Quick View Review #1

Introduction:  The "Quick View Review" is a summary of a few films I've seen recently.  I realize my reviews can get long, so these will be short and sweet.

KUNG FU PANDA

With Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Lui, Seth Rogan, and Dustin Hoffman (just to name a few) doing character voices in this entertaining children's film about a panda who dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master, you know it can't be that bad.  And it isn't.  Good story, excellent message, and an admiration for animating actual Kung Fu moves, KUNG FU PANDA is a definite rental.  

OVERALL: Rent before buying... unless you have kids, they'll love it.

WALL E

If anyone knows how to type the dot between the 'L' and the 'E' I'd love to know.

In my opinion, this is Pixar's best film yet, and it was smart to wait until the company was well established in its quality of films before releasing one with such complex themes, lack of dialogue jokes, and its extended length. However, I watched it with a group of children on Thanksgiving, and the laughter was loud and consistent.  The simple robot love story paired with environmental and health issues seems dry but is quite the opposite.  This film gets better and more poignant each time I watch it and should be a part of every film library.

OVERALL:  Must buy!!!

Hancock

The story of a less than super Superhero, Hancock must learn to embrace humanity rather than resent it, in order to discover his past.  Sounds boring?  It was.  The film begins well, but takes an entirely different turn half way through, and becomes inconsistent and confusing.  Unfortunately, there wasn't enough comedy to save the fallen hero.  

OVERALL:  Don't bother unless your only other option for a Superhero movie is Catwoman.

Quantum of Solace

When reviewing a film in a series among many others, with various actors playing the lead, a variety of styles expressed by directors, and countless screenwriters dabbing and polishing scripts, it's hard not to think of the film's predecessors.  In the case of Quantum of Solace, the 007 flick, I'll avoid comparison to all but Casino Royale, and even that will have its limits.

The film picks up right where Casino Royale left off, our beloved James Bond vengeful and angry over the betrayal and death of Vespa, stopping at nothing (and I mean nothing) to bring those responsible to the same fate.  Very dramatic.

As expected, Daniel Craig is ever so charming as the gentleman spy, delivering those cheesy one liners with the usual British dryness.  M is the same, which suits me since I love Dame Judy Dench, the women are the same, and gorgeous cars are all the same.  Overall, I liked it and didn't mind the shortness of the film one bit-- I only needed to take one bathroom break.

The complaints from fans and critics involve both the length and lack of content in the film; Quantum of Solace has more of an action feel, and many believe it does not align well with the character of James Bond, plus it is the shortest Bond film ever made.  For me, that was a relief, since I found most of the Bond films tiresom.  What little action they had could be compared to a wet blanket.  All insults aside, yes, the content level with story and character development lacked in the new Bond, but here's why:

This isn't a separate story with a new mission, new villain, and new characters.  Quantum is a continuation of Casino Royale, and thus the introductions, development, and motivation have all been presented in the first film.  As a result, the second is a whirlwind for Bond and is a whirlwind for the audience, following James's emotions and 'shoot first ask questions later' attitude based on the death of Vespa.  In other words, it's supposed to have more action-- it's the climax of the first story.

One side note: the song is terrible.  Whoever thought putting Alicia Keyes and Jack White together was a good idea is responsible for my ears bleeding during the opening credits.  My husband and I turned to each other and silently asked, "What the hell?"  Overall, those credits were the biggest disappointment of the film.  I loved the song and opening for Casino Royale, and appreciated someone thinking outside the box instead of sticking to the same naked female silhouettes seen in EVERY SINGE JAMES BOND FILM EVER!

I predict the third Daniel Craig/James Bond installment will have much more of the flare and technique of the originals, especially since Quantum ended with the introduction of a new mystery.  Not to mention, the critic and fan complaints will influence the next film as well.  If you're a die hard James Bond film fan, you will most likely be disappointed; if you enjoy a good action flick, liked the Pierce Brosnan Bond and Casino Royale, this is worth a trip to the theater.

