Need I say more?

So. We’ve been with this franchise for ten years now. We got to watch them grow up! Are you as obsessed as I am? (Of course you are.)

As it winds down, what are your:

favorite scenes/memories from the movies?
favorite quotes?
biggest disappointment?

For me, some of my favorite scenes were in The Half-Blood Prince–the scenes with Ron and Hermione dealing with their feelings for each other (or not dealing, as in the case with Won-won and Lavender *snicker*).

I also love it when Hermione says, in the first movie, “I’m going to bed before either of you come up with another idea of getting us killed. Or worse–expelled.” And then Ron says, “She needs to sort out her priorities.”

I also love in HP7pt1 where Ron says, “Always the tone of surprise,” even as he puts his arm around Hermione (this after she’s surprised that he did something right).

My two biggest disappointments were the casting of Bonnie Wright as Ginny–she never has worked for me, and still doesn’t, unfortunately–and also The Order of the Phoenix movie. It was too short and skimmed too much. The same could be said for Half-Blood Prince, but I loved that book and movie so much anyway.

Okay, your turn. Tell me!

MiniMe is going to an all-night Harry Potter movie marathon tonight and she wants to bring butterbeer. Of course–it’s the quintessential Potteresque food, and I’m excited to see if we can make up something that works.

According to a recent news article, it took the chefs at Universal Studios three years to come up with the formula they thought was the best, then in a five-item taste-test, JK Rowling picked her favorite–which was the one that is now served at the park. It really is the yummiest thing.

Of course, she’s not the only one who’s planning to bring the yummy drink, which means (because MiniMe and I are both very competitive) ours has to be the best! We have a little bit of an advantage, having been to Universal Studios’ Wizarding World of Harry Potter and sampled butterbeer ourselves. (*go for the frozen version. It’s amazing.)

There are two parts to the butterbeer. First is the beverage itself, which, as I mentioned, is much better frozen than not.

And the second part, the piece de resistance, is the foam on top. It makes it. Sooo….here’s what MiniMe and I are planning to do. Tell me what you think, okay? We have time to tweak this before tonight.

The Beer itself:

• Cream soda, and we’re going to let it go flat because….
• …we’re going to put it in the blender with ice to make it frozen/smoothie-ish
• Caramel and/or butterscotch flavoring–we’re going to try a combination of each alone, and then both together. Yum.
• Just a little bit of ice, just enough to give it a frosty feeling and make it not too thick.
• But there’s another element to the drink that I can’t quite figure out…it tastes like cookies. Can’t figure out what to put in there to give it that extra “ooomph!”

The foam (the best part!):

We’re either going to do meringue with caramel and/or butterscotch flavoring, or we’re going to try whipping up some cream, maybe with some egg whites to make it super light, and the flavoring.

The other option is to go for marshmallow creme and add flavoring to it, and then whip it up with some egg whites. Hmm.

Whatever it is, it has to be super light and fluffy, but it has to “hold” the foaminess–hence the meringue option.

Have you had butterbeer? What do you think of our ideas? Any suggestions?

We’ll let you know how it goes!

A few years ago, when I started this blog, one of my first posts was about frou-frou summertime drinks, and how to make fancy margaritas. The recipe was simple: get a fancy-schmancy flavor of kids drink mix like Kool-Aid, make the recipe to your level of sweetness, and add tequila and ice. (Or rum and ice if you want a daiquiri.)

Yum. And simple. (Just don’t let the kids drink the wrong Kool-Aid.)

So this year, I’m sharing another summah-time cooler recipe that I’ve come to rely on–and the best part is that it’s low-cal. Very low cal.

I take a shot or two of flavored vodka (my preference is Absolut’s Ruby Red Grapefruit), then I add no- or low-calorie sweetner (I like SunCrystals) to taste, ice, sparkling water, and a smidge of tonic water (diet). Very light, very fresh, very low-cal.

Do you have a favorite simple summertime drink? Share the recipe!

SNAPE!!!!

What’s your favorite memory/scene from a Harry Potter movie? And what is the scene you’re most looking forward to in The Deathly Hallows, Pt II?

So MusicMan and I finally watched the season finale of CASTLE. Before I go any further, let me say two things:

1. Read ahead at your own risk…there will be spoilers!

2. Of course she’s not dead!!!

So, what did you think?

There were many, many things about it that I enjoyed–the intense, emotional scene when Castle comes to Beckett’s apartment to try and get her to stop working on the case, and they have that blow up that just screams sexual tension (yum!)–she tells him to leave, that she doesn’t want him around, etc. That was my favorite scene of the whole episode, partly because for pretty much the first time, they called each other by their first names. It’s the subtleties that make it!

I pegged Montgomery as being the one to die several weeks ago when I heard that there was going to be a death. He was the only one who could go that we’d care about–but not care about too much to ruin the show. (That’s why of course she’s not dead! This isn’t BBC America’s Robin Hood, thankyouverymuch.)

I also figured out how Montgomery was going to save Beckett and get killed at the same time as going down a hero–but the way they did it was purely for dramatic reasons. If he really were a hero, he would have warned her ahead of time instead of when she walked into the hangar, and then they could have played the scene out but with her knowing. Doh. (PS Loved that he shot that b-stard when he was leaning over him.)

Castle sure stepped up, dragging Beckett out of the way, though didn’t he? *mrwor* And the very last bit when he’s bending over her, begging her not to die, and he makes The Big Revelation (that everyone knows except for Kate, and she probably does anyway)…it was heart-wrenching. Loved it.

So, here are my thoughts going forward because I know they have at least one more season, maybe two, approved:

1. Kate was probably wearing a bullet-proof vest. She’s not dumb.
2. She won’t remember Rick saying “I love you.”
3. He’ll probably come to see her in the hospital to find Josh there with her, and be chased off.

See, I don’t want them to get together any time soon because I’m afraid the show will jump the shark. It usually does. Now, I have to admit that JD Robb does a brilliant job of handling an on-going relationship with Eve Dallas and Roarke, and there are many overtones of the In Death series in Castle…but I’m not convinced a television program will maintain a good storyline if they get together. I’d like to be wrong, however. I’d really like to be wrong.

What I’d like to see happen, by the way, is for the new captain to be a woman. And I’d like there to be some…something between her and Rick. A little tension maybe, a little flirtation, a little power play…whatever. Just enough to turn the tables on Beckett. We’ve had her pushing Rick away for the last three seasons and now it would be interesting if this season focused on her coming to terms with how she feels, and what he means to her, maybe even becoming ready to act on it…but Rick’s moved on. Or so it seems.

After all, a rich, smart, talented guy who has great relationships with his mother and daughter wouldn’t be not dating, not seeing women—would he? At least a little, and at least since the woman he’s hot for is pushing him away and involved with someone else.

So. Those are my thoughts. What did you think? Agree, disagree, what are your hopes for next season?