Searching for a Refreshing Summer Dinner? Baked Haddock with Nectarine Salsa is the Answer!

Hot weather easily stills the appetite, which makes it hard to pick a main course that will satisfy everyone in the family.  Fruits and fresh farm veggies serve jubilantly juicy flavors, but have little sustenance for an entire dinner.  Luckily, Baked Haddock with Nectarine Salsa hits both taste and hunger targets.  Designing a personal recipe for the baked haddock and snagging a tasty nectarine salsa from the Taste of Homes website, I found this entre easy to cook yet savory and fulfilling.  The zest from the orange, basil, lemon, and pepper spice up the relatively bland white fish, and the fascinatingly flavorful juices of nectarine, kiwi, onion, vinegar and kiwi top the haddock with a luscious salsa you’ll intentionally make extra of…because you’ll probably want to serve it with crackers come your late night snack.  This entre pairs well with a smooth chardonnay or sharp red with a hint of berries and spring greens dazzled with fresh strawberries, ripe cucumber, plump carrots, and a light dressing like red-wine vinegar and lemon or zinfandel.  These additions compliment the sweet in the main meal well but keep dinner pleasantly light, which makes it an excellent course for tired troopers drained by the overwhelming humidity and heat.  Combine the variety of ingredients with the simple directions below, and your guaranteed a dinner that is good for all families, especially in the summer!

Ingredients For the Haddock:

·      Orange zest

·      Lemon juice

·      Basil

·      Black Pepper

·      1 tsp. olive oil

·      8 oz. fresh haddock

Ingredients for the Salsa:

·      1 medium nectarines, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

·      1/2 medium cucumber, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

·      1/2 medium kiwi, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

·      2 tablespoons chopped green onion

·      4-1/2 teaspoons orange juice

·      1-1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

Directions for the Haddock:

·      Rinse and pat dry the fish before placing into a non-stick baking dish.

·      Cover the fish with the lemon juice.

·      Shave orange zest and drizzle the oil on the fish.  Sprinkle with pepper.

·      Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Bake haddock for 15-18 minutes.  Watch carefully so as to overcook.

·      Combine nectarine, cucumber, kiwi, onion, orange juice, and vinegar for salsa. Cover. Chill until ready to serve.

·      Place haddock over fresh greens and top with salsa for finish. 

         

Praise for Pound Puppies

The second season of Hasbro Studio’s Pound Puppies, an animated TV series for young kids, premiers on The Hub TV network this Saturday, June 2 at 9am.  Following a team of fearless dogs from Shelter 17 that determinedly search for places of residence to house lonely puppies, Pound Puppies is an inspirationally innovative show that gives kids an adventure via teaching them important morals like teamwork and brainstorming.  The smart, cool and brave mutt, Lucky, leads members of the Shelter 17 Gang on their investigations.  He also acts as great role model children admire; always putting himself in the way of danger first and letting his friends grow and learn from their mistakes.  Other members of the gang encourage and engage diverse characteristics from dogs like Cookie, Lucky’s tough and loyal but softhearted right-paw dog, to Rebound, a too-enthusiastic and too-friendly pup whose non-stop jib-jab sometimes drives the gang up a wall (but tugs at the heartstrings of potential humans looking to adopt).  Aside the dog heroes, some human characters like grumpy but oblivious Shelter 17 owner McLeish and the loveable but bumbling Shelter 17 security guard, Olaf, drive edge in the show’s episodes.  Three new puppies including Rebound, Cupcake and Patches will appear in this second season, and a special guest voice appearance from Fairly Oddparent’s Tara Strong in the show’s premiere episode (as a puppy named Zipper) gives families an even greater reason to view it.  Starring other voice talents of Eric McCormack (Will & Grace), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), Betty White (Hot in Cleveland), Michael Rapaport (Prison Break), John DiMaggio (Futurama, Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters) and Alanna Ubach (Legally Blonde), Pound Puppies dishes a show parents will love watching with their wildly captivated kids! 

