Series of posts: Movie Night

  • Disney’s BRAVE – Scotch Eggs Recipe

    Disney’s BRAVE – Scotch Eggs Recipe

    Make it a movie night with Brave and these Scotch Eggs! 
    Make it a family movie night. Watch Brave and enjoy Scotch Eggs.
    We love the movie Brave. It was one we were truly excited for from the first preview we saw over 6 years ago. When Brave came out we were in the middle of the Princess craze with our little girls.  They loved Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and the Little Mermaid. It was also during a time where there seemed to be a lot of backlash on Princesses in general.
     


    Why did Princesses always need a Prince? Couldn’t they take care of themselves? They’re always so helpless – well except Belle. I think people often overlooked her in their generalizations of the helpless Princesses. Actually, I could give a good argument on why every single one of the Disney Princesses was not helpless, and actually quite brave in their own individual stories. 
     
    That should probably be its own post. Instead, let’s talk about Brave and the strong-willed red-headed Scottish Princess. Merida. She is a spitfire! And one of my favorite princesses to watch. I’m raising my own little spitfire, and while she and I have way too many head-butting moments like Merida and her mother – I am actually grateful for that determination. 
    Make it a movie night with BRAVE and this recipe for Scotch Eggs.
     
    When I first watched Brave, I thought it was how Merida was brave enough to stand up for herself against family. She was brave to be herself, and live her own life. The more I watch it, the more I love the ending. Merida was brave for doing those things, but she became braver when she admited she was wrong, took ownership of her choices, and apologized to those she hurt. Saying sorry and meaning it, is the bravest thing any of us can do, and too few of us choose to do. 
     
    I’ve made it a personal goal to always apologize to my children when I’m wrong, or when I let my inner bear come out. I want them to know that I’m human, and that apologizing is a good thing. The first few times were not easy, but it’s become a natural habit, and has allowed a lot of trust between us all. 
     
    Check out these other family movie night recipes:
     
    For a fun family movie night, I would highly suggest making these Scotch Eggs! They were a lot of fun to make, and they tasted fantastic! Granted my kids hate eggs…but they all gave the scotch eggs a try, and some really liked them. Some just enjoyed the sausage casing, but that’s ok too. They showed me they were brave enough to give something new a try. 
    Make it a family movie night with this recipe for Scotch Eggs and the movie Brave.
    I knew the kids would be hesitant to try the eggs, and I wasn’t sure just how filling they would be so I paired it with a side of sauteed root veggies. A couple of chopped potatoes and some rainbow carrots from our backyard garden were just screaming to me for a hearty Scottish side. Toss them in a little oil, add some garlic and salt and cook up until fork tender. You’ll love it with the Scotch Eggs!
    Scotch Eggs
    Write a review
    Print
    Ingredients
    1. 8 large eggs, hard boiled, chilled, and shelled
    2. 16oz pork sausage
    3. 2 raw egg
    4. 1/2 cup milk
    5. 1 cup flour
    6. 2 cups panko bread crumbs
    7. dash of thyme, basil, and chives
    8. oil for frying
    9. salt and pepper
    Set up a breading station using separate bowls
    1. 1. Flour, salt, and pepper
    2. 2.Egg Wash – raw eggs and milk, whisked to mix well.
    3. 3. Panko Bread crumbs and herbs
    4. Portion the sausage into 8 balls. Flatten each ball into a thin round disc.
    5. Encase each boiled egg evenly in the sausage, making sure it closes well all around.
    6. Coat with flour, egg wash, then panko bread crumbs.
    7. Preheat oil to 350F.
    8. Cook meat encased eggs for 5 minutes until golden brown.
    9. Drain on a paper towel, and season with salt.
    10. Serve warm.
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/


  • DIY Despicable Me 2 Family Costume

    DIY Despicable Me 2 Family Costume

    Family costumes are the best! This DIY Despicable Me family costume is full of adorableness. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you click on and purchase through them. 

    Dress your family as Despiable Me - a costume party hit! I put up a poll earlier this year to help us decide what to dress up as our family costume this year. With only 1 response, we found ourselves looking for pieces to put together the perfect Despicable Me 2 family costume. 

    Related – Minions Movie Night

    Having 3 girls and 2 boys, our family is really the perfect fit for this family costume. We’re big fans of the Despicable family and couldn’t wait to put it all together. The girls had a blast getting into character, and the boys enjoyed turning into Minions. Mark easily turned himself into Gru, and I got the lucky pick of becoming Lucy Wilde. 

    Become a Minion for Halloween. Despicable Me 2 family costume. To become one of Gru’s Minions all you need is some overalls, a yellow shirt, and some goggles. In our case, we purchased these adorable Minion hats from a local vendor years ago. They were perfect for our little minions. If it’s cold where you’re at, some black gloves would really pull this all together. 


