February 4, 2015 by gn0mel0ver

It’s The Little Things: The Best Of The Pre-Prepared Meals

My husband’s shifts at work vary. I usually make a meal when he is home about five times a week. There are those nights though when I just don’t want to cook. Either it is just me and the kids and I don’t want to make a huge meal for just the three of us or my kitchen might be clean and I don’t want to mess it up. I can’t be the only one who feels that way about a clean kitchen, right? Please tell me I’m not alone.. Or maybe I am just plain ol’ tired. Whatever the case may be, I have tried many a prepared meal from the grocery store. Here are some that I go to again and again that I felt were worthy enough of sharing:

Raviolis by Rana. I think these are the most authentic tasting Italian items at the grocery store.

I love their lasagna noodles. I use them exclusively for my lasagna. A few months ago I was at the grocery store and a woman was blocking my access to the noodles.

I waited and waited for her to move but she kept studying the packaging.

Finally, I decided to intervene. I assumed she was undecided upon the product.

“They’re really good,” I said.

She looked up at me in surprise.

“Oh! Yes! This is my brother’s company,” she proudly proclaimed. “I didn’t know it was in stores yet.”

We chatted some more and she recommended the pesto product which she used to help sell at the farmer’s market. I am so glad I ran into her because I loved the pesto she recommended and now I purchase it whenever I need it for a recipe.

Isn’t it a small and funny world?

I buy the family ravioli version which is around $8 a package. I add a can of marinara sauce that I have heated on the stove to the drained ravioli. Easy peasy.

Indian food.

Hands down. Feet down. Any old body part you want to throw in right now would be down. Whatever that means. Down is good here. Maya Kaimal’s Indian sauces in a two pack from Costco are the very best preprepared dish I can find. The flavors are so intense and wonderful. I love Indian food and these little containers of curry taste like sauces I would find in a restaurant.

I shred up a rotisserie chicken and add it to the simmering sauce. I also add a half of a stick of butter to it. Because why wouldn’t I? One container serves my whole family of four with no leftovers. I always have these in my refrigerator. I serve them over steamed white rice (perfect white rice is double the water to your amount of rice- I do 2 1/2 cups of rice and 5 cups of water, 2 Tbsp. Butter. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cover with a lid for twenty five minutes. Turn off heat and allow to rest for five minutes before removing lid).

I also serve it with naan bread that I always have in my freezer. And I also chop up some cilantro (another refrigerator staple) and sprinkle it over the top.

My family loves everything about both of these sauces. We cannot decide which flavor is our favorite. They are both amazing. Very spicy but good.

Trader Joe’s Pastas

My family and I actually find Trader Joe’s dry pastas gummy and feel they have an odd off-putting flavor (if I were to guess, I would guess cinnamon). However, their frozen pastas are actually pretty good.

They are not amazing but they are good for a frozen pasta. I am not a fan of frozen pastas with meat in them. I like that these are exclusively noodles and sauce. That is surprisingly hard to find. I buy two and serve them to my children. My daughter likes the marinara version best. My son likes the Alfredo. As for me? I like to mix them.

Of the five brands that I have tried numerous amounts of times, the best pre-packaged spinach is found at Von’s. I know that seems odd, but there it is. The flavor at Von’s is always mild and just fantastic. I use it in my favorite salad at least twice a week.

Foster Farm’s Chicken Tenders

I know. Frozen chicken strips? How original, Jenni. This is more of a comparison recommendation than something that is unique and special. This brand is my family’s favorite. I have tried many brands. In my opinion, these are simply the best. They stay crispy cooked in the oven. The calorie count is not bad compared to fried chicken strips in restaurants. They also make a glutten free version. I serve them with baked potatoes and salad. It does not get easier than that.

Last, these french fries from Trader Joes are amazing. They are oven baked so they are not as bad for you as other fast food fries. I used to grab bags of these from the San Diego Trader Joes because I had never seen them at my local store. The other day, my store had a few bags. I exclaimed to the man stacking them in the freezer section, “Yay! You finally got these fries in!”

He looked at me puzzled and said, “We’ve always carried these. They just sell out.”

So, if you don’t see them at your local store, now you know why. They go quickly!

