My List of Movies To See With a Bottle of Prescription Antidepressants Handy

Some people hate watching tearjerkers, I on the other hand seem to actively seek them out. Some are good, some are bad, but all go on my list of movies to never watch again. Here is the list of the good ones along with a 5 point rating scale of Wellbutrin doses needed to stop the tears afterward.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a doctor. This is not actual medical advice. If you believe that this is actual medical advice, I am diagnosing you as terminally stupid.

These are not my top six; these are just six I've managed to not completely block from my memory.

Finding Neverland

From IMDB.com:
"In 1903, in England, the play writer James Matthew Barrie has a complete lack of inspiration, and his last work was a deceptive play. When he meets the children of the widow Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, he becomes friend of the family and Sylvia becomes his muse and her children the source of inspiration. James writes the successful play about "Peter Pan and Neverland". "

- Slight chance of showers.


The Mist
From IMDB.com:
"After a violent storm attacks a town in Maine, an approaching cloud of mist appears the next morning. As the mist quickly envelops the area, a group of people get trapped in a local grocery store -among them, artist David Drayton and his five-year-old son. The people soon discover that within the mist lives numerous species of horrific, unworldly creatures that entered through an inter-dimensional rift, which may or may not have been caused by a nearby military base. As the world around them manifests into a literal hell-on-earth, the horrified citizens try desperately to survive this apocalyptic disaster."

- 100% chance of horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach.


The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
From IMDB.com:
"Young Bruno lives a wealthy lifestyle in Pre-war Germany along with his mother, elder sister, and army Commandant father. The family re-locate to the countryside where his father is assigned to commandeer a prison camp. A few days later, Bruno befriends another youth, strangely dressed in striped pyjamas, named Shmuel who lives behind an electrified fence. Bruno will soon find out that he is not permitted to befriend his new friend as he is a Jew, and that the neighboring yard is actually a prison camp for Jews awaiting extermination. "

- I have no words for this movie.


Nobody Knows (Dare Mo Shiranai)
From IMDB.com:
"Four siblings live happily with their mother in a small apartment in Tokyo. The children all have different fathers and have never been to school. The very existence of three of them has been hidden from the landlord. One day, the mother leaves behind a little money and a note, charging her oldest boy to look after the others. And so begins the children's odyssey, a journey nobody knows. Though engulfed by the cruel fate of abandonment, the four children do their best to survive in their own little world, devising and following their own set of rules. When they are forced to engage with the world outside their cocooned universe, the fragile balance that has sustained them collapses. Their innocent longing for their mother, their wary fascination toward the outside world, their anxiety over their increasingly desperate situation, their inarticulate cries, their kindness to each other, their determination to survive on wits and courage."

- If you can eat pocky without crying after watching this, you sir/maam, are a robot.



The Fountain
From IMDB.com:

"Three stories - one each from the past, present, and future - about men in pursuit of eternity with their love. A conquistador in Mayan country searches for the tree of life to free his captive queen; a medical researcher, working with various trees, looks for a cure that will save his dying wife; a space traveler, traveling with an aged tree encapsulated within a bubble, moves toward a dying star that's wrapped in a nebula; he seeks eternity with his love. The stories intersect and parallel; the

quests fail and succeed."

- Damn You Darren Aronofsky!


And the coup de grâce...

Dear Zachary
From IMDB.com:
"In 2001, Andrew Bagby, a medical resident, is murdered not long after breaking up with his girlfriend. Soon after, when she announces she's pregnant, one of Andrew's many close friends, Kurt Kuenne, begins this film, a gift to the child. Friends, relatives, and colleagues say warm and loving things about Andrew, home movies confirm his exuberance. Andrew's parents, Kathleen and David, move to Labrador where the ex-girlfriend has gone. They await an arrest and trial of the murderer. They negotiate with the ex-girlfriend to visit their grandchild, Zachary, and they seek custody. Is there any justice; is Zachery a sweet and innocent consolation for the loss of their son? "

- Basically take what will kill you and back it up a little. This film will have you in tears for at least the entire runtime. The fact that it is NOT a work of fiction doubles the effect.

