what to see this weekend June 28 edition

Rainy days and hazy, hot and humid days have one thing in common--it's too miserable to be outside. The perfect place to take solace is inside a cold, dark movie theatre. Looking at the weather conditions for most of the U.S. this weekend, it looks like this is a good weekend to take in a movie.

Here's what's opening this weekend. Your choice--the girls vs. the guys.

"The Heat"
Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, rated R
Director Paul Feig



Who will enjoy this film: Fans of Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy will get exactly what they expect from these two comic actresses who play an FBI agent (Bullock) and a Boston cop (McCarthy) partnered together to fight a drug kingpin. Sure, it's a classic buddy cop story but with the addition of a script from "Parks & Recreation"writer Katie Dipppold and director, Paul Feig ("Bridesmaids") the comedy is a fun way to spend 117 minutes with two funny women this weekend.



"White House Down"
Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, rated PG-13
Director Roland Emmerich




Who will enjoy this film: Director Roland Emmerich knows how to make a July 4th blockbuster. Just take a look at his 1996 film "Independence Day" starring Will Smith or "2012," or "The Day After Tomorrow." The guy knows how to make a motion picture about danger. This time around he directs Jamie Foxx as the President of the United States and Channing Tatum as a Washington D.C. policeman  who's in the right place at the right time to save the President from terrorist opposition. Sure, there's chases and explosions but there's also the buddy-buddy chemistry between Tatum and Foxx that just works.


Also playing: 

"I'm so Excited" (If you're feeling smart and cheeky, catch this sub-titled film by Pedro Almodovar)
"Monsters University" (It's hot. Kids are already bored. Take them to see this movie. Good dad.)
"World War Z" (Brad Pitt + zombies. That's all you need to know.)
"Man of Steel" (Superman. Period.)
"This is the End" (The end of the world with Rogen, Franco and Hill)
"Now You See Me" (You caught a illusion show in Vegas and now you're into magic)

{happy video} the cymbal fail kid who rules

You know that dream you have of turning up at school naked about to take a test? Or performing in a band in front of hundreds of people and your instrument breaks? It happened to this young man. His cymbal breaks but what happens next makes me believe in the amazing resilience of humans. (I wish I had had this poise when I dropped my full dinner tray in the cafeteria on the first day of college.)

The part you're looking for begins just after the 1:04 mark but why not just enjoy the brilliant music first?

Have a Happy Thursday!

{review} breville crispy crust pizza maker

Larry and I love pizza. We. Love. Pizza. In fact, we love pizza so much that one year for Larry's birthday I surprised him with a private Pizza & Calzone cooking class. We did learn the secrets to easy fail-proof pizza dough and sauce, and the pizza was very good but I've never been able to replicate that crispy restaurant-style crust, even with a pizza stone. 

Last week we were in Williams-Sonoma looking for juice glasses (we chose these) and we saw the new Breville Crispy Crust Pizza Maker. We love Breville products. Almost all of our small appliances are Breville because from the very first purchase (the juicer) the products have proved outstanding. We asked the associate about the product, especially the pre-heating time. Typically, we make pizza at least once (sometimes twice) a week and I pre-heat the pizza stone for two hours each time at 450 degrees. This is four hours of energy usage that also heats the kitchen, not ideal during summer. The tabletop Breville pizza maker (with pizza stone) pre-heats to 660 degrees in 30 minutes. 

Because we had already had the dough + the sauce perfected, we decided that this pizza maker could be just what we needed to turn out the restaurant style pizza crust we were looking for. We took a moment to scan the reviews online and encouraged, we bought the Breville Crispy Crust Pizza Maker for  $149.95.

Last night we tried it for the first time. It was easy to set up, literally just removing the pizza maker from the box and turning it on. Earlier in the day I had removed my homemade dough from the freezer and while the pizza maker heated up I divided the dough in two and rolled the first ball out to 10 inches in diameter, medium thickness.

With the dough rolled out onto the slightly floured pizza peel, I prepared the sauce in less than 5 minutes. (Sauté minced garlic + olive oil + chopped tomato + basil). Next, I added the sauce to the dough and topped it with freshly shredded mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Carefully, I opened the pizza maker (Be careful with this step! It will be HOT!) and using a spatula I slid the raw pizza on the hot pizza stone and closed the lid. I turned the dial to Medium thickness and set a timer to 7 minutes. 

