Biting The Hand That Feeds You

Avengers: Endgame Spoiler-Free Zone!

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Sat, 27 Apr 2019 02:07:00 +0000

I was given 2 free tickets to a pre-screening of Avengers: Endgame for a review, and whoa! We were not disappointed! Since it was on a weekday morning and I'd brought her to the early showing of Avengers: Infinity War last year, I brought my now-1st-grader to watch it with me. We wore our matching Captain America dresses, brought our Spider-Man hat and gloves, and a plastic Thor hammer (which the theater employees kindly turned a blind eye to. They have a strict "no weapons" policy. They probably figured a 7-year-old who looks like a 5-year-old carrying a ginormous hammer that clearly wasn't too heavy for her probably wasn't a threat to anyone...) We brought a blanket and our coats (we always get chilly during movies,) and hit the restroom before hunkering down with our popcorn and drinks for a 3-hour marathon.

Infinity War left us with a big loss for the heroes - and the world. Ant Man and Wasp left us with Scott trapped in the quantum realm as the Pyms all turned to dust. How does one deal with the aftermath of losing half of everyone they know? How does the world react? And how does a hero move forward? Endgame at first starts where Infinity War left off, but then jumps five years ahead. Which is when we forgot we had snacks and drinks, we were so riveted for the next few hours! Pretty much nonstop crying, laughing, or action scenes! I can't say much about the plot, since the whole movie is pretty much back-to-back spoilers. But I can say that there are flashbacks and clips from prior movies, so when you see dusted or dead characters in the previews or promotion posters, it doesn't mean they're "back." Pretty much every past character appears in the movie at one time or another (Vision and Odin being the only exceptions I can think of...) And that contrary to what popular internet memes would like, Ant Man does not shrink and crawl up Thanos' butt...

The basic non-spoilery plot is that they want to get the gauntlet back from Thanos and undo what he did, but some people have moved on and don't want to risk changing the present, while others figure that if they failed once, they'll only fail again.

Captain Marvel made a great addition to the Avengers, and when they get angry that she wasn't there when they needed her, she adroitly points out that Earth isn't the only planet out there... [Fun Fact: they had to film Brie Larson's Endgame scenes before filming began for the Captain Marvel movie - the directors did a great job keeping her true to a character that the Captain Marvel directors hadn't even had a chance to explore yet!]

Where Infinity War left us feeling like we were stopping in the middle of the story, Endgame left me with closure, even though it was bittersweet. In order to succeed, the heroes have to lose. And the cost is very high, and very heartbreaking. My daughter gets anxious during tense or exciting scenes, and clings to me, but I spent the whole movie clinging to her as well, and her hair was damp with my tears by the end. There were heart-wrenching moments, and beautiful moments, and a few happy endings - or as happy as one could be, under the circumstances. It was an epic, exhausting, and rewarding experience, and I feel honored that Marvel created this universe for us and spent so much love and time showing it to us.

Little E's spoilers: The Avengers are in it! Darth Vader is not in it. I am Groot.

We had some time to kill before the movie, so we did some fun poses in our cosplay, and fun editing afterward!

Remember - Doctor Strange saw Endgame fourteen-million six-hundred and five times, and didn't reveal any spoilers. So please, don't spoil this epic adventure that they've spent so much effort to keep secret so everyone can enjoy it for the first time.

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Avengers: Infinity War Reviewed By My 6-Year-Old!

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 16:00:00 +0000

Image copyright Disney/Marvel Studios. Used with permission

I was offered two free tickets to see the new Marvel Avengers: Infinity War movie a few days early. Since it was a matinee, my husband had to work, so I let my 6-year-old superhero fan play hooky from school to come with me! She's a HUGE fan of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, and loves the Avengers heroes - especially Spider-Man. In fact she even wore her Spider-Man hoodie to the theater! Big fan!

Image copyright Disney/Marvel Studios. Used with permission

This movie has enough major spoilers, I can't really talk about the plot. It's basically one big HUGE spoiler! The premise is that Thanos wants to collect all the Infinity Stones to give himself the power to randomly halve the population of the universe, so the survivors on previously overcrowded planets have the opportunity to thrive. Unfortunately, he didn't have any. The Guardians had the Power Stone in the safekeeping of the Novacore (GotG1,) the Space Stone was assumed destroyed on Asgard at the end of Thor Ragnarok, the Reality Stone was left with the Collector since it couldn't be safely stored so near the Tesseract on Asgard (Thor 2,) the Mind Stone and Time Stone are on earth with Vision and Doctor Strange, respectively, and thus far no one knows where the Soul Stone has been. So it's safe to assume Thanos is coming for Earth, and that this movie will be an "all hands on deck" as far as Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) cast goes!

Image copyright Disney/Marvel Studios. Used with permission

Here's what I can tell you. If you're not caught up on the movies and characters and plots within the MCU, you may be very lost or confused about a lot of the inside jokes, characters, and dynamics. Bring tissues if you're prone to crying when things get emotional - this movie has a LOT of feels! And it's over 2 hours long, so plan bathroom breaks and drink sizes accordingly! And be prepared for that feeling of letdown and betrayal at the end of the movie when you realize they're done and the story isn't really over. I compare it to how I felt when I was in the theater at age 5 and find out Darth Vader was Luke's father, Luke's hand gets chopped off, and... end credits. I shot up and howled "NoooOoOOoOooOOoo!" My 6-year-old almost did that here. She turned to me and said, "Wait. Is that the end? That's not the end, right?" It was only the promise of the standard Marvel "stinger" in the end credits that kept her calm and seated.

Basically, she sums this movie up really well. "I was sad. It was great. I loved it." And she's been enjoying running around telling her dad "spoilers" - so here's her big reveal... "THANOS is in it! Muahahahaha!" You're welcome.

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AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR is now playing in theatres everywhere!

Disney's A Wrinkle In Time Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 17:30:00 +0000

image copyright Disney Studios, used with permission

My 9-year-old read "A Wrinkle In Time" last year in school, so she has been eagerly awaiting the release of a film version! I've been a fan of the adult actors in it, so I've been following along enjoying the sneak peeks on Instagram too!
Disclaimer: I was given free tickets to attend an early screening of this film for review purposes.

Just from the previews and sneak peek images, I could tell that this movie as going to be very visually stimulating, and it did not disappoint in that regard! The costumes, hair, and make-up for The Mrs Ws were detailed and stunning, and changing so fast it was hard to appreciate all the detail! Every actor was pleasant to look at, and there were lots of great visuals throughout the movie.

image copyright Disney Studios, used with permission

As for the plot, I'm torn. It's been ~~a few decades~~ a while since I read the book, so I don't know how the movie compares, and I purposely did not read it again before the movie, since judging by my daughter's indignation at all the changes made ("basically just the names are the same! And sort of the idea of the story") I'll enjoy reading the book better with these visuals and a richer world and plot, rather than starting with the whole story and different expectations in my head and watching it get hacked to bits and patched over with pretty visuals...

image copyright Disney Studios, used with permission

The premise of the plot is that a father disappeared 4 years before by using his mind to travel across the universe using the correct frequency, or a "wrinkle" in time and space. So once I shake off all my eye-rolling, I can follow along. Some magical light beings, the Mrs Ws, just called "The Mrs" in this movie, help his children Meg and precocious Charles Wallace and a friend of Meg's, Calvin, travel across the universe using a "tesseract" to "tesser" through time and space to find their missing father.
That's pretty much it. Except, of course, for The It, a darkness that tries to sneak inside each of us from a place called Camazotz. The Mrs are part of the Light, finding warriors to fight The It. Oh yes, and helping Meg and Charles Wallace find their father.

image copyright Disney Studios, used with permission

Understandably, Meg gets into a lot of trouble acting out and getting teased and bullied at school after the disappearance of her father, so she has difficulty trusting The Mrs - and herself. So her personal development in this story is pretty predictable. But a great social story for grade-school kids, tweens, and teens! I'm constantly trying to show my oldest how the things she dislikes about herself can also be her strengths. Mrs Which gives the most powerful line in the movie - (paraphrasing here) "Do you know how many choices and events had to happen since the beginning of the universe to lead to the creation of you?" I'm always telling my kids that I never regret all the mistakes made and lessons learned, choices changed or delayed, and opportunities missed, because they led to the amazing children I got, and made me the mama I am. I may have annoyed my 4th-grader by interrupting her movie to indicate that this line defined how I feel about her.

image copyright Disney Studios, used with permission

Overall I enjoyed the movie, but I did have some issues with it, other than the cheesy sci-fi premise from the book (I asked my kid.) First off, my 6-year-old hated it. To be fair, she gets scared and anxious during the suspenseful or scary scenes in pretty much every modern movie. But my mommy-radar was going off for the characters when The It was dragging them away and they were screaming in terror. So I wasn't surprised that my sensitive little one was terrified and had to climb into Daddy's lap until the end. She did not feel that the rest of the movie was worth the terror of the It scenes. Before that point though, she was excited about the movie having Jack Frost (Chris Pine in Rise of the Guardians,) the mama pig (Reese Witherspoon as Rosita in Sing,) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling in Inside Out!)

