Celebrate

Happy Fourth of July everyone! Whether you're headed to the beach in a star-spangled bikini or cooking up some hot dogs with your family on this long weekend, I hope you have a fun and safe holiday weekend!

Today if you mention that you follow Becker's Bakery on Twitter or on Facebook, you can receive a free red, white, or blue star cookie from the Manhattan Beach bakery. That is, if you can find parking downtown Manhattan beach. For those of you headed straight to the beach, Old Navy has some great red, white, and blue bathing suits currently discounted as a part of their Star Spangled Sale, so hurry over before you hit the waves.

If you're hosting a backyard barbecue, try out this awesome hot dog sauce recipe. My mom makes a similar one every year that can't be beat--sorry though, that recipe is a family secret. Still in need of some party snacks? Harry & David's candy and snack tubs are 30% off this weekend, so celebrate our independence with delicious food, snacks, and gourmet appetizers.

Then when it cools down and the sun sets, check out abc7.com for a map of firework locations in the South Bay. Some shows start at 8pm, whereas others don't begin til 9pm, so be sure you double check times. Or if you're lucky enough to know someone with a view along the coast, you might be able to catch four or five different firework displays from Malibu to Redondo Beach.

Happy Independence Day, America!

Images from facebook.com/beckersbakery, yumsugar.com and artofmanliness.com

Stuffed

Thanksgiving Leftover Panini

Like you're not still in a food coma from yesterday

Ingredients:

• 2 thick slices day old bread (or 1 loaf), such as ciabatta
• Cold gelatinous gravy
• Turkey breast, sliced
• Turkey stuffing
• Cranberry dressing
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 sage leaves, chopped fine
• Butter, softened

Directions:

Spread one slice of bread with a thin layer of cold gravy. Layer the sandwich with slices of turkey, stuffing, more gravy and cranberry dressing, to taste. Season with salt and pepper and top with chopped sage leaves. Spread a thick layer of cranberry dressing on the other slice of bread.

Butter each side of the sandwich on the outside, then toast on a preheated sandwich grill or in a cast iron skillet, pressing the firmly on each side golden brown.

Image from foodnetwork.com

Giving Thanks

We have so much to be thankful for this year: family, friends, health.

I for one am thankful for our friends who keep us posting for you -- YOU! -- and of course I am very thankful for you. Chances are if you're reading this now, you're a rather regular visitor, and we love love love the opportunity you give us to grow and play and celebrate. For this I'm thankful.

Now that we've all eaten a little too much and are falling into tryptophan-induced comas, remember what Marcie said in "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving:"

"But Thanksgiving is more than eating, Chuck. You heard what Linus was saying out there. Those early Pilgrims were thankful for what had happened to them, and we should be thankful, too. We should just be thankful for being together. I think that's what they mean by 'Thanksgiving,' Charlie Brown."

Images from imbd.com

Think Blue

Even though the leaves are turning pretty shades of orange, red, and yellow, I'm still blue.

Dodger blue that is.

Sure, baseball is the summer past time, but just because the weather has cooled down doesn't mean my team spirit has. The Dodgers took the win with a 5-1 last night against the St. Louis Cardinals. A three-game sweep had the Dodgers clinching the best-of-five National League Division Series. Last night Padilla turned seven masterful innings; Ethier's two-run homer and Manny's three hits had fans in a craze. LA is set to play the winner of the Rockie-Phillies tournament starting this Thursday. With games like these, how could Dodger fever die down?

So come on, grab an over-sized hot dog, your mitt, your blue LA hat, and Think Blue.

Images from throwbackguy.com and mlb-tour-2008.com

Workin' At the Car Wash

Car wash.

Mention these two little words on a college campus and you'll elicit images of suds, bikinis, and possibly cheeseburgers (a la Paris Hilton in her Carl's Jr. commercial). Dream on, boys.

But really, your car is your best friend. It gets you from South Campus to Main without having to wait 40 minutes for the next bus. It cools you off in the summer months with the AC cranked up to arctic coolness. It saves you from that freezing cold walk to Starbucks in the winter. Quite a one-way relationship, don't you think?

Time to give back.

Give it some TLC with a wash from the sorority girls of Delta Gamma today that'll run you only $5. Hand washed, your car will never sparkle like it has after the girls are through with it. Grab some coffee or treats from Delta Goodies while you're waiting for the lovely ladies to work their magic. The best part: all proceeds from the Delta Gamma car wash will go to the sorority's philanthropy, Service for Sight.

Talk about good, clean fun.

Images from tampabaylighteningcar.com and ATCOM

Time Warp (Part II)

Aug 14, 2009

Dear Diary,

Is it time yet? Is it? Can I go? Please. Pretty please? Countdown: t-minus 8 days. Let's go already!! I mean, summer's been great. It's been fantastic being home. But, really, is it time yet?

