Inside Spragg's Shorts Opens

Today was one of those days that you think had more than 24 hours squeezed in.

Since I knew we had an early tech today, I made cookies (sans chocolate chips) last night to maybe give everyone an extra boost of energy. - I used Hot Cocoa Kisses and they didn't last long! :)

The one-act I'm in takes place on Thanksgiving (It's titled "Wombsgiving" and I play Rena, the sister-in-law that finds out her lesbian sister-in-law is expecting while she can't seem to get preggers herself) , thus the need to have a non-summer costume. This of course doesn't balance well w/ the theater warmed by summer temps. Ugh. But ya gotta do what ya gotta do, right? And hope you don't look too sweaty and gross doing it! ;)

We had a quick break and then it was time to set up for the actual show. A friend from NE happened to be in town for a visit and got to see me (the first show she's seen me in in NYC) and my friend from Boston was there, too.

Afterwards, my NE friend and I grabbed lunch at Cowgirl. Yum! And while we ate it began to just pour w/ the added bonus of crackling thunder and lightening. We attempted to take our time at the restaurant and wait for the rain to calm down but once it was clear we were done eating we were asked to leave so other patrons could sit - so we did. We scurried to a bodega to get my friend an umbrella and then hid out in a Starbucks until someone else my friend knew in NYC picked her up.

I continued to hang out @ Starbucks (totaled up, I was there for a few hours) and my friend from Boston joined me again. By then the weather had calmed down somewhat so we headed to Flannery's (located by a place called the Donut Pub) and had a Guinness. Although I'm told that Guinness is ALWAYS supposed to be served this way, this was the first time I saw my Guinness w/ a shamrock drawn in the foam. Very cool! My friend knew the bartender and when he found out I was an actress he said that the first drink was free, adding - "You gotta help the starving actor!" Niiice! :)

Opening Day/Tech for Spring Shorts

The first show of the Spring Shorts run is being performed today, but first...tech!

Since we had to get up kind of early for tech I decided to make peppermint patty brownies to hopefully feed and perk up actors, crew, etc and give them minty breath!:) They seemed to go over well - thankfully - I was a bit worried that the "non-patty" part was a little tough but people went back for seconds so no worries! ;)

After tech we had around an hour break to find some food and get back for the afternoon show. Of course Mother Nature had chosen that block of time to down pour outside. Sigh.

The one-act I am in is the last one in the show so there is a bit of time to kill. I decided to read the other actor's bios in the program and discovered that an actor in another one-act had gone on tour w/ The Christmas Carol thru the Omaha Playhouse! Small World! So I asked him about it and he actually knew people I did and had an appreciation for the kind of productions they put on (because as a general rule an Omaha Playhouse production doesn't mean squat to those in NYC). And he is originally from the NYC area too, so for him to have an appreciation for even Omaha in general was kind of unexpected and nice and he's touring again this year too!

My roommate came to the show so she could actually see me on stage acting and when the person selling tickets asked her how she heard about the show she said - My roommate is in it...and those are her brownies! lol

And as the show run begins I found out that I have been cast in another show w/ Phare Play! Rehearsals start the day after this show closes. It is called Office Hours and I play 2 characters - Pam Gerard (Bitchy News Producer) and Sharon Freeman (Sexually Frustrated Therapist). Should be fun! ;)

Super Sunday!

In my infinite wisdom (har) I bought tickets a while back on a date I knew I would have free to see August:Osage County. Of course, it never occurred to me that same date was SUPER BOWL SUNDAY! And of course, the NY Giants would be matched up with the New England Patriots for the big game, too. Doh!

Thankfully, I was going to the matinee - so hopefully, by the time I got to Brooklyn (the location of the Super Bowl party I was going to) from Midtown I wouldn't miss out on much...except maybe some commercials. ;)

August: Osage County has some powerful performances (The Mother and oldest sister, Barbara, specifically) and although the story line does provide for many jaws to drop, some of it is not new territory - for instance...a 40+ year old man making inappropriate advances on a teenage girl. It's odd to say but that story line is becoming a cliche. The "inappropriate old guy" was played by an actor I recognized from the movie "Murphy's Romance". Another actor in the show is best known to tv viewers as Meredith's Dad on Grey's Anatomy. It was nice to see him play a character that was a little more likeable - but not a lot. And for the Seinfeld fans out there, an actress in the show noted in her bio, her appearance in the "The Cigar Store Indian" episode.

The transitions from scene to scene were fascinating and mostly flawless as light would briefly be dimmed and when brought up again all the characters were in place - at least where I was sitting I didn't notice movement during the transition and the lights weren't that dark either.

Since I knew it was a 3 hr show I brought a Twix along to tide me over but alas the treat I'd baked for the party (pork & beans cake - actually a lot better than it sounds!) had successfully melted it. Unfortunately, that meant by the end of the show I was nursing a headache.

Stopped @ the Duane Reade next door to the ESPN Zone to get some water and a snack to hopefully cure myself before I arrived at the party and a line was still waiting to get into "The Zone" with people lamenting that the game had already started. Must hurry!