I can't attest to this either way (other than I know they changed the winged horse to a magic flying carpet lady, since the book cover shows a horse,) but my oldest says the movie is pretty much nothing like the book. (So for those of you experienced with The Bourne Identity who have both read the book and watched the movie, sounds a lot like the similarities and differences there in the movie versus book.) Being a rigid thinker, my 9-year-old was outraged at the changes, however loved all the beautiful eye candy, and that there was a dog in it (she loves animals,) so gave it 5 stars.

I personally really hated the choice the father made at the end, but my daughter assured me that it was in the book [a lot of the film was spent with me annoying her like when I watch any Marvel movie with my husband - *poke poke* "Did that happen in the books? Was that character in the books? Did they do that in the book?"] So I'm not holding that part of the plot against the movie. Maybe they just didn't do a good job of justifying why his character made that choice, which is why it bothered me so much. I don't like wanting to slap a protagonist at the end of the film. Mixed feelings about a character should all be resolved by then!
The biggest issues for me though was that the pacing and cinematography felt off. Like this was made to be seen on TV versus the theater. I also got the impression they didn't do a lot of extra takes when filming the high-end stars. Little things like flyaway hairs blowing across a face of a magical being made of the light of the universe. Really? Couldn't do a re-take and spray down that hair? And a lot of creative angles and shots with unusual focus. Just gave me the impression that this was a TV or straight-to-DVD movie with a high special effects budget and a cast full of big names. It was a bit distracting for me, being pulled out of being lost in the experience to remember that I'm a viewer watching a movie, and why did they do that with that camera shot? But definitely still worth seeing in the theater with my kids!

image copyright Disney Studios, used with permission

A WRINKLE IN TIME opens in theatres everywhere this Friday March 9th!

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Ka-CHOW! Cars 3 Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 16:00:00 +0000

image copyright Disney/Pixar, used with permission

We were offered tickets to see an advanced screening of Disney/Pixar's new Cars 3, and my girls could hardly wait! Pixar hasn't disappointed us yet, so I had high hopes for this next installment from the CARS universe!

image copyright Disney/Pixar, used with permission

While Cars 3 includes cameos from all our favorite characters, this movie takes Lightning away from his family at Radiator Springs as he competes in the racing circuit only to discover newer faster race cars starting to take over the sport, making him and his previous competitors obsolete. It doesn't help that the new guys come in with a big attitude and egos to match, instead of the playful ribbing and friendship he was used to before. One by one his racing friends retire as the old guard continues to get further and further outclassed. But Lightning isn't ready to give up his passion!

image copyright Disney/Pixar, used with permission

Lightning is excited to train for the next racing season, and discovers that Rust-eeze has a fancy new training center, run by the new owner Sterling (voiced by Nathan Fillion, whose voice I could listen to allllll day!) Sterling has been a huge fan of Lightning's career, but he has other plans for his old racing star. So they make a wager. If Lightning can win the first race, he gets to race until he's ready to quit. But if he loses, he'll go along with Sterling's plans to shill branded merchandise.

image copyright Disney/Pixar, used with permission

Lightning and his new trainer Cruz Ramirez (voiced by Cristela Alonzo) have different ideas on what it takes to be a race car, but they work hard to find a nice mix of both old-school dirt tracks and new-technology training tools to try and match the top speed of Lightning's fastest competitor, Jackson Storm (voiced by Armie Hammer, who among other things, had a small role in J. Edgar, as did my friend and EasyLunchboxes founder Kelly Lester!) As you watch them train together, the ending isn't difficult to foresee for the savvy movie-experienced mamas, but it was still exciting and satisfying nonetheless! One thing I didn't see coming was Lightning seeking out his mentor Doc's old trainer, Smokey to help. Lots of humor for the grown-ups with the old classic car crowd, while still maintaining interest for the kids.
Pixar is genius at seamlessly weaving together scripts and visuals that keep all ages entertained throughout! I was too engaged to check out how my girls were enjoying the movie as much as I usually try to do, but I heard loads of giggles and guffaws, and saw a few excited bounces and even a little dancing from my youngest at one point! Definitely worth taking the family to see!

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CARS 3 is now playing in theatres everywhere!

Be Our Guest! Beauty and the Beast Review

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 00:47:00 +0000

image copyright Disney - used with permission

I was never much of a fan of Disney's animated Beauty and the Beast movie. I felt the message of not judging someone's character by their looks was portrayed too obscurely for most kids, and saw many children cheering and making punching arms during Gaston's pub scene, since clearly he was the hero to be emulating! The ending with Gaston stabbing the Beast in the back was also more violence than needed, and more than I expected from a Disney kids movie! But I couldn't say no when I was offered pre-screening tickets to the live-action version starring Obi Wan, Gandalf, and Hermione! *Swoon!*

I must say, not only was the all-star cast amazing, but this new version changed a lot of the issues I had with the original, and the whole thing was so epic and moving that honestly, I didn't mind the bits that had bothered me that weren't changed! For example, live-action faces are much easier to read, and I felt it was clearer early-on that Gaston wasn't a nice guy, and there was less punching in the pub scene. Already a win!

image copyright Disney - used with permission

Since the showing was during a weekday when my kids would be at school, I knew my mom was the perfect choice to take with me! She'd appreciate the majesty and music like I would, and would also enjoy seeing familiar actors and hearing familiar voices that my kids just wouldn't appreciate. The chorus was just more epic in a live action setting. I cried like I do at theatre musicals, just from the spectacle and beauty and a touch of nostalgia when the "provincial" townsfolk started singing "Belle!" I must admit, by the end of the movie I had tears runneling into my shirt!

I think this version has much scarier moments, with the real-looking wolves snarling and growling in several scenes, and the fight scene at the end is dark and harrowing, so expect to find your younger ones needing to be held during this film - but I will definitely be taking my anxious 5- and 8-year-olds to see this!

image copyright Disney - used with permission

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BEAUTY AND THE BEAST opens in theatres everywhere on March 17th!

Disney's Moana Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 07:53:00 +0000

image copyright Disney Studios, used with permission

My preschooler E is in her second-year at the Montessori school, and they are learning about world cultures and traditions. So while I would have jumped at the chance to get free tickets to see Disney's "Moana" in an advance-screening anyway, it was a particularly appropriate treat for us right now. This movie was full of stories and history and culture of the people of the Pacific Islands, and this movie is a fabulous resource to expose children to its beauty and richness. Plus once again, Disney knocks it out of the park!

image copyright Disney Studios, used with permission

"Moana" is about a girl named - you guessed it - Moana who is compelled by the water surrounding their island, but who is always kept away for her safety. One day she manages to toddle down to the beach and is "chosen" by some sort of magic. When she is grown and her people start to experience a blight, she learns secret about her tribe's history and is convinced she must leave the safety of their reef to find the god Maui to save her people. Her journey is filled with humor, love, tolerance, respect, and acceptance.