What are your go-to pre-prepared meals? I am always looking for new ones to try. I was madly in love with Albertson’s frozen manicotti and they discontinued it a few months ago. Do you know any store that sells frozen manicotti with no sauce? Just stuffed shells or noodles? They are more expensive to make than I used to find frozen. Any leads would be very much appreciated. : )

January 29, 2015 by gn0mel0ver

I Read “The Hunger Games,” Now What?

So, you read “The Hunger Games.”

As did we all.

Or say we all.

Or somethin’.

What next? Is there anything else like it? Are there other books that are similar?

Oh.

Yes.

Let’s talk.

I loved “The Hunger Games.” Before The Hunger Games, I had previously read the author Suzanne Collin’s earlier work, The Underland Chronicles. Unfortunately, I barely remember it. I know she killed a lot of the characters and I remember not liking the ending. It was about a world of people who are minature. And they live among giant (to them) rats and cockroaches. I love anything miniature. Um, see the title of my blog. But I did not love this series. I want to discuss books like “The Hunger Games” that I really did enjoy.

But first, I am going to tell ya something embarrassing.

I was at Comic Con last year.

That’s not the embarrassing part.

The very best part about Comic Con are the free books. Every year we come home with about fifty free books. It is fabulous.

Ahem. Jenni. Yous gots to get to the point.

So, I went up to a publisher’s booth and it was being run by a sole girl in her early twenties. It was a booth dedicated to teenage novels. Most of the book booths at Comic Con are manned by the editors for the publishers. Which is cool. And intimidating.

I asked her, “Do you have any free books today?” As one does.

She smiled at me like a cat seeing a canary or a cockroach seeing a human, depending upon which book you are in. In my mind she uncurled from the chair she was sitting in and stretched her arms above her head.

“Su-rrrrrrrre,” she purred. “But first I’m going to ask you a few questions to find you the perfect book.”

“Great!” I said with genuine enthusiasm.

“What type of books do you like?”

My mind went blank. I seriously could not think of a single book. Not one. Not even a genre. I stood there rapidly blinking. My eyes finally landed on a poster for “The Hunger Games” behind the girl’s head. Aha!

“I like the Hunger Games,” I triumphantly declared as I drooled.

I could see her visibly trying not to roll her eyes.

“So you like Dystopian?”

“Um, I’ve never read that book?” I ignorantly replied.

She looked at me and started laughing. “No! It’s not a book! It’s a genre. Like “The Hunger Games.” You know, future apocalyptic science fiction.”

I blushed furiously. In the back of my head… the very, very back… I had somehow known this. But it did not make me feel less dumb or make my husband laugh any less at my answer when I told him the story later that day.

She handed me a dystopian book. Quite honestly, I am not even sure which one. I ran faster from that booth than Katniss from a fireball.

And I quite forgot about that moment… until each time my husband brings it up. It is always when I am reading.

“Whatcha reading?” He’ll innocently ask. But then before I can answer he will insert, “Is it ‘Dystopian’? I’ve heard that is a great book!” Then he will cackle with laughter.

But the truth is, the book I am reading at the time of his question probably is a dystopian novel. I have read many of them. Here are some short reviews of some other enjoyable series similar to “The Hunger Games,” in case you, too, like “Dystopian.”:

The Maze Runner by James Dashner. This series is perhaps closest to “The Hunger Games” in the bleakness of the world and grownups trying to use children for their own purposes. This is my fifteen year old daughter’s second favorite series. I liked it. However, I did not enjoy the ending of this series. It was not awful, but I felt the series quickly changed in terms of plot from book one to book four. In fact, the theme changes so much it almost feels like a completely different series throughout all four books. And definitely a different world.

The books begin with a boy waking up in a world similar to “Lord Of The Flies.” The kids have to survive on a small patch of land while terrors outside of the walls where they live keep them from exploring. The first book is pretty much based upon why the kids are in this isolated spot and how they are going to get out of it. The first book is the best book of the series.

My daughter appreciated that there was not a lot of romance in these books. I missed it. These books were interesting. The first book earns an 8/10 from me. I would give the series as a whole a 6.5/10. I do recommend them, but they just were not my favorite. It was not a smooth ride.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy. This series is currently on book two. I am anxiously awaiting book three. This series is about an alien invasion and attack on humans. We start with the main character, a sixteen year old girl, being completely isolated and alone and not knowing if she is the last human being alive. We follow her around in this post-apocalyptic world as she remembers how she got to the place she is in. All of the while, though, she is unknowingly being hunted.

