Eggplant Parmesan with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Potato Wedges!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Or, in my case, happy St. Sick Day.

Yes, I'm sick again. Ugh. I'm miserable (I've had toast and orange juice today, and I'm almost out of orange juice) and tired. 

But there's a bright side! I can blog!

My dear friend Caroline (click her name to read her blog!) requested that I make a dish with eggplant. I was tempted to make baba ghanoush (which will definitely happen at some point anyway) but I decided on eggplant parm. In general I'm very nervous with eggplant (I tend to overcook it), but I tried!

I was tempted to make this with pasta as that seems to be the traditional route, but I wanted something a little healthier. I've been on an unhealthy binge lately and for a vegan blog, I'm lackin' some veggies.

So now I will deliver!

Caroline, I hope you like this! I was pleasantly surprised. 

I'm going to give measurements for this that'll serve two people (I made this for myself and my boyfriend) so feel free to adjust to your liking!

Let's go step by step and we'll start with the potato wedges. (Note: This can all be made at the same time. It's easier if you have a buddy to help you with prep work, but I managed to put all of this together in the oven at the same time. If you do that, move the middle tray up a little, put the potato wedges on the top tray, and the Brussels sprouts and eggplant parm on the bottom one. Then take out the potatoes and the Brussels sprouts and put the eggplant parm on the top rack so it can broil for a few minutes.)

ingredients:

• four potatoes (I used four Russets)
• extra virgin olive oil/EVOO
• your choice of spices (I used salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and a hint of cayenne pepper)

instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahreinheit.
2. Cut potatoes to your liking. I cut mine in half lengthwise, then cut again four more times to make some nice sized wedges.
3. Lightly dry wedges with paper towels and put into a large bowl.
4. Coat lightly with EVOO and mix in spices. Stir gently with a wooden spoon.
5. Cook for 17 minutes. Flip wedges with tongs. Cook for another 16-17 minutes.

Now for the Brussels sprouts!

ingredients:

• one bag of Brussels sprouts (or a handful of two, depending on your appetite)
• extra virgin olive oil/EVOO
• about two Tablespoons of lemon juice
• garlic powder, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste

instructions:

1. Cut the stems off the sprouts and peel off any yellow-ish leaves.
2. In a medium bowl, lightly coat the sprouts in EVOO. Add lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper and mix.
3. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees Fahreinheit for about 18 minutes.

And now, the most important piece of all!

The eggplant parmesan!

ingredients:

• six slices of eggplant, about 1/4" thick
• 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened soy milk
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 Tablespoon vegan sour cream (Tofutti makes a good one!)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 cup breadcrumbs* (see note)
• your favourite tomato sauce
• a sprinkling of vegan mozzarella ** (see note)

*Note: A lot of breadcrumbs aren't vegan, so be sure to check the label!

**Note: For my vegan cheese, I used a homemade firm mozzarella from the wonderful cookbook The Non-Dairy Formulary! I highly recommend this book. Some of the ingredients are a little pricey but they last forever and you only use a little bit at a time so!

instructions:

1. Preheat oven to (you guessed it!) 400 degrees Fahreinheit.
2. Cut your eggplant and sprinkle a light layer of salt on the slices. This will cause your eggplant to "sweat". The salt draws out moisture from the eggplant, making it overall easier to coat and batter. Let it "sweat" for 20-30 minutes. 
3. While the eggplant is sweating, mix the batter. Pour the soy milk into a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the flour and vegan sour cream.
4. In a shallow dish or on a plate, mix the breadcrumbs with the salt, oregano, parsley, and basil. 
5. Once the eggplant has finished sweating, rinse off the slices with water and pat dry.
6. Dip the eggplant into the liquid batter, then cover with breadcrumbs. Pat each side to ensure an even coat, flip, repeat. Do this with all slices.
7. Put on a pan with parchment paper and cook for 15-18 minutes, flipping halfway through.
8. Take out of the oven and cover with tomato sauce and vegan mozzarella. Put under the broiler for 1-3 minutes depending on your oven/how melted the cheese gets.

Look at that!

Look at that beauty.

Hopefully you all enjoyed that! If you have any questions or requests, feel free to comment or send me an email!

xo, Kate

Chocolate chip & bacon pancakes!

