Things I Like

As my daughter inconveniently decided to spike a fever at 11:00 this morning, my fully-planned-out day has been wiped from the slate.  Currently, she's lying in my bed watching TV and I will make lemonade by doing some blogging.

Now, I know you've  been sitting there with bated breath wondering:  What Does Janet Like?  And I'm sure many of you are wearing your WDJL bracelets and t-shirts, so here's your big moment.  Grab a pencil and some paper for careful note-taking.

Things I Like:

TV Shows:

1.  Battlestar Galactica.  And if you just snorted, you've never watched it.  And NO I'm not a big sci-fi geek (not that there's anything wrong with it), but I am captivated by this show.  It's a fascinating drama of people struggling with relationships and moral quandries that just happens to take place on a space ship.  As an added bonus,  this guys plays Apollo.  What more could a girl ask for?

2.  Gilmore Girls.  Granted, it's running its course and the relationship between Luke and Lorelei hasn't held up the way I'd hoped, but when Lauren Graham gets going, there is nobody like her on TV.

3. Project Runway.  By far the most entertaining hour of TV on each week. 

4. Amazing Race.  It's starting up again tonight!  I went through a big phase of watching reality shows when the genre started up, but this and Project Runway are the only ones still on my list. 

5.  24.  Yes, you have to scoop your brain out of your head before you watch, but its a thrill ride of a show.

Also worth mentioning: Scrubs and the American version of The Office.

And here's a book recommendation for you: 

Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy  This is a fantasy series that's been out for a few years now (the third book came out in 2000) but I didn't know anything about it until I read an article in the New Yorker about Philip Pullman.  I just finished reading the final book last week and I found the trilogy rich and absorbing.  In fact, it's lingered with me to the point of making everything else I've tried to read since pale in comparison.  Now, all of you go read them so I have somebody to discuss them with. 

Since I'm being random, how about a cooking technique?

Roasted Vegetables.  Take a vegetable that you like, cut it into quarters or whatever size pieces you like (see how agreeable I am?), toss with a little olive oil and salt, then put it on a baking pan at 425 degrees and roast until browned on the outside and soft on the inside.  This is great for: sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, onions, brussel sprouts (yes, really), asparagus, squash, and I even had roasted turnips the other night.  Turnips!  Who knew?

All right, everybody.  Go turn on your oven, pick up a good book, and switch on your TV.  You can thank me later.