When she finds Maui, his selfishness is surprising to her, although very funny to the audience, and particularly identifiable to children, who are by nature fairly self-centered already. His journey and character development are a joy to watch, and an especially good example for my 8-year-old with a social delay to be exposed to. Like Maui, she is fairly narcissistic, but has a good soul, and is capable of making selfless choices. And likes to eat chicken...

image copyright Disney Studios, used with permission

My only problem with this movie was the visit to Tamatoa's lair. In a film rich with Pacific Islander culture and history and songs and language, it was very dissonant both visually and aurally to have a psychedelic black-lit 60's scene and song reminiscent of David Bowie. This was also the only part my preschooler E (she'll be 5 in a month) found scary.

My children particularly enjoyed the antics of the chicken HeiHei (voiced by Alan Tudyk, who has made a vocal appearance in each of Disney's computer animated tales!)

image copyright Disney Studios, used with permission

I definitely recommend this movie for adults and children alike, and E is already making plans to buy it on DVD!

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MOANA is now playing in theatres everywhere!

IFBC 2016 - Sacramento Farm-to-Fork Excursions

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 13:00:00 +0000

I'm excited to be going back to IFBC this year, to hobnob with fellow food bloggers, brands, and sponsors again! I had so much fun last year in Seattle, and this year they've moved it to Sacramento! We get to meet local growers and tour farms - I can't wait!

Since this year the conference isn't local to me, I can't just drive over each day after dropping the girls off at school. So I chose to fly down several days early and take advantage of the amazing pre-conference "excursion" tours! (Hubby's going to work from home the two weekdays I'm gone to get the girls to and from day camp at their school. Maybe he'll even take pictures of their packed lunches!)

For Thursday's excursion, I opted for the tour of some olive farms in the Capay Valley. I'm not a huge olive fan like my 8-year-old, but it will be exciting to see where the magic happens and learn more about curing and how they extract the oil! Years ago when Hubby was moving back to Seattle from Phoenix, I flew down to meet him and we drove back up together with as much of his stuff as he could cram into his car. I remember stopping at an olive farm in California and buying a ginormous jar of garlic-stuffed olives (I hate pimientos!) It might even be one of the ones on this tour! Wouldn't that be something?

After the excursion, there will be a reception generously hosted by Raley's Markets and the California Cling Peach Board ("Millions of peaches, peaches for me...") There will also be nibbles from CA Almonds, artisanal cheeses from Marin French Cheese , aperitifs (that's fancy for "booze") from Jardesca California Aperitiva, and premium local cider sips from Gowan Orchards Cider! Since I don't drink, I'm hoping the cider is non-alcoholic!

On Friday before the conference itself officially opens at 1:30, they set up another group of excursions! I chose the Farm-to-Fork Adventure through Historic Sacramento Delta. We'll get a first-hand look at the indoor growing facility at California Endive Farms where they render endives (pronounced “on-deev”) from chicory roots! And then the California Pear Advisory Board will take us to see a "live action" harvest at a Bosc pear orchard!

And then they're feeding us! On the banks of the Sacramento River, we'll get a light lunch featuring endives, pears, local wines, and other locally-grown "farm-to-fork" ingredients! Whew! All this, before the keynote speech and panels and such have even begun! It's going to be a full, amazing day! A full, amazing WEEKEND!

I'll be posting loads of pics on my Instagram the whole weekend, so be sure to follow me to see all the yummy foodie fun!

Scrumdiddlyumptious BFG Movie Lunches!

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 13:00:00 +0000

I was given 4 media passes to a pre-screening of Disney's "The BFG," so we had to celebrate with some "delumptious" lunches! My girls and I had fun brainstorming "glumptious" ideas for these lunches. But first, a whopsey look at the movie!

Image copyright Disney, 2016. Used with permission

It's been a few decades since I read the book, so other than generally remembering that I'd enjoyed it, I really didn't remember the plot at all. So I was unprepared for just how much I was going to love the movie! My brother ended up coming with us because my husband had game night and my mom got sick, and it was so fun listening to a grown man enjoy this movie so much! As much or possibly even more than my kids did! So fun!

Image copyright Disney, 2016. Used with permission

The visuals were truly stunning, and the jokes and plot were appealing and logical to any child's mind. My favorite parts were when they were catching "phizzwizards" (good dreams) and "trogglehumpers" (bad dreams) and then mixing them together to create custom dreams. But of course both my kids liked the "frobscottle" (giant's special fizzy drink) and "whizzpoppers" (rocketing farts!) the best!

Sophie and the Phizzwizards

Strawbumbles, pickled snozzcumbers, Frobscottle, Phizzwizards and Trogglehumpers, and Sophie

For Sophie, I used a Bread Head sandwich stamp on a gluten-free tortilla and added glasses by gently using a small circle cutter. My preschooler doesn't like cheese, so she chose some Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter for her tortilla sandwich. This stamp was designed for bread, so the imprint was recessed a bit for some reason. So I had to push the cut tortilla inside and hand-press it into the stamp to make the impressions. It was annoying, but not terribly hard. And luckily both these sandwiches were able to recover from the tortilla being cut through in a few places by accident!

Image copyright Disney, 2016. Used with permission

My 4-year-old also helped me pack some natural dye-free jelly beans into a mini muffin cup because they reminded her of the phizzwizards [dreams] the BFG caught to mix into good dreams to blow back into the world. Plus jelly beans are delicious, and I don't pack treats into lunches often!

Frobscottle and Snozzcumbers

Phizzwizards and Trogglehumpers, Frobscottle, Sophie quesadilla, pickled snozzcumbers, strawbumbles

The snozzcumbers in the movie were pretty disgusting looking, and these mini pickles represented them perfectly. Plus bonus, both my kids love pickles, so they actually ate their veggies this day!

Apparently "strawbumbles" are only mentioned in the movie, but Sophie enjoys a big bowlful of them at the palace, so they had to make an appearance too!

I happened to find the perfect little 2oz glass bottles at a novelty shop just in time to send some homemade frobscottle for lunch! Mine was made with some Zevia Cream Soda and a dab of natural green food dye powder. Both girls noticed that the bubbles in mine went up, instead of down like the BFG's. I told them that I can't bend the laws of physics! I am assured that the resulting whizzpoppers were still plenty fun! [Note: the bottles leaked when set on their sides for too long, so I ended up packing them tucked snugly upright between the EasyLunchboxes and the sides of their lunch bags. The bags didn't come home sticky and green, so I assume it worked out okay!]

I'm really pleased with how well these turned out, and both girls ate practically every bite, which rarely happens lately! If you're a fan of more rummytot rumpledumpuses, check out these fun Roald Dahl lunches (including some BFG giant ear flatbread sandwiches!) from Bent On Better Lunches!

Tools of the Trade

Image copyright Disney, 2016. Used with permission

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Finding Dory Lunches and Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 13:00:00 +0000

I was given two tickets to see a pre-screening of Disney-Pixar's "Finding Dory" in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own. Well, except for what my 4-year-old tells me to say... Since I was only offered one ticket in addition to my own, I couldn't take both girls. My youngest won the coin toss.

image copyright Disney-Pixar 2016, used with permission

The basic story (without too many spoilers, I hope!) starts one year after Nemo was rescued, with Dory living "next door" to Nemo and Marlin. Being someone with no short-term memory must be pretty frustrating and scary, but living and caring for someone with this condition has unique and frustrating challenges too. Which Marlin learns all too well. Along the way, Dory gets a flash of memory from her childhood, which prompts a quest to find her parents. After reminding Marlin and Nemo that they know all too well what it's like to love someone who is lost to them, the three of them embark on a grand oceanic adventure! And find some new "family" along the way!

image copyright Disney-Pixar 2016, used with permission

The title suggests that this movie is about Dory getting lost and (hopefully) found. And while this does happen (a few times!) this story is really about Dory finding herself. Finding her own strengths and trusting in her own abilities after a lifetime of being treated as "less than" - and realizing that she's not "broken" after all! This movie resonates a lot with me personally, since as a mother of a child with an "invisible" cognitive disability, I love stories that feature characters who are loved and accepted and even valued as "different, but not less." I can't wait for her to see it!

