Joe Makes a Most Excellent Santa Claus

We went to our friends house for a Christmas Party on Saturday night and had a great time! The kids love to get dressed up...

I made my favorite Artichoke-Camembert Dip (recipe not on epicurious)...although it was short some cheese and a little soupy.

And Joe made a surprise appearance as Santa with the kids not having a clue despite the beard drooping on the left...

(How did Santa KNOW I wanted Headbands and Bracelets? How did Santa know I wanted cars?)

Lots of yummy appetizers, nice to catch up with friends, and nice to meet some really friendly new people.

Meal Planning wk of 12/12

I have been meal planning, but not posting lately. Here's the plan for this week:

Friday - Homemade Pizza - nothing fancy, just have extra sauce and bought premade dough and shredded cheese. Kids liked it and I was too tired from cleaning to do much else.
Saturday - Xmas Party - Wonderful apps a la Trader Joes at this party (Yes, you made the blog and I have another post coming so actually you made it twice, ES!)
Sunday - Swedish Meatballs with Buttered Noodles & Salad - This came out pretty good other than me hosing the meatballs a bit. If you make this, definitely stick to 10 minutes on the meatballs and not 12+. Also, add salt to the sauce.
Monday - Chicken Milanese w/ Roasted Carrots & Parsnips & Salad - Add more salt to the panko before cooking!
Tuesday - Smoked Salmon Pasta - Can't find this recipe online...leftovers for the kids.
Wednesday - Escarole, Bean & Sausage Soup - I don't use kielbasa for this but regular sweet italian sausage.
Thursday - Tortilla Espanola; Kids - M & C night

I'll post recipe links later when I get home. I have to do some work today :)
UPDATE: Recipes posted!

Last 10 Netflix Movies

I've been seriously anti-pop culture lately so I figure I should try to catch up. Here are my last 10 Netflix movies and thoughts:

1. The Other Boleyn Girl - It was ok. I just couldn't get past the backwards casting of Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. Scarlett did okay as Mary Boleyn, but Natalie just did not portray conniving/manipulating/voluptuous/seductive quite like I think Scarlett would have. Also, Eric Bana was just an okay King Henry. I watch The Tudors on Showtime and the casting on that show, while I seriously doubted it at the beginning, really grew on me and Jonathon Rhys Meyers really plays a kick-ass crazy/temperamental/arrogant King Henry. Eric Bana sucked in Troy too...he just doesn't do it for me. Actually, he was good in Munich, but that's it.
2. Snow Angels - This was good, but tough to watch as there is a little girl tragic accident involved that is just so heart-wrenching. Kate Beckinsale was good and I liked Sam Rockwell. I want to like him so badly, but the movies he's in never quite get there.
3. Tropic Thunder - I thought this was just so-so. I did agree that Tom Cruises cameo was very funny (although worthy of a Golden Globe nomination? I don't know about that). RDJr was good and I seriously forgot it was him several times. But, Ben Stiller can just be so annoying sometimes (reminiscent of his awkward character, Michael, in Reality Bites)
4. Firefly - last Disc of only Season. I liked this TV series. It was one of those 1 season TV shows on some random cable channel that got great reviews but got cancelled anyway. They ended up making a follow up movie called Serenity that I'll definitely watch now (see To Do List for Maternity Leave post coming up). It was sort of a cowboy Sci-Fi show if you can imagine that. Great characters. Nathan Fillion has this ugly-hot thing going for him a la Joaquin Phoenix (I don't think he has quite the same hair lip but it's similar) that is appealing.
5. Reservation Road - Also a disturbing child accident movie, but I just love Mark Ruffalo and Joaquin Phoenix. Jennifer Connelly also was so wonderful in this movie. Very emotional, but totally worth a watch.
6. 21 - This was that MIT students tricking Las Vegas movie. I liked it. Joe read the book so we had an idea about it before we watched. I thought it was pretty entertaining overall.
7. Leatherheads - Blah, blah. Not terrible, but not anything special. Reinforces my annoyance with Renee Zellweger. Usually I almost avoid anything she is in, but I wanted to see Jim Krasinski on the big screen and see if he has any potential outside of the office (jury is still out on that one).
8. Indiana Jones/ Crystal Skull - Wasn't into it. I think Joe liked it more than me.
9. Iron Man - This was a solid, superhero movie. I thought it was really action-packed, RDJr was great, as I had heard. The effects were cool, story was okay and overall I was in the whole time.
10. Nims Island - A friend recommended this for the kids and while I would have thought it was a bit much for them (and parts were), they talked about it for days afterwards.

