Guys. I know no one looks at this anymore, but I just wanna say that Amy W died like, right after I posted that. Just Sayin. I probably killed her.

On Accutane. My face is so dry it feels like it's falling off. Like this.

Crackle Action!

Katy Perry can do no wrong.

Her latest success: Shatter nail polish.

I feel like such a badass.

Super Cheap New Books!

Guys, Borders is going out of business... And I'm reaping all the benefits.

PS- I have decided to make this blog into a "Things I've Bought That I Love"-type thing.

by special request...

a fantastic pretzel recipe. these were so ridiculously. if you don't have a pastry brush, may i suggest using a misto or even pam before you throw the pretzels in the oven. also, i kept my pretzels in the oven a bit longer (an extra 5-7 minutes) than the recipe suggests to make sure they were nice and brown on the outside, but my oven is usually a bit slow. try it! it's easier than it sounds!!!

delicious pretzels (slightly altered from alton brown's recipe)

ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
• 1 T sugar
• 2 t. salt
• 1 package active dry yeast (don't be afraid)
• 22 oz. flour (about 4 1/2 c.)
• vegetable oil (for coating pan)
• 10 c. water
• 2/3 c. baking soda [I made these once in a baking soda bath, and once in just regular salted water, and it worked either way. If you have it use it, if not, don't worry!]
  
• 1 large egg yolk beaten w/ 1 T water
• pretzel or coarse salt

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. [Note: I hand-kneaded this and it didn't take long at all, so if you don't have a stand mixer, mixing this dough together isn't nearly as daunting as it sounds.] Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed [or hand knead!] until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes [or 10]. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture (or pam/misto) and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes

I aam a bookworm we are all bookwoorms!

Guys!
Ive been obsessed with listening to NPR on iTunes. Particularly, and most importantly, this little gem I came across while stuck on the 101 in August. Each week, I thirst for Thursdays...when the muffled yet nasally Michael Silverblatt hosts the insatiable "bookworm", a weekly show on KCRW.
Listen to it nOW. Every book I've read he raves about is extraordinary.
Site:
http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/bw

Ferguson!

This morning, I suddenly thought, whatever happened to the Ferg Face?

I looked at his imdb bio, and learned a great deal. I'm pretty sure he wrote it himself:

Jason Zimbler, aka Funky Ferg, was born on July 27, 1977 and weighed in at a bulky 7 lbs, 7 oz. At the age of two, he moved to the Canarsie section of Brooklyn. At the age of 6, Jason began a long and storied career in the entertainment industry.

Gainful employment began on the long-running, little-watched, and soon-forgotten soap opera, "The Edge of Night" (1956). Following a one-year tenure on the show, after which the show was canceled, the family moved to Livingston, New Jersey.

Soon after high school began, Jason was cast as the annoying little brother (some would say a part he was born to play) in a Nickelodeon pilot titled "Clarissa Explains It All" (1991), were he played the role of Ferguson. Once the show was picked up for an extended run, scheduling conflicts arose between taping the show in Orlando and high school, and Jason was forced (reluctantly) to enroll in an all-girls school near his home.

After two and a half years, Jason was ready to leave the nest for college. Just as the show ended its run, college began for Jason in beautiful, temperate South Bend, Indiana. Despite having survived countless perils to this point, college was no picnic. A veteran of thrice-changed majors and numerous cocktail parties, Jason emerged relatively unscathed and ready for the real world.