(Image via Wikimedia.)
I love movies, but since having children, I don’t go see them very often, or at all, really. I think that’s a normal side effect, and thank goodness for Netflix. But over the holidays, I saw two movies in an actual theater! I think it’s been about five years since I last saw a movie, and I remember that Ryan watched a very tiny James one afternoon while I went with a friend back in 2009. And then I had Rhys, and one thing led to another, and I don’t even know the names of the actors nominated for Oscars any longer. That makes me sad, since that was once my thing, and if I have to make a resolution for 2014, it’s to see more movies in a theater!
It helps that Ryan recently took me to a very nice theater about 30 minutes from our house, one of those places that serves meals and drinks while you lounge in leather recliners and watch a fabulous film. A girl could get used to that, and I’m hoping we get to make it a monthly event. I should mention, too, that I am super snobby picky about what movies I see in the theater, and I have a laundry list of the type I refuse to watch. That makes it hard to go with Ryan or anyone else, and I know it’s a problem, but I just can’t help myself. I don’t do hobbits or action or zombies or James Bond, so I stay home with the boys while Ryan goes with his friends. I used to go by myself a lot before I had children, and I think that’s a great way to watch a movie.
So Ryan let me pick, and I chose American Hustle, which has a really fabulous ensemble cast, including an almost unrecognizable Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, and Bradley Cooper. The film is set in the late 1970s, and the fashion and music are phenomenal. Amy Adams is very sweet and convincing in her role, and her constant cleavage is not at all distracting. I read that she has a no-nudity clause, and this movie literally skirts around it the entire time. Clearly, she burned her bra and is not looking back. But it’s Jennifer Lawrence who steals the show with her portrayal of the depressed housewife who sets fires all day long, both literally and metaphorically. I think she will be nominated for a Best Supporting Actress award, and she is so hilarious and pitiful, at the same time. I also really love this song from the movie, an Arabic version of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit,” sung by Mayssa Karaa.
And then we took the boys to see their very first movie in a theater. I heard and read wonderful things about Frozen, and I thought the boys would enjoy it. James loved the movie and the entire experience, but Rhys was really bored once he ate all the popcorn. I was really disappointed in the movie, too, and I thought it fell so flat. The music was really lackluster compared to other Disney movies I’ve seen in the past (I’m from The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King generation) and the characters weren’t developed at all, aside from that weird little snowman who showed up halfway through the movie and provided a bit of much-needed comic relief. The animation was beautiful and I loved Elsa’s transformation to a real Snow Queen (her eyeshadow was gorgeous!), but other than that, I felt a lot like the writer of this article. I think Disney’s Secret of the Wings, a Tinker Bell movie, is extremely similar (two sisters, lots of snow) and much, much better. Plus, it’s streaming on Netflix right now.
Still, it was great to visit an actual theater twice over the holidays, and I’m making a list of other movies I want to see. Have you seen any new movies lately?
(A few of my mom’s flowers. Her garden always inspires me.)
We went back to our regular schedule this week, and it feels good to be in a routine after the long holiday break. The boys returned to school yesterday, and we’ll have a quiet weekend at home without any big plans. Those are always the best weekends, I think. Here are a few things that caught my attention this week.
Vogue’s Fashion Guide for Spring 2014.
Are you watching Downton Abbey this season? Here’s a funny quiz about it.
Why it’s “absolute nonsense” to make Americans wait to watch Downton Abbey months after British fans.
Stevie Nicks had a long talk with Katy Perry. (When Stevie Nicks gives you advice, you listen.)
A rap video shot in North Korea.
A look inside Roma houses.
And an American skater takes on Russia’s anti-gay laws.
Have a wonderful weekend!
(All of the ingredients in one pot, too easy.)
It’s no secret that I don’t really like to cook, and I normally skim right over recipes when I see them on blogs. But this One Pot Pasta from A Beautiful Mess hooked me with its name, since, when I do cook, I’m all about ease and convenience. Though I love to eat, I don’t enjoy the process of cooking, and I think that fact comes out in my finished product. I get bored or lazy, add too much or too little of an ingredient, and then the results are usually botched, unless it’s something fool-proof, like this pasta.
I followed the recipe exactly, though I didn’t add an entire package of noodles, because Ryan and I are the only ones who will eat this dish (my boys are still picky little eaters). Since I didn’t adjust the other ingredients, especially the liquids, it was soupier than it probably should be, but that didn’t affect the flavor at all. This recipe calls for vegetable stock, which adds extra flavor, and a can of diced tomatoes. I added a few cherry tomatoes leftover from last week, and I think you could add or substitute what vegetables you have on hand.
(The pasta all ready to eat!)
Ryan is definitely the foodie in our household, and he’s really particular about his pasta. I actually like softer pasta, and I find al dente too crunchy, to be honest. But I wanted to score points with this recipe, so I followed it to a tee and boiled the pot for less time than suggested, since I wasn’t cooking as much pasta. He declared it to be perfect and ate two servings, so I think it was a win for our family. Even James told me that it smelled good, as he ate his apples and peanut butter, and I’m hoping that this will be a weekly staple when the boys are older and eating everything in sight.
This version is technically vegetarian, and Ryan suggested adding bacon (what else?) to give it more flavor. I think you could also add leftover chicken or even ground beef, and they would also taste good. The prep and clean-up time were minimal, which are basic recipe requirements for me, and I’m happy with this recipe.
I also want to try this soup, but I’m scared of folding all those dumplings.
Have you tried One Pot Pasta? What are some of your easy, go-to recipes?
