A Valentines Party Treat

Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Hearts

You may use any size heart cutters you like to make these shortbreads; the chocolate is optional. For the most beautiful cookies, don't reroll the scraps.

Martha Stewart Living, February 2000

• Yield Makes 4 dozen 2 1/2-inch heart cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more, for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon canola oil or pure vegetable shortening

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until combined. On slow speed, beat in flour and salt until combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; chill until firm, at least 2 hours, or overnight.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until 1/16-to-1/8 inch thick. Cut out hearts with a 2-inch heart cookie cutter. Transfer cookies to an ungreased baking sheet; chill for 30 minutes.
3. Heat oven to 300 degrees with a rack in the center. Press the tines of a fork into each cookie to make designs. Bake until just beginning to brown around the edges, about 18 minutes. (Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days.)
4. In the top of a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Stir in the oil. Dip half or one third of each cookie into the chocolate mixture. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to dry, or place them on a piece of parchment paper in the freezer for 10 minutes. Serve.
   For more information see Martha Stewart.
   

Let's Go Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens are heading to the big game Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.  One obstacle the Ravens faced was San Francisco's read-option offense.  The Ravens believe they have found a way to conquer this, which was a big obstacle for them in the chase for the trophy.  Keep reading to learn more about what the Ravens are doing to bring home a trophy to Maryland.

The success of the read-option this season has sparked heated debate over whether it's a passing fad or something that's here to stay.

The Baltimore Ravens are charged with finding ways to combat 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick whenever he lines up in the pistol formation and runs the read-option Sunday in the Super Bowl.

Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis said the 49ers succeed so often using the read-option because defenses aren't well-prepared.

"They're doing a good job with it," Lewis said of the 49ers. "At the same time, when you do watch the film, a lot of people who played against them just never communicated at all.

"That's one of the advantages of what we have as a defense. We do a job of communicating very well, whether you have the dive, whether you have the quarterback, how are you going to play this, how are you going to play that?"

Lewis said something glaring stands out when he breaks down tape of how other defenses play the read-option.

"You can tell that a lot of people playing against the read-option just played as individuals," Lewis said. "It's really hard to play that type of package as individuals. You have to play it as a group.

"If you (want) to try to slow it down, that's the only way to slow it down is to really play it as a group and make sure before the snap that everyone is on the same page."

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he is a big fan of the pistol formation first

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implemented by Chris Ault, Kaepernick's college coach at Nevada.

"The beauty of it is, and part of the genius of it is, it's such a simple idea," Harbaugh said. "It goes back to Nevada and coach Ault out there. You can run your whole offense out of it. You're not limited to an option type of attack out of it. It's just a very versatile kind of offense."
Lewis sees plenty of similarities between the way he plays and the way 49ers inside linebacker Patrick Willis plays.

He also draws a comparison to the 49ers and some of the great Ravens defenses of the past 15 years or so.

"You see the youth of what we were like when we were younger," Lewis said of the 49ers. "They're just running around and they're making a lot of plays. They have a lot of young guys who just love playing the game.

"You can tell that they really enjoy playing, not just the game, but playing with each other. And that's one of the keys to playing great defense is just having that defensive chemistry."


For more information see the Mercury News.

Quick Healthy Recipe for Dinner

Check out this great healthy recipe!.  It is delicious and only takes about 25 minutes to make total.  This will be a great dinner for you and your roommates after a long day of classes.

Lemon Chicken

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Prep Time:10 min

Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time:15 min Level:Easy Serves:4 servings

 
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast or chicken tenders, cut into chunks
1/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons wok or vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan (preferred brand: House of Tsang)
1 tablespoon (a splash) white or rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth or stock
8 ounces (1 cup) prepared lemon curd
1/4 cup hot water
1 lemon, zested
2 scallions, thinly sliced or 20 blades fresh chives, finely chopped
Directions

Coat the chunked chicken lightly in flour, seasoned with a little salt. Heat a large skillet or a wok-shaped nonstick pan over high heat. Stir fry chicken until golden, 3 or 4 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan and return pan to heat. Reduce heat to medium.

