Make an Appointment to See Mom & Popism

A few weeks back Mr. Bee and hiked the 5 flights (or maybe it was 7, all I know is that my thighs were burnin'!) up to the Gawker rooftop to check out the mom & popism art show. Definitely worth the trek. My favorites are above.

The thing I love most about all of the pieces is the strange reality it creates. Kind of like when you watch Who Framed Roger Rabbit. There's real people, objects and cartoons. Everything seems totally out of place, but at the same time perfectly normal.

I'm no art critic, but if you like NYC and/or graffiti check it out. I believe there are a few panels at Clic Gallery, but can also check out some pics here or watch the below video.

Movies with the Mom

Mr. Bee and I are going to visit his mother this weekend and since it's horrible weather (Thanks Hurricane Danny) we're taking her to the movies. I have no idea what to see. Here's what I've come up with after looking at the local listings:

I can't imagine her sitting through these:

• G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
• Inglourious Basterds
  
• Halloween II (I can't watch this either or Mr.Bee will be forced to sleep with the light on)
  
• Taking Woodstock

She might shock us and want to see one of these:

• District 9
• The Final Destination
  

I am hoping these don't make it to her list:

• Shorts
• Ponyo (well, maybe I'd see this)
• The Goods: Live Hard * Sell Hard (I'm on the fence about this one. I think I'll wait til it comes out on DVD.)
• Post Grad (DVD rental for sure)

My bets are on the following:

• Julie & Julia
• The Time Traveler's Wife
• (500) Days of Summer
  

Fingers crossed for Julie & Julia. Sorry, Mr. Bee I think you're going to end up watching a chick flick.

Black Eyed Peas - Not the Singing Kind

Mr. Bee is making his specialty for dinner tonight and I am so excited. As we speak (blog) black eyed peas are doing there thing in the crock pot. Besides being delicious, I love black eyed peas because - it's a simple recipe, yields lunch and dinner for a about a week for 2 people, and costs less than $10! Give it a shot!

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of dry, black eyed peas
• 1 onion
• Smoked turkey legs (you can pretty much use any smoked meat you'd like or omit it)
• Water
• Olive Oil
  
• Bay leaves, Salt, Pepper
• Rice

Directions:

Put the beans in a container, cover with water and soak overnight. In the morning, drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of the crock pot, add chopped onion, and a few bay leaves. Place the smoked turkey legs in next and then add the beans after you've drained them from the water they soaked in. Next, add about 4 quarts of water or until everything is covered. Throw some salt and pepper in and put the lid on. Set the crock pot to 6-8 hours. It's usually done before then so check the beans during the last few hours if you can.

Serve over rice and don't forget the Frank's Red Hot Sauce!

It's true I used to work on a farm

I recently visited the farm I worked at in High School. Well, I didn't actually do farm work per se, but I worked in the ice cream shop...still it's hard work.

I've been to a million farmer's markets in the city, but nothing compares to going to a farm stand. There's an unmistakable feeling of hard work and craftiness. Maybe it has something to do with the fields being right there. I love talking to the people who cared for the gardens and picked everything for us to enjoy. My old boss, now friend showed me all of the beautiful quilts she's been working on or completed and I am in complete awe. She's also made these amazing tote bags which would totally sell for over $100 in the city. I was hoping she'd give me one :)

The farm was actually featured in Hudson River Valley Farms: The People and the Pride behind the Produce which is really exciting, and of course I bought one.

I am so inspired by all of the people that work at Tantillo's Farm in NY and can only wish the basil plant in my window or the half finished crafts under my bed could amount to a fraction of what they are able to accomplish.

Top 5 Cheap Dates

Times are tough, but that doesn't mean you can't date. Here are the Top 5 things Mr. Bee and I like to do that don't give us buyer's remorse (#5 being our favorite)

1. Packed lunch/dinner in the park. We're lucky that we are close to a park even though we live in a city.
2. Matinee movie followed by street vendor food for dinner/late lunch. Just cause it's sold on the street doesn't mean it's not delicious.
   
3. Staying at home with wine/beer playing unisex friendly video games. Some of our favorites are Little Big Planet and Super Katamari. Girly, but cool enough for the guys.
   
4. Subway ride to Coney Island for Nathan's hot dogs. The subway ride is always entertaining, I could ease drop and people watch for hours.
5. Laundry night! One day a week, we pack up the laundry, go to the laundromat, throw the clothes in the washer and head over to the dive bar down the block for some CLs (Coors Lights). Hey! We're on a budget so don't splurge for the good stuff :)

Laundry night is my favorite because the bar is entertainingly dysfunctional (I am sure there will be a future post about this) and we're getting chores done while "dating".

Pork and Black Bean Salad = The Cure for Monday Night Dinner

Last night I had 2 problems I needed to cure in order to make dinner for Mr. Bee and I:

1. What to eat on a hot summer night that won't make the apartment warmer than it already is
2. What to do with small cuts of pork that won't dry them out
3. My fridge was almost empty and I only had a few ingredients to choose from
   

Inspired by a recent black bean salad recipe I read in a cook book, I came up with Cajun Grilled Pork over black bean salad and mixed greens.

Ingredients:

• Small cuts of pork
• Cajun seasoning
• Mixed greens
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 tomato (diced)
  
• Corn
  
• Quarter of a lemon
  
• Olive oil
• Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder

First, I rubbed the Cajun seasoning into the pork with a little bit of Olive Oil and let it rest while I made the black bean salad. Just rinse the beans and put them in a bowl with the corn and tomato. I only had frozen corn so I heated it up in the microwave and chilled it slightly in the fridge before adding. Squeeze the lemon over everything and add some olive oil along with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. I have no idea how much of everything I put in so season to taste. Mix it altogether and place in the fridge until ready to serve.

Throw the pork on the George Foreman for 6-8 minutes and then let rest on a cutting board. I always seem to overcook pork on a skillet or oven, but the George Foreman is the right man for the job as long as I take the pork off in time. Put some mixed greens on a plate, spoon the black bean salad over the top and once the pork has rested, cut it into strips and add on top of the black bean salad for easy consumption.

It was so delicious, filling, and light! Next time I think I'll add fresh cilantro or green onions to the black bean salad.