Chicken Soup for the Soul Food and Love Review...

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Food and Love: 101 Stories Celebrating Special Times with Family and Friends... and Recipes Too! 

"Chicken Soup for the Soul: Food and Love will stir up those delectable feelings and memories that certain aromas and tastes always bring. Readers will relish in the succulent and tasty stories on how love and food together played a flavorful part in life, leaving them with a divine aftertaste and a pungent yearning to read more."

What we thought:  Another great installation in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series!  If you love food, you'll enjoy this book full of touching stories and recipes for some really yummy comfort food.  From appetizers, to entrees, to side dishes and desserts, this book has all the bases covered in CSFS style with humorous anecdotes and heartwarming stories all along the way:)  ABCD Diaries gives Chicken Soup for the Soul Food and Love and A+!  

Disclosure: ABCD Diaries was given samples for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.

VeggieTales Robin Good and His Not-So-Merry Men Review and Giveaway...

Available beginning March 6^th, 2012 for $14.93 wherever DVDs are sold

DVD Synopsis

VeggieTales: Robin Good and His Not-So-Merry Men  is a fun parody based on the classic Robin Hood tale. This DVD title features a Robin Hood themed story with a special VeggieTales twist, includes plenty of high-energy, family-friendly music, and a new fan-voted Silly Song  ("Bubble Wrap")   that was selected through a recent online fan contest. Just in time for the Easter holiday season, VeggieTales Robin Good helps to teach children lessons about handling hurt and forgiveness. Even the animated short, “Lenny & the Lost Birthday,” focuses on handling these important and universal feelings. Check out this fun video: http://veggietales.com/robingood/! 

What we thought:  Another great DVD in the family-friendly VeggieTales series!  We really enjoyed Robin Good an His Not-So-Merry Men.  This DVD teaches important lessons about how to deal with hurt feelings and rejection and also how to forgive others who have hurt you.  These are serious lessons, but the VeggieTales characters teach them in a fun and colorful manner that really gets the kiddos involved.  As always, the songs are silly and the bonus features are a lot of fun.  ABCD Diaries gives VeggieTales Robin Good and His Not-So-Merry Men an A+!

Stellaluna DVD Review...

take flight with a heartwarming tale for the whole family, beautifully adapted from the children’s best-selling classic!

STELLALUNA

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Based on the beloved, best-selling children’s book by Janell Cannon, the fun-filled animated feature STELLALUNA follows a spirited young fruit bat who finds friendship, love and acceptance in the most unexpected places!

When the adorable young fruit bat Stellaluna is separated from her mother, she’s adopted by a family of birds.  Soon, however, she discovers finds that she just can’t fit in.  Her playmates like to sleep at night; she wants to fly.  They whistle and sing; she doesn’t even have a beak!  But just when it seems like Stellaluna will always be an outsider, she makes an amazing discovery that’ll help her to cherish the things that make her different.  And, she’ll also discover that an open mind and an open heart can lead to the greatest gifts of all. 

Brimming with music, laughter, warmth and excitement, STELLALUNA -- a story which wonderfully illustrates the very essence of friendship in humorous and touching ways -- is sure to capture the hearts of families everywhere!

BONUS FEATURES

·         Stellaluna Activity Booklet

·         Innovative Read Along Function

·         Sing-Along Feature

AWARDS

·         Parents’ Choice Recommended Award

·         iParenting Media Award

·         Newport Beach Film Festival Outstanding Achievement in Family Entertainment Award

·         Grammy winner for Best Spoken Word Album

What we thought:  We loved watching this storybook classic come to life!  Stellaluna is one of our favorite books and the movie was wonderful.  This story teaches important lessons about being yourself and standing up for what you believe in as well as sticking up for others no matter how different they are.  The colorful characters and fun music really get the kiddos involved in the story.  What a great way to teach the importance of friendship and uniqueness:)  ABCD Diaries gives Stellaluna an A+!

Disclosure: ABCD Diaries was given a copy of this DVD for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.

PAMA Liqueur Review and Giveaway...

About PAMA Liqueur
"Produced by Heaven Hill Distilleries, this ruby-red pomegranate
liqueur serves as a versatile cocktail ingredient that mixes with
whiskey, rum and brandy equally well as it mixes with vodka, gin and
tequila. Providing a delicately balanced sweet-tart flavor, PAMA
brightens cocktails and elevates them from the everyday to modern
classics."


What we thought:  If you like pomegranate and you like cocktails, you will probably really enjoy PAMA liqueur:)  This boldly flavored liqueur is great for mixing up some really great fruity drinks.  We served some of the classics with a PAMA twist to our party guests...the PAMA Martini, PAMApolitan and PAMAjito were a huge hit as well as the slushie PAMA Daiquiri Freeze.  You can use PAMA liqueur with pretty much any alcohol and make some truly delicious concoctions:)  The 21+ members of ABCD Diaries give PAMA Liqueur an A+!

"Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life" DVD Review...

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About Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

• Based on the beloved children’s novel by Wendy Mass, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life is a family-friendly adventure film starring Academy Award^® winner Mira Sorvino and Emmy Award^® winner Joe Pantoliano.