     

Baking Butterflies

Children can’t wait to get out of school, but parents and babysitters dread the “I’m bored” complaints kids spout on those not-so-sunny summer days.  A great activity to dodge these dreadful comments is baking a fun and easy recipe like Butterfly Cupcakes!  Kids love the fun shape of a butterfly designing this simple (and not to mention delicious) treat.  Focusing on a more bland cake flavor for a base, these cupcakes serve as great desserts for the picky person that is hesitant of trying something unfamiliar but also craving something sweet.  Most of the flavor comes from the pie filing that glues the wings of the cupcake butterfly to the body.  The recipe provided below suggests a lemon filling mainly because it lacks lumps that can make it harder for the wings to stick to the body; however, any pie filling works.  Personally, I used a cherry pie filling and replaced the licorice antennas with blue frosting.  This resulted in fun patriotic painted butterflies that I could serve at approaching USA parties for Memorial Day and the 4^th of July.  The fun shapes presenting these cupcakes pulls the hungry investigator to the table, but the delicious blend of fruity and basic tastes get them grabbing seconds.  Good for any occasion ranging from a desperately needed activity that can distract rambunctious children to a sophisticated adult gathering enjoying a summer’s day at the lake, Butterfly Cupcakes guarantees zest and brings beauty to all tables! 

Follow this quick recipe below to whip of these savory snacks: 

     

Ingredients

·      3/4 cup butter, softened

·      3/4 cup sugar

·      3 eggs

·      1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·      2 cups self-rising flour

·      1/2 cup milk

·      1 can (15-3/4 ounces) lemon pie filling

·      40 pieces red and/or black shoestring licorice (2 inches)

Directions

·      In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Add flour to cream mixture alternately with milk.

·      Fill greased muffin cups half full. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

·      Cut off the top fourth of each cupcake; cut the slices in half. Spoon 1tablespoon pie filling onto each cupcake. Place two halves upside down on top of filling for wings. Insert two pieces of licorice for antennae. Yield: 20 cupcakes.

Editor's Note: As a substitute for each cup of self-rising flour, place 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a measuring cup. Add all-purpose flour to measure 1 cup.

Forget Dinosaurs, Fire Breathing Dragons are Alive and Astounding!

Calling it a show “That is really for the child of the 21^st century” (Herald Sun), How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular dazzles its audience with digital technology analogous to 3D movies.  Inspired by the fun of DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon cinematic feature, director Nigel Jamieson takes this show filled with flying acrobats and cutting-edge puppetry outside of Melbourne and on its global tour.  The acrobats portraying the beloved characters in DreamWork’s film give a dazzling performance matching that of Cirque du Soliel, but its real mastery burns from the 3D projections of the dragons (from Fishlegs, Ruffnuts, Tuffnuts, and Snoutlouts to the unmatchable Nightfury) created and designed by Dan Potra.  These projections impress people with a realistic performance parallel to that of the Dinosaur ride in Animal Kingdom or the Walking with Dinosaurs production, especially when they come to life in battles with enemies or interactions with characters including events like Hiccup riding Toothless!  As if the life-size projections aren’t enough, the vivid and breathtaking scenery landscaping familiar and fantastical Scotland regions (that once housed many Viking villages) will certainly blow audiences away.  Hollywood actor Riley Miner leads the US version of this production as Hiccup in the show traveling across country this year (2012).  He follows the performance of Rarmian Newton, who stars as Hiccup in the original Australian adventure shown in Melbourne.  Actress Gemma Nguyen (in USA) also delivers an unforgettable acrobatic performance as Astrid, the most skilled dragon fighter amongst the Viking teenage trainees, when she literally flies across stage.  According to the Herald Sun, this show sacrifices story and clear diction of dialogue for visual appeal; nonetheless, it provides a magical performance touching the greatest and wildest dreams of the future viewer hoping to personally witness the next level of Broadway.  Rated 4 stars and spicing the stage with larger-than-life digital dragons, How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular unveils a theatrical production nobody can afford to miss!             

