The Mads are Back!

Continuing with more MST3K!

Inspired from the invention exchange from the episode The Day the Earth Froze (Episode 422), I made my own Unhappy Meal container! Watch the above video from about the 57 second mark to see what the deal is.

For those who don't want to watch the video or maybe you are reading this years into the future and the video is now defunct and everything has been replaced by holographic interpretative dancing robots or something:  

Dr. Forrester has taken all of TV's Frank's 401K retirement fund and sunk it into these fast food novelty items.  The Unhappy Meal is a sad little receptacle containing a really awful 'toy', such as floor sweeping compound, silver fish, or rusty suture needles. 

 I thought it would be neat to make my own Unhappy Meal that was a little more substantial (not made from cardboard) and have it serve as a reusable lunch box. I see it fulfilling it's unhappiness in the future by containing low cal salads, cardboard flavored granola bars, and vitamin water.  I started by using a real cardboard Happy Meal box as a template and traced it onto stiff felt pieces.  I then sewed all of the seams on my sewing machine.  The felt appliques on the outer parts I handmade and then hot glued them on. I had a difficult time making the letters and wished they had turned out looking a bit more 'unhappy'.

One of the last items that Dr. Forrester mentions that one may find in their Unhappy Meal is a used Q-Tip. 

 That is unhappy isn't it?

 I decided to make a few packages of "Used Q-Tips" to include with my Unhappy Meal box. These are even more unsettling because they are edible!  They are mini marshmallows dipped in melted butterscotch chips attached onto lollipop sticks.

Where am I really going with all of this?

The Mads Are Back!

Frank Conniff and Trace Beaulieu are getting back together for several live riffing shows around the country and happened to come to a town near me!  I handed out the used Q-Tips to friends (and The Mads) at the show.

I got both of their autographs on small pieces of fabric (the dang marker bled though!) to put on my Unhappy Meal Box!

"To Mary...Crow T. Robot....Trace" and a Crow doodle.

"Thanks Mary!.... Frank Conniff....("TV's Frank").... I want my money back!"

I asked him to write that money line since he (and Joel and the bots) said it so much during the episode.

I then sealed the fabric with mod podge and hot glued it down for posterity.

For their show it started with an interview with the Mads, then followed with their live riffing of a short and a movie.  The short they did was a 1952 Coronet Instructional Film called "More Dates for Kay"....you can imagine what most of those cracks were geared toward.  The movie was Universal Film's 1957 "The Monolith Monsters".  The movie actually has a story line along with bizarre 'monsters' (large towering rocks) so it made for exceptional riffing.

It was a grand time and I tried my best to contain my raging fangirl fever I have only for MST3K.

Push the button!
... for past posts on more of my MST3K shenanigans:

Brain Guy Jello Mold
Robot Roll Call!
Operation: TV's Frank Home Version

When I Held Your Brain In My Arms

"I used to love you a lotta...

Your medulla oblongota..."

I bought a plastic brain mold almost 20 years ago with the plan of using it to make several ceramic brain props for Hubs, his best friend and myself to go as the MST3K Observers for Halloween.  I never got around to making the fake brains but did make a blue jello brain in lieu recently.

"Now I am sorry that I dropped you

That I accidentally plopped you...

When I held your brain in my arms"

I made this edible, ploppable brain with blue jello but to make it opaque I used blue poweraid as the 'cold water' part of the instructions on the box.  I also added powdered sugar free lemonaid mix (those individual pouches that you can add to a bottle of water) to the mix before putting it in the fridge.  I think the lemonade flavor was a really good addition to what ever the blue jello flavor is supposed to be.  I have never been clear on the source or the true flavor of a blue razzberry.

If you happen to have a brain mold laying around for 20 years like I did and also happen to make a Observer blue jello brain in a bowl as well, may I suggest the appropriate dining music?

(From MST3K Episode 807: Terror From The Year 5000)

Beats Going Out!

 image source

I think it's really fun to find products that have been around awhile and are still available.  

Hubs and I have been watching a bunch of old black and white commercials lately and one came on for Chef Boyardee Pizza kit in a box.  He was all beside himself with nostalgia for it and on a recent trip to the grocery store...yes, it's still around!

 The above ad is from 1960 and shows a more realistic expectation of what you are going to get.  Beats going out?

  The newer advertisements on the box fronts are a pack of lies, showing a gooey cheesy pizza. That's just their suggestion to 'make it your own' by adding real cheese and toppings. You aren't going to get that with the powdered Parmesan cheese included in the kit.  But the sauce does have built in little pepperonis.

I decided to make the box more awesome by pasting an image of a vintage pizza kit graphic over the front.  Serving suggestion now really looks true to life!

 We first made the pizza 'not making it our own' for these photos.  We then added more cheese and some toppings before actual consumption.  

