Ton Ten: Trailers

It's been a while since I've done a Top Ten on my blog, in the past I've done TV & Movie Wedding Proposals and Music Videos. I was recently inspired to do this blog based on the trailer for the new mini-series that the History Channel just aired, Hatfields & Mccoys. I'm not sure if a love of theatrical trailers is common or if it's just me, but I have always had a thing for them. The purpose of trailers are to get you to want to watch the movie but I also like watching them after I've seen a movie, a weird quirk I suppose. When DVDs first came out, one of the few "Special Features" on them was the theatrical trailer for that movie. I always loved watching them after I finished watching the movie. I thought it was a great summary of what I had just seen.

Every once in a while though, a trailer comes along that is so awesome, not only does it make me want to see the movie and is a great summary for me after I've just seen something, but I also just enjoy watching it over and over again like listening to your favorite song. These are a special few trailers that have the perfect combination of quotes, action, and of course, the perfect song that ties in perfectly with the emotion of what you're watching. Cutting the perfect trailer is truly a work of art, you need to give just enough to grasp people's interest while not giving too much away.

Here is a list of my top ten trailers, in no particular order:

I'll start with my newest obsession, Hatfields & Mccoys on History Channel. For those that aren't familiar, Hatfields & Mccoys is a 3 part mini-series that just aired the past 3 nights. This trailer has the perfect recipe to make me want to watch over and over. I'm not even a big history buff but it led to me really getting into this mini-series. Everything from the quotes to the action to the eerie song in the background is perfection.



Another trailer that I have always loved is for the movie 300. This movie is amazing and the trailer truly embodies the passion and action that the movie is filled with.



I'm not sure I can remember being as excited for a movie as I was for Across the Universe after seeing the theatrical trailer. I love musicals but this movie was so much more than that. It took the Beatles music and made it into a masterpiece and the trailer is the perfect taste.



Tristan and Isolde is another one of my all time favorite movies. The trailer is amazing but may give away a little too much before you see the movie but it's a great summary.



Another new trailer that I fell in love with is for The Client List, a tv show on Lifetime. It's more of a music video but I actually saw this in the theater as a preview for the show. Jennifer Love Hewitt looks amazing and it's the perfect tease, it got me intrigued about the show but doesn't really give much away to what it's really about.



For anyone that grew up with Winnie the Pooh, Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know" is the perfect song to go along with this trailer. It's just such a touching song that floods your heart with warm happy memories which is exactly what Winnie the Pooh is all about.



61* is definitely one of my all-time favorite movies. Being a huge baseball fan and Yankees fan, I'm passionate about the story and I think Billy Crystal and HBO did a fantastic job with the movie. Again, this trailer is just the perfect tease and summary all in one of what the movie is all about.



While Dear John isn't one of my favorite movies, it changed too much from the book for me, it's still one of my favorite trailers. Like I said, the movie changes too much from the book including the ending but the trailer doesn't show those changes so the trailer is like a video summary of the book for me. It gives me a hopeful glimpse of what the movie should have been without the disappointing changes.



We Are Marshall's trailer gives me goosebumps and tears in my eyes at the same time. But that's what makes it so good. It's another true story but I think the movie did a great job showing what happened to their town and their school and the trailer just goes along with that in an amazing way.

WE ARE MARSHALL: Movie Trailer. Watch more top selected videos about: Huntley Ritter, Movie Trailers

Getting down to picking a final trailer can be tough but I feel confident in Crash being my final choice. I love movies that can connect people's lives by one incident. The trailer really connects with the audience by saying "we are all searching for something" like we are affected just like the characters. Truly moving.

5 Days of Tacos and Tequila Summary

I love Mexican food and margaritas so doing a Cinco De Mayo blog challenge was a lot of fun. I titled it 5 Days of Tacos and Tequila because I loved the alliteration. I did every other day drink and food. See the results below.