Add a splash of vinegar to the pan and let it evaporate. Add stock or broth to the pan and scrape up any drippings with a whisk. Thin curd by stirring in a little hot water. Add curd to broth and whisk to combine. Add chicken back to the pan and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken sauce and finish cooking chicken pieces through. Remove the pan from heat, add the scallions or chives and zest, and toss chicken pieces well to combine zest and scallions or chives evenly throughout the sauce. Serve with Special Rice, recipe follows.

Cook's Notes: Wok oil infused with ginger and garlic is usually available on the International Foods aisle in many markets.

Chicken broths and stocks are available in resealable paper containers, making storage of remaining product easy and on hand in the refrigerator; they are found in the soup aisle.

Lemon curd is a sweet lemon spread available in most markets. It is on the jam/jelly aisle.

SERVES 4
Calories: 400
Total Fat: 9 grams
Saturated Fat: 1 gram
Protein: 40 grams
Total carbohydrates: 35 grams
Sugar: 16 grams
Fiber 0.5 grams
Cholesterol: 99 milligrams
Sodium: 349 milligrams 

For more information see The Food Network.

Univerity of Maryland Alumni in Hollywood

Check out this great story about University of Maryland Alumni Lee Berger from the Class of 1976.  Berger is president of Rhythm and Hues Studios that has created everything from the Chipmunks to Narnia. 

You may not know Lee Berger by name, but you may have seen the work of his production teams in many of 2012’s biggest movies: “Django Unchained,” “The Hunger Games,” “Life of Pi” and “Snow White and the Huntsman.”

Berger ’76 is president of the film division of Rhythm & Hues Studios, a Los Angeles-based company that does everything from animating the Chipmunks to creating fantastic worlds (“The Chronicles of Narnia”).

“This is a very competitive industry,” says Berger. “We don’t normally get to pick and choose, and we’re lucky that Ang Lee chose us (for ‘Life of Pi’).”

“Life of Pi” snagged 11 Academy Award nominations last week, including Best Picture, with “Django” receiving five and “Snow White” getting two. Winners will be announced Feb. 24.

Berger’s main role at Rhythm & Hues, where he’s been since 1999, is to nurture working relationships with movie studios. He’s also the chief executive officer of East Grand Films, an investment fund created by the studio to help finance and produce Hollywood feature films for the global market.

His career clearly pulls from his days as a Maryland radio, television and film student and includes stints as a cameraman, grip, film supervisor and director.

“I took at least 10 courses with Robert Kolker. He had a really big influence on me,” he says. “I still have a relationship with him 40 years later. It’s really about who your teachers are.”

Such a varied career prepared him for working with the creators of such disparate movies as those nominated. “Although ‘Django Unchained’ is not considered a visual effects movie, we wanted to work with Quentin Tarantino, so we were excited by the opportunity to contribute to the movie and build that relationship at the same time.”

Berger’s expertise is in digital filmmaking, so it makes sense that his favorite shot in “Pi,” whose Oscar nominations include Best Visual Effects, reflects that background.

Pi tosses O.J. the orangutan a life jacket in one of the many special effects that meld real and computer-generated images. The animal, for all of its lifelike detail and movements, is just pixels and code. The jacket was real until it got to O.J.’s hands.

“Then we took it over,” says Berger. “Our job is to make sure that the work is so seamless that it doesn’t take you out of the movie.” 

For more information see the University of Maryland.

Helpful Calendar Apps for Your New Semester

 It is the New Year, which means it is time to get organized.  Calendar Apps on your smart phone can be a great organizational tool to keep your schedule handy and updated.  There are many apps to choose from, but these are some of the best apps on the market listed for all types of phones.  Make sure to share this article with your friends and family that want to get organized for their work or school in the new year.

