The month of May has yet to begin, and I’m already in trouble when it comes to the movies. Travel has kept me from the local theater for a few weeks now, and the next couple of weeks will be more of the same. That to-rent list is growing by leaps and bounds!

Releases for May have me salivating to spend a lot of time at the theater, so maybe it’s a good thing I won’t be able to get there as frequently as I’d like. Time and money saved, so to speak. While I’m exiled from watching the big screen, you aren’t (I hope), so here are a few films to watch out for this month.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine: The highly anticipated fourth installment in the X-Men franchise, this one spotlights Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and how Logan became Wolverine. We’ll see Wolverine make the choice that changes his life – the bonding of his skeleton with the indestructible metal adamantium. Also starring Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth, Will.i.Am as Wraith, Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, and Taylor Kitsch as Gambit, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is rated PG-13 and opens May 1.

Battle for Terra: This animated sci-fi dramedy looks to appeal to audiences of all ages. The Earth is gone, and humanity needs a new home. Lightyears from home, mankind finds a planet already inhabited by a peace-loving race, setting the stage for an all-out war for control of the planet. It’s up to a rebellious Terrian named Mala (voiced by Evan Rachel Wood) and an injured human pilot (Luke Wilson) to find a way for the races to co-exist. Other voices: Brian Cox, James Garner, Chris Evans, David Cross, Justin Long and Dennis Quaid. Battle for Terra is rated G and opens May 1.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past: Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner star in this romantic comedy in the vein of A Christmas Carol. Connor Mead (McConaughey) has played the romance game fast and loose for quite some time, and his actions are coming back to haunt him. Jenny Perotti (Garner) is the girl he won and lost and still loves. Will true love triumph? Michael Douglas stars as the ghostly Uncle Wayne. The trailers look fun, although I’ve been seeing some negative press. Ghosts is rated PG-13 and opens May 1.

Star Trek: At last! J.J. Abrams’ reboot takes a look at the lives of the classic series’ beloved characters before the original series. Chris Pine takes on James T. Kirk, while Zachary Quinto becomes Spock and Karl Urban declares “I’m a doctor, not a ---,” as Leonard McCoy. Being a Trekkie/Trekker from the early days, I am eagerly looking forward to this one. And it’s gaining momentum and great buzz as the release date nears. Star Trek is rated PG-13 and opens May 8. Check out the graphics on the website!

Management: You all know I’m not a huge fan of comedy. So this addition to my list has a few question marks. Starring Jennifer Aniston and Steve Zahn, Management follows Mike (Zahn) as he pursues Sue (Aniston) across the country. Zahn is among my favorite actors, and Aniston has appeal. However, this film may have too many stalker elements for my taste. Time will tell. Management is rated R and opens May 15.

Angels & Demons: The second offering from author Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon series, this film is set before The Da Vinci Code. The Vatican requests the assistance of Langdon (Tom Hanks, with a better haircut) to battle a threat from the secretive Illuminati. Again directed by Ron Howard, the film also stars Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard and Armin Mueller-Stahl. I enjoyed Da Vinci Code (both the film and the book); I didn’t enjoy the book Angels & Demons as much, so I’m not sure about the film version. I’ll see it, though. Rated PG-13, Angels & Demons opens May 15.

 The Brothers Bloom: Starring Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz and Rinko Kikuchi, this film focuses on a brother team of swindlers (Ruffalo and Brody) who set sights on an eccentric heiress (Weisz) as their last and greatest con. Kikuchi portrays Bang Bang, an explosives expert who teams with the brothers. While billed as a comedy, The Brothers Bloom promises a lot of pathos along with the laughter. Rated PG-13, The Brothers Bloom opens in New York and L.A. on May 15, in select cities May 22 and nationwide May 29.

Terminator Salvation: Another highly anticipated release, the fourth in the franchise finds John Connor (Christian Bale) struggling with his certain belief that humans will win out against the machines after the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington). New strategies by Skynet force the human resistance to change tactics, and Connor and Wright team to take on the enemy. Rated PG-13, Terminator Salvation opens May 21. Great poster, eh? A great website, too.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian: Following up his success in Night at the Musuem, Ben Stiller reprises his role as museum guard Larry Daley, who has made his way to the Smithsonian to rescue Jedediah (Owen Wilson) and Octavius (Steve Coogan). The trailers look like fun, and I enjoyed the first film, although I’m not a Stiller fan. Rated PG, Battle of the Smithsonian opens May 22.

Up: It would appear that Disney Pixar again has a winner. Up follows the adventures of 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner) as he ties thousands of ballons to his house in an effort to fly to South America. It’s the vacation he’d promised his late wife. A stowaway, the optimistic and much younger Russell (Jordan Nagai), causes Carl to change plans. Other voices are provided by Christopher Plummer, Paul Eiding, Delroy Lindo, Bob Peterson and John Ratzenberger. Rated PG, Up opens May 29.

