Movie Monday – Sue Thomas F.B. Eye Series

 

This week’s family movie suggestion is the Sue Thomas F.B. Eye Series.

Sue Thomas is a deaf woman who can read lips and speak. She’s lived a sheltered life for the most part, so when she’s accepted for a job with the F.B.I. hours from her hometown, she knows she’s embarking on an adventure.

Based on a true story, this series is one of the best I have ever seen and is on my top-ten favorites list of all time.  Sue Thomas F.B. Eye  has everything that makes a movie good – a touch of romance, drama, humor, action, and adventure. What’s more, the writers and producers managed to pull off this feat without the use of the distasteful Hollywood variety of violence, crass humor, foul language, and sexuality.

Sue Thomas F.B. Eye is a wholesome show, but it’s far from dull. Each episode includes the latest case to solve by Sue’s F.B.I. team, which includes:

Sue, a talented lip reader who helps solve many cases, but who struggles with being accepted because of her disability;

Jack, the lead investigator (with a dash of romance between he and Sue);

Lucy, Sue’s best friend and roommate, and the administrative assistant for Sue’s F.B.I. team;

Bobby, the Australian agent with a flair for fighting for the underdog;

Tara, who can figure out just about anything on the computer and is the technology guru of the group;

Demetrius, the serious, yet kind, agent who learns a lesson the hard way about how his workaholic tendencies affect his family; and

Miles, the annoying know-it-all who has it out for Sue in the beginning.

Some of the episodes include some scary parts that may be inappropriate for those under 10 only because of the theme. There is nothing objectionable in any of the episodes and Sue Thomas F.B.Eye is a perfect series for the entire family. I highly recommend purchasing the entire set. As of this review, there are five seasons, but I’m hoping they’ll make more soon!

For a listing of movie suggestions, followed by archived movie reviews, please see http://pennyzeller.wordpress.com/mom-approved-movies-for-families/

Join me each week for a new movie suggestion of recommended movies suitable for the entire family with reviews written from a Christian worldview.

Movie Monday – Matthew, a Dramatic Presentation of the Life of Jesus

This week’s family movie suggestion is Matthew, a Dramatic Presentation of the Life of Jesus.

The Bible is brought to life in Matthew, a Dramatic Presentation of the Life of Jesus.  This visual presentation, which includes two parts, faithfully follows the NIV version (1984). Starring Bruce Marchiano as Jesus, viewers will enjoy the realistic costumes and the authentic setting.

This video contains nothing objectionable and is suitable for all ages.  Highly recommended for families, youth groups, and anyone else wishing to have a visual glimpse into the Bible.

For a listing of movie suggestions, followed by archived movie reviews, please see http://pennyzeller.wordpress.com/mom-approved-movies-for-families/

Join me each week for a new movie suggestion of recommended movies suitable for the entire family with reviews written from a Christian worldview.

Movie Monday – Backroads and Lilies

This week’s Movie Monday family movie night suggestion is Backroads and Lilies…

Alza Bennett’s car breaks down and leaves her stranded in the middle of nowhere. How will she ever make it home for Easter now? After a series of mishaps, she stumbles across a hermit fixing his tractor. Moments later, she has convinced him to drive her several hundred miles to her parents’ house. After all, it’s imperative she makes it home for Easter.

Lincoln has no desire to be pestered by anyone, let alone a spoiled woman with no thoughts of anyone but herself. However, he agrees to drive her, and on the way they encounter all kinds of hilarious calamities.

At this point, it doesn’t seem like Alza will ever make it home. And if she doesn’t, how will she ever make that good impression on her family that she is striving so hard to make?

Backroads and Lilies is one of those movies I hadn’t heard much about until I saw it on the shelf of a local store.  I wondered if it would be a good movie. I wasn’t disappointed.

While it starts off a bit slow at first, the momentum quickly builds. Jefferson Moore who plays Lincoln is perfect for the role with his crusty glares. (He also played in one of my favorite movies of all time, Clancy). Christina Karis, who plays Alza has delightful facial expressions and plays her role well.

Backroads and Lilies is full of great lessons. First of all, lying never solves anything, which Alza soon finds out. Secondly, God teaches us to put others before ourselves (Philippians 2:3). Alza clearly doesn’t do this and soon learns an important lesson.  Third, serving others can make a huge difference, as Lincoln discovers. His choice not only helps Alza, but also makes a difference in his life as well.

