Sorry I can't give you the recipe because
I can't remember where I copied it down from.
For our Hobbit Day feast I planned eggs and hash for breakfast.
Second breakfast was bacon and potatoes.
We had freshly baked blueberry scones and lady fingers for Elevensies.
Luncheon was honey ham on bakery rolls with carrots, celery, tomatoes, and hummus.
I bought Fancy Yancy cheeses for our afternoon snack along with a selection of crackers.
Sam was an expert at cooking rabbit stew and PoTayToes! So I opted for Welsh Rabbit, smashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables (from Farmer Maggot's, of course.)
I laid out lady fingers and cream, apple cider, and fig newtons for a light dessert.
Mike Hendry’s ultimate Welsh Rarebit recipe
Courtesy Llansantffraed Court Hotel
Delicious!
Man was never built to eat like a hobbit. Today I plan to spend the day hiking to Mordor to work off the excess calories.
Wouldn't it be fun to do this 3D Middle Earth Map puzzle together?
Celebrate Bilbo's 174th birthday (and Frodo's 96th). Give gifts. Have a party. Eat a lot. Enjoy life because September 22 is officially Hobbit Day.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt compiled a Merry list of ideas for the occasion including a Dwarvish rune alphabet and an event hashtag.
Hobbits traditionally give gifts to others on their birthdays. Stock up on the One Ring from ThinkGeek, that is, if you have the willpower to give them away freely.
Kick back and reread your favorite Tolkien passages. Set the mood with soy candles from Frostbeard Studio in The Shire or Oxford Library scents. After all, Tolkien spent a lot of time in both places.
Check back Saturday for photos of our Tolkien marathon for which I've planned hobbit-themed food and games.
A Series of Unfortunate Events, Complete Wreck (#1-13) HarperCollins, 1999
Themes:
Misfortune, Misery, Despair, Orphans
Highlights from the book?
The tongue-in-cheek cover copy, backmatter, dedication, etc.
Brett Helquist's illustrations
Grammar jokes
Bizarre humor
Highlights from the series?
Count Olaf
Music written by Nick Urata
Attention to detail
Addition of clues and hints to the larger plot
Opening:
"If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book. In this book, not only is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle. This is because not very many happy things happened in the lives of the three Baudelaire youngsters. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire were intelligent children, and they were charming, and resourceful, and they had pleasant facial features, but they were extremely unlucky, and most everything that happened to them was rife with misfortune, misery, and despair. I am sorry to tell you this, but that is how the story goes."
Movie Trailer:
Thoughts: A Series of Unfortunate Events is a horrible book series about three orphans who suffer terribly at the hands of a heinous villain and who, though they are exceptionally bright and talented, are surrounded by people who are not, which leads to even more misfortune.
Actually, this is a great book series. The macabre humor is adored by both kids and adults. I absolutely recommend the book series over the Netflix series because much of the humor is dependent on the printed page. However, for fans of the books, I do recommend this well-produced-if-somewhat-unusual TV series. The shows have been re-scripted to include foreshadowing of many of the twists which affect the series arc. The show has an increased cohesiveness, but lacks the more subtle revelations I enjoyed as I read each book sequel. As of yet, there is no scheduled second season. This puts the series at another disadvantage...it only goes up top book four!
While the first episode is excruciatingly drawn out, it also adds delightfully ghoulish touches of it's own like a bizarre musical number. The kids are adorable if not perfectly cast, and a few characters throughout the series just aren't as caricatured as in the books, but those are nitpicks. I think audiences of all ages can enjoy the Netflix Original. Watch it and tell us your opinion.
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Instead of the traditional Drive-In fare, I've included a recipe for Puttanesca sauce and 10 ways to prepare roast beef, just in case you are forced to watch this series with an estranged,distant, and demanding relative.
"In a palm tree, on an island, in the middle of the wide blue sea, was a girl."
Movie Trailer:
Nim's Island follows Nim on her adventures around her deserted island home during her father's three-day expedition which turns into something more. She is helped by her iguana and seal friends, and by her emails to her favorite author.
I was initially disappointed with the casting of Abigail Breslin in the role of Nim. She has a definite Pollyanna vibe about her which differs from my interpretation of the text. Abby is a talented actress and her efforts eventually won me over. The movie itself deepens the subplots in order to widen the audience and intensify the character relationships. The addition of actual villains makes the story more cinematic. While all these changes were necessary to make a great film, some part of me would have liked to see a quieter movie more in keeping with Wendy's fabulous story.
Aside from the changes, it is hard not to love the humor and characterizations in the film. The settings are breathtaking, and the idea of an independent life on an island where your best friends are animals will appeal to every kid and kid-at-heart.
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Modern kids probably can't imagine a theater without nachos. While they are hardly vintage fare, I can't resist a good bag of chips and a messy platter of cheesy goodness.
