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The Devil Wears Prada

Captain's Log, Stardate 08.29.2006

Blog book giveaway:
My Thursday book giveaway is THE GUY I'M NOT DATING by Trish Perry.
My Monday book giveaway is the Coffee Cup Bible Study books by Sandra Glahn.
You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Thursday, I'll draw the winner for THE GUY I'M NOT DATING and post the title for another book I'm giving away.

Movie! I finally saw The Devil Wears Prada yesterday with Shelley Bates. It was good! Good character arc.

Now I will confess that I have NOT read the book yet (Bad, Camy! Bad, Camy!). I have it on my TBR pile where it stares balefully at me. I just had too many other things to read.

But the storyline in the movie was great. There were only a few things that niggled me—like why she would want a job at a fashion magazine when she so disdains them all, and the cutie Christian-somethinglastname writer who suddenly (and rather uncharacteristically) turned into power-hungry-want-that-editing-job dork right after she sleeps with him.

And what was up with her boyfriend??? For one, he wasn't that handsome, I thought. For another, I think he could have been a little more sympathetic about her missing his birthday party. I mean, a birthday party? "Let me pout in front of the TV a bit because you missed such a momentous event."

What--did he expect her to just quit her job when it became too demanding and taking time away from him? Only rich people can afford to do that, honey.

And why were her friends so unsympathetic? They were nice enough when she was giving them free stuff like a coveted $1900 purse. But when her job started taking all her time, they almost made her lose her job by not giving her her phone. Did her friends and her boyfriend think jobs grow on trees? Come on, people.

And all Miranda Priestley's foibles were almost worth the FREE COUTURE!!! Let me just say that again: FREE COUTURE!!! All those fabulous clothes and shoes that didn’t cost Andrea a cent.

TMI:

Writing: I posted a book review of A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND over at the Fab Four Book Picks blog, another "Health and the Writer" post at WriterQuotes, and another synopsis tip at myStory Sensei blog.

I am desperate to get a sketch outline for my next manuscript. I don't know if I'm going to make the ACFW conference Early Bird deadline. Yikes!

Diet: I did okay considering I went out to eat yesterday with Shelley. Had a salad and soup—both terrific—at an Italian restaurant. But I didn't exercise—my surgery knee was bothering me after the movie, so I iced it down instead.

I roasted a chicken today since I had time, and I can't believe I haven't done this more often. Whole chicken is always so cheap and roasting is incredibly easy.

I used my mom's recipe for stuffing:

Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water.
Mince and sauté onions, garlic, celery, and the gizzards in butter.
Mince the mushrooms.
Tear 2-3 pieces of bread into small pieces.
Toss everything. If it's too dry, add some of the mushroom water.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Stuff yer bird.

The chicken juices (read: fat) make the stuffing melt in your mouth, and the stuffing gives flavor to the meat around it.

I rubbed salt, pepper, and paprika on the chicken and roasted it breast side down. I didn't use a rack, and MAN the breast turned out really juicy. I wedged the chicken up with four potatoes (they turned out really good, too).

I didn't even have to baste it. I seared it at 450o for 10 minutes, basted once with butter, and then left it at 350o for 2 hours (4 pound chicken).

SO EASY! SO CHEAP! I should do this more often, since I have the time to roast it.
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Comments

Geekwif said…
I saw Devil Wears Prada too,and had a similar impression. I haven't read the book either, so I don't know how closely the storyline follows it. I agreed with the friend who accompanied me to the movie that Christian Whatshisname was "poison". All the same, she was a smart girl and it really surprised me that she stooped so low as to sleep with him.

I thought the movie just went downhill from there. From that point on the movie seemed to me that it was just the studio's way of showing the world that Ann Hathaway is no longer a little girl. From that standpoint I was disappointed.
Tue Aug 29, 05:48:00 AM 2006
Ruth said…
Hiya Camy,

Good thoughts on Prada. I actually saw it twice with two groups of friends this summer and enjoyed it. Not without it's issues, but it was worth it to see Miranda Priestley twice -- what a character! It bothered me that Andrea starts out so principled and devoted to her boyfriend and being "true to herself" and all that, and then she does stuff like hop in bed with Christian what's-his-name (yes he's hot but really that wasn't necessary IMO). And I thought it was really over the top re: her friends and BF's reaction to how her job kept her busy. Anyway...just my thoughts. Great chicken recipe, thanks for sharing!

Ruth
Tue Aug 29, 06:34:00 AM 2006
Margo Carmichael said…
I loved the movie for its clothes and Meryl Streep, who is sooo talented, but could have done without the foolish bed-hopping. The movie's logo is so clever, too.

Camy, sad tale here: Reaching in the back of my pantry for a big new box of oatmeal, I knocked something off the shelf onto my bare toe--a big can of Hapi Wasabi Peas! The toe was not happy, I guarantee! Glad I'm wearing nail polish and can't see the damage.

The oatmeal must be ready, now, the microwave dinged.
Tue Aug 29, 07:37:00 AM 2006
Anonymous said…
I didn't see the movie, but did read the book which gave me a headache. Her relationship with Miranda was so stressful that I started feeling it and suffering the effects. I'm hoping the movie will be less stressful :)
Tue Aug 29, 01:02:00 PM 2006
Sharon Hinck said…
Hi, Camy!
Here's another whole-chicken idea. I rub a whole small roasting chicken with lemon-pepper, then put it on a bed of tiny red potatoes in my crockpot. Couldn't be easier! It cooks all day while I write. :-)
Tue Aug 29, 02:41:00 PM 2006
T. Suzanne Eller said…
Hi Camy, I met you at ICRS. Remember karioke? Remember fun and weirdness and new friends all at the same time? I love your blog!

Suzanne Eller (Suzie)
Tue Aug 29, 07:41:00 PM 2006
Margo Carmichael said…
PS-I survived! Talk about your kick of Wasabi! LOL
Thu Aug 31, 08:43:00 PM 2006
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