We'll Return in 2 and 2... (vintage commercial ads)

Thought I'd change up Tuesday Tunes today and post some old favorite commercials. Not sure why these are on my mind but here they are... (I think I'm just really tired......)

What? This is how I learned to spell bologna. Still sing the song.. :)


I would act out this whole commercial everyday. LOVED this candy bar!


No song to sing but this commercial made a big impact on me and taught me not to litter.


I remember sitting in my Great-grandparents house and listening to this commercial. I've been trying to remember the words because I've been singing bits of it to Jamie.

What is your favorite old time commercial?

A Wee Irish Meal Ahead (vegan and meat version available)

 St. Patrick's day is in two days and while many people will be eating Corned beef and cabbage, I for one do not care for these particular food items. If I was to celebrate this day, I would opt for a yummy Shepard's Pie. You can prepare this in many ways using various types of meat. I like mine with Turkey since I don't eat red meat while my husband enjoys the traditional route of beef. Though I have yet to make it, I'm including a Vegan version. I hope you have a wonderful day no matter how you celebrate it :)

Enjoy!

Nigel's version of Shepard's pie: This recipe uses the ground turkey and  ground pork.
Serving or 4-5
1 package of ground turkey meat
1 package of ground pork
bag of frozen veggies
and Bisto gravy (Bisto can be found in World Market if you don't have a British store in your vicinity)
Since this is Nigel's recipe I do not know the exact measurement for the ingredients but have found a similar version.

1. Boil the potatoes until tender, drain and mash with butter. He also adds some cauliflower to the boiling water and mashes the yams and the cauliflower together. I'm pretty sure he adds a little cream to this mixture.
2. Meanwhile fry the meat in a pan until brown and drain off any excess fat. Add Worcestershire sauce, Ketchup, clove of garlic(can be removed when cooked)(We omit these last two). He also adds some frozen veggies while cooking the meat. Sometimes we add parsnips or carrots if I have too many on hand. 
3. (Nigel makes the gravy and then adds it to the meat.) Sprinkle the Bisto Gravy Granules over the mince and add some boiling water to make a thick gravy.
4. Add a handful of peas, stir then place all the mixture in a large casserole dish.
5. Top with mashed potato and place in a preheated oven at 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 for about 30 to 40 minutes until browned on top and hot in the middle.

**Substitute red meat in place of the turkey but still use some ground pork. 

Vegan Version via One Ingredient Chef (blog)

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 4 1/2 cups prepared lentils
• 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon basil + more for garnish
• 1/2 cup chopped spinach
• 2+ tablespoons non-dairy milk
• Sea salt

Step One

Before anything else, peel and chop the sweet potatoes into small chunks. Get them in a pot of water and let them boil for at least 15-20 minutes, depending on size.

Step Two

Meanwhile, chop the carrots, onion, and celery (mirepoix) into small chunks. To make things super easy, I often buy a pre-cut mirepoix at Trader Joe’s. Or you can use a food processor. Add this to a large skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of water and allow them to soften.

Step Three

Once the veggies are softened, add the prepared lentils to the pan. You can use any kind of lentils you’d like… dried (cook them yourself), canned (drained), or pre-made lentils in a package (as long as the don’t have any unnatural ingredients). Allow these to cook for several minutes with the mirepoix.

Preheat the oven to 350º F

Step Four

Open the cans of diced tomatoes (but do not drain them) and add these along with a tablespoon of chopped (or dried) basil leaves, a handful of chopped spinach, and a splash of soy sauce. Let this filling simmer for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to mingle.

Step Five

When the sweet potatoes are soft all the way through, remove them from the heat and drain the water. Mash with a little salt and a splash of non-dairy milk until the consistency is perfect.

Add the lentil filling to a 9 x 13 pan and top with a layer of sweet potatoes. Or, like pictured, you can add to individual oven-safe bowls. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until the topping becomes slightly browned. Allow to cool before serving. This recipe yields about 6 servings and makes excellent leftovers the next evening for a 2-for-1 dinner.

Spring Fling...

