Thanksgiving’s Coming…

Family Movie Night

 

By Karyn Bowman

 

Next week is Thanksgiving already. Can you believe the year has gone so fast? Never mind that old chestnut; the better question is about what are any of us serving at the Thanksgiving.

 

What plans do I have for our menu?

 

Well, oyster stuffing is definitely on. Green Bean casserole in another must along with cranberry sauce

 

Another dish I plan on is Sweet Potato Casserole with a pecan topping. I love mashed sweet potatoes but my family is not so thrilled about them. That is until last year when I made up the topping with some pecans I happen to have in my pantry. I mixed the chopped nuts with a little flour, butter and brown sugar before spreading it on top of the mashed sweet potatoes already in a casserole dish. In the oven it went to get crunchy on top.

 

This was a Big hit!

 

As we make the ramp up to the holiday, I am sure there are a few movies that people like me say are “must see” because they focus on the turmoil and dysfunction of family get-togethers.

 

 

Poster Image from IMDb.com

How can you do Thanksgiving without watching Home For the Holidays with Holly Hunter and Robert Downey Jr. as they go home again. This movie – not meant for anyone younger than teenagers because of the context – has its bitter moments and sweet moments.

 

Another Thanksgiving adult-only feature is Pieces of April starring Katie Holmes as a young woman trying to turn her life around. She decides to show her family how well she is doing by hosting Thanksgiving in her NYC apartment. Problems start with a broken oven and continue with a mom having issues.

 

Image from IMDb.com

My personal favorite movie to watch during the Thanksgiving holiday is family friendly Miracle on 34^th Street.But I am a sucker for sappy movies about mythological characters that want to inspire good in the world.

 

That aspect lead me to the summer movie now on DVD, Brave.

 

Set in the Scottish Highlands, we meet Merida , a young girl who is on the edge of adulthood. But she and her mother do not see eye-to-eye. That could not be more true as her family prepares for the Highland Games that will determine whom Merida will marry.

 

That is when Merida goes to find the witch to produce a spell to help her mother see her point of view. But you know it is never that easy. Things go wrong and now the girl has to find a way to undo all that she has done.

 

Poster Image from IMDb.com

Disney put out a movie a few years ago called Brother Bear that worked on a similar premise although it it was the main character who was turned into a bear. I was not fond of that movie and felt it missed something.

 

Brave perhaps touches closer to home for me because my kids are head strong and want their way. I connected with the mother as voiced by Emma Thompson. But I can also get how the daughter wants her freedom. Merida ’s solutions may not be the right ones at first but they are certainly interesting.

 

Until next week, see you in the rental aisle.

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Did I forget universal rules of living with a dog?

There are days that I think I have it all going on.

My blog is getting continuous hits; I am having arguments, ahh, lively discussions with libertarians on Facebook; and I am getting regular writing assignments.

But life has a way of sneaking up on you to let you know you gotta slow down.

All that is left is the empty bowl

That simple reminder came for me  with this empty bowl. Are you going “I don’t get it. Why is there an empty bowl with a spoon of the side?”

Here’s the story.

Last weekend, I was making a few dishes for our church pot luck. Ham was on the menu so I had to make Sweet Potato Casserole (yes, with marshmallows) and bread pudding. Someone else was making Mac-and-Cheese. However, in the middle of making the bread pudding, my 13 y.o. says “Mom, my ear hurts. It is all stuffed up.”

This is never a good sign. Mr. 13 blew out one ear drum at a tender age, he does not need a matched set. I had the custard filling made and left it while we go to the bathroom for a dose of ear cleaning solution. I come back to tear up bread and pour in custard filling when I notice it is all gone.

The bowl was empty and the spoon has not been moved.

That’s right, the spoon had not been moved.

A lovable dog and an eating machine

I knew who the culprit was right away. See the picture of the cute lab with the big brown eyes? That was him, Storm our labrador. And it was my own fault for not moving the custard mixture to a safe place.

So I did what any mom would do.  I hid the bread. Put away anything that the dog might eat and went to the store for more Milnot. Rest assure, I mixed everything in a different bowl, baked it and made the sauce. At the end of the night I took home an empty pan that once held bread pudding.

And the dog? Well, he is going to live another day. He is a lab and my experience shows that labs can eat just about anything.

It was simply another day in which the universe said “you know the rules of life with a dog. Don’t forget to follow them.” I did and the price was having to make a second batch of custard filling. At least he did not get into the brownies that had peanut butter chips in them.

That would have been messy.

Karyn Bowman is also known as Mom Goes to the Movies. She lives in Kankakee County with her outdoor writer husband and four children. Become friends with Karyn on Facebook.