Everything's stored at Grandma's in PA. I'm scheduled to fly in there to visit her first before I move into my dorm. I should air out my Northface parka. I wonder if I need that now, or if I can wait til after Thanksgiving? I don't remember it snowing before then. I can't decide if I should start packing my CA stuff this weekend or not. Is that a little too eager-beaver of me? I don't want to give my family the wrong impression. I mean, I miss them all during the year but....

Speaking of family Diary, my sorority sisters are getting me so excited to return back to Cuse. I've been bombarded with Facebook messages daily. I'm living with one of my sisters next year--Jen!! We've been video chatting all summer. This time I'm bringing the fridge (she's on microwave detail). We're going to have such a good year.

Hmm, it's about time I start looking at my class schedule. Rob already has his, but then, he's off in Chile studying abroad (man, it's going to be weird not having him around this semester). Suzi is abroad too, I'm definitely going to miss them both. But while they have their act together already, Diary, I have some rearranging to do ever since I was accepted into the Newhouse School of Public Communications this summer. Though you know I'm never one to procrastinate, maybe I'll just wait til the info meeting when we go back to SU. Molly and Thomas both said they'd go with me. Reunion!

Jed and I have been planning our to-do's that first week we move in, like lunch at Faculty and room decorating (I mean they didn't call me Holly Homemaker just for any old reason last year). We're both working Goon Squad to help the new kiddies move into the dorms. Way to give back, I know. That plus OrangeSeeds, my freshman-leadership program from last year, has me working as a mentor for new students. I love playing mommy!

I'm so stoked. Where did the summer go? I still have checklist of things to do in LA, though having Syracuse friends visit this summer helped me cross several of those things off (hi Ben at 6MAN, Angela and Melissa at the Melrose Flea Market!). Anyway, the countdown continues!

Here's to the coming year!

-S

Image from syr.edu

Time Warp (Part I)

Aug 14, 2008

Dear Diary,

I'm packing. I'm off to college on the other side of the world. I'm starting to sympathize with Christopher Columbus right now--voyaging off to the opposite end of the globe, not knowing if it's flat or not. Do you think Syracuse is flat? I mean, I hear it's really cold; maybe it could be the very edge of the world over there. Though Helen says it's alright. She moved into her dorm yesterday at Villanova. Man, I hate good-byes. I have friends who are relocating all across the country: Philadelphia, Boston, NorCal, NYC, Indiana, Illinois, Colorado, Texas. Sure, we wouldn't be sharing late night In-N-Out Animal Style fries together as frequently. But we have promises of video chats in different timezones, Christmases at the beach to come home to, and a cross-country collegiate tour that won't require those information meetings.

I always knew I'd go to college on the East Coast, Diary. But now that tidbit of self-knowledge is becoming a reality. I packed up my clothes, my room, and pieces of my SoCal lifestyle to bring with me. I have a whole color scheme picked out for my dorm room--def plastering the walls with surf posters. My roommate seems nice. I think she might be wild. Well, she's bringing the mini fridge, so I can't complain.

I guess making new friends won't be that hard, Diary. I'm nervous. I know a total of zero people going to Syracuse. But there's about 16,000 students there. There's bound to be a handful of people who'll maybe(?) like me(!). That makes me nervous.

Ok, Diary, secret time: I'm petrified. High school was fantastic. I was somebody. Everyone knew me. I did everything. I was on top of the world. Graduated with honors. How can I be expected to do that all over again? No one knowing me, not knowing anyone. I. Am. So. Scared. But I guess it'll work out, right? If I've done it once, I can do it again. I mean, I'm not the only person to go away for college. And there has to be stuff for me to get involved in. Ok, deep breaths.

In all honesty Diary, I'm really excited. The timing's perfect, I'm ready to go. Let's try something new, shake things up a bit.

Here goes nothing.

-S

Image from sulacrosscamps.com

Favorite Holiday of the Year

If you're from Manhattan Beach, California, and between the ages 13-47, you know from the picture and the title of this entry what we'll be discussing.

That's right, the Manhattan Beach 6-Man.

What started as a memorial tournament for Manhattan Beach legend Charlie Saikley, this weekend-long beach festival sports a surfing competition, the pier-to-pier swim/paddle, and of course, the volleyball tournament.

Teams sport themes from the Oompa Loompa dads to Rockstar Energy Drinks-sponsored Rage All Night, participants include world-class volleyball players, top collegiate stars, and hidden AVP pros in their costume-mandatory team colors. And what would a team be without its cheerleaders? With friends playing some (somewhat) serious volleyball for Becker's Bakery and Pancho's, I witnessed girl-versions of the uniforms being replecated, such as Kendall Waters's rendition of OLÉs for the Team Pancho's jersey. Who could resist this competative, debauchery-filled weekend? Just promise me one thing as we head back down the beach for next year's 6MAN: leave all your personal belongings at home. All you need is your bathing suit, some friends, and maybe the things listed below.


Images from Malibu Rum, GirlthingUK, Von Zipper, and Banana Boat; tshirt design complements of Kendall Waters