Singing Babies - My Son Loves This DVD

I recently purchased a DVD on an impulse buy at Marshalls. It was $4.99 and it showed babies singing nursery rhymes. My son loves nursery rhymes. The DVD was not what I thought it would be. I expected to see babies with music in the background. What they did was superimpose singing lips on the babies. As an adult it is a bit disturbing. My son however loves this DVD. Prior to this, I could never get him to sit and watch anything on tv for long periods of time. Now he sits and shouts out "baby" to the tv screen. He also brings me the DVD when he wants to watch it.

If you want to buy it online, it is actually more expensive: http://www.amazon.com/Singing-Babies-Nursery-Rhyme-Time/dp/B00005QTA5/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322322881&sr=8-1.

Since this is the first DVD he has watched, I am tempted to get the singing babies toddler tuneshttp://www.amazon.com/Singing-Babies-Toddler-Tunes/dp/B00006II6I/ref=pd_bxgy_mov_img_b. This buys me enough time to prep his bath, make his lunch or dinner without having him pulling to come and play with him.

Definitely worth purchasing.

Chickpea, Ham, Tomato Casserole

I was searching for a quick casserole to make the other night. As I scoured the Allrecipe site (http://allrecipes.com/) which I love, I became inspired by this recipe I found: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/zesty-rice-n-bean-casserole/detail.aspx. I didn't have all of the ingredients but it gave me an idea for a variation on this recipe. Here is what I came up with:

Ingredients
2 cups of instant brown rice
1 large can of diced tomatoes
2 tsp of minced garlic (I use the bottle of minced garlic)
1 tsp of chili spice
1 can of mushrooms
1 can of chickpeas drained and rinsed (you can use kidney beans if you want, I only had a small can of chickpeas)
1 can of ham
1/3 of paneer (I was using it up in my fridge - this is optional)
1.5 cups of shredded cheese - I used the taco flavoured cheese because I had bought some on special
1 tbsp of cajun spice
1 tbsp of roasted red pepper and garlic spice
Note: use whatever spice you want to make it flavourful. We like it on the hotter side. One suggestion is to use flavoured diced tomatoes.

Directions:
Prepare the instant rice according to instructions

In a large frying pan, cook the garlic and mushrooms for about 5 to 7 minutes is some olive oil.
Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, chili spice and let simmer until the rice is down.

Once the rice is done, add it it the mixture along with the ham. I like to mash up the ham with a fork and pre - season it with the roasted red pepper spice.

Add half of the cheese, cover and simmer on the stove for about 10 minutes. I mainly did this because I wanted the paneer to soak into the juices. If you are not using the paneer you can take it straight to the stove if you want.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Pour the contents in a 3 quart container. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and cook for 15 to 20 minutes in the stove.

I have managed to get three meals out of this (6 servings). These were large servings so you may be able to get 8 servings out of it but you will want to have a good side dish.

Bread Tomato Soup - Comfort Food for the Cold Weather

I had an extra loaf of bread this past weekend and I was interested in how I could use it up. The majority of recipes suggested French Toast. I had tried that before with wonderful results but it really isn't something you want to eat for dinner. I came across a reference for bread soup which intrigued me. This supposedly was created in Italy to use up old bread. I found the following recipe below:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/tomato-and-bread-soup/detail.aspx

This is a great website if you haven't tried it before. I only wanted to do 4 servings and it adjusts the recipe accordingly.

I have made this soup twice, each slightly different ways. The first followed the original recipe. The second I was going by memory so I forgot a few things. It still tasted the same way. Here is my version:

1 can of diced Chili tomatoes by Alymers - they are on sale for $0.99 right now at Price Chopper

1 tsp of minced garlic

1/2 loaf of french bread

1 1/2 chicken bouillon cubes

3 cups of water

4 to 8 tbsp of olive oil (see instructions below)

Slice the bread up into 1/2 inch slices - if you are using day old bread you can do this. I used week old bread today and I needed to microwave it first to cut it. I then tore it up into small pieces. The older the bread, the harder it is to do this. It still tastes good if you have large pieces of bread.

You will need a large stock pot - something you would cook pasta in or something that will hold 3 cups of water and the can of tomatoes.

I heated the pot and put the bread in it. The original recipe called for 4 tbsp of olive oil but I found this did not cover the bread so I added olive oil until the bread was covered. I then heated the bread until it was lightly toasted. I added a tsp of minced garlic and the can of tomatoes. I simmered for 8 minutes.

I then made three cups of chicken broth using the bouillon and added it to the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes.