Once in a blue moon, I'll crave breakfast foods.

When I wake up, I don't want bacon or a tofu scramble or anything like that. Oh no, I want some damn pasta or a slice of pizza. I'm one of "those" people. And when I DO eat breakfast foods, it tends to be for dinner.

Anarchy ahoy, here.

But this week I've been craving pancakes and/or waffles. I have a really cheap, crappy waffle maker at the moment though so I didn't feel like doin' that whole song and dance.

So, take this.

I KNOW right!?

Remember the Elvis sandwich I made that had "bacon" in it? Yeah, this is going to use the same brand that I used for that.

Sigh, rest in peace mise en place bowls. I'll try to get some new ones this week, I promise guys! This looks so messy and makes my skin crawl, ugh.

ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Ener-G egg
• 1 1/4 cup vegan buttermilk* (see note)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 4 strips of Lightlife Smart "Bacon"

*Note: For vegan buttermilk, the rule is to use one Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and fill the rest of the cup with soy milk. So for this I used one Tablespoon and one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and then filled the rest of the 1 1/4 cup with soy milk. Let it sit for about five minutes, then stir.

instructions:

1. Cook bacon and cut it into bits. If you want, candy it with brown sugar.

2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.

3. Slowly add in the Ener-G egg, vegan buttermilk, olive oil, and vanilla extract. Let mixture sit for ten minutes.

4. Mix in bacon bits and chocolate chips.

5. Spray a pan with canola oil and put on medium heat.

6. Cook quickly, flipping until both sides are a light or medium brown.

7. Serve with Earth Balance and your favourite kind of syrup!

Please use a bigger pan than I did. Please. You'll regret this. I would've used a bigger one but stuff was in the dishwasher or drying and I just... I felt lazy.

I hate when people talk to me or linger near me when I cook. It totally throws me off. So you can probably tell that my roommate chose this moment to talk to me and ask me random questions ("Do we have toilet paper????"). So try to make yours a little lighter than this.

Dry ingredients!

Added in some wet ingredients!

Chocolate and bacon. Nom nom nom.

This batter cooks QUICKLY. I mean, surprisingly quickly. So do not leave this unattended. Be prepared to flip. I think a batch took me two or three minutes, oh god.

I took a break from taking photos to go say hello to my little darling.

Plate o' pancakes!

Look at that lil' short stack!

Look at these lil' babies.

I hope you enjoy these! They're different than any other kind of pancake I've ever had. If you have any requests, feel free to leave a comment or email me!

xo, Kate

Hamantaschen

Hello everyone!

First of all, I want to apologize for the lack of updates. I work a seasonal job in a tax preparation office and it's incredibly stressful and tiring, and this year is worse than last because now I work during the day. Which means I wake up at six thirty in the morning. And I am not a morning person.

I'm determined to get some stuff done this weekend though!

Before I go any further, I may or may not have also cut my hair this week.

And given myself bangs again.

I still don't know how I feel about them. Usually I love it when I have bangs but this time, I dunno. They feel messy to me? (To be fair I DID rush them, so we'll see.)

Now, onto food!

I wanna start this off by saying I'm not a "real" Jewish person? It's really hard to explain but I've found that the easiest way is by saying I'm like Woody Allen. But better. Because I'm awesome. My dad is Jewish but only by birth I think. I dunno. Either way, we appreciate Jewish food and humour and culture in my house. Not speaking for anyone else, but I'm a hardcore Atheist. I appreciate and acknowledge other points of view though and I like trying new things, so I like eating foods from every culture! As long as they contain no meat or dairy products, heh.

So today, in honour of those of you who may be celebrating Purim tonight, I share this new recipe I've made!

(I'd like to point out that I think it's annoying that eggs, milk, cheese, etc. aren't ALL considered dairy anymore? Meh, whatever.)

