Category Archives: mitch
Setting the Table: London Dreaming
As part of the continuation of our popular Setting the Table series, we asked our friend Mitch to provide his take on his favorite summer event. He picked London and the Olympics (which I am completely obsessed with – check out our twitter page, @whitetablestyle).
I met Mitch in 2007 when we worked at a local Kansas City advertising agency. He’s a great guy, fabulous friend and a movie buff.
Are you planning any out of the country trips? We would love to know what you will be doing! Jamie would love to day dream about her trip to Paris and Alex just got back from traveling through Europe.
Enjoy,
Ellen
London Dreaming.
The 5-year anniversary of my 25th birthday is coming up in about 6 months. In celebration of that momentous occasion, I’m headed off to London! And since I’m currently obsessing over the London Olympics, I have been researching all of the sites that I need to visit as I see them pop up during the commercial breaks of my Women’s Water Polo fix.
In addition to running the track at Olympic Stadium (since I just missed the American team this year), I’ve made a short list of a few of the hot spots (aka tourist traps) that I plan on visiting:
The Tower of London:
Arguably one of the most popular sites in England, the Tower of London is home to the Crown Jewels, execution chambers, the crows, the “Bloody Tower” and a miniature zoo.
Big Ben:
When visiting London, why pull out your iPhone to check the time when you have the most famous clock in the world is just a few feet away?
The London Eye:
For only £20, you get a birds-eye view of the city. Essentially a giant Ferris wheel, since opening in 1999, over 30 million people have ridden the Eye. I can’t wait to be #30,000,001.
The National Gallery:
In the heart of Trafalgar Square sits the National Gallery, filled with paintings from the greatest artists like Van Gogh, da Vinci, Botticelli and Edmondson (well, as soon as they recognize my incredible MS Paint skills. Ask Ellen!)
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum:
Open since 1884, one of the most famous museums in the world is home to wax sculptures of the some of the most famous people in the world.
This is just the TIP of the English iceberg (no Titanic jokes intended). I plan on filling up my itinerary with even more English sites as I continue my Olympic viewing. Here I come Ladies’ Skeet Shooting!!
Enjoy the show,
Mitch
Setting the Table: Summer Movie Preview
As part of the continuation of our popular Setting the Table series, we asked our friend Mitch to provide his summer movie preview.
I met Mitch in 2007 when we worked at a local Kansas City advertising agency. He’s a great guy, fabulous friend and a movie buff.
Jamie and I are extremely excited to go see Magic Mike this summer – don’t judge us!
Enjoy,
Ellen
Summer Movie Preview
The official beginning of summer may not be until June 20 according to your calendar, but for Hollywood, summer kicks off in early May. The summer box office has already had its share of hits (The Avengers with $523 million and counting) and misses (Battleship with $44 million and sinking). However, with Memorial Day now in the books, the real battle for your box office dollar begins. Here is your guide to all of the biggest movies coming to a theater near you this summer!
JUNE:
Snow White and the Huntsman(June 1) – The ever-annoying Kristen Stewart stars as Snow White alongside the ever-beautiful and talented Charlize Theron as the Evil Queen.
Prometheus (June 8) – Charlize Theron has been a busy lady! Theron stars alongside Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class) in Ridley Scott’s is-it-or-isn’t-it-a-prequel-to-Alien sci-fi film.
Rock of Ages (June 15) – Tom Cruise as an idolized 80s hair band god? Apparently someone saw it. Ages is the film version of the popular Broadway musical of the same name. Catherine Zeta Jones (Chicago) and Julianne Hough (Footloose) also star.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter(June 22) – And the winner for most ridiculous and, at the same time, awesome movie title of the summer goes to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The title pretty descriptive as to the plot of the movie – Lincoln is hunting vampires in pre-Civil War America. Hmmmm.
Magic Mike (June 29) – This one is most definitely for the women. Magic Mike is loosely based on star Channing Tatum’s (The Vow) own personal life story as a stripper – pre-Hollywood success.
JULY:
The Amazing Spider-Man (July 3) – Tobey Maguire unofficially started the superhero craze when he starred as the web slinger in 2002 (and then for the sequels in 2004 and 2007). Now, Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) and Emma Stone (Easy A) get a chance to reboot the series.
