The Adventures of Icabod and Mr. Toad Magical Meal

Interesting. It was our first time seeing this DVD. It was nice to see where the Mr. Toad of “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” first came from. And who could not love hearing Bing Crosby’s melodic voice in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” We loved this meal too. Headless Horseman Meatballs Sleepy Hollow Creamed Peas and Potatoes Toad Hall Toast and Merrily, Merrily Marmalade Wind and the Willow Watermelon Katrina Kookies In a bowl, mix 1 pound ground beef, ¼ cup dry breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 small onion minced, and 1 egg. Shape into good-sized meatballs. Heat oven at 350 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with tin foil. Place meatballs on foil and bake for 45 minutes. For the Sleepy Hollow Creamed Peas and Potatoes cook 1 pound of small red-skinned potatoes in a medium saucepan of boiling water for 25-30 minutes. Drain. Peel if you’d like, although the red skin adds color to the dish. In another medium saucepan, cook 1 tablespoon chopped onion in 2 tablespoons butter until tender. Blend in 2 tablespoons flour and 1 ¼ teaspoons salt. Stir in 1 ½ cups milk and heat until the mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. You must stay on top of this because it burns easily. If desired, cut small potatoes into fourths and then add them and a can of sweet peas (drained) to the sauce. Heat thoroughly. Get your favorite bread and toast it up. Buy your favorite marmalade or try a new flavor and set out with the toast. Cut up watermelon, or buy already in chunks and serve. For the Katrina Kookies, make sugar cookies. You can make from scratch or if you’re short on time, like I am, you can get the dough already made for you. Before putting in the oven, add pink and light blue sprinkles. Very pretty and tastes great! Thomas’s Review: The Adventures of Icabod and Mr. Toad is a nice movie to end the package film era. The story of “The Wind and the Willow” was very fun to enjoy. The story of Sleepy Hollow was unique with the ending mysterious. The animation was really good at the time. The characters were really fun to watch, especially Icabod and Mr. Toad. The Adventures of Icabod and Mr. Toad is a nice movie to watch to enjoy two good books come to life. Story: 9/10 Animation 8/10 Characters: 10/10 TOTAL: 9/10

Melody Time Magical Meal

Melody Time contains one of our all-time favorite songs, “The Lord is Good to Me” sung by the Johnny Appleseed character. It’s a reminder to be humbly grateful. We were grateful for this meal: Pecos Bill Western Omelets with Texas Toast Johnny Apple-sauce Bumble Bee Beans and Bacon Once Upon a Wintertime Cupcakes For the omelet, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet. For each omelet, mix 2 eggs with ½ tablespoon milk and salt to taste. Before adding to the hot skillet, cook a tablespoon minced onions and 1 tablespoon minced green bell peppers. After stir-frying for a few minutes, add about 2 tablespoons of cooked chunk ham and let heat. Then pour eggs over cooked vegetables and ham. Tilt the pan so the uncooked eggs and run to the bottom of the pan. When the eggs have set, flip and cook other side. Serve hot. In the deli section of the grocery story, purchase a loaf of Italian break. Heat a griddle and butter each side of slices. Grill to desired doneness. Fry about ¼ a package of bacon, either on stovetop or in microwave, reserving fat. Open a can of cut green beans and drain. Add about a tablespoon of water, salt to taste, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese. Heat in a microwave for 3 minutes. Add about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease and mix. Garnish the tops of the bean with the bacon strips. Cook cupcakes using a store bought, white cake mix. Frost with pre-made white icing. For the decoration, you can sprinkle coconut or powdered sugar to appear as snow. We actually did some with coconut and some with the sugar. They had two different looks, both pretty. Add snowmen by taking a toothpick and placing 3 miniature marshmallows on it. You can add a horizontal toothpick for the snowman’s arms. Place a snowman on each cupcake. Pretty. Thank you, Johnny Appleseed for planting so many apple trees! I’m so thankful that I’m just going to enjoy a big scoop of ready-made applesauce. Thomas’s Review: Melody Time is like Make Mine Music, but a lot better. The stories are good with Johnny Appleseed and Pecos Bill being my favorites. The animation is good with a little live action. The characters are memorable especially the guardian angel in Johnny Appleseed. The songs are great and memorable. Melody Time is a good film to watch if you have the time to watch it. Story: 7/10 Animation: 7/10 Characters: 8/10 Songs: 8/10 TOTAL: 8/10

