Happy Birthday to Stephen King!

Tomorrow is Stephen King's birthday.  When the Brave Astronaut clan visited Maine in August, I kept saying we should go and visit his home in Bangor - but we didn't get there.  Ah well, maybe next time.

On a family trip when I was much younger, I read my first Stephen King book, Salem's Lot on my way Down East.  Needless to say I didn't sleep well that week - listening for the tap, tap, tap, of vampires on my window.  But that didn't stop me from going to a bookstore (you remember bookstores, right?) and buying a copy of Christine to read as a follow-up. I have read almost everything that King has written (I never got into the Dark Tower books) - I prefer King's horror and macabre works over his foray into sci-fi.  That includes his non-fiction work, On Writing, in which he suggests first nearly 100 books and then in an updated edition, another 80, that everyone should read (not including his own works).  I'm a bit ashamed to note that I haven't read a lot of these.  List/Quiz on BuzzFeed.  How'd you do?

1. A PERFECT CRIME by Peter Abrahams
2. LIGHTS OUT by Peter Abrahams
3. PRESSURE DROP by Peter Abrahams
4. REVOLUTION #9 by Peter Abrahams
5. A DEATH IN THE FAMILY by James Agee
6. LIVES OF THE MONSTER DOGS by Kirsten Bakis
7. REGENERATION by Pat Barker
8. THE EYE IN THE DOOR by Pat Barker
9. THE GHOST ROAD by Pat Barker
10. IN THE NIGHT SEASON by Richard Bausch
11. THE INTRUDER by Peter Blauner
12. THE SHELTERING SKY by Paul Bowles
13. THE TORTILLA CURTAIN by T. Coraghessan Boyle 
14. A WALK IN THE WOODS by Bill Bryson
15. THANK YOU FOR SMOKING by Christopher Buckley
16. WHERE I’M CALLING FROM by Raymond Carver
17. WEREWOLVES IN THEIR YOUTH by Michael Chabon
18. LATITUDE ZERO by Windsor Chorlton
19. THE POET by Michael Connelly
20. HEART OF DARKNESS by Joseph Conrad
21. FAMILY VALUES by K.C. Constantine
22. UNDERWORLD by Don Delillo
23. CATHEDRAL by Nelson DeMille
24. THE GOLD COAST by Nelson DeMille
25. OLIVER TWIST by Charles Dickens
26. COMMON CARNAGE by Stephen Dobyns
27. THE CHURCH OF DEAD GIRLS by Stephen Dobyns
28. THE WOMAN WHO WALKED INTO DOORS by Roddy Doyle
29. THE DICK GIBSON SHOW by Stanley Elkin
30. AS I LAY DYING by William Faulkner
31. THE BEACH by Alex Garland
32. DECEPTION ON HIS MIND by Elizabeth George
33. GRAVITY by Tess Gerritsen
34. LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding
35. FURNACE by Muriel Gray
36. A GUN FOR SALE by Graham Greene
37. OUR MAN IN HAVANA by Graham Greene
38. THE FIFTIES by David Halberstam
39. WHY SINATRA MATTERS by Pete Hamill
40. HANNIBAL by Thomas Harris
41. PLAINSONG by Kent Haruf
42. SMILA’S SENSE OF SNOW by Peter Hoeg
43. DIRTY WHITE BOYS by Stephen Hunter
44. A FIRING OFFENSE by David Ignatius
45. A WIDOW FOR ONE YEAR by John Irving
46. THE TOOTH FAIRY by Graham Joyce
47. THE DEVIL’S OWN WORK by Alan Judd
48. GOOD ENOUGH TO DREAM by Roger Kahn
49. THE LIAR’S CLUB by Mary Karr
50. RIGHT TO LIFE by Jack Ketchum
51. SURVIVOR by Tabitha King
52. SKY IN THE WATER by Tabitha King
53. THE POISONWOOD BIBLE by Barbara Kingsolver
54. INTO THIN AIR by Jon Krakauer
55. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee
56. OUR GUYS by Bernard Lefkowitz
57. THE IGNORED by Bentley Little
58. A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT by Norman Maclean
59. THE MOON AND SIXPENCE by W. Somerset Maugham
60. CITIES OF THE PLAIN by Cormac McCarthy
61. THE CROSSING by Cormac McCarthy
62. ANGELA’S ASHES by Frank McCourt
63. CHARMING BILLY by Alice McDermott
64. ANCIENT SHORES by Jack McDevitt
65. ENDURING LOVE by Ian McEwan
66. THE CEMENT GARDEN by Ian McEwan
67. DEAD MAN’S WALK by Larry McMurty
68. ZEKE AND NED by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana
69. A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
70. ZOMBIE by Joyce Carol Oates
71. IN THE LAKE OF THE WOODS by Tim O’Brien
72. THE SPEED QUEEN by Stewart O’Nan
73. THE ENGLISH PATIENT by Michael Ondaatje
74. NO SAFE PLACE by Richard North Patterson
75. FREEDOMLAND by Richard Price
76. CLOSE RANGE by Annie Proulx
77. THE SHIPPING NEWS by Annie Proulx
78. ONE TRUE THING by Anna Quindlen
79. A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES by Ruth Rendell
80. WAITING by Frank M. Robinson
81. HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS by J.K. Rowling
82. HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN by J.K. Rowling
83. HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE by J.K. Rowling
84. MOHAWK by Richard Russo
85. RESERVATION ROAD by John Burnham Schwartz
86. A SUITABLE BOY by Vikram Seth
87. THE YOUNG LIONS by Irwin Shaw
88. THE CRATER by Richard Slotkin
89. THE ILLUSIONIST by Dinitia Smith
90. MEN IN BLACK by Scott Spencer
91. JOE HILL by Wallace Stegner
92. THE SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tartt
93. A PATCHWORK PLANET by Anne Tyler
94. HOCUS POCUS by Kurt Vonnegut
95. BRIDESHEAD REVISITED by Evelyn Waugh
96. THE AX by Donald E. Westlake
97. END OF STORY by Peter Abrahams
98. THE TUTOR by Peter Abrahams
99. THE WHITE TIGER by Aravind Adiga
100. ONE GOOD TURN by Kate Atkinson
101. ORYX AND CRAKE by Margaret Atwood
102. FIELDWORK by Mischa Berlinkski
103. CHRISTINE FALLS by Benjamin Black
104. THE LAST GOOD DAY by Peter Blauner
105. 2666 by Roberto Bolaño
106. THE NIGHT OF THE GUN by David Carr
107. SPARTINA by John Casey
108. THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN’S UNION by Michael Chabon
109. JACK REACHER Series by Lee Child
110. THE NARROWS by Michael Connelly
111. THE HOURS by Michael Cunningham
112. HOUSE OF LEAVES by Mark Z. Danielewski
113. THE BRIEF AND WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO by Junot Diaz
114. WHITE MAN’S GRAVE by Richard Dooling
115. ZOO STATION by David Downing
116. THE GARDEN OF LAST DAYS by Andre Dubus
117. PEACE LIKE A RIVER by Leif Enger
118. A FAN’S NOTES by Frederick Exley
119. THEN WE CAME TO THE END by Joshua Ferris
120. STRONG MOTION by Jonathan Franzen
121. THE CORRECTIONS by Jonathan Franzen 
122. AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman
123. CROSSCUT by Meg Gardiner
124. THE DIRTY SECRETS CLUB by Meg Gardiner
125. THE LONG HOME by William Gay
126. PAINTING THE DARKNESS by Robert Goddard
127. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen
128. THE RAW SHARK TEXTS by Steven Hall
129. A SOLDIER OF THE GREAT WAR by Mark Helprin
130. THE HANK THOMPSON TRILOGY by Charlie Huston
131. TREE OF SMOKE by Denis Johnson
132. GOOD POEMS Edited by Garrison Keillor
133. THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kid
134. FARGO ROCK CITY by Chuck Klosterman
135. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson
136. ABSOLUTE FRIENDS by John le Carré
137. THE GIVEN DAY by Dennis Lehane
138. UP IN HONEY’S ROOM by Elmore Leonard
139. THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE by Jonathan Lethem
140. WHAT THE DEAD KNOW by Laura Lippman
141. DISPATCH by Bentley Little
142. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN by Cormac McCarthy
143. ATONEMENT by Ian McEwan
144. THE PEOPLE’S ACT OF LOVE by James Meek
145. HER FEARFUL SYMMETRY by Audrey Niffenegger
146. THE AUBREY/MATURIN NOVELS by Patrick O’Brian
147. THE GOOD WIFE by Stewart O’Nan
148. WE WERE THE MULVANEYS by Joyce Carol Oates
149. HARD REVOLUTION by George Pelecanos
150. THE TURNAROUND by George Pelecanos
151. THE ABSTINENCE TEACHER by Tom Perrotta 
152. NINETEEN MINUTES by Jodi Picoult
153. VERNON GOD LITTLE by DBC Pierre
154. FINE JUST THE WAY IT IS by Annie Proulx
155. SHATTER by Michael Robotham
156. AMERICAN PASTORAL by Philip Roth
157. THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA by Philip Roth
158. MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN by Salman Rushdie
159. BRIDGE OF SIGHS by Richard Russo
160. EMPIRE FALLS by Richard Russo 
161. DROOD by Dan Simmons
162. TERROR by Dan Simmons
163. AMERICAN WIFE by Curtis Sittenfeld
164. CHILD 44 by Tom Rob Smith
165. VOODOO HEART by Scott Snyder
166. QUICKSILVER by Neil Stephenson
167. THE LITTLE FRIEND by Donna Tartt
168. WAR AND PEACE by Leo Tolstoy
169. HOLLYWOOD STATION by Joseph Wambaugh
170. ALL THE KING’S MEN by Robert Penn Warren
171. THE LITTLE STRANGER by Sarah Waters
172. CROOKED RIVER BURNING by Mark Winegardner
173. THE GODFATHER RETURNS by Mark Winegardner
174. THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE by David Wroblewski
175. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD by Richard Yates
176. BIG IF by Mark Costello
177. LIFE OF PI by Yann Martel
178. THE FIXER by Bernard Malamud

Strawberry Pretzel Pie

Don't tell Mrs. BA - but I really think I'm in love with the Pioneer Woman.