Finally got to Brooklyn and enjoyed the best plays of the game - I have to say...I'm not a diehard fan of the Giants but the fact that they were representing NY and had the potential to take down the Patriots - I was all for it! :) And for the first time in a while the game was better than the commercials!

And the GIANTS WON!!!!!!!

When I got back to Astoria, I came down the subway stairs and encountered a couple guys in Giants wear lamenting that there was no one out celebrating. Where's the love? I offered a "Go Giants!" as I passed and one guy jogged to catch up with me and gave me a high five w/ his friend adding - "Thanks, Sweetheart."

Watch out for the Pepsi Monster!!!!

Went to Grand Central over my lunch today to see if there were any recognizable celebs participating in the Saints & Spinners Benefit to help Dr. Mehmet Oz’s foundation, HealthCorps.

Before I could enter I saw people wandering in outfits that had the Pepsi Logo on it handing out stuff. I asked what was going on and they said that the "Pepsi Monster" (see yellowed off area in pic) had been there and left prizes. On this day they were handing out little flashlights and codes for free MP3s.

Once I got inside, I didn't see any celebs (although supposedly Miss Universe and Miss Teen USA were around somewhere) but I did see the guys trying to spin towards breaking a Guinness World Record. I also saw more free stuff! Jet Blue gave away blue potato chips and Snapple has a new anti-oxidant drink that they had samples of. They also had a spin-n-win wheel. I won a free bottle of the new beverage!

My lunch ended at Barnes & Noble - much like Starbucks, it is dangerously close to my work. I recently became a B&N Member because even though you have to pay for it, for as much as I probably spend there I will probably earn it back and then some! Anyway, I got a bonus coupon and decided to use it on a Knitting & Crocheting book for Dummies WITH ILLUSTRATIONS - couldn't remotely figure it out without them! So when I can't have a laptop to work on - I can work on something funky fresh & cool made of yarn! ;) At least that's the plan in theory...

I also have another recipe to share. Had intended to make something different when I picked up Imperial Margarine and found a recipe on the box that I decided I'd rather make instead! ;)

S'more Cookie Bars - can be found on HomeBasics.com. Just do a search for Butterscotch Chips! :)

Christmas, Christmas Time is here...

I started my first Xmas day away from home with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. Technically I was in the same room with them - but they were on the screen. ;) I saw "The Bucket List". A bit more serious than the trailers would have you believe and some of the special effects seemed a little shoddy for a film directed by Rob Reiner and starring the two gentleman mentioned prior. It is a nice movie but you can wait til video. It always amazes me how great Freeman can be no matter what the quality of film and Jack just seems to be a in a rut, playing they same kind of character over and over.

My roomies had the day off too so we made dinner (I used the same recipe for taters as I had for T-day and then made quick & easy chicken & dumplings) and watched "White Christmas". I had never seen that movie before. We kept commenting on Vera-Ellen's waistline. A quick google by my roommate sadly brought up that she battled an eating disorder and her high neckline costumes were made to cover her neck which had suffered from the disorder.

After the movie, I took advantage of the mild weather (high was 49!) and walked. A couple days ago it was in the 60s, but unfortunately it was accompanied with blowing rain. :(

And that was the gist of my Xmas in Queens!

Since the holiday season seemed to inspire the baker in me once again - here are some recipes that I used with great reviews...fairly easy, if you are looking for something new... :)

Cinnamon Swirl Loaf - and yes, I used Watkins ingredients. My mom is a rep! :)

Quick Chicken & Dumplings - couldn't find the soup they suggest so used Chix & Veg soup instead - it was gobbled up by the roomies!

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Expresso Thumbprint Cookies

Crunchy Peanut Clusters - sans holiday sprinkles

Peanutty Squares - I used honey

T-day

This T-day was the first one I spent away from my fam. Thankfully I had some friends who also stayed in the city so we had our own T-day dinner. Because I was used to having certain sides available for T-day I volunteered to make most of them - just to make sure we had them! :)

Here's what was on the list (the links will take you to the recipes) -

Cornbread Casserole, Low Fat Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Pretzel Salad, Greenbean Casserole, Marshmallow Topped Sweet Potatoes and Chex Mix.

Our dinner was @ 4pm so I started carting things over at 3:30ish (thankfully my friend who was hosting the event was only a block away). The only snag was that the turkey ended up have a couple hours to go before it was ready! Oops.

But when all was said and done it was a very tasty T-day dinner - complete with squishy buns! :)

Once our bellies were full we attempted to burn those calories by playing various games on my friend's Wii. Then, after packing up various leftovers I headed to the restaurant my roommate was working a double at - NYC is a lot more busslin' on T-day than I expected, Macy's Parade aside I was surprised how many businesses were open.

The Fourth @ LIC

The night before the 4th some friends and I were invited to Brooklyn to enjoy an actual backyard BBQ with other Nebraska transplants. It was great! A bit of home away from home. And the weather was just right.