Cooking Tips, Part 1

In the midst of the economic crisis, cutting costs is essential, and what better way to start than by cooking at home instead of eating out.  I know, I know, I love to eat out too, but it's too expensive when you're trying to save money, especially around the holidays.

So my first tip:  Stop eating out.  And stop Starbucks too.

Other Cooking Tips

1.  Set time aside once a week to cook a few meals in one day and freeze them.  Pampered Chef offers a Power Cooking Show with meals that cost around $2 per serving, using chicken or ground beef.  Power Cooking takes about 30 to 40 minute to prepare ingredients for 3 meals, and either cook one for that day's meal and freeze the other 2, or freeze all 3.

2.  When cooking a meal and freezing in a ziploc bag, flatten the full bag and lay in the freezer.  This saves space and defrosts faster.  Plus, Pampered Chef's pans conduct temperature so well, you can pull one of those meals from the freezer an hour before you need it, place it in the skillet (still in the bag), and it'll be ready to heat!  Quite the time saver.  I don't know how many times I've forgotten to take dinner out of the freezer the night before and then needed to order take out.

3.  Do not use nonstick spray or oil (unless it's for flavor) in nonstick cookware, it actually wares down the finish in the pans over time.  

4.  Shred blocks of cheese instead of buying pre-shredded cheese.  It saves money, plus those convenient bags of shredded cheese contain cellulose, the equivalent of saw dust.  Gross.

5.  When removing the tops from strawberries, use a small paring knife with a long, thin blade.  Cut directly around the top and pull out the core.  This saves more meat on the strawberry as slicing the tops wastes more.

Smoothie Goodness

All my life I've had a weight problem.  Briefly, between my freshman and junior years in college, I believed the problem solved after Weight Watchers (though I couldn't afford to finish the program and get my lifetime membership).  Unfortunately, since my husband and I first began dating, we've gradually gained more and weight and become less and less active.  I guess you could say we were going for the fat and happy lifestyle.  Now it's to the point where I am obese again, I have a closet bursting with clothing that's too small, and I've lost the motivation to exercise.

Now, I don't bring this up for pity.  This situation is my fault and I have to climb out of this abyss and conquer it on my own (with the help of God, of course).  I mention this because we are slowly trying to develop healthy habits and have begun having fresh fruit smoothies nearly everyday.

These smoothies are an excellent source of fruit, covering 2 servings of the desired daily amount.  Not to mention they're filling and are a great replacement for a meal such as breakfast or lunch-- I believe in a nice hearty dinner.

Give this excellent recipe a try and feel free to mix it up a bit.  The best part about smoothies is their flexibility of flavors.

Fresh Fruit Smoothies for Two

2 Bananas

8 to 10 Strawberries

1 small can Pineapple Juice

4T Orange Juice

10 Ice Cubes

Toss in a blender and blend until smooth.  Garnish with a strawberry on the side of the glass.

Smoothie Tips

Substitute real pineapple for pineapple juice, and add more orange juice.

Try various juices like orange, pineapple, grapefruit, lemonade and limeade, though keep an eye on the sugar content.

For more anti-oxidants, toss in blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, and decrease the banana.  Pomegranate Juice is great as well.

Banana is the thickener, so use more or less depending on thickness preference.  You can use milk, but the flavor becomes diluted unless you add sugar.

Frozen fruit is great to use since it's cheaper, lasts longer, and doesn't require as much or any ice depending on how much you use.

And if you're worried about cost, think about it.  You spend more on a bunch of bananas, container of strawberries, and the juice, but you could end up with about 5 to 6 single servings with just the fresh fruit.  The juice will last even longer.  A much cheaper alternative to Jamba Juice, and dairy free!

