Another week of Ahhh Crap Moments ...

Thursday DVD Review ~ Part IV

Blockbuster Says:

The directorial debut of Brandon Camp concerns a widower (Aaron Eckhart) who makes a living as an expert on grieving. During the course of teaching a seminar, he meets and begins to fall for a floral designer (Jennifer Aniston), a discovery that leads him to face up to the fact he has not fully reconciled the loss of his wife.

ALEXIS SAYS: I so needed a good sappy love story and this was right up my alley and so what I needed! It of course had it's cheesy moments and predictable moments but you just have to love Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart isn't bad to look at either. It has it ups and downs and the dealing with ones feelings and moving forward. It was sweet and a good DVD rental, not one I would buy but a good cheer me up movie.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

Blockbuster Says: Alvin, Simon, and Theodore meet their musical match after returning to school and entering into a battle of the bands competition in hopes of saving the school's troubled music program. Sent to live with Dave Seville's younger nephew Toby (Zachary Levi), the three lovable marmots decide that getting an education is more important than belting out pop tunes. But the school's music program is about to go belly up, and the only way to save it is to win the 25,000-dollar prize in the upcoming battle of the bands. Though the Chipmunks are confident they have the songwriting skills to steamroll the competition, a newly formed singing trio dubbed the Chippettes promises to give them some stiff competition on-stage. Brittany, Eleanor, and Jeanette are indeed the real deal, and the closer the competition gets, the more Alvin, Simon, and Theodore realize that in order to win, they'll have to give it everything they've got.

ALEXIS SAYS: I was surprised with this one, the boys did not care for it at all. They barely sat down threw it and did NOT want to watch it again. I was very sorry to say it didn't go over very well. I heard it on a few other people the didn't care for it but I thought we had to try.

Astro Boy

A young robot with incredible powers, super strength, and the purest spirit on the planet discovers the joys of being human while embarking on a worldwide journey to discover his true potential in this animated update of Osamu Tezuka's classic anime story. Astro Boy (Freddie Highmore) is a young robot from futuristic Metro City. Created by a brilliant scientist named Tenma (Nicolas Cage), and powered by pure positive "blue" energy that gives him such abilities as x-ray vision, inhuman speed, and flight, the wide-eyed android longs to find his true place in the world. He sets out on an epic journey that brings him face to face with an underworld army of robots and some of the strangest creatures ever to walk the Earth, and along the way learns to experience human feelings and emotions. Astro Boy's remarkable mission of discovery is suddenly cut short, however, when he learns that his friends and family back in Metro City are in grave danger. As Astro Boy prepares to face off against his greatest adversary in order to save everything he cares most about, he realizes that only through victory will he finally discover what it takes to be a hero.

ALEXIS SAYS: The boys loved this movie I caught some bits of it and again caught myself watching for a few minutes. It's a cute movie for the whole family to watch. It had a cute plot that of course you know what will happen but kids will enjoy.

Ponyo

Blockbuster Says:

Ponyo, which deals with a friendship between a five-year-old boy and a goldfish princess who yearns to be human. The daughter of the king of the ocean, Ponyo is no ordinary goldfish -- she has all the magic of the sea at her disposal. But when five-year-old Sosuke befriends the spunky little fish near the seaside home he shares with his mother and father, a special connection sparks between the two children, and Ponyo becomes determined to become human. Transforming into a little girl, Ponyo shows up at Sosuke's doorstep, delighted to make herself at home with her new land-dwelling family. But having a magical fish princess walking around on dry land begins setting the mystical balance of the world off kilter, and even though the innocent love Ponyo feels for her dear friend is strong, it will take some help from the greatest powers in the ocean to make things right again.

ALEXIS SAYS: The boys LOVED this movie they watched it a few times before we had to return it, I wish I could have some extra money to buy it for them. I walked in a few times and caught myself watches it. It had the great feel of anime but it had such a great story behind it. It had the feel of little mermaid with a twist. The kids and you will enjoy this one!

Housebroken

Career firefighter Cathkart (Danny DeVito) and his wife (Katey Sagal) are ready to embrace their golden years, but push comes to shove when the only way to reclaim the nest from their slacker sons Elliot (Ryan Hansen) and Quinn (Skyler Stone) is to move out first. Left holding the keys, the fumbling couch potatoes get a crash course in suburban reality as the bills multiply and their newly founded lemonade stand goes belly-up.

ALEXIS SAYS This is NOT a family friendly movie, the language and adult content is everywhere in this movie. This is more a guy flick I didn't find it too funny or even something I would sit threw. I was so SAD I LOVE Danny DeVito and Katey Sagal, they were the whole reason I added this movie to my list. A guy flick, so not one I would want to watch again.

