Misfits(1961)

This movie is centered around the coming together of four misfits in the Nevada desert in 1960. Roslyn(Marilyn Monroe) is recently divorced and meets Gay(Clark Gable) an old cowboy, Guido(Eli Wallach) a pilot, and Perce(Montgomery Clift) a rodeo rider. Roslyn and Gay fall in love which makes Guido jealous since he met her first. Roslyn cares for Perce after a rodeo accident and he is taken by her gentle nature and kindness. They all show their true nature when on a trip to wrangle mustangs in the desert.

It’s hard to see this film and not think that Roslyn isn’t made up of pieces of Marilyn herself. After all, Arthur Miller, Marilyn’s husband at the time, wrote the screenplay. There is this childlike innocence, trustfulness and vulnerability about Roslyn that has been mentioned by some to be what Marilyn was like in real life.

 While this movie was not a huge success when it debuted in 1961, today it has become a must see movie for classic film fans. It stars Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable in what would be the last completed movie for both legendary actors. Over the years more has been revealed regarding the production of Misfits which has made the movie even more significant.

 During production, Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller’s marriage was in trouble and was nearing it’s end. On top of that Marilyn was abusing prescription drugs and alcohol which would cause her to be late to the set or miss filming entirely. Often she would forget her lines. In 1962, Marilyn died of an apparent drug overdose.

Montgomery Clift was also abusing alcohol and prescription drugs to cope with pain caused by injuries he received in a car crash in 1956; during which he was filming Raintree County with Elizabeth Taylor. He sustained injuries to his face and had reconstructive surgery but the scars on his face remained. It is said that on the day that Clift died Misfits was on TV and when asked if he wanted to watch it he said, “Absolutely Not!”

 Clark Gable was nearing sixty when he filmed Misfits and did his own stunts. It has become known as one of Clark Gable’s best performances. Working with Marilyn was difficult for Gable. Allegedly, Gable said the following about Marilyn, "Christ, I'm glad this picture's finished. She damn near gave me a heart attack." A few days after filming concluded for Misfits he had a heart attack and died ten days later.

If you are a movie fan you’ll want to watch this movie, not only for the significance it played in the personal lives of the actors but because of Miller’s screenplay, Clark Gable’s great performance, and a tiny look at the real Marilyn through the character of Roslyn.

  

Mickey Mouse Biscuits

Homemade Biscuits are quick and easy to make. They can accompany a savory dinner or be a quick breakfast with some jam and butter. I thought I’d make them fun by using a Mickey Mouse cookie cutter that I got from a trip to Disneyland I took a couple years ago. 

You can use any fun cookie cutter shape you have. For Valentine’s Day you can use a heart, a four leaf clover for St. Patrick’s Day, a pumpkin for Halloween or Thanksgiving, the possibilities are endless. It’s a great way to make your meal a little more festive and fun.


Let, me know which fun shape you're going to try....

Below is a quick and easy recipe I use for biscuits:

Baking Powder Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups of all purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

½ cup of shortening, butter or margarine

¾ cups of milk

1.   Heat the oven to 450F degrees. In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until mixed. Cut in the shortening, using a pastry blender or fork, until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the milk until the mixture forms a soft dough and leaves the side of the bowl(dough will be soft and sticky)

2.   Lightly sprinkle flour over a cutting board or countertop. Place dough on floured surface; gently roll in the flour to coat. Knead the dough until dough feels springy and smooth.

3.   On the floured surface, flatten dough evenly, using hands or a rolling pin, until dough is ½ inch thick

4.   Before cutting each biscuit, dip the cutter into flour to lightly coat it so it will cut evenly through the dough without sticking. Cut the biscuits as close together as possible. On an ungreased cookie sheet, place biscuits about 1 inch apart for biscuits with crusty sides or place with sides touching for biscuits with soft sides.

5.   Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and serve warm.

This recipe was selected from Betty Crocker’s Baking Basics

Ziegfeld Girl (1941)

Ziegfeld Girl stars James Stewart, Judy Garland, Hedy Lamar, and Lana Turner. The movie highlights the lives of three women as they are discovered and are chosen to be apart of the Ziegfeld Follies. The Ziegfeld Follies was a collection of extravagant Broadway productions popular in the early part of the 20^th century.

Susan(Judy Garland), Sandra(Hedy Lamar), and Sheila(Lana Turner) come from different backgrounds and are each at a different stage of their lives but the Follies bring them together and they become friends.

Each of them deals with the positive and negative aspects of being a Ziegfeld Girl. While Susan and Sandra find themselves becoming stronger and more confident, Shelia has trouble with her new found fame.

