Hi, Ho, Hi, Ho, It's Back to School They Go

The Husband and I did a little movie marathon last weekend. We do this periodically. We march down to the local video store, rent more movies than there are waking hours in the day, and then veg out in front of the tube. We find this very relaxing and it allows us to catch up on movies we missed at the theaters because we didn't have time to see them on the big screen or decided that they were not worth $7 a head.

This weekend was a typical marathon. In total, we saw over 7 movies. We didn't agree on the "quality" of all of the movies, but we did agree that "Mars Attacks!" was one of the oddest films we ever saw. The Husband appreciated the "blow 'em up, shoot 'em up" aspects of the film. However, I spent a lot of time wandering around in my brain.

Oddly enough, I found myself repeatedly thinking about one of my favorite cartoon strips. I think I kept coming back to this particular cartoon because, in the back of my mind, I knew that I needed to write my "back-to-school" column and didn't have a clue what to do. But, as I watched all of these little Martians running roughshod over us Americans, I keeping thinking that if only Spaceman Spiff was still around, he'd know what to do.

Spaceman Spiff? Oh, he was just one of the alter egos of Calvin. You remember Calvin. He was that adorable little 6-ish imp who resided on the funny pages until a couple of years ago. Calvin was probably best know for his relationship with Hobbes, his stuffed tiger. However, he is also remembered for his ability to disrupt school.

Calvin would be quietly (?) sitting in his seat; and, the next thing you knew, his youthful exuberance just took over; and Miss Wormwood was once again sending Calvin to the PO. I think Calvin spent more time in the Principal's Office than the Principal. Sometimes, he was Spaceman Spiff vanquishing the Zokkans. Other times, he had transmogrified himself into a tyrannosaurus. But, I think his favorite activity at school was finding ways to bug Susie.

Poor Susie, Calvin's classmate, neighbor, and recipient of his "anti-girl" activities. A typical scenario goes like this - As Susie quietly and politely sits eating her lunch in the school cafeteria, Calvin positions himself next to her. He looks into his bag, grimaces, and makes retching noises. He then proceeds to give his lunch items gross names and disgustingly describes what he imagines them to be. At this point, Susie gets up leaving her lunch in disgust, while Calvin pulls out a perfectly ordinary looking lunch and eats it and Susie's abandoned food.

But, we shouldn't be too harsh in judging Calvin. I think there is a little of Calvin in all of us. Why, when I was little, I had Mr. Bunny who shared my secrets and didn't tattle on me when "the Bad Gail" appeared. I remember my girlfriends and I picking on the little boy down the block. We'd talk him into playing hide and go seek and then leave him hidden until supper time. I remember when I thought the funniest thing I had ever seen was when one of the boys passed peas through his nose at lunchtime. Think back and I'll bet you'll find Calvin in your past, too.

So, if you have a little Calvin or Calvinette returning to school, try these healthy foods. They're guaranteed to be a real Spaceman Spiff hit!

Spiral Galaxy Sandwiches
Makes 4 sandwiches.

4 small flour tortillas
8 ounces low fat cream cheese -- softened
1/4 cup red bell pepper -- finely chopped
1/4 cup black olives -- finely chopped
1 tablespoon red onion -- finely chopped
2 small carrots -- cut julienne style
4 ounces lean ham -- sliced
spinach leaves -- washed and dried

Combine cream cheese, pepper, and olives. Spread on tortilla. Be sure to spread all the way to the edges of the tortilla. Press carrot strips into cream cheese. Layer tortilla with ham slices and then spinach leaves stopping about 1/2 inch from the top edge of the tortilla. Starting at the bottom, tightly roll up the sandwich. Cut in half.

Martian Brains
Makes 8 servings.

1 package lime gelatin
2 cups large curd cottage cheese
2 cups seedless white grapes

Prepare gelatin according to packages. Refrigerate until slightly thickened, but not set (about 2 hours). While gelatin is refrigerating, place cottage cheese in a colander. Run cold water over cottage cheese until water runs clear. Add cottage cheese and grapes to thickened gelatin and stir only enough to mix. Return to refrigerator until set.

Space Debris Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen.

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
2 packages instant cocoa mix
1/2 cup pecans -- chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups Rice Crispies cereal
1 1/2 cups Honey-nut Cheerios cereal

Combine peanut butter and honey. Mix in chocolate chips, pecans, raisins, and cocoa mix. Stir in cereals. Squeeze into asteroid shaped lumps. Leave exposed to air until the outside of the cookies are no longer sticky (about 60 minutes). Wrap in small squares of waxed paper and store in an airtight container.