My Thanksgiving Menu 2010

I have yet to attempt a huge Thanksgiving Dinner with the family and instead I like to cook for just 1 or 2 people, usually just the boyfriend of course! But we have a nice time relaxing and cooking all day. Here is the menu I have decided upon for Thxgiving 2010:

~ Apps ~

Shrimp Dip recipe (From Family Circle, recipe not available on web site)

Chips + Dip (a simple bu

t classic app, we usually never have chips let alone dip so it's a treat)

Cocktail Weenies!

~ Veggies / Fruit ~

Brussels Sprouts with haricort verts and Bacon (Recipe from Family Circle ====> here)

Mustard + Cranberry Relish (From last year's Bon Appetit; Sean and I really liked this dish so we're doing it again. You can find the recipe ====> here)

~ Starch ~

Sean's roasted garlic mashed potatoes (a tried and true recipe for amazing potatoes!)

~ Bread ~

Grand's layers

Stovetop Stuffing

(both require little preparation leaving me more time for the...)

~ Turkey ~

8-12 lb fresh turkey from Fair Food Farmstand, courtesy of Koch Farms in Tamaqua - Sean will be picking up our turkey the day before Thanksgiving. I am going to be using a combination of Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe and a herbed butter coating for the outside which I adapated from a recipe my sister Shacky shared with me. I've made this same turkey the past 2 Thanksgivings and really have no desire to change it. Basically b/c it's really really tasty!

~ Dessert ~

Turtle Pumpkin Pie (from the Kraft.com website - my friend Dan Berger recommended this non-bake / non-mechanical blender recipe which you can find ====> here

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The dessert, veggies, and shrimp dip are new recipes but making the dessert and shrimp dip the night before means I can concentrate on the turkey and brussels sprouts on the "Big Day," while also leisurely making the cranberry relish and letting Sean concentrate on the mashed potatoes. I want a low stress day whilst simultaneously preparing a mini-feast for the 2 of us. We will have THE ICE STORM on at some point during the day as it's one of my personal traditions. Can you tell I'm excited?

Yelp Review - Friday Saturday Sunday

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Mary B.

Pop Culture + Comic Book Blogger, Foodie, Phillies fan

Philadelphia, PA

11/7/2010

I just took my girlfriend here for her birthday this past Saturday and I must say it was a great dining experience. I made reservations a few days before and took it as a good sign that the only times available were 5:30 + 9:30 pm. We opted for the former and were the first to arrive when they opened.

I loved the seating they provided to us; we were in a nice little nook in the back on a catercorner bench. The low lighting and ambiance was just spot-on. It seems like a great place for couples, very romantic.

I did not peruse the menu online beforehand per my usual M.O., but I did read some reviews right here on Yelp. I had the mushroom soup b/c I read so many reviews that recommended it. I am not usually a mushroom soup person but this was pretty good. I really loved my entrée which was the crab cakes. My friend got the Chicken Dijon, the small plates portion which turned out to be the perfect size for a no leftovers dinner. I tried her chicken and was blown away by the taste but my crab cakes with the spicy remolaude was just as good.

The check was on the pricey side but I would consider it well worth it for the overall package. Friday Saturday Sunday will be added to my list of "special occasion" restaurants alongside Butcher + Singer and Bistrot La Minette.

Yelp Review - Quince Fine Foods

I am going to try something new and start posting my Yelp reviews as I write them. My blossoming food obsession over the past few years has been sharing more and more of my time with my (still) healthy pop culture interest. Hope you enjoy :

QUINCE FINE FOODS - 209 W Girard Ave

Philadelphia, PA 19123

(215) 232-3425

www.quincefinefoods.com

Link to your review Edit your review Add to list

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Mary B.

Pop Culture + Comic Book Blogger, Foodie, Phillies fan

Philadelphia, PA

11/4/2010

I wish I knew about this place sooner but glad we found it only a few months into moving back to Philly. We were in search of soup and didn't want to drive over to Center City for DiBruno Bros so the Yelp search app suggested this place, right near our apt to boot! The owner was super nice, we got the 7 Herbed Chicken soup which comes with a roll. The selection of cheeses was so tempting, believe me when I say it is good to know that Cambozola is available only a few blocks from my house!