Since the oldest one didn't get to come, I wanted to make her a special lunch to celebrate getting to see the AMC Sensory Friendly showing coming soon (Regal also offers My Way Matinees now.) And I had to make a Dory lunch for the little one too, of course!

Dory and Nemo

GF goat cheese quesadillas, organic grapes and carrots

My 2nd-grader loves cheese, and has been asking for quesadillas. Normally I just use corn tortillas, since they're naturally gluten free and easy to find. But I happened to grab some gluten-free flour tortillas the other day, and it turns out they take cookie stamper imprints fantastically well! I foresee a lot more tortillas in our lunches next school year!

Since I was trying to make Little Sister's lunch at the same time, I opted to cook these quesadillas in the oven instead of a frying pan to free up some time. I accidentally overcooked them a tad. Which turned out to be a good thing, since my oldest prefers "crispy" cheese. She didn't even notice that these were quesadillas - she thought they were just fun cheese crisps! Ha!

I got the Nemo and Dory cookie cutters and stamps as part of my Disney Cakes and Sweets subscription. So many lunch-able Disney goodies! I didn't have any whale or octopus picks to represent other characters from the movie, so I grabbed some cartoony sea life cupcake picks just for fun.

Dory-tilla Sandwich

GF Dark Chocolate Dreams "fairy bread" tortilla sandwich, organic blueberries and spinach, rosemary vinaigrette

My preschooler (4) isn't a big fan of cheese, except on pizza, so instead of a quesadilla, she agreed to try a "chocolate peanut butter quesadilla." (Yes. I know "queso" means "cheese." To them "quesadilla" means "tortilla food." Ha!)

After cutting out three Dory shapes from the tortilla, pressing the stamp firmly into one of them, and carefully spreading the the Peanut Butter Co Dark Chocolate Dreams between the layers, I lightly buttered the stamped top. I then spent an agonizing amount of time carefully applying dye free natural-colored blue, yellow, and black sanding sugars. (The black one was found at Whole Foods.) I used a tiny spoon to help scoop, pour, spread, and corral the different sugars, and had to resort to my bento tweezers a few times to move errant grains of sugar. For the eyes I used tubes of natural-colored blue and black icings sent from a friend in Australia (loads of dye-free food options there!) and added some natural purple sugar over the blue for the irises.

A few sea life cupcake picks finish the theme (naturally I don't have the octopus or sea turtle from that set, since the store selling them as singles only had these two options! Pfaugh!)

This lunch was definitely more time-intensive than I can normally be bothered with. "Luckily" we slept in so late that I had to just take the girls to school and go back home to pack lunches. This gave me a few hours before I had to head back to school to deliver them, so I could take the time to do them fancy!

Tools of the Trade

image copyright Disney-Pixar 2016, used with permission

Like FINDING DORY on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarFindingDory

Follow FINDING DORY on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FindingDory

Follow Disney/Pixar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PixarFindingDory/

Follow Disney Studios on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/disneystudios/finding-dory/

Visit Disney/Pixar on Tumblr: http://disneypixar.tumblr.com

Visit the official FINDING DORY website here: https://disney.com/findingdory

FINDING DORY is now playing in theatres everywhere!

Alice Through the Bento Glass!

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Fri, 27 May 2016 12:00:00 +0000

Image copyright Disney 2016, used with permission

My girls had seen a few previews for Disney's new Alice Through the Looking Glass movie and were excited. The visuals and costumes alone are stunning, and add in a few adorably fuzzy creatures and my 7-year-old is smitten! Plus they happen to be doing a version of Alice Through the Looking Glass for her classroom's annual school play! So when I was offered free tickets to an advance screening for the movie earlier this week, I knew we had to go!

[I received 4 tickets, no strings attached. I was not compensated in any other way, other than some free promotional items that were offered to anyone attending. All opinions are my own.]

Image copyright Disney 2016, used with permission

Once again the star-studded live-action and CGI cast joins together for an amazing adventure through Underland - this time with Alice on a quest through Time himself to try and save the Mad Hatter! [So many fun time jokes and puns in this movie!]

Image copyright Disney 2016, used with permission

Sasha Baron Cohen does an amazing job as the personification of Time, with a fun blend of human and elemental traits, and makes a great addition to the world of Underland. There were a lot of subtle undertones to his character that added a depth and richness that I enjoyed a lot. The "fallen soldier" line when he meets Alice for the first time had me in tears, once I realized what he was talking about.

Image copyright Disney 2016, used with permission

My girls both agree that their favorite parts of the movie involved the Cheshire Cat, mostly because they are huge cat lovers! But when Alice travels back to the Hatter's childhood, the Cheshire Kitten was definitely their favorite scene! Alice learns a valuable lesson while travelling through time - that while you may not be able to change the past, you can learn from it! A great lesson for anyone!

I was going to celebrate the film's release with some fun themed lunches, but I don't think I can ever top my "Curiouser and Curiouser" lunch from a few years ago... My creative juices haven't been so juicy lately, now that I have two kids to pack for, and not enough time to ~~play Candy Crush~~ pack in the mornings. But not to worry! I've found tons of great ideas for lunches and treats to share with you below!

Bento Ninja has some great and easy Wonderland bento ideas - my favorite one is the talking flowers, but her Mad Hatter lunch is a good fit for this new movie! Her Red Queen ones are a great fit too!

Check out a "full deck" of other Wonderland lunch ideas shared at the Through the Looking Glass linky party over at Bent On Better Lunches!

Need some fun Wonderland party ideas?

Check out these fun Mad Hatter marshmallow treat hats from What's For Lunch At Our House? A fun and easy-looking treat that would fit in a lunchbox!

These Cheshire Cat Cupcakes are perfect (and look easy!)... and disappear just as quickly!

Don't these character macarons look amazing! Check out the video here!

If you have the Time [see what I did there?] be sure and check out these cool clockwork gear cookies!

Divided We Fall - Captain America: Civil War Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Fri, 06 May 2016 13:00:00 +0000

Image copyright Marvel 2016, used with permission

I was invited to an advance screening of the new Marvel Captain America: Civil War movie and given two tickets in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War” finds Steve Rogers leading the newly formed team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. But after another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps—one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark’s surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.

Get ready to pick a side and join the nonstop action playing out on two fronts when Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War” opens in U.S. theaters on May 6, 2016.

Let me start out with some advice - if you haven't seen Captain America: Winter Soldier or Avengers: Age of Ultron, you'll be missing a lot of important back story. Out of all the Marvel movies, guess which two I haven't seen yet? Sigh. I was totally lost. "S.H.I.E.L.D. did what now?" "Who the what?" It was very difficult to sit still and watch quietly and not pester my husband the whole time to fill in the back story!
You'll probably want to have seen the other previous Captain America and Avengers movies as well, which means that seeing the other Avengers-characters' (Thor, Iron Man, Hulk) movies, for important back-story too.. And while Ant-Man isn't required viewing before seeing him appear here, it's fun to know more about him! (They've rebooted the Spider-Man storyline for this movie, so other than watching the previous movies for fun, they won't apply here.) So if you haven't seen them yet, have a movie marathon weekend! Worth it!

Image copyright Marvel 2016, used with permission

I've always had difficulty with the "good guy vs good guy" scenarios in comics and the corresponding movies, because they've all had pretty weak premises to me. It takes a lot for friends to turn on one another so violently. They seem scripted - like the dispute is there because the writers wrote it that way, and not because it is what those characters would actually have chosen to do. Sure, they come up with "reasons." But they feel very manufactured to me.
So I went into the theater expecting to be annoyed with this here too, but I must say, they did a great job making the sides and choices fairly believable in this movie! I thought Tony Stark was a little more pig-headed and close-minded than I felt was appropriate, but it was needed to keep the dispute going. That was really the only weakness for me. But I hear that a lot of his motivations are based off events in Age of Ultron, so it might all make more sense to me after watching that!
I felt that the views and actions of Steve Rogers (Captain America) and Natasha Romanova (Black Widow) were very believable, and I could follow their logic the whole time. The other characters seemed to take sides more based on who they chose to follow rather than which side they felt was "right." It was clear the writers chose to break up pairings (like Hawkeye and Black Widow, or Vision and Wanda) for the sake of drama, but it was believable enough for me.

