar Vittorino, Natalia de Molina, Greta Fernández and more

Description:

Foodie Love follows two thirty-somethings after they meet on a foodie mobile dating app. They embark on a gastronomic journey, learning about each other through the mediums of jamón, ramen and fine dining from around the world. Yet while they bond over a shared devotion to Japanese yuzu and a distaste for foodie pretension, their insecurities and doubts fueled by the scars of their previous relationships may prevent them from tasting true love.

Star Wars "Blue Pudding" Recipe

Happy Lazy Sunday!

The next two days are considered Star Wars Days (May the 4th and Revenge of the 5th) and some fans even celebrate Star Wars for the entire month of May. Anyway, I wish I had found this recipe for Star Wars Blue Pudding by Jenn Fujikawa earlier. Because then I could have made it today and had it ready to eat for May the 4th tomorrow. And looking over the recipe, I realize I only have maybe three out of the nine ingredients.

(Star Wars   starwars.com)

The recipe is simple to make, I hope it taste as yummy as it looks. For anyone who doesn't know, the blue is in reference to Luke Skywalker and his Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen Lars drinking blue milk in the movie Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

If you're interested in making Star Wars Blue Pudding here is the link. As soon as I get all the ingredients, I will make this and post how it turned out. This will be fun to make even if I don't have it for either Star Wars Day.

Lazy Sunday: Eat Chocolate

As you're relaxing on this Lazy Sunday, why not eat some chocolate. According to research, this sweet and delicious snack contains the compound phenylethylamine which is a mood-enhancing stimulant. It also boosts our serotonin levels making us feel happy. So while you're enjoying your Lazy Sunday, maybe watching a movie, a TV show or reading a book, why not take a chocolate break.

My absolute favorite is dark chocolate and according to research, it contains more antioxidants and less sugar than milk chocolate. This is good to know since I always keep a bar (or two) in the refrigerator and enjoy having a few pieces daily for a nice treat.

Book Girl Thoughts: Why are Companies Ruining Books in Memes to Promote their Product?

I don't understand this current meme of companies suggesting the use of food if you don't have a bookmark. I've seen quite a few of these ridiculous memes which I posted below from Oreo Cookie, Chex Mix, Vitamin Water, Gushers and Pluckers Wing Bar and I'm sure more will follow. I really don't get the joke of ruining books to promote a product or business especially since there are so many different ways to promote something.

As a bookworm, I think books are wonderful and this type of meme of destroying them for laughs, likes and promotion makes me lose interest in ever wanting to purchase their products.

Nesting: Harry Potter Cookie Cutters

I love baking cookies but I've never made cookies you have to roll out. It's a little scary since I've never done it before. I was thinking of getting this Harry Potter cookie cutter kit mainly because the cookie cutters are so cute especially the Hedwig the owl one. Maybe if I get this, I'll feel motivated to try this cooking making technique and hopefully end up with some really cute Harry Potter cookies.

Harry Potter  Cookie Cutter Set                          $24.95 (sale, regular price $42.50)                    Williams Sonoma (williams-sonoma.com)

Includes:

- 8 stainless steel cookie cutters, 12 icing bags, 4 decorating tips, 1 plastic coupler and 1 storage box

Event: Gilmore Girls Warner Bros. Studio Tour + A Holiday Lunch at Lorelai's

Gilmore Girls' fans, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour which includes sets from The Big Bang Theory to Friends will soon be offering a look through Stars Hollow starting December 22nd to January 6th.

According to the website:

"You will be able to experience a recreated set in Stars Hollow, Connecticut from the popular Gilmore Girls TV show. The original costumes from the show will be on display as well as Lorelai's redecorated house for photo-ops. You can even take a photo in the iconic gazebo!

Save your appetite for a delicious holiday spread and a selection of beverages available for purchase, right in Lorelai’s backyard. ‘Tis the season to Live more. Laugh more. Eat more. Talk more. Gilmore."

I wish I could see this, it seems like it's going to be a cool exhibit but it's not in my plans (or my budget at the moment for trip out to California). However, if any you fans are planning an upcoming trip to California (or already live there) during the time of the Gilmore Girls tour don't forget to go see it.

For anyone interested in taking the tour, it's last between 2 1/2 to 3 hours which includes guided and self-guided sections. The tour will finish at Stage 48: Script to Screen, which is self-guided and allows you to explore the stage and Lorelai’s exterior house set at your leisure. Prices varies so please check the website for more information.

As mention above the Gilmore Girls tour isn't the only thing special, they will be selling a special holiday lunch which will include food such as Oven Roasted Turkey Breast with Cranberry-Shallot Sauce, Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken, Veggie Burgers, Fries, Homestyle Macaroni Salad, Garlic Buttered Corn, Salads and more.

This menu which has some good things on it doesn't seem like something Lorelai and Rory would actually order for themselves because those two ate a lot of fast food and greasy take out. But it does seem like something Sookie or Luke might serve at either the Dragonfly Inn or Luke's Diner.

Fitness Friday: Changing My Unhealthy Snack Habit

There is no substitute for putting in the effort to be healthy. Getting healthy is not something that happens overnight it takes time to change some of our unhealthy habits and one of mine is eating unhealthy snacks. Sometimes during the day, I get a little hungry in between meals and want a snack. But I notice that when I do grab a snack it's something unhealthy like candy, chips or cookies instead of picking something a little more healthier.

So, I decided to make a change and I'm going to stock up on celery sticks, pistachios, oranges, sunflower seeds, pears, cucumbers, apples and other fruit, veggies, seeds and nuts. I'm also going to not buy any candy, chips and cookies for a while to see how I do without them. Changing habits takes time and this is one habit that I'm determine to change because I want to be more conscious of what I'm eating.