Strawberry Pretzel Pie
Pie Prep Time: 4 Hours
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 4 cups Pretzel Sticks 
• 1 stick (8 Tablespoons) Butter, Melted 
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar 
• 1-1/2 cup Sugar 
• 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch 
• 1 package (3.5 Ounce) Strawberry-flavored Jello 
• 1-1/2 cup Water 
• 3 pints Strawberries, Hulled And Halved 
• Unsweetened Whipped Cream 

Preparation Instructions
For the pretzel crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Crush the pretzels in a large resealable plastic bag with a rolling pin. Mix in a bowl with the butter and brown sugar. Press into a pie pan and bake for 8 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.

For the strawberry filling: Put 1 1/2 cups water, the granulated sugar, cornstarch and gelatin powder in a saucepan. Stir together and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook until it starts to thicken, about 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Let the liquid cool for a good 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Put the strawberries in a bowl and pour over the sauce, gently tossing together. Allow to sit for 5-7 minutes, then carefully pile the coated strawberries into the cooled pie crust. Spoon over a little leftover sauce if needed, and refrigerate, uncovered, for 4 hours.

Cut into slices and serve with whipped cream. (Unsweetened is nice because the pie is so sweet!)

It's Labor Day - Have a Drink!

I know there's dark rum in the house - it came back from vacation after being acquired at the NH State Liquor Store.  Now if I can still get some cherries.  From Epicurious.

The Cherry Bomb
Yield: 1 cocktail
Active Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients 

• 4 fresh sweet cherries, halved, pitted 
• 1/4 of a lemon 
• 1/4 of a lime 
• 5–6 fresh mint leaves 
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup 
• 1 dash Angostura bitters 
• 2 ounces dark rum 
• Mint sprigs (for garnish) 

Preparation
Using a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon, muddle cherries, lemon and lime wedges, mint leaves, simple syrup, and bitters in a mixing glass or cocktail shaker. Add rum and stir to combine.

Mayonnaise

There are some things that I don't make - because there are others who do a much better than me.  Mayonnaise for instance.  The fine folks at Hellman's have got this.  But if I were to make my own - I would use this recipe.  Via BuzzFeed.

Basic Mayonnaise
Makes 2 cups
Recipe by Emily Gennis

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature 
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 2 tablespoons very cold water 
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice 
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil, refrigerator cold

PREPARATION

1. Combine all ingredients except the oil in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and blend until combined, 5-10 seconds. 
2. While the food processor is still running, add the cold oil in a very slow, steady stream. It should take about a minute to add all of the oil.
3. When all of the oil is incorporated, the mixture should be thick, emulsified, and a pale yellowish-white. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 

And if you're not happy with the basic mayo - check here for some varieties.

Garlice and Herb Spatchcock Grilled Chicken

The Brave Astronaut is back from vacation and a conference trip to Cleveland and ready to get back in a routine.  That means dinner at home more regularly.  But it doesn't mean an end to grilling.  From epicurious.

Garlic and Herb Spatchcock Grilled Chicken
Yield: Serves 4
Active Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 1/4 hours

Ingredients

• 1 bunch rosemary 
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed 
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 1 (3 1/2-pound) whole chicken 
• 1 (1 1/2-pound) skin-on, bone-in whole chicken breast 
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Chimichurri Sauce (for serving) 

Preparation
Prepare a grill for medium-high heat with both direct and indirect heat zones, preferably with hardwood or hardwood charcoal. Separate leaves from 5 rosemary sprigs, then coarsely chop leaves. Tie remaining sprigs together with kitchen twine to form a brush. Combine garlic and oil in a measuring cup.

Remove backbone of whole chicken with kitchen shears by cutting along both sides of the spine while chicken is breast side down. Reserve backbone for stock. Remove keel bone. Turn chicken over, breast side up, and splay it open. Press down on breastbone with your palms until you hear it crack. Tuck the wings behind the breasts, then tuck in the legs so the bottoms of the drumsticks are pointed away from the body and chicken is as flat as possible.

Press down on breastbone of whole chicken breast with your palms until it cracks and lies as flat as possible.

Brush all sides of both pieces of chicken with the garlic-oil using rosemary brush. Sprinkle all sides with chopped rosemary leaves, salt, and pepper.

Grill both pieces of chicken, skin side down, over direct heat, until skin is golden brown, crispy, and lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Flip both pieces of chicken over, transfer to indirect heat, and baste with rosemary brush dipped in garlic-oil.

Continue to grill chicken, basting occasionally, until skin is golden brown, juices run clear, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 165°F, 45–60 minutes for whole chicken and 25–35 minutes for chicken breast. Let chicken stand at least 10 minutes before carving. Arrange chicken on a serving platter and serve with chimichurri sauce alongside.

Cleveland Rocks! Go visit a museum!

I'm traveling again today (after the great summer vacation in Maine last week) - heading for the Society of American Archivists meeting in Cleveland, Ohio.  I will meet up with my archival friends, speak on a panel and take in some minor league ball (the Indians are out of town this week).

None of the museums on this list are in Cleveland (but the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is - and I'll be going there) - but one should visit these, I've been to several already and will work on the rest in the coming years!

1. The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - I've been here (at another conference).  The largest museum dedicated to a single artist in the United States, the Andy Warhol museum features works from throughout the career of the king of pop art. The museum is located in the North Side of Pittsburgh, which was Warhol’s hometown.
2. Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, California - I missed out on the SAA meeting in San Francisco and have yet to visit the city by the bay.  San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum features one of the largest and most comprehensive collection of art and handicrafts from throughout the Asian continent.
3. The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii - I've not been to Hawaii and don't have a whole lot of interest, unfortunately.  While Honolulu’s Bishop museum features several different exhibits ranging from Earth science to art, what really makes this museum unique is its collection of items of importance from the Hawaiian people and their culture, which is unparalleled, and visiting the Bishop Museum means you are in Hawaii, which is pretty excellent.
4. Chasing Rainbows Museum, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee - I've not been to Tennessee either, but might be able to be convinced.  Yes, that’s right, there is a museum that’s all about Dolly Parton, and, yes, you have to visit this all Dolly Parton museum that’s a featured attraction in Dollywood, the all Dolly Parton theme park located in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains.
5. Clinton Presidential Center, Little Rock, Arkansas - Hey, it's a National Archives location! If you are in the mood for some 90s nostalgia, there’s really no better place on this planet today than Little Rock, the home of Bill Clinton’s presidential library and museum, which does a pretty nice job of breaking down the state of the world during the Clinton presidency.
6. Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York - I really meant to stop here on the way home from Rochester last year.  This could be done as a day trip or an overnight.  Located in the small Upstate New York town of Corning, which is also the home of the Corning Glass Works that founded this museum in the 1950s, the Corning Museum of Glass is part hands on science museum and part art/history museum focusing on the development of glass as a material and it’s many uses.
7. Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, Staten Island, New York - Wait, there's something other that landfill on Staten Island? Tucked in a suburban neighborhood on New York’s remote Staten Island is one of the world’s best collection of Tibetan and Himalayan art and artifacts. It’s a pretty interesting and quiet oasis in the middle of one of the world’s biggest cities.
8. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Cooperstown, New York - CHECK! While certainly an important stop for any fan of America’s Pastime, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum presents a succinct telling of American history through the lens of one of this nation’s most popular sports. It seems like today there is a hall of fame for just about everything, but Cooperstown is no doubt the best of the bunch.
9. National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, Tennessee - Two museums from Tennessee on the same list?  Housed in the former Lorraine Motel in Memphis, infamous as the place where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in April, 1968, the National Civil Rights Museum takes a poignant look at America’s Civil Rights Movement from the 1600s through today.
10. National Cryptologic Museum, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland - I keep meaning to go, but I can never find it, plus I think it's password protected.  If you can believe it, the National Cryptologic Museum is a pet project of controversial National Security Agency (NSA). The museum is perfect if you are a fan of looking at the actual objects that inspired your favorite Bond gadgets, this museum is perfect for you. It’s perhaps best to turn off your phone before you enter though… just in case. 
11. New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford, Massachusetts - Growing up on Long Island, I often would visit the Whaling Museum in Cold Spring Harbor.  That's not to say that I'm not prepared to branch out.  Before we discovered fossil fuels were capable of helping us generate energy while destroying the environment, people actually loaded up on sailing vessels and went out to harpoon whales to process their blubber as oil. The New Bedford Whaling Museum, located in what was once one of the biggest whaling ports in the world, looks at the history and culture of the whale fishing era, whale biology as well as the fight to help save these incredible creatures. 
12. Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport, Maine - We hit this one up just last week! With all the summers I spent in Maine, I had never been there.  Located in the small coastal Maine village of Kennebunkport, the Seashore Trolley Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of mass transit vehicles from street cars dating to the 1800s to busses and subway trains just decommissioned from their respective cities. Be sure to take a ride on one of their functioning cars for a bit of transit nostalgia.
13. Totem Heritage Center, Ketchikan, Alaska - I've not been to the Last Frontier State, yet. Tucked at the end of the scenic Alaskan Peninsula, Ketchikan hosts the worlds largest single collection of authentic totem poles in the Totem Heritage Center along with the Totem Bight State Historic Park and other nearby facilities.