Backroads and Lilies is a wonderful story of redemption. It includes humor, as well as touching moments. There is nothing objectionable and I would highly recommend it for those ages 8 and above. Younger children may not understand the plot and story line.

For a listing of movie suggestions, please see http://pennyzeller.wordpress.com/mom-approved-movies-for-families/

For an archived listing of reviews for recently-reviewed movies, please see http://pennyzeller.wordpress.com/archived-mom-approved-movie-reviews/

Join me each week for a new movie suggestion of recommended movies suitable for the entire family with reviews written from a Christian worldview.

 

8 Awesome Gluten Free Finds

My husband and I are both gluten free,  so I’m constantly on the search for delicious food items that don’t taste gluten free. Here are eight of my favorite gluten free finds in no particular order. As of the time of this posting, all items were gluten free, but ingredients can change. Please be sure to check the ingredient list and/or call the company to be sure the item you are interested in is still gluten free.

1. Tinkyada organic brown rice pasta noodles. I’ve tried other gluten-free noodles before and thought perhaps I was eating cardboard. This isn’t the case with Tinkyada noodles, which come in a variety of noodle shapes including spirals, spaghetti noodles, and lasagne. I love these noodles and think they actually taste better than the wheat/egg yolk variety.

2. The Cravings Place Ooey Gooey Choclatey Chewy Brownie Mix. This is a delicious brownie mix that is also wheat, nut, dairy, egg, and bean free. A great substitute for “regular” brownies.  We’ve also used it for birthday cakes as well. Add a dollop of frosting or gluten free pie filling to the top and you’ve got a tasty dessert for any occasion. If you love recipes for tasty gluten free treats, check out my recipe for scrumptious gluten free/egg free pumpkin bars here.

3. Bisquick Gluten Free Pancake and Baking Mix. The pancakes actually taste pretty good. The only downfall is that it is a bit pricey for the small box. But if you are needing something easy for breakfast, this is a great choice.

4. Nature’s Hilights Rice Pizza Crust. Out of all the things I missed when I first discovered my wheat allergy, I missed pizza the most. With this brand of pizza crust, I can still have pizza and top it with all kinds of healthy toppings.

5. Rice Dream rice milk.  If you must go dairy free, as my husband and I do, this is the ticket. It’s also gluten free and comes in vanilla-flavored as well. For a funny story of just how far some of us will go for our Rice Dream milk, check out my humor post here.

6. Gluten free Oats LLC. The company who grows and packages these gluten free oats is a Celiac family who takes pride in providing oats for those with restricted diets. And oatmeal is sooooo good for you! For my yummy gluten free no bake cookie recipe using oatmeal, please go here.

7. Pace thick and chunky salsa.  I always appreciate it when large companies go out of their way to make their products gluten free.

8. Enjoy Life Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies. My husband loves these tasty treats that are free of the eight most common allergens. So those who are allergic to dairy, egg, and tree nuts will also enjoy these tasty treats.

 I would love to hear of the foods you’ve found that are not only gluten (and/or dairy) free, but are also delicious too!

Movie Monday – The Jensen Project

This week’s Movie Monday Movie Suggestion is The Jensen Project…

Full of on-your-seat adventure, special effects, and an intriguing plot best describes The Jensen Project, one of the several Walmart movies released for families.

Claire, her husband Matt, and their son Brody become part of an effort by a secret research group known as the Jensen Project to save mankind from being implanted with nanobytes. What happens when Brody is implanted with a nanobyte? Will the team succeed in their mission before it’s too late?

While not my favorite of the Walmart movies (my favorite is actually Tackling the Past, which I’ll be reviewing later), The Jensen Project is fun family fare that will appeal to all ages, with the exception of the very young who will likely be scared by the nonstop action/adventure scenes. There are some lessons to be learned along the way:

Brody doesn’t succeed very well at following this command. He lies to get out of school and sneaks off on a mission with a Jensen Project teenage apprentice. While the movie could have done a better job at reprimanding Brody for his disobedience, The Jensen Project did a great job at showing a true-to-life family struggling with managing busy workloads and in turn putting family on the back burner. It is this depiction of not making family a priority that shows the importance of showing the ones you love most how important they are to you.

There is nothing objectionable in The Jensen Project, and I would recommend it for your next family night for ages eight and above.