Ted (July 13) – Okay, just hear me out on this one. This is the story of a man and his teddy bear, “who comes alive as a result of a childhood wish.” BUT, it’s written by Seth McFarland, the guy behind TV’s Family Guy and it’s rated R for crude, sexual content, language and drug use. Sounds promising, right? Mark Wahlberg (The Departed) stars.
The Dark Knight Rises (July 20) – Arguably the biggest, most anticipated movie of the summer is the final Batman film in Christian Bale’s trilogy. After the last Batman movie made $533 million, it’s between Rises and The Avengersfor the box office win.
AUGUST:
The Bourne Legacy (August 3) – This is the first Bourne movie without Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne. This go-around stars Jeremy Renner (The Avengers) as Aaron Cross, a different CIA operative in Bourne’s former outfit.
The Campaign (August 10) – Zach Galifianakis + Will Ferrell + a baby-punching incident = a potentially hilarious end-of-summer comedy.
The Expendables 2 (August 17) – The action stars of the 80s and early 90s finally have a steady job – sequels to the surprise hit 2010 film The Expendables. In this installment, Liam Hemsworth (The Avengers) joins Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Willis, Norris and Van Damme.
Enjoy the show,
Mitch
Mitch
Setting the Table: Hungry appetites for The Hunger Games.
As part of the continuation of our popular Setting the Table series, we asked our friend Mitch to post about movies and parties. Today, he is sharing how to have your own The Hunger Games party. If you know me, you know that I am completely obsessed with The Hunger Games. I was able to even attend a pre-screening of the movie! I also convinced Mitch to read the books and go see the movie. We are actually going to see it together as our second time watching it. I can’t wait!
I met Mitch in 2007 when we worked at a local Kansas City advertising agency. He’s a great guy, fabulous friend and a movie buff.
Enjoy,
Ellen
Hungry appetites for The Hunger Games.
The Hunger Gamesis nothing short of a phenomenon. And after making $155 million dollars in its first three days of release in theaters, there’s little room to think otherwise! Knowing that Ellen is also a huge Hunger Games fan, I decided to compile some fun Hunger Games-inspired food for everyday menus. Food is a very important part of The Hunger Gamesbooks and these recipes are perfect for any day meals – not just special occasions. All recipes can be found here.
It’s always nice to have a light snack available while you’re waiting for your main course to cook. While you wait, prepare some goat cheese wrapped in basil leaves. This special “Reaping Day treat” will be a great appetizer to your meal. Here is the simple recipe for the goat cheese.
The lamb stew is not only Katniss’ favorite dish at the Capitol – but just about the ONLY thing she likes about being away from home. Here is a great recipe, actually based on a Julia Child recipe.
Without giving away any plot points to those who haven’t read the books or seen the movies, one of the significant pieces of food in the first book may be the bread District 11 sends Katniss during the games. As a perfect companion to your lamb stew, here is a great recipe for “District 11 Bread”.
For dessert, try one of the many bakery items that Peeta describes from his family bakery back home in District 12. One of my favorites would be the Goat Cheese and Apple Tarts. Goat cheese mixed with apples is ALWAYS a favorite of mine. If there is room left after your lamb stew and bread, here’s the recipe to the dessert.
If you haven’t already joined the masses in reading the books or seeing the first movie, maybe this Hunger Games-inspired menu will get your interests piqued!
Enjoy the show – and “May the odds be ever in your favor,”
Mitch
Setting the Table: Oscar Night Party Part 2 of 2.
Continuing from yesterday, our friend Mitch is providing his ideal Oscar party. He is sharing how to host your own Oscar party with food ideas and games. The Oscar’s are this Sunday – don’t forget!
The best news? Mitch is becoming one of our feature contributors! We are so excited and happy to bring him onto the team as our movie buff.
Click here to read his post from yesterday about Oscar party food.
Enjoy,
Ellen
Hosting your own Oscar night party.
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Now that your friends are stuffed with your delicious Oscar-themed dinner, it’s time to settle in for the show. For those who have watched the show before, you know that it can last for quite a while, depending on how many people everyone needs to thank!! So, to keep you and your friends entertained throughout the show, below are some game ideas that I will be having at my Oscar party this year.
Prior to the show, have each of your friends fill out his or her own Oscar ballot. You don’t have to be a Hollywood insider to make a guess on who will win! To download a PDF for the beginners ballot, click here. If you and your friends are more advanced film connoisseurs, try your hand at the advanced ballot by clicking here. (To help out, I’ve highlighted the predicted winners according to the film critics at Entertainment Weekly.) Instructions are included on each ballot.