It's the Day for the Left!

At the Brave Astronaut Clan enjoys it's time Down East with our good friends for the week - it's time to pause and recognize the holiday that occurs today - International Left Hander's Day!

I, am of course, left handed - something that is very prominent in my profession I have come to notice.  Perhaps one of my industrious brethren should come up with a whole line of left-handed archival supplies!  Because below is a list of things that are a challenge to those of us that "if the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body" are the only ones who are in their right minds. (via BuzzFeed)

1. “Scissors” - What it usually means: A tool used for cutting or for brandishing at smaller siblings. What it means to lefties: An ancient torture device that sometimes leaves you hacking at a piece of paper because no one can ever find that one pair of left-handed scissors that’s floating somewhere in the universe. 
2. “Can Opener” - What it usually means: A tool used for opening the can of tuna that’s been at the back of your pantry since 2002. What it means to lefties: An instrument of death that makes you shift into a series of angles that human bodies are not made to withstand.
3. “First Day of School” - What it usually means: A fresh start! Knowledge! The opportunity for an undercover cop to pose as a fresh2death millennial and allow hijinks to ensue! What it means to lefties: Quickly scanning the classroom to grab the one left-handed desk, if there even is one. Otherwise, it means looking forward to a year of performing unnatural and possibly illegal contortions in order to write. 
4. “Dinner Party” - What it usually means: A gathering where friends and/or family partake in food and tedious small talk until someone gets drunk and starts talking about moon landing conspiracy theories. What it means to lefties: A brutal battle where no elbow emerges unscathed. 
5. “Binder” - What it usually means: A place to keep your papers and thoughts organized until the snaps come apart and everything goes flying to the floor. What it means to lefties: A tool forged in hell to annoy you as you attempt to write.
6. “Writing” - What it usually means: Committing words to a page using a writing utensil. Retro texting. What it means to lefties: Smearing ink or lead across the side of one’s hand because life is not fair and no one is looking out for you and nothing matters.
7. “SmudgeGuard” - What it usually means: An open glove meant to prevent lefties’ hands from being stained as they write. A toe shoe for your hand. What it means to lefties: A hand garment created by the Righty Industrial Complex to make us look foolish.
8. “Cooking” - What it usually means: Preparing food when you should have just ordered pizza. What it means to lefties: Wrestling with a saucepan that has a lip on the wrong side so that you end up sloshing half your cooking liquid all over the counter like some moron in a late-night infomercial. Although thank goodness for these things.
9. “Mug” - What it usually means: A vessel from which to sip the blood of your enemies. What it means to lefties: A vessel from which to sip the blood of our right-handed oppressors on which cute little novelty slogans are usually printed so that we cannot see them as we imbibe.
10. “Baseball” - What is usually means: A sport that involves throwing a ball and running while wearing pajamas. What it means to lefties: Gingerly placing your hand into the one lefty glove, if you can even find it, that smells like it is haunted by the ghosts of a million farts.
11. “Camera” - What it usually means: A device that takes photos of food. What it means for lefties: A frustrating device that takes photos of food. 
12. “Gun” - What it usually means: A weapon used in hunting, law enforcement, straight-up murder, firing paintballs at frenemies, or any combination of these. What it means to lefties: A potentially bad idea.
13. “Video Game” - What it usually means: A way to unwind and have fun, usually while murdering pixelated people and/or demons. What it means to lefties: Using a controller that acts as a constant reminder of the Righty Industrial Complex’s vendetta against its superior left-handed brethren.
14. “Lefty” - What it usually means: A person who favors his or her left hand when writing and performing other functions. Also, sometimes it means political stuff. What is means to lefties: A person who puts up with a lot of crap.

The United Nations Takes a Step Forward

On this day in History, President Harry Truman signed the United Nations Charter, and the United States became the first nation to complete the process of joining the new international organization - which will celebrate its 70th anniversary in October.

There are currently 193 nations in the United Nations.  I had an idea that I was going to do a series of posts this year to commemorate the founding of the UN, but couldn't get it together.  How could I adequately highlight all of the countries?

I used to visit the UN Headquarters often while growing up in New York.  If you're in New York, it is absolutely worth a visit.

To mark this significant anniversary, here are 15 Crazy Facts About Some of the World's Lesser Known Countries. From BuzzFeed.

1. Kiribati (UN Member since 1999) is the world’s only country to fall within all four hemispheres.
2. The island nation of Niue (not a member of the UN) has coins featuring Disney characters, Star Wars characters, and more. Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and with only about 1,200 residents, the small island nation of Niue is one of the most remote in the world.
3. Ethiopia (Original Member - 1945) still follows a traditional calendar that is seven years behind the rest of the world. Because of the strong presence of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the country, the traditional calendar of that church is still influential in Ethiopia. The calendar came about in the 16th century when most of Christianity changed the date Jesus is believed to have been born on, but those in Ethiopia decided to maintain the original date. 
4. Greenland (an autonomous country within Denmark) is unable to join FIFA because the ground there can’t grow a grass field. Because of the country’s climate, the ground is generally covered in ice or permafrost, making it nearly impossible to grow enough grass to form a regulation-size soccer field. 
5. The country of Nauru (member since 1999) does not have a capital city.
6. Nauru also holds the distinction of being the fattest nation in the world. Due to the popularity of Western-style fast food that was brought to the country following the island’s financial success in phosphate mining, the average citizen of Nauru has a BMI of between 34 and 35. For reference, a normal BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9.
7. Tuvalu (member since 2000) received $50 million in exchange for the rights to the nation’s lucrative internet domain, .tv. 
8. The most isolated tree in the world was located in the middle of the Sahara Desert in Niger (member since 1960). Known as the Tree of Ténéré (or L’Arbre du Ténéré to locals, as Niger’s official language is French), this small acacia tree was separated from any other trees by a distance of 250 miles. 
9. One of the islands in the Federated States of Micronesia (UN member since 1991)uses giant carved stones as a form of currency. The country is made up of numerous islands spread across the Pacific Ocean, including the island state of Yap. And on Yap, instead of paper currency, the traditional form of money has been giant limestone discs (rai stones), which are considered rare and important because the limestone originated on another island far away. Of course, the sheer size of these stones makes it difficult for them to actually be moved, so most times, payment with the stones is simply based on oral agreement rather than any physical exchange. 
10. There are 23 native languages recognized by the government in Guatemala (Original UN Member - 1945). Overall, about 40% of the population speaks one of these languages, including Quiche, Kekchi, and Mam.
11. In 1973, Bhutan (UN Member since 1971) instituted a policy to measure the nation’s Gross National Happiness (as opposed to the more typical Gross Domestic Product). 
12. A 2007-2008 Gallup poll found Estonia (UN Member since 1991) to be the least religious country in the world. The poll asked respondents from around the world, “Is religion an important part of your daily life?” Only 14% of Estonians answered in the affirmative, the lowest of all nations. In contrast, in that same poll, Egypt had a 100% “yes” rate.
13. San Marino (UN Member since 1992) has the highest amount of automobiles per people in the world. A 2010 study found that the tiny nation of San Marino, which is located entirety within Italy, had 1,139.06 cars per 1,000 people the only nation in the study, in fact, that had more cars than citizens.
14. Papua New Guinea (UN Member since 1975), with only 6.5 million residents, contains about 12% of the world’s spoken languages. Although most are spoken by fewer than 1,000 people, there are more than 800 indigenous languages used in Papua New Guinea.
15. Liechtenstein (UN Member since 1990) is the world’s largest producer of false teeth. Even with just under 40,000 residents, the Principality of Liechtenstein is a major powerhouse when it comes to the production of false teeth. In 2010, it was manufacturing about 60 million false teeth, which was one-fifth of the total amount of false teeth produced worldwide.

Saltine Ice Cream Sandwiches

The Brave Astronaut is hitting the road for our big summer vacation soon - so there will be lots of ice cream in our future, I know all the good places (as long as they are still there).  But I would make these . . . via Smitten Kitchen.


Saltine Crack Ice Cream Sandwiches

• 32 (about 100 grams) saltine-style crackers 
• 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, cut into a few large pieces 
• 1/2 cup (95 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar 
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 1/3 cups (8 ounces) dark chocolate (semi- or bittersweet) chips or the equivalent amount of chopped chocolate 
• 2/3 cup toasted, chopped almonds or a nut of your choice (optional) 
• Sea salt for sprinkling 
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups ice cream, any flavor (we used vanilla) 

Heat your oven: To 350°F (175°C).

Prepare pans: Line the bottom and sides of 1 9×13-inch baking sheet or 2 8×8-inch cake pans with foil, then lightly coat foil with nonstick spray. Arrange crackers in a single layer so that they fit in the bottom of your pan. In a perfect world, you wouldn’t have to cut any to make them fit flat. In ours, I used a serrated knife to cut several to fit neatly. Having no crackers overlap will make it easier to spread the caramel in a few minutes.