While I am used to seeing Judy Garland in the staring role of most of the movies I’ve seen of her, in this movie, it is Lana Turner who is the star. The scenes with James Stewart and Lana Turner are powerful and it is easy to see why both are part of Hollywood’s best. Judy Garland has a few numbers that she sings perfectly, the way only Judy can. The scenes between Judy(Susan) and Charles Winninger(Susan’s Father) are touching. Hedy Lamar steals the show during the Ziegfeld Follies numbers with her beauty.

This movie has a little bit of everything; romance, comedy, drama, and wonderful musical numbers. A must see with this star studded and talented cast. 

Pear Empanadas(Turnovers)

Pears are often overlooked when it comes to baking. Apples, peaches, blueberries, and other fruits generally top the list when making a pie or any other pastry. In most cases, the only time a pear will be used as a dessert is when it’s poached. Why should a pear be destined to this one dimensional dessert existence?

As I paged through my cookbooks I found countless poached pear recipes. Since I couldn’t find a recipe for pears that wasn’t poached, I took matters into my own hands. I found and modified a recipe that called for apples and instead used the lovely and sometimes forgotten pear. 

Compared to it’s apple counterpart the pear is more subtle in flavor. With other fruit pastries you are hit with the tart and bold flavors of the fruit. This is not the case with the pear. It’s flavor is soft and delicate with a burst of sweetness.

I used Bartlett Pears for this recipe but you can use any kind of pear. Keep in mind that some pears have more or less juice so you may have to modify the amount of liquid used in the filling portion of the recipe depending on which variety of pear you use.

I encourage you to try pears in your next dessert or try this recipe, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Pear Empanadas

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4  teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup hot milk

¼ cup vegetable shortening

Filling

1 1/2 cups of fresh pears(diced)

1/3 cup of water

1/3 cup of apple cider

¼ cup of brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

Remaining Ingredients

Cooking Spray

1 large egg white

1 tablespoon of water

1 ½ teaspoons of sugar

1.   To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder, stirring with a whisk. Combine milk and shortening in a large bowl, stirring until the shortening dissolves. Gradually add flour mixture to milk mixture, tossing with a fork just until blended. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Knead into a ball (dough will feel sticky). Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

2.   To prepare filling, combine diced pears, 1/3 cup of water, 1/3 cup of apple cider in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium-heat. Cover; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and cornstarch. Then bring to a boil once again, remove from heat once the filling as thickened. Let it cool to room temperature.

3.   Preheat oven to 450F degrees

4.   Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Working with one dough portion at a time(cover remaining portions to prevent drying), roll into a 6 inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling onto half of circle, moisten edges of dough with water. Fold dough over filling, press edges together with a fork and seal. Place empanadas on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Combine egg white and 1 tablespoon water, stirring with a whisk, brush over empanadas. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 450F for 12 minutes or until golden. Place on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This recipe was selected but modified from All New Cooking Light Cookbook(2006)

The Mating Game (1959)

This romantic comedy from the late fifties is packed full of laughs. I think even those that aren’t into classic movies would find this movie very entertaining.

It is based on the book, The Darling Buds of May by H.E. Bates. While the book is based in the countryside of England the movie is set on a family  farm in Maryland. 

The farm is run by “Pop” and “Ma” Larkin and their five children. Pop Larkin is being investigated by Lorenzo Charlton (Tony Randall) because he hasn’t paid his taxes in 20 years. When Lorenzo arrives on the farm he meets the farmer’s daughter, Mariette(Debbie Reynolds) and the rest of the family he realizes he has got himself into more than just another tax investigation.

There is a hilarious scene where Lorenzo gets a little more than tipsy after he drinks too many “Laughing Hyenas” that Pop Larkin has prepared for him. The moments shared between the family members are both heart warming and funny. This is truly a feel good movie.

                                          

Honey Cake

Following my last post about honey and skin care, I thought I’d use honey in the way most of us use it, to sweeten our food.  I just got a new Bundt baking pan and I found this Honey Cake recipe which called for the use of none other than a Bundt baking pan. Perfect!

I got this recipe from The Weight Watcher’s New Complete Cookbook. I like cooking out of diet and nutrition cookbooks because they offer a new way to still indulge in my favorite foods but with healthy twist.

The main sweetener in this cake is honey, while there is a little sugar, it is much less than would be found in a traditional cake. Also, orange and lemon zest make this cake pop with bright flavors.

Honey Cake

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1 cup honey

2/3 cup orange juice

¼ cup sugar

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

¾ cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1.   Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick spray, then dust lightly with flour.

2.   In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Whisk in the honey, orange and lemon zest, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add the flour mixture to the honey mixture and stir until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan.

3.   Bake in the lower third of the oven until the center of the cake is firm when pressed, and the cake tester comes out free of crumbs, 50-55 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

4.   Lightly dust the cake with powder sugar before serving

Recipe Selected from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook (2007)