TV Talk Tuesday-One Tree Hill Set Tour

My mom and I hung out with these people this weekend.

OK well I didn't actually see any of those people but I did go on the One Tree Hill set tour in Wilmington, NC where One Tree Hill (and previously Dawson's Creek) is filmed (at Screen Gems Studios).  I even conned my mom into going with me so I didn't have to go alone. 

They threatened to escort us off the property if we took pictures so I don't have any pictures of the sets but it was pretty interesting.  I saw Nathan and Haley's house, Brooke's Beach house and Red Bedroom Records. 

Fun Facts...

1-The brick isn't real.  Although Red Bedroom Records looks like it has brick walls, when you touch the walls you realize they are hollow.  It's wood or plastic that has been painted.  Same for the granite counter top in Haley's kitchen.  It's actually just painted wood.  I think the set designers do a really good job of making it look real on tv.

2-Lots of other stuff is fake.  The sinks don't have running water.  If they need water or electricity for any of the kitchen items, they have to run in a hose or bring in an extension cord. 

3-There's no real food in the fridge.  They showed us Brooke's fridge which has no power.  Most of the stuff is just empty boxes or Tupperware that has been painted to make it look like there is food in it.  Sometimes they move things around to make it look like people have actually been eating food from the fridge. 

4-The pool from Nathan and Haley's house is inside.  It's a real pool but they actually have it on a set beside the house.  They definitely had me convinced that the pool was outside on the show.

5-The stairs lead to nowhere.  All the sets are on one story so if you see someone go up stairs, they are not really going anywhere.  It just ends.  They put tops of trees outside of windows to make it look like they are on a higher level.

6-They have a side parking lot with cars used in the show.  A few years back when I drove by I saw Peyton's old car.  I guess they don't need that anymore.  But I'm pretty sure these are the cars from the hit and run last year.  Yeah, look familiar?

Ok, so those might only be fun facts if you've actually seen the show.  Overall things were a lot less fancy and high tech than I would expect them to be on a TV set.  They do a good job of making fake things look real on the show.  So now I have fulfilled my lifelong dream of touring a tv set so I can move on.  (But if anyone wants to get me on the set of PRec or The Office, I will still accept the invite.)



parking lot outside the studio

Have you ever been on the One Tree Hill set tour or on any other TV show set?
Are you going to watch the final season of One Tree Hill this year?

ODE to 24 and Peanut Butter Brownie Pie

One of my favorite TV shows, 24, ends tonight. So I thought I owed it a proper tribute. If you have not watched 24 and you plan on it then maybe don't read what I wrote below or you will be majorly spoiled. You probably won't understand it anyways. I wrote this before I watched the finale so hopefully 24 didn't do something terrible to me in the finale like kill Chloe or something.

Dear 24,

I'm sad that you left my television but I know its time for you to move on up to the Big Screen. I would just like to let you know how much you have meant to me over the years. While in regular life and usually in TV/Movie life, I hate violence, guns, axes, bombs, wars, torture, the chopping off of some one's head, hand, etc, it was somehow ok when you did it. Seriously I'm like totally a pacifist. Anyways. When I lived in Maryland you were my 2nd best friend. We spent many Friday nights together catching up. You were the first show my now husband ever convinced me to watch with him. Then we all became best friends, except of course for "The Great Is Tony Almeida Dead or Alive debacle of 2006"? Tony, I always knew you weren't dead. I didn't know you'd become kind of evil though. You did hurt my feelings a few times, mostly when you killed Michelle, Prez Palmer 1, Bill Buchanon, Edgar, even that dude who flew the plane that was carrying the nuclear bomb into the dessert (oh right his name was George Mason). I really didn't like it that time you had Jack kill his boss to thwart a giant terrorist plot or when you had Jack kill Curtis. And seriously what ever happened to the former first lady Jean Smart and her new lover Secret Service extraordinaire Aaron Peirce or Behrooz for that matter (ok I actually saw the deleted scene that showed him being escorted in to CTU). Plus there was that time that for 2 nights before the season 6 premiere where I couldn't sleep because I was so excited about the premiere and finding out what happened after Jack was kidnapped by the Chinese. But I forgive you. You did some good things too. Thanks for keeping Chloe alive (well you better, as I'm writing this I have not seen the finale). She's my fave. I also loved the season 3 twist of Jack and Tony and Gael all working together secretly. And of course I loved the Jack Pack from Season 5. I even like Audrey a lot. I hope she's doing ok. Someone who looks a lot like her appears to be a pretty good surgeon on Grey's Anatomy. And I really didn't mind Kim that much. I mean she was kind of annoying in season 1 and 2 but I love it when they bring back characters in the later seasons. Plus there was that one season where you had Desmond from Lost as a character and that other Season where you had Jin from Lost as a character and then there was that time Michelle Dessler came back to life to play that lady in the Dharma Initiative on Lost.  Weird.  So thanks for the good times. And thanks for giving my dad and I something to discuss on Tuesdays. So 24, I will miss you but I'll see you at the movies.