Hachi: A Dog's Tale

Netflix Says:

When his master, Parker (Richard Gere), dies, a loyal pooch named Hachiko keeps a regular vigil -- for more than a decade -- at the train station where he once greeted the man every day in director Lasse Hallström's touching drama based on a true story. Hachiko's faithful routine teaches the station's patrons about true love and commitment. Joan Allen stars as Parker's wife; Sarah Roemer, Jason Alexander and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa co-star.

ALEXIS SAYS: This was a cute movie that of course was sad and even made me tear up a little. I like how they did parts of it threw the dogs eyes (color gone and all). You had some great big stars like Richard Gere and Jason Alexander. You know me I'm a sucker for a true story. I think it's a great DVD rental, not one I would buy but worth the rental! Now it's a G move my boys to young it wasn't animated and they wouldn't get that the man character dies and what the dog was doing. Older kids will enjoy it.

I have a rental that I pay for this are my opions, Sadly no one gave me free movies (man I keep hinting but I get nothing ... lol)

Ok guys do you have a DVD or Movie you've seen that you would like to talk about? Would anyone like to participate in Thursday DVD Review?

Weekend Wrap Wednesday ~ Did We Already Do That???

Wow yet again a fast weekend! We got some major things done, or I should say Rick did around the house. I just worked ... lol :)

The boys room got a make over!

We're doing a Planes, Trains & Automobile

More to come ....

Right now black, grey and white paint up.

And bunk beds up, crib down (of course forgot to take a pic)

My parents picked up Cole @ 3:30pm Friday

They met Caden & I for dinner

Then Cole stayed the night, poor Caden cried.

Caden took a nap in his new bed yes that is the carpet he grabbed :)

And the Fohawk for Caden!

Invites done! The magnetic price went up pkg of 3 not 5 anymore

for $3.99, so I only did 3 pkgs the others will get just a photo.

Cole put up his photo and put his name under it ... lol

And guess what a impromptu date night

Rick knew I was totally needing some me time!

So he got his friend to come over and we used the GC to Anthonys

Yes of course I got coffee and snagged his crackers :)

So not a healthy night but this is RARE occasion!

Getting ready, what I'm not ready oh crap my hair .. LOL

I short but sweet one this week, I'm pooped time for bed :). HUGS love you all!

TMT ~ 3 Mexican Dishes

I did this post a while back, but I thought I would also link up to Think Tank Momma for Cinco de Mayo with some of my favorite recipes. Hope you enjoy, I really did :)

Here it goes 3 yummy mexican theme dishes I made. The boys are big Mexican food fans so these of course went over well! Enjoy!

Quick Turkey Chili

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 pound ground turkey

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 (16-oz.) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup beer*

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Garnish: sour cream

Preparation

1. Sauté chopped onion in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender; add garlic, and sauté 1 minute.

2. Add turkey, chili powder, and cumin, and cook, stirring often, 8 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Stir in tomato paste, and cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and next 5 ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Garnish, if desired.

ALEXIS NOTES I of course don't have a dutch oven so I just used a large pot. Dad visited again so I had beer, so we used beer but you can sub with chicken stock. Of course no fresh cilantro here either. You get what you get when you're here :). And no one complained about it being turkey not beef! I doubt they really notice with all the spices.

Turkey Taco Pie

4 Mission® Light or Fat Free Flour Tortillas

12 oz. fat free Ground Turkey

3 Tbsp. Lawry's® Taco Seasoning Mix

1/3 cup Tomato Paste

1/4 + 1/3 cup Water divided

1-1/2 cups fat free Mexican Cheese shredded

1/3 cup Salsa

Recipe Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 8 inch baking dish with nonfat cooking spray. Lightly spray large nonstick skillet with nonfat cooking spray and heat over Medium heat.

2. Add turkey to skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until turkey is no longer pink and is cooked through; remove from heat and drain turkey.

3. Reduce heat to Medium and place skillet on stove. Add 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water to turkey; cook over low heat 10-15 minutes.

4. Combine salsa, tomato paste, 1/3 cup water and 1 tablespoon taco seasoning in a medium bowl; mix until blended.

5. Cut tortillas in quarters. Arrange tortillas in a single layer on the bottom of baking dish. Spread 1/3 cup salsa mixture on tortillas; top with 1/3 turkey mixture and top with 1/2 cup cheese.

6. Repeat layers, ending with cheese on top. Lightly spray foil with nonfat cooking spray and cover dish tightly. Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove foil and bake 5-7 minutes until lightly browned.

7. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes; cut into squares and serve with additional salsa, if desired.

ALEXIS NOTE: I added black beans and corn for Caden :). I didn't have the right cheese so I used what I had on hand. These were the perfect size for the kids and adults. A great party food idea :).