Attend the Avengers for Action, Attitude and Amusement

The Avengers drives a story with the perfect amount of action that simply gets it’s a super hero film and doesn’t need to hype up action more than what it needs.  Filled with sophisticated and witty dialogue spoken by heroes as they mock one another while working together, it unveils a theme inspiring people of all ages but entertaining an adult audience attending the outing.  Most superheroes saving the world in this movie possess little ridiculously abnormal powers of superhero aliens like Superman, which makes their abilities even more fascinating and impressive because they created or learned their skills.  Cohesively joining the super intelligence of Tony Hark and Dr. Bruce Banner intelligently explains the problem of a realistic scientific force corrupting the world but also pairs it with a fascinating fanciful foe, and Captain America’s straightforward demand for their need to “speak English please” further humorously interprets the extreme dangers of the villains to a level the audience can follow and enjoy.  Extreme assassins like the kick-butt Black Widow and dashing agent The Hawk fight enemies with skills acquired from years of training, and their discipline makes them characters cool not because they’re so different from people but because they’re naturally similar to typical people…they’ve just undergone years of demanding and strenuous training.  Perhaps the most pleasantly exciting element of this movie is the Hulk’s character and contribution to the story.  Following serious cinematic Hulk flops from previous years, Mark Ruffalo finally gives a spectacularly prime performance during Dr. Banner’s calm states until transforming into the Hulk’s monstrous stage, which reveals a character filling the film with favorite comedic moments like punching Thor with a happy-go-lucky grin on his face after smashing up obnoxious bad guys.  The crazy chemistry of team Avengers fueled by constant bickering conversations entertains the audience with a captivating tennis match rhythm, especially when Iron Man and Captain America verbally joust with each other until C.A. finally influences Iron Man to drop his self-centered (though brilliant) attitude and make sacrifices defining a true hero, which epically pounds the heart gluing the quality of the film.  Though lasting a long two and a half hours, “The Avengers” promises a picture easily making people desire rewinding and playing it again.  Combining the sarcasm scoffing at overly dramatic moments, the heart of a good hero, and enough action making this movie exciting but not overplayed and unrealistic (unlike the latest 2011 Transformers), The Avengers delivers a movie worth spending $14 bucks for 3D glasses and a couple extra for a bag of butter popcorn and a small RB.               

Children will Love Cloudbabies

Kids love coming home from school to a big hot bowl of Spongebob shape Mac n’ Cheese and the latest animation shows on the tele’, and with Hoho Entertainment (a London based children’s development, production, and rights management company set up by industry professionals Oliver Ellis and Helen Howells in 2011) signing a license with Immediate Media (yesterday-May 8) for their promising fall program, Cloudbabies, pre-schoolers will have even more a reason to race home.  Targeting a younger audience, Cloudbabies is a CG animated show following four fantastical characters of Baba Pink, Baba Blue, Babe Yellow and Baba Green as they monitor and protect the sky and their sky friends Sun, Moon, Rainbow, Fuffa Cloud and Little Star.  With the help of their loyal Skyhorsies, these heroes entertain and teach kid viewers the fun of combining friendship with responsibility, which promotes what pre-school publisher Pauline Cook comments as, “a clear message about caring for others”.  Patterning similar messages that other pre-school program hits like “The Wiggles” sang to audiences, Cloudbabies could easily become a firm favorite of kids adoring the four friends helping everyday forces like night, day, stars and the weather, which echoes extremely positive themes.  Created by the award winning art director, Bridget Appleby amplifies Hoho’s confidence in the success and beauty of the show, and its partnership with big promoters such as Abbey Home Media for DVD, Vivid for Master Toy, Penguin Children’s Books for publishing, Aykrods and TDP for nightwear and underwear and Rainbow Productions for costume design also gives it trustworthy and innovative strong support.  Offering moments of creativity, caring and color, Cloudbabies floats to the top shelf for great children’s programs coming in the fall season.  It will also appear in the top selling pre-school magazine “CBeebies Weekly” within the month and it will feature on a “CBeebies Special” before it begins next fall.    

