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movies i watched in 2013.

film-slate

hot shots.
chasing mavericks.
looper.
the hobbit.
ted.
frankenweinee.
bernie.
skyfall.
zero dark thirty.
butter.
valentine’s day.
hotel translyvania.
moneyball. x 2
beastly.
new york, i love you.
jeff who lives at home.
the experiment.
the perfect host.
being elmo: a puppeteers journey.
vegucated.
arthur christmas.
paranormal activity 4.
glengarry glen ross.
the man on the train.
les miserables.
the rum diary.
safety not guaranteed.
extract.
the giant mechanical man.
the beginners guide to endings.
blue valentine.
everything must go.
seeking a friend for the end of the world.
a good old fashioned orgy.
now is good.
the campaign.
limitless. x 2
beasts of the southern wild.
larry crowne. x 2
prometheus.
super 8.
30 minutes or less.
just go with it.
desperado.
what to expect when expecting.
12 monkeys.
oz the great and powerful.
ice age 4 – continental drift.
world war z.
ghostbusters.
ghostbusters 2.
starbuck.
the iron lady.
superhero movie.
movie 43.
i don’t know how she does it.
the help.
mugimundi.
salmon fishing in the yemen.
national lampoon’s vacation.
the place behind the pines.
how do you know.
hungry for change.
bad teacher.
aziz ansari – dangerously delicious.
aziz ansari – intimate moments.
the son of no one.
life of pi.
why stop now.
the internship.
star trek – into the darkness.
spring breakers.
sky captain and the world of tomorrow.
epic.
pain and gain.
this is the end.
the watch.
pacific rim.
percy jackson and the olympians.
mud.
youth in revolt.
food inc.
ghost town.
hanna.
the croods.
iron man 3.
the hangover 3.
i love you phillip morris. x 2
a knights tale.
my idiot brother.
it’s a disaster.
let’s go to prison.
children of men.
captain phillips.
the last exorcism.
monsters university.
42.
you will meet a tall dark stranger.
horrible bosses.
the descendants.
chasing ice.
hall pass.
year one.
the hunger games – catching fire.
man of tai chi.
big.
the wolverine.
o brother, where art thou.
elysium.
the hobbit: the desolation of smaug.
the muppets.
sleepless in seattle.
to rome with love.
vicky cristina barcelona.

that’s 114 movies!  and with the 4 i watched twice – 118!  that’s basically 1 movie every 3 days!

i’m not sure whether to be proud of that, or deeply saddened at the thought that i sat on my ass for who knows how many hours on end.  and no, i really don’t feel like adding it up.  go ahead – be my guest if you’re so curious.  and then let me know because truthfully i’m curious too.  i just don’t want to do the math.
also keep in mind there was a movie or two that i forgot to write down.
in any case – one hundred and seventeen is a lot!  if you’re interested in knowing my thoughts on any of the movies listed above – ask away!

i now give you permission to go sit your ass down on a comfy couch and watch a good flick.
popcorn included.

***update – the original post stated 117 movies but after chatting with mohawk, i realized that i forgot to list “the croods” and thus – 118!

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the travelling crockpot – holiday feast.

TC-holiday-feast

the holidays are an excuse to have elaborate get togethers with lots of food and laughter.  this was the case on the evening all the ladies of the travelling crockpot got together to do a collective feast.  the men in our lives were invited – not to cook (crazy talk), but to dine with us.  we reminded them of how completely lucky they were to be taking part.

appetizer

all appetizers provided by marisa included – crusted brie with apple and brown sugar.  a cheese platter consisting of raw milk organic old cheddar, applewood smoked cheddar (she knows it’s my favourite and i love her for that) and french stilton.  twice baked potatoes stuffed with crispy bacon, sour cream, rosemary & thyme.  phyllo-wrapped asparagus with prosciutto.

TC-side-dishes

adrienne provided a couscous salad laced with pomegranates and delicious dill.  she also panfried up oyster mushrooms and scallops in a brown butter and white wine sauce.  i brought a plate of smitten kitchen’s sweet potatoes with pecans and goat cheese as well as some celeriac root which had been sautéed with fresh thyme and olive oil.  nikki also baked those lovely acorn squash halves with raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon.

   TC-nikki-chicken

our main star was cooked by nikki – the two juiciest birds i’ve ate in a long time.  so succulent with crispy skin – heaven!  one was done with lemon and sage and the other with orange and allspice.  finishing off the night with a pomegranate panna cotta made by yours truly and dutch style rice pudding with raisins and cinnamon from marisa.

TC-dessert

TC-feast-fireplace

we drank wine, sangria and mulled cider.
we roasted marshmallows over the fire.
and we laughed – alot.
i’m certain this will need to be an annual thing.  come to think of it – it’s coming up on an entire year for the crockpot!  how exciting!
eat and be well over the holidays my friends – wherever you are!

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sunday skims + snapshot.

pomeranian-dog

she’d get lost in the leaves.

1 |  how is it already the end of october?  do you know what you’re doing for halloween?  a trip to canada’s wonderland is in order for a good scare and anyone looking for spooky inspiration should visit martha stewart.

2 | having only just learnt how to make poached eggs (thanks Adrienne!), i decided to keep practicing and made them for brunch this saturday for some visiting friends.  poached eggs on top of blanched asparagus – along side roasted potatoes, tomatoes, onions and garlic drizzled in niagara grapeseed oil and chopped fresh oregano.  all from the farmers market – of course.  i love breakfast food so much! and when it’s also 100% local – happy happy joy joy!

3 | found this article on home renovation to be rather interesting.  i dream of the day that i own a house.  one that needs lots of tender loving care.  one with an open door policy.

happy sunday – wherever you are!

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happy birthday – to me.

my birthday was on saturday.  i am now 26 years old.  i am no longer considered a “youth” by via rails’ standards.

beckygean-birthday-1

i’m a leo – hence why i don’t mind letting the world know.  both on the blog, and by wearing the shirt Josh made me last year that says “worship me, it’s my birthday!”

i had taken the train back to my hometown.  it brought back many memories to awake in my childhood bedroom on the morning of my birthday.  Josh had gotten up at 5:45 a.m. in toronto, went to the farmers market and headed to my parents house where he made me “birthday breakfast in bed (kind of)”.  he made the coolest instagram video to let me know too!

we then packed up the car and headed to the kingsville/leamington area.  what a windy day it was!

beckygean-birthday-2

i love being by the water.  it was the perfect, relaxing, no stress day that i was hoping for, including a delicious meal at jack’s gastropub.  they were kind enough to even stick a birthday candle in my creme brûlée.  this made me very happy.

next year it’ll be my champagne birthday!  27 on 27!