We all know, even the Oscar enthusiasts, that the Oscar show can get boring at times. (Who has actually seen any of the Live Action Short films nominated?!?!) So, in addition to the ballots, have your friends participate in a game of Oscar Bingo while watching the show. If you’re feeling ambitious, create your own! Or simply download pre-made cards on the Internet like I did. To download some pre-made printable bingo cards, click here for the first set of 10 cards and here for the second set of 10 cards.If you and your friends are filling out ballots and playing bingo, you’ve got to make sure you have prizes for the winners! For the winner of the highest-scoring ballot, try finding an old trophy that can be repurposed. Have a boxcar derby trophy from 1994 collecting dust? Dust it off and use that! (Then year after year, the trophy can travel from winner to winner for a nice tradition.)
For the winners of bingo, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get fun, movie-themed gifts. (And since you’ll possibly be playing bingo throughout the 3 hour + show, there is a chance for multiple winners.) Get an assortment of movie candy, popcorn, or DVDs to hand out to the winners. (Usually, every DVD seller has bin for DVDs that are under $5.)
And finally, last but not least, make sure to have snacks throughout the show. Not that your movie-themed dinner wasn’t enough, but your friends might need something to snack on throughout the show. I’m going to have fresh popped popcorn, soda and plenty of movie candy (Mike and Ikes, Twizzlers, Raisinettes, and other classic movie treats).
Enjoy the show,
Mitch
Setting the Table: Oscar Night Party Part 1 of 2.
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As part of the continuation of our popular Setting the Table series, we asked our friend Mitch to provide his ideal Oscar party. He is sharing how to host your own Oscar party with food ideas and games. The Oscar’s are this Sunday – don’t forget!
I met Mitch in 2007 when we worked at a local Kansas City advertising agency. He’s a great guy, fabulous friend and a movie buff.
We hope you enjoy Mitch’s post as he is becoming one of our feature contributors! We are so excited.
Enjoy,
Ellen
Hosting your own Oscar night party.
The glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s biggest night may be miles and miles away from Middle America, but that shouldn’t mean your Oscar party lacks any of the fun and excitement. Here are just a few ideas to keep your party entertaining for everyone – whether you’re watching to see if George Clooney will win an Oscar or you’re just watching to see George Clooney.
Of course, at my house, the basis for any party is food – and my Oscar party is no different. For my Oscar party, I’m providing foods that are themed to the year’s Oscar-nominated movies. This year’s nominees provide a wide-range of culture to incorporate into your menu – from the “Deep South” cooking of The Help to the French delicacies of Hugo or The Artist. For movie themed menu options, a quick Google search can provide many options, including this site that focuses on menus themed for the Best Picture nominees.
My Oscar night menu will include:
MAIN COURSE: HOT DOGS
My favorite part of any baseball game is the stadium food – especially the hot dogs. So, in honor of this year’s 6-time nominated Moneyball, I’m preparing a hot dog bar with all the toppings. The good thing about hot dogs is you can top them with just about anything to fit a variety of tastes. In addition to the standard ketchup, mustard and relish, serve up a variety of cheeses (anything from sharp cheddar, blue cheese or, for fancier tastes, brie), bacon, onions, chili and peppers.
SIDE DISH: POMME PAILLES
With Hugo and The Artist pulling in a combined 21 nominations (the two most nominated movies of the year), your party has to have that same French influence. And no, French cuisine is not all smelly cheese, frog legs and snails! I’m serving up pomme pailles – or in English, shoe-string potatoes. Essentially a French fry, this side dish will go perfectly with the hot dogs. A recipe can be found here.
DESSERT: CHOCOLATE PIE
It wouldn’t be hard to include an entire menu of Southern foods in honor of this year’s The Help. But, in order to spread the wealth among the nominees, I’m making a chocolate pie for dessert. And for those who have seen The Help, you know about the “scene with the chocolate pie!”. A recipe can be found here.
DRINK: MAI TAI
Not since 1953’s From Here to Eternity has a Hawaiian-set movie been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. Unless you are brave enough to build a fire pit and roast a pig, the easiest way to bring some of The Descendants Hawaiian theme into your Oscar party is by offering a Mai Tai to your menu. (And for your underage friends, the alcohol can easily be left out.)
Now that the menu has been set, tune in tomorrow for some games to keep you and friends entertained throughout the show.
Enjoy the show,
Mitch
White Table Style 