This made four servings. If there are 2 of you, three servings if you like seconds.

If you want to make it vegetarian, use the vegetable broth.

You can add chili flakes but with the seasoned tomatoes you don't really need any spice.

Mattel Toy Outlet in Mississauga - Deals for November

As Christmas approaches, I recommend that you visit the Mattel Toy Outlet in Mississauga. You are guaranteed to get some great deals.

Here is the link to the flyer that was posted on Smartcanucks.ca  - http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/232429-mattel-toy-outlet-blowout-weekends-sept-mississauga-canada/

The scanned image of the flyer shows that in November there are deals up to 40% off. Starting this week they are open Friday (10- 7 ), Saturday (10-5)  and Sunday (12-5).I have arrived there in the past around 10:30. The place gets busy so I suggest going early. According to the flyer they re-stock weekly.

Happy Shopping!

Grape Crisp Recipe

As I was cleaning out my fridge I realized I had a bunch of green grapes that had not been eaten. The grapes had started to go and were too bitter to eat. I hate waste these days so I scoured the internet looking to see if you could actually cook with old grapes. I found this recipe for quick grape crumble: http://www.food.com/recipe/quick-grape-crumble-178105. I didn't have the exact ingredients, so I made some modifications and used a crumble recipe from another website : http://www.cookingnook.com/apple-crisp-recipe.html.

Here is the recipe that I used:

Ingredients for Grape Filling

2 cups seedless grapes (This is important because part way through the recipe I realized mine had seeds. I fished out what I could but there are still some crunchy seeds left in there)

1/4 cup Welch's grape jelly - this was the only jelly I had on hand

2 tablespoons apple juice

1 tbsp of cornstarch

1 tbsp of lemon juice

1 tbsp of water

At medium heat, mix the grapes, jelly and apple juice in a medium saucepan. The grapes I had were very large so it took awhile for the grapes to split (approx. 15 to 20 min). I then took a potato masher to them to mash them up.

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch, lemon juice and water together. Pour into the grape mixture and bring to a boil. The mixture should thicken.

Pour into a 8x8 pan. While you are making the sauce, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare the crisp as follows: 

Ingredients for Crisp

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup butter (or margarine) - I never have butter on hand these days and it still works out great

1/4 cup oats - I used quick oats

Mix all of them together. If you have a pastry blender you can use that, or cross cut with two knives. I personally use a fork to do the job and it works out just fine.

Pour the crumble mixture on top of the grapes and bake for 25 minutes. 

The result is a nice desert that is a bit tart. It works well with the crumble which is sweet from the brown sugar.

Overall I was pleased with the results and I didn't have to throw the grapes out like I normally have to.

Happy Cooking!

Chocolate Spiders for Halloween

I can't believe how long it has been since I posted. I got out of my groove. After the film festival I was exhausted  and I lacked inspiration for writing. The month of October has been a busy one with birthdays, Thanksgiving and now Halloween. Today is my husband's Halloween potluck. I got this great idea from a Today's Parent email to make these chocolate spiders. Of course, when I clicked on the link the recipe was no longer there. Today's Parent has spent the last few weeks revamping their website and somehow the recipe section is lacking now.

I scoured the internet and I found a substitute recipe and then worked by memory. These turned out delicious and kids will love them.

Chocolate Spiders

Ingredients
1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup of Rice Krispies
1/2 cup of chow mein noodles
1 bag of smarties, or M&M's for eyes

Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
Place the chocolate chips is a medium size bowl and microwave on medium for 2 minutes. Stir. If the chocolate is still not melted, put it back in the microwave for 25 second increments until it is melted.

Pour the Rice Krispies into the bowl of chocolate and stir.

Place teaspoons of the mixture onto the baking sheet. The recipe says it will yield 12. I got about 14 to 16 out the recipe.

Take 2 chow mein noodles, break each of them in half and stick four legs into the sides of the mound of chocolate.

Place 2 Smarties at the front of the mound for eyes.

If you want to make it really decadent, add a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to the recipe above and separate into  a smaller bowl when melted. Pour the chow mein noodles into the bowl and mix. Place three noodles on the sheet in a star form and add the mound of Rice Krispies onto the chow mein noodles.

Cool for one hour at room temperature until is hardens or 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

I did 2 batches and it took about an hour to make. Your hands get a little sticky but the result is worth it.

TIFF - Overall Review

The festival is over and already I am in withdrawal. I loved every minute of it this year. I have to say that it was very organized this year. Over the past few years as they expanded, certain venues were not under control. I am glad to see they have a better system in place and things moved along smoothly.

