Another week, another round of Spike likes Fridays! Take a look and see what the Spikesters are liking this week!
Spike: Check out the latest video from Spike and the Noisemakers and order some band tattoos!
Chris: While I don’t like natural disasters, I do like the fact that today’s technology can actually help those in need instead of just spewing out the same news coverage over and over again. For example, check out Google’s Crisis Response page complete with real time updates and a “Person Finder” to help locate those who were affected by the massive quake.
Charlie: Surrealist images created by Google Earth’s 3-D mapping technology.
Erin: This song & performance cheers up any Seattle grey day for me!
Rachel: Microsoft Outlook plug in helps edit passive aggressive emails- before you send them.
John: Looking forward to the NCAA Tournament starting up next week and Spike’s Bracket Challenge. Tim “AutoPick” Hodgson is the defending champion and will be out to prove that last year just wasn’t a fluke.
Willem: The Noun Project: A bold idea with a simple mission statement: “Sharing, celebrating and enhancing the world’s visual language.” Essentially, the Project aims to collect, organize and add to the universal library of symbols and images that make up our visual language.
Jamie: In celebration of their 40 years in business, Starbucks has a new commercial (below) and is giving away free Starbucks Petites. If you go to Starbucks between 2 and 5 p.m. on March 10-12, you get a free Starbucks Petites when you order any handcrafted beverage!
Andrew: The Husky’s pulling away with a win against the Cougs in the PAC10 Tourney. Gotta give my hometown pride to UW.
The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear. Or in Spike’s case- pecking. Here are our Spikesters favorite holiday things- to help get you in the spirit.
Lea: My husband is a news photographer and every year, since my son was born, makes some sort of ‘catching Santa’ video. It’s documentary, grainy style with low lighting, effects and sounds like reindeer, sleigh bells or Santa laughing. My son enjoys those movies as much as his presents because he thinks it’s ‘proof.’
Jason: Spike likes that all our military men and women can now show their true colors if they so choose. Spike is all for self-expression.
Erin: My favorite part of the holidays is the smell of the tree throughout the house. And for some reason, Christmas morning, coffee’s never tasted better.
Jamie: Cookie Monster writes Santa, in the 1978 Sesame Street Christmas Eve special.
Part 1:
Enjoy Part 1? Part 2 of this Sesame Street special is Here and Part 3 is Here. Enjoy!
Rachel: A delicious way to start your holiday morning: Overnight Blueberry French Toast is the perfect way to start a holiday morning, and is easy to make- since all you have to do is pop it on the grill in the morning!
Sun Liquor is one of the city’s favorite hangouts on Christmas for the young and hip — and also for those already sick of their visiting in-laws. It makes the best eggnog in Seattle. It’s less fluffy, with layers of flavors and a smooth finish. It goes down easy. Too easy. The secret to Sun Liquor’s addicting eggnog — made by barman Erik Chapman — is that it gets aged for a month in jars and stored in the back of the fridge.
Andrew: Looking forward to eating too much Christmas Dinner and cookies over the next week to justify an “I’m going to the gym every day” New Year’s Resolution.
John: No more going to the mall! Amazon.com and several other online sources has taken away all the stress and insanity of holiday shopping. Even a last minute order will be delivered tomorrow (Christmas Eve), just in-time to be placed under the tree.
Robert: The Coats family will be diligently tracking Santa’s route from the North Pole- all the way to our home.
Also, a holiday special so bad that it is hard to believe that it came out of the greatest movie franchises of all time. Extra eggnog to those who can watch all 1:56:53 of this galactic (and epically bad) holiday special all the way to the end.
Spike likes nothing more than celebrating the Holidays in style. This year’s bash was one for the books- another great year, with great people, all the pieces for a wonderful holiday party!
…And they heard Spike say as he flew out of sight,
Well, if not that Hodgson/Meyers house, at least the H/M home page.
S. Claus has made a guest appearance in the lobby of Hodgson/Meyers. His eyes, how they twinkle. His dimples, so merry. His cheeks are like roses, his nose like a cherry. His droll little mouth is drawn up like a bow. And the beard of his chin is as white as the snow.
In short, Santa appears just as one might imagine him to be—until the man opens his mouth. At which time deep rumblings are heard, a basso profundo performance of holiday carols that inspire not cheer but fear.
So disturbing is the man’s melody that babies can be seen and heard crying on the agency home page. In real life, the company’s security camera recorded the clean up crew approaching the diminutive performer with extreme caution, broom at the ready. An early morning eruption into holiday “song” caused a project manager to go into duck-and-cover mode, so frightened was she by the red-suited one’s warped warbling.