My personal assistant (aka my smartphone) keeps me informed and organized. But while the calendar utility that comes standard is functional, I've discovered there is a myriad of more versatile and powerful calendar apps well beyond any phone's stock app. With so many to choose from, I've narrowed it down to some of the best for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone 8.
iOS

Left: Week Calendar - Right: 2do: Tasks

Week Calendar
If you're the type to see your calendar through the weeks more than anything than I highly advise Week Cal. It's a colorful, concise and simple interface that makes it easy to see what the week has in store for you. Events can be color coded based on criteria that you set which results in a more real experience that you won't have to spend too much time on. Week Cal supports iCloud, Google, Outlook and Exchange calendars. $2 2do: Tasks
When you need your calendar to be more than just a list of events, 2do: Tasks is also a versatile taskmaster. This app is designed like a personal planner that not only allows you to add events to your calendar but integrates your impending tasks to it as well so deadlines can't possibly sneak up on you. If you have an iPad this app is a two for one syncing seamlessly across devices. $10 - Also available for Android
Runner Up: Fantastical
Quick mention for Fantastical, a quirky calendar app that creates events based on a small blurb. For example Lunch, Saturday at 2pm with Susan creates an event for the nearest Saturday for 2pm with the person and reason in the title. It's a clever little app that I find worth a mention. $4
Android

Left: Jorte - Right: Business Calendar

Jorte
A great app for a great price, Jorte is a personal calendar that can look any way you want and accepts your events with as much detail as you could possibly want. Jorte caters more to the individual and doesn't look as daunting or sterile as common calendar apps usually do. It's quirky, fun and advisable for people who just want to organise their lives. Can't go wrong for that price either. Free Business Calendar
For the professional Android user, Business Calendar is a good choice. I personally love the grandeur widget that displays either a daily, weekly or monthly calendar on a home screen page, making it always accessible. Other than the standard event management features what does Business Calendar offer? More frequent events can be added with ease, events can be dragged and dropped and the multiple themes make this an app that pays for itself rather quickly. $5
Windows Phone

Left: Calendar[+] - Right: Beautiful Calendar

Calendar[+]
Calendar[+] is THE calendar app for your Windows Phone. It's versatile, fast, easy to add events, has room for multiple accounts and is well rounded. Events can be pinned to the home screen as a constant reminder or filter certain appointments off the calendar. Best of all, it doesn't cost a penny. 

Free Beautiful Calendar
For a more robust all in one calendar, Beautiful Calendar offers event creation and management as well as notes and taskmaster functionality. When it comes to the calendar it certainly lives up to the name with a nice, simple color scheme including special ones for birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. Another worthwhile option in Windows Phone growing app marketplace. Free

For more info see Apartment Therapy.

101 Easy Decorating Tips

Do you need some ideas on how to decorate your apartment for the Holidays? Here are 101 tips for easy, simple, and creative ways to put holiday themes around your home this season.

1. Create a charming display of teddy bears dressed for the season. Gather together three or more teddy bears and arrange them on a table or on the floor in a corner. Dress the bears with touques, scarves and mittens. Place candy canes in their hands or tie bows around their necks. You can even wrap up some small, empty boxes with Christmas wrapping paper to place in the bears’ hands.

2. Display a collection of nativity scenes from different cultures.

3. Make simple bows from Christmas print ribbon and pin them to your curtains.

4. Hang a collection of Christmas stockings on your mantle, a shelf or the wall (even if you don’t stuff them). The more the merrier when it comes to nice christmas decorations.

5. Revisit your childhood. Cut snowflakes from white paper and hang them in all of your windows.

6. Buy a clear plastic shower curtain. Use a hot glue gun to attach Christmas decorations to the outside of the curtain. Don’t use breakable ornaments – instead, try small wooden or plastic ornaments (remove any hooks), bows, garland, etc.

7. Use red and green 3-dimensional fabric paints to trace simple Christmas patterns (like stars, bells, Santas, stockings, etc.) on a white tablecloth.

