Showing posts with label Top 5. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Top 5. Show all posts

Friday, January 30, 2015

5 Things that NEVER should be re-heated

Growing up I would definitely say my mom was a saver. Nothing in my house went to waste, especially leftovers. My mom can turn some leftover dishes into some pretty awesome meals, who do you think taught me this popular recipe switcheroo? However, she also would save and re-heat everything! Not just about everything, EVERYTHING!!! So I compiled a list of the top 5 things that I think should never even be attempted to be eaten a second time.
5. Scrambled Eggs



Would my youngest eat this re-heated no problem? Sure! Is it just gross and wrong, yes. There is something about re-heating scrambled eggs that just makes them rubbery, less flavorful and just gross! Trust me.

4. Chili Cheese Fries

I use to work at an A&W and loved their chili cheese fries... when eaten fresh. This is something that has to be eaten almost immediately after being made. Just  imagine eating it a day later and reheated in a microwave, its as gross and mushy as it sounds (I promise.)  I want to know if this can even be considered a french fry the next day? 

3. Oatmeal

Have you ever left oatmeal (or cream of wheat for that matter)  out too long and it's gotten that gross film across the top? Imagine eating that throughout the entire dish. I think I'll pass on the slimey leftover hot cereal today, thanks. 

2. Hamburgers


Enough said.
1. Macaroni and Cheese

I don't know what it is about this dish, somehow it's just not the same re-heated. I don't have a problem with other pasta dishes, or even Mac and cheese from scratch, just this one. If there is ever any left over in the pan, it always goes straight to the garbage and not to a tupperware container!
Bonus-



I almost didn't do a bonus this top 5 series but I obviously changed my mind. Besides at this point I almost have to, since every other top 5 has a bonus thought. 

My husband hates soggy bread, he is very sensitive when it comes to wet bread. For example we went to a family members house who served us 2 day old subway sandwiches once, I almost became a widow that day, he seriously almost died. So I will say in our house my husband does not care for not only left over sandwiches but anything that could involve soggy bread, such as enchiladas, burritos, french toast and sometimes even pizza.
What can you not stand re-heated? 

Thursday, February 6, 2014

My Top 5 Favorite Valentines Movies for the Family

Today I am sharing my top 5 favorite shows to watch with my family around Valentines day. If you want some suggestions for just you and your husband that aren't on most people's romance favorites make sure to read yesterday's posting.

5. Up

How cute is the couple in this movie? It's rare for Disney to keep both parents alive till old age, even though the wife dies in the first 10 minutes. technically they lived a long happy life.  Usually Disney has single parents or dead parents right of the bat. I love how much the husband is willing to go through just to fulfill his and his wife's life long dream. I also love in the end when he realized all the things him and his wife really had accomplished together. I think too often we forget how much the little things in life count and can mean so much more than the big things.


4. Enchanted

Princesses, comedy, cartoon characters  and real life characters? Yup this is a perfect for my family. With only 1 boy and 3 girls, my son gets to laugh at the guy mocking love, and get the cool fight scenes, all while my girls get the gushy love stuff, big frilly dresses and other princess stuff. I like to see how many Disney Easter eggs my kids can spot in this movie when I watch it. Here is a little slide show I made of a few of them, but this movie is loaded with them.


3. Winnie the Pooh A Valentine For You
Winnie the Pooh is one of my favorite shows from my childhood. It's not something my kids like to watch too often, but every once in a while (like on Valentines Day) they'll sit through one with me. It's just a fun cute movie to sit and watch while the kids load up on the treats from school. It's fun for me to see all the fun personalities of the characters I so fondly remember.
2. Gnomeo and Juliet
What's Valentines Day with out Romeo and Juliet? Gnomeo and Juliet is a great introduction to the Shakespeare classic. Only this one has a much happier ending. I love the ninja scene where she sneaks out wearing a black sock.  I also love when the best friend is watching the person buying the new lawn mower, "Not the kitty clippers." 
Want to make this into a fun movie night? Here is the link to download and print 13 fun coloring and activity pages. http://www.gnomeoandjuliet.com/main/activities/flash/activityPack/int/pdfs/printables.pdf
1. Mulan
If you read my list of favorite movies for moms and dads this one shouldn't be that surprising. There's a love a story, but not the usual love at first sight lets get married Disney movie. Muln shows that she is more than just beautiful. She's smart, brave, honorable and besides "You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty."
I mentioned earlier that few Disney movies have both parents, alive, well, and competent through the whole movie. This is one of the few I can think of.  I love the history and culture in this movie. I also can't help but dance and sing along with all the great songs in Mulan. This is my all time favorite Disney movie and Disney princess. This is my kind of love story.
Here is a link to throw a Mulan movie night party. You can print and make a Mulan paper doll, make a sweet twist on Mulan's smiley face breakfast and make cute panda cupcakes.
Bonus-
The Princess Bride
I thought I would try something new this year. My kids are getting older and I thought maybe they were ready for a movie like this classic. Sure enough I was right, they loved it. Well at least the parts they watched and didn't ask a million questions through.
There were 3 scenes that were questionable with kids. One was the scene with the rodents of unusual size (ROUS's.) That freaked the kids out a bit, till I told them they were actors in costumes, then they laughed. However his bloody shoulder after the fact made them cringe. The second scene I thought would freak them out was when Wesley is in the pit of despair being tortured. Again they just laughed, they thought it was funny. At the end where Inigo Montoya finally fights the 6 fingered man was too much for them. The knife being thrown, then being stabbed and then ending in his death with  an obvious swear word. My son looked at me and said, "Mom is that a..." I just interrupted, "Yes, yes it is." (If you can't tell we don't swear in our home and my family are naïve to cuss words.) Really it was just 2 scenes with a little blood, but really not that bad.
The rest was great. My son loved the little boy who interrupted the story, cause it was almost the exact reactions from him almost mirroring the boy played by Fred Savage. He loved the fighting, catch phrases, and twists in the plot. My girls loved the princess, and silly saying they actually understood.
The fun part was for me to watch it again, and pick up on little things, or sayings that may have gone over my head when I was younger. I actually watched it again the next night just my husband and I.
If your family isn't all kids under the age of 6-8ish than this is a fun Valentines movie recommendation from me. If you have all tiny tots, then I recommend making it a date night and saving it for a few years.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