Verdict: It was really good, and did beat going out since Hubs and I decided to make it "Stay in our jammies and watch MST3K all day Day" when we made this.

Here is the much cuter box front if you decide to cover the modern ugly lies one for yourself!

image source

As-You-Like-It-Cake with Three-Way Frosting

{Good Housekeeping Magazine Oct. 1949}

Easy! Economical!

Even more so since I used the left over batter from the Cake Casserole to bake this!

PB and I staged this photo to look like the original image!  I tried to get him to let me paint his fingernails red but it was a no go.

Once again I did not follow the recipe much.  I didn't even bake the cake part from scratch.  It was the 'extra' from another previous recipe. I also didn't make homemade frosting as it directs.... But I did get to use up the last of the tubs of chocolate and cream cheese icing I had leftover in my fridge!  The recipe calls for an orange flavored icing section but I thought it looked yellow in the photo which translated in my mind as lemon.  As in prefab lemon frosting in the tub! I added a little bit of yellow food coloring to it to boost it's color saturation. As I always say, the recipe is a mere serving suggestion. I see this cake as one would see a casserole or stew to use up leftovers.  Little bits of this and that.  Even the nuts on the cake in the middle section were the last crumbles left in the bag!

Here is the true recipe if you don't have leftover cake and icing hanging around like I did!

Click to enlarge

Recipe image found here

Cake Casserole

"Happy new way to bake your favorite Betty Crocker Cake Mixes!"

A Cake Casserole recipe from 1959?!  You better believe I'll try that! 

This recipe is kinda fun because it makes use of a couple of convenience foods (cake mix and canned fruit) but has the twist of home made-ish with the addition of a stove top sauce.

I didn't completely go by the recipe. I just have to mix it up a bit somehow.  Generally that means I'll be substituting key ingredients with what ever I happen to have on hand.  This then results in my changing the entire intention of the dish. Oh well, I see it as a possible improvement!  I used a can of tropical fruit instead of fruit cocktail.  That is why you see chunks of stuff that looks like sweet potatoes, it's really papaya, pineapple, and passion fruit.  I also used coconut milk in place of the water and threw some shredded coconut in the cake batter.  And I used a french vanilla cake mix instead of a yellow cake mix...  And I added a few dashes of cinnamon to the fruit sauce... The recipe is really just a serving suggestion in my mind.

"Serve your creation hot and heavenly, right from the oven, in your prettiest casserole.  

Someone's going to love you for this!"

It turned out tasting pretty good even if it looks more like a vegetable stew casserole pot pie kinda thing.  My version would be perfect to serve as an April Fool's meal as 'dinner'.   See if the fam loves you for that!

Notice that the recipe only uses 1 cup of cake batter.  Stay tuned to see what I did with the rest of it! 

****************

Recipe:

Place drained 16-oz. can of fruit salad in 1 1/2-quart casserole. Make sauce: combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tbsp. cornstarch. Slowly add juice from fruit plus water to make 1 cup and boil 1 minute, stirring. Add 2 tbsp. butter and 1 tsp. nutmeg. Pour sauce over fruit. Top with one cup prepared yellow cake mix batter. Bake 50 to 60 minutes at 350˚.
Bake rest of batter in 9" square pan 30 to 35 minutes.

*********************

Recipe found here

Pointie Cutie Kittie

Meet Pointie Cutie Kittie! and he is a widdle adorawable dowling!

Hubs asked me if I could make something as a gift for a work friend of his that is expecting a baby boy in the very near future.

I happened to come across the free pattern for pointy kitty while looking for ideas.

side view.

Yes I did. Cat butt.  Not a feature on the original pattern.

The main fabric was left over from an apron I made waaay back.

The original pattern for Pointy Kitty had a less expressionistic mug.  I love how his face came out and all the whiskery bits I added.
To date this is the most involved stuffed critter I have made.  It came together fairly well with the only problems being ones I brought on myself.  I wound up pushing through/splitting the seams on two legs and had to unstuff him and then restitch the legs.  This meant the newly stitched leg was now shorter than it's partner...which meant I had to unstuff everything and redo all the ends of the legs so he wouldn't be wobbly.  He actually is still a bit off but we can blame his imbalance on his melon sized head.  His adorawable melon sized head.

Here are a few posts on crafted baby paraphernalia or stuffed critters that I have made in the past.  Lots of socks were involved:

Cockroach embellished baby sleeper
Super Baby Bib
Scrap Crafty Baby Monster Plush
Sock Stuffies
Sock Skellie
Baby Sock Bunny
Narwhal Friend

Ole'!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

For years I dreamed of going to Mexico.  In my mind all the streets looked like the above image.  Mariachi bands on every corner dressed in full splendor.  Beautiful towering cacti among the ancient ruins.  Lovely quaint open air markets of handmade taxidermy frogs playing poker.