True Talent Destined to Take Trophies

Celebrity classics like Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks instantly trigger facial images and appreciation in multiple fans of all ages, but one star, Andy Serkis, delivers equal talent yet remains underrated.  Critically acclaimed for his phenomenal performances as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the giant ape in King Kong and Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Serkis masters extremely difficult roles compared to more common catchy characters; yet, he falls lower on a fan’s radar ranking his top actors.  This mishap mainly occurs because computers often digitally transform his appearance when printing it on the screen.  Characters like Gollum transform Serkis into a gangly frog/troll/only God knows what monster, and it’s hard to recognize him as a chimpanzee or gorilla until his name rolls up on the credits.  Serkis, nonetheless, breathes life into these characters with every particle of his innovatively passionate body.  Little changes in the lines curving his creepy to childish smile on Gollum’s face or innocent to wild movements of the apes all stream from Serkis’s imagination, often with little direction from the director.  In an interview of extended footage, director Peter Jackson admitted that he originally planned on having computer graphics control Gollum’s character, but then he watched Serkis’s audition.  Abandoning plan A for plan B (and designing a suit Serkis wore while acting so computers could sense his facial expressions and movements that then simply digitalized his appearance) drastically changed the results of the trilogy.  People can strongly argue Serkis’s performance as Gollum radiantly influenced why this $285 million budget trilogy took home 17 out of 30 Academy Awards.  Still, he receives multiple nominations but fewer trophies than deserved despite his brilliant contribution to the cinematic world (Serkis has won the Empire Award, a Saturn Award and the Screen Actors Guild Award).  On the horizon, Serkis will return as Gollum in Peter Jackson’s, The Hobbit released on December 14.  Perhaps this epic release can finally help him bring home much bigger dough (Oscar, anyone?).   

   

                 

Pass the Popcorn, Please!

Many people resort to microwave popcorn when they need a quick snack, but few realize they can turn this crunchy craving into a decadent and delicious snack requiring few ingredients and innovative recipes.  With the simple tricks and suggestions provided below, this movie buff can help you transform yummy basic munchies into a hot and spicy, cheesy and homey, sweet and chocolaty, or all-together more satisfying treats. Avoid popping it from buttery to burnt before playing with these ingredients and you’ll never view popcorn the same again!

1. Nuts for Popcorn:  

This popcorn gives a nice nutty kick to bland   kernels.  It’s good for fans in love with trail mix but weary of branching far from butter bases.  It combines the more expensive ingredients of:

·      10 cups popped popcorn,

·      1 cup pecan halves,

·      1 cup slivered almonds,

·      1 1/3 cups sugar,

·      1 cup butter (no substitutes),

·      1/2 cup light corn syrup,

·      1 teaspoon vanilla extract,

·      1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

·      1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Yet, despite its pricey additions, it’s easy to make requiring the minimal steps below:

·      In a large bowl, combine popcorn and nuts; set aside.

·      In a large saucepan, bring sugar, butter and corn syrup to a boil.

·      Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

·      Remove from the heat; add vanilla, cream of tartar and baking soda.

·      Drizzle over popcorn mixture; stir to coat.

·      Immediately spread onto two greased baking sheets; let dry for about 1 hour.

·      Store in an airtight container.

2. Lemon Cloud Popcorn: 

Lemon anything craftily cleanses the pallet after every meal.  This popcorn satisfies an appetitive still needing a little “something, something” but not wanting a dessert that pushes them into the bloated zone.  It combines very inexpensive ingredients of: 

 

·      4-1/2 quarts popped popcorn

·      2 cups sugar

·      1/2 cup light corn syrup

·      1/2 cup water

·      1 tablespoon lemon extract

·      1/2 teaspoon baking soda

·      1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Follow these simple steps and turn the list into a luscious lemon luxury:

·      Place popcorn in two greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans. Keep warm in a 225° oven.

·      Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and water; bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir occasionally until mixture reaches 290° on a candy thermometer (soft-crack stage). Remove from the heat; quickly stir in extract and baking soda. Pour over warm popcorn. Sprinkle with lemon peel; stir until well coated. Store in an airtight container.

