Chick Flick! Pride and Prejudice - Part 3

Before starting on my grand quest to view every film version of Pride and Prejudice ever made, I had no idea the first was done in 1940. How wonderful is NetFlix! I had a copy in my mailbox just in time for Carole's visit.

Let's start with the end. It ridiculously mangles the novel's plot. It's that simple. Now, let's move on to the costumes. On first glance, I thought to myself, "Come on, couldn't they be just a little more authentic?" Then I learned that the costumes were left over from the production of Gone with the Wind. Given the Great Depression and World War II, as well as my general admiration of thriftiness, I'll give the costumes a pass.

If you are a rabid partisan of any of the more recent adaptations, this one will not satisfy. Mr. Collins was the only character to rival the more modern portrayals. On the other hand if you are looking for a good sleepy-Sunday-afternoon-on-the-couch-under-a-blanket kind of movie this could be it. I did enjoy it--not as a faithful "Pride and Prejudice" effort--but just for what it is.

Here are my other Pride & Prejudice reviews:
The long A&E version with Colin Firth
The recent 2-hour-ish version with Keira Knightly
The 1980's BBC miniseries

Or, you could always read the book:

The CommonSenseMom's Cough Soother

Once in awhile, my efforts to prevent a cold or flu bug fail. Whenever one of the nasty bugs presents me with a sore throat or cough, I mix up a warm soothing non-alcoholic Hot Toddy drink. It's even easy enough for a sick person to assemble with a minimum energy expenditure.

Fill a mug halfway full of water.
Add a squirt of honey.
Add a squirt of bottled lemon juice.
Add 3 packets of Splenda sweetener.
Microwave 1.5 minutes, stir.

That's it. It's definitely not a replacement for cough syrup. But, it helps a little, and it sure feels good going down.

Bacon, Anyone?

Q: What do you call a piglet with laryngitis?

A: Disgruntled.

For Sale: Crayola Vehicle Designer Light Up Tracing Desks

Crayola Vehicle Designer

Light Up Tracing Desk

*Brand New*

in Factory Sealed Packaging

$34.99 + $8.95 shipping

These Crayola Vehicle Designer Light Up Tracing Desks are perfect gifts for boys. They just love creating all kinds of vehicles and scenes that they can use in countless ways. What a great workout for the imagination! My 4-year-old can use this imaginative toy, and my 11-year-old still thinks it is great fun!

I recently went hunting for these great toys and found that they have been discontinued by Crayola. Fortunately, I have a small inventory available for sale to the public!

Included are:

• Light desk
• 12 short, colored pencils
• 10 vehicle tracing design sheets
• Tracing paper pad
• Tracing pencil

Requires 3 "D" batteries (not included).

Again, this item is brand new and hard to find. It is in its original factory sealed packaging!

I accept Paypal payments and ship via USPS Priority Mail. For Illinois residents only, 6.25% sales tax will be automatically added to the total. Just click on the box above to start the ordering process. Shop with confidence from the CommonSenseMom!

Did you know there is a Crayola tracing desk for girls? They can design fashions. You can buy it here.

For Sale: Crayola Fashion Designer Light Up Tracing Desks

Crayola Fashion Designer

Light Up Tracing Desk

*Brand New*

in Factory Sealed Packaging

$34.99 + $8.95 shipping

These Crayola Fashion Designer Light Up Tracing Desks are perfect gifts for girls. They just love creating fashions and scenes that they can use on notes, cards, or in countless other ways. What a great workout for the imagination! My 4-year-old daughter can use this imaginative toy, and my 11-year-old daughter still thinks it is great fun!

I recently went hunting for these great toys and found that they have been discontinued by Crayola. Fortunately, I have a small inventory available for sale to the public!

Included are:

• Light desk
• 12 short, colored pencils
• 10 fashion tracing design sheets
• Tracing paper pad
• Tracing pencil

Requires 3 "D" batteries (not included).

Again, this item is brand new and hard to find. It is in its original factory sealed packaging!

I accept Paypal payments and ship via USPS Priority Mail. For Illinois residents only, 6.25% sales tax will be automatically added to the total. Just click on the box above to start the ordering process.

Or, if you prefer, you can order this item from me through Amazon.com by clicking on the following link:

Did you know there is a Crayola tracing desk for boys? They can design vehicles. You can buy it here.

The CommonSenseMom's Bread Pudding Recipe

The CommonSenseMom's Bread Pudding Recipe

12 cups 1-inch bread cubes
6 cups milk
3/4 c. melted butter
1 1/2 c. sugar (maybe a little extra)
6 eggs, beaten
1 T. vanilla
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. cinnamon

Thoroughly whisk together all ingredients except the bread cubes in a glass bowl and heat in the microwave for about 5 minutes. Put bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour the heated liquid over the bread cubes and gently combine until liquid is well distributed. Let stand 10 minutes. Transfer to greased baking dish (mine was 11 X 14 X 2 1/2). Lightly cover with foil and bake on top rack of oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean. After bread pudding has cooled to "warm", drizzle with a thin powdered sugar icing (I didn't measure at all...just powdered sugar, milk, vanilla).

I keep the heels and stale bread in a bag in the freezer until I am ready to use them. Then I thaw and cut them into cubes. My bread is homemade and mostly made with white whole wheat flour. More fat in your milk will give you a richer bread pudding.

Instead of topping with powdered sugar icing, you can serve with warm maple syrup (the real thing) or a vanilla sauce. We preferred the powdered sugar icing to the vanilla sauce.

If I were going to use a 9 X 13 pan, I would make 2/3 of this recipe and adjust the baking time.

Book Review: Egermeier's Bible Story Book

Egermeier's Bible Story Book
By Elsie E. Egermeier

I recently reviewed the Bible Study Guide for All Ages. In that review, I noted that I like to read through the Egermeier Bible Story Book with my kids around the ages 4-7.

We have a number of Bible story books around the house, but Egermeier's is by far our favorite. Many Bible story books give a cursory treatment to the stories, and some aren't even stories but simple rhymes. Egermeiers is neither cursory nor simple. It is thorough and meaty yet written at a level that is understandable to little minds. Difficult subjects are covered with an amazing sensitivity and not just omitted (think David & Bathsheba). I have found it faithful to the Bible in all details.

Snuggling on the couch for some Bible story time is a great pleasure with your little ones. The beautiful illustrations are so engaging, and our copy includes a list of comprehension questions in the back if you are interested in checking comprehension or reviewing the story.