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