Progresso Light Creamy Potato with Bacon & Cheese & Chicken Pot Pie Soup Review

 I'm a big fan of soup.  After all I live in an area where it's cold,rainy and gray a good 70% of the time and well, comfort foods are a must. And ? Comfort foods that won't expand my waistline well those are even better.  Thus I really wanted to like Progresso Light Creamy Potato with Bacon & Cheese Soup and Chicken Pot Pie style because it's soup and hello?  Bacon! Cheese ! and Chicken Pot Pie!  Unfortunately, that wasn't to be. In general the cream base in the Creamy Potato with Bacon and Cheese lacked in flavor.  I didn't notice any cheese and what flavor I did notice was more "smoke" flavor than it was bacon.
 
On another more positive note their new Light Chicken Pot Pie Style soup scored with the larger vegetable and chicken pieces but again I felt something was lacking in the the cream base. With that said, I'd rate this one a bit higher than the Creamy Potato with Bacon and Cheese.

I'm admittedly disappointed in these soups but not Progresso as they have other great varieties in their light lines (try the Beef Pot Roast).

So my final verdict, I'll pass but... go check them out for yourselves. You may find that your own opinion differs from mine.

 

Wreck-It Ralph

Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) is just a big oaf-y "bad" guy that's entire job is to wreck things as part of the old school Fix-it Felix video game; or so Felix and the townsfolk of the game think.    In reality, all Ralph really wants is to be liked and respected.  Thinking it will earn him the respect he desires, Ralph sets out to earn a medal in a nearby game, Hero's Duty.  In the process Ralph unleashes a potentially deadly enemy, jumps into yet another game then meets a kindred spirit of sorts and they set forth on a course to fulfill both of their needs.
Wreck-It Ralph is a generally fun story. The relationship between Ralph and Vanellope Von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman), the kindred spirit he meets, is playful and full of sarcasm. The movie has laughs, action and adventure (will they save they day?) and is sure to delight your older child and video game fan.  As a parent and a child of the 80s I enjoyed the references to old school games such as Qbert and Pac-man

 While a bit longer than I would have liked, the movie is entertaining and you'll find yourself rooting for Ralph and Vanellope and cheering them on.

Wreck-It Ralph opens in theaters November 2 and is rated PG for some rude humor and mild animated violence.

Disclosure: I was invited to screen the movie for free. Opinions are my own

Tim Burton delivers the Goods with Frankenweenie (Movie Review)

Frankenweenie, a 3D stop motion animated film, is the story of young Victor and his dog, Sparky. After unexepectedly losing Sparky; Victor, inspired by his science teacher Mr. Ryzkruski, decides to use science to bring his beloved pal back to life. The end result is a crude, home sewn "Frankenstein-esque" creation.

While initially kept in Victor's attic, the "new" Sparky escapes leading to a somewhat comedically action packed, suspense filled unfolding of events.

Frankenweenie is a wonderfully odd, darkly funny film with an underlying sweet message. Ultimately, it's about Victor's love for his dog ; it's fantasy with a side of reality.  A philospher once suggested that if a writer could infuse a "human interest and a semblance of truth" into a fantastic tale, the reader would suspend judgment concerning the implausibility of the narrative.

That's Frankenweenie.  It's classic Tim Burton, quirky and dark, yet brilliant in his ability to infuse human interest with truth enough so that you suspend disbelief in that moment.

Frankeweenie opens tomorrow in theaters. Be sure to check it out. One word of advice to parents: your very young children may not be the best audience as while animated there are some "gruesome" scenes that may be a bit jarring. However if you have 9ish (the age of my children) and above my guess is they'll be captivated and appreciate it almost as much as I did.

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Disclosure: I was invited to screen the film for free. All opinions are my own.

For my Seattle Peeps: Ice Age Continental Drift Free Pre Screening

Interested in seeing ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT for free and before it comes out? Log on to WWW.GOFOBO.COM/RSVP and enter this RSVP Code: 140B2T3T to download passes. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis so arrive at least an hour before showtime. ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT opens in theaters July 13th!