Not too much good coming up either...As usual, I haven't seen anything nominated for a Golden Globe and will have to rush through all of those soon. Here's what we have at home now.

1. Strangers with Candy (Amy Sedaris)
2. Incredible Hulk - Joe watched this on the train down to NJ last weekend so I'll have to squeeze it in when he's not around.
3. Kung Fu Panda - We saw this in the theater with the kids, but I'll watch it with them again for Family Movie night this weekend. They loved it and it was Rorys first movie in the theater.

Pillars of the Earth

I finished this book a couple of weeks ago and it was, as promised by my Uncle, an excellent book. Coming in at almost 1000 pages and with that annoying Oprah Book Club stamp on the front, I was hooked within the first 10 pages. I LOVE historical fiction and long saga stories. This was one of them and I'm so thrilled I heard there was a follow up book (although I think it takes place a few hundred years later). I am usually opposed to the "Author Rush" as once you zip through all an authors books excitedly, you have nothing left and are bummed (I have broken my own rule recently with the Twilight series though since I read all 4 in a row this summer). I haven't read Ken Folletts other books. He's known for thrillers which are fine but make me think of those quick airport reads that are good enough for what they are but just not meaty (ie John Grisham, etc). For me to dedicate my time and tiredness, I almost need a guarantee that a book will hook me in and keep me going.

Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone that loves a nice long story that seems to have no end in sight...

Beef Stroganoff

I got this recipe from Everyday Food magazine and it came out great! I think the Dijon mustard made a huge difference in the sauce and I used sirloin strips cut up small for the beef. It doesn't present so beautifully, but it tasted great both at dinner last night and at lunch today. I love buttered egg noodles too, so that always helps...

Family Xmas Weekend

We spent the weekend in NJ with my family for our annual before-Xmas Holiday parties. Rory was just well enough for us to make the drive down on Thursday. We spent the day at my Moms on Friday hanging out, prepping food stuff for the Saturday immediate family party and just relaxing. Joe came down Friday night on the train. Saturday morning my sister got us all tickets for a Santa train ride which the kids loved. Santa, Elmo, Tweety Bird & Sylvester (Who would have thought...), and Snoopy all were strolling through the train saying hi to the kids and singing songs. Saturday afternoon was a gathering at my Moms and then Sunday was a gathering at my Aunts for the extended family of Aunts, Uncles, my Cousins, and now all my Cousins kids...There had to be about 45 people there...seriously...and that's not even the whole crew. Fun times were had all around. Both kids are clear of all sickness, knock on wood, and the trip down and back was not too bad. I swear the car is the most comfortable place for me these days!

Here are some shots from the weekend...

Rory unaffected by Santa driving a car along the windowsill

Shelagh relaxing at my Aunts house

Rory making himself at home...

Shelagh leading Joe around at my Aunts and Joe loving it...

Band

The kids have been playing marching band lately. Despite the fact that Shelaghs guitar has only 1-2 strings and Rorys drum strap leaves a welt on the back of his neck, they march around the house singing and playing. Claps are required for bowing at the end...

UPDATE: I found a kid trumpet for Rory for his upcoming bday...I'm so excited! (Although remind me I said I was excited about this when it arrives and he's honking it in my ear!)