Make toffee: In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar together. Stir until it begins to boil, then whisk (which will help the butter and sugar come together) for 2 to 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. I only add salt at this point if using unsalted crackers, i.e. not saltines. Pour over cracker-lined pan(s) and use an offset spatula to evenly spread the caramel, working quickly as it will be eager to cool and set.

Bake: In heated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, checking in at 10 minutes to make sure the corners aren’t darkening too quickly. Remove from oven and scatter chocolate chips over caramel crackers. Wait 5 minutes for them to soften, then use a spatula to spread the chocolate into an even layer. Sprinkle with nuts and a couple pinches of sea salt.

Chill crackers: Transfer pan(s) to freezer until absolutely cold and solid, about 15 to 30 minutes. Using the foil to lift toffee sheet, carefully transfer the candy to a cutting board and remove the foil. If you’ve made this in one pan, cut your sheet evenly in half with a serrated knife.

Assemble ice cream sandwich block: Line the bottoms and sides of your baking pan (now foil-free) with a piece of plastic wrap. Place your first sheet of candy chocolate side down in the bottom of your pan. Scoop your desired amount of ice cream over the sheet and spread it into an even layer. Place second sheet of candy, chocolate side up, on top, pressing it onto the ice cream. Return to freezer for several hours, at least 4 but probably 8 is best to get the block of sandwiches solid enough to cut without being completely aggravating.

Cut block into individual sandwiches: When sandwich block is frozen solid, transfer to a cutting board (you can also freeze your cutting surface for 10 minutes before using, to give you more time before things get too melty) and use a sharp serrated knife to very, very carefully saw your block into ice cream sandwich squares. I cut my 8×8-inch blocks into 16 2-inch sandwiches. This is definitely the peskiest part. If things warm and melt too fast, just place the whole thing back in the freezer for 10 minutes before continuing.

Once cut, return sandwiches to freezer to let them firm up again, before transferring them to a container or freezer bag for store, or, you know, your mouth for near-immediate gratification.

Going to be ON Long Island NOT in Long Island

Please note, one is never IN Long Island, you are always ON Long Island. And that big place at the western edge of the Long Island Rail Road, it's just The City.  And everything north of Westchester is Upstate.  The Brave Astronaut is on the road again this weekend - headed to Long Island for my 30th High School Reunion.  Go Braves!


Do you think you understand Long Island? (from ThrillList) (my comments in italics)

1. You can buy beer anywhere that sells anything, except, quite oddly, at liquor stores (different from my life here in MD).
2. We didn't all play lacrosse growing up, but we do all own lacrosse shorts. (I didn't and I don't own lacrosse shorts)
3. Fire Island isn't just full of naked people, it is full of Rocket Fuel, though.
4. Suffolk County and Nassau County are two very, very different places (Yes.  Yes they are)
5. Our pizza (especially slice joints) and bagels are consistently better and more plentiful than those in the city. (Bagel Boss this weekend!) 
6. And one fine example named Little Vincent's puts cold cheese on top of the not-cold cheese It's very insane, and very perfect. Also there's about three fights a night in that place. (I've never heard of this place)
7. We all love Billy Joel completely un-ironically, even though he’s crashed his car into the front of most of our houses. (He's playing the Coliseum on Monday - I wonder if he'll show up to the reunion to warm up)
8. Half of the island had to go into therapy after having their area code changed from 516 to 631 in 1999, many still consider 631 a grave mark of shame. (Their fault for being the lesser county)
9. North Shore beaches basically suck; South Shore beaches are like real beaches, with sand and waves, and also guys walking up and down with a cooler, shouting, "Fudgie Wudgie bars!!!".
10. All of those beaches are fantastic for drinking on, even though you’re not supposed to, especially at night. (I've never done that, really.  Truly.)
11. Speaking of drinking, you're basically legally required to do it on the LIRR and the beer tap setups at Penn are actually totally dope these days, as long as you consider getting a 64oz, 8% ABV beer for $8 "totally dope". (Ah, the late, lamented bar car)
12. Brooklyn and Queens are both ON LONG ISLAND but in all the ways that matter, they totally aren't. 
13. Watson and Crick invented goddamn DNA at the Cold Spring Harbor Labs! 
14. "Stationery stores" don't sell stationery; they sell candy and cap guns and mylar balloons and booby magazines in plastic bags. They have plenty of stationery, they just don't sell any of it. (Oscar's in Plainview - it was a rite of passage to go in there and steal something)
15. One highway can have 15 different legitimate names and sometimes two at the exact same time -- looking at you, 106/107!
16. Buying rims that cost more than the entire rest of your car is a totally reasonable thing to do as long as you save money for an exhaust. 
17. Half and half is not something that goes in your coffee unless you like putting gigantic, delicious, foam-cupped Arnold Palmers in your coffee. (And coffee regular means milk and sugar)
18. You can’t ever get lost, because if you do, you just keep driving until you hit water and then turn around, just hope you get lost going North-South. 
19. That pile of stuff on the ground in the parking lot is invariably the innards of a Dutch Masters cigar.
20. We wear MLB fitted hats backwards and slightly cocked to the side (though I wish we wouldn't)
21. There’s a wine country, and it’s pretty legit. You'll have to get someone to drive you from vineyard to vineyard, but to get there, take the train and drink on the way to warm up. 
22. Nothing else in the world is like a Long Island deli, a magical place where you can name literally anything you'd like to see on a sandwich, and it's understood that they will have it When you can get chicken cutlet with American cheese, bacon, and Russian dressing on a hero, it doesn’t really matter that their interiors haven’t been updated since the '60s. 
23. Buttered rolls Are basically a delicacy. (I used to live on those in college)
24. If you drive more than a mile in any direction and you haven't passed a 7-Eleven, you are no longer on Long Island.
25. Jersey is much, much worse. Actually, everyone already did know that one.

Parmesan Zucchini Crisps

We get a box of fruits and veggies every other week delivered to the launchpad - thanks Washington Green Grocer!  Occasionally there will be zucchini in the box, which LBA likes and SoBA tolerates.  I usually will just saute the slices in a pan with some garlic and olive oil.  Then I saw this recipe - via Spoon Fork Bacon via BuzzFeed.

Parmesan Zucchini Crisps
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 2 large zucchini, very thinly sliced (using a mandolin would be best) 
• 1 ounce Parmesan 
• 1 tablespoon finely crushed sea salt flakes 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200˚F. 
2. Line zucchini slices onto 2 baking sheets lined with parchment. 
3. Grate parmesan evenly over slices and sprinkle with salt. 
4. Place baking sheets in the oven and bake for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes, depending on thickness (rotating the baking sheets halfway through). 
5. Remove from the oven and allow crisps to cool completely. Serve.

Breakfast Patty Melt

Quite often, if we are somewhere where I can get a Patty Melt, I will order it.  If it's done really well, it's outstanding.  And, of course, we often will have breakfast for dinner at the Launchpad.  I'm not a big fan of the pancake, waffle, french toast, and will often make myself an egg sandwich.  Now I'm set with something new, from the Pioneer Woman, of course.

Breakfast Patty Melt 

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 2

Ingredients 

• 4 Tablespoons Butter, more if needed 
• 1/2 whole medium Yellow Onion, sliced 
• 1/4 pound Breakfast Sausage (Jimmy Dean, JC Potter, etc.) 
• 2 whole Eggs, beaten 
• 3 slices Cheddar, Swiss, Provolone, or other cheese 
• 2 slices Bread (Sourdough, Rye, Whole Wheat, etc.) 

Instructions 
Heat a non-stick skillet over low heat and melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, until onions are soft and slightly caramelized. Remove them to a plate and set them aside.

Form the sausage into a thin patty about the width of the bread you're using. Add it to the same skillet and increase the heat to medium. Cook the patty on both sides until fully cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel.

Pour in the beaten eggs and cook, forming them into a rough circle as they set up. Flip to finish cooking on the other side.

Assemble the patty melt: bread, cheese, patty, eggs, cheese, onions, cheese, bread. Melt the remaining butter in a clean skillet over low heat. Place the sandwich in the skillet and cook low and slow for a good 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bread is deliciously crisp. Add more butter to the skillet if the bread needs it (you don't want the bread to be dry!)

Slice in half and serve.

Have a Magical Day!

On this date sixty years ago, Disneyland opened.  At the time of the opening, the park sat on 160 acres of former orange groves in Anaheim, California, and cost $17 million dollars to build.

Now that the Brave Astronaut clan is getting ready to take an honest to goodness vacation - coming soon! - Mrs. BA and I are thinking about a trip to warmer climes, specifically Florida.  Now Walt Disney World is an obvious destination - but neither Mrs. BA nor I are big fans of the Mouse.

Several years ago, we both attended a professional meeting "on campus" at the Dolphin Hotel.  Every time you got someone from the front desk on the phone, they closed the conversation with "Have a Magical Day." 

Going to Disney World would be fun and both LBA and SoBA would have a ball - though all I would really want to do is go to the Hall of Presidents.  And it requires the economy of a small country to take the family there.  One-day tickets start at $100 each!

If / When we go to Florida, we are more likely to head to Legoland.  That's just fun for everyone!

