Left-Over Dilemma

What to do with left-overs; an age-old question with many, many answers, one of which I will share with you today. One of my mom's favorites was Chicken A La King. When ever Gram made chicken soup, mom made this out of the boiled chicken. It's easy comfort food that still puts smiles on all our faces.

Chicken A La King

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 bag frozen peas
1 jar diced pimentos
2-3 cups cooked cubed chicken

1. Pour both cans of soup into large frying pan and cook on medium heat for 5 min.(Do not add water)
   
2. Add peas and stir, cook for 10 min.
3. Add chicken and pimentos, stir, cover and cook for 15 min., stirring occasionally.
   

That's all there is to it. Mom served it over white rice. I like it spooned into Pepperidge Farm puffed pastry shells; they make a nice presentation. Enjoy!!


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Movie Review

As promised, my thoughts on "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"-I loved it! There aren't many Nicolas Cage movies I don't like, but this is now one of my favorites. It blends legend, fantasy, sorcery, romance and humor. It begins with Merlin and his three apprentices, then takes us to 2000AD Manhattan, and onto today(also in N.Y.C.). Nicolas Cage's character must find the "Prime Merlinian", to defeat Morgana, and free the love of his very long life from her prison inside a nesting doll. I think Nicolas Cage gets better with age and his young costar, Jay Baruchel, may just do the same. He is a little geeky and awkward, and plays that part really well, but looking to the future, I can see him maturing into something great. Its almost like watching a father and son. I would recommend this movie to everyone.

In addition to movies, nail care, acrylics, gels, manicures, and pedicures are also "My Thing" so visit me at http://www.tampanailchick.com/.

Double Feature

Movie Review-

As previously stated in my blog, I am a movie maven. I have been known to do the double, or even triple feature. I love going to the theatre; the smells, the people, the stadium seating, the excitement of it all. It still holds the same thrill for me as it did when I was a child. Sometimes I go with friends, sometimes alone, sometimes with my nieces and nephews. I enjoy all three, and always walk away better for the experience, even if the movie sucked. Happily, that wasn't the case for either movie I saw this past weekend. On Saturday, my friend Sharon and I saw "Inception" starring, of course, Leonardo DiCaprio. (Sharon loves Leo.) It was pretty amazing; a real thinker. It explores the concept of creating and sharing dreams, and planting seeds of ideas, that the dreamer believes are his own. The dreams become multi-layered and very complicated. The movie goer is forced to think, to keep the layers of the dreams straight , so the storyline makes sense. I loved this flick and I'd see it again. It's one of those movies that you know you'll catch more details each time you see it.
On Monday(one of my favorite days to catch a movie), I talked my friend Joann into seeing "The Last Airbender" with me. 9 times out of 10, the movies I see with Joann are ones that she would not pick on her own, but she ends up enjoying them. Such was the case with "Airbender". It's a family-friendly movie about people who can control the elements: Air,Fire Water, and Earth. It is based on a Nickelodeon animated series, but this live action. The critics panned it , but Joann and I really liked it. The ending leads into a sequel, which I plan on seeing.

Still to come-"The Sorcerer's Apprentice"- next weeks movie.

Movie theatres great places to beat the heat; so are salons. Treat yourself to a manicure, pedicure, a full set(acrylics or gels) or fill. Visit my website for details: www.tampanailchick.com.

Summer Comforts

Summer can be a hectic time of year- kids out of school, people taking vacations and others having to cover their duties at work, not to mention the oppressive heat. To counteract some of these summer symptoms, I have 2 sure-fire cures. The first is total self indulgence, by way of a manicure and pedicure. The other is a seafood "comfort food" dinner. My favorite is mussels, but clams would work just as well for this recipe.

Mussels in White Wine Sauce

Ingredients
1 medium size onion chopped
1 clove garlic
4oz. olive oil
2 cups white wine
1 tbsp parsley
1 1/2lbs mussels

1. In a large frying pan with cover, saute onion and garlic in 3 tbsp olive oil until onion is translucent.
2. Add remaining olive oil, wine, and parsley, bring to a boil, lower heat and allow to simmer 15 minutes.
3. Add mussels, cover and steam mussels unit they open-about 5-8 minutes.

I serve this over spaghetti in my favorite bowls with Pillsbury garlic bread sticks. Any shellfish can be added for variety. One of the joys of cooking is experimentation, another is sharing the experiences, so please, enjoy my Summer Comforts and feel free to share yours with me.

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Not Just For Kids Anymore

Movie Reviews

My love for children and movies helped me create a tradition with my nieces and nephews. Not only do I take them to the theatre, but we use our shared experiences in games of Charades and Trivial Pursuit. My most recent trips to the movies were with my nephews, Spencer and Andrew. Spencer and I saw "Toy Story 3" in 3D. Andrew (and Aunt Patty) joined us for "Despicable Me" in 3D. Both were animated flicks aimed at kids, but cartoons are not just for kids anymore. There is plenty for a grown-up to get out of most animated movies today. "Toy Story 3" is about a boy getting ready to go away to college, and therefore going through and getting rid of his toys. As in all the "Toy Story" movies, it's seen from the toys' point of view. What children see is funny: the toys go to a day -care center and make new friends and enemies, and eventually escape. What adults see is a child growing up, no longer needing his toys(or parents) anymore, and how quickly time passes. I cried, Spencer giggled. All was right with the world. "Despicable Me" on the other hand, was a hysterical romp through the life of a villain. In order to steal the the moon, our super villain, Mr Gru must first steal the Shrink Ray from his enemy, Vector. In order to gain access to Vectors house, Mr. Gru adopts the 3 little girls who sold cookies to him. Both the villains, and the cute little girls kept us in stitches, let alone the minions(little yellow guys, some with one eye, some with two). Between the music, the story-line, the animation, and the script, this is a laugh riot for all members of the family.
My outings to the movies with "my kids" are one of the greatest joys in my life.

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"Set It and Forget It"

Recipe of the Day- Roaster Bag Chicken

The last recipe I published was a little complicated, so today I'm sharing one of my favorite simple and quick chicken dishes.

Ingredients-
1 Reynolds Oven Bag(large size)
1 4lb. chicken
1/2 bag frozen green beans
1/2 bag frozen crinkle-cut carrots
1 can mushrooms
paprika
1/2 bottle Kraft Lite House Italian salad dressing
1 bag Success Jasmine rice

1. Prehat oven to 350 degrees
2. Wash and pat dry chicken.
3. Season on both sides with paprika and set aside.
4. Open Cooking bag and place in roasting pan.
5. Place all vegetables in bag and cover with 1/2 of the dressing.
6. Place chicken in bag, breast side down, on top of vegetables and cover with remaining dressing.
7. Close bag with fastener.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 20 minutes(20 min. per lb.).
9. Cook rice according to package directions.

This is one of my favorites because as the title states, you set the timer and forget dinners cooking. There's no basting or turning. The bag does it all. Of course, any vegetables can be used and any dressing or sauce will work. I love this recipe with Duck sauce too. Experiment and enjoy !!!

For info on nailcare, manicures, pedicure, acrylics, gels, or to contact me please visit http://www.tampanailchick.com/.