I'm a part of some vegan groups on Facebook and someone put up a recipe for hamantaschen the other day. I was exhausted from work but I just... I had a mighty NEED for these cookies. I call them "old people food" because I feel like no one under the age of 80 really LIKES them. But thankfully I'm a fan of "old people food". (Speaking of, I'm craving rice pudding. So uh, that may be coming up soon.)

ingredients:

• 2 Ener-G eggs (see previous entries in regards to this)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 Tablespoons orange juice (or, if you want a stronger orange flavour, consider using a teaspoon or two of orange extract)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4-1/2 cup water (add as necessary)
• your filling* (see note)

My mise en place pictures aren't going to be super pretty for a while - all of my favourite bowls keep mysteriously breaking (hmmm), so I'm running out of places to put my ingredients. Sigh. 

instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahreinheit. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the Ener-G eggs, canola oil, orange juice, and vanilla extract.
3. In a smaller bowl, mix the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing with a wooden spoon. 
5. Soon the dough will start to form. Go ahead and get your hands in to knead it around. If it's too dry, start adding in some of the water, a little bit at a time. You want this to be a tacky consistency. (Kind of like when you're using white glue and it starts sticking to your fingers?)
6. Flour your counter! Lightly coat the counter with flour and spread it around a big area.
7. Put the dough on the floured surface and roll it out with a rolling pin until it's about 1/4" thick, although a little thinner works too.
8. Use a cookie cutter or a glass to cut out circular shapes from the dough.
9. Place about a teaspoon of your filling in the center of the dough circle.
10. Fold that cookie! (See following photo tutorial.)
11. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet that has parchment paper on it.
12. Bake for about 20 minutes.

All of the whisked wet ingredients.

All of the mixed dry ingredients.

This is what the dough will start to look like. I added some water after this, though.

Roll it out!

I'm a cash-strapped college kid, so rather than go out and buy a cookie cutter, I was like "I'm not gonna follow your rules, USE A CUP."

And I mean, look at that lil' cutie.

Sometimes, though, those lil' cuties can get stuck to the counter. Even when you flour it. So I recommend having a baby spatula on hand. Look at my lil' baby! (Also kinda laughing a little cause um, Jewish dessert and it's a pig.)

*Note: I used this as my filling. Traditionally you fill hamantaschen with fruit fillings, specifically poppyseed or prune or apricot. I had none of those things in my house. So goooooo chocolate hazelnut butter! (After making them, though, I REALLY recommend the fruit filling. While these were tasty, they were a little dry. Usually nut butters are kind of high in oils which I thought would help this problem, but the chocolate one is apparently on the dry side. If you make these, let me know what kind of results you get!)

Onto the folding tutorial.

Step one: Put your filling in the middle.

Step two: Fold that.

Step three: Now, fold THAT. (See how helpful I am?)

Step four: Fold the bottom. 

Step five: Pinch the corners closed.

And that's the folding tutorial!

Now, with hamantaschen, you don't really need to worry about overcrowding the cookie sheet. The dough for these isn't mean to expand that much as you cook it, so you really could fill the cookie sheet more than this. However, I'm just so in the habit of being careful about that and this was my test batch so I just, I didn't care hahaha.

Some of them kind of, um, exploded. And by exploded, I mean I overfilled them and they expanded more than they normally would. Whoops. But hey, I never claim to be a pro, ha!

Like I said earlier, I really recommend a fruit filling. Or, if you use a nut butter, something other than this one. It was just a little too dry for my taste. 

Happy Purim, lovely Jewish people! And happy cookie day to anyone else!

If you have any food requests, feel free to email me or leave a comment!

xo, Kate

The very best vegan mac and cheese!

So, today was an interesting day. A man came into work and started insulting Russians as I walked in. He then asked me what kind of Russian I was, and then offered to buy me goulash (which is, uh, a Hungarian dish). He's lucky I didn't backhand him into last year. I was really tempted.

As a result, I'm pretty grumpy. That and I didn't get home from work until two hours after I was supposed to. I'm tired. I'm angry. But I guess that's what blogging is for, right?

(Watching shows on Netflix about cupcakes isn't really hurting, either.)

But yesterday I made something AWESOME, and I want to share this recipe with you.

This was one of my favourite foods before I went vegan. This is also the recipe I've fought over for YEARS now. I only finally figured this out a couple of months ago (I think it was around my birthday?) and ugh, I'm SO glad. I haven't tried baking it yet because it hasn't made it to the oven! But if you try baking it, let me know! I know I'll try it one of these days. I swear.

Also, one of my biggest issues with mac and cheese was always the pasta-to-sauce ratio. But I think I've finally nailed it!

ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese, room temperature (I used Tofutti brand for this because it's not sweet like Daiya)
• 1 wedge of Daiya chedder cheese, cubed
• 1/2 Tablespoon ketchup
• 1/2 Tablespoon soy sauce (I like to use the low sodium kind, it's not as strong)
• 3 Tablespoons of vegan butter (yay Earth Balance!)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• optional: bread crumbs, to top

Note: The clear bowl in the lower right is the ketchup/soy sauce combined.

instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Cook it for the MINIMUM time. You'll finish cooking the pasta when you put the sauce together, so no worries. (I cooked mine for about six minutes.) Drain and return it to the point, turning the temperature down to low-medium.
2. Add the remaining ingredients (minus the bread crumbs). Stir until well combined.

That's basically it! It's soooo easy. I recommend starting with the cream cheese and then adding in the Daiya cheddar cubes, as they'll take the longest to melt.

I was so happy when Daiya came out with the wedges. I mean LOOK at this. It even has air pockets like cheese would have! I recommend using this over the shreds as it melts into a better "liquid" but I think you could squeeze by with the shreds if necessary.

This was when I had the Tofutti cream cheese and everything but the cubed cheddar, basically. But it'll look better in a second.

We're getting there! Look at that melt. Ugh I can't even deal with the emotions that surge when I see this.

We're almost there! Look at that color. (If you're still not satisfied and you want your insides to glow in the dark like when you eat Velveeta, you can add some turmeric to it to brighten the yellow color.)

But really, I think this looks like perfection!

I hope you guys enjoy this dish! Let me know if you make it! And if you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to send me an email.

Have a good day!

xo, Kate

Movie Madness Double Feature: Thor (2011) and Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Before we begin, let's mourn for the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio didn't win an Oscar. Again.

I made ugly noises at the TV and maybe this is why my neighbours don't like me. Sigh.

(Granted, he's done better stuff. But that doesn't mean I'm not crying on the inside. And the outside. And also maybe screaming a little.)

Today, I'm reviewing two movies. But this post is more than a review, really.

This is an impassioned letter to my father, begging him to reconsider the modern day superhero movie.

Born in the 40s, my father is a man who grew up with these heroes. I mean really, he grew up with them. He was there for their creation, for their maturity. As with many people, however, I believe he is uncomfortable with change. He is uncomfortable with what heroes have become. As comic books have grown popular, people have demanded more from the authors and artists. People want more complex stories now. The idea of a superhero movie has almost turned into a mix of fantasy and a dark look into the human psyche.

Now dad, I understand why you're hesitant about a lot of these newer movies. Sometimes they really do rely too much on special effects or some "brooding" person and sometimes it'd be nice to go back to an earlier time. But I assure you that you're looking through "nostalgia glasses". I'm not saying that these stories are better or worse, but they are different and evolving and it's time to appreciate that.

These reviews today are a plea to my father. They are a plea to look past his past, really, and look into what these movies are REALLY about. For some they are perhaps about pretty colors and loud noises and such. But the true heart of these tales are in the people, and that is what I want to focus on. Perhaps he'll read this and give them a watch (the first Thor movie, along with The Avengers, is on Netflix but The Dark World just came out on Blu-ray and DVD the other day so if you want to see that you'll have to buy/rent/borrow it). At least, that's my hope. He may not like them but the point is that I want him to try something new, to allow himself to have the possibility of being pleasantly surprised by something in life.

So, let's get started.

I am so in love with 'Thor'. I think it's one of the best Marvel movies to ever be made.

Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) is a cocky young prince of Asgard. As he is about to ascend to the throne of Asgard, the ceremony is interrupted by the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, enemies that Thor's father Odin (played by Anthony Hopkins) has battled with in the past yet he holds a fraying truce with them at the time of the attack. Thor travels to Jotunheim and starts a new war, and as punishment he is banished by Odin to Earth, along with his magical hammer Mjolnir, until he has grown into a man. While he is gone, Thor's brother Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) struggles with newfound knowledge of his true parentage and his new position of power.

Once on Earth, Thor encounters a group of humans: Doctor Erik Selvig (played by Stellan Skarsgård), college student Darcy Lewis (played by Kat Dennings) and scientist Jane Foster (played by Natalie Portman). Through this meeting, Thor begins to learn what it truly means to be a good man and to be a greater king.