Here is the before and after. 

Using a spatula, I easily slid the hot pizza onto a serving board. As we let it cool for a couple moments, I rolled out the second dough ball into a thin 10 inches and added the pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella and fresh basil. I slid it onto the pizza stone, set it to Thin crust and set a timer for 5 minutes. 

As the second pizza cooked, Larry and I sat down across from each other, ready to try what could be the perfect pizza. We each took a slice and took a bite. It. Was. Perfect. It was better than literally any pizza that we have ever had. This crispy, cheesy, spicy, hot pizza tasted like it was cooked in a brick oven in Napoli. It was incredible. We tried the second pizza, this time the thin crust pizza and it was just as good. The crust was crispy and the topping melted to perfection. Both pizzas could not have turned out better.  We were hooked. The Breville Crispy Crust Pizza Maker was absolutely a hit. 

                 Thin crust Margherita pizza made with our new Breville Crispy Crust Pizza Maker

{Review}

The Breville Crispy Crust Pizza Maker earns our highest marks. This is a product that turned out restaurant style pizza quickly and cost efficiently. It is an investment at $149.95 but we did a cost analysis and the pizza maker will pay for itself in less than 6 months. Here is the cost breakdown: 

Average pizza delivery: $15 (pepperoni delivered)

Average pizza night out: $28 (pepperoni pizza + drinks)

Average Breville Crispy Crust Pizza Maker pizza: $2.70  (dough + sauce + cheese + pepperoni)

Breville Crispy Crust Pizza Maker Pros:

• You control what's in the pizza, using more or less cheese, pepperoni etc. You can make an extra cheesy meat lover's pizza or a healthy pizza using whole wheat dough, veggies and no cheese.
• You will save a significant amount of money (over time) versus delivery
• You can have pizza 24/7
• You can make homemade pizza in less time than you can cook a frozen pizza
• You can make everyone in your home individual pizzas
• Your house smells amazing
• Clean up is minimal

Breville Crispy Crust Pizza Maker Cons:

• The machine is bulky, about the size of a crockpot. It will take up considerable space in a cabinet.
• It is very hot! Take care when opening the pizza maker. If you have small children around, keep them away from this appliance. It is HOT!
• The initial investment is steep

We love this product and suggest giving it a try! Enjoy!

the happygirl guide to. . .homemade pizza dough & pizza sauce

Best Homemade Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cup warm water (110 F - 115 F)
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
3 teaspoons active dry yeast (about 1/1/2 envelopes)
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/4 teaspoons salt

Brush large bowl with oil. Mix warm water and honey in stand mixer with a dough hook. Sprinkle yeast over; stir to dissolve. Let stand until mixture bubbles, about 5-10 minutes. Add flour, 4 1/2 tablespoons of oil and salt. Turn the mixer on low speed and let mix. Once mixed together, turn up the speed to meium-low and let knead for about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to prepared bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap (or towel). Let dough rise in a warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Divide dough into 8 equal portions; roll each into ball. I like to freeze these so we always have dough on hand. To freeze, add a small amount of oil to a quart size freezer bag and add one dough ball. Roll out air and seal bag. Add all the zipped bags into one larger freezer bag and freeze. To use, remove from freezer several hours prior to cooking. When thawed, roll out as you would with fresh dough.

*I use 3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour and 1 cup of Caputo 00 flour (found at Italian specialty shops). This is the secret that many gourmet pizza restaurants use to get that perfect texture for their crust

Best Homemade Pizza Sauce

1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons minced fresh basil (or 3 fresh leaves)
2 cloves garlic minced
salt to taste

Heat pan to medium heat. Add olive oil and garlic. Saute for one minute. Toss in the basil on top of the garlic. Add tomatoes. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

happy words

{happy videos} piano stairs just make life more fun

I can be lazy.

I see a parking space directly in front of a store and I get giddy. It's like I won the soft stuffed koala in the claw machine. When I face the choice of an escalator vs. stairs, I have to actually force myself to take the stairs. Life is just made up of one good choice after another (or bad, I guess too.)

