jj "nº 2"

I friend of mine in Amsterdam sent me a a disc called "nº 2" by a Swedish band called "jj" earlier this year, and it's been in my player ever since. The duo consists of Elin Kastlander and Joakim Benon. Though they've only got 4 total releases (1 single, 1 EP, and 2 full length discs), I have a feeling that they'll be cranking out good music for quite some time. They remind me of another Swedish band that I really like called "The Legends".

The disc is pure indie electronic pop, but the lyrics have just enough of a edge to keep them from dissolving into stock, sugary-sweet dance songs. However...many of the tracks CAN make you break into dance, or at least the shoulder dance whilst driving.

Overall, "nº 2" is absolutely going to make my top album list for 2010. FYI..."nº 3" also came out this year. It's got less of a pop feel to it, and I'll be posting tracks from that disc later.

Anyway, here are the first 2 tracks from "nº 2". I hope you like what you hear, and buy the album!

xo

"Things will never be the same again"



"From Africa To Málaga"

As promised...Pulled Pork!

Hello!!

Sorry to be out of pocket, but it has been a pretty crazy week.

Anyway, as promised...here is my Pulled Pork recipe. The best thing about it is that you do it in a crock pot! A few people have made it recently and really enjoyed it, so here it is.

1 4-7 lb. bone in pork shoulder
2 white onions, halved
Kaiser Rolls
Broccoli Slaw
1 c. bbq sauce (homemade or your favorite brand)
Dry Rub
Wet Marinade

Dry Rub:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Chipotle Powder
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Stir to combine.

Wet Marinade:
3/4 c. Cider Vinegar
1/4 c. Rice Vinegar
1/4 c. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. crushed Red Pepper flakes
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic

Whisk to combine. Cover, and refrigerate.

Pat the pork dry with a couple paper towels, and then score fat side of the roast with a sharp knife. In a zip top bag, add the roast, then all of the dry rub. Seal bag, and turn until pork is covered with the rub. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but up to 24 hours (I prefer to go the full 24 hours. I then add all the wet marinade to the porky bag of goodness, and let it rest for another 12 hours).

After the meat has had a chance to absorb the dry rub, put the onions on the bottom of your crock pot as a "base", then put the pork and the now syrupy juices right on top. Add about half of the wet marinade on top of the roast, and refrigerate the remainder (to drizzle over your pork later, if desired). Cover the crock pot, and cook on low for 10 hours, or high for 6 hours.

Remove meat and onions. Shred the meat in a large bowl adding some of the cooked juices from the crock pot, and the bbq sauce. Chop the onions and serve on toasted rolls, topped with slaw.

I use a pack of shredded broccoli slaw tossed with about 1/4 c or Poppy seed dressing and about a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar. If you're not a broccoli fan, please use any slaw you enjoy (even if it's none)!

Enjoy!!! xo

Hospitals are not my favorite place to visit.

So, my friend went BACK into the hospital today. I'm a bit worried, so I'm gonna focus on that issue this week. Be back soon with good news!!

xo

Tzom Kal!

Wishing you a Tzom Kal.

xo

Fever Ray

I'm in a Fever Ray mood this evening. If you've not heard of Fever Ray, I want you to go to iTunes and get the disc right now. Fever Ray is essentially Karin Dreijer Andersson of the band The Knife. The disc came out in 2009, and was the best electronic disc of the year. Again, if you've not heard it, please give it a try. For your enjoyment, I'm gonna post 6 videos for you to check out.

First up is a cover. Fever Ray covered of one of my favorite Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds songs called "Stranger Than Kindness"...and it's amazing:



"If I Had A Heart":



"When I Grow Up":



One of my favorite Fever Ray songs, "Seven":



"Keep The Streets Empty For Me":



"Triangle Walks":




I hope you enjoy the disc as much as I do. For more info on Fever Ray, please check out their website at http://feverray.com/

xo

Today is pretty awesome!

Today, a good friend of mine came home from the hospital! I'm happy, relieved and pretty much everything in-between.

I hope that everyone is having a great day, and is looking forward to the weekend. Speaking of this weekend, I've got more recipes and more music that I'll be posting soon that I think you'll enjoy.

xo

A message from Lady Gaga to the Senate Sept 16 2010

It's nice to see younger pop stars doing something positive.