Before I let another day go by without mentioning this but I'll be joining Lissa Butler and many others....

Please help pass the word by sharing this.

Thanks!! 

Red Carpet Winners- "Who Are You Wearing?"

Everyone is always talking about how the new actresses are dressing in Old Hollywood glamour when hitting the Red Carpet.  I had posted about the past dresses which you can see here.  When I started Googling the actresses in their actual dress, I was quite surprised at how simple some of the styles were. Yes, a lot of photos are in black and white so maybe the bling of the dress is not able to come through like it does today. In my opinion, actresses of early movies had such an understated style compared to some of the avant garde dresses worn at the Oscar's today.

What's funny to me is that how these actresses dressed at the Oscar's is completely different than when they dressed for a costume designer's photo or even a movie. Granted it was the work of the designer that is being shown but one would think that this would be what the actresses would wear on the Red Carpet. Seriously, Google "Old Hollywood" style and take a look at the photos- not one is from an actual Oscar's night.  Now take a look at the poster of the dresses- the first thing that I noticed was how many wore an "unknown" label. That's pretty much unheard of now; the first question that Giuliana Rancic asks an actress is "Who are you wearing?" Here are the same actresses in designer clothes.

Here are some other actresses showing off designer clothes:

Again, not one photo from an actual Oscar's night.  It wasn't until Audrey Hepburn came along wearing Givenchy that people took an interest in "Who are you wearing?"

So when we talk about Old Hollywood style which style are we talking about? Who are you wearing? Or Who You Are?

.....Ok, Ok I couldn't leave without taking a look at tonight's actresses, here are some of my favorites. I have to admit some I didn't see until I started looking up photos for this blog but sometimes that's when you can find the best photos. 

Ok, one last thing... Can I ask WHAT happened to Goldie Hawn??!! I have seen this face before on another actress but can't place it. Anyone have a guess? Sorry Goldie, you looked great before... 

That's it from Hollywood  Laguna Niguel... Have a great night!!

And the Winner is....

With the Oscars just around the corner, I'd like to take a look at some past winners:
Enjoy!!

1936- The Way You Look Tonight from Swing Time (the best part is that Ginger Rogers is washing her hair)
 

1939- Over the Rainbow from Wizard of Oz (would it have been a list without this song?)

1940- When You Wish Upon a Star from Pinocchio (I just sang this song to JDQ)

1951- In the Cool, Cool of the Evening from Here Comes the Bride (such a cute song- never saw the movie)
 

1961- Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany's (such a great movie!)

I did have to Google a list of these songs since I'm not good at remembering which ones won and didn't but I was amazed to see how many nominee songs I knew compared to the winning song until 1980's. I knew every song from that era. Also I was quite surprised to see how many Disney songs won over the years. If you'd like to see the full list click here...  Now for a list of this year's nominees
Happy from Despicable Me 2
Let It Go from Frozen
The Moon Song from Her
Ordinary Love from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Which of the 2014 nominees is your winning choice?
See you on the red carpet!

Little Hands....

Bathing Season!!! YIKES!

Living in Southern California, one's thoughts are never too far from beach time and though, it's still too cold for me to go, this is exactly what I've been thinking about. (Ok, one of a thousand things that I think about) The reason it's been on my mind is not about laying lazily in the sun but about JDQ wanting to go into the ocean/pool.  Yes, gone are my days of falling asleep to the lapping of the waves and hello to my days of getting water thrown in my face. I've already been looking into swim lessons and I'm not sure if I want to just hire someone or go to a public spot. Either way though, I will have to get into a bathing suit. UGH!! I have not been very diligent about getting back into shape. More of less, it's trying to find the time. Though I have set up a lovely little spot in the garage (remember the newly organized garage that I still need to take pictures of to show everyone), right now the two pieces of equipment are gathering dust. I have used one of them once.... just once. Don't want to get too crazy. Anyway, I've come across some pretty sure bathing suits that I wanted to share.

via Anthropologie

via everything but water

via shabby apple

via figleaves

via figleaves

via Landsend

by Plumo

But I think I may be leaning more in this direction.....  lol! 

Enjoy!