The Brave Astronaut Summer Vacation Plans

I have been itching to get the Brave Astronaut Clan up to Maine for vacation for several years.  I spent nearly every summer growing up at my grandmother's house in Owl's Head and it was always a great time. We will be heading "Down East" in early August!  From BuzzFeed

24 Reasons Everyone Should See Maine Before They Die
Maine’s state motto is simply “Dirigo,” which means “I direct” in Latin. Well, if you’re into beautiful places, I direct you to go check out Maine sometime.

1. Acadia National Park 
2. Nubble Lighthouse - you know the Brave Astronaut has a thing for lighthouses.  This state is one of the primary reasons why.
3. Cadillac Mountain - from its summit, you can be one of the first people in the United States to see the sunrise.
4. Owl’s Head Lighthouse - I used to walk there from my grandmother's house.
5. Kennebunkport, Maine 
6. Sand Beach on the Great Head Trail - also in Acadia
7. The Wonderland Trail in Acadia National Park
8. Otter Cliffs - there's a lot to see in Acadia
9. Bass Harbor Lighthouse 
10. Thunder Hole in Acadia National Park - this is very cool.  LBA and SoBA will love it.
11. Jordan Pond - also in Acadia, there is also a great restaurant.
12. Pretty Marsh - a great place to picnic
13. Deer Isle, Maine 
14. Marshall Point Lighthouse 
15. Old Orchard Beach - you can hang out with all the French Canadiens, who like to vacation there.
16. Moosehead Lake 
17. Freeport, Maine - two words, LL Bean.  And it's open 24 hours a day.
18. Pemaquid Point Lighthouse - somewhere I have a picture of blurry rocks and surf, snapped as I slipped on the rocks and slid toward the ocean.
19. Camden, Maine 
20. Baxter State Park 
21. Bethel, Maine - for the skiers among you
22. Monhegan Island 
23. Mount Desert Island 
24. Ogunquit, Maine 

And of course . . . lobster (unfortunately the Maine Lobster Festival runs from July 30 to August 4 this year - ending right before we get up there).  Eat lobster at a more responsible price than what you pay for it to be shipped out of the Pine Tree State.

Rum Drink(s)

I should drink more rum.  Spotted a while back on BuzzFeed, click here for the list.  I think number 8 (below) may be my favorite. Via Supergolden Bakes

Pink Mojito
Serves 1 

• 6 mint leaves plus extra sprigs to decorate 
• 1/2 lime, cut into wedges 
• 2 tsp sugar (simple) syrup (I used Monin) 
• 3 raspberries 
• 1 oz white rum 
• 1 tbsp cherry brandy (or Chambord) 
• tonic water to top up (or use soda water) 

Method

1. Muddle the mint leaves, raspberries and sugar syrup in a highball glass – try to extract as much juice and flavor as possible. 
2. Add plenty of ice – crushed preferably. Pour the rum and cherry brandy over the ice and stir well. 
3. Top up with tonic water, decorate with a mint sprig and serve.

The 75 Movies Every Man Should See

According to Esquire Magazine.  I did better than I thought.

• In the Heat of the Night - "They call me MR. TIBBS!" - SEEN IT
• Slap Shot - oh yes.  SEEN IT
• Iron Man - haven't seen it
• Jaws - SEEN IT, lots of times
• Save the Tiger - haven't seen it
• 12 Angry Men - SEEN IT
• Fast Times at Ridgemont High - SEEN IT
• Chinatown - Forget it Jake, It's Chinatown - SEEN IT
• The Godfather - yes, I've finally - SEEN IT
• Fitzcarraldo - never heard of this one
• Ghostbusters - SEEN IT
• Glory - SEEN IT
• Wall Street - haven't seen it
• Runaway Train - Eric Roberts, Jon Voight, Rebecca DeMornay and I haven't seen it?
• Rosemary's Baby - haven't seen it
• North by Northwest - SEEN IT
• Lone Star - haven't seen it
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - SEEN IT
• The Conversation - haven't seen it
• The Thin Blue Line - SEEN IT
• Johnny Dangerously - SEEN IT
• The French Connection - SEEN IT
• Miller's Crossing - haven't seen it
• The Great Escape - SEEN IT
• Dawn of the Dead - I actually just watched the remake the other day.
• Shaun of the Dead - haven't seen it
• Hate - never heard of this one
• First Blood - SEEN IT
• Bottle Rocket - haven't seen it
• Bad Day at Black Rock - SEEN IT
• Tootsie - "I'm very proud of being a woman, Dr. Brewster" - SEEN IT
• Broadcast News - SEEN IT
• The Terminator - Ahnuld is currently the voice on my Waze - SEEN IT
• Shakes the Clown - haven't seen it
• Dirty Harry - SEEN IT
• Straw Dogs - haven't seen it
• Raging Bull - haven't seen it
• Citizen Kane - SEEN IT
• The Shining - SEEN IT
• Fatal Attraction - SEEN IT
• The Incredibles - SEEN IT
• Blade Runner - haven't seen it
• Sling Blade - haven't seen it
• Giant - haven't seen it
• Glengarry Glen Ross - SEEN IT
• Serpico - haven't seen it
• Down by Law - never heard of this one
• The Searchers - haven't seen it
• Do the Right Thing - haven't seen it
• Gone Baby Gone - haven't seen it
• The Big Kahuna - SEEN IT
• M*A*S*H - SEEN IT
• The Verdict - SEEN IT
• The Warriors - never heard of this one
• Alien - SEEN IT
• Stalag 17 - SEEN IT
• Bridge on the River Kwai - SEEN IT
• The Misfits - haven't seen it
• Reservoir Dogs - haven't seen it
• The Maltese Falcon - SEEN IT
• Dr. No - SEEN IT
• Cool Hand Luke - SEEN IT
• The Road Warrior - haven't seen it
• Patton - SEEN IT
• True Romance - haven't seen it
• Run Silent, Run Deep - Clark Gable, a father that loved military movies, yep - SEEN IT
• All Quiet on the Western Front - SEEN IT
• Platoon - SEEN IT
• Caddyshack - oh, but it looks good on you - SEEN IT
• Hud - SEEN IT
• Blazing Saddles - I didn't get a harrumph out of that guy - SEEN IT
• Three Kings - haven't seen it
• Paths of Glory - haven't seen it
• On the Waterfront - I coulda been someone, I coulda been a contender - SEEN IT

Raspberry Fool

I'm no fool.  But I may very well be in love with the Pioneer Woman.  Don't tell Mrs. BA.  We used to have raspberry bushes in my backyard growing up.  I tried to get them to grow at the launchpad, but they didn't take.  I may have to try again.  Raspberries may very well be my most favorite fruit.  And so when you add in fresh whipped cream?  I'm done. 

Raspberry Fool
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

• 3 cups Raspberries, plus a few more for serving 
• 1/4 cup Sugar 
• 3 Tablespoons Raspberry Liqueur (or you may just use water) - but if you've got the Chambord, use it!
• 2 cups cold Heavy Cream 
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar 
• 8 whole Vanilla Wafers (or other cookie)
• Fresh Mint Sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Instructions 
In a bowl, stir together the raspberries, sugar, and liqueur (or water) and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar until soft peaks form.

Mash the raspberries with a fork until all the liquid and fruit are mashed together.

Spoon half the fruit into the cream and fold once or twice with a rubber spatula; do not overmix!

Add half of the remaining fruit and fold once or twice. If you want more fruit, add the rest; if not, use remaining fruit puree as a garnish on top.

Serve in pretty glasses with crumbed cookies on top!

***Best if made right before serving.

Dessert Grilled Cheese?

When my mother was pregnant with me, she and my father went on a long trip through France.  Each evening my father and grandfather would sit down to this huge "menu gastronomique" and my mother would spot the first course and head for her room, telling my father to send up a grilled cheese in about an hour.  So I had a lot of grilled cheese in utero, which is why it's not on my favorites list of comfort foods.

Until this.  Via Spoon University

Dark Chocolate, Raspberry and Brie Grilled Cheese

There’s no denying it — everyone loves cheese. Gooey Brie, sweet dark chocolate and tart raspberries take this grilled cheese from "drunchie" to dessert. Now you can have cheese for every meal, and really, who doesn’t want that?

Easy
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 4 ounces Brie 
• 6-8 raspberries, mashed 
• 1½ ounces dark chocolate 
• 2 slices crusty bread 
• 1 tablespoon butter 

Directions

1. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. 
2. Stack Brie, raspberries and chocolate onto unbuttered side of bread. Top with the other slice.
3. Heat in a frying pan over medium heat until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip carefully and heat other side for another 4 minutes.

100 Books to Read in a Lifetime

"I cannot live without books." - Thomas Jefferson

Recently I came across this list (from Amazon, via kottke) of the 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime.  I've got some work to do yet.

