The WM Review Connection

Reviewed by Alyssa Ast

Movie Title: The Roommate (2011)
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Director: Christian E. Christiansen
Writer: Sonny Mallhi
Stars: Minka Kelly, Leighton Meester and Cam Gigandet
Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 91 mins
Recommended? No

Review:

You know how you have 100 channels on satellite and there's still never anything to watch? Well, Saturday was one of those days so we rented The Roommate on Demand. I vaguely remembered what the trailer for the movie was about and thought it would be a nice horror type movie to watch. Oh how wrong was I.

The Roommate is definitely geared towards a younger audience. I would say middle school or high school students would like it. It reminded me of the movie Swim Fan for how it just seemed very....immature and unlikely. It was one of those movies where you spend forever waiting for something to happen, and then when it finally does happen, it's just a huge disappointment. I think the trailer for the movie was very misleading. There was very little thrill and too much drama, basically.

It definitely wasn't worth the money we spent to rent it. I don't recommend it unless you're in your teens.

Reviewed by Alyssa Ast

Product: LG Optimus S- Android
Manufacturer: Sprint
Features:
Operating system:

• Ships with Android 2.2

Battery information:

• Standard Li-Polymer Battery (1500 mAh)

Talk time:

• Up to 5 hours Talk Time

Dimensions:

• 4.47' x 2.32' x 0.52'

Display:

by: Anjanette Belloni

Product Name: Chicago Metallic Specialty Nonstick Slice Solutions Brownie Pan, 9"

Manufacturer Name: Chicago Metallic

Retail Price: varies, I've seen it as low as $14.00 and as high as $24.99

Where to Get It: Almost any kitchen accessory website, I purchased mine from Bi-Mart

Sizes/Specifications: 9" x 9" x 2-3/4"

Product Description: The Chicago Metallic Specialty Nonstick Slice Solutions Brownie Pan is a three piece set that bakes each batch perfectly. The divider is inserted before baking and removed after the brownies are completely cooled. Make different toppings for each piece by simply adding nuts, candies or other goodies before or after baking. Great for cornbread, crumb cake or crispy cereal bars.

Recommended? YES

I absolutely LOVE to bake and brownies just happen to be my specialty! I am constantly trying out new ways to make the traditional brownie just amazing. The excitement I felt when I finally purchased this pan was tremendous and made me feel like a kid in a candy store.

Here's why I must have this pan in my kitchen:

• Cleaning is a SNAP!
• Brownies come out of the pan in kid friendly squares.
• Decorating each square is so simple.
• All brownies have crisp edges and yummy gooey centers!

My only concern with this set was the instructions. All you have are the instructions on the box, not that it takes a degree in science to work with this pan. However, when I used one box of brownie mix with this pan the brownies rose quite a bit about the rim of the dividers. This made pulling the divider away from the brownies a bit challenging, but not too aggravating.

This was definitely a GREAT addition to my kitchen and I cannot wait for all the exciting brownie adventures (let alone other baking possibilities) I am about to embark on!

It's All About Home Cookin! Ma Belloni's Kitchen

Image via Wikipedia






Beauty product review: Christi Harris Brow Planing kit
Price: $59.95, reg, but $39.95 on the website
Available at: Christi Harris Cosmetics
Recommended: Yes - I love this product!

What do Angelina Jolie, Beyonce, and Cleopatra have in common? Beautiful eyebrows.

A week ago, I won Christi Harris' brow kit from Hillary Quinn's Bargain Hunter website. If you've never been to the Bargain Hunter, then I highly recommend it. Hillary has the most amazing tips on finding everything for less, and she gives prizes, like Revitalash, AmLactin lotion and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri polish. But I digress, so back to the brows.

Christi Harris' The Plane Truth About Brows kit gave me perfect brows without tweezing - yes - it's true! With a few swipes of the planer and definer, my eyebrows fell into line and never looked so beautiful. I might even rival Beyonce in the bewitching brow category.

If you are looking to maximize your natural beauty, then check out Christi Harris' videos, and become Angelina's equal.

Great Spring Read!

By Christina Newman

Title: Fast Five
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Run Time: 130 min
MPAA Rating: PG 13
Director: Justin Lin
Writer: Chris Morgan, Gary Scott Thompson
Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordan Brewster, Tyrese Gibson...
Recommended? Yes







Synopsis:

Dominic and his crew find themselves on the wrong side of the law once again as they try to switch lanes between a ruthless drug lord and a relentless federal agent.