For a listing of movie suggestions, please see http://pennyzeller.wordpress.com/mom-approved-movies-for-families/

For an archived listing of reviews for recently-reviewed movies, please see http://pennyzeller.wordpress.com/archived-mom-approved-movie-reviews/

Join me each week for a new movie suggestion of recommended movies suitable for the entire family with reviews written from a Christian worldview.

 

Movie Monday – The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey

Today’s family movie suggestion is The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey…

We first watched this movie a couple of years ago and just recently watched it the other night. I’d forgotten what a delightful movie it is!

Based on the book by Susan Wojciechowski, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey is a movie of the value of family and of new beginnings. Thomas has recently lost his father in the War. When he and his mother move to the country from their upscale city home, Thomas finds it difficult to adjust.  How will he ever survive without his father? And to make matters worse, Thomas accidentally left the beautiful Nativity Scene figurines at the train stop. Figurines that are a reminder of the Christmases past with his father.

Jonathan Toomey is no stranger to grief. Having lost his wife and child, he shuts himself out from the world, and instead is content to hide behind the doors of his rented cabin carving items to sell at the local shop. Some of the children in town mock him including calling him “Gloomy Toomey” and throw pebbles at his home. Rumors abound when the children make up stories about just what it is that Mr. Toomey does.

When the paths of Thomas, his mother, and Mr. Toomey cross, lives change. Can those who have lost the most find true happiness again?

This is a wonderful movie with themes of not judging others (Luke 6:37; Matthew 7:1), caring for those less fortunate , and doing to others as you would have done to you (Matthew 7:12). It is a story of healing with some humor dabbled in and some refreshing scenes about the importance of family. It’s a film you’ll want to add to your annual Christmas collection.

This movie contains nothing objectionable, and I would highly recommend The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey for all ages.

For a listing of movie suggestions, followed by archived movie reviews, please see http://pennyzeller.wordpress.com/mom-approved-movies-for-families/

Join me each week for a new movie suggestion of recommended movies suitable for the entire family with reviews written from a Christian worldview.

Movie Monday – The Secret World of Arrietty

Today’s family movie suggestion is The Secret World of Arrietty…

As a huge fan of The Littles during my childhood (I even had my pretzel house craft featured on an episode during the craft spot), I was excited to see the animated film The Secret World of Arrietty, based on the story The Borrowers.

While this movie is different than The Littles, it does have the same basic concept of little people living within the walls of houses and borrowing only what they need to survive. As such, items used by large humans are converted into necessary items for the Borrowers. For example, Arrietty uses a stick pin for a sword to protect her while she partakes in adventures.

In this movie, we are introduced to Arrietty, her mom Homily, and her dad, Pod.  They are tiny people who live a comfortable life at a home in the country where a large human, Shawn, is staying with his Aunt Jessica and the housekeeper, Hara.

From the moment Shawn arrives at the house, he sees Arrietty in the yard. He’s intrigued and wants to build a friendship with her. Arrietty isn’t so sure. Her father has warned her to stay away from all humans because their lives would be endangered to do otherwise.

However, Arrietty doesn’t heed her father’s advice. As such, her family soon has to move, as is customary when a Borrower is discovered by a large human.

If you’re looking for modern animation, you won’t find it in The Secret World of Arrietty (not to say that the graphics aren’t spectacular because they are vivid and colorful, just not what we in our contemporary movie-watching are accustomed to). However, what you will find is a sweet movie with a lot of heart – a movie reminiscent of the good old days of Saturday morning cartoons.

There are some lessons to be learned in this movie. For one, Arrietty sees the result of her disobedience when her family is uprooted from their pleasant home and forced to move. A great reminder that all actions have consequences. Secondly, Arrietty’s mom is a worrywart and at times, hysterical. Another great lesson that worrying solves nothing, but only creates more stress and shows a lack of faith. A verse that comes to mind is Matthew 6:25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear…

While the very young may be frightened by the scene where the crow almost captures Arrietty and also when Homily is taken captive, there is nothing objectionable in this movie.

If you’re looking for a delightful and refreshing family night movie, I highly recommend The Secret World of Arrietty for the entire family.

For a listing of movie suggestions, followed by archived movie reviews, please see http://pennyzeller.wordpress.com/mom-approved-movies-for-families/

Join me each week for a new movie suggestion of recommended movies suitable for the entire family with reviews written from a Christian worldview.