Another Fabulous Food Innovation

Some day when I have more time, I'm going to do something with my food blog. I love to cook and I do it on a budget, so over the last seven years, I've learned some pretty great ways to cut costs. One of those ways is to ignore the ridiculous claim that a meal can't be spectacular unless all of your ingredients are the most expensive that money can buy. There are plenty of areas in which you can cut corners, and pasta sauce is a big one.

Yeah, that's where I'm going with this. I've tried all the pasta sauces, from the eight-dollar organic jars to good old Ragu (which is always the cheapest) and once I've used them in a recipe, I really can't taste a difference. So when I'm at the supermarket, I go with Ragu every time.

And now Ragu is offering another option- Ragu's Fresh and Simple Pouches, which go the extra mile by coming in a microwaveable pouch that's ready in 90 seconds and saves you from using a bowl or pot on the stove. I love it! I always heat my pasta sauce on the stove. Washing the pot is a pain, as is the pasta stains that appear on my clothing when the sauce gets hot and starts bubbling.

Ragu also is offering a free book of recipes right now if you visit its online site. Check it out! I ordered myself a recipe book (I swear, some of my best recipes have come from stuff like this), and I will totally buy this product again.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

This is one of those movies that feels much like reading a good book. Told from the point of view of a fashion magazine editor who has had an accident and ends up completely paralyzed, unable to speak, and limited to sight through one eye, director Julian Schnabel manages to paint a compelling portrait of the importance of life and love, and to remind us of how quickly we could lose everything we've known.

I'll tell you a secret, too. I love foreign films, but I don't always have the patience to spend two hours reading subtitles. This DVD, like most other foreign films out there, also contains a dubbed version of the movie, which I enjoyed much better than I would have if I had spent the movie reading the script from the screen. The dubbed voices speak English with French accents so that you don't lose the "French" feel of the film. If the subtitles are keeping you from watching some of the critically acclaimed foreign films out there, consider switching to English audio. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

All in all, I recommend this film particularly to those who appreciate masterful and unique new ways of telling a cinematic story. I was very impressed both with the acting and the directorial vision of Julian Schnabel.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is out now on DVD.

Fun and Games! And Recipies!

Do you have fond memories of making Rice Krispies Treats with your mom? Or do you, like me, simply have fond memories of eating them? Then friends, you will love this website from the Rice Krispies folks themselves.

It's called Childhood is Calling and it's all about Rice Krispies, but the two sections I was particularly interested in were the Cookbook (with all kinds of Rice Krispies recipes) and the Games section (filled with games for preschoolers and kindergarteners). If you have a computer game loving kid like mine, you are probably writing down all the age appropriate free game websites you can find. And now you can add this one to the list!

Get snap, crackle, poppin'!

Now on Nick

Nickelodeon has a few new shows on tap for your child's viewing pleasure:

First off, Yo Gabba Gabba! (which I secretly love) enters its second season May 12th. The show to watch, though, would be the May 23rd episode, when The Shins perform! From the Nick Jr. release:

Musical guests The Shins will perform an original Yo Gabba Gabba! song in a brand-new episode premiering Friday, May 23, at 11:30 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nick Jr. In the episode, titled “Imagine,” The Shins perform “It’s OK, Try Again,” and the Gabba gang discovers how to use their imaginations, cheer up a friend, and learn about the different muscles in the body. Mark Mothersbaugh (DEVO) is featured in his recurring “Mark’s Magic Pictures” segment and additional songs in the new episode include “Pretend,” “Tell the Truth,” “Balloons” and “Body Parts.”

Also, there's a new Go Diego, Go! special coming out this month that Punky really enjoyed. Here are the deets:

Preschoolers will get a bug’s eye view of the world when their favorite bilingual animal rescuer shrinks to insect proportions in the new half-hour Go, Diego, Go! special, “It’s A Bug’s World,” premiering Monday, May 12, at 9:30 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nick Jr. The episode, which takes Diego on a pint-sized, high-stakes adventure filled with beetles, frogs, anteaters and giant raindrops, premieres during a special bug-themed week of hit Nick Jr. series, from Monday, May 12 to Friday, May 16.