Day 1: Margarita Shots in Limes
Day 2: Taco Pops
Day 3: Frozen Corona-rita
Day 4: Negra Modelo Nachos
Day 5: Mint Julep Margarita

5 Days of Tacos and Tequila: Day 5

Day five of my 5 Days of Tacos and Tequila, this the day of Cinco De Mayo, also happened to fall on the same day as the Kentucky Derby. As most people know, a Mint Julep is the famous drink of the Kentucky Derby and a Margarita is the famous Cinco De Mayo drink. Which to choose when they fall on the same day? Why not put the two together and enjoy a Mint Julep Margarita! A pin on Pinterest gave me the idea but led me to instructions without measurements. I decided to take the original idea and make it my own by taking a few characteristics from how a real Mint Julep is made and combining it with the lime juice and tequila aspect of a margarita. Below is what I came up with.

Ingredients (for one drink)
2 tablespoons of Simple Syrup
Fresh mint leaves
1 oz of tequila
1 oz of whiskey
Lime juice from half a lime

Step 1: Start by muddling cut up fresh mint leaves in the Simple Syrup

Step 2: Mix all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake.

Step 3: Salt the rim of a margarita glass filled with ice and pour over. Garnish with a slice of lime and fresh mint sprig.

I think this is a nice refreshing twist on a classic Margarita. I'm not sure if I've ever had a Mint Julep before so I have nothing to compare that half of the drink too. This was the perfect combo drink for the Kentucky Derby and Cinco De Mayo though!

*When making two drinks, I recommend making one at a time in the shaker or you can just double the recipe from the start.

5 Days of Tacos and Tequila: Day 4

For day four of my 5 Days of Tacos and Tequila, I decided to make something that isn't technically a taco or tequila, but it is a great snack in honor of Cinco De Mayo. I took Betty Crocker's Beer Queso Nachos recipe and gave it a Cinco De Mayo twist by changing the beer and cheese to Mexican.

Ingredients:

8 cups tortilla chips

1/2 cup dark Mexican beer (the original recipe called for a lager)

3 cups shredded 4 cheese Mexican blend (the original recipe called for 2 cups American and 1 cup cheddar)

1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles, drained

1 can (15 oz) Progresso® black beans, drained, rinsed

1/2 cup Old El Paso® Thick ‘n Chunky salsa

1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped

1 medium tomato, seeded, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Step 1 Heat oven to 350°F.

Step 2 Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. Arrange tortilla chips on cookie sheet. Bake 5 minutes to warm chips.

Step 3 Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, heat beer over medium heat until just starting to simmer. Slowly add the cheeses in small amounts, stirring constantly with whisk, until melted. Stir in chiles.

Step 4 In medium bowl, mix beans and salsa. Microwave uncovered on High 2 to 3 minutes or until hot.

Step 5 To serve, pour half of the cheese sauce over warm chips; top with half of the bean mixture. Top with remaining cheese mixture and remaining bean mixture. Serve with remaining ingredients.  
This recipe was quite tasty but super loaded. I think if you follow the beer queso recipe, you can pick and choose what other toppings you want to include. 

...Brings May Flowers

In April I started a blog series showcasing the gorgeous Monday Morning Flowers that we display in the women's bathrooms at the Trenton Thunder. We receive a new arrangement each series, check out the April displays in my April Smiles blog post. They always do amazing unique arrangements. Georgianne, owner of Monday Morning Flowers, said that this is an opportunity to be completely creative at the flower shop. Many of their orders come from people who want something very specific, whether in color or height, etc. With their flowers for the Thunder, they have free range which is one of the reasons we get to see so many unique ideas incorporated into the arrangements.

May 4-6:

They are starting May off with a bang of breathtaking colors! These flowers are absolutely exquisite. The colors alone are amazing, especially the blue and purple flowers. Then aside from the colors, the arrangements are full and elegant looking in the silver base. The butterflies are a nice touch as well.