I was impressed with the number of directors and actors that showed up for second screenings this year. It is always a pleasure to be able to listen to the Q&A. This is one of the best parts of the festival. When are you ever going to get a chance to ask a director about their movie? The festival gives you an opportunity to learn about things such as inspiration, budget, casting.

Overall I give this year's festival 4/5 - can't wait until next year!

TIFF - Review of Page Eight

Review - 3.5 out of 5

This is a story of an MI5 agent that is given a document which indicates there are people at top levels that are aware of the Americans torturing people for information.

This is a political thriller. Bill Nighy does an amazing job as Johnny Worricker, the MI5 agent trying to find out the truth before it is covered up. The movie keeps you on your feet as Johnny figures out who he can trust. At the same time, he reveals parts of himself which shows how he became the person he is today.

In the Q&A the director/writer David Hare noted the following:

• Movie was made in 5 weeks with a budget of $3 million
• It is well known that it takes about 7 years for a film to be made. In Britain, a made for tv movie can be ready for production in 6 months. The director indicated he was 60 and after looking at the actuarial tables he decided it was a better idea for him to go the made for tv route. He says this is a made for tv movie that is really a film.
• He was able to get such an all star cast (Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon and Judy Davis) because of who he is. Everyone has worked with him and when they found out he had written a play that he was going to direct they all came out to help.
• Nighy and Hare have worked together approximately 7 times over their career. The part was written with him in mind. 
• There is talk of a sequel for this movie.

I was able to take some pictures with my blackberry but I was at the back so they are not the best. Bill Nighy is delightful and worth seeing in person. This was the second showing of the film and I was impressed that both of them came out for the movie to do the Q&A.

TIFF - Review of The Awakening

Review 4 out of 5 - I am on a role with these movies. The last few ones I have thoroughly enjoyed. I would recommend renting this one. I don't think you need to see it at the theatres.

This movie is set in the 20's. It focuses on an educated woman, Florence Cathcart, who earns money by proving there are no ghosts. She is hired by a boarding school to investigate a siting of a ghost. A small boy that supposedly died years before when it was a private residence haunts the school. The children are afraid and Ms. Cathcart is hired to prove it is just a hoax. The director summarizes the movies by saying "we see ghosts because we need to".

Rebecca Hall who stars is the movie does an amazing job. The director made a note that she is wonderful to work with which is something important in the industry. I have summarized some of the comments the director made in the Q&A today:

He composed a small song that was part of the opening of the movie. 
The boarding school will be recognized by some as Pemberley in Pride and Prejudice. The location is really called Lion Park
The director drained the colour from the film to give it that feeling of being sick
All interiors were shot in three empty homes in Scotland
He chose not to film in high def because he didn't feel it was appropriate for a period film.
The writer is an incredibly nice guy. Original story set in a different time period. The director decided to set it in the 20's right after World War I.
Director has never seen a ghost.
Director had Rebecca in mind when doing his section of the writing. She liked it on the first read. 
Uk film counsel was shut down but it is evolving into another name. They play a major part in making up gap financing. It is soft money meaning that they don't get a say in the film. It is a charity funded my lottery money. Another huge player is bbc film. 
The director's future project is called Blood about the moral decline of a police family. Paul Bettany will be associated with it. 

Spoiler alert - Director wanted the only general threat to come from the living. It was important to him that he show that only a living person be the real threat.
 
Spoiler alert - The leg thing was survivor guilt and self hate. Self abuse and self harm was not unusual in this time period. Mallory's self harm comes from if "I feel pain I am making up for what I gained."
Spoiler alert - he did not want Ms. Cathcart to be rescued by a man since she is a strong determined woman.
Spoiler alert - Paintings in the film were chosen specifically. He wanted the lion attack to be part of a memory. The other painting was to detract the viewer. He felt if there was only one painting it would take on too much meaning early on in the film.  

TIFF - Review of Friends with Kids

Review - 4 out of 5 - this is a must see for anyone with young children. You will laugh as you watch and nod your head with understanding. It is a fun romantic comedy that will make you realize you are not alone. Everyone experiences the same thing.

The story is about two best friends who watch as their friends change when they have kids. Both want children and have not yet found the one they are suppose to be with. They don't want the downside of marriage so they decide to have a child and split the responsibility 50/50.

