Movie Night: Secretariat

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It’s Derby weekend and this movie night goes full-speed with the horse racing theme. We truly enjoyed Secretariat and our down-home Kentucky feast!

This movie is based on the heart-warming true story of the record-setting racehorse, Secretariat and the family and team behind him. It’s available on Netflix.

We took a twist on derby day classics for this dinner and everyone gobbled them up. We enjoyed Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders (recipe here) and Mint Julep Fruit Salad (recipe here.) Both were completely delicious, and, bonus, I was able to make them ahead of time. These jockey silks napkins added the perfect touch.

The kids especially could not get enough of the Mint Julep Fruit Salad. Dessert was Kentucky Derby Pie (this recipe) and the guys in our house loved it the most.

A few little plastic horses raced across the buffet. My daughter played “Secretariat” with them the rest of the weekend!

This movie is heartwarming, exciting, touching and thrilling. It’s perfect to curl up and watch as a family on the eve of the Kentucky Derby.

The colors had us ready for spring and summer and the food was comforting and classically Kentucky.

I’ll be making these recipes again!

And they’re off!

Movie Night: Off to the Theater!

You know we LOVE movie night at home, but some recently new releases called for some trips to the movie theater! We still start the experience at home with some simple treats and that’s what I’m sharing today.

First up… Dumbo! Oh, what a beautiful, captivating film. We found this one to be enchanting and although it had sad parts, it was not nearly as gut-wrenching as the original. To announce our movie adventure, I set up our miniature marquee and some circus-worthy snacks.

These personal little packets of chocolate-covered peanuts from Trader Joe’s were just so fitting.

The next film to get us out of our pajamas and into the movie theater was Disneynature’s Penguins.  If you aren’t family with the Disneynature series, get on board!  They are educational and endlessly entertaining at the same time!  The latest one did not disappoint.  Penguins is hilarious and charming.  My daughter recently completed a school research project on penguins so she was enthralled!  We kicked off this fun evening with our darling little letterboard, a gingham runner, penguin plates and yummy penguin gummies!

These darling little penguin gummies are peach flavored and just as delicious as they are cute!

As you can see, it doesn’t take much to add a little home celebration to a night at the movies. The little bit of extra effort kicks off the fun and makes the experience last that much longer!

Happy Friday, friends!

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Movie Night: Follow Me, Boys!

We took movie night on the road with us to a cabin the mountains and it was such a delight.  I simply chose a movie I felt would fit the setting and packed the DVD, some paper goods, and some treats.  It added an extra touch to our relaxing weekend away. 

We had quite the view and I got to ring an actual dinner bell to call my children in from outside, which was perfection.

This movie night centered around the Disney classic Follow Me, Boys! which turned out to be a really fitting choice.  I set up a woodsy table to play to the outdoor themes.

I hadn't seen this movie in ages and it completely charmed me.  I told my husband it made me wish I lived in 1930!  Kurt Russell is just a boy in this film and he is absolutely darling.  I found some camo jelly beans and they added a fun touch.

We ate steaks, potatoes and salad and finished off the night with blondies by the fire as we watched the movie.  It was a sweet way to spend one of our evenings away and added an extra cherry on top of our family time.

Happy Friday!