Love,

JMJE

PS-Secret note to B, "OOooodrey"

PPS-I made you this peanut butter pie to remember me by and because my Dad really likes Peanut Butter.

JMJE's Peanut Butter Brownie 24 Clock Dad's Bday Extravaganza Pie

Ingredients

brownie mix (plus the stuff that goes with it, egg, oil, etc)

1 8 oz container of cream cheese

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

1 8 oz thing of Cool Whip (cool hwhip-anyone watch Family guy?)

chocolate chips-optional for decoration

Instructions

1-Prepare brownie mix per package and cook in a glass pie pan. You might not need to use all the mix. You just want this to be the bottom layer of the pie. Cool Brownie.

2-Mix cream cheese, PB, and sugar together until blended.

3-Mix in the condensed milk

4-Stir in the Cool Whip

5-Spoon this mixture on top of the cooled brownie.

6-Chill for a couple hours and serve.

7-You can decorate with chocolate chips if you want to

LOST Finale Day = Lost Cookout

My Lost cookout featured....

Locke's Boar Sliders.....

Shanzie and I went Boar hunting on Saturday but came up empty handed so I went ahead and just bought some BBQ

Ingredients-

Pork BBQ purchased from your local BBQ establishment (this is pretty easy if you live in NC)

BBQ slaw purchased from the same establishment

Mini Buns (dinner rolls)

Put them together. Delish

Jin's Foil Fish

Jin was the resident island fisherman for the first few season on Lost. And although Beezus5 has become quite the fisher woman recently we went ahead and bought fish at the grocery store.  This is B's specialty.

Ingredients-

Fish
Vegetables (Onions, Peppers whatever you like)

Italian Salad Dressing
Butter
Slice of Lemon
Minced Garlic
Mix the food together and wrap it in a foil.  Seal foil at the top and grill on medium high heat for approximately 15 minutes or until fish is done and vegetables are a little tender.

I was gonna have Kate's Island Fruit Ice Cream but instead decided to go with ...

Sawyer's "You Taste Like Strawberries" Strawberry Shortcakes
Ingredients-
Strawberries
Sugar
Angel Food Cake
Cool Whip
You know how to make strawberry shortcake. 
Plus Shanzie made a Margarita dipping sauce out of whipping cream, cream cheese, sour cream, tequila, lime juice, orange juice, sugar.

I'm setting this to post tonight but I'll probably update later with my feelings on the Finale!  I'm getting very nervous.
**Update***SPOILERS
My favorite things about last night's Lost.....
-Rose and Bernard got Desmond out of the well
-Those awesome Target Commercials
-Richard "guyliner" Alpert's gray hair
-Juliette! doing the sonogram
-Jack's big leap to attack Flocke right before the commercial break
-When Jack and Kate declared their love on the cliff
-Hurley becoming the new Jacob and asking Ben to be his #2
-In my head Hurley and Ben got Desmond back to Penny so that better be true
-Juliette and Sawyer remembering each other at the Candy Machine
-Kate convincing Claire to get on the plane so she could raise Aaron
-Ben and Locke's convo before Lock walked in to the church
-Jack smiling as he saw the plane above him leaving the island
-Jack saving the island and dying
-The ending church scene where everyone looked so happy

I'm sure there's other stuff I'm forgetting.  I am a little mad that Walt was not mentioned and that Walt and Michael were not at the church.  Overal I enjoyed the finale.  I'm still confused about some stuff but sort of excited that it wasn't cut and dry and that I can go on discussing it and rewatching episodes with B, Shanzie and Beezus5 for years to come.

