Tangerine Tango

In honor of 2012 color of the year, Tangerine Tango, I decided I will make new cupcakes... Recipe and pics of cupcakes to follow in the next few days.  First I just have to tell you why I am so happy that Tangerine Tango is the color of the year  :)

# 1. It makes me think of think of vintage books. Which I some what obsess over, yes I said books!!  Funny to most who know me well, due to that fact that I don't really read any of the books I collect.  I have a dear love for them all but I never make the time to read...(hmm, that may be something I need to change)   For now,  I just love to be surrounded by all our books in our little library room. Which someday I hope to expand into a much bigger room with a window bench.. You know a nice cozy spot to "read" and relax... Lol, (reality) and place that will look pretty and probably only be used be my sweet Sammy girl to patrol the neighborhood.

# 2. It is a fantastic fashion accent color...  Even for girls with green skin, aka me.  Ok, probably  not the best color on me, but I love it anyways.  I have this great satin jacket that went out of style 4 years ago, I love it though.  I'm always looking for a reason to wear it.  It seems that only one time a year is ever appropriate though :(  I have never really been one to care what others think about my fashion style, but I was teased by my dad and hubby the first time I wore it years ago.  They said I made a beautiful pumpkin princess, so well it stuck and I dig it out every Halloween, just to wear it in public.  Even if I look like a pumpkin princess :) Someday I'll post a pic of it or here, to share with the rest of the world.

# 3. I love Tangerine Tango.... Because, Hello... Tango!  Who doesn't love the romantic steps of a good Tango?  There is something so interesting about the Tango.  Someday Mr. Carter and I will take lessons and be pros at the gorgeous dance.  Until then I will just admire from a distance those who have it down.

Interesting Info:

Tango History
Written by Lori Heikkila
Tango (the dance with the stop "Baille Con Carte") is one of the most fascinating of all dances. Originating in Spain or Morocco, the Tango was introduced to the New World by the Spanish settlers, eventually coming back to Spain with Black and Creole influences.
In the early 19th Century, the Tango was a solo dance performed by the woman. The Andalusian Tango was later done by one or two couples walking together using castanets. The dance was soon considered immoral with its flirting music!
Ballroom Tango originated in the lower class of Buenos Aires, especially in the "Bario de las Ranas". Clothing was dictated by full skirts for the woman and gauchos with high boots and spurs for the man.
The story of Tango as told is that it started with the gauchos of Argentina. They wore chaps that had hardened from the foam and sweat of the horses body. Hence to gauchos walked with knees flexed. They would go to the crowded night clubs and ask the local girls to dance. Since the gaucho hadn't showered, the lady would dance in the crook of the man's right arm, holding her head back. Her right hand was held low on his left hip, close to his pocket, looking for a payment for dancing with him. The man danced in a curving fashion because the floor was small with round tables, so he danced around and between them.
The dance spread throughout Europe in the 1900's. Originally popularized in New York in the winter of 1910 - 1911, Rudolph Valentino then made the Tango a hit in 1921.
As time elapsed and the music became more subdued, the dance was finally considered respectable even in Argentina.
Styles vary in Tango: Argentine, French, Gaucho and International. Still, Tango has become one of our American 'Standards' regardless of its origin. The Americanized version is a combination of the best parts of each. The principals involved are the same for any good dancing. First, the dance must fit the music. Second, it must contain the basic characteristic that sets it apart from other dances. Third, it must be comfortable and pleasing to do.
Phrasing is an important part of Tango. Most Tango music phrased to 16 or 32 beats of music. Tango music is like a story. It contains paragraphs (Major phrases); sentences (Minor phrases); and the period at the end of the sentence is the Tango close.
For exhibition dancing, a Tango dancer must develop a strong connection with the music, the dance and the audience. The audience can only feel this connection if the performer feels and projects this feeling. So it is when dancing for your own pleasure -- and your partner's!
"The Tango is the easiest dance. If you make a mistake and get tangled up, you just Tango on."