Fun and Fancy Free Magical Meal

We saw this movie many years ago so it was good to enjoy it with our older kids now. If you like the classic tale, “Jack and the Beanstalk,” you’ll enjoy the Disney characters in this remake. Here’s our menu: Mickey’s “I sold the cow for some magical beans” Steak Bean “Stalks” Fe Fi Fo Fettucini Fun and Fancy “Tea” Bongo Berries and Cream Take cube steak and beat until thin. Then dredge in all purpose flour. Place frying pan medium heat, and add small amount of oil. Carefully fry the cube steaks, continuing to turn until cooked to desire doneness. For the bean “stalks” clean a bunch of celery stalks and arrange on platter. You can fill them with whatever your family likes such as peanut butter, cream cheese, or bean dip. Cook the fettucini noodles according to package instructions. Drain the pasta, but reserve ½ cup of the water. Meanwhile beat two sticker of softened butter together with ½ pound of Parmesan cheese. While noodles are still hot, mix with salt to taste and cheese mixture. Add ¼ cup of the water. Mix well. Add the remaining ¼ cup water if needed for a smooth, creamy sauce. Serve hot. The Fun and Fancy “Tea” is simply a mixture of iced tea and cranberry juice. Mix the same amount of one with the other (example: 2 cups of tea with 2 cups of juice). The cranberry juice as sugar in it so you might want to used unsweetened tea. Clean a batch of your family’s favorite berries. Serve with whipped cream on top. Here’s Thomas’s review: Fun and Fancy Free is a fun movie. I’ve seen it as a kid, and I still like it. The story of the circus bear leaving to live in the wild was pretty nice. The “Jack and the Beanstalk” story was a good adaptation with Mickey, Donald, and Goofy all being “Jacks.” The animation is still good with the live action moments. Jimminy Cricket was a good host, the bear was fine, and I still love Mickey, Donald, and Goofy too. The songs were okay and some were catchy. Fun and Fancy Free is a good movie to watch and have some fun! Story: 7/10 Animation:7/10 Character: 8/10 Songs: 8/10 Total: 7/10

Make Mine Music Magical Meal

Make Mine Music is a compilation of different Disney shorts. Some make sense and some do not, but all showcase the talents of the Disney studios so it’s worth a watch. Enjoy this meal with your movie. Here’s the menu: All the Cool Cats Cashews Willie the Whale Whaler Sandwiches Casey Coleslaw Blue Bayou Beans Peter and the Wolf Popsicles Make Mine Music Mints For Casey Coleslaw, cut up a medium head of cabbage (white or red or ½ head of each). Shred and put in a large bowl. Add 2 shredded carrots, ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup cider vinegar, and salt to taste. Mix. Then add in ¾ cup mayonnaise. Chill before serving. I loved the Blue Bayou Beans! Mix a can of baked beans with 3/4ths of a can of fried onion rings, 1 teaspoon ketchup, 1 teaspoon mustard, and 1 teaspoon brown sugar. Cook in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Then turn oven up to 400 degrees and place remaining ¼ can of the onion rings on top. Cook in the oven for 5 minutes. You want to serve this dish hot. For the Willie the Whale Whaler Sandwiches, cook frozen fish fillets according to the package instructions. While hot, assemble the sandwiches. Take the bottom bun and spread with tartar sauce. Then place a cooked fish fillet, a cheese slice, and shredded lettuce. Spread tartar sauce on the top bun and finish off the sandwich. Yum! The dessert is as cool as the Russian outdoors in Peter and the Wolf (one of the Fitzmartin’s personal favorites). In the freezer section of your grocery store, find the all-fruit popsicles. When ready to serve, stack them up in a glass for a colorful presentation. The appetizer, All the Cool Cats Cashew, is simply a can of cashews poured into a serving dish to munch on. Cashews are a very healthy fat. And purchase the fancy chocolate mints to end your dining and viewing pleasure. Thomas’s review: Make Mine Music is the first package film since Fantasia to show shorts and ties them in with music. The shorts were good, but the memorable shorts are “Casey at the Bat, “Peter and the Wolf,” and the whale who wants to sing at the Met. The animation was very good at the time with one short having live action—people dancing. The whale story is the most memorable character with his dreams of being an opera singer. The music is really good even though it was popular at the time. Make Mine Music is a fun movie to enjoy. It’s not a classic, but it’s worth a rental. Story: 8/10 Animation: 8/10 Characters: 7/10 Music: 8/10 TOTAL: 7/10

