Foody

Pronounced like Hoody. I've only mentioned food here once. Wait...what? How the --?! I know. You too? Baffled. This morning I had 3 brownie cupcakes, an apple, and some Greek yogurt. I'm feeling better already.

Due to the sudden and massive increase of people I know blogging about food they create and/or consume, I'll mention a recipe of mine that is without a fail, a huge hit. This was introduced to me last year in Atlanta by a wonderful girl named Amy. She had no name for them, I call them Cuddles because that's what Hugs and Kisses are!

Step 1- Gather Materials

Cuddles
Serves 1

1 bag generic mini-pretzels
1 bag Hershey's Hugs
1 "Tear 'n' Share" size bag of M&M's
2 bags of Reese's Pieces
1 set of hands
2 eyes

Ohh, right. Yes, that is a Chipotle bag as well. Oopsies, didn't mean to tease you.

Step 2- Find your treasured copy of Céline Dion's My Love, you know what to do with that...

Step 3- Preheat oven to 210 degrees. On a cookie sheet, spread pretzels out evenly as to not over lay one on another.

Step 4- Warning! This step is the most difficult. Unwrap each Hershey's Hug and place them atop the pretzels.
As you can see, this step takes patience, self-control, and diligence. Unwrapping the Hugs is rather time consuming and with each unveiling of creamy morsel, you have to implement the strongest of will. See those naked pretzels in the corner? I take full responsibility for the lack of Hugs, sorry P's!

Step 5- place the tray into the oven on the middle rack for approximately 7 minutes as to not over-melt the Hugs. They should glisten and slightly widen when you take them out.

Step 6- place 2 Reese's or M&M's on each delicacy while the chocolate is still warm. If you're feeling risky and adventurous, you can place 1 M&M and 1 Reese's on a delicacy. Let cool for 20 minutes IF YOU CAN WAIT and enjoy!


Please note: the M&M Cuddles seem to be more popular which is completely beyond me...

Sleuthin'

Every season I create playlists of the songs that I currently fancy. It's been going on for years and they have ridiculous titles. I will not share these titles with you, however I will share the songs that have gotten a lot of play lately. For those of you who follow me on Twitter (and may have been spammed today, I blame Adam Miller) these titles may be redundant. None of these have made me cry.

Lea Michele (Glee) - Don't Rain On My Parade
Animal Collective - My Girls
Whitney Houston - Queen of the Night (CJ Mackintosh Remix)
Junior Boys - FM
Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind Pt. II
FischerSpooner - In A Modern World
Richard Marx - Hazard (I'm serious)
Florence + The Machine - Dog Days are Over
Jack Penate - Be The One
Lady GaGa - Dance in the Dark
Chelley - Took the Night (Luxury Goods Mix)
Vampire Weekend - Diplomat's Son
Shiny Toy Guns - Le Disko
Sneaky Sound System - It's Not My Problem
Of Montreal - First Time High
Basement Jaxx - My Turn









On the case!

Got the boo hoo hoos?

My good friend Kate Sammon gave me a book called Love is a Mix Tape and the first chapter had me in tears. It has been rumored to occur, but there is a small handful of people who have actually seen me cry. Now, I'm not a very emotionally expressive individual by any standard. I'm good at expressing my opinion, in which some cases can convey having an emotion; like, "The Family Stone was a good movie." Sometimes though- I'm pushed over the edge. The shell cracks, feelings emerge, pigs fly and Hell freezes over. There have been numerous times that a song, for whatever reason, has brought me to tears. I can remember every time it happened, because of course, these moments are rare.

Janet Jackson - Everytime
I think I was 12 when this song came out. I remember my eyes welling up in the backseat of my Step-Mom's car on my way to the YMCA thinking, "What the HELL is wrong with me? Is it pinkeye? Glaucoma? PULL IT TOGETHER CHUBBO!" I asked her to play it again, and continued sniffling.

Mika - Happy Ending
This one was random. Completely random and out of the blue. It was sunset on a Tuesday and I was walking home from work the Summer after I graduated college and this album was THE album of the late Spring. I was walking East on Montrose. Maybe its because I was holding my breath the whole time I was past the graveyard...who knows, but i got a little emo.

MGMT - Kids
"Control yourself- take only what you need from it..."
It was the end credits of "American Teen" and I was put through it.

All-American Rejects - Move Along
Odd choice for tears, I agree. I was driving back from Montana on New Year's Day with my brother and Mother and I realized how peaceful country living was. We had spent the past few days in Bozeman with some of my brother's college freinds and I really enjoyed myself. It was such a relaxed pace and state of mind, it took me a few days to adjust. I made a note to myself on that day (which, I realize now would be a resolution...) to take that mindset with me wherever I go, and to not get caught up in the pettiness of things.

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. - Glass Houses

Rufus Wainwright - Beautiful Child
Best in cars, during road-trips, with the volume very high.

Amadou & Mariam - Salbali
"Avec toi, Cherie, Ma vie est belle."
I credit this song to my best friend, Skoob and my favorite radio station Minneapolis' 89.3 The Current. I was riding my bike home from getting a flat fixed on a warm, sunny day when these lyrics came over. It was so uplifting, she really made you believe her when she said it. And for a moment, I pictured myself having that person, feeling that way, and she was right, it was beautiful.

Seal - Waiting For You (acoustic)
He just sounds so happy! Wouldn't you be?

The Killers - This is Your Life

Groove Armada - Little by Little
Groove Armada is one of my favorite groups of all time. Their range of versatility is so vast, I love them at the gym, in bed with a book, cleaning the house in my underwear, blogging, you get the gist. This song came on shuffle one day and the intro is so climactic it brings you up and up and then sets you off on this journey, little by little.

Shiny Toy Guns - Season of Love
The key, the beat, and the tone, layered with the lyrics describing the hysteria of love and all else that it brings is stunning.

Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack - Dreams on Fire
Can I get some crackers with that CHEESE?

Scala & Kolacny - Someone Now
Break-up song...NEXT!

Charlotte Martin - Redeemed

Dido - Thank You
This one is the most embarrassing. I was home from school in the 10th grade (very common occurrence) and I was sitting in my desk listening to this song on repeat, playing Snood, crying my eyes out. It had just occurred to be that my first ever big crush was indeed not a homosexual and I was devastated. He was also a Senior and I was a mere awkward Sophomore, but a boy's gotta dream, right? And my girlfriend at the time, God bless her, had no idea.