Chili's Southwestern Egg Rolls

I am a pretty big fan of Chili's, and I definitely love their Southwestern Egg Rolls appetizer. I found this copy cat recipe that is pretty spot on...the only change I made was when frying them, I used about an inch of canola oil in a skillet and rotated the egg rolls instead of immersing them in oil. I made a double batch and keep them in the freezer to eat periodically, which works great if you don't have the ingredients on hand.


1 chicken breast fillet
1 T. vegetable oil
2 T. minced red bell pepper
2 T. minced green onion
1/3 c. frozen corn
1/4 c. canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 T. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 T. diced, canned jalapeno peppers
1/2 T. minced fresh parsley
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. chili powder
1/4 t. salt
dash cayenne pepper (or substitute paprika)
3/4 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
5 - 7" flour tortillas

Avocado-ranch dipping sauce
1/4 c. smashed, fresh avocado (half an avocado)
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream
1 T. buttermilk
1 1/2 T. white vinegar
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. dried parsley
1/8 t. onion powder
dash dried dill weed
dash garlic powder
dash pepper

• Preheat bbq or indoor grill to high heat
• Rub chicken breast w/ some vegetable oil and grill 4-5 minutes per side or until done. Lightly salt and pepper each side while it cooks. Set aside.
• Preheat 1 T. vegetable oil in a medium-size skillet over med-high heat
• Add red pepper and onion to pan and saute for a couple minutes until tender
• Dice cooked chicken into small cubes and add to pan. Add corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne to the pan. Cook another 4 minutes. Stir well so the spinach separates and is incorporated into the mixture.
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese. Stir until the cheese is meltes
• Wrap tortillas in moist cloth and microwave on high for 45 seconds or until hot
• Spoon approximately one-fifth of the mixture into the center of the tortilla. Fold in the ends and then roll the tortilla over the mixture very tight, and pierce with a toothpick to hold together. Repeat until you have 5 egg rolls. Arrange on plate or in a plastic resealable bag and freeze for at least 4 hours--overnight is best.
• Prepare the avocado-ranch dipping sauce by combining ingredients in a small bowl
• Preheat 4-6 cups of oil to 375 degrees
• Deep fry the egg rolls in the hot oil for 12-15 minutes and remove to paper towels or a rack to drain.
• Slice each egg roll diagonally lengthwise and arrange on a plate around a small bowl of the dipping sauce. Garnish the sauce with the chopped tomato and onion (optional).
  

Serves 3-4

The Best Pork Chops You'll Ever Cook...

Seriously. These are great. Fast and easy...from Giada De Laurentiis!

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
• 3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
• 4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Check out the recipe and reviews here!

Plan 9 From Outerspace

Rifftrax is presenting "Plan 9 From Outer Space", one night only! Check your local listings for showtimes!

What I Learned At Disney World...

I'm a huge fan of the Disney empire. My fiance and I have the act of visiting Disney World down to a science. I just returned from a trip and decided to compile a list of things I learned from my interactions there.

1. There are people in this world who find no shame in using a motorized scooter or being pushed in a wheelchair while in perfect health.

2. The concept of grabbing a Fast Pass to get on a ride and using the upwards of 2 hours to do other things at a theme park rather than waiting in line is regularly lost on people. I had the pleasure of hearing several guests berate a Disney cast member because they were so appalled that he had let Fast Pass holders in front of them, the poor stand-by line guests who had waited hours to ride Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. I overheard one guest claim that she felt so insulted because she's been coming to Disney World since she was 2 years old. Well ma'am, Fast Passes were instituted in 2000 you've had nearly a decade to catch on.

3. Excessive documentation of events is seriously annoying trend. Who needs 30 pictures of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride? Do people not understand that digital pictures of 3D movies just aren't going to come out? There is an announcement before every ride and show, in 3 languages, that the taking of flash photographs is prohibited! I understand people wanting to take pictures or videos of themselves and others on rides, but no one will want to see all the pictures or videos you took of "It's A Small World" and I highly doubt you will ever look at them again. Having flashes go off during a ride or show ruins the environment for everyone else, put your cameras away until it's through.