This is a movie that, underneath the magic and mayhem, is truly about family connections. There is a delicate yet heartfelt struggle of power between Odin and Thor that is captured beautifully by Hopkins and Hemsworth, respectively. They are of different generations and are in different stages of maturity (Thor needs to grow up a little while Odin loses his patience with trying to teach his son what he considers to be the only lessons of life) and this causes a sense of battle that anyone can relate to, whether you're an Asgardian god or not. Any son and father, daughter and mother, and so forth can feel for those who cannot understand each other at times.

And then there's Loki. Before we delve into the ideas of Loki, we must first praise Hiddleston's performance. Beneath the actor's kind and fuzzy exterior (he has been known for his wonderfully charitable actions, such as giving his coat to a cold woman on the red carpet or bringing soup to a man who was interviewing him just because he tweeted that he was in the mood for some), he hides this ability to understand pain. For that is, I think, the only way he can portray this tortured character in such a convincing manner. Hiddleston clearly possesses the ability to empathize and understand Loki. (Which should really scare us, considering how messed up Loki really is.)

Loki learns that he is really a Frost Giant; he was the son of Laufey, king of the Frost Giants. But as Laufey considered him to be a runt and threw him into the snow to die, Odin picked him up and raised him as his own. It should be noted, though, that Odin didn't reveal this to Loki until Loki accidentally found out (he finds out fairly early on in the first film). Loki feels as though he is not truly a part of this family and cannot understand where he belongs. The only one he is truly kind to and listens to is his mother, Frigga.

Watching Loki's heartbreak and confusion about what he's doing and who he's hurting is just so devastating. And watching his interactions with Thor, with a man he considered his brother, is magnificent. Their relationship gets so twisted and dark and it makes me wish I could empathize. Oh, the pains of being an only child.

This movie is about family. It's not about kingdoms and wars and mythical beasts. It's about how your actions can make or break the ones you love. As I said before, the first Thor movie is on Netflix! (And, as with Marvel movies, make sure to watch for the post-credit scene at the end!)

Now let's get onto the more recent Thor movie.

When I first went to see 'Thor: The Dark World', I went with my boyfriend to this big Thor marathon at the movie theatre. They have a three movie marathon (Thor, The Avengers, and Thor: The Dark World) and we got these cool limited edition posters and lanyards. We were there ALL DAY. It was pretty awesome. They had a quiz round after each movie but for the last one they made you stand up to answer rather than raise your hand and uh... my boyfriend is physically handicapped in his LEGS so that didn't work out well. Whoops. And I have the reaction times of a slug (which you wouldn't really expect due to my video game background). Sigh. We knew all of the answers but they were trapped in our less-than-stellar bodies. Damn us! But overall it was a really fun night. We sat next to these girls who had never seen the movies and they were asking us questions about the movies/comics. At first they didn't seem as though they wanted to be there (we suspected they were dragged there by their other friend) but by the end they seemed enthralled. I consider myself a feminist and there has been all of this hype about "the geek girl" and about how a lot of guys try to push us away from comics, so I like encouraging other women to stand up and be involved and be a fan if they want to be. As I always say, it doesn't take a penis to turn a comic book page! If anything, I discourage that. That sounds painful.

(Hahahahahaha oh dad, if you're reading this, I'm so sorry. I'm sure you're proud of raising a strong feminist though, so cheer up!)

I really recommend watching 'The Avengers' before you watch this (and as I said before, it's also on Netflix!), as a lot of what happens with Loki's character won't really make sense if you kind of skip along. You can probably make the correct assumptions, but still.

Two years have passed since the events in 'Thor'. The Bifrost has been rebuilt, and Thor has been traveling with his Asgardian friends in order to bring back peace to the many realms. While doing this, Jane and Darcy have traveled to London for scientific research. While studying these portals that break the laws of physics, Jane is transported to another world and is infected by Aether, a weapon that was once in possession by the Dark Elves but was hidden away by Thor's grandfather Bor. Thor learns of Jane's plight and returns to Earth to bring her back to Asgard. The last of the remaining Elves, led by Malekith (played by Christopher Eccleston, who also plays my favorite Doctor on Doctor Who) learn of the Aether's return and they become determined to gain it once again.

I overall really enjoyed this movie, but at the same time there are definitely a few things I want to nitpick.