The movie shows what an adventure it is to have kids. It can be rough but the benefits are amazing. Everyone thinks things will be the same but it never is again. One day you are going out to fancy restaurants, staying out all night, meeting new people, the next day you are changing diapers and watching your babies grow into these amazing people.Relationships change when you have kids. Its like watching the Amazing Race. Some couples survive the race and others realize it wasn't meant to be. Raising kids is the same thing.

This will be a movie that you watch over and over again.

TIFF - Review of Michael

Review - 4 out of 5 - this is a difficult movie to watch. Your stomach will be tied up in knots and you will be filled with hatred towards the main character. A very disturbing subject matter that will leave you feeling unsettled

Michael is the story of a pedophile. He lives a normal life, with a sister and mother who love him. At night when he comes home you realize he has kidnapped a young boy. They eat dinner together, watch tv together and then Michael has sex with him.

The film does not show the sex scenes with the child for obvious reasons. Everything in implied. The director of the film was very open with the parents and explained everything that he wanted to do before starting the film. Prior to viewing the film at Cannes, the director had the parents watch the film to ensure they were okay with everything. The child was also told what the movie was about and everything was explained to him.

A large part of the movie is in silence with you observing Michael and his interaction with the boy. The viewer is stressed because you don't know if anyone will find the boy.

This is a first time movie for the director. Prior to this he was a casting director. He noted several points in Q&A last night:

• He wrote the script in 5 days
• His inspiration for the topic was based on all of the stories that were in the headlines at the time (2008)
• He did no research for the film. He didn't want a story he read to influence the writing.
• He gave the script to a forensic psychiatrist who works with the courts and has interviewed pedophiles. The feedback she gave him was that his portrayal of the pedophile was accurate. 
• He has no problems getting funding. He passed the movie to the investors and had money for the film the next day
• There was no music for most of the film. The director felt that music is something that tells you how to feel. The thought of putting music to this topic was nauseating to him.
• The subtitles did not include what was on the news. The director felt that the tv was background noise was not relevant to the film and did not want it translated.
• Originally the investors wanted a well known actor in the role of Michael. The director did not want this. He mentioned that people watch the news and look at these people as monsters. He wanted a unknown actor to play the part so that you could identify with the character. It shows that the pedophile is not someone you can identify in the crowd. He is the guy next to you at work. The quiet one that works hard, has a family who loves him, a home, friends and women that are attracted to him. 
• Spoiler alert  - at the end of the film, the intention was that the boy was alive when he is found
• Spoiler alert - Michael burns the card the boy gives him because he is hurt it is impersonal. He wants the boy to like him.

You won't stop talking about this film after you see it. It is disturbing to watch and makes you realize how easily this could happen to your children.

TIFF - Review of Take Shelter

Review - 4 out of 5 - recommend renting this film. It keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The movie is about a man who has nightmares about a terrible storm that is coming. Each night different things happen to him or his child in his nightmares. In the morning he struggles with the anxiety that is brought on by these nightmares. The dreams are so vivid, he believes that something bad is coming. At the same time he acknowledges that his anxiety may relate to a mental illness as it runs in the family.

The movie really shows the strength of a family on sticking together when things start to fall apart around them. The wife has to make a decision on whether to believe in her husband and see him through this anxiety or leave him and take the child.

The viewer is kept on the edge of their seat as the director builds the suspense on what is going to happen. Is a storm really coming or is this character on the verge of a complete mental breakdown.

The acting by Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain is superb. This is a good thriller to watch and the viewer is kept guessing right up to the end.

I didn't have my camera but I took some pictures with my blackberry of Jessica Chastain and the executive producer (man wearing the tan coat).  I hadn't heard of her before but this month alone she has five films opening up in theatres.

TIFF - Review of Once Upon a Time in Anatolia

Review - 2 out of 5 - this is not a mainstream film. You are left with questions and it is a long drawn out film.

I did some research on this film when I got home today to find out what others thought of this. I was surprised on IMDB to see the rating of 8.5 out of 10. I started to wonder whether we had watched the same film. I understand this won the Grand Prize of the Jury award at Cannes which explains why it was sold out this morning.

The movie is about a man that confesses to murder and the journey he takes law officials on to find where he buried the body. The movie is mostly shot at night and at dawn with car headlights providing light. The shots of the countryside were beautiful and worth watching the film just for that piece alone. As you watch the movie, the main characters (police chief, doctor, prosecutor) talk about their lives. The movie watcher feels like you are travelling in the car with them, listening to their stories. All of them appear to be guilty of something but you don't know what it is. As the movie progresses (2 hours and 45 minutes), you become tired. It is like a long day at work. In reading the other reviews, that is supposedly what the director wanted you to feel.  I felt I was left with more questions than answers and exhausted after the end of it. You feel like you have been up all night with the characters driving around looking for a body. When they do find it, they certainly do not treat it like CSI which begs the question how do they do an investigation in these countries?