Despite his frightful renditions of seasonal songs, our Santa is quite harmless. The only question that remains is how does Tim Hodgson remain so motionless for hours while in the costume?
A heartwarming story, some delicious family recipes and a little holiday fun. Yes, it is that time of year already- time for Thanksgiving.
If you have not planned your Thursday meal yet, fear not! Our Spike Likes team has combined their family favorites into one place, just for you.
Jason Frummet:
A nicely ‘spiked’ holiday cocktail: Cranberry Gingerly – A spicy spin on the traditional Cosmo.
1/4 cup vodka (for more fruity flavor use Pomegranate Vodka, for more spice use Ginger Vodka)
2 tablespoons ginger beer
1 1/2 tablespoons thawed cranberry juice cocktail concentrate
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/8 ground ginger
Shake ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker, strain into a Martini glass and garnish with a slice of crystallized ginger.
Topping
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, but into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup coarsely chopped whole raw almonds (or walnuts)
1/4 cup 1/4-inch cubes crystallized ginger
Filling
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup 1/4-inch cubes crystallized ginger
4 pounds firm but ripe pears (6 – 7 large), peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Preparation for Topping:
Whisk first 5 ingredients in bowl, add butter. Working quickly so butter doesn’t soften, rub in with fingertips until moist clumps form. Stir in oats, almonds, and ginger. Chill while preparing filling.
Preparation for filling:
Preheat over to 350F. Whisk first 4 ingredients in a large bowl, add pears and ginger, toss.
Transfer to 13 x 9 x 2 inch oval baking dish or into individual ramekin dishes. Sprinkle topping over pear mixture.
Bake until topping is crisp and golden brown, and juices are bubbling, about 50 minutes. Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream.
Rachel Omiliak: For anyone who wants to check one thing off of their Thanksgiving cooking list early, this recipe can be made a day ahead- just so all the flavors can meld together.
Cranberry Raspberry Sauce
10 ounces raspberries
1 pound cranberries
1 cup water
1 ½ cups sugar
Grand Marnier (to taste)
Mix together cranberries, water and sugar in a large heavy pan. Cook to boiling, continue a gentle boil, stirring frequently. Once the cranberries pop open (about 10 minutes), stir in the raspberries and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool. Add Grand Marnier to taste. Chill in jars, serve and enjoy!
Tim Hodgson: I hated yams as a kid. But then I didn’t have yams prepared like this. I’m now dutifully making up for the years of not eating them. If you try this recipe, I think you’ll agree. They’re called “Christmas Yams” but we checked with the Holiday Authorities, and found out that it was indeed okay to make these for Thanksgiving.
Christmas Thanksgiving Yams
2 Cups Raw Cranberries
½ Cup Butter
1 Cup Brown Sugar
4 Apples (Cored and Sliced)
5-7 Fresh Cooked Yams (Sliced into 1 1/2 inch chunks)
Combine cranberries, butter, sugar and apples in medium saucepan. Cook until the pan is bubbly and the butter is melted.
Lay fresh cooked yams evenly across 13″ by 8″ pan. Pour fruit mixture over cooked yams.
Bake for ½ hour at 350 degrees.
Lea Loya: My mom passed away seven years ago during Thanksgiving week. It was her favorite holiday. This time of year, I think of her cooking. It was all deeply authentic and traditional Spanish/Filipino food that is only served on special, special occasions. So, I think of her lumpia and leche flan. Once in a while, I attempt to make them. But it never comes out as good as hers.
Willem Buys: A dee-licious side for your Thanksgiving dinner.
Mashed Carrots and Potatoes
Ingredients:
2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2-4 tablespoons butter
Pinch saffron, crumbled
Grated zest of one lemon
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk or crème fraîche.
Boil the vegetables separately in salted water until very tender, 5 to 7 minutes, then drain. In one of the pans you used for boiling, mash the carrots well with the butter, saffron and lemon zest, then add the potatoes and mash well. Thin with milk or crème fraîche and add salt to taste. Serves 6 to 8.
Robert Coats: Men and women are different, so is their taste in turkey. Below are the demographic search trends according to Clues.Yahoo.com for three ways of preparing the Thanksgiving feast.
Roasted Turkey
Deep Fried Turkey
Turducken
Gina Auffant: Straight from the mouths of Kindergartners, is the story of Thanksgiving. While their recount is not quite historically accurate, their efforts are quite adorable.
Sharan Ochsner: This Thanksgiving, just be thankful that you are not a cranberry.
Andrew Skirde: Thanksgiving Song – by Adam Sandler
In the words of Adam Sandler, “Gobble gobble goo and gobble gobble gickel, I wish turkey only cost a nickel. Oh I love turkey on Thanksgiving”