With one thing and another, I still haven’t seen State of Play or The Soloist, so it would appear that I could spend every weekend in May at the theater. Which I just might do.

Any other May titles I should add to my list? Any rental recommendations?

See ya at the movies!

A recent Recipe Box (“Gathering Recipes,” March/April) focused on social cookbooks and the “receipts” included that put the past on the dining table. Our Comfort Foods article for July/August takes a closer look at the handwritten recipe cards found in so many recipe boxes and cherished by family cooks everywhere.

So it was quite interesting when a new book arrived on my desk this week. Pot Roast, Politics, and Ants in the Pantry by Carol and John Fisher is an insider’s look at Missouri’s cookbook heritage, and it’s an interesting read to boot.

The Fishers quickly draw a reader into the world of Missouri cookbooks, and, even with 10 pages of editions listed in the bibliography, I suspect they barely scratch the surface of cookbooks compiled and published in the Show-Me State. Organized by the producers of such tomes, the book begins with a quick look at the history of cookbooks in the state. Earlier books were published, mainly for the European market, with the first known American cookbooks printed in the mid- to late 1700s. In 1796, according to the Fishers, the first cookbook written by an American author for American cooks was published – American Cookery by Amelia Simmons. More American-specific books arrived in the next century, including The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, written by Fannie Farmer who was with the famous Boston Cooking School at the time.

Pot Roast details where Missouri was during this time, and then continues with some of the early publications of cookbooks in the state, including the Julia Clark Household Memoranda Book, which was reported to be written by the wife of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Researchers, however, have concluded that the true author of the cookbook was probably Clark himself.

Full of such tidbits, the first chapter moves quickly into more detailed chapters such as “Community Cookbooks,” “Missouri Cookbooks Record History,” “Company/Product Cookbooks,” and “Kitchen Medicine, Housekeeping Tips, and Cookbook Literature.”

The extremely popular Joy of Cooking is mentioned in the chapter, “Individually Authored and Edited Cookbooks.” First compiled by Irma Rombauer as a self-published project in 1931, the cookbook has become a phenomenon in its own right. The Fishers suggest that Joy of Cooking has been so popular because Rombauer’s personality shines through on each page. There are personal suggestions strewn throughout the book, and cooks are put at ease by Rombauer’s honesty.

My work reference library includes copies of Joy of Cooking and The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.

The same chapter mentions Barbecuing and Sausage-Making Secrets by Charlie and Ruthie Knote, written in 1992 in Cape Girardeau, but the majority of barbecue cookbooks – a popular style of cooking, particularly in Kansas City – are mentioned in the chapter titled Company/Product Cookbooks. These books were originally produced as advertising tools by companies as a way to market new products. Some of the include the Aristos Flour Cook Book (published in 1911 by the Southwestern Milling Co. in Kansas City), the Rival Crock-Pot Slow Electric Stoneware Cooker Cookbook (published in the 1970s by the Rival Co.), and the Pet Milk cookbooks (published through the years by the Pet Milk Company specifically to promote their brand of condensed milk).

Authors Carol Fisher and John Fisher know their way around Missouri. Carol’s the author of The American Cookbook: A History, and John wrote Catfish, Fiddles, Mules, and More: Missouri’s State Symbols. They live in Kennett, Missouri.

Chockfull of interesting tidbits, glimpses of life in centuries past, and tastes of old-fashioned cooking and philosophy, Pot Roast, Politics, and Ants in the Pantry is a delicious spread for any cookbook lover’s palate.

Pot Roast, Politics, and Ants in the Pantry: Missouri’s Cookbook Heritage , by Carol Fisher and John Fisher, 2008, University of Missouri Press.

In my role as senior associate editor for GRIT, I spend a lot of time reading and writing about food (you may have noticed – LOL). Food is and has always been an issue for me, and I struggle with my weight. As time passes, I’m becoming more aware of my health, of how I’m not taking care of myself, and that I’m the only one who can take of me. So, with diabetes and fibromyalgia at the top of my health concerns list, I’ve started taking steps in a more healthy direction.

On our Food Forum, I detail a bit of my life with diabetes. I mention that exercise is always a struggle. I found yoga – enjoyed it for a while – and then I discovered tai chi, and I’m hooked.

In this photo, a woman demonstrates tai chi during the Chinese Culture Days at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. Photo is courtesy Josh Monken/Missouri Botanical Garden.

I suspect that food will always be an issue with me. Chocolate and other junk food choices seem to call the loudest when I’m stressed, tired or upset. So it seems to me that if I can deal with the stress in other ways, I might stand a chance against those yells from the peanut gallery known as the kitchen cupboard.

