Sunday-Go-Round

This morning dawned a little cooler and a bit more gray.  Guess our warm snap is ending, but not unexpectedly given that it is still February.

It sure was nice while it lasted, though.

Thought we could do with a few interesting links here, there and everywhere for your perusal:

-- Last night, we watched The Kids Are All Right. Good movie, although much less of a comedy than they had slotted it for marketing purposes -- more of a human drama with comic moments interspersed. But still, worth a watch, if only for the superb acting of Annette Bening and Julianne Moore throughout because both were amazing.

-- The movie watching was a sort of "date night" for Mr. ReddHedd and I.  We've had really bad luck finding anyone who can consistently babysit, so we often don't get a chance to watch a grown-up movie until months after it is out of theaters and on to pay-per-view on our cable.  Except for the moments when the dogs want to sit in the middle, it's kind of nice to have an "at home theater" moment, especially if you want a glass of wine or some other not usually stocked at the local movies kind of snack.  (Plus the only other people who get a thrill when you are making out are the neighbors, and only if they are peeking in your windows, right?)  Just wanted to take a moment to recommend a date night for yourself -- even if it is only you, a nice assortment of cheeses, crackers, grapes and a bottle of good chenin blanc, you deserve it.

-- For a solo movie-watching night, I can personally recommend the movies I've watched thus far in The Romance Collection. I picked up a copy of this recently with my tiny-but-large-enough-for-this blog earnings, and it is marvelous: the Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, plus Emma, Jane Eyre, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and several others.  Boo yah!

-- Speaking of Julianne Moore, this color is gorgeous on her.  Love, love, love it.

-- Is it wrong of me to covet this carved wooden t-rex?


-- Via Marion Nestle, I found this great idea from the Center For Science in the Public Interest:  making the healthiest choices the default choices for kids meals at places like McDonalds or Burger King.  We already ask for the apples and the white milk, because The Peanut hates french fries and won't drink soda pop (I know!!!), the few times we actually get a drive-thru meal.  But having them be the default would be a wonderful change for a whole lotta kids, wouldn't it?

-- Cooking Light started a new initiative they are calling "The Twelve," about the 12 healthy habits you ought to acquire.  Some interesting information, tips, and recipes on their blog that are worth a little perusal.

-- Cooking Light also has a feature on their 17 best freezeable recipes.  When I was working full time, I used to take full advantage of their great recipes so we had meals I could just pull out of the freezer and pop in the oven or microwave on nights when I was too exhausted to cook a full, healthy meal or just plain too late to get one done in time even if I had the energy.  This can be a lifesaver when your schedule is crazy.

-- But they missed my favorite one of theirs:  Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells With Smoky Marinara.  I made several pans of these and froze them at the end of my pregnancy with The Peanut, and we feasted on them for the first few months along with several other recipes, but the shells are one that I still make and love.  They are amazing.

-- Oh Sting, why must you taunt me with your hotness?  Today's Sting quote of the day struck me as something profoundly on the mark for me at the moment:

"People want to keep you in the box they've given you. It's a tribal consciousness. Stay in your class. Stay in your country. Because if you move you're trouble. But the fact is, that volatile molecule is the one that transforms everything for the better. So I think it's always worth doing."

And yes, I do know that checking out the Sting quote of the day is a little fangirl-ish, but I was honestly just checking for any concert information and stumbled across the quote. No really, I swear.

-- Did I mention that the Kripalu folks have some great recipes on their website?   This baked oatmeal recipe in particular looks nummy.

What's catching your eye lately?

(Photo via tonrulkens.  This is an Iolaus butterfly resting on the pink Jatropha hybrid (Jatropha curcas x integerrima), taken in Mozambique.  Isn't it lovely?)