Thursday DVD Review ~ Mostly Kids Instant Downloads

With the holiday weekend my rentals were off so it was a LOT of instant download for the kids and two movies not for me ... :( bad week for mom!

This is one for Rick but he never got a chance to watch so I tried to watch it ... yup wish I didn't it was so a Rick movie not something I would EVER like. Back in the envelope it went.

After learning that their handler, Max (Jason Patric), has set them up, a group of disavowed CIA operatives led by Clay -- aka the Colonel (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) -- bands together to bring down their betrayers in this slick action thriller. The film, adapted from the comic book series by Andy Diggle and Jock, co-stars Zoe Saldana, Idris Elba, Chris Evans, Columbus Short and Holt McCallany; Sylvain White directs.

This looked so funny on the previews and then it arrived in my mailbox and what a let down. It had a few funny parts but overall it just let me down. I kept waiting for Janet Jackson to have a wardrobe malfunction with how dangerously close her blouse was bulging. YUP that is the only thing that my mind could think about.

An annual Caribbean retreat turns into a week of life-altering revelations when four couples bust their relationships wide open in filmmaker Tyler Perry's take on modern love, devotion, unfaithfulness and forgiveness. Angela (Tasha Smith) can't trust sportscaster Marcus (Michael Jai White) anymore, Sheila's (Jill Scott) ex (Richard T. Jones) toys with her new marriage and more. Janet Jackson, Malik Yoba, Lamman Rucker and Sharon Leal also star.

Cole picked this one out and loved it I could hear it and everytime I heard Rodney's voice I just laughed he is great. I never heard of this until I saw it on the instant download.

Actor-comedian Rodney Dangerfield co-wrote and produced this original animated tale about a streetwise city dog named Rover (also voiced by Dangerfield) who leaves the lights and excitement of the Las Vegas strip behind to become a farm dog. Of course, it doesn't take long for Rover to test out his best pickup lines on a pretty collie named Daisy (Susan Boyd), who tries her best to tame his urban instincts.

I found this one for Caden the other day on the instant download, thought he loves dino a dragon would be up his alley. He actually sat and watched a good amount of it before wondering, but won't let me turn it off he wanted to do the drive by like mom watches DVD's :).

Spirited young Kayley, daughter of a celebrated Round Table knight, embarks on a crusade to recover the magical sword Excalibur after the maniacal Sir Ruber pilfers it, aiming to unseat King Arthur from the throne. Kayley enlists the help of a sightless recluse, a silver-winged falcon and a comical, two-headed dragon to thwart Ruber's plan and save the kingdom of Camelot. Celebrity voices include Pierce Brosnan, Jane Seymour and Don Rickles.

Yes another PBS show on the instant download on the Wii. I can't say it enough I have found the great shows on PBS that have a great feeling and teaching to them. Sid is a new fav for both boys :).

Sid's a kid with a lot of questions, and this Emmy-nominated PBS Kids show is all about answering them. When Sid asks a question in school, he and his classmates work together to uncover the answer using science experiments, discussions and songs. Blending live action and animation, this collection of episodes teaches curious young scientists about teeth, sneezing, getting a shot and other health topics.

Yet another Instant Download on the Wii from PBS, Cole is now all about this show. LOVE the teaching it does.

Join Super Readers Whyatt Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Princess Pea and Pig as they use their literacy skills to learn how to bake a birthday cake, pay a visit to the Tooth Fairy and prevent evil Eraser from destroying important words. In one memorable episode of this cartoon collection, popular heroes such as Cinderella and the Frog Prince square off on the soccer field against villains like the Big Bad Wolf and the Wicked Witch.

Weekend Wrap Wednesday ~ Labor Day 2010

This was the weekend that started out with so much promise and ended with so many things going wrong ... ugh!

Friday:

Head up to grandfather's Estate:

Caden rode the lawn mower & ran threw woods

Mom & GG posed for a quick pic

Cole even took a turn to drive

Bapa helped the boys pick black berries

And of course bubbles

Saturday:

Cole had a burger date with Monnie

Play Iron Man on the Wii

Pick some blueberries

Enjoy a burger

And crash out grocery shopping :)

Monnie had a shell hunt down at the waterfront

Throwing some pinecones in water!

Look at the pretty shells, I got to take home .. :)

Sunday:

Shoveled some gravel

Opened car door and brother went crashing to grown :(

Flat Tire ... We'll go there on Friday

There is more but I'm pooped, It was one thing after another and I'm still peeved over the other so I need to rest on it ... lol. Don't worry I'll let you know on Friday.

