Ben Affleck as Batman, NO THANK YOU!

A rant by guest blogger & long distance BFF, Angela Lyles.

Who was the genius that cleared Ben Affleck as Batman?!?!? BEN AFFLECK is the guy who has a Batcave and sweet Bat-gadgets and he's going around punishing the criminal underbelly of Gotham???? I THINK NOT! Looking good in a suit and a strong chin are not the only requirements to be Batman!! Have studios forgotten the debacle that is Daredevil? Affleck couldn't pull off this lesser known superhero (I mean literally no one knew who he was and had zero expectations) so how in the world does WB think he can take on the best known superhero role?! 

I know that Argo was supposedly the best movie of last year, but was it enough to make me go, "that guy should be Batman!" NO! Just because Affleck pulled off that sweet 70's hair style does not mean he can pull of the iconic cowl. Yes Affleck excels at brooding but you have to be tortured to think, "I know what will make me feel better! Putting on a skin tight suit and cowl based loosely on the appearance of a bat and go fight criminals to avenge my parents brutal murder!" and Affleck can NOT pull that off. 

Honestly I can't even see Affleck portraying Bruce Wayne, if you can't be Bruce how can you be Batman? Sure Affleck can look GQ in a suit, but millionaire genius in a suit?? I'm not saying Ben is dumb I'm just saying I don't buy him running multimillion dollar corporations. Plus you are up against RDJ's portrayal of the Marvelverse's version of Batman. He loses big time in that comparison. Affleck has always excelled in roles were he can draw on his actual blue collar Boston background (Good Will Hunting, The Town), stick with those roles please. 

I know every little boy dreams of being a superhero and Affleck had his chance with Daredevil. You jumped the shark!! You had your chance now let it go!! Please do not ruin Batman for a whole generation after we have just gotten him back (thank you so much Nolan and Bale!). My only hope is that the WB or Affleck see the massive outcry and rescind this decision IMMEDIATELY!! Please restore my faith WB!! I fear if this doesn't happen we will quickly live in a world where Megan Fox will play Wonder Woman...please God make it stop before utter madness reigns!!!

Books, Baking & More!

    

Outlander Series headed to TV in 2014!!!

Yes, you read that right!  Outlander will be coming to STARZ in 2014!!  I don't know about you, but I am SUPER excited for this show!  I absolutely love these books.  Part historical fiction, part science fiction, part romance/love story, and the time travel!  What's not to love?!  

Now the moment you've all been waiting for; meet Sam Heughan who will be bringing Jamie Fraser to life.  And yes, he is really Scottish!

Sam Heughan

"That man is a Scot to the bone and Jamie Fraser to the heart...having seen Same Heughan not just act, but be Jamie. I feel immensely grateful to the production team for their painstaking attention to the soul of the story and the characters." said author Diana Gabaldon. My fingers are crossed that they make his hair longer & red! Getting Diana's casting approval is the cherry on top of my sundae! I haven't read any news yet as to who will be Claire, but naturally I have my own idea for who should play her.

Jesscia Raine in Call the Midwife

This is Jessica Raine.  I discovered her on Call the Midwife a few months ago.  The minute I saw her, I knew she'd be the perfect Claire.  This was before we knew there'd definitely be a show too.  I'm always doing that with fictional characters though.  Playing casting director is one of my favorite parts of reading.  The image I've had for Claire the past couple of years hasn't been a real person, but a fan art piece I found while surfing the net.  

The above image has been more than sufficient to help me picture Claire.  And kudos to the artist.  Absolutely fantastic!  So if the casting people at STARZ happen upon my blog, please PLEASE give Jessica a call & see if she's free.  

Tobias Menzies

And last but not least, the villain!  Tobias Menzies has been cast as Frank/Black Jack Randall.  Other than Gaston from the animated version of Beauty & the Beast, I never really imagined anyone as Frank.  But Tobias looks perfect for the role.

    

12th Doctor Revealed!!

