Hey There, It's Christa!

Now That January's Almost a Wrap, Here's a Few Observations...

In a mere six days, the first month of 2012 is officially a wrap (!!!), so while I recover from shock (yeah, aside from the weather, it still feels like it should only be January 10th or so), here's a few random—and I do mean random— observations.

*There's a whopping 10 months (!!!) until the presidential election, and I'm already suffering from major political fatigue. For the record, Facebook isn't exactly helping my cause.

*It's seems a little weird that last year's leaves (yeah, we never quite got around to raking) and a few new flower blooms are already peacefully co-existing in our yard. But you won't hear this Northern girl complaining about the decidedly Spring-like temps. I'm a fan.

*Now let's talk entertainment. Was it just me or was Snow Patrol's new album was a major disappointment? I mean I'm all for switching things up, but Fallen Empires sounds like something from an entirely different band. Thankfully, the same can't be said for the latest from Kathleen Edwards. Amazing stuff.

*I also had higher hopes for "Alcatraz," namely that it might help fill the LOST void. But aside from Hurley being part of the action, I was pretty underwhelmed by it all. Funny enough, that's how I expected to feel about The Bachelor, but as it turns out, you still can't look the other way with a total trainwreck like Courtney on the loose. I guess that's why it's the guiltiest of all TV pleasures, right?

*Speaking of what's on TV, I think I actually preferred it when Ricky Gervais was a little meaner. One can only hope the upcoming Oscars will be a little more exciting than the Golden Globes were—especially in the fashion department. Almost everyone belonged on the "Worst Dressed" list in my estimation, save for Viola Davis, Elle Macpherson and Octavia Spencer.

*And from TV to sports, it's been nearly two weeks, and I'm still bummed about the Packers losing to the Giants. I can only imagine how bad the 49ers fans are feelin' this week. Sigh.

*Last, but certainly not least, I've noticed something not all that surprising about New Year's resolutions. When you're not eating out all the time and regularly baking Christmas cookies, it's actually possible to eat healthier (quelle surprise!). Now here's hoping all that chocolate available in February won't derail the good progress in January...

Now that all my ranting and raving is over, I'd love to hear from you—what's gotten the thumbs up or down from you this January?

Book Comment: "Then Again" by Diane Keaton

Truth be told, most celebrity biographies are the literary equivalent of a magazine cover that's been Photoshopped to death.

Instead of tastefully showcasing someone as he/she really is, all the imperfections are buffed and buffed until the subject is rendered virtually unrecognizable (read: barely human).

Thankfully, that's not the approach Diane Keaton chose for autobiography, Then Again. Rather than focusing solely on carefully selected moments of her life and storied career (although there's plenty about that, from Annie Hall to Something's Gotta Give), it's really more of an inside look on how she became the person she is today.

Naturally, her family plays a starring role, and we get to know them very well—especially her Mom, who Diane was close to in health and sickness. And since Diane's mom never had an expansive platform to share her thoughts and feelings with the world around her like her daughter has, Diane showcases her journals, musings and poems in her book, a nice way to honor the woman who not only gave her life, but was one of her biggest supporters through everything.

For those more interested in the never-married actress's love life, Then Again won't let you down in that department either. Without resorting to a Kardashian level of salaciousness,  she tastefully discusses everyone from Woody Allen to Warren Beatty and why gettin' hitched was ultimately never for her.

Last but not least, what's probably my favorite part of the book is when she talks about the two kids she adopted when she was in her (gasp!) 50s. Clearly the true loves of her life, the stories about Duke and Dexter are nothing short of priceless without getting too precious (cue: gag reflex)—the mark of a truly relatable writer.

Rating: *** 1/2 out of 4 stars

Experiencing a Little Bit of Paris in DFW...

You know it's been a good day when you come home and your hair still smells like melted butter.

Yes, I think even the Queen of Butter herself, Paula Deen, would've been a little jealous of me today because every single dish I cooked in my "Fast French" cooking class involved her all-time favorite ingredient.

One of the many, many things I loved about Paris was how liberally they used butter in their everyday cooking. From those flaky chocolate croissants I ate every morning to the sole meuniere that was so delectable that I almost forgot that I hated fish, it was pure and utter bliss.

Since I probably won't be making my way back to Paris again for a while, well, unless one of my clients begged me to travel there on assignment (wouldn't that be grand?), you can only imagine how excited I was when my sister signed me up for the next best thing for my birthday present—a French cooking class at Dallas's Sur La Table.

Yes, along with 14 other butter-lovin' Texans, I happily donned an apron and whipped up some truly scrumptious French bistro fare. For the first course, we made these delightful little phyllo cups filled with caramelized onions, thyme and gruyére cheese—something I could totally imagine serving at a fancy dinner party if I were the fancy dinner party givin' type.

Afer that, we went to work on the main course, chicken with tarragon cream sauce and capers. While the chicken itself was tender and delicious, I think I could've probably enjoyed that sauce with just about anything—spooned over pasta or veggies, even straight from the pan. All in all, it's probably a good thing the tasting portions were so petite. Otherwise, the ol' New Year's resolutions regarding good health and nutrition would've gone right out the window.

Yeah, it was that good...

Perhaps, hoping to balance the richness of the aforementioned chicken, we also made a salad. And while the salad greens themselves were practically calorie-free, I'm guessing the warm bacon viniagrette we made for drizzling was not. Ditto for the egg we poached for the top.

By the way, who knew that poaching an egg was so tricky? I always thought it was one of those basic kitchen skills that anyone could do with ease. But alas, mine wasn't nearly as cute as the one our instructor made. Thankfully, I don't really like eggs that aren't in omelet form anyway, so I didn't even give the finished product much of a chance. Maybe it tasted a whole lot better than it looked...one could only hope, anyway.

And French bistro fare wouldn't be complete without a light and airy crepe to end the meal, right? Naturally, I've always enjoyed eating crepes, but as far as making them goes, they always seemed like a far more tempermental pancake. But if one has the right equipment, which is apparently a small non-stick skillet called a Scanpan, it's a whole, whole lot easier.

For these particular crepes, we made an orange-infused sauce and garnished them with a small scoop of Blue Bell vanilla and orange segements on top, a killer combination for what was quite a meal to remember—butter-scented hair and all.

Incidentally, on my actual birthday, I got another enticing slice of Paris when Will took me to Toulouse for the most delicious brunch I've ever had in DFW. Not only does the restaurant have all the details of French decor mastered (it's a dead ringer for this charming little place called Lou Lou that we dined at in Paris), but the food was insanely delicious to boot.

After all, who wouldn't love a place with New Orleans-style beignets with cappuccino sauce? It was basically like having the most mouthwatering mini-donut and morning coffee in the same bite. If that wasn't enough to tickle our tastebuds, the spinach, onion and gruyére omelet with roasted potatoes and a side of bacon pretty much did the trick.

In fact, if it weren't for the lack of French-speaking waitstaff and fellow diners, I would've thought Will and I were back in grand ol' Paris because the food totally brought us back to that vacation of our dreams—without the nasty jetlag, of course—bonus!