I then realized I was really thinking about the Mexican Pavilion at Epot!  I have a feeling true Mexico is nothing like what I imagine, not unless it was 1963.

 We do love collecting vintage Mexican souvenirs, records, and lots of cacti to landscape the 'ancient ruins' of the inside of our home.  We also LOVE Mexican food.  I pulled all of this together and we had a little fiesta for Cinco De Mayo.

 I used some of the records as place savers.  We didn't eat on them but I can see having copies made of the covers and then getting them laminated...then we could use them as place mats.  For dinner I made a Mexican layer dip with tortilla chips.

Here is a funny story about my layer dip.  It's nothing too special ...refried beans, taco seasoned ground turkey or vegetable crumbles if you got them, melty white cheese, black olives, tomatoes, sour cream and green onions. 

The key ingredient is I like to use refried black beans.  I had a friend several years ago that was an excellent cook and really liked making Mexican food.  He was also a vegetarian (ate dairy).  I told him I had a really good dip that I made and it was vegetarian at that! 

  So I made the dip and it was yummy as usual.  My friend then looked at the ingredients on the can of the refried beans.  He says, "Well no wonder it tastes so good Mary!!! There is LARD in it!"   I love that story.

For dessert, I invented a Cinnamon Cream Cheese Empanada recipe.  The crust is Jiffy pie crust mix which I cut into rounds.  I then spooned a dollop of cream cheese that I had mixed powdered sugar and cinnamon in. How much powdered sugar and cinnamon? I don't know, just to taste.  Then folded over the top, pressed the edges and jabbed the tops with fork tines.  I baked them at 350 degrees until the crust was done.  How long is that?  I don't know, just don't burn them. I then drizzled them with cream cheese frosting (prefab from the tub) that I microwaved a few seconds.  Afterwards, sprinkle with cinnamon and colorful sprinkles.  They turned out muy delicioso!

 For our beverages I made Faux-garitas.  I made that word that up.  It's just chilled limeade that I put inside a cool tequila bottle we had saved.  I garnished the glass rim with red sugar and a lime wedge.

And the fun part about these bebidas is everyone gets a worm in the bottom of their glass!  

A gummy worm that is!


For a past fiesta I did for Teacher Appreciation see here

Han Solo In Jellonite

 The boys in the family are major Star Wars fans.  I like some stuff like Hoth, the Millennium Falcon, and ATATs but really I am only there for Han Solo.  For Star Wars Day, May the Fourth (be with you), I made us a Han Solo in Jellonite dessert.

 The original jello was clear but a berry flavor.  I added silver sugar sprinkles to the mix while it was still hot and to my surprise specs of metallic bits remained.  I also added a dab of black dye trying to make it more grey. I could have added more dabs.  The color kinda turned out looking like he is taking a bubble bath.  I molded it in a loaf pan but even more fun would be to have several Hans and make the jellonite in mini individual loaf pans. A Han Solo for everyone!

I have a fondness for Star Wars because it reminds me of PB when he was younger.  For many of the early years of elementary school he was a Star Wars nut.  He had enough Star Wars shirts to go over a week without washing.  My husband has an immense nostalgia for Star Wars.  He was a kid when it was all happening.  You can imagine how much fun it was for my husband to collect Star Wars and play with them again with PB.  So I have to celebrate the day in some way.  I now have nostalgia for it too.

For more Star Wars, these are the posts you are looking for:

Wampa Donuts
Wookie Cookies
Death Star Cookie

It has been decided in your favor...

Hubs and I just celebrated out 2nd wedding anny......in The Twilight Zone.

I really love doing stuff in themes.  Last year for our first wedding anny I themed our little party Las Vegas and circus-esque since we got married in Vegas and stayed at Circus Circus. (see here!)

This year I was a bit all over the place with it.  There were actually three themes: Alfred Hitchcock, Twilight Zone, and another that I will reveal later because it hasn't happened just yet.

The Twilight Zone theme was something I came up with to use as a little wedding anny photo idea.  One of our favorite episodes of the Twilight Zone is Nick of Time.  It is about a newlywed couple that stop in a small town and become trapped there because of the husband's superstitions with a fortune telling napkin dispenser, the Mystic Seer, in a local diner. Newlyweds, superstition, and a creepy fortune telling machine....Perfect! 

A still from the episode.  Forgot to mention, William Shatner plays the husband!

For the first photo we incorporated a coke bottle with our last name on it.
I thought it would make a cute prop for the diner photos.  I smeared out the name for this photo but you know those personalized bottles that coke was doing for a promotion.  Just insert a last name on it,  Addams will do.

We already had a replica of the Mystic Seer fortune teller.  

" Will we make it another year without throwing live chickens at one another?"

Whew!  Thank goodness, I ain't got ten dollars to pay the fine! 

As a side note, apparently the "Mystic Seer" was a real thing!