• 1984, by George Orwell - READ
• A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking - NOT READ
• A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, by Dave Eggers - NOT READ
• A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah - NOT READ
• A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning: The Short-Lived Edition by Lemony Snicket - NOT READ
• A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle - NOT READ
• Alice Munro: Selected Stories, by Alice Munro - NOT READ
• Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll - READ
• All the President's Men, by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein - NOT READ, but I did see the movie.
• Angela's Ashes: A Memoir, by Frank McCourt - NOT READ
• Are You There, God? It's me, Margaret, by Judy Blume - READ (there's not much in the Blume oeuvre that I haven't read
• Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett - NOT READ
• Beloved, by Toni Morrison - READ
• Born to Run - A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, by Christopher McDougall - NOT READ
• Breath, Eyes, Memory, by Edwidge Danticat - NOT READ
• Catch-22, by Joseph Heller - NOT READ
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl - NOT READ, but I saw the movie
• Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White - READ
• Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese - NOT READ
• Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, by Brene Brown - NOT READ
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 1, by Jeff Kinney - NOT READ, but the series is popular with both LBA and SoBA
• Dune, by Frank Herbert - NOT READ, was never a big fan of the sci-fi, fantasy genre
• Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury - I want to say READ, I feel like it made an appearance in HS English.
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream, by Hunter S. Thompson - NOT READ
• Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn - NOT READ
• Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown - around since 1947, I only have the memory of reading this to LBA and SoBA.
• Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens - NOT READ
• Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, by Jared M. Diamond - NOT READ
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling - haven't read any of them, but Mrs. BA has, as has LBA.
• In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote - one of the first non-fiction books I read was Fatal Vision, about the Ft. Bragg Murders of Jeffrey McDonald, but this one is NOT READ
• Interpreter of Maladies, by Jhumpa Lahiri - NOT READ
• Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison - NOT READ
• Jimmy Corrigan: Smartest Kid on Earth, by Chris Ware - NOT READ
• Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain - I like to eat out, so I will keep this one as NOT READ
• Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson - NOT READ
• Little House on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder - Mrs. BA owns the series and has read them and now LBA has started reading them too.
• Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov - NOT READ
• Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - as with Bradbury, I feel like this appeared on a syllabus at some point in my life.
• Love Medicine, by Louise Erdrich - NOT READ
• Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl - NOT READ
• Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris - Mrs. BA has read this, and a copy is in the Launchpad, maybe I should pick it up.
• Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides - NOT READ
• Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie - NOT READ
• Moneyball, by Michael Lewis - NOT READ but I did see the movie.
• Of Human Bondage, by W. Somerset Maugham - NOT READ
• On the Road, by Jack Kerouac - NOT READ
• Out of Africa, by Isak Dinesen - NOT READ
• Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi - NOT READ
• Portnoy's Complaint, by Philip Roth - NOT READ
• Pride & Prejudice, by Jane Austen - NOT READ
• Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson - NOT READ
• Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut - NOT READ
• Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin - READ
• The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton - NOT READ
• The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon - NOT READ
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X, by Malcolm X and Alex Haley - NOT READ
• The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak - NOT READ
• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz - NOT READ
• The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger - NOT READ, HA! Just Kidding, READ, more than once.
• The Color of Water, by James McBride - NOT READ
• The Corrections, by Jonathan Franzen - NOT READ
• The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, by Erik Larson - READ
• The Diary of Anne Frank, by Anne Frank - READ
• The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green - NOT READ
• The Giver, by Lois Lowry - NOT READ
• The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman - NOT READ
• The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald - NOT READ
• The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood - NOT READ
• The House At Pooh Corner, by A. A. Milne - READ
• The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins - NOT READ
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot - NOT READ
• The Liars' Club: A Memoir, by Mary Karr - NOT READ
• The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1), by Rick Riordan - NOT READ
• The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - READ (in both English and French!)
• The Long Goodbye, by Raymond Chandler - NOT READ
• The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, by Lawrence Wright - NOT READ
• The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien - NOT READ
• The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat: And Other Clinical Tales, by Oliver Sacks - NOT READ
• The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, by Michael Pollan - NOT READ
• The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster - READ
• The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel, by Barbara Kingsolver - NOT READ
• The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert A. Caro - READ (you could lose your NYS residency if you don't read this one)
• The Right Stuff, by Tom Wolfe - NOT READ, but I did see the movie.
• The Road, by Cormac McCarthy - as opposed to, ON the Road, - READ
• The Secret History, by Donna Tartt - NOT READ
• The Shining, by Stephen King - Finally, a King Book, READ!
• The Stranger, by Albert Camus - READ
• The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway - not this one but other Hemingway stuff was READ
• The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien - NOT READ
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle - READ, c'mon, who can name all the things the caterpillar eats?
• The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame - NOT READ
• The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: A Novel, by Haruki Murakami - NOT READ
• The World According to Garp, by John Irving - NOT READ
• The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion - NOT READ
• Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe - NOT READ
• To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee - READ and saw the movie
• Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand - I read some of this and want to go back and finish AND see the movie
• Valley of the Dolls, by Jacqueline Susann - NOT READ
• Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein - READ
• Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak - READ

Baked White Cheddar and Leek Dip

When Mr. and Mrs. BA get back to having parties - hopefully coming soon - this could definitely make an appearance.  Via Simply Scratch

Baked White Cheddar + Leek Dip

This warm dip is so addictive! Leeks, beer and white cheddar... OH MY!

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25
Total Time: 45 minutes approximately

Ingredients

• 1 Leek, trimmed {keep white and light green parts only} 
• 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter 
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper 
• 8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened 
• 7 ounces Sharp White Cheddar, grated and divided 
• 1/4 cup Mayonnaise 
• 4 tablespoons of your favorite Dark Beer 

Directions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Trim, halve and slice the leek into half moons. Place the leek slices in a bowl of water and swish them around, breaking them up with your fingers. The sandy dirt will fall to the bottom. Remove the leeks, drain and pat dry.

In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted add in the clean leeks. Cook until softened about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove the skillet off of the heat.

In a separate bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, two-thirds of the grated cheddar and the beer. Add in the cooked leaks and stir until smooth.

Spread the leek dip into the same small oven-safe skillet {or a 1-1/2 to 2 quart baking dish) and top with the remaining grated cheese.

Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minute or until bubbly and lightly golden.

Let the dip cool before serving.... enjoy!

SHARK! SHARK!

It has been forty years since the release of the above movie, the one that kept me out of Long Island waters for most of the summer of 1975.  Go ahead, hit play above and read this list (from CNN) about the first, real summer blockbuster.

1. Stephen Spielberg, whose first film, "Duel," was about a highway motorist being menaced by a mysterious tanker truck, was afraid of being typecast if he took the "Jaws" job. "Who wants to be known as a shark-and-truck director?" he complained. 
2. None of the three main actors - Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss - was the producers' first choice for the parts. Robert Duvall and Charlton Heston were among those considered for Chief Brody, while Lee Marvin and Sterling Hayden were initially sought for Captain Quint, and Jeff Bridges was discussed for Matt Hooper, the marine biologist. 
3. The movie's script eliminated several subplots from Peter Benchley's novel that Spielberg considered distracting, including an affair between Chief Brody's wife, Ellen, and Hooper (Dreyfuss). 
4. Location scouts considered filming locales across the United States but chose Martha's Vineyard because they needed a summer beach resort town with a sheltered bay, manageable tides and shallow waters to make filming easier.
5. Although the movie is set in midsummer, producers began filming in early May 1974 to avoid an actors' strike that was scheduled to begin July 1. If you look closely in the background of some scenes, you can see trees with no leaves. 
6. The movie's 25-foot great white shark was played by three full-scale mechanical models towed by submerged "sleds" or guided by hidden scuba divers. The crew nicknamed the shark "Bruce" after Spielberg's lawyer, Bruce Ramer. 
7. Spielberg, frustrated by the shark's frequent malfunctions, had another name for it: "the great white turd." The movie triggered a wave of interest in great white sharks and other predatory sea creatures. The Discovery Channel's long-running "Shark Week" has spawned such DVD titles as "Ocean of Fear" and "Fins Of Fury." 
8. British actor Robert Shaw was so concerned about owing taxes to the IRS on his income that he flew to Bermuda or Canada on almost all his days off to limit his work hours in the United States. 
9. The grieving mother who slapped Chief Brody in the movie was played by actress Lee Fierro. She had a difficult time faking the slap and instead walloped Scheider over and over during the many takes needed to get the scene right. 
10. At one point, Quint's boat, the Orca, sank unexpectedly during filming, soaking cameras and threatening to ruin the day's completed footage. The waterlogged film was flown to a lab in New York, where technicians were able to save it. 
11. When composer John Williams first played his ominous two-note "shark theme" score for Spielberg on a piano, the director thought it was a joke. Later Spielberg would say, "The score was clearly responsible for half of the success of that movie." 
12. Local fishermen were unable to catch a big enough shark to use in the scene in which town officials prematurely celebrate a large shark that's been caught and strung up on a dock. So the film's producers located a freshly caught 13-foot tiger shark in Florida and flew it up to Massachusetts on a private plane. By the time the cameras rolled, however, the shark was decomposing and smelled awful. 
13. The movie's protracted shoot was so troubled by mishaps that some crew members privately began calling the film "Flaws." 
14. Brody's famous line upon first encountering the shark, "We're gonna need a bigger boat," was ad-libbed by Scheider. At test screenings, the audience's screams drowned out the line, so Spielberg re-edited the scene to make it more audible.
15. A young filmmaker named John Landis was visiting the set when he was pressed into duty to help build the rickety wooden pier used in the scene where two men try to catch the shark with a hook and chain, baited with a roast. Landis went on to direct "Animal House" and "An American Werewolf in London." 
16. For the famous scene in which Quint recounts the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, Shaw persuaded Spielberg to let him have a few drinks before the cameras started rolling. But Shaw got so drunk, he had to be carried to the set and couldn't get through his lines. He later called Spielberg and apologized; they shot the scene again the next day, and Shaw nailed it. 
17. To add authenticity to the scene in which Hooper goes underwater in the shark cage, a second unit shot footage of real sharks in Australia. To make the sharks appear bigger, the filmmakers used a shrunken shark cage and a Hooper stunt double played by a 4-foot-9 ex-jockey in a wetsuit. 
18. The original script, like the novel, called for Hooper to be killed when the shark bites through the cage. But the Australia crew had captured spectacular footage of a great white attacking an empty shark cage, and Spielberg wanted to use it. So the scene was rewritten to let Hooper escape, sparing Dreyfuss' character. 
19. After principal filming wrapped, Spielberg decided he needed one more big scare. He wasn't satisfied with the scene in which Hooper investigates a fisherman's sunken boat and is jolted when the man's disembodied head floats out of the hull. So Spielberg recruited a small crew and reshot the scene in film editor Verna Fields' backyard swimming pool in Encino, California. To make the clear, chlorinated water match the murkier look of the ocean, crew members poured a gallon of milk into the pool. 
20. Test screenings revealed that the audience's loudest screams were for the severed-head scene -- even louder than when the shark first rises out of the water behind Brody. After the movie opened, Spielberg and screenwriter Gottlieb would sneak into screenings in Los Angeles and stand in the back of the theater "just to watch the sold-out audience visibly rise out of their seats with a collective shriek." 
21. John Williams conducted the orchestra during the 1976 Academy Awards, so when he won the Oscar for best score, he had to dash up to the podium to accept his Oscar and then run back down to continue conducting.

