Top 5 Favorite Futuristic Movies That Will Mess With Your Mind

Date night!  Time to pop some popcorn, grab some goodies, and pick a flick… therein lies the problem.  What movie to watch?  Recently, I have come to love post-apocalyptic and futuristic movies and books.  I am about to share with you my top five futuristic movies that will mess with your mind and give you yet another excuse to snuggle up to your special somebody or just your pillow before you go to bed.

One of my new favorite words is dystopia.  A dystopia is defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful live.  BAM!  Look at that, a new vocab word.  Not only are the movies on the following list in my all-time top 15 favorite movies of all time, but they represent dystopian society, where our future may end up.  I’m one of those weirdoes who have a plan in case of a zombie apocalypse.  You can never be too prepared. 

I lost the outer wrapping to two of the movies.  These are photographed  from my own movie collection.  

    

Top 5 Futuristic Movies That Will Mess with Your Mind

5.  Resident Evil:  Apocalypse

Alice must find her way out of Raccoon city after waking up to discover it is zombie infested.  Zombies are scary enough, but throw in that she has people after her as well as combatting the zombie makes this action-packed flick a winner in my book.  This is my favorite of the Resident Evil movies although Extinction is only behind by a hair.  Think about it, could there be an underground maze of scientists that could possibly unleash hell on Earth?  Ahhhh!

4.  Gattaca

I first watched this in my high school biology class as a wrap-up to our DNA unit and was astounded to learn Gattaca is spelled only with GCTA, which stands for the four nucleotides that make up the “ladder rungs” of the building blocks of life.  This movie starring Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, and Jude Law (some of my favorite actors) details a future where DNA is everything.  You can manufacture the perfect child and those with genetic flaws are deemed imperfect and unfit for many jobs.  I don’t want to ruin it for you, but this provokes many questions about DNA and ethical implications of genetic engineering. 

3.  Dawn of the Dead (2004)

This remake of the Romero flick from the 70’s is a modern comment on consumerism.  A zombie outbreak ensues and a band of survivors barricade themselves in a shopping mall to survive.  Fast zombies (which in my opinion are some of the scariest) and a killer soundtrack make this movie my top zombie movie. 

2.  The Island

Scarlett Johansson alone may make this movie worth watching at least once.  This movie is star-studded and opens in a compound that seems idyllic.  These people are told they are survivors and are awaiting a trip to the island where they can be outside again, however there is much more than meets the eye.  They find out they are clones and Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor make a daring escape.  This Michael Bay movie packed with action sequences and explosions raises many ethical questions regarding eugenics.  Cloning was a huge deal back with Dolly the sheep, but what does happen if they can begin to clone humans? 

1.  I Am Legend

OMG, Will Smith, and that alone makes this movie worth watching.  I am a huge Will Smith fan and after seeing him chases monsters and survive all by his lonesome with his German Shepard as his only companion made me love him even more.  A virus was created to cure cell damage caused by cancer but somehow mutated creating vampire-like monsters.  Will Smith survives, looks for survivors, and tries to keep his sanity while researching a cure in the basement of his compound.  If you were going to watch only one movie on this list, this is it. 

Netflix, Redbox, OnDemand, your own collection, whatever your poison… Watch one tonight!  Feel free to comment or add to the list. 

Watch at your own risk.  :-p 

Ahhh!  Donut Day!  Seeing all the Pinterest posts about the donuts, I have made homemade donuts using biscuit dough quite a few times.  They have become quite popular with my roommates, especially with the mister.  I have made  several variations including cinnamon-sugar, chocolate frosted with sprinkles, glazed, and most recently churro dounts!  My inner fat kid was screaming for something new.  Churros are typically Spainish or Mexican, and are usually long cylindrical-shaped pieces of fried dough pushed through a star-shaped tip and coated in cinnamon-sugar.  Sometimes churros are known as Spanish donuts.

I saw Breyer's Ice Cream Topping was on price cut at Target for $1.99 and I had $1 off coupons so I picked up a couple packets to try them out as a donut topping.  I thought to myself, What could I do with caramel ice cream topping? Churros?  The churro donut idea was stuck in my head.  Waking up this beautiful Sunday morning, I decided to give it a go.  Here is the procedure so you can  make your very own Churro Donuts!

These decadent, ridiculously sweet are great with coffee for a naughty breakfast or maybe with ice cream for dessert?  For this recipe you will need:

Ingredients:

• Refrigerated biscuit dough, any kind will work, do not use flaky layers
• Oil for frying
• Sugar, about 3/4 cup at least
• Cinnamon, a tablespoon or two according to taste
• Breyer's Ice Cream Topping pouch in Caramel
• Half a stick of butter

Hardware:

• Pan for frying
• Tongs to flip and remove donuts
• Plate and paper towels to rest donuts on to remove excess oil
• 3 bowls
• 1 shot glass, bottle top, apple corer, cookie cutter... basically anything to pop the middle out and create a hole

 Steps/How-to:

1.  First take your biscuts out of the package and lay them out.  You can make as many or as few as you'd like, but I suggest once opening a package of biscuits to use them all.  