Finally, this is a little "old" for my kids, but your older children will enjoy this:

Nicktoons Network, the fastest growing kids' network, is set to premiere Speed Racer: The
Next Generation, a new animated series that builds on the legendary adventures of the iconic original series, on Friday, May 2, at 7:00 p.m. (ET). The 90-minute premiere will launch the
Speed Racer: The Next Generation television series just prior to the Lionsgate DVD release
on Tuesday, May 6, and the live-action Warner Bros. feature film, directed by The Wachowski
Brothers, on Friday, May 9. The 26- episode, half-hour series will air regularly Fridays at
7:00 p.m. (ET) on Nicktoons Network.

I Love It!

Now this is a great idea.

Parking Pal Magnets slap on the side of your car and give your small child a place to put his or her hand so that you can keep your kid out of harm's way.

I was headed to the gym when I received my Parking Pal magnet in the mail; I immediately put it on the car and used it with Punky while I was getting Bruiser out of his car seat in the parking lot. I had already trained Punky to put her hand on the car while she waits for me to get her brother out- the problem with this is that her hand slides, leading her around to the back of the car or sometimes, over to the other side. With the magnet, she puts her hand right on the magnet hand and stays put. It's brilliant and I absolutely LOVE it. We call it the "Hand Game" and sometimes, I give her a piece of candy afterward for keeping her hand on the magnet the entire time.

Parking Pal magnets come in all kinds of different designs; You can order your own here. Suburban Turmoil readers can get free shipping by using the code sub408 at checkout.

Raggs the Dog! No, Not Wags the Dog. Raggs the Dog.

I'll be honest with you. Raggs the dog and his furry friends scare the hell out of me. Those big, blinking eyes... The terrifyingly vague expressions.... The knowledge that he's bigger than me in real life... *shudder* When I receive a children's DVD, however, I defer to the opinions of, well, my children. And in this particular case, it seems I am overruled.

Raggs is a new television series for kids that's being picked up by PBS stations across the country. It details the adventures of five dogs who play in a rock and roll band, live together, and have lots of "wild" adventures.

We watched 3 episodes of Raggs and Punky loved them. In fact, we've watched those three episodes many, many times since receiving the DVD. My favorite part, as well as Punky's, is when a cat puppet on the program interviews real little children, asking them questions like, "What's a job?" and "What are you going to be when you grow up?" This provides for many hilariously entertaining, unscripted answers. My least favorite part, as well as Punky's, is the music. Raggs and his band take several opportunities per show to rock out on stage, performing a "live" song for an audience of wiggly children. I really, really did not like the music but I didn't want to influence Punky, so I kept quiet. Completely on her own, she began asking me to fast forward past the musical interludes every time.

Overall, though, if this show comes to your town, it's worth a watch. It's sufficiently educational, your child will probably enjoy it, and that will be that. Find out more about Raggs and where he's playing here.

I Will Be Buying More of These ASAP

Dieters and energy lovers, rejoice. I hath tried Cranergy Energy Juice Drinks and lo! They are wonderful!

Those of you who love cranberry juice combinations (and I was a total addict as a teen) will love the flavors- The drinks come in Cranergy Cranberry Lift and Rasberry Cranergy Cranberry Lift.

Those of you who love low-cal treats will love the fact that these drinks are made with Splenda and have only 35 calories per 8-ounce serving, yet they taste NOTHING like a diet drink. Trust me. I hate most diet drinks because of their sickly sweet aftertaste. Cranergy Energy drinks just tasted to me like fruit juice.

Finally, I wasn't really expecting to feel that energized, yet both days that I drank one of these drinks, I realized later that I had skipped my late afternoon cup of coffee. Didn't need it.

So I will totally be getting more of these the next time I go to the supermarket. Try them for yourself- I think you'll be pleased.

That Baby Disappoints

I was psyched to receive DVD and CD copies of That Baby, a much publicized (in the blogosphere, anyway) music and video collection that promised to deliver music that both kids and parents could enjoy.

We popped in the CD the same day I got it in the mail and, well, no one paid much attention. It contains acoustic covers of songs by everyone from Neil Diamond to The Pretenders, but I think I'll take the original versions. That Baby's songs came off like watered-down, namby pamby copies of some formerly great songs.

