Stuff I like by Benita
I'm awesome.
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E-mails from an Asshole
These are so great, they make me want to set up a fake e-mail account so I can mess with people on Craigslist, too.
I figure if you’re that stupid to begin with, you deserve to be fucked with. The level of people’s stupidity never ceases to amuse me.
“What is this?
This is a collection of e-mails I have sent to people who post classified ads. My goal is to mess with them, confuse them, and/or piss them off.”
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World’s Cutest Couple™ gets that much cuter « copydesk.org
Awww. Congratulations, Carrie and Martin! I had to share this because the idea of a guerrilla wedding at the MOMA is just too adorable for words.
I went to college with Carrie, and I have to say this whole concept is very Carrie-like and fits her personality, which is just what a wedding should convey, right?
(I hope she doesn’t mind I’m “stealing” a photo.)
They exchanged vows in front of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.”
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Analyzing James Franco’s Bookshelf
James Franco tweeted a photo of what we can only assume is his bookshelf (who else would keep a bottle of whiskey with James Franco’s face on it on their bookshelf? Okay, maybe a lot of people, but still).
1. The paisley wallpaper is amazing. What kind of guy has paisley wallpaper? From the painted wires above the doorframe to the right, this looks like a room in a fairly old building, so maybe the wallpaper came with the place. But we like to think Franco put it up on purpose, because hey, he liked the color.
2. Is that a beer on the top shelf? If anyone is a drink-and-reader, it’s probably Franco (maybe that’s why he’s always falling asleep in class), but maybe one day he came sauntering over to grab a book, beer in hand, and became so engrossed by his afternoon reading selection that he forgot the beer. Maybe it’s been there for weeks. We understand – we’ve also been known to accidentally leave open bottles of beer in strange places, like the pantry or the bathroom. We get distracted.
3. James Franco uses a crystal ball. The proof is right there in front of us on the second shelf! The proof is also in the fact that he never really picks a bad project – even when he does soap operas, it doesn’t seem to damage his career. The stupid stuff only enhances it. Is this because he consults the future before he signs on for projects?? Obviously, the answer is yes.
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Detroit Institute of Arts Deal of the Day | Groupon Detroit
This is an amazing deal! I just bought one. You get a “companion membership” for only $40. That means you AND a guest can get in free to the DIA all year, on top of that you get two free tickets to every single special exhibit they offer (normally special exhibit tickets are $12 a piece). And you get discounts for the Detroit Film Theatre and gift shop, too!
Did you know the DIA is home to one of the top six collections in the U.S.?
With unlimited access, I can just hang out there whenever I feel like it, which is pretty cool. If anyone wants to go to the DIA, let me know, I can bring a guest for free each time I go with my new membership!
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Someone please make me a video in this fashion. You would forever remain on my favorites list.
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A Visual Compendium of Notable Haircuts in Popular Music
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I saw this live on Broadway in NYC on New Year’s Day. So awesome.
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Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce
I really want to make this.
Here’s what you’ll need:
For the pudding:
-8 eggs
-2 c. sugar
-3 c. whole milk
-2 c. heavy cream
[Dairy note: This recipe is pretty forgiving, so if you have a little less cream, just make up for it with milk. Or vice versa. You can also use some 2% milk in place of the whole. As long as you have 5 cups total of liquid you should be OK. Just please—for the love of God—do not use skim milk. Blech.]-2 tsp. vanilla extract
-1 tsp. cinnamon
-Pinch of salt
-One loaf of bread (I prefer challah for it’s eggy, soft goodness, but you can really use any kind of rustic/French loaf. Just don’t use sandwich bread or anything too healthy/grainy.)
-Optional: 1 c. golden raisins (Add these if you’re the kind of person who likes raisins in their bread pudding. I find raisins to be creepy, so I left them out.)
For the sauce:
-3 c. heavy cream
-1 tbsp. cornstarch
-4 tbsp. water
-2/3 c. sugar
-2/3 c. Whiskey/bourbon (whatever you have on hand) or Bailey’s (or any generic version of Irish Cream)
Here’s what to do:
-Find a 9×13 casserole dish (glass is best, but ceramic works too) and butter it.
-Cut up the loaf of bread into roughly 1-inch cubes (or tear it up, if you have extra aggression you need to get out). Don’t worry about making the cubes perfect. You basically just want to break up the bread so there’s more surface area to soak in the liquid. Also, it doesn’t really matter how they look because once you bake it, it all kind of melts together anyway. So, be as sloppy as you like!
-Spread the bread cubes out evenly in the buttered pan.
-In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until they’re broken up. Whisk in the sugar until blended. Then add the milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt, and whisk until it’s all mixed thoroughly. (The cinnamon will probably be a little lumpy, but don’t worry about it.)
Here’s what you should have at this point:
-Pour the mixture over the bread cubes in the pan. Try to distribute it as evenly as you can over the cubes. Then go in with your (clean!) hands and mush the cubes down and around so that they all start sopping up the liquid and are submerged. (If you’re using raisins, this is the time to mix them in with the bread.)
-Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and stick it in the fridge for 1.5 or 2 hours.
Here’s what the pudding will look like after soaking:
-Make the sauce while the pudding is chilling:
- Pour the cream into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over med-high heat, stirring often.
- While it’s coming to a boil, whisk the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until it’s smooth. Once the cream is boiling, pour the cornstarch mix into the cream, stirring constantly.
- Bring the whole thing up to a boil again, then lower the heat, and stir it while it simmers for just a tiny little while (not longer than one minute—and be careful not to burn it!).
- Take the pan off the heat, and stir in the sugar and whatever alcohol you’re using. Then let it cool until it’s at room temperature.
- Don’t forget to take a few sips of the whiskey or Bailey’s while you work!
-Once the pudding is done chilling, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the pudding for an hour, and then start watching it closely. Take it out when it’s puffy and turning golden brown, it took mine about 1 hour and 5 minutes, but it will depend on your oven.Here’s what the coloring should resemble:
-Let it cool a bit, and then slice it up and serve it with plenty of sauce poured over it.
Here’s the finished product! (Bailey’s sauce is on the left, whiskey sauce on the right — not that they look that much different…)
Once you’re done eating, I encourage you all to go get your Irish Jig on.
Erin go Bragh!
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Hah, this guy is awesome. He illustrates literal interpretations of headlines.
Newspaper copy editor, semi-new homeowner, amateur baker who is in love with words, sarcasm, news, pop culture, bright colors, music, design, books, Detroit, DIY.