May 10-13:

I think this is the perfect arrangement to help our fans celebrate Mother's Day this weekend. Such a unique combination of different colors and textures. I love everything from the springy feel of the peach tulips and purple flowers to the bright pop of color with the red Gerber daisies and sunflowers.

May 21-24:

I got a little behind on blogging the flowers but I still remembered to get the pictures when they arrived. This arrangement is super unique. There are beautiful purple and blue flowers at the top. I love the deep purple carnation in the middle of the classic pink and red ones. There are also black flowers which I've never seen before that help make this arrangement beautiful and different.

May 29-31

I've always loved the look of bamboo and I love the bright peach, pink and green combination of colors. There's also a tiny green dragonfly clipped to the bamboo which adds a super fun touch.

5 Days of Tacos and Tequila: Day 3

For day three of my 5 Days of Tacos and Tequila, I experimented with a new margarita recipe: a frozen Corona-rita. My original plan was to try and make Corona Popsicles. Unfortunately, I tried to use a dollar store popsicle tray and the mold didn't quite work out. Then I had to decide what to do with a tray of frozen Corona and the idea of Frozen Corona-ritas was born.

Ingredients:
7 oz of frozen Corona (pour a 7 oz frozen Corona into ice trays or popsicle molds)
1 1/2 oz tequila
Squeeze of lime juice

Start by pouring a 7 oz bottle of Corona into an ice tray or popsicle mold. Once frozen, dump the frozen blocks or cubes of Corona into the blender. Add 1 1/2 oz of tequila and a squeeze of lime juice. Blend together and garnish with a lime slice. This recipe is a fun refreshing twist on a normal margarita. If you use a 12 oz Corona, double the tequila to 3 oz.

5 Days of Tacos and Tequila: Day 2

Since I went for the tequila aspect of my 5 Days of Tacos and Tequila for day one, I decided to go the taco route for day two. Instead of a classic taco, I wanted to give Taco Pops a try. I originally found the recipe on Tablespoon and thought it looked fun and simple.

Ingredients:
Ground Beef
1 can of crescent rolls
1 packet of taco seasoning (I used Old El Passo original)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.


To start off, you need to brown the ground beef. After you drain it, add in the taco seasoning along with 2/3 cup water. Simmer for 4 minutes while stirring.

Once the beef is done, set it aside and spread out the crescent rolls on a baking sheet. Pinch together the perforated lines. Then use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into individual squares. Add a spoonful of beef to each square.

Next, pinch the edges of the dough around the beef and roll to make a smooth ball. Arrange them on the baking sheet and pop into the oven for 10 minutes. Once they are golden brown, place on a wire rack to cool.

Once they have cooled for a few minutes, place a stick in each one and you have Taco Pops!

Serve with salsa, guacamole and sour cream. You can dip the pops in the toppings or spoon them on top of the pop.

I must say, these were absolutely fabulous! They're super simple to make and super delicious. I definitely recommend these for a great party snack or a fun dinner. Wash them down with a delicious margarita.

5 Days of Tacos and Tequila: Day 1

To celebrate Cinco De Mayo, I'm doing 5 Days of Tacos and Tequila. For day one I went for a fun twist on a classic cocktail: Margarita Shots served in a lime!

To make these, first cut a lime in half length wise. Then scoop out the lime pulp, I used a grapefruit spoon. Next, dip the rim in salt just like you would salt the rim of a glass. Next mix the shot ingredients together in a cocktail shaker over ice and pour into the lime halves. The recipe below would fill about 8-10 lime halves. For added flare, cut up straws to make mini straws. They look super cute in the limes.  

Margarita Shot Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz. of margarita mix (I used Margaritaville Margarita Mix)
1 oz gold tequila (I used Don Sergio)
1/2 oz of Grand Marnier

 This recipe is delicious and the limes make a super fun way to serve them. These are perfect for a Cinco De Mayo party or any type of fiesta!