The Three Caballeros Magical Meal

Okay, in the Fitzmartin Family household, "The Three Caballeros" will probably get a groan out of most people. When Dallas was young, it was his favorite movie so we ended up watching it everyday for months! Meghan claims it scarred her for life. However, it's still a fun movie (Just watch it only one time for you and your child's mental health!!).

Here's a fun meal to go along with it. It is a little more labor intensive than I like, so you might want to prepare just one or two of the items and try the others some other time.

Gaucho Gazpacho Soup
Three Caballeros Nachos
Mexican Serape Vegetables
Baia Bananas
Pablo Penguin Ice Cream

Start the Mexican Serape Vegetables first. This is a colorful and delicious recipe from cooks.com, a great website. In a medium saucepan mix 1 1/2 cup frozen corn, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped green pepper, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to boiling and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Do not drain. In a large bow, mix 1 cup chopped yellow squash, 1 cup shopped zucchini, 1 chopped tomato, 3/4 cup cheese, 2/3 cup cornmeal, 1/2 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add undrained vegetables to mixture and mix well. Pour into a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees 45 to 50 minutes. Top with 1/4 cup cheese and return to oven until cheese melts.

If you like cold soups, this gazpacho soup is a healthy one for you. This recipe is courtesy of "Firefly on Paradise" from foodnetwork.com. In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 ounces cider vinegar, and 2 cups tomato juice. Mix well and then add 1 cup of diced stale or lightly toasted baguette bread to soal. In another bowl, combine 4 chopped tomatoes (peel and see the tomatoes and then chop them), 2 cucumbers (peeled, seeded, and chopped), 1 chopped red pepper, 1 chopped red onion, and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Reserve 1/2 cup of this chopped mixture for garnishing. Season with salt. Put both bowl contents into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Serve chilled with garnish.

This nacho recipe comes from one of my favorites, Rachael Ray, so you know it's fast and easy. I've made it milder than hers, since we don't like things too spicy. Feel free to add jalapenos and pepper sauce, if you like. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cloves chopped garlic, and 1 small chopped onion to the pan and saute 2 minutes. Add 1 pound of ground beef and brown. Remove fat from pan. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder. Let cook 5 minutes. Then stir in 1 15 ounce can of black beans drained and reduce heat to low. In a medium sauce pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat. Whisk in 2 cups milk and continue to stir. When milk comes to a bubble, stir in 3/4 pounds shredded pepper jack cheese (about 2 1/2 cups). Stir with wooden spoon, removing sauce from heat. Arrange corn tortilla chips on a large platter (I used a cookie sheet). Pour cheese sauce evenly over the chips and top with beef and beans. Put out salsa and sour cream to add.

After all this, you don't want much else to do! Slice a few bananas and sprinkle them with cinnamon for the Baia Bananas. Dessert is a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of vanilla ice cream in honor of Pablo, the Penguin.

Here's Thomas's review:
This is a follow up to "Saludos Amigoes," but a lot better. Of all other package films, this one has a storyline. It's Donald's birthday and he opens three presents that leads to chaos. The animation is fantastic, especially when it's fast paced and live action. Donald is a lot of fun with Joe, and Panchito is a great new character. The songs are great and catchy. This movie is alot of fun, but be prepared for the ending, for it's crazy!
Story: 7/10
Animation: 8/10
Character: 8/10
Songs: 9/10
TOTAL: 7/10

Saludos Amigos Magical Meal

Hola, Friends! "Saludos Amigos" marks the first of Disney's "package films." These were made about the time of World War II and were very inexpensive to make. This one takes viewers on a tour of Latin America, mixing in cartoons and home movies. The whole theme, along with several characters, are continued in the next movie, "The Three Caballeros." This movie offers a great opportunity to sample. Here's my easy magical meal menu:

Chile Chili and Chips
Saludos Salad
Parrot Peaches
Rio Rice Krispies Carnival Treats

First make the chili and let it simmer. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Brown 1 cup chopped onion and 1 cup chopped green peppers. Add 1 pound of ground beef and brown well, then skimming off the fat. Add 1 40 ounce can of kidney beans, 1 28 ounce can tomatoes, 1 6 ounce can tomato paste, 1 tablespoon chili powder, and 3/4 cup water. Cover and let simmer for 1 hour.