Wonder Woman Movie Challenge: Day #49: Dr Pepper 12 Pack Promotional Cans

So far, I still have not seen a lot official Wonder Woman movie merchandise on the shelves. But look at what I found in the pop aisle, Dr Pepper Wonder Woman Movie cans. It retails for $5.49 but I bought it on sale for $3.99 at Target. It's available in four different varieties: Dr Pepper (the one that I have), Dr Pepper Cherry, Diet Dr Pepper and Diet Dr Pepper Cherry.

I'm not much of a pop drinker but I wanted to get this since it was the first official Wonder Woman movie product I have seen in stores. This will be a good souvenir.

Cookies and a Movie: The Bronze

I just finished watching The Bronze, I can't believe I waited this long to watch it especially since I bought the Blu-ray back in August. If you're wondering about the cookies I'm going to be making chocolate chip cookies and I will put them in the oven as soon as I finish writing this.

I decided to watch this movie which was so funny yet heartbreaking at the same time, it stars Melissa Rauch as this horribly self-entitled, foul-mouthed and mean former Olympic gymnast named Hope Ann Greggory. Rauch did a wonderful job with this role because as much as I found Hope to be a total jerk I couldn't help feeling bad for her and not to mention rooting for her to get her life together. Something I couldn't help noticing is that Sebastian Stan really excels at playing these douchebag characters. He has played so many of them that he must have perfected it.

Hope is what would be considered a has been, it's been years since she won her bronze medal but in her small hometown of Amherst, Ohio, she's a rock star. And she takes every chance she gets to milk it for everything it's worth. However, there's a problem, she has no job and her dad Stan (Gary Cole) who loves her dearly is fed up with giving her money. Her father who is nearing the point of retirement from his job as a postal worker, would like her to get a job and to stop stealing money from the mail in his mail truck. Her life is a complete mess yet she's too blinded by her delusions that she's still a star to move on to the next phase of her life.

That next phase would be coaching yet there is no way Hope is going to do that. But when an opportunity comes up for her to train the town's rising star Maggie Townsend (Haley Lu Richardson) is she going to be capable of letting go of the limelight to step up to be the best coach ever?

She didn't take the training seriously at first until Lance Tucker (Sebastian Stan) a former gymnast who is now a coach tried to steal her client away. That was just the incentive she needed to get her motivated to make a star out of Maggie. It's not all about the training, there is a bit of romance for Hope when assistant trainer Ben "Twitchy" Lawfort (Thomas Middleditch) expressed his interest in her. However, a drunken moment with Lance may ruin things between her and Ben.

This movie surprised me because although I was expecting the humor I wasn't expecting it to be so moving. What I like about The Bronze is that Hope is not perfect and she's far from being likeable, she's completely flawed which is not something you always get to see with female characters. Her behavior and actions are of a fading star trying to hold on to an accomplishment earned as a teenager. That one thing has come to define her and in a way she had not grown into being an adult. She is so stuck in that moment that she even wears her USA red, white and blue warm up tracksuit all the time.

I've seen some of the ratings and reviews for this movie and it didn't get as much love as I thought it should. Yes, the humor is crass, the characters are a little wacky and not to mention that there is an hilarious over the top sex scene (by the way this is rated R) but that's the beauty of this movie. It might be wrapped up in raunchy humor but it has a touching story. Overall, this is a story about the transformation of a spoiled former athlete who finally got that much needed reality check but gained a tremendous amount of growth.

Gift Guide: 16 Gifts for Bookaholics

It's officially 30 days before Christmas and I wanted to make it easier on shoppers to find gifts by posting a Gift Guide. Today, I'm starting with gifts that might appeal to book lovers or bookaholics, they are priced from $1.00 to $59.00. I figure one shouldn't have to go over budget to be thoughtful.

As I was putting together this post, I found so many interesting gifts that I may have to do another one in this category.

A to Z Bookends                           $49.00                        Pottery Barn Kids (potterybarnkids.com)

Cookies and a Movie: Just Wright

I figured I would do another Cookies and a Movie it would give me a chance to pull another old DVD off the shelf. The cookies this time are peanut butter chocolate chips. Yes, I made them again. Why not, I had all the ingredients and they're easy to make. And this time, they turned out even better because last time I left them in the oven a little too long.

Now for the movie, I've seen Just Wright quite a few times and it's a really good movie. It's a romantic dramedy that centers around Leslie Wright (Queen Latifah) who despite having an interesting career as a physical therapist and being a vivacious and outgoing person, her love life is a bit stalled. That's mainly because she's seen as a friend instead of as a love interest.

Things were a bit different for her god sister Morgan Alexander (Paula Patton) who has the quintessential looks but is extremely shallow. Her only goal in life is to marry an NBA player and build her own fame and brand through that.

Which leads us to Scott McKnight (Common) who is a point guard for the New Jersey Nets. Despite the fame and fortune, he's a good-natured down to earth guy. Although, Scott first met Leslie during an interesting encounter it was love at first sight when he met Morgan which turned into a whirlwind romance. But when Scott became injured, it made him realize a few things about romance.

I love this movie even though it does include some of the classic romantic dramedy tropes it's still able to feel fresh and unconventional at the same time. This has a great story, interesting characters and love and romance set in the world of professional basketball.

Side Note: I had no idea Wendy & Lisa (formerly of Prince and the Revolution) scored the music. As I mentioned before, I've seen this movie so many times yet I failed to notice that they had anything to do with it.