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Ode to an Electric Pressure Cooker
I am not a cook. It is only rarely that I enjoy putting together a meal, and that’s when I get inspired by a new recipe or stumbled upon an old favorite while leafing through a cookbook. That being said, I’m not a total flop in the kitchen – I can throw together a pretty good holiday dinner. It’s just the everyday of cooking that I find a little tedious.
That being said, I have recently acquired an appliance that has made my cooking life that much easier. It’s not a new recipe book, nor is it a live-in cook, or a meal delivery service.
It’s an electric pressure cooker. Somehow these magical appliances have flown below my radar for the past few years. If you had asked me about a pressure cooker, I would immediately recall a scary, hissing pot sitting on the back of my mother’s stove, with a little hat dancing on top. On occasion, my mom would tip the little hat and a plume of angry steam would stream out. When I asked her why she did that, she said it was to keep the pressure fron building up. From then on, I was REALLY scared of that durn pot, thinking if my mom didn’t keep an eye on it, it would explode all ovr the place, spattering the kitchen with ham hocks and collard greens.
Thus was my childhood experience with pressure cookers. I wanted nothing to do with them.
One day, I spied either an article or a little ad popped up about something called an Instant Pot. With this miracle pot, one could cook rice in 3 minutes, cook ribs/meat in a hour and most importantly, cook grits in 2 minutes.
I.Was.Floored. What was this magic pot and how could I get my hot little hands on one? I must have this!! No more watching the stove, making sure the rice doesn’t burn. No more long hours of waiting for roasts to get done. I don’t even have to wait until the meat defrosts! And weekend breakfasts were a cinch without standing over the stove stirring grits.
I say all that to say, if you haven’t yet experienced the lovely efficiency and ease of an electric pressure cooker, borrow one or buy one and see for yourself. Take it from me, a woman who hates to cook, it will change your kitchen life for the better. I truly love my electric pressure cooker!
What’s the one appliance that makes your cooking life easier?
Highly recommended!
Five More Halloween Movie Favorites – Seventies Version
The seventies. A whole decade devoted to scaring the mess out of kids. If you were a child in the seventies, there was a lot of unsupervised bike riding, going over to other kids’ houses, the 4:30 movie on ABC and those channel 5 movies AND CHILLER Theatre on channel 9. How did we even sleep at night? Oh yeah, with a cigarette and a Michelob.
Can you say “scarred for life”? Well, not really scarred, but whew, did those movies stay with you or what? To add the icing on the cake, many of these were made for TV movies, not theatrical releases. So you could pop in from bike riding, grab a soda, and be scared to death right in your living room.
5. Audrey Rose
A stranger attempts to convince a happily married couple that their daughter is actually his daughter reincarnated.
Director: Robert Wise
Writer: Frank De Felitta (screenplay)
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Marsha Mason, John Beck
Not exactly a horror/scary movie, but it contains supernatural elements. One of Sir Anthony Hopkins’s early films.
4. Burnt Offerings
Haunted house chiller from Dan Curtis has Oliver Reed and Karen Black as summer caretakers moving into 
gothic house with their young son. The catch? The house rejuvenates a part of itself with each death that occurs on its premises.
Director: Dan Curtis
Writers: Robert Marasco (novel), William F. Nolan (screenplay), 1 more credit »
Stars: Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Burgess Meredith
Creepy, scary with Karen Black, who does creepy the best. This house is really haunted.
To add insult to injury, when I was older, I read the book, thinking “oh, it wasn’t that scary”. Well, I was wrong. The book is an example of creeping, heavy dread and nothing can stop it.
PLUS, the Penguin was it in? wh
3. Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
A young couple inherits an old mansion inhabited by small demon-like creatures who are determined to make the wife one of their own.
Director: John Newland
Writer: Nigel McKeand
Stars: Kim Darby, Jim Hutton, Barbara Anderson
I think I’m still rather scared by this movie, at least by the memory of it. The creepy whispers and the eyes…and the ending is just ….I have no words.
2. Don’t Go to Sleep
A young girl begins seeing the ghost of her sister who died in an accident a year earlier.
Director: Richard Lang
Writer: Ned Wynn
Stars: Dennis Weaver, Valerie Harper, Robin Ignico
It’s actually a movie that holds up across the time warp. Dennis Weaver (Gunsmoke) is a good actor and we all know Valerie Harper. If you are able to ignore the cheesy 70s clothes and a little overwrought drama, it’s an interesting and scary movie.
1. Trilogy of Terror
Three bizarre horror stories all of which star Karen Black in four different roles playing tormented women.
Director: Dan Curtis
Writers: William F. Nolan (teleplay), Richard Matheson (story), 4 more credits »
Stars: Karen Black, Robert Burton, John Karlen
Just a great movie. The last story, with the little scary doll is the best one. Richard Matheson (I Am Legend) is simply brilliant in his storytelling and William Nolan does his stories justice. This one holds up over time, that doll is SCARY.
Mind you, don’t go into watching these movies with the expectation of gore and slashing and Saw type storylines. Though the movies didn’t have a lot of gore to throw around, it’s the good writing and the psychological aspect that was scary. These movies sneak up on you.
Pleasant dreams, muahahahahah!!
Need more of my crazy Halloween movies? Click here. Or here.
Blogtoberfest – 10 Scary Movies in Black and White
Let’s be honest. Given the huge number of gross-out, slash ‘em up films that are under “horror movie” genre, watching someone get stabbed, or hung or cut apart gets a little tedious. Blood and guts can be scary, yes, but the real “horror” is sometimes only in our minds: the stuff we can’t see, or even worse, the stuff we imagine we see.