• Beginning March 6, 2012, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life will be available on DVD, on demand and in digital release.

• In the movie, 12-year-old Jeremy Fink receives a mysterious wooden box with the words “The Meaning of Life – for Jeremy Fink to open on his 13 birthday.”  The box has four locks, but the keys are lost.  In order to find out what secrets lie within the box, it’s up to Jeremy and his best friend Lizzy to search high and low throughout Manhattan for clues to the keys.

• The adventure takes them from flea markets to science museums, and the duo meet an assortment of wacky and interesting characters along the way.  Each encounter unlocks a clue, bringing them closer to finding out just what’s in the box – and ultimately the greatest secret of them all! 

• The DVD is loaded with special features, including cast interviews, deleted scenes, bloopers, a limited edition embossed o-card with glitter spotting, and a downloadable audio reading by author Wendy Mass of the book’s first chapter.

• The film is rated PG with a run time of 88 minutes.  The suggested retail price for the DVD is $29.99.

• For more information about Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, please visit www.Phase4Films.com, www.facebook.com/phase4films  or @Phase4Films.     

What we thought:  This is a touching and heartwarming tale of an almost 13 year old boy's journey to find the meaning of life according to his father 5 years after his father passes away.  This movie is great for the whole family to watch together and may help kids understand what happens after the loss of a loved one and  how to keep on living.  The lessons this movie teaches are great life lessons that will appeal to all ages.  The movie is generally lighthearted and funny and at times even magical:)  We really enjoyed our family movie night watching this DVD.  ABCD Diaries gives Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life an A!

Disclosure: ABCD Diaries was given a DVD for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.

Char Crust Review....

"Looking to spice up the standard chicken breast or goof-proof the cooking of that prime beef tenderloin? Professional chefs and home cooks alike are ever searching for unique, simple ways to impress guests whether in a five-star restaurant or at a home party.   

Char Crust® dry-rub seasonings were originally developed in 1957 to give steaks a flavorful charred-like crust while sealing in natural, succulent juices. They are now used nationwide to enhance a variety of dishes from beef, lamb, and pork, to poultry and seafood. The premium seasonings have become a popular secret ingredient at restaurants and home kitchens.

Dry-rub seasoning flavors include Original Hickory Grilled, Roasted Garlic Peppercorn, Ginger Teriyaki, Hickory & Molasses, Smoky Spicy Southwest, Amazin’ Cajun, All American Barbecue, Sun-Dried Tomato & Garlic, and Roto Roast. Chefs simply rub the blends of premium herbs, spices and other natural ingredients onto the surface of uncooked meat or fish, then broil, bake, grill, pan-sear, roast, or sauté.

Char Crust® rubs also fit many food lifestyles, such as low-fat, low-carb, or low-calorie diets, as each three-gram serving contains zero fat, one or two carbs, and no more than nine calories. All Char Crust® rubs are also certified kosher.

Four-ounce packages retail at $5.49 and are sold online at www.charcrust.com. Products can also be found at butcher shops, gourmet food stores, and grocery stores nationwide. The seasonings are also sold to restaurants primarily through Sysco's ChefEx program. Chefs at popular restaurants in all 50 states depend on Char Crust® rubs to prepare signature menu items."

What we thought:  We used our Roasted Garlic Peppercorn Char Crust on big, juicy rib eyes.  It was fantastic!!  It was easy to use, easy to clean up and really gave our steaks a delicious flavor.  This rub has a great combination of spices and really crusted up nicely.  I can't wait to try the other blends:)  ABCD Diaries gives Char Crust an A+!


Disclosure: ABCD Diaries was given samples for review purposes only. We were in no other way compensated. The opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.

Friends With Kids Preview...

Check out the preview below...This movie looks great!  I can't wait to see this all-star cast in action:)

RELEASE DATE: MARCH 9th

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.friendswithkids.com

SYNOPSIS:  Friends With Kids is a daring and poignant ensemble comedy about a close-knit circle of friends at that moment in life when children arrive and everything changes. The last two singles in the group observe the effect that kids have had on their friends' relationships and wonder if there’s a better way.  They decide to have a kid together - and date other people.

Jennifer Westfeldt wrote, directed, and stars in the romantic comedy Friends with Kids. She plays Julie, a Manhattanite whose biological clock is about to run out, so she convinces her longtime platonic best friend, Jason (Adam Scott) to father a child with her. They seem to have a much easier time juggling the responsibilities of new parenthood without the complication of being in a relationship with each other, which is in contrast to the two couples they are closest to. As their friends' marriages implode, Julie and Jason's happy equilibrium topples over as well when he falls for a hot young artist (Megan Fox) and she begins dating a successful businessman (Edward Burns).

There are big laughs and unexpected emotional truths as this unconventional 'experiment' leads everyone in the group to question the nature of friendship, family and, finally, true love.

Friends With Kids stars Adam Scott ("Parks and Recreation"), Jennifer Westfeldt, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O'Dowd, Megan Fox and Edward Burns.  

Written and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt (Kissing Jessica Stein).  

Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions will release Friends With Kids on March 9, 2012