A Crazy Month, A Fun Movie and The Weekly Menu #FoodnFlix

This has been a crazy, busy month.  It started out with us going to Cozumel on vacation.  As soon as we got home we hit the track running and we haven't stopped.  Until now, when the whole world has come to a standstill.

Luckily, I did find a free couple of hours to watch a fun Tim Burton Film called Big Fish.  Our FoodnFlix club this month is being hosted by Kim of Coffee and Casseroles.  Kim asked us to choose any Tim Burton film and create a recipe inspired by it.  You can learn more at Kim's announcement post.

I am hosting next month and it looks like I will have plenty of time to prepare now that the world has stopped.

Are you a Tim Burton fan?  I am not a huge fan.  I have watched Nightmare Before Christmas with the kids but only as I passed through doing other things.  I also watched Beetlejuice, which was a FNF pick in October 2016.  Here is my review and a recipe for Zagnut Cookies inspired by it.

I was very surprised when I was going through the list of Burton movies.  I didn't realize he was responsible for so many of them.  He has never been my cup of tea so I guess I just never paid attention.

I decided on the movie Big Fish. It is the story of a father (Albert Finney) and son (Billy Crudup) and their relationship.  The father, Edward Bloom, is a story teller.  He weaves fantastical stories about his life and the people he has encountered.  Everyone loves hearing his stories except for his son, William, who only recalls his father never being home and when he was home he was busy making up "lies".

I didn't expect to like this movie so I was very surprised when I LOVED this movie.   I am going to purchase a copy to have here so that I can watch it whenever I want.  It is right up there with Wizard of Oz which I fell in love with when I was a youngster and have watched hundreds of times since.

Unlike Oz though, there is no darkness in this film, just a lot of real life father/son angst and great stories that make you wonder if just maybe they could be true.

There is, of course, some food scenes in this movie.  I took notes and the first thing on my list is catfish. You see, the movie starts with a story being told by a young Edward Bloom (Ewan McGregor) of this huge fish that evades capture to his young son (Grayson Stone).  This fish evades capture from everyone except for Edward who had to catch the fish in order to retrieve his wedding ring that he had used as bait.

The catfish is followed, in my notes, by Champagne, Ensure, eggs, sheep, corn, pie, biscuits, salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, carrots, oranges, popcorn, pancakes, bacon, melon, coffee and a sandwich.  The final scene is William Bloom grilling as his children splash around in a pool.

No lack of food inspiration, but definitely a lack of time around here this month.  I had made this  Lebanese Salad last month to serve with Roast Chicken Shwarma but had not yet found time to share the recipe with you.  I decided to pull it from the Archives and share it today.

#salad, #vegetables, #sidedishes, #MiddleEastern,

Salads, Side Dish, Starter

Lebanese

Yield: 4 servings

Author: Wendy Klik

Lebanese Salad

This delicious chopped salad is served with a lemony mint dressing. It is perfect as a side or can be topped with grilled chicken or shrimp for a wonderful main course.

Prep time: 15 MinTotal time: 15 Min

Ingredients

• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 seedless cucumber, chopped
• 5 scallions, white and light green parts, chopped
• handful parsley, chopped
• kalamata olives
• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5-6 mint leaves, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Place the tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, scallions, and parsley in a large bowl
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mint, salt and pepper. Pour over the tomato mixture and toss.
3. Add the lettuce and olives, toss together and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

197.13

Fat (grams)

14.70 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

2.04 g

Carbs (grams)

16.01 g

Fiber (grams)

6.98 g

Net carbs

9.03 g

Sugar (grams)

6.30 g

Protein (grams)

4.52 g

Sodium (milligrams)

112.80 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00 mg

https://adayinthelifeonthefarm.blogspot.com/2020/03/a-crazy-month-fun-movie-and-weekly-menu.html

Property of A Day in the Life on the Farm

It was announced on the news Friday morning that our Governor has declared an emergency school shutdown due to the spread of the Corona Virus.  All K-12 schools are closed until April 6th as the experts try to get a handle on and contain this virus.  

I thought my life was going to slow down considerably.  The Lenten Fish Fry, that has been keeping me hopping, was still held on Friday, however we only offered take outs.  We didn't cancel completely because everything had been prepped and was ready to go but the Archdiocese has instructed churches to cancel any parish activities that have more than 100 participants until further notice.  Then while we were at the fish fry we were told that all activities and Masses are canceled until Monday April, 6th.  

While I don't know how the rest of this month is going to pan out, I do know that we are still going to need to eat so I am posting our Weekly Menu and sending out prayers to all of those who are affected by this terrible pandemic.

We attended a birthday dinner for our sister in law Rebecca on Saturday.  We had been scheduled to attend a bowling fundraiser afterwards but it was canceled. Today we were scheduled to go downtown for Fiddler on the Roof and it, too, was canceled.  Little did I know that when I started writing this post on Thursday, life was going to come to a complete standstill for most of us.

Of course, life for those who serve the public in the medical field and work in grocery stores has now become a whirlwind of activity as people panic over the unknown and flock to hospitals, medical facilities and food stores.

The CDC is instructing that the best defense to this virus is keeping your immune system strong by eating properly and getting enough rest.  That's what I intend to do.  What is on your menu this week?

Saturday

Dinner out for Rebecca's Birthday

Sunday

Hamburgers

Sweet Potato Fries

Meatless Monday
Spring Tortellini

Tuesday-St. Patrick's Day
Whiskey Glazed BBQ Corned Beef
Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips
Sweet and Sour Cabbage
Tropical Upside Down Cake

Wednesday 
Corned Beef Hash and Eggs

Thursday
Pork Chops and Greens
Angel Biscuits

Fish Friday
Tuna Reuben
Homemade Potato Chips