2.  Using whatever method you prefer (I use a small, metal shot glass), push a hole in the center and set the middle aside.  You will use the middles to make donut holes! 

3. Heat up oil in a metal pan or skillet.  The oil should come up no higher than 1 inch.  Make sure the oil is hot, if the oil is not hot enough the donuts will absorb too much oil and become greasy.  I like to check the oil temperature by dropping in a tiny amount of plain breadcrumbs, if they sizzle, the oil is ready.  

4.  Drop the donuts in very carefully, so you don't burn yourself!  Also, don't overcrowd your pan.  I did about three at a time.  Wait to do the holes last.  

5.  You will flip the donuts when they start to become golden brown.  

6.  Once flipped wait until you see the bottom part of the dough now frying to turn golden brown.  

7.  When the donuts are done frying, take them out of the oil and place them on a plate with paper towel to absorb the excess oil.  Use the same method with the holes.  You will need to keep a closer eye on them as they cook much more quickly.  

8.  Allow the donuts to cool.  Once cooled you can finish them off.  While the donuts are cooling, you can prepare your toppings.  Mix the cinnamon and sugar according to your taste.  To maximize the churro-ness of the donuts, I wanted my cinnamon-sugar mixture to be extra cinnamon-y.  This goes in one bowl.  Melt the butter in another bowl, I used the microwave.  Warm the ice cream topping according to the package instructions to make it pliable.  I then emptied the container into a bowl and microwaved it for another twenty seconds to then it out even more.  You want a thin, glaze-like consistency.  Note:  I didn't use the whole package of caramel, so I covered it and saved the extra for use later with ice cream.  

9.  To finish the donuts, take one and dip one side in the butter mixture, immediately dunking it in the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Flip it and dip the bare side in the caramel.  Set on a plate to set.  Continue to finish all the donuts.  

Note:  I also made a few donuts with just caramel on one side and they were also yummy.  

10.  Allow the caramel to set for a few minutes.  They will still be gooey but the caramel will settle and not be as runny after you allow it to cool on the donut.  

Now, you can ENJOY your churro donuts!  I had mine with a cup of caramel-flavored coffee.  I might be a little obsessed with caramel right now....

Please pin and share!  Come back and enjoy more recipes and such as I throw 'em out there!  

   

You do it in public.  You do it in private.  You do it in the bathroom, bedroom, living room; you may even do it in your yard.  Reading.  I especially love summertime reading, I feel there is a lot less pressure and it is more enjoyable because the extended daytime hours and lovely weather.  I love making lists, and what I enjoy even more is crossing items off my lists.  I decided to make a Summer Reading List.  This list includes a few questionable titles so let me explain.  My list will include some classics, adult novels, young adult novels, and some education titles.  The list follows by category and is in no particular order.

 

Breezy Reads:

• Bossypants by Tina Fey (this has to be entertaining)
• World War Z by Max Brooks (need to read it before I see it)
• Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisenberger (author of The Devil Wears Prada and overall amazing)
• Sweet Valley Confidential by Francine Pascal (FYI this is the Sweet Valley Twins 10 years after high school, I'm embarassingly excited for this)
• The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band by Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Neil Strauss (Motley Crue, 'nuff said)
• Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (saw the movie, the book is always better)

Education:

• Teach Like a Champion: 49 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College by Doug Lemov
• Teaching With Love and Logic:  Taking Control of the Classroom by Jim Fay and David Funk
• Ophelia Speaks by Sara Shandler
• The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell
• The Courage to Teach by Parker J. Palmer

Young Adult Books:

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
• Any Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
• Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
• The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
• Street Love by Walter Dean Myers
• Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Oldies but Goodies:

• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
• The Heart is a Lonley Hunter by Carson McCullers
• East of Eden by John Steinbeck
• The Awakening by Kate Chopin

I can't believe I haven't read these yet!!!

Miscellaneous:

• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
• Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

First post and I am feeling a mix of things.  I almost feel like I should begin with "Dear Diary" or a similar sentiment (I will spare you, for now at least).  I have been meaning to getting around to starting a blog for a while now for a number of reasons.  I love food, shopping, education, cats, and Marilyn Monroe.

 I graduated a year ago with my BA in Elementary Education with my middle grades endorsements in English and Social Sciences.  The job market for teaching being what it is coupled with the increasing competition for one job, I was unable to find a teaching position.  I have, however, spent the past year working as a Resource Aide for 8th grade.  I loved it and I absolutely adored the teachers I worked with.  They gave me the chance to help plan lessons and activities.  As much as I wished I had my own classroom and at least made enough to live off of, I definitely learned a lot this past year.

 I guess what I am really trying to explain is who I am and what I am about.  I'm in a transition period, the grand post-graduation anti-climax.  I'm living on a cheap beer budget with champagne tastes.  My goals for this blog include:

• becoming familiar with blogging to perhaps use in a future classroom. 
• share my experiences and tips for life.
• recipes, tutorials, and ideas for food.
•  learning and loving!  

Enjoy!