House of Cards // Dinner and Bingo

Because of insomnia as well as a lingering cold that kept me indoors for most of the weekend, I was able to finish the fourth season of House of Cards. It definitely made up for last season, though the first will always be my favorite. 

I'm excited to see where next season will go. Will Frank and Claire be the first couple to be President and Vice President? Will Doug go cray cray with the widow? Where did Jackie and Remi run off to? Will Seth ever correct his posture? It really bothers me. 

When season two premiered, I made ribs and cornbread (Frank's fave! RIP Freddy's). When season three premiered, I added the Rickey cocktail to the menu. Why? It only seemed fitting to drink a cocktail that created and made popular in Washington D.C. (in the 1880's by Shoomaker's bar bartender George A. Williamson).  Originally made with bourbon, it later became more popular to be made with gin. I wish I could remember how I heard of Watershed Distillery, but when I did, I knew I had to use their product for the cocktails. If you've watched the show, you probably, hopefully, immediately thought of the Watershed Act: the bill that Claire proposes and works on that will create new jobs in Russo's (RIP) homestate of Pennsylvania, which she ends up torpedoing. The first time I made these I used gin but this go around I tried it with the distillery's bourbon. I would recommend both.

For season four I added House of Cards Bingo cards!  If you've watched the show over the years you'll know that most of the characters come and go so a lot of nuances that you see in one season won't be there the next. These Bingo cards were made specifically for season one. If you're new to the show or just want to rewatch season one, definitely use these! In turn, you could also use them as a drinking game guide. Zoe bites her nails? Take a sip. Russo's drunk? Take a gulp. You get the idea. Just be responsible. Don't end up like Russo.

Now for the fun stuff. 

Since I live in an apartment with no outdoor space to grill or smoke, I followed this recipe to make the ribs in my slow cooker then stuck them in the broiler for 5-10 minutes to get a nice caramelization on the outside. For sides I added the cornbread and a simple cucumber salad. I'll be honest and tell you that I have yet to find a good cornbread recipe. About a year ago I made a delicious batch but of course forgot to bookmark the recipe.

Rickeys are very easy to make:
2 ounces gin or bourbon
Juice of 1 lime
Club soda
Lime wedge for garnish

Fill a highball glass with ice.
Pour the gin and lime juice over the ice.
Top with club soda.
Garnish with a lime wedge.

Thanks to Google Drive I'm now able to share the Bingo Cards and Chips I created. There are 8 different cards (all have the same squares, just in a different order) and 8 sheets of character chips (includes: Doug Stamper, Claire Underwood, Frank Underwood, Zoe Barnes, Linda Vasquez, Janine Skorsky, Christina Gallagher, and Peter Russo)

Click the links to download:

House of Cards Bingo Cards
House of Cards Bingo Chips

Sloppy Spam Sandwiches // Fargo

I'm one of those weirdos who likes Spam. I don't have it that often, maybe twice a year, but it doesn't gross me out like most people. What I didn't know until recently was that there are over 20 different kinds of Spam (including a spread) and that they have dozens of recipes on their site.


Another fun thing I learned is that Spam sold North America, South America, and Australia is produced in Austin, Minnesota and that there is a restaurant located there with a menu devoted to just Spam. This is where Fargo, the TV series comes in. Though yes, Fargo is located in North Dakota, a lot of the movie and TV show also take place in and around Minnesota. I have been a huge fan of the film for years (even after a having a nightmare with Steve Buscemi's character) yet didn't watch the TV show until recently. I also went backwards and started with the second season because I kept hearing how Kirsten Dunst was robbed of a Golden Globe award.

So I did what any normal person would do and decided to make something with Spam while catching up on the series. I found a recipe for Spamburger Sloppy Joes but it seemed more like a take on BBQ pulled pork than sloppy joes so I decided to make my own. I took inspiration from Kiki's character, Peggy Blumquist, and served them with some tater tots.

I also learned from a friend from Minnesota that Mountain Dew is huge there. I used to have Homer's line of thinking when it came to Mountain Dew, but after having some at said friend's apartment, I am now guilty of not only liking Spam, but Mountain Dew as well. My dad would be so disappointed in me.

