2010 June

Amazing Taste Seasoning

June 23, 2010 By Virginia

If you are anything like me at all, sometimes you need a little help in the kitchen. Well, thanks to the creators of Amazing Taste Foods, Inc., which is owned and operated by its founders Dr. Ghazi Taki and Adam Taki, help has arrived!

About the product…

Amazing Taste seasonings are all-natural, flavor boosters that will quickly and easily produce the ultimate in taste, tenderness and juiciness.

The seasoning packets come in these basic flavors…

Beef Seasoning

Burger Seasoning

Chili Seasoning

Fajita Seasoning

Malibu Seasoning

Pork Seasoning

Poultry Seasoning

Seafood Seasoning

Steak House Seasoning

They also have shakers available in these flavors…

Cajun Seasoning

Garlic & Rosemary Seasoning

Honey BBQ Seasoning

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Lemon, Butter, Dill Seasoning

Malibu Seasoning

Mr. Grill Seasoning

Orange Chipotle Seasoning

Peppercorn, Garlic & Herb Seasoning

Poultry Seasoning

Southwest Seasoning

Steak House Seasoning

The seasonings work to make less expensive cuts of meat more juicy and tender.

What I thought…

Amazing Taste seasonings are just that, Amazing!

For this dinner, I combined the Amazing Taste Pork seasoning with oil and pineapple juice on pork loin cuts. Rather than using it as a marinade (as instructed on the packet), I cooked the meet in the mixture. It turned out pretty tasty, although, I did make a mental note to myself that Olive Oil is not for everything, and next time I will use it as a marinade.

The Amazing Taste Beef works wonders on venison, too. Which brings up another great thing about the seasonings… they can be used on meats other than the ones they are designed for.

Another handy tool is the Amazing Recipes on the Amazing Taste site. You can find multiple recipes for each of the seasoning packets.

What I would change…

I wouldn’t change anything about the seasonings. I didn’t run into any problems that weren’t user error related, and those could have been avoided if I had paid attention to the instructions!

How I rate it…

Lady V dZine rates Amazing Taste seasonings 5 out of 5 hearts.

Where you can buy it…

Amazing Taste seasonings are available at your local grocer in the meat and seafood department and/or with the other seasonings. But, if you have trouble finding them, you can always order online.

I would love to hear what you make when you try the Amazing Taste seasonings. Send me your recipe… as I said, I need a little help in the kitchen.

Be blessed,

Virginia

Lady V dZine

Disclosure: I received a selection of Amazing Taste seasonings to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received. Opinions stated are 100% my own and are based on my own personal experience. Your experience may differ.

Filed Under: On the Menu, Reviews Tagged With: Food, Reviews

Firefly Fun and Buggy Buddies from Sesame Street

June 23, 2010 By Virginia

As I mentioned in a prior post, My son, Mister, is a huge Elmo fan. This furry red monster with silly laugh and fun filled antics drops by our house daily to entertain and teach my kids. In the latest DVD, Firefly Fun and Buggy Buddies, Elmo and many of his friends learn, and sing, about various insects. Oscar and his pet worm, Slimey, go to adopt a pet bug for Slimey. Their song Big Bug Hug is too cute.

About the product…

Excerpted from press release…

Firefly Fun and Buggy Buddies features a compilation of fun stories about bugs with special appearances by Jenny McCarthy and Molly Shannon

The Firefly Fun and Buggy Buddies DVD is a compilation of three exciting and educational stories for children ages two through five. In one story, join Telly and Baby Bear as they cheer up a sad firefly. In another segment, Nat the shelter worker at the Bug-a-Wee Bug Shelter, played by actress Molly Shannon, helps Oscar’s pet worm, Slimey, choose the perfect pet bug! Firefly Fun and Buggy Buddies also features an episode from Elmo’s World all about bugs in which actress Jenny McCarthy gives an educational and fun lesson about the word “insect.” Also watch as Sesame Street’s own resident Twiddlebugs identifies a caterpillar.

Released: June 1, 2010
Order Due Date: April 27, 2010
Languages: English/Spanish subtitles
Audio: Dolby Surround Stereo
Color / Closed Captioned
Run Time: Approx 48 minutes
Rating: NR
Firefly Fun and Buggy Buddies
Price: $14.98/ No MAP (need to confirm)
UPC: TBC

About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that revolutionized children’s television programming with the landmark Sesame Street. The Workshop produces local Sesame Street programs, seen in over 140 countries, and other acclaimed shows to help bridge the literacy gap including The Electric Company and Pinky Dinky Doo. Beyond television, the Workshop produces content for multiple media platforms on a wide range of issues including literacy, health and military deployment. Initiatives meet specific needs to help young children and families develop critical skills, acquire healthy habits and build emotional strength to prepare them for lifelong learning. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org.

