Houston Rockets: Ready For Launch

The Houston Rockets had a winning season last year — and they didn't make the playoffs. As the rebuilding continues, Rockets fans have a lot to look forward to. They're now led by former Celtics great and Hall of Famer Kevin McHale, for starters. Houston hopes McHale will put his legendary leadership skills to use and lead the team to the post-season. Speedy veteran Kevin Martin continues to succeed with his unique shooting style, and Johnny Flynn comes to town from the Timberwolves. He's coming off hip surgery, but he has something to prove. With promising youngsters Chase Budinger and Terrence Williams on board, the final pieces of the Rockets' puzzle might be in place.

Check out http://www.nba.com/rockets for Rockets schedules, merchandise, ticketing, and more!

Best Movies of 2011

2011 saw a score of interesting Oscar contenders helmed by actors exercising their talent in new ways. Here are five of the year's best films:

The Descendants
Sideways director and writer Alexander Payne returns triumphantly after a seven-hiatus with a complicated dramatic comedy. George Clooney is understated yet spot-on as a father dealing with his wife’s infidelity and his misbehaving daughters.

Drive
Perhaps not a typical Oscar contender, Drive is an action-packed drama that pits Ryan Gosling in a fight against good and evil. Gosling’s quiet performance anchors the movie’s more outrageous moments.

Midnight in Paris
Hailed by many as Woody Allen’s best film in years, Midnight in Paris was a love note to the City of Lights as well as a more glamorous literary time. Owen Wilson reached new maturity in a surprising as well as convincing role as a neurotic writer transported into 1920s Paris, schmoozing with infamous authors.

Moneyball
Like the television series Friday Night Lights, Moneyball was a sports movie that you didn’t need to care about sports to enjoy. Brad Pitt’s dedication to the story and director Bennett Miller’s fast-pacing kept the movie engaging and empathetic. 

Melancholia
Both epic and intimate, Lars von Trier’s portrait of the end of the world is surprisingly breath-taking, particularly the prologue. His narrative remains a distant character study of two sisters dealing with depression and the sudden advance of a neighboring planet.

Eat To The Beat: Five Fat-Burning Snacks

We all want to cut down on between-meal snacks, but it’s just not happening. When you need a little bit of energy in the middle of the day, all the willpower in the world can’t stop you from heading to the vending machine. Thankfully, there are healthy options out there to satisfy your snack craving while also helping you stick to your diet. Here are five great fat-burning snacks.

• Celery sticks are a great snack that has virtually no calories. If you want to bulk it up a little bit, try filling them with organic peanut butter or almond butter for a dose of protein.
• Blueberries and raw almonds are an incredible nutritional blockbuster that packs a huge amount of protein, vitamins, and antioxidants. This is a can’t-miss combination that also tastes excellent.
• Hummus is an excellent low-fat snack with a lot of protein, but skip the pita bread – that’s just empty calories. Instead, serve it with vegetable sticks – carrots, celery, cucumber, and bell peppers all work great.
• Citrus fruits are excellent for fat burning, especially early in the day. The powerful dose of vitamin C will kick your cells into high gear, jump-starting your metabolism and making you more likely to burn fat, especially if you avoid further carbohydrates.
• Snap peas are an excellent vegetable snack that satisfies a sweet tooth while still providing excellent nutrients and fiber.

Doomed To Repeat It: Four Essential History Books

We are living in truly interesting times, and the best way to understand what is happening in the world around you is to ground yourself in history. There are a tremendous number of books for the amateur historian on the market, so it can be tricky to figure out where to start. In this article, we’ll recommend four that are excellent:

-          A People’s History Of The United States by Howard Zinn. Zinn, one of the most influential American historians of the last generation, traces the development of the United States through a sociopolitical lens with a focus on individual rights and responsibilities.

-          1776 by David McCullough. One of the preeminent American historians in the world, McCullough’s expertise is in the early days of the American Republic, and this tale of the founding of the United States is eminently readable.

-          The Histories by Herodotus. Written over 400 years before the birth of Christ, Herodotus’s Histories are a vital window into the many different cultures of the Mediterranean region and western Africa of the time. This book gives amazing insight into the founding of the Persian Empire and the Greco-Persian Wars.

-          Salt, by Mark Kurlansky. Taking a different approach to history, this enlightening tome uses the simple condiment as its base to show how salt shaped the course of nations through the centuries.

How To Register To Vote

It's easy to make your voice heard! Here's how to register to vote.

The National Mail Voter Registration Form – Using this mail-in form, you can register to vote, update your registration information, or register with a specific political party. After filling out the form, you must mail it to a state or local election office. You can access the form and instructions here: http://register-vote.com/

Register Online with GottaRegister - You use this online voter registration forum for state-specific information on approaching elections, noteworthy deadlines, and what materials to bring with you when you head to the voting booth: https://www.gottaregister.com

Information for Military and Overseas Voters – If you’re a U.S Citizen serving on active-duty in the military (Armed Forces, Merchant Marine, Public Heath Service, NOAA) or living overseas for school, work, or other reasons, you can obtain voter registration information at this website: http://www.fvap.gov/

Provisional Ballots – If there is some question about your eligibility as a voter, you can cast a provisional ballot due to the Help America Vote Act packed by Congress in 2002. The HAVA Act can enable you to vote when you’re located in the wrong polling district, unable to provide the necessary ID, or faced with a challenge to your eligibility. Click here to learn more: http://www.866ourvote.org/elections-101?id=0008

Rice in the Pan: Five Great Risottos

Risotto can be a daunting dish to make – the Italian rice dish is notoriously temperamental, and a ruined risotto can be pretty unappetizing! The most important element to cooking a good one is attention. The chef needs to stand over the pan, stirring the rice constantly while adding hot stock so the grains don’t stick together. Once you’ve mastered that, here are some ideas for creating great variations on the dish.