# 4. I LOVE tangerines, yes I said I LOVE tangerines, I know, I know it's a fruit.  But let me share with you ONE of the many strange facts about me.  I'm allergic to oranges.. and well that a terrible thing in the small world of Skye...  There really isn't any other flavor I can honestly say I love more when it comes to the fruit families.  But, due to the fact I don't love my throat swelling and tongue getting hugely puffy, I stay away from eating those little buggers and go for tangerines. Which strangely do not affect me like oranges, even though they are of the same family.  BTW:

# 5. Actually this is #1. I saved the best for last.   I an happy Tangerine Tango is 2012 color of the year.  It needed to get its mark in time, because...wait..for..it......My sweet baby boy has the most awesome red hair that can be most accurately described as Tangerine!!  I know....I know,  mommies are incredibly partial to how cute and handsome there baby boys are BUT.... not all mommies can be right.  Just ME!!  My little man is the cutest most handsome tangerine haired kiddo in the WORLD  :)

Toy Story

So, tonight Henrik and I are watching Toy Story 3 for the 9 millionth time.  Well not really, but it feels like it.  Henrik LOVES the movie and all of the characters.  He has 5 Buzz Lightyears, 6 Woody toys, 3 of the little aliens, 2 Jessies, 2 Bullseyes, 1 Zorg, 1 Evil Dr. Porkchop, 3 Mr. Potato heads, 4 little green soldiers and 1 penguin.  Sheesh, he has enough of those Toy Story toys. The point is he loves them, I'm over the movie and have decided to find out more about this show.  Here goes...

Some fun facts from the Pixar 'Toy' box

By Susan Wloszczyna, USA TODAY

1. Tinny, the one-man-band character from the Oscar-winning Pixar short Tin Toy, was supposed to be a star of 1995's Toy Story. But he was deemed too antiquated. A military action figure was suggested before filmmakers settled on a space toy.

2. Early on, new-fangled spaceman Buzz Lightyear was known as Lunar Larry. His first name pays tribute to Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

3. Old-fashioned cowpoke Woody began life as a ventriloquist dummy, but his hinged jaw was deemed too "creepy." John Lasseter, director of the first and second Toy Story films, instead turned him into a pull-string doll inspired by his own talking Casper the Friendly Ghost stuffed doll.

4. Woody's name honors Western actor Woody Strode.

5. In the original Toy Story, Woody's personality was abrasive and sarcastic. After a test screening went badly, he was reworked into the flawed yet dedicated leader that he is today.

6. Lasseter always wanted Tom Hanks to speak for Woody, explaining that the actor "has the ability to take emotions and make them appealing, even if the character, like the one in A League of Their Own, is down-and-out and despicable."

7.Billy Crystal was the first choice to be Buzz, but he turned the offer down — a decision he later regretted. He did play the one-eyed Mike Wazowski in 2001's Monsters, Inc.

8. Buzz started off as a Dudley Do-Right superhero given to grand gestures. But when Tim Allen joined the voice cast, the spaceman sounded more like his Tool Time guy from Home Improvement. "Tim came up with the idea of playing him like a blue-collar cop," says Lee Unkrich, director of Toy Story 3, who has worked on all the films.

9. Originally, Barbie was supposed to rescue Woody and Buzz from Sid, the vicious kid next door. But Mattel refused to grant permission for her use, only to let her appear in the sequels. Instead, Woody saved the day.