Summer Fun with Cascade Ice

I am such a fan of Cascade Ice. I mean, what's not to love?

Zero calorie, tasty carbonated beverage. It mixes the best of both worlds: juice and soda and did I mention ZERO CALORIES ?

Having said that, you can imagine how over the moon I was to be asked to try out some new flavors.

The first of which was the new Strawberry Melon flavor. Cascade Ice stayed true to form with this one in that it was the flavorful, sweet but not overly so, refreshing beverage I'd come to expect.

Next,I sampled the Margarita, Cosmopolitan and Coconut (for pina colada) mixers from the new line. Oh did I mention, Cascade Ice now has a line of mixers for those of us that like to indulge in an adult beverage every now and again. Cool, right ?

 I decided first to try them without alcohol and was pleasantly surprised that they could be just regular beverages if one were so inclined. And what I mean is that they were good enough to stand alone. With that said, I couldn't not mix them and frankly these are as good if not better than any other store bought mixer. And here's the thing I can make one or two little tiny cocktails and don't need to make a whole pitcher. Bonus!

 Ease of use was a huge plus in that it was essentially add the alcohol and stir. These things are super portable, yummy and just plain fun. And what's more they've got nifty little cocktail recipies listed right on their site.

 I can imagine taking these babies with me to every party I hit this summer. A resounding thumbs up.

Monte Carlo Movie Review

Recent high school graduate Grace Bennett (Selena Gomez) is Paris bound with her best friend Emma(Katie Cassidy) and stepsister Meg (Leighton Meester). Shortly after arriving, Grace realizes the tour she'd saved for wasn't all she hoped it would be. Frustrated and down the three girls take a break from the tour and accidentally happen upon an heiress (Gomez) who just happens to be Grace's doppelganger. Things quickly turn for the girls as Bennett assumes the heiress' lifestyle and the three head to Monte Carlo. While there they each have the fantasy trip they hoped they would have and manage to find out who they really are in the process.

Monte Carlo starts out slow and misses the mark in really developing some of it's character relationships. Early on we're told Grace and her stepsister don't get along. They're forced in to the trip together and the tension is palpable. Then, it's just gone. There is no real heart to heart or no turning point. They just magically start getting along. It would have been nice to see more explanation about that transition or truthfully that piece could have been left out all together. That said, the scenery is amazing, Gomez is positively adorable and when the heiress discovers her identity has been stolen the hijinks that ensue are amusing.

Monte Carlo is just ok. Parents, if you've got a die hard Selena Gomez fan like I do, I say check out the matinee. It probably won't be your favorite picture of the year but your tween will likely enjoy it.

Betty Crocker "loaded" Instant Mashed Potatoes Review and Giveaway

I love potatoes. Deeply. Baked,fried,mashed I don't think there is much you could do to a potato that I wouldn't like.

Enter Betty Crocker's new "loaded" Instant Mashed Potatoes. Instant? You might question. And I hear you there. But here's the thing: sure sometimes I feel all gourmet and like making my mashed potatoes from scratch but during the week when I'm pressed for dinner prep time after work instant is a godsend.

Each box comes complete with two packages which for many families might make two dinners but for my tribe of eaters made one. I've purchased other varieties of Betty Crocker Instant Mashed Potatoes before and these potatoes, if I'm being honest,weren't my favorite. That's not to say they weren't good. They just weren't as flavorful as I would expect "loaded" potatoes to be. They tasted more like regular mashed potates than "loaded".
What I did love about these is that they're incredibly easy to prepare. Seriously. Add milk,add water,stir a little and you're done. What could be easier than that?

Want to check them out for yourself? Simply leave a comment indicating your favorite way to prepare potatoes and you'll be entered to win a prize pack including 1 box of Betty Crocker Instant "loaded" Mashed potatoes, a mixing bowl, a magnetic hanging pot holder,silicone spoonula and measuring cup.




You may also tweet about and or post about this contest on Facebook for extra entries (1 each). Please leave a seperate comment for each entry.
Contest ends 4/21.

*Disclosure - I was provided with the product, prize pack, information and additional prize pack to give away from Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark.*