Random Reviews #1

Movie - Nim's Island

My son and I went and watched Nim's Island this afternoon. He'd been begging to see it for the past few days. Since there had been no major behavioral issues, I agreed to take him. Overall, the movie gets a pretty good rating. This is out of "it sucked", "it was OK", "eh, good", "pretty good", and "freaking awesome!"

Anthony's been talking about it quite a bit and has a renewed fascination with aquatic life. I would have to compare it to Swiss Family Robinson, though without so many characters. There was an awesome tree house, rigged rope swings, and an assortment of helpful and entertaining animal friends that had my son's imagination working overtime. I could see in his eyes that he was plotting how to set up a rope swing from the top of the stairs to the kitchen.... Maybe this movie wasn't such a good idea... Just kidding.

It had an eh, good storyline and pretty good soundtrack. The scenery was freaking awesome, and did a pretty good job of keeping my four year old son's attention throughout. It addressed facing your fears and overcoming them. It emphasized that you should never give up, no matter how bleak the situation. These are all good values in my opinion and the movie presented these in a way that makes conversations about these values easy after you watch the movie.

And on a more mom-only note... the male lead.... oh wow! Gerard Butler... he also played in "P.S. I Love You" with Hillary Swank. I can definitely say that his presence in the movie makes it more than a worth while trip to the theaters! I may even spend money and buy the DVD when it comes out! For those of you that may read the JD Robb series of books, he would make a perfect Roarke!
Gluten-Free Meal recipe of the week:
This is by no means up for any "chef of the year" awards, but it was quick and easy. My son and I loved it. The whole thing took like 10 - 15 minutes to make, so it was relatively quick. FYI - definitely not GFCF, just GF.

1 to 1 1/2 boneless, skinless chicken breast(s)
a little bit of olive oil to use in pan with chicken and pot of water
a little bit of McCormick Italian Seasoning
a little bit of Mrs. Dash Tomato, Basil, and Garlic
about 1/2 tsp of minced garlic
Tinkyada GF Brown Rice Pasta Shells
Ragu Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese Sauce

1. Start water to boil... add a bit of olive oil 'cause that's what you do with pasta water
2. Spread a little bit of olive oil on the bottom of frying pan and start to heat
3. Cut chicken up into bite-sized pieces and put into frying pan
4. Season chicken with the spices and garlic (to taste, of course)
5. Once the water boils, pour enough pasta in pot to have more pasta than chicken :) I used enough for two people. Follow directions on bag for the time to cook.
6. Make sure you don't burn the chicken! Not all things are good blackened!
7. Once pasta's done cooking, drain and throw into pan with chicken. It mixed up all the spices, chicken, and pasta... made it pretty good!
8. After everything is all mixed up, add a bit of Ragu. Stir until evenly coated and sauce is heated.
9. Voila! Serve with salad and tomatoes. Fruit for dessert if you want to knock out a majority of the food groups for the meal. The kid gets a glass of water or milk and you can help yourself to a good glass of white or blush wine. It would probably be good with GF French Bread, but I'm not that good of a baker... yet ;)