Review:

Nervous - yea I would say that was the word I would use to describe how I felt about this movie. After all, how many times can Hollywood get lucky using the same actors driving fast to create a box office hit? Turns out, at least five times. By this point you either care about the main characters or you don't but your love of the beautiful cars will never waiver.

Living vicariously through each of the actors behind the wheel of a beautiful, fast and very dangerous car might be the only reason you have to watch these films and that is okay. It's nice every once in a while to watch a movie and just enjoy the show. With amazing action sequences, funny banter and let us not forget a major smack down between Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson (Don't tell me I was the only one waiting for this to happen?) why would you not want to see this film!

My bottom line - Stay through the credits, it's worth it.

by Anjanette Belloni

Title: Cook This, Not That! 350-Calorie Meals: Hundreds of new quick and healthy meals to save you 10, 20, 30 pounds--or more

Author: David Zinczenko & Maurice Goudeket

Publisher: Rodale Press, Inc.

Recommended? Absolutely!!!

I absolutely LOVE to cook! Of course that means I am always on the lookout for good cookbooks. The problem I have is finding a cookbook that is family friendly. And just because I love to cook and bake does not mean I am a gourmet chef. When I stumbled across this book I had to have it. It just made sense, especially for my young family. Let me tell you, it is packed with healthy replacements for all those restaurant dishes we have come to savor.

Here are just some other reasons I am beyond happy with this cookbook:

• Color pictures of every dish
• Cost per serving break down
• Cost comparison to it's restaurant counterpart
• Technique bubbles on different recipes
• Calorie breakdown of the dish vs. restaurant dish
• Quick recipe change options

Book Cover:

Tired of always being too hungry (and tired!) to make smart food choices? Ever wonder why the less food you try to eat, the more fat you seem to gain? Ready to start enjoying all your favorite foods and never see an ounce of weight gain? Cook This, Not That! Easy & Awesome 350-Calorie Meals is the ultimate cookbook for people who love to eat—even if they don’t love to cook. The authors of the best-selling diet and weight loss series Eat This, Not That! teach you how easy it is to turn the expensive and unhealthy foods in America’s restaurants into fat-blasting superfoods that cost just pennies—and take just minutes to make!

Can you believe…

*At Olive Garden, an order of Chicken Parmigiana will cost you half a day’s calories—and a day and a half’s worth of sodium! Cook our Chicken Parm recipe at home and save 730 calories and $9.94!

*At T.G.I.Friday’s, a Santa Fe Chopped Salad carries a whopping 1,800 calories—the equivalent of three Pepperoni Personal Pan Pizzas from Pizza Hut! (You call that a salad???) Try the Cook This, Not That! home version and save 1,460 calories!

*Hungry for a panini? At Panera Bread, the Italian Combo on Ciabatta comes loaded with more than 1,000 calories and a side of 45 grams of fat! (In less time than it takes to order their version, you can whip up ours and save 690 calories)

With this illustrated guide to hundreds of delicious, simple, lightning-quick recipes—along with the nutrition secrets that lead to fast and permanent weight loss—you’ll make the smartest choices for you and your family every time.

Additional features in Cook This, Not That: Easy & Awesome 350 –Calorie Meals include:

• A step-by-step illustrated guide to every cooking technique you’ll ever need to know
• The 50 Best Foods in the Supermarket
• The Milk Shake Matrix
• The Rules of the Grill
• 12 Ways to Better a Burger
• The World’s Best Condiments
• And more!

By Christina Newman

Title: The Memory of Running
Author: Ron McLarty
Publisher: Penguin Book Group
Recommended? Yes










Review:

There are a great many things that I love about books. The Memory of Running does not contain many of the qualities that I look for. It does however have one, a great story. This is the story of everyday life and how with little effort one can float through it without giving it much thought. We can find ourselves forty years old, overweight, unmarried and not proud of much of anything. This story is moving without being deep. The main character hides from his own emotions and does not allow them to truly come to the surface. You follow him through is journey of self-discovery and eventually end up caring very deeply for him.

While I enjoyed this story very much it started slow and the writing leaves something to be desired. The paragraphs are a bit long for my linking and the overall dialogue between the main character and himself is very redundant. I do however understand that when you are on a journey and trying to better yourself you may need to repeat things to yourself so it was easy to look beyond this.

My bottom line - I'm glad I read it.