Image copyright Marvel 2016, used with permission

Captain America: Civil War was full of truly epic action sequences, some really beautiful battle shots, and lots of great staging and special effects. I got to see it in 3D IMAX, and to me, CGI often starts to really stand out as being fake because you can see it so intensely in this format. But ILM did a fabulous job blending everything together, and there were only a few moments where I was distracted by noticing that a character didn't move like a real person. Mostly I was impressed with all the "pew-pew" and "POW!" Hahaha!

The only thing that really bothered me, and they got it over with quickly so I was able to move on, was the argument behind forming the government oversight. Basically (you see it in the preview above,) this guy goes, "Look at all the collateral damage and deaths you caused..." and left out the "...saving us from the horrible [aliens/villains] who were going to cause even more death and destruction..." Um. So accidentally killing a few people to save hundreds is a bad thing? I completely understood the world's governments' desire to regulate people with super-human abilities or really cool technology that makes them, well, super. But to approach it from a "some people died because of you" angle using examples of events where masses more of other people were saved because of them was pretty weaksauce. But not enough to ruin the premise behind the division of those wanting government oversight to assuage guilt or to try and work within the system versus those worried about being used and controlled to further an agenda.

If you like the Marvel Universe, this movie is a must-see. If you like superhero or action movies, but aren't up-to-date on the Marvel Universe, it's still a great movie, but be prepared to have a huge portion of the plot and character motivations not make any sense without the back story. Go with someone who can tell you what's happening! Lots of great new characters, lots of Marvel's trademark interwoven humor and deep moral themes, and lots of the famous characters you came to see in action once again!

Like CAPTAIN AMERICA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaptainAmerica

Follow CAPTAIN AMERICA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaptainAmerica

Follow Marvel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marvel/

Visit the official CAPTAIN AMERICA website here: http://marvel.com/captainamerica

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR opens in theatres everywhere on May 6th!

Marvel Universe LIVE on Tour - opening TOMORROW in Tacoma!

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 02:23:00 +0000

[Feld Entertainment has provided me with a 4-pack of tickets to take my family to Marvel Universe LIVE® in exchange for this post and a review. All opinions expressed are my own. ]

When I heard Marvel Universe Live was coming on tour to my area, I couldn't say no! My nephew would never forgive me! My girls are still a tad young to watch most of the Marvel Universe movies that my husband and I enjoy, so aren't as familiar with the characters as their older cousins... But who wouldn't love watching superheroes fight villains amongst motorcycles, aerial acts, and pyrotechnics? Since I was offered 4 tickets for opening night, I'll be taking my 4-year-old daughter who was dazzled by the video trailer I showed her, my 9-year-old nephew who LOVES Marvel, and my brother-in-law (who pretty much tripped over himself to shout "YES!" at "Hey, Marvel Live is coming to Tacoma...") My older daughter would prefer to play video games with her other cousins at my sister's, so that worked out well for me, since I'm not up for taking 3 kids on my own, especially when at least 2 of them are known for wandering or losing their adult!

How cool does that look? It feels almost like a "people circus" (no animals,) which I LOVE, but with a superhero theme! SO FUN! I cannot WAIT until tomorrow night!

Here's the "official" plot synopsis blurb -
Marvel Universe LIVE! will captivate audiences with an authentic and original story that brings more than 25 Marvel icons together on one awesome quest. The Cosmic Cube, the source of ultimate power and one of the most feared and coveted treasures in the Marvel Universe, has been shattered into pieces by the Mighty Thor in order to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. With the pieces scattered across the globe, Thor’s villainous brother Loki devises a scheme to clone its powers, inciting a threat that could not only decimate Earth but also obliterate the Universe.

Tacoma, WA Event Schedule : Thursday, February 25 – Sunday, February 28

Thursday, February 25 7:00 PM
Friday, February 26 7:00 PM
Saturday, February 27 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Sunday, February 28 1:00 PM & 5:00 PM

Buy tickets for this weekend here, or check for shows in other areas! And be sure to follow all the Marvel Universe LIVE action on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Satva Eco-Conscious Activewear for the Lazy Mama

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 14:00:00 +0000

[Disclaimer: I was given a top and pants from Satva in consideration for this review. All opinions are my own.]

When I was contacted to receive and review some Satva organic cotton yoga clothes, I was intrigued. I love that the cotton is organic and Fair Trade Certified™, and that their dyes are low-impact or natural. But... I don't do yoga. I do, however, do lazy! And even lazy people can be mindful and eco-conscious about their clothing and food, and support companies that give back to their farmers!

I'm short but wide-boned, so stretchy clothing fits me best, since anything wide enough for my hips or shoulders is often too long or too loose everywhere else. But I don't want to look like I'm just wearing my PJs when I go to pick up the kids at school! (Because apparently I'm an "adult" now.) So I have to wear "real" clothes when out and about. But the second I get home, off come the jeans and on go the stretchy pants!

Lounging Around

Satva sent me an Ambar Strap Back Tank (in Molten Lava, Medium) and Mantra Leggings (in Ocean Depths Eastern Tile print, size Small. I could have gone up a size in these pants I think, but otherwise they fit perfectly!) And they're GORGEOUS! I could totally wear these out in public without looking like I didn't bother getting dressed when I left! Which is great, since then I can be comfy lounging around at home, and I don't have to bother getting dressed when I leave...

Check out the back of this tank! It's so pretty - reminds me of a butterfly! I was worried I wouldn't have a bra I could wear with that intricate back, but no worries - the Ambar tank has one built-in! I cannot wait for the weather to warm up so I can show this off!

Around the House or Out and About

Whether I'm snuggling my kittens, reading a book, plopped in front of the TV, waiting for my coffee to brew, taking a snooze, or just lounging around staring off into space, the Satva organic cotton clothing line would be perfect! Or, you know. For exercising and running errands and going out in public and stuff too.

Check out this beautiful clothing "in action" and follow SatvaLiving on their Instagram page, and check out all fifty of their comfortable and mindful styles (plus their toddler tees!) at SatvaLiving.com!

Winging it with KitchenIQ - Lemon-Rosemary Zoodles with Roasted Carrots

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 14:00:00 +0000

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for KitchenIQ. I received promotional items to thank me for my participation.

I was originally going to make this Cilantro Lime Chicken zoodles recipe from iFoodReal, but the grocery store was out of cilantro and I was too lazy to go across the street to the other store. So I grabbed some rosemary and figured I'd wing it... I was also going to make Garlic Roasted Carrots from Damn Delicious, except that when my guests voted for garlic instead of cumin for the zoodles, I didn't want to garlic up the carrots too. So I just used seasoned salt and called it good! Unless my friends were just trying to make me feel good, both dishes were a hit!

First off, let me start by telling you about my knives. We have old knives. From before my husband and I met 19 years ago. And they have been sharpened approximately once a never. I am just used to hacking and forcing my way through fruits and veggies, and maybe lopping off a bit of skin along the way. So I was excited to try KitchenIQ's Edge Grip Knife Sharpener (it's a bestseller on Amazon!) It didn't really come with instructions, and I clearly have not been honing my knife-sharpening skills [see what I did there?] so I had Hubby sharpen the knives for me! Besides, I'm better at taking pictures than he is. And also clearly better at weaseling out of doing prep-work! Hahaha!

My guests and I were really impressed with the Edge Grip Knife Sharpener. I tried cutting one carrot before sharpening, for comparison, and they saw how hard it was. After sharpening, my knife went through those carrots "like buttah!" It was surprisingly easy to use the Edge Grip's unique design to sharpen my straight-edge double-bevel knives.
There are actually two stages of sharpening in the one unit, and it pretty much worked the way I had guessed (but don't tell Hubby that I could have done it after all!) There's a Coarse sharpening slot with carbide blades for quickly sharpening dull or damaged knives with just a few pulls. The Fine slot has ceramic rods for finishing and polishing the edge, or to touch-up an already sharp knife. And thanks to the Edge Grip Bottom, the whole thing stayed stable on the counter top without sliding around. All that, and it's small enough to store in my cutlery drawer!