Cake Milkshakes? I'm In.

At the launchpad, we've been giving the blender a workout of late - Mrs. BA will look at me and say, "know what would taste good right about now?"  A little whole milk, some ice cream (chocolate for her, coffee or strawberry for me) - pulse, pulse, pulse and serve.

Then again, the other evening, I was feeling productive around the kitchen and made brownies.  Maybe I could substitute brownie batter for the recipe below - as there is really never a time when there is boxed cake mix in the house. Via Spoon University

Cake Batter Milkshake

If you’re looking for dessert on the go, this milkshake is your ticket. Here’s a one-step recipe that transforms your typical milkshake into a richer, thicker dessert.

Easy
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups chocolate, vanilla or cookie dough ice cream 
• 1 cup milk 
• ½ cup cake mix in flavor of choice 
• Whipped cream or dash of cocoa powder 

Directions

1. Blend milk, ice cream and cake mix in a Magic Bullet or blender until smooth and creamy. Or whisk this together by hand.
2. Serve with whipped cream or sprinkle of cocoa powder.

Vacation Cereal Ahead!

Today was the last day of school for LBA and SoBA.  In August, the Brave Astronaut clan will head north to the wilds of Maine for our first real summer vacation in some time.  A while back, LBA and SoBA asked for some sugary, cereal at the grocery store (yet another reason why I don't like to go to the store with them).  I explained that we tend to eat just a few cereals on a regular basis and that cereals like Cap'n Crunch and Fruit Loops were clearly considered "Vacation Cereal" and not to be consumed except on special occasions.

So, there is certain to be the purchase of a "vacation" pack of small cereal boxes in the near future.

To help with the selection process, BuzzFeed very kindly rated 27 cereals from worst to first. My comments in italics.

27. Grape-Nuts - Post
Cerious talk: What is there to say about Grape-Nuts? You don’t even go into eating Grape-Nuts thinking that it’s a good idea. You know from the get-go that it’s not going to be pretty. I mean you’re basically spooning ROCKS into your mouth. But we all make mistakes, and we’ve all made the mistake of eating Grape-Nuts. Sure it has “100% of your day’s whole grain” and sure grapes are good, and maybe nuts are good, too. But TOGETHER? No. No, Post. This is where we draw the DAMN LINE. You eat Grape-Nuts when you literally have nothing else to eat and even then you STILL regret it.
Never a cereal I would willingly eat

26. Wheaties - General Mills
Cerious talk: Anyone who has ever eaten Wheaties has probably questioned why the HELL this is the food choice of Olympians everywhere. Let’s be honest, Wheaties are wack. They are plain as hell. You might as well eat cardboard for breakfast, it would probably taste the same. And I think we’ve ALL felt the disappointment after eating a box of Wheaties, not suddenly turning into an Olympian, and realizing we just ate cardboard for breakfast.
I am the Brave Astronaut - not the Brave Athlete. I never was into the Wheatie.

25. Raisin Bran - Kellogg's
Cerious talk: Like WHO THE HELL at Kellogg’s thought to take BRAN FLAKES and throw raisins in them? Like TWO WHOLE SCOOPS OF THEM!? The only redeeming quality about this cereal is the fact the raisins are covered in sugar. At least this cereal promotes bowel movements so you can get it out of your body as fast as possible.
Um, I admit to liking Raisin Bran.  So do the boys. We just don't talk about the fact that they're bran flakes - or that I put sugar on the cereal. and use whole milk.

24. Special K - Kellogg's
Cerious talk: Special K is the equivalent of a wet blanket… in your mouth. You eat it thinking it’s going to be great because of all the commercials and then you find yourself thinking, “This is it???!!!!” It’s a major letdown and no amount of freeze-dried strawberries could make up for it. And to make matters WORSE, you’re hungry again in 20 minutes. NO THANKS, SPECIAL K.
Not one I'm interested in either.

23. Rice Krispies - Kellogg's
Cerious talk: Eating Rice Krispies is what we imagine eating air to feel like. It’s nothing. These little rice krisps dissolve in your mouth leaving you with the flavor of sour milk and broken promises. They draw you in with their cute mascots, but that’s about all they have going for them. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the fact that these little babies can be turned into Rice Kripsie treats, they might’ve been dead last.
A popular selection at the Launchpad, this one deserves better.

22. Cheerios - General Mills
Cerious talk: You know what doesn’t taste good? Baby food. You know what babies eat a lot of? Cheerios. Cheerios are the cereal you mundanely eat over and over again hoping that the next handful will somehow taste better than the last. But the problem is that it never does. It never tastes better. It always tastes the same. And it always tastes like a letdown.
Still used daily at the Launchpad in snacks for LBA and SoBA

21. Corn Pops - Kellogg's
Cerious talk: Have you ever been eating an ear of corn and thought, “Wow, I would love some of this with milk.” If you have, maybe Corn Pops is for you. As far as cereals go, this is subpar AT BEST. Little to no flavor, weird texture, and no sense of fulfillment after eating. Basically, it’s not the WORST but it’s certainly not the best.
Corn for me, is savory, breakfast cereal, it's not.

20. Chex - General Mills
Cerious talk: Chex is gluten-free. That’s all it has going for itself. If you’re on that paleo diet, eat this. If you aren’t, UPGRADE YOUR BREAKFAST.
Chex is what you eat when you don't have Life. And it makes a fine snack mix.

19. Trix - General Mills
Cerious talk: Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids with low standards. There’s nothing quite fulfilling about this cereal. You have so many expectations when it pours out into your bowl, but those damn flowers and watermelons (I don’t even know if that’s what those are) are a cerious letdown. You can have ‘em, rabbit.
The lowest on the list of the vacation cereals.

18. Honeycomb - Post
Cerious talk: How true is this statement: “Me want Honeycomb”? Because sure, it seems appealing, but this fluffy comb-shaped cereal falls flat when it hits the milk, just like it does when you put it in your mouth. It’s good if it’s all you have, but you don’t ever want this to be all you have.
I went to C.W. Post University and still am not interested in this cereal.  I'm pretty much a Kellogg's man.

17. Cookie Crisp - General Mills
Cerious talk: Listen. We’re all here for a sugary cereal. BUT SOMETIMES, it can be taken too far. Cookie Crisp is what your mom let you eat when she finally gave up. If you have Coooooookie Crisp for breakfast, you should’ve just eaten an actual damn cookie.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I've eaten cookies for breakfast.

16. Cocoa Pebbles - Post
Cerious talk: Cocoa Pebbles are fine. Like whatever. They get super soggy real quick, and let’s face it, you’re just trying to get to the chocolate milk. If you’re in the market for a chocolate cereal, it’s better to go with Cocoa Puffs.

15. Apple Jacks - Kellogg's
Cerious talk: Apple Jacks is what happened when Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch had a baby and it came out looking like neither of them. Sure, it has its moments of deliciousness, but overall, the flavor gets boring after a while and the colors are ANYTHING but appetizing.
Eat an apple before the Jacks

14. Quaker Oatmeal Squares - Quaker
Cerious talk: Oatmeal Squares is what happens when your dad starts dating again and his new girlfriend starts infiltrating your cereal cabinet. We get that oatmeal helps reduce cholesterol, but if you have bad cholesterol, you probably shouldn’t be in the cereal game. NEXT.
This has also appeared at the launchpad - we don't mention that it's good for you.

13. Honey Nut Cheerios - General Mills
Cerious talk: Honey Nut Cheerios is the hotter, younger sibling of the Cheerios family. It tastes way better than the cardboard alternative, and it *can* help lower cholesterol. With that said, it’s still a little plain and is a cereal for those who can’t afford another cavity. Bee happy, bee healthy.
We tend to stay with the original - though the multi-grain Cheerios have appeared of late.

12. Honey Bunches of Oats - Post
Cerious talk: Honey Bunches of OHMYGOD why does this taste so good? This cereal is unexpected. We’ve all seen the commercials and thought, “Yeah, they pay those people to say it’s good.” But do they? DO THEY? After eating HBOO, you might not think so anymore. Shit is GOOD. The only way it could be better is if the crispy flakes didn’t get soggy within four minutes. Post, work on this will ya?