10. Toy Story was the first foray into animated voice work for Hanks and Allen.

Interesting Info About Toy Story 3

• Director Lee Unkrich edited the first two “Toy Story” films, and co-directed “Toy Story 2.” He also served as a film editor on “Toy Story 3.”
• “Toy Story 3” Producer Darla K. Anderson is the namesake for the character Darla in “Finding Nemo.”
• Director Lee Unkrich performs one line in the movie, as the voice of the Jack in the Box character who says “New Toys!” when Woody, Buzz and the gang first arrive at Sunnyside.
• On January 15, 2010, the final day for many of the 58-person animation crew, director Lee Unkrich led a mini-marching band through the studio composed of two snare drummers, two bass drummers, two giant monkeys and a Yeti.
• 17 animators on “Toy Story 3” also worked on animation for “Toy Story 2.” Four animators worked on the animation for all three “Toy Story” films.
• 92,854 storyboards were drawn over the course of the film, and of those, about half (45,516) were delivered to the editorial department. Editorial turned those storyboards into eight different “Milestone Screenings” that were shown to the Pixar Brain Trust while the film was in development.
• There are 302 total characters in the film.
• There are more than 300 stickers in Andy’s room.
• The pins on the map in Andy’s room correspond to the hometowns of “Toy Story 3” production staff.
• A few pieces of art hanging on the walls in Andy’s room were actually created by “Toy Story 3” art coordinator Erin Magill when she was in high school.
• Andy has a banner hanging on one of the walls in his room that reads “P.U.” P.U. stands for Pixar University, a professional-development program for Pixar employees.
• Above Andy’s closet is a street sign for W. Cutting Blvd., the street on which Pixar’s original headquarters were based.
• Hidden in Andy’s bedroom is a hint at a new character in next year’s “Cars 2.”
• The number A113, which refers to John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Pete Docter and Andrew Stanton’s former classroom at CalArts, makes an appearance in every Pixar film. Despite the years that have passed, Andy’s mom hasn’t changed her license plate, which still reads A113. In “Toy Story 3,” however, Andy’s mom has a new license plate frame that reads “Tiger Pride,” which is a reference to director Lee Unkrich’s hometown of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and his high school mascot, the Tiger.
• The Pizza Planet Truck, which first made an appearance in the original “Toy Story,” has made a cameo in nearly every Pixar film. It also appears in “Toy Story 3,” providing a bumpy ride to some traveling toys.
• Sid, the mean kid who liked to destroy his toys in “Toy Story,” is all grown up as well, and he makes a cameo in “Toy Story 3,” wearing his signature skull t-shirt. Sid’s cameo is voiced by 27-year-old Erik Von Detten, who at the age of 13 was the original voice of Sid in “Toy Story.”

Posted by Travis Keune in General News

Info about Jessie

Jessie, the Yodeling Cowgirl is a fictional character who is the main tritagonist of the films Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3. At Christmas in 1999, the Wall Street Journal called Jessie toys among the hottest of the season.^[1] In the movie, she is a very rare toy modeled after a character on the fictional television show Woody's Roundup, where the characters included Sheriff Woody, Jessie, Stinky Pete the Prospector and Bullseye, Woody's horse. Her hair is formed in a ponytail braid tied with a bow. Jessie the doll has a character very similar to the one portrayed on the television show. She is excitable, brave and very athletic. The doll, however, carries a great deal of sadness, as she was abandoned by her original owner, which left her somewhat distrustful. Years of being in storage have made her somewhat withdrawn, and noticeably afraid of the dark, to the extent of hyperventilating whenever she is inside dark enclosed spaces, or even at just the thought of being abandoned.
But she longs to again be a source of joy to a child, and this wish comes true at the end of Toy Story 2 when Andy accepted her (and Bullseye) into his toy collection. In Toy Story 3, while she still displays signs of the fear of the dark, storage, and being abandoned in the beginning when she and the toys mistakenly believe that they are being thrown away by Andy, throughout the rest of the film, she appears to be more loyal, confident and helpful to others, in the process developing a romantic relationship with Buzz Lightyear.
She reappears in the short film, Hawaiian Vacation, that was added with Cars 2.
Jessie is voiced by Joan Cusack in all the films, while Mary Kay Bergman voiced her yodels and "Woody's Roundup" TV-show voice in Toy Story 2. Bergman died just before Toy Story 2 was released, so the film was dedicated to her. Singer Sarah McLachlan provides her singing voice.
Jessie also makes a cameo in Monsters, Inc. as one of Boo's toys that she gives to Sulley.^[2]
In October 2000, Jessie received the Patsy Montana Entertainer Award from the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.^[3] She is also portrayed by Devon Dawson live on stage as a guest with Riders in the Sky in their concert and plays the guitar.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

He broke away for a just a second to give me a smile :)

Breakfast Pizza

We got up early today to enjoy the first snow of 2012 here at the Carter house.  It was beautiful, didn't last long, but still beautiful.  I thought the snow was going to last longer so I didn't get any good pictures.  :(  Oh well.. Since it was a day of  firsts I decided to make my first breakfast pizza, and it turned out really YUMMY!!! Overall we had a fantasic day. :)  Here's the recipe... Hope you all enjoy as much as we did.