We used the Potato Tool to scrub and peel the carrots. And by "we," I mean my husband. This tool includes a scrub brush for cleaning potatoes and other veggies, a straight-edge peeler, and a paring knife tucked safely in the handle. Both the peeler and paring knife have non-stick stainless steel-coated blades, and the paring knife can be sharpened using the Edge Grip Knife Sharpener!
The ergonomic soft-grip, non-slip handle made it very easy to use, and it was handy being able to scrub each carrot then just rotate the tool to immediately begin peeling. Plus it's top-rack dishwasher safe! Bonus!

Since I was provided with extra Better Zesters to gift to my guests, I let Hubby have a break from doing all the labor and had my friends zest the lemon for us.

The Better Zester features a stainless steel V-etches zester blade, which makes it perfect for zesting all kinds of citrus fruits. Would probably work great for grating parmesan too, but I'm lazy and buy it pre-grated! The non-stick food-safe coating allows for smoother zesting and easier clean-up, plus it's dishwasher-safe! But our favorite features were the plastic cover to protect little hands from the blade while rooting around in the utensil drawer, and the Fresh Zest container, which collects and holds the grated zest and includes measurements to help you know when you have just the right amount!

Lemon-Rosemary Zoodles and Roasted Carrots

Lemon-Rosemary Zoodles with Beans

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 large zucchini, zoodled or sliced into thin strips/sticks

1 tsp rosemary, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp minced)

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed (red or black beans work just fine too!)

1 lemon, zested and halved

1/2-1 tsp salt, or to taste

Directions:

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet on medium-high. Add beans and garlic. Saute until warm, about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add zoodles, rosemary, lemon zest, and salt. Saute 1.5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Remove zoodle mixture from pan and sear cut ends of halved lemon until browned, roughly 1-2 minutes. Halve or quarter each seared lemon half into wedges.

Divide evenly between 4-5 plates. Serve hot with seared lemon wedges.

Simple Roasted Carrots

Ingredients:

2 bunches small carrots

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Seasoned salt or garlic salt, to taste (1/2 to 1 tsp)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Trim greens off carrots, leaving 1/2 to 1" of stems. Wash and peel carrots, then slice in half lengthwise. Toss in oil and lay on baking sheet. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Bake for 20 minutes.

Products are available on the KitchenIQ website or on Amazon.com

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Easy Halloween Lunches for Preschool

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 16:00:00 +0000

Most of my Halloween lunches this year were all "pickography" (using tools like picks and silicone cups instead of actual artistry to make it cute and fun!) And since my girls have different tastes and preferences, many of their lunches have completely different foods and themes each day. So here are some of my 3-year-old's easy "spooky" lunches!

Ham and Pretzels

Uncured ham, Glutino pretzels, organic carrots and grapes

10/7/15 - On a whim, I skewered her ham strips onto some Glutino pretzels, which was a big hit. She looooves pretzels. I don't include them in lunches a lot because gluten-free ones are pretty much totally empty starchy calories. But don't tell her teachers! I'm already skirting the line not packing dairy in every lunch! Lol!

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Creepy Spiders

Organic apples and carrots, salted hard-boiled egg, rosemary-garlic popped sorghum

10/26/15 - A few simple spider accessories made this lunch all creepy-crawly.

Haunted House Tiffin

Leftover brown rice noodles with garlic and lime, organic carrots, uncured ham, pomegranate arils

10/27/15 - Happy Tiffin is discontinuing their shaped tiffins, so I bought a few on clearance. I ordered something else, but they sent this house one instead. E loved it, so I kept it. Since I was using the house shape, and since it was almost Halloween, a quickie haunted house seemed in order!

I sent the warmed leftover garlic-lime noodles in my C-3PO Funtainer jar because the lid was black and it was the Halloweeniest one I have.

I packed a 2-sided spork because she'd need a fork for her noodles packed in the thermos, and a spoon for her pomegranate seeds. Perfect! She was very excited to use a utensil that has only gone into Big Sister's lunches in the past.

Batty "Hamples"

Uncured ham and organic apples, organic snap peas, pomegranate arils

10/28/15 - I've seen ham wrapped around apples before, so thought I'd open her up to some new flavor profiles. E deconstructed them, but said she enjoyed the hammy-flavored apples.

Tools of the Trade

"Ghosted" Cheese Sandwich Halloween Lunches

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 22:02:00 +0000

Z likes toasted cheese sandwiches, but E hates them. So whenever I toast up a sandwich for Z, I just make a PBJ for my youngest, and make cinnamon toast scraps for myself! I made "plain" toasted cheese sandwiches last week with some ghost picks on the side. After school when I asked how they likes their toasted cheese, my oldest thought I had said "ghosted cheese." Brilliant! So I made sure to squeeze one in before Halloween.

"Ghosted" Cheese School Lunch

"Ghosted" goat cheese sandwich on GF bread, organic carrots and snap peas, organic apples and crunchy PB

This is my favorite ghost cookie cutter shape, but that little tail is hard to keep intact, specially with crumbly gluten-free bread. This night was a good one for Mama, and nothing broke!
A ghost cupcake pick in her veggies and a ghostly white muffin cup for her PB (for dipping her apples) kept the ghostly theme going.

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Ghostly PBJ for Preschool

PBJ on GF bread with chocolate chip features; organic carrots snap peas, and apples

Little Sis got a simpler ghost cookie cutter just to change things up, plus a smiling ghost ring topper to make it less spooky.

Tools of the Trade

Halloween Trick AND Treat Fake Kitty Litter Box Lunches!

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 13:00:00 +0000

One night at dinner my 7-year-old informed me that she loved our kittens more than she loved me. In fact, I was rated 4th behind Luna (her kitten,) Cookie (Little Sister's kitten,) and Dadda. So I joked that I would put kitty poop in her lunch the next day, and we would see how much she loved the kittens after that! And so I did! Sort of...

Cat Got Your Lunch?

Organic ketchup and mustard, leftover pineapple-bacon sausage, "kitten poop," organic apples and carrots

Whenever we have these sausages for dinner, Hubby always cooks an extra one for me to use in lunches the next day or so. My girls love them, hot or cold! Z prefers hers with ketchup and mustard, so I put some of each in a Mini Dipper for her. I put a few slices of sausage on a witch finger cupcake pick to make lunch... and the potential source of the sausage meat... a little spookier!
The kitty litter and "lumps" were sent in an orange and black tie-dye muffin cup (the set also has great red-green-white Christmassy ones, and red-white-blue patriotic ones!)
An eye cupcake ring makes some ordinary apples and carrots a little creepier too!

Kitten Crunchies

Leftover pineapple-bacon sausage, organic carrots and grapes, "kitten poop"

Since my preschooler hadn't rated me below two fluffy poop-machines, I let her in on the secret about the "cat poop" and litter that would be in her lunch, and showed her the ingredients, which are all treats she enjoys. I also gave the teacher a heads-up that it wasn't really poop! Lol!
Her sausage bits went on a skeleton hand cupcake pick, and I used a pumpkin-shaped muffin cup for her julienned carrot coins. Still a little spooky, but hopefully not as much as Big Sister's lunch!

I made the "poops" out of some slightly warmed Trujoy Choco-Chews which are organic and don't contain artificial petroleum-derived vanillin like the name-brand ones.I mashed up a Glutino vanilla sandwich cookie (my favorite, so I always have a package hiding somewhere in the house!) and some natural blue jimmies sprinkles to make the litter. Most of the kitty litter cake tutorials online say to use graham crackers, but our actual litter is very pale, so I chose the lighter cookie both to look more like what we have, but also because it meant I got to scrape off the filling and eat it myself! Nom!

Z ate her choco-poo, but not her crunchies. E couldn't bring herself to even try it. So I ate it after school!