This series has a lot of romance. It has a lot of violence. Again, we are looking at a group of teenagers trying to save the world. I thought it was very brilliantly written. I would give it an 8/10. Many times I could guess what was going to happen, so that earned the series a less than perfect score from me. And book two had some parts that I felt dragged on. However, I highly recommend these books. There are occurrences of sex, but it is more vague, such as they went to bed kissing and it starts with them waking up the next morning together. Nothing, in my opinion, too graphic for teenagers or even the more mature preteen. Of course, this is coming from the girl who read all of the V.C. Andrews books by the age of fourteen, so take that for what you will.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. This was the latest series I read. This series of three books had so much potential. When I think about it my hands immediately go in front of me and I shake a poor sad invisible soul due to my frustration. It makes me sad to reflect upon some of the plot choices that were made or unused talents that went to waste. The premise of the series is a virus sweeps across America and kills almost all of the children twelve and older. Eighteen year olds are safe, but the younger kids could still get the virus as they age. The children who survive the virus are sent to concentration camps because they develop different powers. The powers are condemned by the adults. There are kids who can start fires. Kids who can affect electronics. And children who can read minds. All in all, the powers are concentrated into five groups. Our main character, Ruby, has one of the powers.

I hastily blew through these books. And I liked them, I did. But, there was a great deal of wasted plot opportunities and too many pages of teenage yearnings that I felt could have been curtailed to take it from a good series into a great one. I would give the series a 7/10. I really liked the ending and that seems to be a hard thing to get right in dystopian fiction.

Inhuman by Kat Falls. A biological apocalypse has happened and it is illegal to travel outside of the city limits. So, you can guess what is about to happen. A teenage girl travels outside of the city limits. Outside of the city zone is called the feral zone, because some humans have turned into different versions of animals due to the biological disaster. The main character gets to witness this biological development first hand as she goes on her journey.

This is my daughter’s favorite book. She begged me to read it. I admit that I thought the premise sounded a bit far-fetched and it did not interest me. However, I read it for my daughter. It is a very easy read. I loved it. Another high mark from me. 8.5/10. I do hope that this series continues. It is only on book one with no release date for book two yet. And with the ending being a cliffhanger, I hope I am not disappointed when the series does continue. I can recommend this book to kids in junior high school and high school. I think it will appeal to most kids (and the kids at heart).

Uglies by Scott Westerfield. This was a good series. If. And I mean IF. IF you pretend it only had three books and not four. Reading the fourth book ruined it for me. It is completely out of context. It does absolutely nothing for the series. This is a book about children who once they reach the age of sixteen must have an operation that will make them “pretty.” Then the pretties all have mindless parties and life is great. Except, what if it wasn’t? Young Tally is fifteen and is on track to having the operation that will take her from an “Ugly” to a “Pretty.” But before her operation, she is suddenly required to track down her friend Shay, who has escaped Utopia and is living with the rebels. It sounds silly and it is. But it is also surprisingly smart. I give the series with books one through three only, a 6.5/10.

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey. This a singular book and not a series. It is in the adult dystopian section, however, I feel it could easily be read by a teenager. I don’t want to write exactly what the book is about because it would ruin the suspense of the first few pages for you. Needless to say it is a very scary and graphic dystopian book. It is told from the point of view of a little girl named Melanie. My husband read this one, too. He liked this book as much as I did. 9/10 from me. It is an enjoyable, smart and easy read. This is an equal parts horror and dystopian book, so keep that in mind when making your selection. Also, due to it being in the adult section, there is a sex scene, so I would not recommend this for preteens.

“The Reckoners” series by Brandon Sanderson. The series starts with the book Steelheart. This author is one of my very favorites. He typically writes adult fantasy, which is the genre that is number one in my heart. In fact, for one of my birthdays, my husband purchased all of his books signed to me directly from the author. That is the epitome of romance to me.

