Hancock

John Hancock is an alcoholic and an amnesiac jerk that just happens to have superpowers. Causing chaos and destruction while trying to complete his superhero duties and he continues to make enemies among the population. Ray Embrey, a public relations executive is nearly hit by a train but is saved by having his car thrown to the side by Hancock. Ray decides to have the superhero over for dinner to thank him and propose a new PR strategy. Ray’s son is a big fan of Hancock but his wife is not and urges Ray to get Hancock out of their life.

The Embrey household has a Thursday night tradition called “spaghetti madness” which includes eating spaghetti and meatballs with the family and the new addition of Hancock. There have been numerous studies regarding the benefits of having a night designated for “family togetherness”. Many believe that sharing a dinner with the family can “contribute to children’s cognitive and personal development, as well as …strengthen the bond between children and parents.” Studies have shown that family dinner rituals can result in “lower rates of substance abuse, depression, pregnancy, alcoholism and eating disorders.” Children who grow up without a family night are more likely to eat unhealthy and skip meals later in life. Also, other studies show that the positive effects of having family dinners are neutralized by including watching the television while eating. Not only do the behavioral and psychological effects of family dinner get undone but studies show that if you watch television while you eat dinner you are less likely to have adequate servings of fruits and vegetables.

Take a look at the family’s schedule and pick a night that is good for everyone. Find new recipes to try out, have a “request” night or breakfast for dinner night. Turn off the television and make it special. Grab your family and start a tradition. You could start with the Embrey’s favorite; try the Spaghetti and Meatball recipe below.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper
¼ Cup finely grated Parmesan
¼ Cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Cloves of garlic, minced
1 Large egg
1 Pound ground beef chuck
¼ Cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes in puree
¾ Pound Spaghetti

Preparation

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. In a bowl combine parmesan, parsley, garlic, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the beef and breadcrumbs, mix gently. Form into 16 balls. In a 5 quart dutch oven or pot heat oil over medium. Add meatballs, turning occasionally until browned. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook stirring occasionally until meatballs are cooked through. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and return to pot, add meatballs and sauce. Toss gently.

Miss Congeniality

Gracie Hart is a clumsy, unkempt female FBI agent who goes undercover in the Miss United States pagent after a criminal threatens the event. Though Gracie is reluctant to change she has help from a beauty pagent consultant, her 49 competitors, fellow agents, and the beauty pagent director herself. Finally after brushing her hair, putting on a dress and heels, bonding with Miss Rhoad Island and having everyone deny her donuts, Agent Hart is ready to find the terrorist, walk the catwalk and save her new beautiful friends.

One of the most famous stereotypes is of cops (or any other type of law enforcement) loving donuts. In Miss Congeniality there are a number of scenes where Gracie Hart is trying to abscond one or multiple donuts. Sometimes she even hides them in unusual places, very unusual places. After reading a little about the stereotype some of the reasons this stereotype stuck makes perfect sense. Many times police officers work strange hours and there are little choices of restaurants open at the wee hours of the night. Donut shops use to be open 24 hours which would make a perfect place for cops to stop for a snack. Also, the perfect accompaniment to a donut is coffee, which the police use to stay awake and caffeine can help stay alert. While on duty officers of the law must be able to respond to a call immediately, even leaving your lunch or snack behind. A donut is inexpensive and very easy to throw back into the bag for later. Finally, the best reason that I can come up with why cops love donuts is who DOESN'T love donuts

I know I love donuts. You can enjoy these homemade donuts and you don't even have to be a police officer. Enjoy.

Buttermilk Donuts

Ingredients

2 1/2 Cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup buttermilk
2 Large eggs
2 Tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 Teaspoon baking soda
2 Teaspoons baking powder
1 Teaspoon salt
3/4 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
Vegetable oil for frying

Preparation

Place 1 1/2 cups flour and 1 1/4 cups sugar in a large bowl. Add buttermilk and the rest of the ingredients except for the oil. Use an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Beat in the remaining cup of flour. Cover and refeigerate at least 1 hour. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface, roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Using two different sized cookie cutters cut out your dough. Pour oil into a heavy pot, about 5 inches of oil deep. Heat oil to 350 degrees and add 3 donuts to the oil. Fry until golden brown and turn once. About 6 minutes total. Using a slotted spoon transfer the donuts to a papertowel lined rack to drain. Repeat with remaining donuts.

The Life of David Gale

David Gale was a college professor and a member of Deathwatch, an death penalty abolisionist group. After some poor choices in life he ends up with no family, no job, convicted and sentanced to death row. Bitsey Bloom, a journalist is requested by Gale to receive his last interview before he is put to death for killing his partner in Deathwatch, Constance Harraway. Bloom listens to Gale's story and begins to investigate it further. Bitsey Bloom is under great pressure because she has only a short amount of time to prove his innocence and to stop the execution. The story unfolds through present progression of new information and through flashbacks in time to show what actually happened.

While on death row David Gale is asked to what he would like for his last meal and Gale remembers a morning he had with his son. The memory he had was of his son had asking for pancakes with strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Gale chose this as the last meal he would eat before being executed. It seems that there isn't one fully excepted explaination as to why prisioners on death row are provided a last meal. Some believe the idea of a last meal stems from Christianity and The Last Supper of Jesus, some believe it stems from traditions that were held in the 17th centuries where the convicted might have feasted for up to three days before being put to death in Germany, or in 18th century London where the prisioner would be given a great banquet, the service of a prostitute and on the walk to the gallows they would stop in a number of pubs before being hung. Some argue that the last meal tradition stems from ancient superstitions of the condemned coming back to haunt those who put him to death. The offering of a meal was to appease the soul before it was sent to the afterlife. Currently 37 states and the Federal Government can authorize the punishment of a criminal to be death. Many of the inmates decline a last meal or opt to have what is being served in the cafeteria. Depending on where the inmate is serving his last few days will determine how much they are able to request. In Texas the inmates have to choose from items that are within the prison system and can be prepared by the inmates. They do have an exception where you can ask the chaplain to purchase items from a local store for preparation. In Indiana they have no spending amount and will provide as close to the request as possible. The choices of the convicted vary from person to person. Some choose comfort foods such as fried chicken, mashed potatoes and milk, others choose junk food like hamburgers, pizza, cakes, and sodas. There are some occasional strange requests like a single olive with a pit in it requested by Victor Feguer, Philip Workman requested that a large vegetarian pizza be given to a homeless person in Nashville (this request was denied), or James Edward Smith who requested a lump of dirt but was also denied.

I'll have to think about what I'd like my last meal to be. What would you have? If you want the same as David Gale then enjoy pancakes with strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Strawberry Pancakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Teaspoons baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 Large egg
1 Cup milk
1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 Cups sliced strawberries
Whipped cream (to taste)
Chocolate shavings (to taste)

Preparation

In a bowl whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another small bowl whisk egg, milk and vanilla. Preheat nonstick griddle over medium heat. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and then stir in the melted butter. The batter should be thick and smooth. Fold in the strawberries. Spoon the batter onto the griddle. Cook the pancakes until set and bubbly. Flip them and cook until golden brown. Serve with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.