Tools of the Trade

Haunted Pumpkin Patch Cracker Stackers

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 13:00:00 +0000

I loved making MOMables Cracker Stackers even before we went dye-free and gluten-free and cow-dairy-free and could no longer buy the boxed version anyway. The best part isn't that you can choose healthier options when making your own, or that it saves a ton of money. No. The best part is that you can use mini cookie cutters to make them super cute! Wahoooo!

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Haunted School Lunch

Glutino crackers, uncured ham, sliced goat cheese, organic carrots and apples

I'm not feeling super creative or energetic this Halloween, so I love easy lunches that are still fun and "festive!" The mini pumpkin and ghost cutters were perfect! I even had a hugemongous organic carrot that was wide enough to use the pumpkin cutter on too! Not that it inspired my 2nd-grader to eat her veggies. *sigh*

Preschool Patch

Sliced goat cheese, Glutino crackers, uncured ham, organic carrots and apples

Little Sis got the same lunch as Big Sis, since luckily for me, Cracker Stackers are a "fan favorite" with both my kids!

Those leaf things in both lunches are some silicone suction-cup drink markers I found at the natural grocery store and bought just for fun.

Tools of the Trade

Spooooooky "Scghool" Lunches

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 13:00:00 +0000

I forgot to pack lunches the night before like I usually do, so I had to throw these together quickly (instead of showering) before leaving to take the girls to school. Luckily I had enough time to spook them up a bit!

Ghost of a 2nd Grader

Organic apples, raspberries, and carrots; GF garlic-rosemary bread with goat cheese grilled sandwich,
organic chocolate midgee

The ghost cupcake pick gives the lunch a fun flair, and also helps the sandwich from sliding around, since it's flush with the EasyLunchbox lid when I stick it in at the right angle. So it kind of holds the sandwich in place. Since I had my Halloween lunch accessories bag out already, I found a ghost cupcake ring for each girl too!

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Ghost of a Preschooler

GF grilled garlic-rosemary bread goat cheese sandwich, organic chocolate midgee; organic carrots, raspberries, grapes

Little Sis got the same lunch, but with just half a sandwich, since she's smaller and can't eat as much as she used to in her shorter lunch period. (She used to eat more than her older sister, when given her lunch tray to nibble on from lunch until time to go pick up Big Sis!) She also got some julienned carrot coins, since she stopped eating carrot sticks, but will eat shaped carrots. So I use julienned coins when I don't have time to get cute. It's still hit or miss on whether she'll eat them though.

Tools of the Trade

Amazing Grass Green Superfood #MomsMeet #AmazingGrass

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 02:10:00 +0000

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.

I'm not always fantastic about making sure I eat every meal, and some days the lack of proper nutrients catches up with me! And it's common for people who are intolerant to gluten to have issues with vitamin deficiencies anyway. So having a power-packed superfood option that's quick, easy, and portable is especially important for me!

Amazing Grass sent me an assortment of samples of their Green Superfood flavors, and I was excited to try them! I was actually surprised at how well they blended with liquid. These were the first powders that didn't stay lumpy and have to be filtered through my teeth! Hahaha!

Just the Facts

• Amazing Grass Green SuperFood is a powerful blend of nutrient-dense organic greens and
antioxidant rich superfoods in convenient powder form.
• Just one serving of Green SuperFood provides a powerful blend of whole food nutrition in
convenient powder form to support overall health, immunity and energy levels.
• Green Superfood alkalizing greens help balance ph levels and their probiotic/enzyme blend
naturally aids digestive function.
• All Amazing Grass products are organic, non-GMO, vegan, and gluten-free.
• Amazing Grass Green SuperFood is available in ten flavors and functions: Original, Berry,
Chocolate Infusion, Energy Lemon Lime, Energy Watermelon, ORAC Antioxidant Boost,
Orange Dream, Pineapple Lemongrass, Tangerine Immunity Defense, and Alkalize and Detox.
• Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood is a rainbow of 32 organic greens, fruits, and vegetables, all
in a convenient drink powder. Available in two delicious flavors, Chocolate and Berry, Kidz
Superfood delivers amazing green nutrition and helps kids achieve the daily recommended
servings of fruits and vegetables.
• Amazing Grass products can be mixed with water, milk, juice, or into your favorite smoothie!
• Amazing Grass Green SuperFood Original (8.5 oz., 30 servings) retails for $29.99 and
Amazing Grass Kidz SuperFood Outrageous Chocolate (6.5 oz., 30 servings) retails for
$24.99. Individual stick packs can be purchased at retail locations for approximately $1.29,
or a 15-count box can be purchased on the Amazing Grass website for $21.99.

I like to mix my greens powders with my coffee or tea for an added boost of flavor, and so that I don't get too full drinking a glass of greens AND a mug of coffee! The Green Superfoods did a great job blending with hot drinks as well! The fruity ones tasted great alone or mixed with tea or herbal tea. And I especially enjoyed the chocolate one in my coffee! Gives "green coffee" a whole new meaning!

Learn More Online
amazinggrass.com
twitter.com/amazinggrass
facebook.com/greensuperfood
instagram.com/amazinggrass

'Round the Pumpkin Patch

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 13:00:00 +0000

10/23/14 - I had wanted to do a Halloweenie lunch, but couldn't find my tub of Halloween cutters and accessories. So I pounced on an inspiration from Eats Amazing and her 10 Halloween sandwich ideas using circle cutters post for a simple option!

Great Pumpkin

Gluten-free PBJ, organic carrots, organic pomegranate arils

For my older girl, the largest circle cutter I could use on gluten-free bread (it bakes smaller, since it doesn't rise as much as wheat breads.) I used the smallest triangle cutter I could find to make all the features, since the other tiny shapes just didn't look right. I also used the circle cutter to score lines near the edges to make it look more pumpkin-y. A sliver of carrot plus a leaf pick, and it's perfect!

Both my girls love pomegranate arils, so I put a bunch in a pumpkin muffin cup as a special treat.

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Pumpkin Bites

GF PBJ, organic pomegranate arils, organic carrots and tomatoes

I made mini versions for my preschooler! Same idea, but with a smaller circle cutter, and I used a tiny crescent cutter for the mouths. Little Sis also got carrots and pomegranate arils, but I added some organic baby heirloom tomatoes that looked like little watermelons!

Tools of the Trade

Toasted "Scream Cheese" Sandwich

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 13:00:00 +0000

My girls, especially the 3-year-old E, both love the Hotel Transylvania movie (even though the whole concept of having a "zing" is ridiculous and totally against all the lessons I've worked hard to teach them about relationships!) We rearranged some plans so we could see the Sensory Friendly showing of Hotel Transylvania 2 together last weekend.

So when I had this loaf of gluten-free bread with a giant hole in a bunch of the slices, I got out some eye picks and made a Hotel Transylvania-inspired "scream cheese" toasted sandwich for my 2nd grader! Totally got the idea from a lunch I saw over at Lunches With Love a while back. So fun!

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Gluten-free toasted goat cheese sandwich, organic crunchy peanut butter, organic carrots and apples

The arms and legs picks came from a Rose Art Fun Dough Monster Mania set. I choose to turn a blind eye to whether or not they're food safe plastic... They're so cute with those eye picks! I stuck another eye in with the apple slices, for good measure. I love how the muffin cup of peanut butter for her apples makes it look like her sandwich monster is losing his kibble. I was tempted to make a stream of chunky peanut butter coming out of his mouth too, but thought that that might be going a little too far...

I used an orange and black tie-dye muffin cup for her carrots to make it Halloween-y and monster-y, and used the black lid from the EasyLunchboxes Urbans set for the lunchbox.

Tools of the Trade

Check out these other fun lunches that utilize the shape of the bread - perfect for easy Halloweenie lunches too!
Another Hotel Transylvania 2 lunch using the shape of the bagel and some plastic fangs to make Vlad by What's For Lunch at Our House
Squashed loaf T-Rex from Bent On Better Lunches
Lumpy bread bear head from What's For Lunch at Our House
Squashy bread monster face from Green Lunches, Green Kids
Kitty cat croissant from Zoe's Lunchbox
Lumpy bagel pumpkin face from Bent On Better Lunches

IFBC Swag Giveaways! Win Some Random Swag or 5 Dozen Eggs!