Dug out some cooking supplies to make goodies for the BBQ and my roommates. Both recipes went over well -

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake (Served Warm or Cold - Can top with ice cream/whipped cream)
1 package chocolate cake mix
1-1/2 C. mini marshmallows
1-1/2 C. brown sugar
3-4 T. cocoa
2 C. boiling water

Mix cake mix according to directions on box. Grease 9x13in. or 11x15in. pan. Pour marshmallows over bottom of pan and set aside. In a small bowl mix together brown sugar and cocoa. Set aside. Pour cake batter over marshmallows. Sprinkle brown sugar/cocoa mixture over all. Pour boiling water over all. Bake according to directions on cake box.

Cheerio Treats
3T. butter/margarine
1 (10 1/2 oz) pkg mini marshmallows
1/2 C. peanut butter
5 C. Cheerios
5 C. M&Ms

Place butter and marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered on high for 2 mins. or until marshmallows are puffed. Stir in the peanut butter until blended. Add the cereal and M&Ms. Mix well. Spoon into a greased 13x9x2 pan. Press down gently. Cool slightly before cutting. Yields 15 servings.

July 4th's weather was not typical July 4th weather - it was cold and rainy. There were some doubts about whether the fireworks would happen if it would REALLY down pour.

Some friends and I headed to Long Island City to watch the fireworks near the pier. Before we headed over to the pier area, we grabbed a bite to eat at McReilly's. NFT called it "A local pub with the best burgers in LIC." And they were pretty good! Served with steak fries by waitresses who actually had an Irish brogue (ironically not often found in Irish pubs). Plus fresh, warm raisin (soda?) bread was served with the meal too. A good place to stop in for a drink and eats if you ever find yourself in Long Island City... ;)

Then we weaved our way towards the pier and were stopped for a bag check - yes, bag checks even happen for firework watching I guess...

It was a sea of umbrellas and there was concern about where best to stand to not only avoid trees and whatnot but also obstructed views from umbrellas. Thankfully the rain let up just in time for the 3 Macy's barges to start shooting off their numerous fireworks.

Wow! Besides the typical array of colorfully exploding fireworks, they also had some explode into smiley faces and hearts. (Maybe that's something that is common, but it was new to me...) At times the sound of their sparkling and crackling sounded like beach waves.

Then once the fireworks were done - the rain decided to resume. Cops were posted at every subway stop we passed headed to ours - the cops at the one we waited at were talking about the series finale of The Sopranos! ;)

Happy 4th of July!

See More Pics via my friend's blog.

Domesticated

So somehow I've gotten in the habit of making treats for people when in a theatre production. It first really started when I was involved with directing some shows around Christmas and a friend of mine had a cookie exchange. I found so many recipes of interest that although I only made one kind for the cookie exchange (Cinnamon, Spice and Everything Nice Cookies - they don't look pretty but they taste good!) I decided to use the others to share with my cast and find out if they tasted as good as they sounded. They did!

Two recipes that disappeared the quickest Spicy Pumpkin Cookies - Sans Raisins
and a variation of this Cake Mix Cookie recipe - I used Chocolate Cake Mix! :) They tasted like brownie bites.

Then when my directing duties started to taper off I began working backstage for a month as a dresser for the traveling production of "The Lion King". Every Sunday we'd have a potluck since we didn't have a lot of time in between shows. Once again, it was a chance to try something new!

Smoky Corn Muffins (didn't use liquid smoke)

This time around my baking flurry was influenced by the fact that my character (Essie) in "You Can't Take It With You" makes candy, but still - I'm finding that as long as the recipe is fairly simple - I enjoy baking...as long as I can share it with a group. That's the key...not all that enthused about making something that will go to waste cause I only eat a piece of it...I had that happen to a picante peach cobbler. I ate 2 pieces and the rest went in the trash - sadness.

Rarely do I make a dish twice as I am always curious about new ones - so I'm constantly in finger cross mode and hope, hope, hope that whoever is eating it - likes it.

Needless to say here is a list of some of the recipes (the links are all from allrecipes.com) that I tried and those that ate it seemed to like it! (No deaths or stomach trauma were reported either! ;))

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

Cherry Mash Candy

Pistachio Fruit Salad (Some of the cast was diabetic, so this worked well for the potluck!)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

Hot Jezebel - Took this to the cast party and previously to a Bridal Shower, knew it was good when a former co-worker brought it to work several times and it always disappeared quickly!

I also discovered a Truffle recipe in a cookbook that used the same instructions as an easy fudge recipe I found online. Go figure. I went the truffle route though, using chocolate sprinkles on some and cocoa on others. One of my co-stars thought they were donut holes though and had a bit of surprise when he bit in.

And when not in the baking mood, thanks to my mom (who's a rep), I've discovered Watkins has great dip mixes. So good and so easy to make! I highly recommend ordering some to try! ;)

So now it is your turn - share your fav recipes or maybe this will give you inspiration to try baking if you haven't already! ;) Good Luck!