...and then I baked, too

Come to think of it, Julie Powell has made quite an impression on me. It all started back in October when I first saw Julie and Julia. To be honest, I hadn't had high expectations towards the movie, hadn't really looked forward to it either, but I'm a fan of Meryl Streep as well as of a good chick-flick, especially if it's directed by Norah Ephron, so I thought I would give it a shot. Julie and Julia seemed to be one such movie: a sweet little nothing that keeps you entertained for a good two hours. And it did, indeed (as I have already written about it); as a matter of fact it completely charmed me - I saw it twice in the cinema -, and J&J became one of my favorite movies of 2009. The character of Julie Powell, played by Amy Adams was  one of the cutests and most loveables of the year. I adored the way Anne Roth dressed Julie, I even copied her, and started making brooches similar to the ones she wears in the movie. I also ordered and then read the book the film was based on. Although at some parts I found it overflowing and way too chit-chatty (plus it annoyed the heck out of me that I didn't understand all those French words and hadn't the slightest idea how to pronounce them), I enjoyed that, too. Maybe even more as I did the movie for there was much less Julia Child and much more Julie Powell storytelling in it.

The book gave me the idea of doing something similar to what Julie did - a year long project, something that would make a little bit of change in my life, that would open new doors and broaden my horizon. I didn't want to do the same cooking thing though, for (1) I do not hold possession of Mastering The Art of French Cooking or any other kind of cookery book. (2) As I live in a student hostel I do not have my own kitchen either; as a matter of fact, I hardly have any cooking utensils. (3) I am a third-year university student on low budget, and cannot really afford to cook all those complicated & fancy meals.

However, I somehow bumped into an article on the internet that awoke my interest, thus I learnt about  Project 365. I did get a camera just a little over a month ago, which was something I had longed for a few years. I wanted to take as many photos with it and as often as possible, thus, every piece fell into its place: I found the year-long project that suits me perfectly. It gives me something to hang onto, something that broadens my horizon, as it makes me go new places and do things I had been too lazy to do.

Moreover, Julie Powell has also awoke in me the urge for cooking and baking. As I have mentioned before I have no intention to cook 524 recipes in 365 days, yet, I would like to master the art of cooking on some level. Not to mention, that I think it's time I started baking, too. You may realize by now, that  although I can cook a few things, I'm no Nigella Lawson; as a matter of fact, baking is a comletely new territory for me. In fact, I had never baked before just last Saturday. Nevertheless, it has changed too, as - once again, lucky me! - a friend of mine got a beautiful cookery book for her birthday full of chocolate-themed recipes of cakes, cookies and other pastries. I flipped through the book, it made me yearn for chocolate in an instant, and by the time I got to the end of the volume, I realized: I MUST learn to bake ASAP. ...and, you know, the rest is history: I bought a kichen scale and the ingredients for the first two recipes I had decided to make over the weekend. Saturday evening I baked my first sponge-cake ever. Although it got stuck in the baking pan, and I could take it out only in pieces, its taste turned out to be exactly the way it was supposed to, very yummie, especially after putting the chocolate glaze on it.  (Baking lesson #1: never ever start baking without grease-proof paper!) 

Then I could not resist any longer, and made a big tray of chocolate-chip cookies just a couple of hours ago. To my amazement, it is even yummier than the sponge-cake was. And now I cannot wait to read through that cookery book again and pick the next chocolate-themed pastry I will make...

Thank you, Julie Powell!

FYI: I also found JP's original blog with all the posts from 2002/2003 - the whole Julie/Julia Project can be still read here. I started to read it just yesterday and planning to go through every post. Julie' current blog is this. (I guess I have really been bound up in her...)

Happy New Year!

In case you were wondering, I am still alive, better than ever... I just have been incredibly lazy, even too lazy to write... But from now on I shall write more regularly, let's say three posts a week?, this was one of my New Year's Resolutions Suggestions. Let's hope I can keep myself to this suggestion...