First of all... Now, I like some of the trailers they put on TV, but at the same time I feel like they were a bit misleading. So when I finally DID go into the film, I was a bit disappointed. My biggest disappointment?

I was really hoping to see more Jane/Sif interactions. They had SO MUCH to work with. Jane finally comes to Asgard and Sif finally gets to see the woman who has been distracting her lifelong love and all we get is a side glance? BOO. Boooooooooo. (And I mean yes, Sif does help Thor later on by saving Jane, but it lasts three seconds.) It's just so unsatisfying. Marvel movies definitely don't tend to emphasize romantic love (I remember an interview during 'The Avengers' period where someone was asking Scarlet Johansson about the lack of romance in the movie and she said something along the lines of "We have shit to avenge") but if it was going to be during ANY MOVIE, this would've been the one to discuss it a bit more. But oh no. Sigh. Watching this a second time, it still makes my blood boil a wee bit.

Also, I was a bit sad that the villains in this film just FELT so weak to me. There's so much lore to work with and they went with the Dark Elves? I mean obviously they're not going to use Loki again. That'd be a bit much, and the audience really needed to love him again. Personally, I would've preferred to see the Enchantress (Amora rather than Sylvie). I feel like it would've made more sense? At one point in the comics, Odin sends Amora after Jane to kill her so Thor won't be distracted by her. This would've fit the story considering Odin was already very hostile towards her from the very beginning. (Although he was obviously worse in this regard after the death of his wife Frigga, which he definitely blames on Jane. And this wouldn't have happened if not for Malekith's sword.) But hey, I'm just a blogger throwing ideas around. I'm not a scriptwriter for Marvel. Or maybe Surtur could've appeared? But I mean, who knows. I have no idea what they have planned for The Avengers 2 or the third Thor movie.

However, I'll point out that there are some beautiful things about this movie as well.

My absolute FAVORITE thing about this film is the relationship between Loki and his mother, Frigga. They both have the same fighting styles. I was going to show gifs that I had seen on Tumblr the other day in which people showed the styles together but naturally I can't find it. Boo! They also both possess the same magical powers (which leads me to assume that Frigga taught him all of this) and I do believe they play the same music during both of their death scenes, though I could be wrong.

ALSO, I'm apparently a dunce. There's a scene where Loki is in prison and he's talking to Frigga and he reaches out to touch her and she disappears, right? It's just a magical illusion he's talking to. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WAS FRIGGA USING HER MAGIC TO TALK TO HIM UNTIL LAST NIGHT. I always assumed that it was Loki, talking to himself through the guise of his mother. I mean earlier in the film Odin had told Loki that he would never see Frigga again so I just kind of assumed he uh, wouldn't.

People love to analyze comic books and their characters, but Loki is one of those who tends to come under the spotlight. Especially now, with the popularity of Hiddleston's performance.

Many have talked of how Loki must be a psychopath; these are people who have clearly never been to a single psychology class. It's infuriating. You can tell he isn't one from his relationships. I mean, the obvious love he holds for his mother? If he was a psychopath, he wouldn't have the ability to empathize or sympathize. It'd be chemically impossible. Forgetting Asgardian god science for a second, it just wouldn't HAPPEN. It makes me want to throw tables when people make this claim, I swear.

My main point of this entry is to show that these movies are deeper than you'd think. My father was telling me he saw the trailer for the second Thor movie and he was put off by it. He was talking of the scenes in which Thor was bashing creatures around with Mjolnir.

But dad, it's more than that. That scene, in the actual film, lasts about five minutes tops. And that scene is there to show that Thor is fighting for his people. He wants to keep peace throughout the realm and, well, he must do that by fighting those who fight for violence. It seems never ending, but in this world that is a necessity.

Dad, this film is about family again. But rather than focusing entirely on brothers or father and son, this one shifts a bit and focuses on mother and son. There's regret and unconditional love and heartbreak and vengeance.

It's not just a movie about a superhero meathead.

It's much, much more than that.

It's essentially a movie that will ruin your heart.

I hope you read this, dad, and I hope it convinces you to at least give the first movie a try.

(The best part is that Thor isn't even my favorite superhero. Captain America is. Wait until I review those, you guys. Prepare yourselves.)

I hope you guys enjoyed the double feature! If you have any suggestions, leave a comment or send me an email!

xo, Kate