The soup was absolutely lovely and made it much easier to watch NO RESERVATIONS that evening; I felt like the food I was eating was better than the food Bourdain was touting on his show!

I will be happy to support this small shop in the future and if you're in the No-Libs / Girard area then you should too !

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~Till Next Time Kittlings!

Zombie TV ... They've Got Their Visions Again Like It's Oxygen

Zombie’s all up in your TV grill !

Tis the season … for the living dead. Let me hip you to a couple great series that you should be checking out NOW or soon.

DEAD SET (IFC) – This British import premiered Monday at Midnight on IFC and runs consecutively at the Witching Hour (12am) all this week. The concept of this show combines your typical Zombie flick (outbreak, widespread panic and carnage...zombie and human alike) with that of the typical reality show -- in this case a fictional BIG BROTHER. As the outside world is literally consumed by the undead, Kelly, a behind the scenes grunt on the show, survives long enough to make her way into the compound that houses the set and keeps the cast safe. They are unaware of the outside chaos but soon enough have to make tough decisions to outlast the zombies waiting just outside their gates.

This show is only 5 episodes (about 3 hours) so the pacing is on par with a movie rather than a TV show. But it is also shot wonderfully and the effects hold up. There are some cameos that only British Big Brother / sketch comedy watchers may realize (Bubble or Big Train anyone?) but nevertheless this is a great series worth checking out ! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that IFC shows this more than just this week !

THE WALKING DEAD (AMC) - This series premieres on Halloween at 10pm which does sound creepy enough but I hope they replay this bad boy because I know plenty of people that treat the 'ween like a major holiday and will no doubt be out partying. Set your Tivo kittlings ! I was blown away by the 1st episode, while it may share a common theme (ZOMBIES DUH!) with DEAD SET this series is in for the long haul. Based on the critically (and fanboy) acclaimed comic book by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard, THE WALKING DEAD is not set at a breakneck pace but instead balances the gore with a focus on human relationships and emotions. The main character is police officer Rick Grimes, whom enters a 28 DAYS LATER-like coma after being shot, only to awake to find the world in utter decay and disarray due to the zombie apocalypse. He is able to escape from the hospital and make his way back to the home he shared with his wife and son only to find it long since abandoned. Rick finds other humans along the way and learns that Atlanta was declared a safe haven before the world entered radio silence. Rick decides to make his way to Hot-lanta believing his family has fled there ... only to discover it's not so safe as he was lead to believe.

THE WALKING DEAD shares some similarities with DEAD SET apart from the obvious zombie-stricken plot. Neither series is driven by actors that you will readily recognize. Both series have decent effects, although I am sure that DEAD SET relied less on CGI and more on shaky-cam (but both work nevertheless). They also both have a main character that is dealing with some sort of family / relationship issue although I enjoy the fact that each shows character is on the opposite side of the spectrum when it comes to said relationship.

But from what I've seen of THE WALKING DEAD, this is where the similarities end. THE WALKING DEAD is planned as an ongoing series. Where DEAD SET is set at breakneck pace and contains mostly action, THE WALKING DEAD is really focused on the people whom have survived and the relationships they have both sacrificed and fought to keep alive. The scope of the outbreak is not really defined in DEAD SET, there just simply isn't the time allotted to do so. More background is provided with THE WALKING DEAD; we don't necessarily know the cause of the zombies but the fact that the outbreak is widespread and the symptoms / causes are outlined gives me more of a ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE / WORLD WAR Z feeling. There is a vastness and sense of endless possibilities that THE WALKING DEAD provides that DEAD SET does not.

Don't get me wrong, to miss either of these offerings is a travesty for any zombie lover, it simply proves that not every zombie tale is alike. You will not be disappointed in either show! Viva La Zombie ! < === bit of an oxymoron eh? =============================== Finally, because Halloween is an aforementioned major holiday for me, let me take you back to 1986 and a personal favorite of both mine and my sister Shacky. The movie: THE WORST WITCH starring Fairuza Balk (THE CRAFT) and Tim Curry (ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW). The song: "Anything can happen on Halloween" sung by Tim Curry with amazing effects provided by Brian Harris and Tom McKerrow. Uh...I don't know who they are either but trust me, these effects are "special!". Feast your eyes on this...and I wish you a very Haunted Halloween!

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~Till Next Time Kittlings !

Recent reviews by Mary B.