This series is young adult and about the apocalypse and super heroes. Or what I would define as super heroes in a small description of someone with supernatural abilities. It is a fun series. The world is ruled by evil superheroes. Which I guess are more supervillain than superhero. I hate superheroes. I do not know why, but I do not enjoy any of the “Spiderman,” “Batman” or “Superman” themed books or movies. However, I liked this. It is such a different viewpoint to think of. I have not read a series like it. Brandon Sanderson is the best at surprise twists. Even knowing that this is what he is the master of, he still manages to trick me with each book he writes. Every single one, he blows my mind with a plot twist. And it is genius and it is brilliant. Another 9/10 from me. I think it is recommendable for all ages. I was thrilled, when writing this review, to discover the second book in this series, Firefight just came out this month. It looks like it is getting great reviews. I just ordered mine and will be receiving it on Friday. I cannot wait!

Have you read any of these books? Are there any other dystopian books I should read (not “Divergent”)?

This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing from the links in this post will provide a small commission for ~~the search for “Dystopian”~~ this site.

January 12, 2015 by gn0mel0ver

Watching: Housebound

Are you a fan of horror movies? Well, I am not. That is to say, I am not now. However, that was not always the case. I believe all teenagers go through a phase where they cannot get enough of fear inflicted adrenaline. I think it has to do with the fact that their brains are not fully developed and there is a part of the brain tissue that makes one aware of danger and mortality that does not become fully active until the age of nineteen (I played a doctor on t.v. once. Just kidding. I once drank coffee and watched a doctor describe this phenomenon on t.v. once. Which, if you ask me, is exactly the same thing. I wonder which part of my brain has not fully developed yet. don’t answer that).

Does “The Walking Dead” count as horror? Well, of course, you answer. But does it really count as horror when the viewer reads the entire plotline before each episode so that they may cover their eyes or leave the room well in advance of each gory scene? I am not sure. But I do watch “The Walking Dead.” Or at least most of it anyway.

What is my point?

Sorry. I tend to prattle on. My point being that I am a wimp. Being scared is, well, scary. But I watched a horror movie recently that I really enjoyed. In fact, I liked it so much that I made my husband watch it with me again the next day. I liked it so much that I decided to write a post about it.

I liked it. A lot…

My daughter and I were on a date. Don’t let her know that I just called it that. We went out to dinner where I ordered the chicken strips and she ordered the halibut. The person bringing out the food set the plates down wrong. I can’t imagine why.

My husband was at work. My son was at a sleepover (the technical term for a boy slumber party. Don’t ever call a preteen boy’s sleepover a slumber party. It is funny the things you ~~do wrong~~ learn as a mom). My daughter and I decided to lay in my bed and watch a scary movie together when we got home from our dinner.

I was dreading it.

But as I was flipping through the movie choices, I stumbled upon “Housebound.” I looked it up on Rotten Tomatoes where it had a rating of 96%. It is rare for a horror movie to get a rating above a 65% so I was intrigued. We read the reviews and decided to go for it.

I cannot really describe it. If I were to use two words to do so, I would say it was wonderfully absurd. I had read the reviews online calling it a horror/comedy and I could not understand what that meant. But then I watched it and it all became clear.

The synopsis is a young girl (Kylie) in New Zealand with a cruddy attitude who commits a crime and her sentence is having to be under house arrest in her mother Miriam’s home. Kylie quickly learns her mother thinks the house is haunted. And the story goes from there.

Here is why it is different from other horror movies and why it works:

1. Why do they stay in the house? You know how irksome it is screaming at the t.v. when you are watching a horror movie wondering why the heck the people just don’t leave? I mean seriously, who would stay in those houses? Nobody. Not a single sane person. I liked that “Housebound” explains from the get-go why the main character has to stay in the house. It is essentially her prison. It was a different scenario and I appreciated that the writer, Gerard Johnston, (who was also the director) treated the audience with intellectual respect.

2. The main character isn’t an idiot. How many times do we see the heroine in a horror flick be a screaming and whimpering fool? I am not saying that I would not be the same way. But it is annoying. This character is a bada** from the beginning. Kylie has an attitude but it works in a horror movie. You don’t like her but you feel like she is capable. All of the side characters are well executed (pun not intended) as well. They had a genuine depth to them that I was not expecting in a horror movie.