8. Dress up your house plants – hang small Christmas ornaments on them.

9. Tie a red ribbon around a tall, slim drinking glass. Fill the glass with candy canes and display on a shelf or side table.

10. Purchase plain green or red place mats and attach Christmas ribbons, bows or small wooden ornaments with a hot glue gun.

11. Fill a small glass bowl or decorative Christmas bowl with small cones and display on end tables, shelves, buffet tables, etc.

12. For quick ornaments, hang Christmas cookie cutters with ribbon. Hang them on your tree or in a window so other people can enjoy your christmas decorations.

13. Create a cookie wreath centerpiece for your table. Just arrange Christmas cookies in a wreath shape right on the table cloth. No need to attach them to anything ’cause everyone will want to nibble at them. If you like, place a pillar candle on a small plate in the center of the wreath.

14. Decorate plain red, white, green or gold candles with 3-dimensional fabric paint. Draw stars, bells, angels, snowmen, etc. If you make a mistake, let the paint dry and peal it off, then start again.

15. Pile a collection of Christmas books on a side table.

For the rest of the 101 tips see All Things Christmas.

The Best Gifts for Little Kids

Your little brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews may travel a lot to see relatives during the holidays.  The long hours in a car or plane can be boring.  However, this holiday season there are many gifts you can get them to help pass the time or to learn about travel.  Keep reading to find out details on what are some great gifts!

Globe

Maps are useful and portable, but globes fascinate children of all ages. Using a globe, children can learn about countries, continents and oceans. Globes teach children about the true sizes of landforms and help them see the distances between points. Look for a raised relief globe, which shows elevations of mountains and valleys.

Rolling Luggage

Even young children enjoy packing and pulling their own rolling suitcases. Taking care of clothing and belongings gives children a sense of responsibility and turns the tedious task of packing into an enjoyable activity. Look for a rolling suitcase sized for your child or grandchild; a youth-sized rolling bag will be easy for a younger, shorter child to pull. Middle schoolers and teens will probably prefer a larger bag with a longer pull handle. You can find rolling suitcases and duffel bags in all shapes, colors, sizes and price ranges.

Auto Bingo

This classic, low-tech toy can help those hours in the car pass more quickly. Each child takes an auto bingo card, which includes pictures of common roadside items, such as sheep, stop signs and railroad crossings. Players slide a colored window closed when they spot an object on their particular card. The first child to close five windows in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal row shouts, "Bingo!" and wins the game. Auto bingo games come in sets of four cards.

Mealtime Masterpiece Paper Placemats

The only thing more tedious than a long drive is a seemingly longer wait for restaurant food to arrive. Keep your child or grandchild happy and busy with these fun Mealtime Masterpiece paper placemats by Fred & Friends. This stack of 40 11 by 14 inch placemats comes with six marking pens, but you could also bring crayons or colored pencils, which are easier to carry and less messy, for your junior artists to use at the table. Each placemat has a painting-canvas-and-frame design, perfect for "framing" a creative kid's art.

Playing Cards / Boxed Card Games

Card games provide hours of entertainment for children of all ages. A deck of regular playing cards can be used to play Concentration by spreading the shuffled cardes face down on a table and having each player take turns turning two cards over, looking for pairs. The same deck can be used to play Solitaire, Crazy Eights, Old Maid and many more card games. Boxed card games, such as Professor Noggin's educational trivia games and UNO, are both colorful and easy to carry. Tip: Airplanes, trains and hotel rooms are the best places to play card games. It's very easy to lose cards in the car.

Travel Journal / Sketchbook

Children of almost any age can draw or write about their travel adventures in a blank journal or sketchbook. Preschoolers enjoy drawing pictures of buildings, animals and even food; parents and grandparents can write the date and a short description on each sketchbook page. Older children can draw pictures, create cartoons or write about each day's adventures in their journal. Travel journals and sketchbooks come in all sizes and price ranges; younger children will probably prefer to draw their pictures on larger pages. Remember to provide crayons, pencils or pens; marking pens may soak through pages.

For more information see About.com.