I also made a small fruit dish to go with our breakfast pizza.

Ingredients needed to make breakfast pizza:
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 pound bulk pork sausage (Jimmy Dean of course)
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 envelope country gravy mix
• 6 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded pepper jack cheese
• 2 green onions, diced

1. Separate crescent dough into 16 triangles and place on a baking sheet with points toward the center. Press together to form a circle crust; seal seams.

2. Bake at 375° for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink; drain.

4. Prepare gravy according to package directions. Add the prepared sausage to the gravy and stir until combined; set aside.

5. Saute onions and mushrooms and a medium skillet, when done set aside.

6. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add egg mixture; cook and stir until almost set, add the onions and mushrooms.

7. Spread gravy mixture over prepared crust.

8. Top with eggs followed by cheeses.

9. Place in the oven for a few more minutes until eggs are set and cheese is melted.

10. Sprinkle with green onions, cut with a pizza slicer, serve and enjoy.

Tiramisu Cupcakes

Make your favorite vanilla cupcakes, cool,
and then drip espresso and rum on the tops of the cupcakes.

Do this until you have a moist layer about 1/4 inch into the cupcake.

For the Mascarpone Frosting:
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

 Make frosting: With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form (be careful not to overbeat, or cream will be grainy). In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated. Use immediately. To finish, dollop frosting onto cupcakes; refrigerate up to overnight in airtight containers. Dust generously with cocoa powder serve and enjoy. YUMMY!!

Welcome Facebook Friends

I just posted a link to this blog today on my facebook page.  Just in case I didn't have enough things consuming my time, I started a blog..  LOL, Yes I know I'm crazy, but it's something I've wanted to do for awhile.  And well it will be great to use at 3am in the morning when I can't sleep and I'm bored with Facebook and Pinterest.  Thank you for checking it out.

Gingerbread House

So this Christmas we started a new tradition for the Carter's holiday fun.  Gingerbread house decorating, yes I said decorating, not making.  I say this because we did the easy thing (smart with a 2 1/2 year old in the house), we bought this awesome kit from Costco.

We had a blast decorating it.  Jer and I did most of the decorating, Henrik did most of the eating of  the candy and feeding candy to Sammy (our dog).  The dog, who is not supposed to have table scraps or candy. But Henrik is convinced we are starving her, so he is ever on the mission to feed the poor starving dog.  Anywho, we had fun and completed it aound 12am.  Here are some photos of the finished gingerbread house.  I'm looking forward to this years night of gingerbread house decoarting.  So glad we started this new tradition and I'm sure Sammy (the dog) is glad too. 

Front

Back

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

 

 

Use your favorite lemon cake mix, bake and cool.
Fill with lemon curd after it’s cooled. Make sure to top the cupcake back so meringue does not touch the curd.
For the meringue: 

2 large egg white

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Put the sugar, cream of tartar, and egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water (the bowl should not be touching the water) and allow the sugar to melt into the eggs. Once warmed, add the vanilla and beat the mixture until stiff peaks form, about 3 – 5 minutes, set aside.

Top cupcakes with meringue, broil till the meringue is golden. Then enjoy!! Yummy

7 Ingredient Lasgna

 

This lasagna is so easy and tastes fantastic. I love Amy's Pasta sauce, YUMMY!! 
      All you do is brown 1lb organic lean ground beef, saute 1lg red bell pepper, add 2tbls fresh minced garlic, mix all together with 1 jar of Amy's tomato basil pasta sauce, set aside. Cook 12 lasagna noodles. Preheat oven to 350...°. Spray baking dish w/ cooking spray, layer 3 noodles- ricotta cheese- mozzarella cheese- meat sauce mixture, repeat.... When you've gotten to the top, open another jar of Amy's tomato basil pasta sauce, pour about 3/4 of it all over, top w/ lots of mozzarella cheese. Bake 30 minutes. Then broil for 3 minutes....and enjoy.

I just can't believe it's 2012. I remember thinking of 2012 as if it was so far into futuristic times, that we would all be flying around in little personal spaceships and wearing shiny metal clothes. Ha ha... How time flies by so fast, but here we are 2012 and I welcome it with open arms and a positive attitude.