Office Thursday...My Baby Shower Continues with PB & J Cupcakes

PB and J for PB and J!!!!
Did you watch my suggested video yesterday? If not, this post may not make sense. Oh well. Continuing with my baby shower for JAM (that's Jim and Pam of The Office, guys), I decided that the next step would be Refreshments! What would JAM like served at their baby shower? Then all the sudden it hit me. Cupcakes with Jam in them. Then it hit me even harder... Peanut Butter and Jelly cupcakes. PB and J. Pam Beesly and Jim. It's not a waste after all, Kevin.*

So, yes, to some people, PB and J cupcakes might sound gross. But actually they are slightly amazing. I found this recipe on the line and decided to go for it. I used my amazing tool from the other day to insert raspberry seedless jam in after the cakes had cooled. And then I made this peanut butter frosting. Good stuff. I just substituted creamy peanut butter for the crunchy.

OK, now on to the final part of my JAM baby shower....Games. Well technically just one game. And since it will just be my husband and me, we will NOT be decorating onesies or tasting baby food. Instead it will be an intense, high stakes game...winner take all. There is only one question.....

What is the sex of the JAM baby? And since B thinks I have secret Internet knowledge (which I do not) of gender I let him choose first and.....

B is saying GIRL.
And therefore I will be taking BOY.

If B is the Winner then I will make him a t-shirt of his choosing. If I'm the winner then B will buy me a "going out" shirt of his/my joint choosing (as he says I need something more exciting to wear out). B, if you agree to this please sign and date the form I left on your bedside table (I'm not letting this end like our 24 Tony Almeida dead or alive bet circa 2006).

Do my cupcakes look good?
Are you excited about the JAM baby?
Boy or Girl?

Do you think they will name it after me since I'm hosting their shower?

What is one of your favorite JAM moments**?

*Kevin's PB&J quote from the episode Fun Run when he is trying to determine if Jim and Pam are a couple. "Oh well, if they aren't together now, then they probably never will be. I thought they'd be good together, like PB&J. Pam Beasley and Jim. What a waste. What - A - Waste!"

**My fave is from The Job when it flashes back to Jim and Pam on the beach....and they said....
Jim: The real reason that I went to Stamford... was because... I wanted to be... not here.
Pam: I know.
Jim: And even though... I came back, I just, I feel like I've never really... come back.
Pam: Well, I wish you would.

Congrats JAM!***

***I know they aren't real people and that I'm still a big dork.

"Hey, You Got Yourself a Fish Biscuit."

OK. I'm just going to say it. I thought the Season Premiere of Lost was awesome. MAYBE DON'T READ THIS IF YOU DIDN'T WATCH LAST NIGHTS EPISODE. I'm not going to be super spoilery but I am gonna list my favorite parts....after the picture of the fish bizkit. (from Lostpedia)

They include, first seeing Cindy show up to give Jack his extra liquor (and realizing where he was), the whole underwater statue toe scene (I felt like I was plunging into the water), Charlie!!!, Boone!!!, uh Desmond sitting beside Jack (awesome, I love you Des but where's Penny and why are you on this plane), the whole "I'm sorry you had to see me like that" scene, Jacob paying Hurley a visit, Claire in the cab, ahhh ok most of the stuff in the episode. Cept when my girl Juliette died. I always super liked her even when I wasn't quite sure if she was evil or good.

OK so anyways. B5 had the brilliant idea to make fish biscuits. They didn't turn out perfect but we tried our hardest and it started getting a little too close to 9 pm so we had to rush them at the end. Basically just make a fish biskit on paper. Cut it out. Cover it in foil. Make cookie dough (we used a bag of sugar cookie mix). Add food coloring. Roll Dough. Trace fish. Cut. Write 'Dharma' on your fish and bake. I think the pictures tell it best. .....

We made three Dharma fish bizkits and one with a K and S for when Sawyer and Kate were stuck in those cages with nothing to eat but fish biscuits. (FYI I'm not a Skater, I was in the past at some points but I'm totally pro Sulliette, even though Juliette appears to be dead. I may be a Jater but I'm not positive. I change my mind a lot))

And the amazing final product. Ok it got a little warped. We didn't cook it long enough and it puffed up a bit and we also may have put the fish bizkits a little too close to each other on the cookie sheet. Also a little too pink. Oh well. Still awesome. And tasty.

OH and if you are like, 'What the heck is a fish biscuit?" You can learn more here . But you should probably just go ahead and watch all of Lost.