    Dress up as the adorable Agnes from Despicable Me 2. Family costume idea. Little Agnes is the smallest of the sisters. With her big personality and adorable face, it’s the perfect fit for my youngest girl. In this photo opp we see her “holding her breath until she gets a new unicorn.” While overalls are preferred to make this authentic, my little Agnes didn’t like how they felt so we went with some blue jeans. Grab a yellow striped shirt, and then if you’re really into it, use a temporary spray to get the black hair. Finally a little gel and hairspray, and you’ve got her top pony tail. 


    DIY Despicable Me 2 costume Edith. The middle sister – Edith. Full of spunk, a ninja in training, and yet still girly. A big part of our DIY Family Costume means using what we have on hand. Miss Chloe here was perfectly happy dressing up in Edith’s ninja outfit. Out of the 3 sisters, I noticed Edith has the most varied clothes throughout the movies. Our big DIY project was right here – her katana sword. I don’t think she actually has one in the movie, but she does show up with a myriad of weapons throughout the movie. 


    Dress as Margo the oldest sister from Despicable Me. We finally have made it to the oldest Despicable Me sister – Margo. Our oldest fits her personality perfect. I had the most fun going shopping to find the perfect pieces for this outfit. This is the one costume we had to purchase all the pieces for – how did she not have a black tee in her closet? The non-prescription glasses really made this come together. Add a clipboard and a box of girl scout cookies, and Margo will be ready to go. 


    DIY Despicable Me 2 family costume. Don’t forget the girls adopted Dad, and the minions boss – Gru. This was definitely the easiest costume to make. Mark had black pants and a black coat. Grey scarfs are easy to find, and then we spray painted our MegaGun blue to mimic his Freeze Ray. It doesn’t get more simple than that!


    Make it a family costume with Despicable Me 2 characters. I had so much fun dressing up as Lucy Wilde. Looking for the perfect dress was a bit of a pain, but once I found it, everything fit into place. Add a small white purse, a polka dot scarf, some red hair, and don’t forget your LIPSTICK TASER! I did indeed dye my hair red just for this. No color hairspray for me – actual red dye. 


    Fans of the Despicable Me family? This family costume idea is perfect for you then! If you don’t have enough family, grab some friends and make them part members for the night. Need another idea? Try this Inside Out Family Costume
     

  • Movie Night: Princess and the Frog + An Easy Jambalaya Recipe

    Movie Night: Princess and the Frog + An Easy Jambalaya Recipe

    We love a good movie night! Enjoy this easy Jambalaya recipe to go with one of our favorite family movies – The Princess and the Frog. Find other fun food and activity ideas below. This post contains affiliate links and I will receive compensation if you click on and purchase. 

    Make it a movie night with this Easy Jambalaya and more family fun tips for watching The Princess and the Frog.

    We love having a family movie night. One of our favorites to watch is Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. As adults, we love it for the Cajun food. The kids love it for the humor sprinkled throughout. 

    Mark spent 2 years in the southern states, enjoying all the food they have to offer. From the delicious – Jambalaya, Gumbo, Hush Puppies, and Beignets – to the odder – Squirrels and Frog Legs – he’s tried it all. I refuse to make the latter ones, but the rest I enjoy almost as much as him, and so do the kids. Enjoy this recipe for an easy jambalaya that’s not too spicy for kids. 

    Easy Jambalaya
    Serves 8
    Head to the south with this easy kid friendly Jambalaya recipe
    Write a review
    Print
    Ingredients
    1. 1 TBS Olive Oil
    2. 14 oz Smoked Sausage, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
    3. 1 onion, chopped
    4. 1 cup chopped green peppers
    5. 4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
    6. 3 cups white rice
    7. 1 package onion soup mix
    8. 20oz water
    9. 32oz Chicken Broth
    10. 1 TBS Cajun Seasoning
    11. Dash of Sriracha
    Instructions
    1. Cook chicken in skillet until no longer pink.
    2. Preheat oven to 350° F.
    3. Heat oil in a large, oven safe pot.
    4. Add sausage, onion, and pepper to pot. Cook until veggies are soft and sausage is starting to brown.
    5. Add chicken, rice, soup mix, water, broth, cajun seasoning, and hot sauce.
    6. Cover with a lid, and stick in the oven.
    7. Cook for about 1 hour, or until the water is gone and the rice is softened.
    8. Periodically stir during cooking time. If water is absorbed too fast, add in another 1/2-1 cup.
    Adapted from eMeals
    Adapted from eMeals
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/
    Movies and good food I feel go hand in hand, but I don’t always want to cook up a whole feast. So while I have made beignets before – grab the recipe here – but for our most recent movie I picked them up from our favorite Cajun Cafe – MudBugs. Along with their amazing beignets, I’ve never had a better Hush Puppy than the ones they make. Plus their sauce is just mouthwatering. 

    The best beignets and hush puppies ever.

    Now that we’ve got the food covered, there are a lot of other really fun things you can do for your Princess and the Frog movie night. 

    Princess and the Frog Activities

    Pin the Crown on the Frog from TipJunkie
    Lily Pad Hopscotch from Silhouette Crafting with Martha
    DIY Tiana Steampunk Hat from Home Maid Simple
    DIY Lightning Bug Jar Craft from The Girl Creative