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 13:00:00 +0000

It's been a busy few weeks for me since IFBC, and I've been agonizing over which swag I wanted to keep and what I wanted to include in a giveaway! Since my deal with my sister involved her getting all the gluten- and dairy-filled food items as a "thank you" for taking my kids all weekend, there aren't a lot of food items left to include! So I have a nice assortment of reusable shopping bags, recipe books, notebooks, and a few food items and kitchen gadgets!

I had a great time, not only learning some helpful stuff for food bloggers in the training sessions, but also getting info about upcoming food trends (Celiac and the Beast has a great rundown!) and meeting (or re-meeting!) blogger friends new and old! I especially enjoyed going to the Sur la Table headquarters for the optional pre-conference excursion hosted by them and KitchenAid!

Next year the conference will be July 29-31 in Sacramento, and I've already bought my ticket! Get $50 off from October 1 through December 31 with code EARLY

Disclaimer: I was given a discounted blogger rate to attend IFBC 2015 in exchange for writing 3 posts about the conference. We were given full discretion to choose our own topics. No other compensation or direction was given.

Please note that there are TWO different giveaways. Please read the terms and conditions in each rafflecopter – they matter! These are random giveaways open to US residents only. No purchase necessary. You may enter and win either or both giveaways, if you are eligible.

I will contact each winner via email, and winners must respond within 48 hours or I will have to pick someone new.

Random Swag Giveaway! (Giveaway 1 of 2)

Sur la Table canvas bag
Packet of Geeky Hostess "Steampunk" sprinkles (contains artificial dyes)
Linsday Olives bag
mini bottles of olive oil and vinegar
mini bottle of steak marinade from Sansaire
selfie stick
Krusteaz zippered cloth bag
Krusteaz cloth apron (with pockets!)
Krusteaz mini recipe booklet
Around the World, Chilean Haas Avocados cookbook
2 lamb recipe booklets
Windset Farms recipe booklet
Gathered Table linen napkin
lined journal and recipe booklet from Stonyfield Farms
lined notebook
sunglasses and pouch from Wordpress

But wait, there's more!

Sur la Table Cauliflower Seasoning Kit (contains gluten and dairy)
Sur la Table Truffle Gravy Seasoning Mix (contains gluten)
Teavana Classic Teaball
Teavana tin with tea (I think it's Spiced Apple)
A few recipes and tips on brewing tea from Teavana
Coupon for free Lindsey's Olives product
Coupon for free Shiirataki product, plus mini recipe booklet

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bonus Davidson's Safest Choice Eggs Giveaway!

(Giveaway 2 of 2)

I got 5 coupons for a dozen Davidson's Safest Choice Pasteurized Shell Eggs, but they aren't sold near me. Lucky you! So the only requirement to enter is to go to their Store Locator page and verify that there are stores in your zip code that carry them, then comment in the Rafflecopter entry widget! I'll pick one winner for all 5 coupons! Coupons expire 12/31/15

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway values undetermined.

Planetbox Pods - We are GO for Lunch!

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 21:45:00 +0000

Planetbox just released a new line of Pods - reusable silicone cups sized perfectly for their stainless steel boxes! They kindly sent me the 4-pack sized for the Rover, but you can also get a 2-pack of Pods designed to fit the Shuttle and the Launch boxes.

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Organic popcorn, organic raspberries and grapes, Naturebox Blueberry Bite, PBJ Funagrette dressing, organic carrots,
uncured ham, GF crackers, goat cheese

The Planetbox Pods cups are a little small, and don't create a water-tight seal with the lid, so they might not be perfect in every lunch, but they're a great set of "tools" to have on hand to add flexibility to your Planetbox packing choices! Since I would be carrying my 3-year-old's lunch into her classroom and could carry it flat, I went ahead and packed some dressing to dip her carrots, even though I knew it would leak if carried sideways (which the leftovers did, when she thoughtfully carried her lunch out of the classroom for me. Oh well!)

I had a mini heart cutter perfect for cutting goat cheese hearts to go on her crackers. They fit in the square Pods perfectly! Since my ham slices were so thin, I opted to rolls them up instead of cutting into hearts. But they also fit nicely into the square Pod!

Organic plum with strawberries, goat cheese stick, dye-free candy-covered sunflower seeds,
peanut butter, purple rice crackers, roasted kale chips

Just because you have four Pods doesn't mean you have to use them all at once! Even just one for holding some peanut butter for DIY PB Cracker Stackers is a perfect "fit" in any lunch!

This lunch was a fun lot of random stuff. Some leftover roasted kale, a homemade cheese stick made from goat cheese, half a plum left over from dinner, the last strawberry, and peanut butter and crackers! Lots of fun yummy goodies!

Tools of the Trade

A Night at the Circus!

noreply@blogger.com (Ludicrous Mama) — Sat, 26 Sep 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Growing up, we rarely went to the circus. I'm not sure if it was that the circus didn't come around as often back then, or if it was too cost-prohibitive for my parents with four kids, or if it was just too exhausting for my mom to take the four of us out in public anywhere! Hahaha! Probably a mix, especially with my brother and his sensory issues with sounds and crowds and lights (which helped prepare me for helping and understanding my own sensory kiddo!) But I remember how overwhelming the three-ring circus was, with so much going on all at once. I like this new one-ring format better, with clowns and some aerial acts to entertain us while they're setting up for the next performers.

Feld Entertainment has provided me with a 4-pack of tickets to take my family to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Built To Amaze!® in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was the first time I can remember seeing protesters outside the circus. I didn't do a whole lot of research before deciding to attend, but I liked that there were mostly human acts, and I read up on Ringling Bros commitment to the health and safety of their animals. Granted, the information comes direct from them, so do your own research and make the choice that feels right to you! In the past, my kids have liked the animal acts best, but this time around, they were more excited about the performing "monkeys" [people!]

We attended opening night at the Showare Center in Kent with our 7- and 3-year-olds. I like it there because they will allow me to bring in a factory-sealed tub of dye-free cotton candy, as long as I declare it when they're checking our bags. We can buy Cracker Jacks, roasted peanuts, and bunless hot dogs at concessions, and they always have bottled water for a safe beverage option (they also had Vitamin Water and Coca-Cola in bottles, which don't contain artificial dyes or flavors either, and I don't have to worry about cross-contamination from the soda fountain nozzles!) I always bring empty EasyLunchboxes to use as lap trays, since bunless hot dogs are difficult enough to eat, especially when they're cut up for dipping in ketchup. And when we have to get the jumbo one because it'll be 25 minutes to get a regular dog that hasn't touched a bun, it's easy to pop a lid on over the leftovers and take it home! The EasyLunchboxes also make it a snap to share the peanuts and Cracker Jacks!

Dye-free tip for those of you wanting other treats or souvenirs: you can get the snow-cones in the collectable cups out at the tables, and ask for one with just ice. Then add some juice or soda (Coke and the lemon-lime ones are both safe) that you purchased from concessions for an icy treat!

I don't know if it was just opening night jitters or what, but several of the acts had some major flubs, with performers falling or tripping. But it gave me the opportunity to point out to my kids that even experts can still make mistakes, and that they got back up and tried again. And no one got hurt! Whew! Having the performers modelling perseverance and not giving up even when they'd made a mistake is a great lesson for any kid!

Both girls were delighted and awed by most of the performances. We had REALLY great seats near the front, which helped immerse and engage them better, and gave us all a great view of all the acts!

The girls liked all the aerial acts best, with the troupe doing throws and flips in midair, and the solo trapeze artist, and the ladies hanging from cloth and rings throughout various other acts. But my favorite was when the clowns tried to recreate the archer stunts with an audience volunteer. Hilarious!

We went on a school night, so the girls started getting whiny near the end. But the finale was flashy and fun enough to reel them back in. It was a great ending to an exciting night, and we got home right before bedtime!

The all-new Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Built To Amaze!® plays the XFINITY Arena in Everett, WA from October 1 – 4, 2015, or check Ringling.com for other tour locations and dates!