Thursday, April 30, 2009

Oh Catsup Cake

Oh to be a Canadian today...

yes, this is the catsup cake
PRESS RELEASE: ''To commemorate its Canadian centennial and thank Canadians for 100 years of support, Heinz has created The Great Canadian Heinz Ketchup Cake.''
Still don't believe? Here's the recipe:
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) cinnamon
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2 mL) each, nutmeg and ginger
1/2 cup (125 mL) Heinz Tomato Ketchup
1/2 cup (125 mL) water
2 tbsp (30 mL) red food colouring
3/4 cup (175 mL) Butter, softened
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) dark brown sugar, packed
2 Eggs

FROSTING:
6 oz (175 g) solid cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup (175 mL) Butter, softened
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
4 cups (1 L) Icing 'powdered' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease two, 9-inch (23-cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Stir flour, b powder, cinnamon, b soda, nutmeg and ginger in bowl.
Stir ketchup, water and colouring in a separate bowl. Set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar in large bowl til smooth. Add in eggs. Add the flour mix and ketchup mixture. Beat on low, til combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 1 minute.

Bake 30 min, or til centre springs back when touched lightly.

Cool cake 15 min before turning onto rack to cool.

Frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla on medium for 2 min. Gradually beat in the sugar on low, scraping the bowl as needed. Beat on high until fluffy.


Because if there's anything that grows well in Canada its a -tomato-?
*thankfully the frosting is tomato-free.

link in new window: Ketchup Cake.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The Nifty Fifty

No 'Top Chef' tonight? Find fun fare elsewhere...

Food Network's U.S. Burger countdown, state by state

click for Food Network's 50 Burger page
*click* on the image to go to their 'live' map


California's 'In-n-Out' was the only 'chain' I noticed.
Chicago's 'Kuma's Corner' sounds more like Hawaii.
And NY's burger joint? Amazingly, "Burger Joint".

And for my Charm City pals - Baltimore's winner is:
Mother's Fed Hill Grille 'Heart Attack on a Plate'
Is it any good?

Monday, April 27, 2009

Tribeca Film Festival

Wish I could be there, but a new job keeps me from going to NYC. I'll have to live vicariously through some friends who saw this one Saturday... {3 min}
(also Tue 4/28, 4pm - Wed 4/29 & Sat 5/2, 6pm)



This year's Fest includes 24 full-length comedies.
How do you like your laughs? Regular, or Dark?
COMEDY: (20)

City Island - USA, 2009
Easy Virtue - U.K., 2008
The Good Guy - USA, 2009
Guy & Madeline on a Park Bench - US
Here and There - 2009
In the Loop - U.K., 2008
Masquerades - 2008
A Matter of Size - Israel, 2009
Midgets Vs. Mascots - USA, 2008
My Last Five Girlfriends - U.K.
My Life in Ruins - 2009
North - Norway, 2008
Rudo y Cursi - 2008
Serious Moonlight USA
Stay Cool - USA, 2009
The Swimsuit Issue - Sweden, 2008
TiMER - USA, 2009
Vegas: Based on a True Story - USA
Whatever Works - USA, 2009
Wonderful World - USA, 2008

DARK COMEDY: (4)

Black Dynamite - USA, 2008
Don McKay - USA, 2009
Hysterical Psycho - USA, 2009
Original - Denmark, 2008
link: Tribeca Film Festival Guide

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Hot Crispy Buns

Swedish boys do the Crisp Bread Dance...



...and its a recipe for success, yes?


Thanks to Mrs. C. for inspiring me to dig up this English-subtitled version, thus proving Sweden's Got Talent. Or at the very least, 'showmanship'. Here's hoping they bring home the dough. ;-)

Comely Commodes

Now your castle can be complete.

(Their product, and slogan)

'Happy Valentines, Sweetie!...' (ew)


For Halloween?... Okay. Sure.



But a potty (and contents) as an Xmas gift?...

(btw, you can vote here: Hot or Not )

Had to share. Sorry.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Kneed To Pay For Parking

original picture credit to albanpix.com
click for larger Daily Mail image
Welcome to the really 'Short Stay Car Park'... Shrunken 3ft-tall parking machines were installed at a short-stay car park in Sheringham (UK) to make them accessible for the handicapped. Guess what? The wheelchair-bound drivers hate these midget meters too. The Daily Mail article.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Harper's Island

Road-testing this new thriller-mystery series tonight.