Following this, and based upon a comment from one of my Facebook friends, I compiled a list of horror/scary movies in black and white that you may enjoy. Where possible, I’ve placed the date and time it’s on the air, but otherwise, I’m sure you can find them on either a streaming service or even on YouTube.
When I was a seventies child, these movies were perfect for a rainy Saturday or Sunday afternoon, and were scary enough to keep you awake with some nightmares for sure! So without further ado, here’s my list.
- The Thing from Another World (1951) – I actually didn’t see this movie until I was an adult, and while it wasn’t super scary, it really creeped me out. James Arness is the “Thing” and at his height of 6’6” he was able to tower menacingly over the rest of the cast. A must watch for classic movie lovers. Available on archive.org.
- The Invisible Man (1933) – Long before Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon, there was Claude Rains as the Invisible Man. This was Rains’s American film debut. Available on vimeo.
- Cat People (1942) – Built around a woman who is cursed to turn into a panther, this movie is said to be the origin of the “jump scare”. It’s a moody, atmospheric piece that is both well-acted and well-written.
- The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) – The screenplay was written by Richard Matheson, based upon his novel of the same name. Exposed to both pesticides and radiation (poor fellow), the title character begins shrinking and no one can help him. I remember the battle with the cat as well as another “monster” that I won’t mention here.
- House on Haunted Hill (1959) – The setup is simple. A millionaire offers 10k to be locked in a haunted house (presumably also located on a haunted hill) overnight. Seems simple right? But the house may have other plaaaaaans. It stars Vincent Price, which should be enough to compel you to watch it. Available on TubiTv.
- Them! (1954) – Ants affected by none other than atomic testing, invade a New Mexico town with disastrous results. Great giant monster movie!
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) – Starring Frederic March. You know the drill. Available on archive.org.
- The Uninvited (1944) – If you’re a fan of haunted house/ghost stories, then this film starring Ray Milland (of Dial M for Murder) is for you. Slow, creeping horror.
- The Night of the Hunter (1955) – More Gothic horror than supernatural horror, The Night of the Hunter is full of dread and gloom, enhanced by its stark black and white presentation. Robert Mitchum is the supposedly “God-fearing” preacher with LOVE and HATE tattooed on his knuckles. Scary and picturesque.
- Night of the Living Dead (1968) – No B&W horror movie list would be complete this super classic. Watch online here.
Blogtoberfest – Crypt TV: The Look-See
Crypt TV : Look – See
Genre : Horror
Director, Writer, DP, Producer, Editor, VFX, SFX, Colorist, Composer, Wardrobe, Makeup: Landon Stahmer
PA: Gabe Hohreiter
Cast: Jenni: Belinda Gosbee – Daniel, Monster: Sean Brison
Rating – 10/10
Crypt TV’s THE LOOK-SEE is a remarkable, well put together horror web-series on YouTube. The first season surpassed my expectations, as the series as a whole was downright amazing. The monster by itself was already terrifying, but the music, atmosphere, and acting just took it to a whole new level. Typically, online tv shows don’t fare too well, as they are usually sloppily thrown together, with little to no thought put into them. They are un-enjoyable to the point where you can’t even sit down and make fun of it, because of how horrible it is. That’s not the case with these short films.
To begin, the Look-See’s main objective is to force people to let go of the past. This monster targets unsuspecting victims, and uses the phrase “If you yourself cannot release, then it will come and take a piece”, meaning if they are not able to let go of a traumatic event, he will come and take of piece of them that is connected to that occurrence. It might sound a little bit confusing, but as the season goes on, you can tell why he takes the parts that he does.
SPOILER AFTER VIDEO
SPOILER AHEAD :
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For example in the first episode of season one, a woman was not able to let go of her failing marriage, and didn’t get rid of her wedding ring in time. The Look-See monster confronted her, and took away her hand. Her hand was the thing that was holding her back from moving on and starting fresh, so he took a piece of her. The idea, alongside the circumstances and the monster is one of the most creative things I have seen in awhile.
I applaud Crypt TV for their ability to come up with such an amazing web-series, as every episode is so engaging and intriguing. I highly recommend this show, words cannot explain how much I enjoyed the first season, and how delighted I am that there will be a second!
Blogtoberfest -Swallow that Sweet Fear: Halloween Cookie Recipe
It’s cookie recipe day!
If you’re like me, you plan way ahead for any type of party or treat fest because you’ve just GOT to be sure that everything is going to go right.
I worked with my daughter this summer in perfecting her cupcake and frosting recipe so she would have the most lovely cupcakes to take to school for her birthday.
Mind you, I can’t stand everyday cooking, but baking is my thing. I like the fact that it’s fun, short and you get a sweet treat at the end.
Now, I’m giving you this cookie recipe early enough so you have time to experiment with it, mess it up and start again.
Halloween Bat Sugar Cookies – Recipe courtesy of Domino Sugar
YIELDS
3 to 4 dozen cookies
INGREDIENTS
Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
- 3/4 cup firmly packed Domino® Light Brown Sugar
- 3/4 cup Domino® Granulated Sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Icing
- 3 3/4 cups (1-lb pkg.) Domino® Confectioners Sugar
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 6 tablespoons warm water
- purple food coloring
- 1 tube black decorator gel icing
Happy Baking
Dahlia
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