About Warner Home Video
With operations in 90 international territories, Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, a division of the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video’s film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Video and New Line Home Entertainment.

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution, interactive entertainment/videogames, direct-to-DVD production, technical operations and anti-piracy businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. WBHEG is responsible for the global distribution of content through DVD, electronic sell-through and VOD, and delivery of theatrical content to wireless and online channels, and is also a significant worldwide publisher for both internal and third party videogame titles.

What I thought…

The thing I love about Sesame Workshop DVD’s is that they teach without the kids realizing they are being taught. As we sat outside during the evening recently, a firefly flew by and lit up. Mister was so excited because he saw a firefly, and of course my husband and I had to chuckle and sing “fly little firefly fly…”

What I would change…

Firefly Fun and Buggy Buddies is my favorite Elmo DVD yet. I wouldn’t change anything.

How I rate it…

Lady V dZine rates My Privates are Private a 5 out of 5 hearts

Lady V dZine rates Firefly Fun and Buggy Buddies 5 out of 5 hearts.

Where you can buy it…

Firefly Fun and Buggy Buddies is available on Amazon and is currently on sale!

Win It…

One lucky Lady V dZine reader will receive Firefly Fun and Buggy Buddies!

Mandatory Entry: Simply leave a comment telling me who the DVD would be for and who your favorite character is.

***Please note- this must be done before any bonus entries will count***

Contest Specific Bonus Entries…

1 bonus entry- Visit Sesame Street and comment back telling me something you learned.
1 bonus entry- If you are a fan of Sesame Street on Facebook, comment on their wall that you visited from http://thatbaldchick.com and comment back here with a link to your share.
1 bonus entry- If you follow Sesame Street on Twitter, tweet them and let them know that you are visiting from @ladyvdzine and comment back here with your tweet link.
1 bonus entry- If you use the Sesame Street Feel-O-Matic Facebook Application to share your mood with others, comment with your screen name so I can see if you are happy or sad.
1 bonus entry- If you like Elmo of Facebook comment on his wall that you visited from http://thatbaldchick.com and comment back here with a link to your share.
1 bonus entry- If you like the Facebook fan pages for other Sesame Street characters (see side bar of Sesame Street Fan Page for Favorite Pages), such as Big Bird, Zoe, Cookie Monster, etc, comment on their wall that you visited from http://thatbaldchick.com and comment back here with a link to your share.

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1 bonus entry- Tweet this contest, including @ladyvdzine and leave your tweet link (may be done once per day). You may also include the hashtag #contests or #giveaways if desired.

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1 bonus entry- for each of my other current giveaways that you enter.

1 bonus entry- For each of my non-giveaway posts that you leave a RELEVANT comment on. Comment back with the post title or link to receive credit.

1 bonus entry- E-mail this contest post to at least three friend and CC me as virginia[at]ladyvdzine[dot]com then comment back saying that you did.

1 bonus entry- Share the contest post on your Facebook wall and comment back with a link to the share (may be done once).

3 bonus entries- Grab my blog button (right side bar) and display it on your blog. Leave three separate comments including a link to your blog where I can find the button.

10 bonus entries- Blog about the contest, including a link back to the contest post. Leave ten separate comments including a direct link to your blog post (not your home page).

Be sure to visit my Contest Rules and Bonus Entry Options for even more additional entry options.

Be blessed,

Virginia

Lady V dZine

Contest open to the US. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. CST on 07/08/2010. Winner will be selected via random.org. Winner will be notified by email and will have 72 hours to respond with mailing address. If no response is received from the winning entrant, a new winner will be selected.FTC Compliant Disclosure- The marketing team for Warner Home Video graciously provided me with a copy of Firefly Fun and Buggy Buddies to facilitate my review and is providing the copy for the contest winner. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own and are based upon my experience. Your experience may differ.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Reviews Tagged With: Educational, Elmo, Entertainment, Kids, Movie Corner, Sesame Street

One EskimO at Blueberry Hill

June 23, 2010 By Virginia

Have you heard of One EskimO? One EskimO is comprised of four gents hailing from Great Britain; Kristian Leontiou (singer/songwriter), Adam Falkner (drummer), Jamie Sefton (bassist) and Peter Rinaldi (guitarist). This group of guys combine talents synergistically to produce a unique blend of contemporary alternative rock that is both mellow and moving.

My first introduction to One EskimO was an animated short of the song Kandi, which I viewed after One2One Network offered to send my husband and I to review One EskimO in concert at Blueberry Hill, in the Delmar Loop of St. Louis. Since we rarely go out on date nights, we happily accepted.

One eskimO – “Kandi” edit from Shangri-La Music on Vimeo

After watching Kandi, I expected to see a group of guys that were laid back and slightly sentimental.