3. Moments. It is just a smart movie. There is a moment about a quarter of the way in to the film that is so unexpected and funny that it is now one of my favorite scenes in a movie. There is cursing and bloody scenes so please be aware that while this is a different twist on a traditional scary movie, it still has those elements. Usually horror flicks are cut and dry with horrible scripts but this has many surprising turns. The dialogue is excellent. Some of the moments are ridiculous. Some are gory. Some are scary. But I admit that I enjoyed the whole thing.

My daughter and I both gave this movie a ten out of ten. It reminded me of the eighties movies that I adored. I also love a dark comedy. I enjoyed both “Zombieland” and “Hot Fuzz” in years prior. Although neither one made me smile enough to write a post about them, like this film did.

Have you seen this movie yet? Had you heard of this movie before? Because I do not typically indulge in the horror genre, I had not even known of this movie’s existence prior to last week. Take the advice of a girl who once ~~played~~ saw a doctor on t.v.: Watch it!

January 8, 2015 by gn0mel0ver

Anthropologie January 2015 Reviews

I was having a bad face day. It’s how it goes, I guess. You know when you either sleep wrong on your face or eat too many salty delicious treats the day before and somehow you wake up and do not recognize the puffy monstrosity that greets you in the mirror? Perhaps one side of your cheek falls more to the right or your eyes are dull and blurry. Hmmmmm. Maybe that’s just me. Either way, I was not in the shape nor the mood for pictures on this day because all of those things seemed to occur at once that morning and no amount of mascara or powder or pushing of my skin could put gnome lover back together again. Groan.

My family and I had traveled to the museum the day of the reviews (hence the weird hand stamp in the pictures below) and spent hours wandering hallways and stairs and corridors reading plaques and looking at bones. My eyes were tired. My soul was weary. But when my husband pronounced that he wouldn’t mind if I ran into the Anthropologie on the way home, I gladly took him up on his offer, bad face day and all. I happened to have a gift card on me and I was itching to get into the store since I had not been in a physical store since October. Gosh, can you believe that?

I ended up buying a sweatercoat (and a tree skirt that for some reason I decided to sling across my shoulders in an upcoming outfit post. The tree skirt is the raddest thing ever. Especially if you like to pretend you are a superhero. And who doesn’t? It is sold out online, but it was showing sold out online when I purchased mine in store so I am sure some stores might still have one. I plan on keeping mine out year round as decoration on my couch when I am not flying around the house).

And before we get to the good stuff, the camera case in the pictures is new after last year’s case finally died in a pool of olive oil. My purse is a cavernous monster of random food products. It did its job and saved my phone in its last moments. RIP pink bunny phone case. Welcome to your worst nightmare, new floral dreamy phone case. I hope you like cheese.

I had to snap a picture of the finished wreath I helped contribute to when I went to make pearblossoms at the holiday workshop a few months prior. I use the word “contribute” loosely as I crumpled about ten pieces of paper and painted them.

I had been eagerly awaiting this Floral Fit and Flare Dress to hit sale so I could scoop it up. However, once I tried it on, I did not feel the same way. I have large arms and the sleeves on this were very tight on me. I am wearing a medium in this picture. Granted, I did gain weight in the last year, but medium is still my size in dresses. I love the pattern of this dress. I love the fit and flare of it. I like the cute patterned underskirt, but I ended up removing this one from my wishlist. I knew I would never feel quite okay with the sleeves.

Liz of With Wonder and Whimsy had previously reviewed this dress and I think it looks better on her than myself. I have also seen girls rocking it on Instagram so I think it is going to be one that needs to be tried on in person.

Let’s get to it. Or rather cut to the chase. What does that even mean anyway? I really need to start looking things up before I go and rattle off different sayings. Where was I? Oh right. Two kids. Two years of nursing. Years of bad bras. I almost relived every moment of those things when I turned around to look at myself in the mirror in this dress. It is very low cut.

I thought it would be okay. A long maxi. Neutral black. Easy peasy.

But, unfortunately The Entrada Maxi Dress wasn’t for me. It accentuated all of the things one does not want to see when one looks at oneself in the mirror. I do not think this is the dress’s fault but rather my lack of love for the gym. I usually stick to bright colors. This dress was a pass for me for many reasons. I am in a medium. I can see the voluptuous woman looking marvelous in this dress. Or even the tall and thin.