Banning Twitter

Since Twitter seems to be down this morning, here is an interesting article about the Packers and Dolphins prohibiting tweeting.

Twitter Is a Threat to the N.F.L.'s Sense of Secrecy

50 Best Texas Burgers?

Texas Monthly has released its version of the 50 best burgers in the state. I've sadly only eaten at one of them (#14), which is pretty great. Other than that, I cannot vouch. Here's the breakdown:

1. The Grape, Dallas, Classic Cheeseburger
2. Counter Café, Austin, Counter Burger
3. Alamo Springs Café, Fredericksburg, Cheeseburger (With Green Chiles on a Jalapeno-Cheese Bun)
4. Toro Burger Bar, El Paso, Toro Burger
5. The Cove, San Antonio, Texas Burger
6. The Porch, Dallas, The Stodg
7. Perini Ranch Steakhouse, Buffalo Gap, Hamburger Steak on a Bun
8. Dutch’s, Fort Worth, Bacon and Bleu Cheese Burger
9. Beck’s Prime, Houston, Bacon Cheeseburger
10. Orlando’s, Lubbock, Cheeseburger in Paradise
11. White Buffalo Bar, Gage Hotel, Marathon, Buffalo Burger
12. Cover 3, Austin, Chop-House Burger (With Cheese and Bacon)
13. Burger Fresh, Conroe, 1/2 Pound Hamburger
14. Burger Tex II, Austin, Bulgogi Burger
15. Twisted Root Burger Co., Dallas, Hamburger
16. Max’s Wine Dive, Austin, Houston, Kobe Beef Burger
17. Love Shack, Fort Worth, Dirty Love Burger
18. Fatty’s Burgers & More, San Antonio, Ref Burger
19. MoMak’s Backyard Malts & Burgers, San Antonio, MoMak Classic Burger
20. Kelly’s Eastside, Plano, Southwestern Burger
21. Big’z Burger Joint, San Antonio, Big’z Famous No. 1
22. Chicken Oil Co., Bryan, Snuffy Burger
23. Café Michael Burger, Galveston, Tiki Burger
24. Burgers, Fries and Cherry Pies, Midland, The French Connection Burger
25. Mockingbird Bistro, Houston, American Kobe Beef Burger
26. Parkside, Austin, Cheeseburger
27. Black Sheep Lodge, Austin, Black Buffalo Burger
28. Miss Hattie’s Café and Saloon, San Angelo, Miss Hattie Burger
29. Mel’s Country Café, Tomball, Double Hamburger
30. Roaring Fork, Austin, Half Ass Burger
31. Gene’s Tasty Burger, Wichita Falls, Frisco Burger
32. Cliff Café, Dallas, Brie and Granny Smith Burger
33. Bracken Store Café, San Antonio, Bean and Frito Burger
34. Sam’s Deli Diner, Houston, Hamburger
35. Dry Creek Café, Houston, The Regular (With Asadero Cheese)
36. Hamburger Store, Jefferson, Build-Your-Own Burger
37. Mighty Fine, Austin, Hamburger
38. Roadhouse, Bastrop, Jalapeno Cream Cheese Burger
39. Lankford Grocery and Market, Houston, Old-Fashioned Hamburger
40. Classics Burgers and “Moore,” Kerrville, Cheeseburger
41. Koffee Kup Family Restaurant, Hico, Jalapeno Cream Cheese Burger
42. Hruska’s Store and Bakery, Ellinger, Cheeseburger
43. Rosco’s Burger Inn, El Paso, Rosco Burger
44. Port Aransas Brewing Company, Port Aransas, Stopher Burger
45. Goode Company Hamburgers and Taqueria, Houston, Mesquite Burger
46. Snuffer’s Restaurant and Bar, Dallas, Green Chile Swissburger
47. Fred’s Texas Café, Fort Worth, Diablo Burger
48. Speedy’s Burger, Houston, Hamburguesa Mexicana
49. Gourmet Burger Grill, San Antonio, Hamburger
50. Jakes, Dallas, #1 Jakes Special