Skor Pudding Pies

Another Christmas only decadent pie that I make....

It for the love of all things Skor...cause it's so much more than just an ordinary chocolate bar.

Skor Pudding Pie

1 pie crust (make your own or pre-made frozen kind)
2 Skor Bars
1 package Shirriff pudding (the kind you have to cook not instant)
3 tablespoons crushed graham cracker crumbs

Bake the pie crust let it cook down for at least 15 minutes.
Smash up 2 Skor bars into very tiny pieces and sprinkle at the bottom of the pie crust (reserve a 2 tablespoons)
Sprinkle with layer of crushed graham cracker crumbs
Top with pudding. I use chocolate pudding but you can use any flavour. (I use the Shirriff pudding that you have to cook)
After letting it sit for about 5 minutes sprinkle the top with remaining Skor bits.
And refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Enjoy

Homemade Crunchy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Only make these once a year....they are sinfully decadent.

I initially came across this recipe in thestar.com but I've since modified it.

Homemade Crunchy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

2 cups chocolate chips

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 cups peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)

3 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1/2 large Toblerone bar

1 cup crushed graham crackers

Spray baking spray on 9 x 6-inch baking dish and line with parchment paper.

Place 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon butter in double boiler and melt over low heat, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/2 cup peanut butter. Stir in cereal until well blended.

Place mixture into prepared pan. Press down into even layer. Place in fridge.

After 10 minutes take out of fridge and take 1 cup of peanut butter and spread evenly over mixture with spatula. Place back in fridge.

After 10 minutes take out of fridge and evenly spread out 1 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs. Return to fridge.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in double boiler. Stir in remaining cup of chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of peanut butter and 1/2 large Toblerone bar until smooth. If too thick add another tablespoon of unsalted butter (or milk works too). Pour evenly over prepared base. Smooth out top with spatula.

Cover and refrigerate at least 60 minutes.

Remove from pan. Cut into bars. Store in airtight container.

These are very sweet so cut into small bars.

Enjoy.

Laid back Friday Playlist

Filmography 2010

Now grant it I haven't been to the movie theater since the 'Wedding Crashers' - damn children screwing up my movie viewing schedule...but after seeing this I feel like I'm all caught up.

It's a movie mash-up at it's best.

YouTube Video Chronicling The Year In Film:

genrocks | December 13, 2010 |
This year's movies have legitimately transformed my idea of what is creatively possible. To commemorate, I've remixed 270 of them into one giant ass video.

Music:
1. Ratatat - Nostrand - http://tinyurl.com/2ahhhj9
2. Kanye West - Power - http://tinyurl.com/27mpo83
3. Rooney - Not In My House - http://tinyurl.com/23vpakx
4. Apartment - Fall Into Place - http://tinyurl.com/2fnsnkc
5. Civil Twilight - Letters from the Sky - http://tinyurl.com/2fwrlys
6. SUNBEARS! - Little Baby Pines - http://tinyurl.com/26d9brn

Films in order of appearance: http://tinyurl.com/2g3p6bs

Note: My film selection process was fairly open; anything that was either produced or distributed in 2010 was fair game (I also consulted this Wikipedia entry). This is why some movies are labelled 2009 or 2011 on IMDB. Also, this by no means constitutes a comprehensive list of films that came out in 2010. That would have been exhausting.

Brilliant - Singer/Songwriter Meets A Suit

Love, love this. Reminds me of Theory Of A Nickelfault.

UK X Factor Winner - Matt Cardle

When We Collide is the debut single from Matt Cardle, the winner of the latest UK X Factor.

The 27-year-old former painter-decorator from Essex is headed to topping this week's UK singles chart after selling 112,000 copies on its first day of release.

Brilliant.



(When We Collide is a cover of a track by Scottish rock trio Biffy Clyro, originally titled Many Of Horror (When We Collide).

[info: MTV News UK]

With Or Without You

I'm a sucker for brilliant covers....this one by Boyce Avenue & Kina Grannis...covering U2's 'With Or Without You'.

The single is available on iTunes.

Mike Tomkins

Love.

Rihanna - Only Girl - A Capella Cover - Just Voice and Mouth - Mike Tompkins FEAT. SHAD.

15 Characters

Taken from Nancy Slater Hunt

Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen fictional characters (television, films, plays, books) who've influenced you and that will always stick with you. 

List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. These are in no particular order.

(Don't know about the influence part, but these characters have stuck with me)...