The cool folks in Stockholm decided to make this choice easier. To encourage people to add more activity into their lives, one day they installed piano stairs in the Odenplan Metro station. Given the choice of standing on a boring escalator or playing a little tune, what would you do? That's right, you'd choose the music. Watch and get your happy on. (I love grandma at 1:26 who is having her own little moment.)

Genius!  I wish they would install these everywhere. Imagine how much happier taking the subway would be?!

happy summer music 1: quadron's sea salt

The moment: It's around 7pm. The sky is pink, melting into an azure sea. You spent the day together in the water diving, swimming, happily exhausted. You've taken a cool shower and changed into breezy white linen that just skims over your warm skin. You're walking over to enjoy dinner al fresco hand in hand with your love when you hear this song coming from the windows of a grey shingled beach house. It's groovy, melodic, happy. It's going to be a good good night.

Take a listen.

the happygirl guide to national flip flop day

Today is the first official day of summer and the day that you can wear flip flops willy nilly. It seems in the summer no one will bat an eye if you wear these breezy shoes to to church, a wedding or even work (depending on where you work. When I worked at Microsoft, flip flops were worn all year-long.)

While not every flip flop design will work in every situation, here's a guide to what works and where.

for when you want to roll old school

Sometimes you just need to throw on a pair of flip flops to fetch an espresso or take the dog for a stroll. These Havianas are simple and comfortable. You can never go wrong owning a pair of these classics. ($26, Athleta)

for a busy Saturday of errands 

(the farmer's market & 

brunch with your sister)

With a platform footbed, these Fleur FitFlops will still feel comfortable later in the afternoon after you've walked around the city.  ($100, Zappos.)

for a beach wedding 

(bride or guest)

Beach weddings are of the loveliest things about the summer. However, it's always a question of what to wear for shoes. These Highlighters by TKEES are the perfect mix of dressy and simple for a nuptial event. ($49.95, Nordstrom)

for when you're feeling preppy

When I was 14 years-old my family went to Nantucket of the first time. It was on the wharf that I bought my first rope bracelet and from then on I was hooked to the preppy lifestyle. These Tuckerfish flip-flops by Sperry will make you want to wear a long sleeve pink oxford (cuffs rolled, of course) and pale green shorts. Bonus: they're adorable and comfortable. ($49.95, Nordstrom)

for the guys

These North Face Base Camp flip-flops have a secure footing (due to the rubber outsole) but also offer comfort from the eggcrate footbed. They're also stylish and can handle whatever outdoor activity you can throw at them. Bonus-- they dry quickly when wet. ($30, Zappos)

{design} happy things: paper lanterns

When I was in college, my roommate Bonnie and I shared a dorm room that looked like peach sorbet. We had matching fluffy, pale peach down comforters, peach/sepia toned art and we drank Bartles & Jaymes peach wine coolers. The only exception to all the peachness was a huge, round, delicate white paper lantern that hung from our ceiling. We felt very adult and a little Bohemian in what was otherwise a laced up tight Catholic college. 

I was reminded of this, this past weekend at my sister-in-law's in Rhode Island. On a perfect sunny June day we decorated for her Happy Summer party. This included hanging a dozen colorful paper lanterns from the trees. With my three nieces we pondered just the perfect limbs to tie the lanterns to. Along with a hand painted wooden sign directing people to the backyard games, the effect was simple and sweet as the lanterns moved with the breeze. 

Later that night as the sun set and the firepit was lit, the lanterns subtle movement in the trees just added a magical vibe to what was becoming a balmy unforgettable evening.

Available almost everywhere, including Oriental Trading Company, paper lanterns (both lit and not) provide a huge design impact for a small investment. (OTC has a set of a dozen for $15.)  

Here's to summer starting tomorrow and many happy days in the sun!

{video} the accidental flash mobber

Sure, flash mobs can be confusing for the people who are not in on it. Sometimes, however, it's a magical surprise and you just want to dance. Watch this video about a flash mob that took place at the College of DuPage. Keep your eye on the guy on the right side of your screen wearing a gray t-shirst and glasses. He just wants to dance and dance he does, perhaps a little mystified as to why everyone else seems to know these moves.

I love people who just want a little happy in their lives.

{the interview} nathan fillion & clark gregg "much ado about nothing"

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