(In Progress) 44 - Watch 101 movies and keep track of the list

I watched Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang last night with John - he bought it for $5 at Blockbuster and loved it.

(In Progress) 44 - Watch 101 movies and keep track of the list

Watched But I'm a Cheerleader (got it through Netflix) today. I liked it, but not nearly as much as I thought I would. In fact, I have no desire to ever watch it again.

(In Progress) - 30 - Do at least one DITL each year

I already have one done for 2008. Did it back on March 8. You can see it here.

(In Progress) - 58 - Try 30 new recipes

I realized that I'm behind on posting some things in here... mostly because I did them without even thinking about The List.

I have tried two recipes since posting The List. The first is from kraftfoods.com and is for Creamy Broccoli-Stuffed Chicken Breasts. Mine didn't turn out looking quite that pretty, but it was a lot easier to make than I thought it would be, and tasted really good.

Tonight I made a recipe from my "Trim and Terrific" cookbook for Meaty Spinach Manicotti with Tomato Sauce. OMG SO GOOD! This was harder to make, of course, because stuffing manicotti always sucks. But. 'twas worth it. The recipe:

1 (8 oz) package manicotti shells
1 lb ground sirloin (I used ground beef)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
4 oz reduced-fat cream cheese
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 (28 oz) can chopped tomatoes, with their juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350

Cook the manicotti shells according to the package directions, omitting any oil and salt. Rinse, drain and set aside.

In a large non-stick skillet, cook the meat, onion and garlic over medium-high heat until the meat is done, about 7 minutes. Drain any excess grease. Mix in the ricotta, cream cheese, and spinach.

Stuff the shells with the meat mixture and arrange in a 2- to 3-quart oblong baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Pour the sauce over the shells. Cover, and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover, and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until bubbly and well-heated.

I already had a bottle of spaghetti sauce lying around, so I actually used that instead of the chopped tomatoes, but I would imagine it would be just as good (if not better) if you actually followed the recipe. Here's my final product (click to make bigger):

(In Progress) 34 - Read 30 books and write reviews in LibraryThing for them

I actually finished Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst almost a week ago, but I didn't post about it yet because I hadn't written the review. But now I have. you can read it here - in short, I liked it, and gave it 4 stars.

(In Progress) 44 - Watch 101 movies and keep track of the list

Friday night, John and I went to see No Country For Old Men. I liked it a lot up until a certain point, and then I pretty much hated it, so it basically ruined the movie for me. I'd still say it's ok, I guess, and I guess I'm glad I saw it. But. Meh.

Signed up for Netflix this weekend. The ability to watch a good number of their movies/tv shows instantly is pretty amazing. Anyway, I mostly watched tv shows (the first season of Quantum Leap, for example!), but I did watch two movies. Chutney Popcorn was... interesting, I guess. I can't decide how I feel about it, I don't think I'd recommend it, though, but I wouldn't say "oh god, that was horrible, don't watch it", either. The story is about an Indian family. There are two daughters - one is a newlywed trying to get pregnant and finds out she can't. The other is a lesbian who offers to be a surrogate.

The other movie I watched was Spellbound, a documentary on 7 or 8 (can't remember) kids trying to win the national spelling bee. I really liked that one.

(In Progress) 44 - Watch 101 movies and keep track of the list

Watched two movies this weekend - Boys And Girls, and Better Than Chocolate. Boys and Girls was a pretty horrible, cheesy romantic comedy that I would never watch again. Better Than Chocolate was better, but still not a movie I'd ever want to watch again. Meh, two more I can add to the list, at least!

(In Progress) 44 - Watch 101 movies and keep track of the list

Tonight John and I watched The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. It's a documentary on the World Record of Donkey Kong. I know that sounds geeky and boring but it was an amazingly entertaining and riveting story. No, seriously, it is. I highly, highly recommend this one.