12th Doctor: Peter Capaldi

Well there he is folks.  The twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi.  It will be sad saying farewell to Matt Smith, but I'm looking forward to Mr. Capaldi's portrayal of The Doctor.  Upon hearing of Matt's departure from the show, I immediately started thinking of replacement candidates.  Like everyone else, I had my own ideas for who it should be.  I definitely did NOT want the new Doctor to be a woman and I wanted him to be older (I was actually envisioning Hugh Laurie) & hopefully a ginger.  Luckily, my first 2 specifications were met.  Despite Peter not being Hugh or ginger, I'm happy with the choice.  Peter is definitely a handsome older man, & as my friend Angela pointed out, he looks like he'd have a wicked sense of humor.  

This image perfectly sums up my feelings for 9, 10, & 11.

It is ALWAYS difficult adjusting to a new face, but we have to give him a chance.  I remember how apprehensive I was when David Tennant took over for Christopher Eccleston (my first Doctor).  It took me a good 5 or 6 episodes to warm up to him, and then I fell in love with his portrayal & was in tears when he regenerated.  I still miss him.  Surprisingly, I liked Matt right away, but I still I don't have the same "feelings" I had for David.  I'm looking forward to seeing how Peter will define his place as 12.  And if nothing else, it'll be a fun ride.

    

Strawberry Ricotta Napoleons = Delish!!

So awhile back my friend Lisa, found this recipe in her Cooking Light magazine.  We were up for trying anything strawberry since it was the season for them.  They were amazing!  You can find the recipe here.

Here's a pic of our finished product!

Strawberry Ricotta Napoleon

    

Cake Mix Cookies

Cake mix cookies are some of the best and easiest cookies to make.  I'm all about easy as I am a teacher and when the end of the school year comes I have little time and even less energy.  Once you have the basic idea down you can add just about anything you would add to normal cookies.

The ingredient list:

- 1 cake mix-any variety you have in your pantry

- 2 eggs

-1/4 cup oil

Yep, that's right, three ingredients!  Mix until all ingredients are combined and bake at 350 degrees for about ten minutes.  The time will vary depending on size and type of mix.  I tend to keep the cookies small (1 tbs. dough ball) because I like my cookies to bake quickly.  The faster they bake the faster we can eat them.  I also use a ice cream scoop of a 1 tbs. to make forming dough balls quick and easy.  Did I mention these are supposed to be easy?

Here are some ideas for variations:

How about adding some white chocolate chips to a chocolate cake mix?

Or nuts to a carrot cake mix?  You could even glaze these with a cream cheese frosting!

The ones I made below are a lemon cake mix with coconut flakes added in.

If you have any great ideas for mix-ins leave them in the comments below.

    

Salmon Patties!

My mom made salmon patties often when I was kid, but my friends never knew what they were.  I still haven't met many people who know what they are or who have tried them.  My husband also grew up eating them.  Together, we have perfected our own little recipe through trial & error & childhood memories of what they're "supposed" to taste like.  Try it out & leave your thoughts in the comments.

Ingredients:

2 cans of Atlantic Salmon

Italian Bread Crumbs

2 eggs

Your favorite spices/seasonings

Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Vegetable Oil

Step 1:

Heat oil in frying pan on Medium-Lo heat while you are prepping.  Oil should be about 1/2 inch deep in the pan.  Open & drain the salmon.  Now, the messy part.  You have to remove the skin & bones.  My hubby finds it easiest to rinse under a low stream in the sink.

Step 2:

Once the salmon is clean & bone free, add in eggs & about 1/2 cup of the Italian bread crumbs.  You may want to add more or less depending on how dry you want it to be.  Now is the time to customize the flavor of your patties.  The bread crumbs are great, but sometimes we like to mix it up a bit.  Garlic powder, lemon pepper, sage, parsley, & other spices you may like can be a great addition.  Mix it all together with your fingers until everything is blended.

Step 3:

Shape the mixture into patties!

Step 4:

Carefully place patties in the oil.  We usually do about 4 at a time so that we have room for flipping.  Once the edge is firm & golden brown.  Flip over & cook until golden brown.

Step 5:

When you remove from pan, place the patties on cooling rack so oil can drip off.  Sprinkle the tops with Lawry's seasoned salt.  Then eat!

We like to serve mac & cheese, green beans & corn, or mashed potatoes with ours.  Just about any side dish can go well with them.  All 4 of our kiddos are fans.  Our youngest (age 4) likes his with ketchup, and I will occasionally add a sprinkle of parmesan to mine.  Enjoy!