Anyway, I had survived that end of term crasiness, as by December 20 all the stressing, rushing and all-the-bloody-deadlines were over, with relatively small demage caused. I wrote a bunch of articles, prepared for but did not give that presentation (managed to get away with actually giving the presentation...lucky me!), wrote those in-class tests (3 out of 4 was successful), and wrote a few essays too during those 3 weeks. I failed my phonology exam on 17th, though, I guess I didn't take it seriously enough and didn't prepare hard enough, but I'm not desperate at all as I will retake it at the end of January (that one I must pass!). Then on December 22nd I kissed goodbye and wished a Merry Christmas to my dear friends and to the also very dear Budapest, hopped on the train, and went home to Miskolc to finally have my well-deserved winter break. During those almost two weeks I spent at home I did have that not-so-little bit of resting, peace and quiet and slowing down. I read a couple of novels: I finally finished Julie Powell's Julie and Julia as well as Sue Townsend's Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years. I managed to catch up with the tv-shows I was behind, such as Friday Night Lights, Californication, and  my guilty pleasure, I-know-it's-rubbish-but-I'm-addicted-to-it 90210. Of course I watched a couple of seasons of my all time favourite tv show,  Gilmore Girls. ( I have seen these episodes at least 10 times, I really mean that ten times!, but I still enjoy it just as much as when I saw it at first.) I watched a few movies too, naturally; however, not even half as many as I had expected or had planned... These include the original Fame from 1980, the 2009 remake of Fame, Post Grad which is a chick-flick /coming-of-age movie with Alexis Bledel and Zach  Gilford, The Young Victoria with the very talented and amazing Emily Blunt (I've just realized that she is one of my favorite actresses.), the adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray (haven't read the novel yet, but I definitely will), and two of my fav romcoms You've Got Mail + Bridget Jones's Diary... That's about it, I guess. I had really wanted to watch a bunch of big classics (I even had a long list of movies written up... I just love writing list...), but I wasn't in the mood, I reckon...

During the break my creativity was in it's full bloom, fortunately. As a matter of fact, I felt more creative and crafty than ever. This probably can be thanked to those awsome artists' and crafters' blogs I found and read through. It's incredible how much they inspire me and what great ideas I get from them. ( I will write about these blogs and their writers later.) I thought up so many possible craft projects, moreover, my mind was on such an overload that I could not fall asleep until 4 or 5 AM for a few nights. I just had to get up in the middle of the night and jot down these ideas because otherwise I would forget them. (I really don't want that!) I often felt that my mind works way too fast and my hands just cannot keep up with the speed of my brain... I love being this creative! ( But it is also very tiring...:))

Anyway, the winter break is over now (hopefully the amount of creativity and productivity remains the same), I came back to Budapest this afternoon, from tomorrow I have school again... In fact, this week I'm having 3 quite hard tests, so I guess it's high time I started studying... I'm afraid it will be rather hard getting back at the habit of studying (well, to be correct: it will be hard starting studiny at all!), but I'll just have to do it, hard or not.

So, studying starts tomorrow (it ALWAYS starts tomorrow and never today, doesn't it?!), and now I'm off to pick my friend Meli up from the train station ( I should not be late, but I'm aftraid I will am already...)

(Wow, I actually managed to write a long post. Yay! :))

(Double yay for writing at all:))

Bon apetit!

So, guess what? I found the most charming movie of the year. Julie & Julia, it is. I already saw it about two weeks ago, right after its premier (which in Hungary was October 15th) . After watching if for the first time, I thought it was an okay film, nothing special though, with the very odd character of Meryl Streep, accompanied by her annoying intonation and high-pitch voice, and the always cutie-goodie Amy Adams. Just a usual chic-flick that takes your mind off whatever you have to worry about for a good two hours. Then days passed by, and  Julie and Julia was still there fidgeting in the back of my mind... Soon I had realized, I just had to see it again, because I was yearning for that mesmerizing atmoshpere this movie has. I couldn't resist anymore, so yesterday I went to an afternoon showing of J&J... And believe it or not, watching it the second time, I liked it even more... much more, as a matter of fact. I found Meryl Street's character not so annoying any more (still very odd though, as it was supposed to be; Streep does a splendid job, as always) and Amy Adams is, indeed, very cute, but that is why she is such a loveable actress. This the character that suits her so perfectly. 

Anne Roth is the costume designer of J&J, too, and she has also done such a good job. She not only dressed Streep authenticly, but, more importantly, she found the most suitable clothes for Adams' cutie-goodie character. I adore those charming (and very stylish!) accessories, especially the brooches. Then, the music score suits and supports that mesmerizing atmoshere of the film, especially the 1950's and 1960's parts - Time after time by Margaret Whiting and Henry Wolfe's Stop the rain are my favorites. (However, I have no clue what the heck is Talking Heads' Psycho Killer doing on the OST???)

I reckon  it's no surprise I admire J&J so much, as I love Norah Eprhon's previous films too, When Harry Met Sally... and  You've Got Mail are two of my favorites when it comes to love comedies. 

Thank you, Norah, and Bon apetit!

PS: And to top it all, I have just ordered Julie Powell's book. Can't wait to have it and start  reading it!