Try the Bacon Nachos Supreme recipe from Taste of Home or for a more mini van-friendly snack, Walking Tacos with a bag of Doritos or Fritos (my favorite!)
The Circle Drive-In from my childhood. Still open and now with double features on two screens!
Now Playing: Return to Oz Ozma of Oz written by L. Frank Baum
Illustrated by John R. Neill
Originally published by Reilly & Lee, 1907
Ages 8-12, Lexile 1070L
Dazzling array of special effects still holds up over 30 years later
Costuming by Raymond Hughes
Spectacular claymation both fascinating and creepy
Faithful continuation of Oz series
Opening:
"The wind blew hard and joggled the water of the ocean, sending ripples across its surface. Then the wind pushed the edges of the ripples until they became waves, and shoved the waves around until they became billows. The billows rolled dreadfully high: higher even than the tops of houses. Some of them, indeed, rolled as high as the tops of tall trees, and seemed like mountains; and the gulfs between the great billows were like deep valleys."
Movie Trailer:
Return to Oz is based on two books by L. Frank Baum, Ozma of Oz and The Marvelous Land of Oz. The film picks up where the MGM classic leaves off. Dorothy has helped the Scarecrow and her other friends reclaim Oz from the witch and travelled home by means of the ruby slippers. Back in Kansas, Dorothy and her family must rebuild the farm after the tornado's destruction. None of the adults in Dorothy's world believe her tales of Oz. This sets up the meeting with the Kansas villains who have Oz counterparts played by the same actors. After a storm, Dorothy finds herself back in Oz. She battles Princess Mombi and the Nome King to rescue the Tinman, Scarecrow, Lion, and Ozma from their clutches.
Return to Oz combines the best parts of the two books and includes an array of creative characters. The movie incorporates most of the settings in the book, changing them to be parts of Oz itself. Where Ozma rescues Dorothy in the book, in the movie rescuing Ozma becomes one of Dorothy's goals, placing her squarely in the role of heroine. Mombi is actually a combination of Langwidere and Mombi. The Gnome King is a fabulous villain, part claymation, part prosthetic. His transformation of the residents of Oz, as opposed to the royal family from the book, is a clever confrontation. The movie combines Henson puppetry, clay, costuming, green screen, animatronics, and other special effects to provide a seamless fairy land experience which holds up even after thirty years.
I would note that this film can be frightening to kids, as was The Wizard of Oz before it. The wheelers' comic appearance heightens their fear-factor (think scary clowns or dolls.) The Princess Mombi has a terrifying secret. Dorothy and Jack Pumpkinhead in particular face very dangerous moments. And in classic Oz style, Dorothy's misadventures in a mental institution back in Kansas are extremely unnerving.
Of course, those scary moments are what make this such a great adventure film. Fairuza Balk's believable performance as Dorothy, truly magical moments where gumps fly and metal men battle, comic highs, terror-filled lows, and sparkling sets and costumes, complete the cinema experience.
Watch. This. Film.
You won't be sorry. It's a masterpiece of kidlit come to life.
Reminisce with intermission commercials
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Snackbar food isn't always conducive to a healthy diet. Chicken fingers are kid-pleasing and a healthier choice than standard fare.
Plenty of parents make their own chicken fingers, but I admit I'd rather buy them frozen or fried from the snack stand. I highly recommend SimpleBites chicken dip made with just three ingredients. We serve it with fries and chicken (and anything else we can think of.) You'll find their chicken finger coating and their easy Honey-Mustard dip on their website.
Not many theaters show cartoons anymore. If you're longing for a taste of the fifties, watch the 1939 Disney short below, The Little House, another children's book-turned-movie, this one based on The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton.
Have you seen any screen adaptations of L. Frank Baum's works? What's your opinion?
Have you reviewed any Oz books? Please leave your link in the comments below. Thanks!
The Circle Drive-In from my childhood. Still open and now with double features on two screens!
Now Playing: The Swiss Family Robinson
Written by Johann Wyss
First publication 1812, first English Translation, Godwin, 1814
Penguin Random House, 2007
Ages 10 and up, Lexile 540L
Educational: everything from candle making to sugar production
Scope for the imagination
Frequent Christian themes
Highlights from the movie?
Classic mid-century cinema
Action and humor
Dream sets and locations
Feel-good family movie
The treehouse!
Coconut bombs
Great danes
Opening:
"For many days we had been tempest-tossed. Six times had the darkness closed over a wild and terrific scene. Returning light as often brought but renewed distress, for the raging storm increased in fury until on the seventh day all hope was lost."