Spam Sloppy Joes
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons of butter (omit if using non stick pan)
1 - 12 oz can of Spam
1/3 cup of Sloppy Joe mix
6 hamburger buns (I used delicious Brioche buns because they were on sale, but whatever floats your boat)
toppings such as cheese, tomato, onion, whatever your heart desires

Directions:
Shred the Spam with a grater, set aside in a bowl
Melt the butter in a sauce pan. If you have a non stick pan, you can skip this step.
Add shredded Spam to the sauce pan and sauté until hot, about 10 minutes
Add 1.5 cups of Sloppy Joe mix and stir until the temperature is brought back up
Scoop desired amount onto buns (toasted if your feeling up to it) and add desired topics
Enjoy!

shredded Spam

with the Sloppy Joe mix

served with a Mountain Dew, tater tots and pickles

Cocktail Hour // The Gold Rush

When it comes to pairing cocktails with a movie it's usually a movie that inspires the cocktail, but not this time. I bought some ginger liqueur for another cocktail I wanted to make and attached to the bottle of it (Domaine de Canton) was a set of recipes including one that just needed bourbon and lemons (something I already had on hand), called The Gold Rush. I've made the mistake of buying mixers, liqueurs and such, using them maybe once because they can only be used in so many ways or need other mixers and liqueurs to compliment them, so I was happy to see I can actually make use of this particular liqueur.

I'm sure you can guess which movie I went with...Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush. Confession...I had never seen The Gold Rush before, but it definitely met the hype. The trailer and full movie are posted below, but first, the cocktail:

The Gold Rush

1 1/2 parts Domaine De Canton

1 part bourbon

1/2 part fresh lemon juice

Trailer:

Full Movie:

The Derek Zoolander Center for People Who Don’t Age Good #DZCFPWDAG

Before you head out to see Zoolander 2 this weekend, make sure you stop by The Derek Zoolander Center for People Who Don't Age Good (if you live in New York City). Here you have your youthfulness analyzed then learn about youthfulness, how to look young, how to avoid aging, and how to be all around beautiful, like Derek. In reality, it's a promo pop up shop partnership between the team behind Zoolander 2 and Kiehl's, which has created a limited edition line of products inspired by the film. 

It's easy to spot once you get to the corner of 14th and 8th. Banners of Derek hang from the building and a very enthusiastic greeter escorts you up the stairs to the Center. Right when you walk in they analyze your skin (not really, but it's a cute set up) and you continue from station to station. 

Hard working scientists greet you at the first station with a couple of samples

You are then welcome to smell "old" vs. "young"

Some "old" scents includ meatloaf and tobacco 

Here you learn the progression of "pants to nipple ratio" of men.

According the #DZCFPWDAG, the perfect ratio is 40:20

Here you practice your finger catwalk with plenty of clothing and footwear options

In the last stop, you take your newly found youth and everything you've learned to do a photoshoot. But before you do, you can take inspiration from Derek Zoolander's many looks.

Afterwards you learn about the actual products and receive some samples (I assume while supplies last)

Free to the public and all around fun, you probably will spend about 15-20 minutes here and leave looking more youthful than ever.

The Derek Zoolander Center for People Who Don’t Age Good Hours:

February 9-11: 4pm-8pm

February 12: 3pm-9pm

February 13: 12pm-6pm

Christmas Village in NYC, 5th Avenue

Another great way to know what's going on in the city is signing up for "deal" sites that offer discounts to restaurants, events and more. Sometimes I think I subscribe to too many, but with so much going on in New York City, it's nice to know my options. Travelzoo had discounted tickets available to the Christmas Village exhibits, one of which was just around the corner from my job in midtown, so I figure, why not? The exhibit includes 21 winter/Christmas scenes that include music, animatronics, and lots of (faux) snow. They have a second location in Little Italy that I plan to visit next year as the scenes are different. Here is a description from their site:

The Mayor of Mouseville wanted to bring his family to New York City during the holiday season, so they could see how festively we celebrate Christmas here. He wrote to the Mayor of New York, who asked Santa himself to be Honorary Mayor and show the Mouse Family through The City, as Santa knows and loves it well. Santa meets the family at Grand Santa Station (NY renamed the train terminal for the occasion), and he is dressed in his red business suit and tie, without his cap.

From there, he will show them the sights of NY, including Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, Times Square, Bryant Park, the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, Freedom Towers, and the Statue of Liberty. 

It's almost sickening how cute that sounds.

Now onto the pictures!

[I really love squirrels]

[this was just creepy. reminded me more of a troll than an elf]

[Santa must be on call. But why is he bathing with clothes on?]

Merry Christmas!