I wouldn't recommend this film unless you are into artistic direction.

TIFF - Review of Intruders

Review - 5 out of 5 - Don't miss out on watching this

I don't always give out this high of a rating, especially this early in the festival. This movie was incredible.

It is based on the concept that we pass our childhood fears onto our children. If you were ever afraid of the boogeyman then this movie will give you the creeps. It is definitely a thriller and you are left on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what is real and what isn't. It has you questioning whether there really is a boogeyman and if there is, what would happen if you see him as an adult.

The director created this film based on discussions he had with his producers on the origin of fear. As adults we tend to use fear as a motivator to prevent our children from doing something. What would happen if we pass our fears onto our children?

I will be surprised if this does not do well at the box office. If you are a Clive Owen fan you will definitely love this. I will however be checking my closets tonight because you never know what lurks in the dark.

TIFF - Review of Miss Bala

Review 3.5 out of  5 - Thought provoking, worth renting

On Monday I went to see Miss Bala. It was a Mexican movie about a young woman who dreamed of being a beauty queen. One night she is in a night club with a friend when some men attach the club and kill the patrons. She witnesses the events and becomes entangled with a drug cartel.

The movie kept you guessing. You watched this women get deeper and deeper into trouble and you kept asking yourself how she was ever going to get free. It showed how bad the drug situation is in Mexico and that there is no one you can turn to for help because you don't know who is corrupt. The movie was loosely based on two separate events, a beauty queen that was arrested for carrying a large amounts of ammunition and a DEA agent that was killed by a Mexican drug gang.

At the end of the movie, it notes that 36,000 people have died in the last five years due to drug related crimes in Mexico. In the Q&A session with the Director and cast it was noted that this is now up to 50,000 and growing. The director made this movie out of anger for the situation that is happening in Mexico. It is not a safe environment and the drug situation is getting worse.

The director left some interesting twists in the movie that make you question who is honest and who is corrupt. He even mentioned in the Q&A that this is how is works in Mexico. People will be arrested for terrible crimes and judges will let them go. There is no rational for what happens in Mexico.

The movie will keep you on the edge of your seat. It was a first time performance for the female lead and she did an excellent job at portraying fear without speaking. The ending will leaving you asking questions.

TIFF - Review of Twixt

Review 3 out of 5 - worth renting

Twixt is about an author who comes to a small town to do a book signing. While he is there, he is approached by the sheriff to co - author a book about a series of murders that have taken place there. The author once had potential but since the death of his daughter he has been drowning his sorrows in alcohol. The sheriff asks him in the movie "How does it feel being the Bargain-Basement Stephen King?". While staying in the small town the author has a dream which he feels is linked to the murders. The movie unfolds in a series of dreams as the author tries to figure out who murdered these girls.

In the Q&A, Francis Ford Coppola mentions that this movie was based on a dream he had. In some cases, the dreams the author experiences are exactly like the dreams that Coppola had. There is an interesting use of colour  between reality and dreams which I really liked. The movie also used 3D technology in two parts which added something interesting to the film. Val Kilmer was excellent in the role of the author. There are some very funny scenes between him and his wife and when he sits down to write the novel. He does a great job of being a tortured soul looking for the truth.

I wouldn't say this would be a box office hit but it is worth renting. He keeps you guessing (although IMDB gives away a little of the plot so I recommend not reading the synopsis) and is very entertaining.

The movie shows that Val Kilmer is an under utilized actor in hollywood.

TIFF - Twixt Experience

Today I had a fantastic film festival experience. It is days like this that make it exciting to be part of the TIFF experience. I went to see the world premiere of Twixt by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Val Kilmer.

I had amazing seats. The only thing separating me between Coppola and Kilmer was two people and an aisle. I was about 6 feet away from them while I watched the movie. Sitting in the same row as Coppola while he watched this version of the movie for the first time was incredible. He said that the last time he saw an edit of the film was at his daughter, Sofia's wedding. They even walked by me on their way to the stage. They were so close I could have touched them. Kilmer is much better looking in person than in recent films. Having been a huge fan of his since the Top Gun days it was great to see him in person. 

I have attached some pictures that I took. Keep in mind I have an old camera and my zoom lens sucks. The lighting was dim so I had to edit some of the pictures in order to see the images better. 

Overall today was a 5 out of 5 for TIFF experience.