Left4Dead for the Xbox 360

This past Tuesday, the highly anticipated Xbox 360 video game exclusive, Left4Dead, was released by Microsoft.  Its creator is Valve, the people responsible for Counter Strike, Team Fortress, Half-Life, The Orange Box, and Portal.

The game centers around four survivors of... what else? Why, a zombie apocalypse, of course!  Bill, Francis, Zoey, and Louis must shoot and blast their way through urban, rural, and industrial environments, while constantly bombarded by lots and lots of rushing zombies.

Recently, Microsoft released the demo and opening scene to the game, an intense survival clip, offering a strong example of what awaits on the dark streets of the now zombie populated city.  It's awesome, and one of the top opening scenes of a video game ever, in my opinion.

Check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFOVIgY45ks

Incidentally, my husband and I couldn't wait to play the game (now, let me be fair, he plays and I watch, though I did play the demo. I'm afraid of zombies).  However, in terms of cut scenes and a developing story, the opening scene is it.  Character connection and back story are all but abundant, and an explanation of what caused the world to be over run by flesh eating monsters is never offered, though it's safe to assume a virus caused the outbreak of walking dead.

Since my favorite part about video games is story and character, I cried for my disappointment.  Kidding.  Also, the single player campaign takes only about 2 to 4 hours to complete, which seems to lack effort on Valve's part. 

 

One of the biggest advertising points of Left4Dead is the A.I. For anyone who enjoys a run and gun, first person shooter with unlimited replay value, this is the game for you.  The A.I. adjusts to a player's skill level; in other words, the more zombie carcasses you smear all over the screen, the more zombies the computer will send after you. Not to mention, the variety of zombies-- the Witch, Hunter, Boomer, Smoker, Tank, and the hoards.  Word of warning: Don't shoot the cars.

In addition, each time a player dies and re-spawns, the A.I. rearranges itself, so memorization is out of the question. Plus, the experience and weapons differ depending on which character is chosen.  Another excellent aspect of the game play involves teamwork.  Staying in a group is essential to survival, and a player who attempts a solo campaign will find himself overrun in a matter of seconds.  Moreover, there are about ten different guns-- at least that was advertised, but counting the Double Hand Gun as 2 of those, as well as the Molotov cocktail and Pipe Bomb each as a separate weapon is thin.

Overall, the single player mode lacks story, character, and as a result, effort in the campaign.  However, for someone who with a hankering to kill something or blow off stress, it's still exciting, intense, challenging, and fast-paced-- stopping means zombies, so run! 

The main draw for Left4Dead is the online campaign.  As we were unable to get a wireless router to work on the 360, my husband goes through the landline, but can only do so in our bedroom.  My point: he hasn't had a chance to play the online campaign, but he's definitely excited.  

This is where the replay value lies, not to mention you can play offline and online co-op.  And there are plenty of achievements  to earn, so start working. The part I am most interested in is playing online as a zombie boss-- definitely a creative idea, not to mention fun.

So, is Left4Dead worth picking up?  If you love intense first person shooters, zombie games, playing online, or want something short and to the point, then ABSOLUTELY.  

On a zombie scale of Boomer, Smoker, Hunter, Witch, and Tank, I'd give it a Witch: Appears weak, but packs a killer punch.

The Usual Greeting

Hello cyber world!  Like most first blogs, this is a hiya to anyone who may stumble across this page in search of information or something interesting to read.  I hope to provide both.

I call this blog "Recipes and Reviews" because I hope to post such items on here.  Of course, I'll also be adding commentary, the occasional 'bitch' session, and other nonsense, but mainly I'll be sharing my opinion on food, books, music, movies, TV, and anything else of which I may feel strongly.

Since I love to cook and am also a Pampered Chef Consultant (so cooking is my LIFE!), I'll also be posting recipes, cooking  and cleaning tips, as well as restaurant reviews.  Just a note:  I live in Chicago so those are the restaurants I'll be reviewing.

And let me know if you have questions, comments, recommendations, or would love to get a recipe or opinion on anything.