That’s why I sought out my city’s parks and recreation department’s classes. I’ve set aside the yoga mat for now, and I’m concentrating on tai chi. A weekly class keeps me moving one night a week. The rest of the week, I try to practice as much as I can. I figure any movement these days is a step in the right direction; my couch potato time is a big shorter these days, and that’s a good thing no matter how I look at it.

Tai chi, also known as moving meditation, is defined by Merriam-Webster Online as “an ancient Chinese discipline of meditative movements practiced as a system of exercises.” While there are three basic forms of tai chi, there are hundreds of styles, and no two instructors see the form in exactly the same way. The three basic styles are Yang (most common, with slower and more open movements), Chen (faster and more martial), and Wu (somewhere in the middle). The form I’m learning is called Wu Dan, so it’s a modified Wu style. And I’ve only gotten through the short form, about 5 to 7 minutes long.

The health benefits of tai chi are well documented, and I can attest to some of them myself. My balance has improved, as have my breathing and posture. If I pay attention, I can get some of that stress to disappear, too. Now that I’ve learned the movements to the short form, my instructor and I are working to refine my technique, which to be honest is a bit rough. One of the keys to tai chi is fluidity, making each movement flow easily into the next. I’m also working on keeping the movements slow and even, and focusing on my breathing. I also like tai chi because I can do it anywhere anytime.

For a quick overview of the three styles, visit the Tai Chi Academy’s website. There are many other sites, as well as videos, found on the Internet. And check out the offerings from your local parks and rec, or at local martial arts studios. Here's one of the 61,000 plus videos on YouTube.com.

Do you have any experiences with tai chi or other martial arts forms? What’s in your exercise program? Any hints on how I keep motivated and focused?

Tai chi is much too complicated for me to do it justice here. I would urge anyone thinking of a new exercise program to consider tai chi. From my perspective, it is more than worth it. In fact, I’m off to sign up for the next session!

Looks like it’s been a while since we talked TV. After saying goodbye to two favorite series within the last week, it seems like a good time to check the schedule, what’s on my DVR and what’s coming up.

Battlestar Galactica ended its reign on the Sci Fi Channel last week. After four seasons, spread over five years, we finally found our favorite travelers settled and most of our questions were answered. I adored the three-part finale, and I’m looking forward to checking out the new prequel series, Caprica. A movie, The Plan, is set to air in November.

Wednesday night, the series finale of Life on Mars aired on ABC. This was a favorite of mine, and I was very disappointed it had been cancelled even before a full season had aired. However, I have to admit that I wasn’t sure how the premise could continue for any length of time, and I was extremely happy with the way the series was wrapped up. Here’s hoping the cast members soon find other TV homes– it would be a shame for television viewers to be deprived of the talents of this crew: O’Mara, Michael Imperioli, Gretchen Mol, Jonathan Murphy, and the always great Harvey Keitel.

So what does that leave on my DVR? Oh, you just had to ask, didn’t you?! Believe me, I am not suffering when it comes to TV viewing.

A couple of the mid-season shows that I’m watching include the delightful Castle, starring Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic, over on ABC; and an intriguing Dollhouse, the latest from Joss Whedon, on Fox. I’m still giving Kings (NBC) a shot, but I have a feeling it won’t last too much longer on my viewing calendar. The revamped Cupid premiered this week on ABC, and while I’m still a bit uncertain about this one (I loved the 1998 version starring Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall), it’s waiting on the DVR.

New shows on the horizon include NBC’s Southland, The Listener, Merlin and The Philanthropist; CBS’s Harper’s Island; ABC’s The Unusuals; Sci Fi’s Primevel, Warehouse 13 (could this be like Special Unit 2, a short-lived delight on USA?), Stargate Universe; and USA’s Royal Pains. Oh, and I wish I had HBO: The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency is coming to the small screen, based a series of popular books with a great fanbase.

And I’m waiting, impatiently, for the Dr. Who specials this year, and the series’ return next year on Sci Fi, as well as the returns of Eureka on Sci Fi, Burn Notice on USA, and The Closer and Leverage on TNT.

Would you like a quick look at my current TV week? Sunday: Cold Case and Kings; Monday: 24, Chuck, Heroes, Saving Grace and Castle; Tuesday: NCIS, The Mentalist, Fringe, Cupid; Wednesday: Lost, Life, The Unusuals (in place of the missed Life on Mars); Thursday: Grey’s Anatomy, Eleventh Hour, Supernatural, Bones, and soon Harper’s Island and Southland; Friday: Ghost Whisperer, Flashpoint, Numbers, Terminator, Dollhouse, and whatever’s on Sci Fi; Saturday: movies or catching up on DVR/tapes. Yikes!

What favorites am I missing? Any recommendations?

Now, I need to go search for my life. See ya next week, same time, same channel!