And for an easy night I busted out the quesdilla maker and threw this one together. Super easy and yummy the boys loved it.

I scrambled up some eggs added some Canadian bacon and green chillies. Added this to the tortilla with some salsa and cheese and serve with sour cream!

Hope you find one or all that you like and want to make!! Enjoy!

MSM & CPW ~ 2 Left Over Ham Recipes & Taco Quiche

Here we go ham is going going gone let's use it! Sorry my non pork fan, but guess what you will love the Taco Quiche below :).

My first thing I did was find a new recipe to use my ham bone and the green beans I forgot to use for Easter! This was simple and yummy!!!

Ham And Green Beans Recipe

Ingredients

1 ham bone, with lots of ham on it
1 pound fresh green beans, stem end snapped off, or 1 pound of frozen
4 stalks celery, WITH leaves or more to taste
3 onions, cut in 1/2" strips
3 pounds potatoes, cut into chunks - skins on!
Herbes de Provence, to taste, maybe 4 tablespoons
3 tablespoons seasoned salt, Janes Crazy Mixed Up Salt, of course,or more to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup garlic, dried, slivered - get in Oriental market or in Costco

Directions

Put ham and bone in large soup pot, add celery, garlic, onion and cover all with water. Simmer, covered for 1 1/2 hours. Add rest of ingredients except potatoes, adding more water, if necessary. Cook another hour or so and take ham and bone out of pot. Remove all ham and return to pot, discarding bone. Add potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender. Adjust seasonings and serve.
NOTE: The dried slivered garlic I use is a fantastic time saver. I use it in soups and stew and things that have a lot of liquid.

ALEXIS NOTES: Ok so I of course didn't have the celery so that went out of the recipe, it called for 3 onions I used half of a large one (boys not big onions fan), I didn't have herb de Provence so I used a package of Italian dressing seasoning I had :), seasoning salt had to go with my fall back love of Johnny's Seasoning Salt! I also add about 2 cups of chicken stock so it didn't stick to the crockpot and gave it another dimension of taste (yes I've been watching too much Food Network!)

Thank you http://www.grouprecipes.com/61786/ham-and-green-beans.html for this recipe.

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My second dish I went to an old fav Quiches! I LOVE LOVE my asparagus and had to use it up so I did a search of ham an asparagus and found a GREAT blog Lynda's Recipe Box that had this amazing recipe! Check it out you'll love her recipes!!

Ham and Asparagus Quiche

1 baked 10", deep dish pie shell, cooled

1 1/2 cups cheese, Cheddar, Swiss, parm, or cheese of your choice

1 cup diced, cooked ham

1/4 cup diced, cooked onion, if desired

1 cup cooked asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

5 large eggs, beaten

2 cups half and half, or you may use half milk and half heavy cream

1 T. chopped flat leaf parsley

1 T. chopped chives

salt and pepper to taste

Using a fork, prick the bottom of a 10 inch, deep dish, pie shell and then bake at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes and remove to a rack to cool. REDUCE heat to 350 degrees. After crust has cooled, add the cheese, then the ham and onion if using, and then the asparagus. Next, mix the eggs and half and half together. Stir in the herbs and salt and pepper and pour over the asparagus. Add some asparagus spears on top, if desired. Transfer the pie to a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50-55 minutes until done. Quiche will puff up when done and when given a shake the filling will not jiggle. You can test it, if desired, by inserting a knife in the middle and it will come out clean when it's done. Cool at least 20 minutes before slicing.

ALEXIS NOTE: I used my Fat Free Half & Half I use for my coffee, I skipped the chives and parsley and didn't put in all the onions. I used a good amount of ham and cheese, so didn't use all the egg mixture, so you'll see why I had to do quiche #2 that night!

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My second quiche was to use up the egg mixture along with the left over Taco meat the night before. This was easy, throw down cheese and meat top with egg mixture. This one I didn't cook the pie crust first like the previous recipe and it turned out just fine! Enjoy

Custom Birthday Card by Custom Bog Designs

A while back I had my blog redone by my friend Diana @ http://customblogdesigns.blogspot.com/ and just loved it. I proudly have her button up on my sidebar! One of my friend Julie at The Mommalogues is getting a blog make over and guess what I received a $5 coupon! It was perfect timing!! I was having problems putting together Cole's invite. I always make it as a photo and then go to the craft store attach a magnet to the back so people can put on their fridge to remember plus if they would like it will be up until the next year. So Saturday night late I emailed Diana to help and guess what Sunday afternoon I have my card fixed and sent over to Walgreens to use the Coupon Code (SNAP50) for 50 prints for $5.00!! Check me out!

Didn't it turn out to cute?