It is difficult to label this band. They cannot really be put in a box. While listening, you alternatively feel as if you should be in a wood paneled room with pachouli burning in the corner or lying in a park reading poetry while lazily watching passers by. This dynamic foursome is multi-talented. Drummer Adam Falkner played a melodica (a free-reed instrument that has a musical keyboard on top which is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument) and used his seat as an instrument while bassist Jamie Sefton displayed his musical genius by playing the bass and a Flügelhorn simultaneously! Simply watching them play made the evening worthwhile.

I had the opportunity to chat with Kristian and Adam after the set. I introduced myself to Kristian and explained that I had texted their tour manager to see if there would be a meet and greet, but that my phone had died immediately thereafter. He just smiled and said, “Man, I’ll talk to anyone.” When asked what inspired the animation for the groups songs, he replied that he wanted the song to be visual, but that he didn’t want it to be someone else’s interpretation of the song (Not so surprising, considering that he had previously hit gold and produced three top-twenty singles, but was uncomfortable with the image obsession associated with pop-stardom, so he struck out on his own).

One EskimO teamed up with animators Nathan Erasmus and Matt Latchford of Gravy Media who used Kristian’s sketches to animate, “Hometime.” The unexpected success of that animation led to the animation of the entire album. Hometime got them noticed (and won a 2008 British Animation Award). Their song Kandi, inspired by Patsy Kline’s Candy, got them launched. They performed on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in the US in March of 2010, have had their music featured in Toyota commercial, and currently hold the #1 spot for adult alternative song.

While chatting, I couldn’t resist asking these guys a few serious questions… like what they thought of St. Louis.

Adam remarked that he knew it would be cliché to say, but he had never heard of the St. Louis Arch prior to coming to town. He said, “That’s a bit like saying I’m from London and have never seen the Eiffel Tower, is it not? He also said that he was simply awed by the engineering feet represented by the Arch and that he while he could imagine something similar being constructed with today’s technology, but that the thought of it being done forty plus years ago was amazing. He did confess, however, that he chose not to take the elevator ride to the top. Kristian and Adam both said that they enjoyed the Delmar Loop and eclectic mix of shops featured there. Both guys were pleasant and interesting to talk to.

One Eskimo’s self titled debut album is full of dreamy lyrics and magical melodies. It’s like pop rocks candy for the mood… the music melts through you and leaves you smiling, as tiny bits of acoustic genius explode amid the soulful lyrics.

One EskimO is currently on tour in North America, with upcoming concert dates in California, Wisconsin, and Colorado.

Jun 27 – KLLC Radio Show – Golden Gate Park – San Francicso CA USA
Jun 28 – Largo (solo date) – Los Angeles CA USA
Jun 29 – Fingerprints (in store appearance) – Long Beach CA USA
Jul 01 – Anthology – San Diego CA USA
Jul 07 – The Majestic – Madison WI USA
Jul 08 – Rave Bar – Milwaukee WI USA
Jul 09 – KTCZ radio show – Basilica Block Party – Minneapolis MN USA
Aug 13 – Fox Theater – Boulder CO USA
Aug 14 – The Fields at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – Mile High Festival – Denver, CO USA

One EskimO can also be found on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube.

Another highlight of the evening was that I had the opportunity to meet Margie of My Springfield Mommy. Margie is the first mommy-blogger that I have met IRL. It was a treat to chat with her and her husband!

Be blessed,

Virginia

Lady V dZine

Disclosure- One2One Network graciously provided me with two tickets to attend the concert to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions stated are 100% my own and are based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Reviews Tagged With: Music, Review

Summer Shopping Guide from Wickedly Chic

June 22, 2010 By Virginia

Looking for the perfect summer accessories, spa products or gifts?

Go no further than Wickedly Chic’s Summer Shopping Guide, http://www.wickedlychic.com/giftguide running through July 12.

A selection of some of the hottest independent businesses are ready for you with fabulous & unique merchandise. Let your fingers do the walking (and shopping) and order without hassle.

I have my eye on this necklace from Stella and Dot…

Participating businesses include:
Bidwell Botanicals, http://www.bidwellbotanicals.com (natural spa products)
The Elegant Bead, http://www.theelegantbead.com (handcrafted sterling silver)
Rickshaw Bags, http://www.rickshawbags.com (San Francisco-based bag company)
Stella & Dot, http://www.stellaanddot.com/sites/tracybennett (fun & fashionable jewelry)
Ayurvastram, http://www.ayurvastram.com (India inspired fashion accessories)
Wendy Culpepper, http://www.wendyculpepper.com (handcrafted designer jewelry)

Let me know what you find!

Be blessed,

Virginia

Lady V dZine

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Gift Guide