Harper's Island, CBS, Thu 10pm
Suppose they named it that because most of these islanders will be getting their harps (& halos) before the show's final scene?... The show's tag-line:

“Harper’s Island: 13 Weeks. 25 Suspects. 1 Killer.”

{2 min}

Kind of like 'Cast Away', but in a whole new way.
Missed it last week, but betcha we're down a few suspects...

Eco Bountiful

*click* to see SHOW DETAILs, and get TICKETSPutting their best Eco Fashion foot forward today.

Wow, until today I'd never heard of it.
Must've been living (and dressing) under a rock...

NYC's Project Earth Day Fashion Show "a unique annual showcase of the most innovative brands in sustainable design"

... "The seeds of the future are encapsulated in the hearts and minds of student designers, and Project Earth Day’s organizers recognize this fact by hosting a student design competition each year. This year’s prizes are eco bountiful and the media coverage will be extensive"...
*click* to enlargeEco Fashion for Earth Day? Just never pictured NY's fashionistas decked out in durable eco gear. Should be unique... especially bearing in mind that this (left) was 2008's Grand Prize winner, complete with eco-earmuffs, excess strapping, and pouch pockets. (click for close-up)

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Lie To Me Today

Giving this new 'Lie To Me' show a test-run.
Jennifer Beals guest-stars as 'Zoe Landau', assistant U.S. attorney and the ex-wife of Dr. Cal (Tim Roth) the world's leading deception expert who studies involuntary body language to discover not only if someone is lying, but why.
Hm. JB is 5'11" in heels, and Roth is 5' 7".
This being American 'heightist' tv, want to bet they won't stand them side-by-side much?



{1 min} 'Lie to Me' airs Wed at 8 pm ET on Fox.
* I'm catching earlier eps on: FOX online TV.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Live Long And Promo

FYI: Even if you don't 'Trek', this site is addictive.

Try Trek Yourself
, it allows you to turn any image into a Star Trek character, and have them (or it) say anything. Click each to see mine in action. Their eyes follow your mouse as they chat - woo.

May I now present 'Spock Betty':(new window)
*click to see it* *You can add 'live' embedded versions on blogs, but beware that they begin to talk as soon as someone opens your page. Thus I used stills - click mine to see. (Cheez-it ad is short)

click to see
My 'VulcAngelina'. *Helpful hint: she's more seamless, and her eyes track better, because I was more careful in the 'center your image' step.

Freud as a Romulan
(quoting Freud, no less)


Tickle Me Elmo 'Captain'.. heh heh..
Saving the best for last?.. You decide.

click to see (each in new windows)

Monday, April 20, 2009

KG Unseen

pic credit: www.birdsinthebelfry.comIs KG apologizing in advance for
'Footage You Weren't Meant To See'?
Bravo Press Release: 'Uncover hidden hilarity from the first 4 seasons of "My Life On The D-List" with an all-new special featuring never-before-seen moments from the series including: her drive-by to wave hello to her fans waiting in line for her show at Madison Square Garden, Team Griffin playing a game "10 Things We Hate About Tom", and the Team receiving massages from burly guys at the Bear Ball. "Kathy Griffin: The Footage You Weren't Meant To See" premieres Mon, Apr 20 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.'
So tonight we're getting unseen yet 'hilarious' clips? Hm. Cross your fingers it'll be fun bloopers vs. scenes that should've stayed deleted.

p.s. UPDATE: Well, tonight's Bravo listing shows 'Top Gun'
So maybe they couldn't find enough 'hilarity' after all?


While we're on a similar subject - Why don't the dramas on DVD ever include 'bloopers' in their extras?

Sunday, April 19, 2009

The Royal Wee

*click* to go to 'The Sun'
Sun headline: 'Prince Charles admires pair of boobies'

Reason #1 why I read 'The Sun': the photos.
Reason #2, the articles -
'The Royal Wee':
A pub landlady is auctioning off a toilet seat from her bar — after the Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla) popped in to use her loo.
Pint-puller Chris Azerkane is hoping the throne seat will raise a bog profit from Royal fanatics after placing it on eBay.

Chris, 52, said she was busy washing up in the kitchen of the 'Hare and Hounds' in Framfield, East Sussex, when her noble guest arrived to pay a visit... “The first I knew about it was when a load of posh cars started turning up in our car park...

Camilla: ''Hello, we’ve just come down from Gloucester do you think I could use your loo?''
And 'Yes' the link does include a pic of the toilet seat.
UPDATE: the eBay bids are up to 67 pounds.