My Top 5 Favorite Valentine's Movies for Mom and Dad

 
Here is a list of my favorite movies to watch around Valentines Day. Keep in mind I am not a huge romantic. I don't typically read romance novels or watch romantic movies. I do like romantic comedies, but more for the comedy than the gushy parts. So  pretty much what I'm trying to say is this list isn't going to be your typical Sleepless in Seattle type movie list.




















5. Valentine's Day

I know too cliché right? I also know this movie got horrible reviews. Oddly enough I know how much it cracks me and my husband up every time. Ashton Kutcher is hilarious, especially him and George Lopez together. It also has Bradley Cooper, Julia Roberts, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Garner, the list goes on and on.

I love Anne Hathaway's "side job" in this movie, cracks me up every time.  The girls with the I  Hate Valentines Day party is also fun. I wish I would have thought of that piñata in my singles years. My husband loves movie where there is that twist of how everyone is all connected in the end. Plus what guy wouldn't love the last 3 words of the movie?


4. Mr. & Mrs. Smith

This is not only one of my favorite movies, but my kind of love story. Action, fighting, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, what's not to love. It has the sarcastic humor that is right up my alley. I think my favorite scene in the whole movie is the car/van chase towards the end. When they are discussing what was real in their relationship, and what wasn't while trying to evade the bad guys at the same time. When we saw this in theaters we were seriously laughing so loud the whole movie. Now I know we were the only ones laughing in the theater then, but today we still laugh the same amount.


3. The Notebook

Ok, ok I can't have a Valentines movie list with out a Nicholas Sparks movie. If I had to pick one it would be The Notebook. I do enjoy the courting part of their relationship. The crazy, silly, dance in the street was (and is) my kind of thing. I like the spontaneity of it. I also love the beach scene where she pretends to be a bird randomly. That is something I would randomly say. Let's face it, if you want gushy romance, no doubt, The Notebook is the way to go.


2. Crazy, Stupid, Love

Steve Carrell and Ryan Gosling, enough said. This movie may be on the dirty provocative side, but it is also on the ridiculously hilarious side as well. Steve Carell is so funny, and one of our favorite actors. The way he interacts with his wife, kids, friends and lovers are great. I love the sarcasm between him and his wife's personal conversations, like their joke about switching kids in the hospital. I enjoy Emma Stone's character in this. I think we all sometimes try and walk that line of what I should do and makes sense and the what I want to do and be crazy side. The scene when she goes home with Ryan Gosling's character cracks me up. The classic awkward "Ok, now what?" moment. I always felt bad for the son though. Till the end, then I'm a little disturbed for him. 


1. Date night

Sorry to put another Steve Carrell movie on here, especially back to back, but what can I say? We obviously like him as an actor. I'll bet he and Tina Fey had a blast making this movie. As many married couples may feel the same way they did at the beginning, stuck in a rut. Same dating rituals, who would blame them for wanting to change things up a bit, and pretend to be the Tripplehorns.  We may or may not have used that name for a reservation, just to spice up our own date night.

I also love how much was improve in this. After the director did his few takes, he would ask if they had any suggested changes. Almost always they did, and apparently they almost all made the movie. For instance the scene in the strip joint. They didn't want it choreographed at all, they wanted it just as awkward as the characters themselves. Also I know the scene with James Franco has a lot of improv in it as well. The only part in that scene from the script is "Zip your face," the rest was made on the fly. Don't forget to watch the outtakes on this, hilarious movie!



Bonus-

Live Free and Die Hard

For my bonus I thought I would share with you the movie I have watched for the past 3 years on Valentines Day itself. That's right, it's Live Free or Die Hard. Not exactly romantic- AT ALL! That is one of my favorite movies of all time. I figure this movie doesn't reference Christmas at all like the other's so why not make it a Valentines movie?

