Hunger Games: The Rise of a TV Star

My husband and I decided to finally find out what the Hunger Games was about last Sunday.  My coworker said she loved the books, my sister said the movie stayed true to the novel.  So despite hearing a lot of movie reviews saying they were not impressed by the movie, I wanted to watch it.

Contrary to popular belief, I liked the movie.  In an oppressed society, young people do what they have to for survival.  Katniss breaks the law to hunt so her family would not go hungry, she develops survival skills while doing so.  When her younger and more vulnerable sister gets picked to represent her district in a game where only one person comes out alive, she volunteers to take her place.  She blossoms from an awkward introvert to a TV star during the course of the games.

That red dress that was literally on fire - now that's what I call a crowd-please-r.  Is it a love story or a story of innocence lost?  Did she fall in love with her male counterpart or was she doing it to please the audience?  Did she not have feelings for her fellow hunter who she asked to care for her family while she was away?  Will what happened in this movie bring about another revolution as the oppressed realize that they've had enough?

By my questions, I am sure you have guessed by now that I have not read the books, but leaving the movie theater that night I wanted to know what happened next.  And I think that feeling right there is a sign of a great movie with anticipated sequels.

If you're still in doubt, go out and watch the movie for yourself.  I promise you, you will not be wasting your money on this film.  Happy weekend, my friends!

From the Apothecary to Instagram for Android

I felt like such a slow learner when I finally discovered how to use Instagram for Android, but this photo was so worth it, don't you think?  After downloading it, I activated the camera settings and kept trying to go to my phone's default camera to see if the settings applied there.  A week after I downloaded the app, I accidentally pushed the camera icon (that was already highlighted) and voila!  Now if I can only figure out how to stop my camera from making that loud robotic sound when I adjust my focus, I'll be completely happy with this app.

Now back to the subject of my mobile photography.  While walking across South Coast Plaza mall, we passed by this shop that had a lotion tester at one side of its entryway.

My husband practices massage so he is always on the look out for products he can use to make his sessions better.  He tried the Creme de Corps lotion and made me promise to come back to purchase it.  When we wandered into the pharmacy, I was immediately struck by how stark and mostly white their product packaging was.  Then a friendly sales associate came up to us and explained their new program to encourage people to bring back the empty containers of the products we purchased so they can recycle them.  Now it makes sense, the containers were mostly all the same, just with different labels so that it would be easier to recycle.  I applaud the effort they are making to reduce plastic waste so I will never again complain about their product packaging.  It's better to be environmentally friendly than be pretty on the outside.

I bought this maximum strength hand salve because my hands tend to be dry to the point of the skin being red and painful.  I applied it once yesterday and my hands stayed smooth and soft all day.  I did some hand laundry and dish-washing before I applied it on today and I feel like it has coated my hands with a moisture glove.  It feels really nice!

Their very knowledgeable sales associate assured us that they don't use animal products.  The Squalane (note the spelling difference from Squalene that comes from sharks) they use is from olive oil, which helps their products get absorbed by the skin easily.  The lotions are hypoallergenic and at one point the formulation was used to treat radiation victims as commissioned by the US government.

The romantic (and maybe a little of the chemical engineer) in me loved that 160 years ago Kiehl's Pharmacy started as an old-world apothecary in New York.  Don't you think the term apothecary evokes magic spells and potions too?  I'm glad I was able to get to know this shop and I hope to be able to try and purchase more products that will help my skin.

Established, earth-friendly and carrying an excellent product line - I will definitely be a returning customer and will be happy to recommend Kiehl's Pharmacy in South Coast Plaza to all my friends.

The Better Ice Cream Maker

Two summers ago I bought a Cuisinart ice cream maker and excitedly looked for fruit-based ice cream recipes to make all summer.  I tried several recipes, but they always ended up being too watery.  My end products didn't firm up the way I wanted to.

I gave up on the ice cream maker after a few tries, but when I saw the ice cream maker attachment for my stand mixer I got excited all over again.  My stand mixer would be a natural ice cream maker - you churn ice cream, my stand mixer is good at mixing aka churning (yes, it was the a-ha moment).

This morning I got a chance to prove my theory.  When I put the bowl in my freezer I couldn't help but notice how much thicker and heavier it was than my Cuisinart.  After at least 15 hours, the bowl was completely frozen.  I made green tea ice cream this morning, non-watery green tea ice cream.  I got the consistency I wanted, my batter solidified like the ice cream sold in supermarkets.  The only difference is I made the flavor I wanted and it tasted the way I like my green tea and I didn't use any preservatives or chemicals that I don't want in my body.

My husband got so excited, he immediately rinsed the ice cream maker attachment and returned it to the freezer.  He even packed the remaining green tea ice cream for me!  He said he was going to make mango ice cream next and then coconut ice cream and then...  Well, you get the picture.

If you are as much of an ice cream enthusiast as my husband and I are - and you're looking for an ice cream maker - get a stand mixer and the ice cream maker attachment.  It's guaranteed to give you the consistency of great ice cream - no more wimpy, watery summer experiments.  Get the right tools for your passion!  Put your money on quality equipment, get a Kitchen Aid stand mixer ice cream maker attachment.