1. Margaret - 'Are You There God It's Me Margaret' by Judy Blume

2. Duckie - Pretty In Pink

3. Jake Ryan - 16 Candles

4. Jill Brenner - 'Blubber' by Judy Blume

5.  Ferris Buller - Ferris Bueller's Day Off

6. Watts - Some Kind Of Wonderful

7. Angela Chase - My So Called Life

8. Dylan McKay - Beverly Hills 90210

9. William Miller - Almost Famous

10. The Wicked Witch of the West - Wizard Of Oz

11. Holly Golightly - Breakfast At Tiffany's

12. John Munch - Homicide Life On The Streets

13. Mr. Dress Up

14. Mister Rogers

15. John Bender - The Breakfast Club

Authors

Copied from Samantha Corber Sirk

The Rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen authors (poets included) who've influenced you and that will always stick with you.
List the first fifteen you can recall.

Judy Blume
David Halberstam
Mordecai Richler
Beverly Cleary
George Orwell
Frank McCourt
Maeve Binchy
Leon Bing
Carol Shields
V. C. Andrews
Wally Lamb
Margaret Atwood
Stephen King
Sophie Kinsella
Alice Munro

Le iPod Shuffle

Copied from Brad MacLachlan
First rule - be honest! Don't keep shuffling forward for "cooler" songs. This is a 'getting to know you' exercise. Once you've been tagged...

(1) Turn on your MP3 player or music player on your computer. (If you don't know how to do this, smack yourself in the head with your MP3 player or computer)
(2) Go to SHUFFLE mode
(3) Write down the first 20 songs that come up - title and artist and whatever they make you think of. NO editing/cheating, please

1. Seabird - Trust  (train rides to Toronto...just me, a book and my iPod on the train...complete bliss)
2. Pearl Jam - Ten (Carleton University - copious amounts of coffee at Roosters)
3. Norah Jones - Chasing Pirates (Santigold & Snotty Remix) (photo shoot with Michelle Valberg)
4. The Script - If You See Kay (that I really need to go to the UK and explore the sites and sounds)
5. U2 - Beautiful Day (working at my desk, doing the music thing at Kiss FM)
6. Library Voices - Drinking Games (Canadian Music Week - good times)
7. Hinder - Without You (those boys from days gone by)
8. Foo Fighters - Wheels (working at Xfm...and how much fun it truly was)
9. Marie Digby - Beauty In Walking Away (turning 30...and a sudden feeling of self empowerment that came with it...leaving the past behind)
10. Meaghan Smith - I Know (the wedding of one Daughter of Joy & Gum Man)
11. Elliot Smith - Miss Misery (a former beauty queen I used to know)
12. Daughtry - Get Me Through This (a certain rock star boy I knew in my 20s)
13. Michael Jackson - P.Y.T (dancing in the kitchen for no reason at all)
14. Graham Colton Band - Killing Me (road trip to Montreal with Jackass to see Kelly Clarkson)
15. Garrison Starr - Beautiful In Los Angeles (that I still need to visit that crazy city)
16. Jon Foreman - A Mirror Is Harder To Hold (a good friend...who is my mirror cause she tells me how it is)
17. U2 - All Because Of You (being pregnant with my first and finally seeing the band I love...it was bliss)
18. Vampire Weekend - Horchata (road trip to Boston with CeCe, Tanya & Natasha)
19. Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work (mindless drives....driving just to drive)
20. Justin Timberlake, Matt Morris & Charlie Sexton - Hallelujah (Haiti)

My Facebook Status: 2010 A Year in Review

CNN Hero: Narayanan Krishnan

So incredibly inspiring. The belief in this concept is simple - that we are entitled to human dignity....even the forgotten ones.

It's a moment of reflection that we all need - we all can do something and feel as Narayanan says 'feel the joy of giving'.



A hero indeed.

Michael Bublé & Sam

A mother will do anything for son to see his dream come true....even interrupting a Michael Bublé concert.

Michael's reaction is priceless and makes me love him even that much more.

Most amusing....

The Royal Ottawa Foundation For Mental Health Youth Video Contest

The Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health has launched The Youth Anti-Stigma Video Contest, sponsored by Bell. Winning videos (in French and English) will be premiered at the Gala in March!

The Royal Ottawa Foundation For Mental Health Youth Video Contest Mental Illness Tell Your Story • Make a Video • End Stigma

Must be between the ages of 12 - 21.

Contest Deadline: Feb. 9, 2011 Visit youknowwhoiam.com to enter and for contest rules. Conditions apply.

First prize: $2500 Second prize: $1000

We want you to tell us your story about your connection with Mental Health. Has Mental Illness affected one of your friends or family? Have you yourself been affected?

Make a video and send us the link. If your video is chosen by the judges you could win prizes of $2500 or $1000. Enter as a group (max 4 people) or an individual.

Your 60 second video COULD:

promote a call to action in the fight against stigma

talk about your connection to someone who is affected by mental illness

share how mental illness has affected you

tell how you (or your friends) have made a difference in mental health community

encourage your friends and family to get involved in the fight against stigma

give your own definition of mental illness