Spiderwick Chronicles, Lord of the Rings

I finally got to watch the DVD of Spiderwick Chronicles. I am so glad I didn't shell our $33 for it the other day. I enjoyed it, but not enough to have paid for it. The baddies reminded me of the things they show you when emphasizing how many germs exist in your home. Not a bit like goblins which they were meant to be. Tolkien's goblins were quite different since which time, most authors have copied his blueprint. The ogre didn't look anything like ogres usually look like either. I can't honestly say I think the moviemakers did a good job. I haven't actually read the stories, but I have a feeling they may be a lot better than the movie. I am still glad I saw it, I did like a large part of the movie, but I have certainly seen better. I thought the Lord of the Rings series did a much better job although the second movie, Two Towers, was slammed by the critics. My favourite critic, the late Joel Segal, made the classic comment, when a group of elves were talking and then exited the room he said he was relieved because "Elvish had left the building". I tried to read some of Tolkien's other writings, but they were way too heavy for me. It fascinated me that he had invented a complete language for his elves to speak - I assume that is what they spoke in the movie, but can't swear to it - which is very clever. The picture is of Legolas, a prince of the Elven kingdom. Matt and I will be busy with our dinner party today, I will let you know on Monday what we prepared. A couple of ideas today, not regular recipes. At this time of year, we love barbecued onions. Its very simple, all you do is get Vidalia (for preference) or other sweet onions, peel and quarter them but not right through, add a knob of butter and a sprinkle of salt. Wrap them in foil and then cook on the barbecue until done, about an hour on medium heat. We actually cook them on the main grill for about 20 minutes and then move them to the warming grill whilst finishing off anything else. They come out caramelized on the bottom and are absolutely delicious. We picked this up from a friend in North Carolina many years ago. I love Vidalia onions, they say the only time they make you cry is when they're gone. The other recipe is for beans in tomato sauce. I cook my beans normally in salted water. Meanwhile I put chopped tomato and garlic with seasoning in another pan to make a sauce, I add rosemary and when the beans are drained, I add them to the tomatoes. This is basically an Italian recipe although you will find versions of it all over the Mediterranean. You can use oregano or basil if you wish, but I love the rosemary flavour. I first ate these in Sicily and have loved them ever since. We also had roast chicken stuffed with rosemary which gave it a wonderful flavour. Have a great day.