What's this?

SECRET PROJECT #11 - Thirty Thousand Feet w/Michael Woods + David Miller

Welcome to the last SECRET PROJECT interview as THIRTY THOUSAND FEET is the final story in our anthology. It's been a long hard road but we have produced (what I think to be) an amazing collection of stories from some of the most talented message boardies I've even known! Many thanks to Mike Oeming and his Jinxworld forum for bringing us all together.

My final interview is with Michael Woods (writer of SP#11 in addition to being an editor I really look up to!) and David Miller, artist of THIRTY THOUSAND FEET. Please enjoy !

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Mary E. Brickthrower: How long have you been reading comics?

David Miller: Well the first comics I read were Disney's The Fox and The Hound. 3 of them came in a pack and I was around 6 or 7 years old. I'm not sure I them more than looked at them. I was heavily into X-men, Spawn, Cerebus and Madman through highschool. Lately I read the spectrum of comics, there's so many good ones. I'm always there for Walking Dead, 100 Bullets and DMZ.

Michael Woods: Since I was old enough to walk down to the corner 7-11 on my own. Mostly war comics like The Nam and Semper Fi and that was probably because my father was in the Army reserves when I was a kid. I looked up to him quite a bit and still do, truth be told.

MEB: When did you decide to become an artist?

DM: I've always been drawing stuff ever since I can remember. Always been the artist kid in class. I had never considered to persue comics until Herbe Trimpe came to school in the 6th grade to lecture. On an overhead projector he showed us some of the published Hulk and GI Joe pages he'd done. Then he drew some faces of Hulk, Wolverine and Thor. It was a good day. Later my father send me to "college for Kids" with Paul Abrams teaching the ropes of comics. More good times.

MEB: What about you Michael? When did you decide to work in comics?

MW: I think it was in high school that I made the conscious decision to be a writer. Before that and as far back as I can remember, I'd been making up stories when playing with my toys and while drawing whatever bit of crazy I could imagine. It's just a part of who I am, I guess.

MEB: How did you become involved with SECRET PROJECT?

DM: First time I've heard I was a part of it! But I guess Mike's been hard at work behind the scenes- Good to know. I met Mike on the Digital Webbing forum talent search. Thirty Thousand Feet was an eight pager we did some time back. That led us to one of the stories in his OUTLAW TERRITORY anthology GUTSHOT. It was a descriptive script with dialogue that was still being written. I look foreward to see how it turned out.

MW: Who can remember? I was probably drunk at the time.

MEB: What else are you working on right now?

DM: About five things that I can think of in the works right now:

WICKED is written by Orlando Harding about an Angel and a Demon having Apple Martini's and sharing stories. They're jobs come face to face at the end of the book. It'll be around 70 pages. I'm on 48 now. The colors that Paul Little are doing are amazeing!

MONARCHY is written by Mandy McMurry with digital paints by the artist Oracle. I got the script the other day and I've thumbed out 10 pages. It's still really early - probably to even mention. But I like how the story is unfolding and I always enjoy Mandy's work. She's goooooood.

CARBIDE SOFTWARE will be luanching soon started by a friend since childhood. It's a new company that makes game apps for the BlackBerry. I've supplied the art for 2 games. One is in the can and the other I'm halfway through. I make the art and he codes the game. He's insane good at this stuff and I'm very excited to see how people react to them.

DINNER I will be eating and digesting in the very near future. Chinese home delivery - my favorite.

MW: Well, Outlaw Territory volume two is finally ready for solicitation. I also have a graphic novel on the way called Bruised Peach (Image) with artist Dan Duncan. I also have a story going up on Act-I-Vate soon with artist Eduardo Mederos and next year will see a new book I'm working on with Tim Kane that should be pretty awesome.

I probably forgot something, but chances are people stopped listening to me after question #2.

MEB: Thanks so much guys!!

(From Top: Photo 1 : David Miller, Photo 2: Art from Thirty Thousand Feet, Photo 3: Michael Woods)

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~Till Next Time Kittlings!

SECRET PROJECT #10 - FLAG OF TEARS w/Rob Reilly + Jeff Brown

We're in the homestretch of SECRET PROJECT and what a ride it's been. This week we're focusing on the creators of FLAG OF TEARS, and they just happen to be 2 of my closest friends. I interview Jeff Brown and Rob Reilly about their past and present. Enjoy!