Have fun putting together a real South American salad. Add different kinds of lettuce and raw vegetables that your family likes. Then add chopped nuts. It can be almonds, cashews, pecans, or walnuts. Add a few in season fruits. Strawberries taste wonderful on this. Delicious!

Open a large can of whole peaches. Play around with adding raisin "eyes" to the peaches using toothpicks to hold them in place. Let the kids do this.

For dessert, make the classic rice krispies squares with a twist. Here's how: Coat a 13 by 9 inch baking pan with a small amount of butter. Put 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan on medium heat and melt. Add 1 10 ounce bag of large marshmallows. Stir until melted and remove from heat. Add 5 cups of rice krispies cereal, or the generic brand along with 1 cup of M & M chocolate candy pieces. Stir until evenly mixed. Then press into baking pan. Cool and cut into squares. Yummy and very pretty to look at.

Here's Thomas's review:
Saludos Amigos was an amazing experience for a package film (with the exception of Fantasia). The stories were very good at showing me South America. The animation was well done even though mot parts were live action. They have good characters from Donald and Goofy. I also liked the new characters, Pedro and Joe Carioca. This movie is a good start for the package films era and I hope to see more good ones.
Story: 7/10
Animation: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
TOTAL: 7/10

Bambi Magical Meal

Bambi-the story of the young prince growing up in the forest. This is probably the sweetest of all the Disney animated films. I dare you not to laugh when the young animals giggle or cry when Bambi's mother gets shot (Was that a spoiler? Sorry!) Although my teenage boys asked if we were going to eat Bambi's mother for our meal, I frowned at them and told them this would be an animal-friendly meal. Here it is:

Bambi Sammies
Thumper's Carrots
Cauliflower Clover
Forest Berry Smoothies
Flower's Dessert

Start with the cauliflower. Wash and separate into small pieces. In a bowl, mix 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, and 1/2 cup flour and beat together. In another bowl, mix 1 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. In a stir-fry pan, heat about 1/4 cup oil. Dip cauliflower pieces in the batter and then the dry ingredients mixture. Then stir fry until golden. Drain on paper towels. Delicious!

For the Bambi Sammies: Get a loaf of bread and your family's favorite sandwich ingredients. For mine, I got peanut butter and jelly, cheese slices, and egg salad. Make sandwiches using the ingredients. Then use a cookie cutter in the shape of a deer and cut out. Now, don't panic! If you don't have a deer cookie cutter, look at your Christmas cookie cutters and pull out the reindeer. Works just as good!

Thumper's Carrots are a no-brainer. Get a bag of baby carrots and put in a serving bowl. Easy! The kids can munch along with Thumper. For the Forest Berry Smoothie put 1 cup of blueberries, 1 cup of strawberries, 1 cup of orange juice, 1 cup of vanilla yogurt, and 2 teaspoons sugar or other sweetener in a blender and mix. This smoothie is very berry so if your family doesn't like berries that much you might ease back and only put 1/2 cup of the different berries. This makes about 4 servings.

Flower's Dessert is so easy! I bought the "Suzy Q" snack cakes from the store. These are the chocolate cake with the vanilla filling. Looks just like "Flower." You can also make a chocolate cake and instead of icing the whole thing, just put vanilla icing in between the layers. For a nice touch, get a few different colored icings and squeeze out a flower design on each plate. So pretty!

I know you're waiting for it! Here's Thomas's review of the movie "Bambi."
Bambi is a movie like Dumbo but in the forest; it is enjoyable. It tells the story of a deer who goes through life with its challenges that comes with it. The animation was so well done with its water and the animals. The characters are memorable for their type of animal. Bambi is someone we could relate to. Thumper and Flower were good friends with Bambi. His father was very strong and authoritative. Bambi's mom is great and was well caring, although the death of her was memorable, too. This movie is very good to show kids on life.
Story: 10/10
Animation: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
TOTAL: 9/10