Movie Trailer:
The Swiss Family Robinson was written to educate the author's children in an entertaining format. He incorporates his Christian principle as well as various scientific pursuits and facts about dozens of animal species, all from the eighteenth century man's perspective. The family encounters dangers from animals, storms, seasons, and outsiders. They struggle not only to survive but to thrive. Although the story is far-fetched and sometimes encyclopedic, it lights a spark in the imagination. It reads like a bible for the current makers movement. Despite the colonial mindset of the characters (and the fact they kill and cook every animal that moves) the book makes for good family reading, inspiring readers to question past assumptions and delve into creative projects. Try a variety of English translation, retellings, graphic novels, or audiobook versions.
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We haven't yet mentioned that staple of summer, ice cream!
Stroll to the snack bar during intermission for a Good Humor eclair on a stick or Nestle Drumstick, sundae in a cone.
It's tough to take ice cream to the drive in, but Let's Dish has created "ice cream" cookie sandwiches which are good for on-the-go. Creator Danielle adapts a cool whip/instant pudding recipe I've used for years and sandwiches it between chocolate chip goodness. (Try it with soft peanut butter cookies, too!)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,
Walden Media, 2010
My favorite version of Dawn Treader
Cover by Leo and Diane Dillon
Highlights from the book?
C. S. Lewis's unique storytelling style
Very personal narrative
Caspian's romance
Multiple adventures
Spiritual aspects
Less violent
Highlights from the movie?
Outstanding casting
Reepicheep!
Dazzling special effects
Focused cinematic storyline
Eustace in both forms
Exciting action scenes
Opening:
There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it. His parents called him Eustace Clarence and masters called him Scrubb. I can't tell you how his friends spoke to him, because he had none.
Movie Trailer:
I am a fan of the Narnia books, though they can be old-fashioned and slow-moving at times. I loved the first movie, but had my doubts when the film rights for the successive books were sold to another company. The novel The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is full of interesting segments and new characters, but it is a quest tale with shallow heroes. I can think of more than a few disappointing movies adapted too faithfully from quest novels. This movie takes the best segments of the book and condenses them into a more focused journey with an over-arching threat. It is a true sequel, too. It works hard to keep continuity by bringing back old characters and deepening their character arcs. I like the added backstory and the setting. And the new characters are some of my favorites from the films. The action is intensified for the big screen and historical background downplayed. I don't think you could have the movie without the book, but I think it is a great extension of a classic book series.
What would the drive-in be like without the snack bar?
What's your favorite movie candy? In my top three is a box of Nestle Sno-Caps. There's something magical about that rattling, scraping sound as the Sno-caps slide toward the tiny perforated opening in the box (and my mouth!) They are kinda noisy, which made them better suited to the drive-in than the theater.
Want a quieter version with the same chocolate taste? Nestle offers a recipe for Sno-Cap cocoa cookies with Sno-Caps baked right in, or The Rowdy Baker invented an amazing recipe for a cookie version of a Sno-Cap, a chocolate cookie covered in nonpareils. Yum!
Update your backyard movie tech with tips from Popular Science, and turn your old projector into an object d'art instead. Shop upcycled projector/lamps from Light and Time Art on Etsy or find plenty of DIY versions like the film reel table on Pinterest.
Have you seen any screen adaptations of The Chronicles of Narnia? Of the Dawn Treader? What's your opinion?
Have you reviewed the book? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!
Thoughts:
The book is almost a movie the way it tells a story through wordless art sections and magical prose. Only film makers with a keen eye and dedication to the original novel could pull off a worthy adaptation, and boy does the crew of this movie do just that. Some viewers may find the pacing slow, because it definitely runs at a thoughtful speed, but the careful observer will revel in the details. Fans of the book will notice familiar camera angles and close-ups. Newcomers will be fascinated by the intricate world-building.
This interview with Brian Selznick by Ed Vulliamy for the Guardian compares the book and movie better than I ever could and sneaks a peek at Wonderstruck coming to theaters in October.
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If you fondly recall anthropomorphic food dancing across the screen, then you know this week's snackbar must-have is PIZZA!
If you're ever in Northeast PA, grab a wood fired pizza pie at Big Ten, one of my all-time favorite pizza places. Comet Ping Pong in downtown DC is a must-see. Their balsamic "Dream" pizza is worth driving a few hours out of your way. And if you're "down the shore," stop in at DJ's new location for a personal flatbread.
In the mood for something sweeter? Hungry Happenings designed a strawberry-kiwi fruit pizza that looks like a watermelon. Confusing, but delicious.
If you can't see past your dashboard, you can bring your own seating. Remember those aluminum folding chairs from the early fifties? We must have rewebbed our a dozen times over. Shelterrific has posted beautiful step-by-step instructions for a vintage look. Modern DIYers may have more comfotable solutions. Lindsay on Better After posts a clever canvas and rope solution, while both DIY Network and A Beautiful Mess opt for macrame versions.
Have you seen Hugo? What's your opinion?
Reviewed The Invention of Hugo Cabret? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!