11. Fruit Loops - Kellogg's
Cerious talk: This bright ring-shaped cereal is a little on the basic side, but it’s a classic cereal that isn’t going anywhere. It’s the Julia Stiles of cereal: No one has a strong opinion about them, but no one hates them.
Another prime vacation cereal candidate

10. Krave - Kellogg's
Cerious talk: Although this is a newer cereal to enter the breakfast game, it’s one we don’t ever want to be without again. Sure, it has a dog food appearance, but once you put it in your mouth, you’re transported to chocolate euphoria.
I've seen it in the grocery store, I've contemplated buying it, but haven't pulled the trigger, yet.

9. Frosted Flakes - Kellogg's
Cerious talk: Like that anthropomorphic tiger says, this cereal is pretty damn gr-r-reat. Like whoever at Kellogg’s thought to just dip corn flakes into frosted sugar deserves a Nobel Prize. Breakfast game-changer-r-rrr.
The original vacation cereal.

8. Cocoa Puffs - General Mills
Cerious talk: Cocoa Puffs is the supreme chocolate cereal. Its chocolaty puff balls are seriously addicting and when you’re finished, you have a whole FUCKING BOWL of chocolate milk. You know it’s an addicting cereal when you have a crazed bird as your mascot who needs just one more bowl to survive.

7. Lucky Charms - General Mills
Cerious talk: Lucky is pretty damn lucky he added those charms to his cereal, or else it wouldn’t have even made this list. The dried marshmallows are what MAKE the cereal so enjoyable. Let’s just cut to the chase and make the entire cereal ALL marshmallows so we don’t have to manually pick them out ourselves.

6. Cap’N Crunch - Quaker Oats
Cerious talk: If you start your morning off with Cap’n Crunch, you’re doing something right. It’s fuckin tasty and when you add those berries to the mix, you’re going to have the best day of your lif — OH WAIT, NEVER MIND BECAUSE YOUR MOUTH IS NOW FUCKED WITH SCRATCHES. Would’ve been in the top five, but your palate never fails to bleed when you eat this one. Thanks Cap’n.
Possibly the #1 "vacation cereal" for LBA

5. Frosted Mini-Wheats
Cerious talk: Frosted Mini-Wheats is THE cereal you’d wanna settle down and start a family with. It has a sweet side but is also loaded with fiber and whole wheat — BEST OF BOTH CEREAL WORLDS. Oh, and don’t even get me STARTED on the other flavors. Omg.
Another cereal that is part of the regular Launchpad lineup

4. Cinnamon Toast Crunch - General Mills
Cerious talk: It’s the taste and orgasm you can see. This cereal is basically wheat rectangles covered in cinnamon-flavored sugar. If you want more from a cereal, you’re pretty fuckin' ungrateful.
This is in the top five of LBA's Vacation Cereals and it has crossover appeal, it has appeared at the launchpad.

3. Reese’s Puffs - General Mills
Cerious Talk: Not only is Reese’s the best candy like, ever, Reese’s Puffs is just as equally mind-blowing. It’s exactly what you think it is: candy for breakfast. You were the popular kid if you pulled this bad boy out of your cabinet the morning after a sleepover.
Nope.  If I'm going to eat peanut butter cups, I'm eating peanut butter cups.

2. Life - Quaker
Cerious talk: Life is LIFE. Not only does this Quaker dude make BOMB oatmeal, he magically found a way to make such a simple cereal into a tasty DELICACY. Not to mention every flavor of this cereal is the shit.
I'm moved that possibly my most favorite cereal in the world is #2 on this list.

1. Fruity Pebbles - Post
Cerious talk: Of course Fred gets fucking pissed whenever Barney steals his Pebbles. These colored rice flakes are THE BEST it gets when it comes to cereal, not to mention the greenish HEAVENLY milk you get to reward yourself with once you’re done. One cereal to rule them all.
Sigh

Roy Rides Again!

I have always been a big fan of Roy Rogers.  For some reason the pickles on the fixins bar are irresistible. And the fried chicken is really, really good.

There used to be a lot more of them around.  In fact as the number of stores began to dwindle - I wrote to the corporate offices to find out what was going on.  I came home from work one evening to find a message on my answering machine, with a long apology from someone in the corporate office.  It was a bit surreal.

My Roy Rogers intake these days is mostly limited to the rest areas on the New Jersey Turnpike.  But evidently, according to this story, the chain is trying to claw its way back.  I look forward to its triumphant return.

Marinara Sauce

Normally I wholeheartedly endorse the recipes of the Pioneer Woman.  But I would put Mrs BA's homemade sauce against the Pioneer Woman's this time.  Mrs. BA's is a whole lot easier.

Marinara Sauce
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Olive Oil 
• 1 whole Yellow Or White Onion, Diced 
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced 
• 2 whole Large Carrots, Peeled And Finely Diced 
• 2 cans (28 Ounces Each) Whole Tomatoes 
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper 
• 2 teaspoons Sugar (more To Taste) 
• 2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Oregano (optional; Use Whatever Dried Or Fresh Herbs You Like) 
• 2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Parsley, Plus More For Serving 
• Cooked Pasta, For Serving 
• Fresh Parmesan Cheese, For Serving 
• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (optional) 

Instructions 
In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and carrots and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour the tomatoes and juice in a large bowl and use your hands to gently squish/smush the tomatoes so that the juices are released and they are all broken up. Add the contents of the bowl to the pot and stir. Add the salt, pepper, sugar, and oregano (or other dried or fresh herbs). Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Add minced fresh parsley at the end and taste/adjust the sauce for seasonings.

Toss with pasta, then serve on top of the pasta with Parmesan and more parsley (or fresh basil if you have it!)

(Note: If you like a slightly deeper flavor, add the optional tomato paste when you add the tomatoes.)

Meatball Subs!

One of the things I miss about not living in New York any longer is good pizza.  (And bagels - but that's a different story).  There are acceptable pizza places here in the realm of the Brave Astronaut.  For good NY Style pizza, I tend to like Mamma Lucia's.  Of course, the Italian Inn is our go-to for Pizza / Movie night, but that is a different kind of pizza.

I also miss a good "meatball parmigiana hero" - I put it in quotes because here, they call it a sub, or a hoagie.  But when it's done right, it's a hero.  And heroic.

I spotted this recipe a while back in the Washington Post Magazine - it seems like a lot of work, but it might be worth my time in the future.

Campano Meatball Sub 
Servings: 6

Ingredients
For the meatballs

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for your hands 
• 1 small onion, cut into small dice 
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano 
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
• 8 slices white/country bread, preferably crusts removed, torn into bite-size pieces 
• 1/2 cup whole or low-fat milk 
• 2 pounds ground veal 
• 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef 
• 1 pound ground pork shoulder (butt) 
• 8 ounces finely chopped or ground prosciutto 
• 1 cup freshly grated pecorino-Romano cheese 
• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 6 large eggs 
• 2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 
• 4 tablespoons kosher salt 
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper 
• 2 cups "00" flour, for dusting 

For the sauce

• 28 ounces canned whole San Marzano tomatoes 
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano 
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano 
• Kosher or sea salt 
• Freshly cracked black pepper 
• A few fresh basil leaves (optional) 

For assembly

• 6 sub rolls, partially split 
• 12 thin slices good-quality mozzarella cheese 
• 6 slices provolone cheese 

Directions
For the meatballs: Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, stir in the onion, garlic, dried oregano and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook just until the onion and garlic have softened but not browned; transfer to a very large mixing bowl.

Combine the bread pieces and milk in a medium bowl; let the mixture sit for a few minutes so the milk is completely absorbed.

Add to the large bowl the ground veal, ground beef, ground pork shoulder, prosciutto, pecorino-Romano, ricotta, eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper and the soaked bread pieces; use your clean hands to blend the mixture until well incorporated.

Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 450 degrees. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the "00" flour in a wide, shallow bowl.

Grease your hands with a little oil. Form the meatball mixture into 65 meatballs of equal size (shell-on walnuts). Coat each one lightly with "00" flour, dividing them between two parchment-paper-lined rimmed baking sheets. Roast on the upper and lower racks for 10 to 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the meatballs are browned and cooked through. Discard any remaining flour.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: Use a food mill to puree the tomatoes. Discard the seeds; reserve the can juices for another use, if desired.

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the garlic, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes and dried oregano. Cook just until the garlic starts to brown, then stir in the tomato puree. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, then taste, and season lightly with kosher or sea salt and cracked black pepper. Stir in 6 to 8 basil leaves, if desired. Turn off the heat. Transfer 30 of the meatballs to the saucepan, turning them until coated. Cool and reserve the remaining meatballs for another use.

When ready to assemble, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Open the sub rolls, keeping their halves partially attached and laying them on two rimmed baking sheets. Tear out some of the inside bread (to create room for the meatballs). Spread a tablespoon or two of the marinara sauce over both halves of each open-faced roll; toast in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes; keep the oven on.

Line each sub roll with the mozzarella and provolone slices, overlapping and/or tearing the slices so the inside roll surfaces are covered. Line up 5 sauced meatballs at the center of each sub roll; return to the oven just until the cheese has melted.

Close each sandwich, top side up, then cut crosswise in half. Serve hot.