-        Mushrooms make an exceptional pairing for risotto. Their earthy flavor permeates the rice, adding worlds of dimension. Try using chanterelle mushrooms coupled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

-        Lemon flavors are also great for risottos. Pair fresh-squeezed lemon juice with steamed asparagus for a light, refreshing dish that will have people raving.

-        In the autumn, turning to that season’s produce can be a great way to switch up your cooking. One very common pairing for risottos is butternut squash. The subtle, comfortable flavor of the vegetable makes a great base for a risotto.

-        Seafood risotto is a very popular preparation. Use clams, mussels, scallops, and shrimp to add a variety of tastes to the preparation, and season with saffron.

-        For a unique breakfast dish, prepare a traditional risotto and stir in cooked, crumbled bacon and a little sharp cheese. Top with a fried egg and enjoy!

How To Make Perfect Hummus

Middle Eastern cooking has become more and more popular in recent years, as the cuisine has won fans all over the world. One of the most essential elements in any meal is hummus, the delicious spread made from chickpeas. Sure, you can buy it in the store, but it’s remarkably easy to make your own. Here’s a great recipe that’s simple to follow and packs magnificent flavor.

Start with a 16 ounce can of chickpeas. Reserve a quarter cup of liquid from the can and drain the beans.

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, three tablespoons of lemon juice, two tablespoons of tahini (a paste made of ground sesame seeds, available at most grocery stores), two tablespoons of olive oil, three cloves of crushed garlic, and a dash of salt.

Blend in the food processor until the ingredients are mixed together and add the reserved liquid from the chickpeas.

After the liquid is added, blend again on a low setting for five minutes or until the mixture is smooth.

Serve with toasted pita bread as a snack or appetizer.

If you want to add some variety to your hummus, there are a number of things you can include during the mixing phase. The spicy condiment known as harissa can add some zest to your recipe, as can a dash of cayenne pepper. Other spices also create unique favor combinations – try coriander seeds or dill.

Serve fresh or refrigerate immediately after mixing to preserve your hummus longer. Enjoy!

Express Yourself: How To Start Learning An Instrument

Studies have shown that picking up a musical instrument can have many benefits! Plus, it's fun. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to play something, there’s no time like the present to start. Here are some tips for beginning a musical journey.

1.     Rent an instrument. Musical instruments can be expensive, and if you’re not sold on what you want to learn, it can cost you. Many music stores offer rental services: for far less than the cost of purchasing an instrument, you can rent one, take it home, have a few lessons, and make your decision.

2.     Start slow. One of the hardest things to overcome in learning an instrument is early frustration. As an adult, you expect your body to do what you want it to do. Not having the muscle memory required to manipulate a musical instrument can be a pain. Learning how to play isn’t just a mental task – it takes time to train the body as well. So be patient and persistent!

3.     Find a teacher. Although you can learn most of the basics of just about any instrument from the Internet, nothing beats having another human being showing you new techniques. Having an instructor to evaluate and correct your form will keep you from making mistakes that could plague your playing. Shop around and find one who suits your experience level and playing style.

4.     Play with others. One of the greatest joys of making music is collaborating with others. Musicians of all skill levels benefit from getting together in groups and playing. Find friends near your skill level, sit in on open jam sessions at local clubs, or start a cover band. Whatever you choose, it’ll help you polish your chops in a hurry.

Hold Your Breath: Five Classic Suspense Films

One of the most enduring movie genres is the suspense film – twisty, dark mysteries that leave viewers guessing until the very end. From masters like Alfred Hitchcock to modern practitioners, here are the five suspense movies you need to see.

1.     Psycho. Hitchcock’s most famous film, this tale of psychological horror features one of the most iconic murder sequences of all time, and the twist at the end made cinema history.

2.     The Silence Of The Lambs. Young FBI Agent Clarice Starling works with the iconic Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter to track down a serial killer. One of the few films to win all five major Oscars.

3.     Cape Fear. The original version is great, but Martin Scorsese's remake may exceed it. Robert De Niro is spectacular as a revenge-motivated psychotic out to ruin Nick Nolte and his family.

4.     Blow-Up. This twisted British take on the suspense film is a modern classic, featuring a photographer who accidentally captures a murder on film, then discovers that even in pictures, nothing is really what it seems.

5.     Blood Simple. The first film by thriller specialists the Coen Brothers, this neo-noir crime flick revolves around an extramarital affair that soon turns deadly.

Add Some Zip To Your Breakfast With Zucchini Pancakes

Why start your day with plain pancakes when you can enjoy a plate of uniquely flavorful Zucchini Pancakes instead?

These rich and fluffy pancakes are so delicious that you won’t even notice you’re getting in a serving of vegetables. The recipe yields a stack of ten 3-inch pancakes, certain to please everyone at the table.

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini (about 3/4 pound)
2 tablespoons grated red onion
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
6 to 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Unsalted butter and vegetable oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F

2. Grate the zucchini into a bowl using the large grating side of a box grater. Immediately stir in the onion and eggs. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt, and pepper. (If the batter gets too thin from the liquid in the zucchini, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour.)

3. Heat a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan over medium heat and melt 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon oil together in the pan. When the butter is hot but not smoking, lower the heat to medium-low and drop heaping soup spoons of batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place the pancakes on a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. Wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel, add more butter and oil to the pan, and continue to fry the pancakes until all the batter is used. The pancakes can stay warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Recipe Courtesy of Foodnetwork.com

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