Check out all the Summer-Drive-in reviews for 2017. Tune-in next week for the Marvelous Middle Grade Monday review for The Invention of Hugo Cabret, coming July 31, 2017.
The Circle Drive-In from my childhood. Still open and now with double features on two screens!
Now Playing: A Little Princess
Written by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Illustration by Anna Bond Puffin, a division of Penguin BFYR, 2014
Ages 8-12, reading level 4.8, Lexile 250
320 pp, 66000 words
A Little Princess,
by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Cover by Anna Bond
Highlights from the book?
interesting historical description
the Large family next door
the beggar child and the baker
satisfying ending
Highlights from the movie?
Miss Amelia and her romance
A gloriously happy ending
Heightened drama
Becky and Ermengarde
Opening:
Once on a dark winter's day, when the yellow fog hung so thick and heavy in the streets of London that the lamps were lighted and the shop windows blazed with gas as they do at night, and odd-looking little girl sat in a cabin with her father and was driven rather slowly through the big thoroughfares.
Movie Trailer:
Note: This trailer has major movie spoilers.
I appreciate this well-scripted adaptation. Because that's what it feels like to me, an adaptation. The major alterations in the plot don't feel like they are there for cinematic drama alone, more like the writers had an agenda and made specific changes to carry those themes. For whatever reason, the movie focuses more on Sarah's emotional journey whereas the book focuses on her reaction to circumstances, I think. The book-Sarah effects social change and adapts to her circumstances. The movie-Sarah is transformed at her core, questioning accepted childhood beliefs and determining who she wants to become—what will be the hallmarks of her character.
I enjoy seeing this book come to life, the music, sets, casting. I am disappointed by some of the generic, stereotypical Indian bits, but hope watchers will be so entranced with India they will explore its diversity on their own. In a bit of savvy storytelling the script parallels Sarah's life and the stories she imagines. That's something kids do. It's pretty successful despite the awful special effects.
Skip ahead if you don't want to read any spoilers. The story takes place in America. The timeline is necessarily condensed. The students undergo some minor changes, but the adults suffer the most overhauls. Sarah's past and future are drastically changed. Her relationship with her father is completely reworked. Again, these changes all felt deliberate and make for good cinema.
Overall, I don't recommend the movie as a substitute for the book and I definitely recommend reading the original FIRST. Then enjoy the movie with your family.
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What would the drive-in be like without the snack bar?
Twizzlers!.......need I say more? Chef De Home has combined the great taste of Twizzlers with trail mix ingredients for a fun Road Trip Snack Cone, perfect for picnics or the drive-in.
If you've gotten addicted to Oreos during intermission (see the BFG post) then try my daughter's childhood favorite: Strawberry milk with a Twizzler straw. Be sure to pick a licorice piece where the hole goes all the way through and guzzle the double strawberry goodness.
I don't even consider it a night at the drive-in if I don't have my CJ with the top off.
Some drive-ins even have "Jeep night." Look for an event at a location near you.
Take along a gorgeous vintage Jeep cooler from Jeep Gear and a half dozen bottles of Throwback Pepsi...ahhh.
Have you seen any screen adaptations of A Little Princess? What's your opinion?
Have you reviewed the book? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!
New edition of City of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau
Cover by Paul Sullivan
Highlights from the book?
Concise, gripping world-building without info dumping.
Poppy, Granny, and the shop
Fun character names
The secret message
The awesome map of Ember by Chris Reily
The deluxe edition with bonus material and a facsimile of the instructions.
Highlights from the movie?
Amazing steampunk vibe
Marianne Jean-Baptiste...always
Some truly terrifying moments
Cinematography by Xavier Grobet
Set Design, especially Jon Billington's and Celia Bobak's work
Opening:
"When the city of Ember was just built and not yet inhabited, the chief builder and the assistant builder, both of them weary, sat down to speak of the future."
Movie Trailer:
Thoughts:
I read the author was disappointed by the design of the movie. My opinion couldn't be more different. I love the book for the rich and natural world-building. I like the variety of characters and eagerly turn the pages as they unravel the clues which could save their world. Similarly, I love the thoughtful, layered scenic design of the movie, and the costumes and cast perfectly portrayed my vision of Ember. A good note for all of us who write: once the book passes from our hands to the hands of our readers, their imagination takes over. It becomes their book. And the movie version of Ember is my book cinematized. Perhaps that's why I was disenchanted with the book's sequels. My imagination and the author's went in different directions. I'm told if you want to see DuPrau's vision of Ember and its inhabitants, read the graphic novel.
Find a Krispy Kreme location near you...It's worth the drive!
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We're trying something new tonight.
in honor of their 8oth anniversary...
And just in case you don't know what to do with the second dozen, why not make Krispy Kreme strawberry shortcakes with instructions from Desi on SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl.