3.  Taco-Nacho Mind Tease Popcorn (An Abby Original ;-D): 

This popcorn is for the most daring of combination junkies.  I often throw together these ingredients in a massive bowl to enjoy while watching a Raymond and/or Friends episode or movie during my unwind time.  It tosses together:

·      Microwave Popcorn Bag

 ·      ¼ cup combination of shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese

·      ¼ cup spinach

·      2 hot sauce packets (Mild and preferably---but obviously not necessarily---from Taco Bell)

·      1 ½ tablespoons ketchup

·      Butter-spray or melted (your preference)

I know it sounds disgusting, but I promise it’s ridiculously tasty.  It’s also great to take Cheddar Special K chips or Tortilla chips and scoop the popcorn into it.  This turns the snack into a kind of random nacho dish.  Follow the directions below and exceed ordinary popcorn expectations:

·      Pop the microwave bag for 3:20 seconds (depending on the strength of the microwave) to prevent burning but successfully popping every kernel. 

·      Dump the bag of popcorn in a bowl and top with spinach.

·      Microwave the popcorn and the spinach for 30 seconds, or until spinach softens (despite what you think, the popcorn does not moisten).

·      Top the spinach and popcorn combination with the hot sauce packets, cheese, and ketchup.

·      Cut the spinach and mix/toss the added ingredients.

·      Scoop popcorn with chips, or simply dig in and enjoy!

4.   Cranberry Popcorn Deluxe:

A popcorn designed for the festive occasion, or for a person desiring something sweet and healthier.  This formation takes as little as 15 minutes after mixing and cooling:

·      8 cups air-popped popcorn

·      3/4 cup dried cranberries

·      1/4 cup slivered almonds

·      1/4 cup pecan halves

·      1/4 cup honey

·      3 tablespoons butter

·      2 tablespoons maple syrup

·      1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Simply follow the directions below to create a great hand grab for any guest needing something light and tasty before dinner. 

·      In a shallow roasting pan, combine the popcorn, cranberries, almonds and pecans.

·      In a small saucepan, combine the honey, butter and syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from the heat; stir in extract. Drizzle over popcorn mixture and toss to coat.

·      Bake at 325° for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, stirring occasionally. Store in an airtight container.

5.  Tex-Mex Popcorn:

Perfectly placing flavors between the riskiness of Ranch Popcorn and the classic of Cajun Popcorn, this recipe blends popcorn with fresh seasonings like cilantro and spicy savorings like chili powder, garlic powder and paprika.  

Overall, it’s a non-regrettable flavor packed indulgence combining the ingredients of:

·      1/2 cup popcorn kernels

·      3 tablespoons canola oil

·      1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

·      Refrigerated butter-flavored spray

·      1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

·      1 teaspoon salt

·      1 teaspoon chili powder

·      1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

·      1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika

Take 15 minutes to follow these directions, and you’ll boost your movie experience tenfold!

·      In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the popcorn kernels, oil and cumin seeds until oil begins to sizzle. Cover and shake for 2-3 minutes or until popcorn stops popping.

·      Transfer to a large bowl; spray with butter-flavored spray. Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Continue spraying and tossing until popcorn is coated.

 

6. Peanut Butter Maple Popcorn

People assume they’d prefer a PBJ sandwich to peanut butter and popcorn, so they severely miss out on a superior snack.  Though it takes longer (one hour) to complete, it generates an un-regrettable undertaking.  It combines:

·      1 cup sugar

·      3/4 cup syrup

·      1 cup Skippy PB

·      1 tsp. vanilla extract

·      1 (3.5 oz.) pkg. natural or light (not buttered) microwave popcorn, popped (10 cups)

·      2 cups dry roasted peanuts

Dare to delight yourself with something different and follow these steps for peanut butter popcorn perfection:

·      Heat oven to 250°F.

·      Combine sugar and syrup in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Blend in peanut butter and vanilla.

·      Place popped popcorn and peanuts in a large bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture over popcorn, stirring until coated.

·      Place popcorn in a single layer on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool

So there you have it, Ladies and Gents’.  Money or a lot of ingredients isn’t always necessary to make the perfect bedtime, movie, study or whenever snack; all you need to do is pick one of these, pop it up, and enjoy!