Martha's Chowder Recipe

The boys love broccoli and you know Caden's love of corn so I was on the Google search for the perfect recipe. That and I saw the challenger on Iron Chef do a corn chowder. I found this Martha Stewart recipe that worked perfect with a few of my tweaks.

Broccoli Chowder with Corn and Bacon by Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 large baking potato, peeled and diced
• 1 head broccoli (about 1 pound), cut into bite-size florets, stalks peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup whole milk
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot, cook bacon over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Increase heat to medium. Cook onion, stirring, until it begins to soften, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Add flour; cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add broth and potato; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cook until potato is tender, about 10 minutes. Add broccoli, corn, thyme, and milk. Cook until broccoli is crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with bacon.

ALEXIS NOTES: Thank you Ms. Amy I'm on a turkey bacon kick so this I switched out with the turkey bacon. I only had red potatoes on hand so I used two of them. I used the whole wheat flour and I didn't have frozen so I used canned corn.

Cole loved it he ate THREE bowls, Caden and Rick turned their noses up at it. More for me and Cole :). NO CLUE WHY IT KEEPS UNDERLINING ... UGH

I'm linking up to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays and Tasty Tuesdays.

Manic Monday Meals ~ Mac & Cheese & Banana Bars

Wow it's Monday and it's a holiday, guess what I did .... I slept in! I know usually I have my Monday post typed up Sunday PM. I actually took my Sunday night and was lazy, meaning I didn't get my post up ... hehe :).

I was asked by my friend **** April **** asked that I give a little more with my recipes. At the bottom of my recipes I do add the ALEXIS NOTES that give you any subs I have made but not really about taste etc. I'm going to start adding a post it note with some extra notes for each recipe :), Let me know what you think.

Baked Mac & Cheese w/ Bacon found on All Recipes

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon
• 8 ounces penne pasta
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
3. In a large pot with boiling salted water cook pasta until al dente. Drain.
4. In a medium skillet saute the chopped onion, and minced garlic. Take off heat and add chopped cooked bacon and set aside.
5. To make the sauce, in a medium saucepan melt the butter or margarine over low heat. Once melted, add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Gradually add milk and continue stirring until thickened. Stir in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar cheese and stir until melted.
6. Combine cooked pasta, sauteed vegetables and sauce. Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish. Add the last cup of grated Cheddar cheese to top of mixture.
7. Bake uncovered in preheated oven until cheese on top is melted and brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

ALEXIS NOTES: I used whole wheat noodles, whole wheat flour and turkey bacon (take that Amy). It turned out great and no one said anything about my subs.

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My Second recipe was one I made for church on Sunday, they went so quick I didn't even get one. I heard they were very yummy and they did smell good :).

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup dry cocoa powder

Method

In bowl, cream butter and sugar; add egg and vanilla. Blend in bananas. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to mixture; stir well. Divide batter in half. Stir cocoa powder into one half and spread in a 13x9x2-inch greased pan. Spoon remaining batter on top; swirl with knife. Bake about 25 minutes at 350 degrees, or until bars spring back.

ALEXIS NOTES: These came out almost like a cake so don't think it's a cookie texture. If I was making for home I would have use whole wheat flour.

Ahh & Ahh Crap Moments #2 (PINT Style)

Thursday DVD Review ~ Mostly Kids Ones Today

This week was Cole week with the Wii Instant Download. A few DVD's to the house but mostly this was Cole's week. He had some good ones, me not so much. Hope you all have a wonderful week! And for those of you who ask how I can watch so many DVD's most are for the boys so I don't actually sit and watch those and mine I usually have them on in the back ground when I'm doing my data entry for work or blogging. So sadly it never gets my FULL attention but I get the jist of the movie!

This one was for Cole he sat and watched it but I didn't hear much laughing out of him not sure if it was just a little over his head or what. I watched bits and parts of it and wasn't over-ally impressed either. It was a good movie for one time but not sure it would be one we would ever watch again.

Middle school isn't all it's cracked up to be for self-described "wimpy kid" Greg Heffley, who discovers a frightening new world teeming with boys who are taller, tougher and hairier than he is -- and decides to document it all in his diary. Directed by Thor Freudenthal, this kid-friendly comedy based on Jeff Kinney's illustrated novel cast its star by asking kids to submit their auditions online.

I love Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler and I've been so excited to have this one come in the mail. Then I started to watch it had some slow moments and times I was like come on let's get this moving. There was some funny moments but it just didn't come together for me. I knew what would happen in the end and usually if the beginning and end keeps you going you would love it. I'm sorry I just couldn't get into this one.

Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler) is a bounty hunter whose latest gig is rather satisfying, as he finds out that the bail-skipper he must chase down is his own ex-wife, Nicole (Jennifer Aniston) -- but she has no intention of getting nabbed without a fight. Complicating matters, Nicole's wannabe-boyfriend, Stewart (Jason Sudeikis), joins the chase in this high-octane comedy from director Andy Tennant (Hitch).

J-Lo sometimes is not my cup of tea for movies but Alex O'Loughlin is YUMMY and I can watch him all day long! This movie of course was funny it had some cliche moments that you'll be like ok seen it done it move on but over all you'll laugh and even a guy would sit threw it! There is a part they end up a home birth, let's just say something a new relationship and enter the world of babies maybe should see. But you'll laugh maybe even snort!

When Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) tires of looking for Mr. Right, she decides to have a baby on her own. But on the day she's artificially inseminated, she meets Stan (Alex O'Loughlin), who seems to be just who she's been searching for all her life. Now, Zoe has to figure out how to make her two life's dreams fit with each other. Alan Poul directs this hilarious, heartfelt tale of confusion, confession and romantic slapstick.

Cole was in control of the Wii Instant Download this week so you guessed it lot's of cartoons and PBS is a favorite in our house. Arthur has always been on of my favorites and now the boys too.

More life lessons are in store for 8-year-old Arthur Read, the world's most celebrated aardvark, in this 10th season of the Daytime Emmy-winning series based on Marc Brown's children's books. In this collection of episodes, Arthur and Buster regret watching a horror film; Francine and Arthur make a bet to see who can conserve the most water during a drought; and Arthur launches an investigation after he's suspected of breaking a crystal platter.

Another one on the instant download for the Wii that Cole picked out. Another great educational PBS show. I'm telling you PBS rocks!

In the first of two episodes, Buster learns about big and small worries when he visits sisters Erin and Hannah, whose father is deployed in Iraq. And, in "Buster's Baseball Merengue," he experiences the cultural delights of the Dominican Republic. Buster makes a video postcard for Erin and Hannah's dad and solves a mystery at a Missouri Army base, then jets off to the Caribbean as an unofficial baseball scout for the Elwood City Grebes.

Another instant download on the Wii picked by Cole. He of course thought the Sheep was hilarious! A good one for the boys, I of course caught myself watching a few times.

From Nick Park, the award-winning creator of Wallace & Gromit, come the adventures of Shaun the Sheep, a skinny farm animal with an oversized zest for life, a talent for causing mischief and a knack for pulling the wool over the eyes of the farmer. Shaun's best chum, Bitzer the long-suffering sheepdog, helps him keep his other pals, tiny Timmy, roly-poly Shirley and the rest of the flock, out of trouble -- all while thwarting evil cat Pidsley.

As many of you know I would LOVE to be wedding coordinator, so it's no stretch that Saturdays on TLC with all the wedding shows are my favorite. I only catch Say Yes to the Dress every once in a while. I saw this on the recently added instant download on the Wii from Netflix. All those dresses were so pretty and some of those family members I would have to shove into the wall. Really people this is NOT your day!

There's a VIP client at Kleinfeld's in the fourth season of this wedding-themed reality series when mom-of-many Michelle Duggar (TLC's "... Kids and Counting") drops in to try on dresses for an upcoming ceremony to renew her vows with Jim Bob. Later on, a no-frills policewoman finds the dress of her dreams, and the staff helps a woman who's recently lost 100 pounds find a suitable gown to fit her new frame.

I've been a HUGE Danielle Steel fan for many years there for many years I would run out and buy her new book the day it came out. Now sadly not as much, this was a GREAT book, the movie was just ok. I love Melissa Gilbert but she plays and character with a french accent that just threw me off. It reminded me of a lifetime movie. This was a instant download for the Wii from Netflix.

Ophelia (Melissa Gilbert), grieving the death of her husband, meets Matt (Brad Johnson), an artist nursing a broken heart, and their attraction is immediate. But as their passion deepens, their hopes for a new chance at love are threatened by events from the past. Now, the two must look to each other for the strength to endure and find happiness again. Liana Liberato co-stars in this adaptation of the best-selling novel by Danielle Steel.

I love PBS they have the best shows for the kids. This was a instant download for the Wii that Cole just loved and has requested all.

With her incredible gift of gab, talking dog Martha goes on lots of fun adventures, including taking over Helen's class as a substitute teacher, using her imagination to retell classic fairy tales and leading a daring escape from the animal shelter. In this set of animated episodes, Truman tries to keep out of sight, Skits starts wearing a polka-dot bow tie everywhere, and T.D. panics over a report he hasn't finished.