Not for the shocked and saggy.

I almost didn’t show this dress (the Marled Swing Dress). As I type this, my evil mind is thinking, then don’t show it. Nobody will ever even know that you took these pictures. You don’t have to show them. Just don’t put this dress review in.

But how could I resist not showing this beautiful picture?

I was very excited to try this dress on. I loved the pattern in the store. It was so different and cool. But the pattern placement when on was not flattering on me. I was so disappointed. It made me look lumpy. This made me grumpy. But it has good reviews online so the right body type will look great in this dress. My body just wasn’t it.

Now we’re talkin’. Oh, I knew I would love The New Moon Tunic Dress the moment I saw it online. But something stopped me from wishlisting it. I think it is that I all ready have so many items in my closet that are so similar to this.

I like everything about it. The easy shape that will flatter a variety of body types. The color. The embroidery. I just don’t need it. Want, yes. Need, no. I sized down to a small in this. It is definitely an item to size down in. Of course, I read online that this might not be the case if you are busty so if that is the case for you, you might want to try this on in the store. Oh! And I did find this dress a bit itchy. Not unbearable but the material is scratchy. So if you are sensitive to such things this might be a problem for you.

I like The Cowled Swing Dress. It is easy. It is comfortable. If it had any other color other than maroon as its border I probably would have wishlisted it.

But it does. And maroon is not my favorite. I am wearing my usual size medium in this dress and I maybe could have sized down to a small because the body of the dress is voluminous. I would not want the arms to be tight, though. Therefore I would probably stick with your usual size unless you have thin arms.

This is a dress you would wear to run errands or grab a quick sandwich with friends. It is pricey for a loungelike piece. I would not ever wear a necklace with a cowlneck. But this would be pretty with some fun wooden earrings. This will be a great dress on so many women.

I had seen this Blanket Cardigan everywhere on Instagram. I am not one of those girls who cares if she is wearing the same thing as someone else. I am not one who cares if a friend and I buy the same thing. Liking something is all that matters. Besides commroderie in clothes is fun. So I could not wait to try this on after I saw it so prettily worn by so many women online.

I did like it when I tried it on. It is a bit bright, even for me. I also own a few pieces in this pattern from discount stores, so I was not in the market for a similar sweater. I am wearing a medium here. This would be great with black. I also think this would be flattering on the more voluptuous with the panel that dips down.

I had seen just one of these peeking out at me on the sales rack at the store. I always avoid the sales rack typically because if I have not wishlisted it before then I do not allow myself to buy it. And since I watch the sales so often it is rare that I need to look at the racks to see if something I am watching hits sale.

I was surprised by this ruffled sweatercoat (previously worn here). I had not noticed it online. My store only had a small and I nervously tried it on. I was so happy and relieved that it fit. Petites will probably be sized out of this if they cannot find it in the petite sizes. However, size XL might fit a higher size than it usually would in this store and that would be awesome. The boiled wool is not scratchy as it has been in years past. It is soft. The ruffles cascade down the front and the shape nips in at the perfect spot on the waist to create a flattering very feminine silhouette. Even though it is in the maroon family, I still liked it. I plan on wearing mine with jeans and my ruffled skirt from 2013.

Have you tried on anything lately? I have not been in the shopping spirit. I just have enough. I think. Well, except for this dress from Free People that makes my heart race but I think would be too tight in the arms for me. I do have Christmas gift cards to spend at Anthropologie and have been scoring some popbacks of things I have wanted for months at great sale prices. I used the other part of the one from my mom (Thank you!) that I used on the ruffled sweatercoat above for a popback of The Tasseled Maxi Dress that I had wanted for a long time. And I used another gift card from my dad and stepmom (Thank you!) for a popback of the Bimini Earrings, Draped Plaid Top and a pair of Freebird Boots (retailed for $295 but popbacked for $60! Woot!). Now I have my sister’s (Thank you!) burning a hole in my pocket. I hope I can get equally amazing deals with it!

Gnome Lover

Stumbling through life while still having fun

reviews

It’s The Little Things: The Best Of The Pre-Prepared Meals

Anthropologie January 2015 Reviews