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Mary E. Brickthrower: How long have you been reading comics?

Jeff Brown: I have been reading comics since I was about 7, I jumped onboard with the typical Marvel and DC books. When I was 14 I found more indie books, like SCUD The Disposable Assassin, Love and Rockets, and Mad Man. During the 90’s I left after all the sagas and variant covers, I was brought back to comics by a book by a good friend (Mike Oeming) called Bastard Samurai, which led to Powers, Ultimate Spider–Man and now I will read just about anything that comes out.

Rob Reilly: When I was a kid (age 5-10 years old), I never really “read” comics. I mostly looked at the pictures. I’m a visual person first and foremost. My dad had stacks of old DC Comics from when he was a kid, so that’s how I got introduce to them. There were a few years where I didn’t read, look at or collect comics and then when I was 13 or 14 I really started reading comics, mostly anything Todd McFarlane and have continued since then expanding my tastes from small press, independent creator owned to a few of the major company titles. Which has been a great inspiration for me, other people’s work makes me want to create more and work harder.

MEB: When did you decide to become a writer?

JB: I think it just happened, I was six and can remember creating stories and movies with the action figures I got as gifts. I would recreate things I saw on TV then I quickly started making my own story lines and eventual crossing heroes and villains over just because I thought it was cool. I also was teaching myself how to draw so that helped me visualize what I wanted to do. While I grew up the art took a side step, my parents were incredibly supportive of my art career, though high school is where I caught the writing and directing bug. The knowing that I created and crafted something was so much more appealing at that time. I have not stopped writing or creating since. I was very thankful to meet an incredible group of people thanks to exploring my creative side. So it’s worked out.

MEB: What about you Rob? When did you decide that you wanted to be an artist?

RR: I knew that I wanted to be a cartoonist since I was 5 years old, in my mind there was no greater profession. At that time (and currently) I was a huge animation nut. I loved watching the old WB cartoons from the 40’s and 50’s as well as the Disney catalogue. I suppose that I really didn’t narrow my career choice until I started college. I felt that I would never have the patience to be an animator and comics would be a faster and more convenient way to get my voice/work out there.

MEB: How did you become involved with SECRET PROJECT?

JB: It’s weird. I went to the jinxworld forums and tried to make myself known of the Bendis board, but found that to be a bit too...not overwhelming, but crowded we'll say. Then I found the Oeming board and started "the big bad Oeming Q&A" thread, which was my way of getting to know Mike, and by proxy everyone else on the board. Later on once we became really comfortable and met pretty much everyone face to face, we started joking about everyone having a secret project, and once we decided to do this project I hopped on board. I will say that I did not have an artist at the start, but I could not be more grateful and thankful to Mary, Sean and Rob. Rob was a great guy to work with and I felt we both knew where we wanted the story to go, and this story wouldn’t be here without his incredible talents.

RR: I remember that this was discussed for sometime on the Jinxworld forum. At first, I really had no interest since previous attempts were made and I had spent time on pages that never saw the light of day. So I waited to make sure that this was a serious venture and once it was clear that this was and you guys still needed an extra story, I was on board.

MEB: What else are you guys working on right now?

JB: Right now I am the co creator of Dorkshelf.com, where I am the comic content editor, podcast host, cameraman, and host with my friend Will. We are growing the site with a voice for all things dorky in Toronto or with the Toronto twist. I have also completed the follow up to Flag of Tears, and have several other script projects for comics and television/ film looking for homes. Dorkshelf.com is my primary focus these days so come by and comment and let us know what ya think.

RR: I recently finished a short story for the Shrek Prequel published through Ape Entertainment. Currently I am awaiting approval for a new Dreamworks Animation property that will be work comic book format and illustrating another Shrek short for an upcoming issue.

In addition, I have been working on a new creator-owned mini series with my friend Steve Walters. We have about 1 1/2 issues in the can and are looking for a publisher.

Lastly, in the upcoming fall, I will have an original graphic novel released through Ape Entertainment that I had complete a year or so ago, titled “Planet Zoo”. Be sure to keep a weather eye on that book and order it like crazy!

You can see more of my work by visiting www.skatoonproductions.blogspot.com

MEB: Thanks guys!

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