 There is only one man in the whole world that I know that could actually take down a helicopter with a car, and that's John McClane. Ok in all seriousness Jack Bauer could too, but that's besides the point. If you haven't noticed by now I love sarcasm, and this movie is oozing plenty of it. The story line progresses' but isn't too complicated for me to understand. I also love the daughter in this, you can tell she is her father's daughter for sure!

That's it for my favorite movies that I watch with my husband around Valentine's Day. For the list of my favorite family friendly love movies check back tomorrow.

Friday, December 20, 2013

My top 5 Must Watch Christmas Movies


I like to watch movies, especially with my family. There are a few movies that I love to watch every year right before Christmas. Here is my list of family friendly movies that I can't go a Christmas year without watching.
5. Jingle All The Way

I remember when this movie first came out, and it still cracks me up. I've watched it with the kids a few years now. It takes a few minutes for them to get into it, It's not till the Dad's start fighting that they really pay attention. It's really cheesy but perfect for a funny family movie night.
4.  A Muppet Christmas Carol

I love watching the Muppets, ever since I was a little girl watching it with my dad. I miss watching one Muppet movie that they did a long time ago where the meet the fraggles from fraggle rock. Anyone remember that? Or know where to get one? A Muppet Christmas Carol, however, is one that we watch on a Sunday leading up to Christmas because of it's good message. I love the music and the classic Muppet sarcastic jokes while my kids love the characters and the silliness. It's the perfect combination to keep everyone happy.
3. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas



Which one you ask? Well usually both. When I watch one it makes me want to watch the other. I do love the Jim Carrey version though. When I was in high school I use to watch this almost every Sunday and then take a nap. Kind of an odd routine, but that's what I did. I really enjoy Jim Carrey's portrayal of the Grinch, the costumes and the way they make the Dr. Seuss classic come to life.
2. Elf


This is first year I remember actually sitting down and watching it with my kids. They loved it. In the past I have just watched it with my husband. It was such a good and fun movie to watch as a family. I really wanted something not cartoony, but would still keep my kids attention. It was perfect.  I love Zoey Deschanel and she also happens to sing my favorite Christmas song in this as well. In the future I would love to go see the musical.
1. A Christmas Story



This is my all time favorite Christmas movie! For YEARS I watched it at least once during TBS's 24 hours of The Christmas Story. A few years ago when we were living in Oklahoma we didn't have cable or any way of watching it. I was really sad to be missing out on my favorite show. Then I found it on DVD and it made my day. It was like a little piece of home even though I was far away and missing my traditions with my family.
Just talking to people about this movie cracks me up and makes me want to watch it. I love the grumpy Santa, the little brother who can't put his arms down, and the many dreams that Ralphie has of himself in the future. If you have never seen it before don't watch it with me, I laugh so loud throughout it you'll never know what's going on.

Bonus: Favorite Not Family Friendly Movie:
The Family Stone

This is a movie I do not recommend with young kids. I know this movie didn't get great reviews, but I love it. I love sarcasm and realistic awkward family situations that may or may not have happened to me. I know in real life we wouldn't act or react like they do in TV, but that's what makes it funny. Like the scene where the girlfriend doesn't quite know whether to join the family picture or not. Realistically people with common sense either offer to take the picture to avoid the awkwardness or the boyfriend makes a big deal about getting in the picture. Now that's if you have common sense. We should all know by now that not everyone in this world has common sense. So we get this funny uncomfortable scene where you want to laugh and feel bad for the character at the same time.
The quirky brother played by Luke Wilson is one of my favorite characters. He just marches to the beat of his own drum, and I love it. It reminds me not only of myself, but my baby brother who is currently serving a mission for our church in El Salvador. Ok, so he reminds me of my brother minus the drinking and the pot.
I also love Rachel McAdams. She plays that one person that no matter how hard you try to be friendly and nice to she just will never warm up to you. So you get to a point where you say, "Fine I'll just be mean to you then!" In the end you end up best buddies and think, "Why did I try so hard in the first place, I should have just been mean from day 1, It would have saved so much time in the end."
This show is bursting with characters with very dynamic personalities. It's nice when all the personalities clash and get together when it's not real life. Then instead of being in the drama you can just laugh at it.
 I will warn you that right before the end (and the funniest climax ever) is one of those scenes that can be awkward if you are watching it with your sweet granny. You know the ones I'm talking about. Then you get to my favorite part. The realistic family fighting, chasing, and rolling with laughter part. Maybe a family wrestling match doesn't break out in your home, but that's probably cause you have all girls. I just laugh, and laugh till I can't breath every time. I recommend getting your hands on a copy for some fun cuddle time with you special honey bunny.
So those are some of my favorite Christmas movies. I posted them with enough time to watch 1 every day till Christmas. Or make a top 5 list of your own. What movies can't you go the holidays with out? I would love to know. Comment or tweet me your favorites.