Next, I put in the DVD. It features lots of (frankly dull) video of swirly graphics, puppets and parents and kids smiling and playing together. My son ignored it, while my daughter watched it with a frown. "Do you like it?" I asked. "I don't," she said. "Why not?" I asked. "Because this music is annoying me," she answered. The only time my 4-year-old daughter and one-year-old son both perked up was when the music stopped and an onscreen alphabet was recited. But interestingly, by the time I popped out the DVD, both of them were crying.

All in all, That Baby is inoffensive, but something about it makes me feel like I should be wearing Mom Jeans. Or a straitjacket. And I kind of resent the idea that now that I'm a mother, Natalie Merchant and Joni Mitchell songs have to be Prozacked down in order for me to enjoy them and play them for my kids.

Freepeats Comes to Nashville!

I don't normally post press releases, but this one was too good to resist:

Atlanta, Georgia – May 1, 2008 – Angie Wynne, Atlanta native and author of the popular frugal parenting blog, Baby Cheapskate (babycheapskate.com), recently announced the expansion of Freepeats.org, an online forum which allows parents to pick up gently-used baby, kid, and maternity items for free from nearby parents who have finished with them.

"Preparing for a baby's arrival is expensive," says Wynne, "and so is raising one. Common estimates put the cost at $10,000 in the first year alone. And this is at a time when many families are trying to get by on one parent's income. At the same time, many of the expensive baby items parents spend their money on get used only for a very short time. There's still plenty of life left in them. If parents can find good-condition second-hand clothing, toys, and gear, they'll shave hundreds of dollars or more off that $10,000 total. Besides that, we'll keep usable items out of the landfills."

Freepeats opened in the Nashville area on May 1. Freepeats groups are also up and running in Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Washington DC, Houston , Dallas, New York City, Detroit, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Seattle, Cleveland and Philadelphia. Wynne plans to open up to two dozen more Freepeats forums in metro areas throughout the U.S. during 2008. "I want parents all across the country to have access to the savings that Freepeats offers," Wynne says. "We're opening the forums just as fast as we can."

Nashville-area residents who join Freepeats before June 1 will receive a free lifetime membership. After that, there's be a $4.95 one-time membership fee. Meanwhile, it is Wynne's hope that residents will get hundreds of dollars' worth of gently-used baby items for the price of the cost of the gas it takes to go pick them up locally.

Freepeats now boasts over 3500 members. Offerings have included bouncers, swings, infant formula, baby and toddler clothing, zoo tickets, diapers, strollers, high chairs, baby gyms, parenting books, toys, and more. The site has been featured at Discovery.com's Planet Green website, Apartment Therapy.com, Nickelodeon's Parents Connect website, Green Deals Daily, and more.

More information: Freepeats FAQ (http://freepeats.org/freepeats_faqs.htm).

About BabyCheapskate.com
Since 2005, BabyCheapskate.com has shown parents how to save money on baby necessities such as diapers, formula, apparel, and gear. The popular, weekly "Top Diaper and Formula Deals of the Week" post shows parents where to find the best local deals on diapers and formula.The site currently reaches about 3500 readers a day.

Blast from the Past

It's been a while, but remember the Three Caballeros? Well, they're back out of the Disney vault in a beautiful 2-movie collection, containing both Saludos Amigos and its sequel, the better-known Three Caballeros.

You'll enjoy the Three Caballeros purely for nostalgic reasons- and your child will simply enjoy seeing Goofy and Donald in some new situations. But the films aren't classic Disney fare- Saludos Amigos was actually made at the request of the Office of Inter-American Affairs and contains lots of hokey live travel film footage, which surprise surprise, my 4-year-old actually enjoyed.

Die-hard Disney fans will consider this DVD collection a must-have, as will those of us who like to expose our kids to a bit of old school nostalgia. I wasn't sure how my daughter would receive this film, with all the DVD pickings she has to choose from, but she's actually watched it several times now. That's a good sign. The 2-movie collection is available now on DVD.

Special K Bliss Bars

Total yumminess. These Special K Bliss Bars have become a total staple of my neverending diet. The only problem I have is in eating just one. 90 calories sounds great. 180 calories? Not so much.

Still, if you need a sweet fix, these bars are DEFINITELY the way to go. They are really, really tasty. Try a box and see if you don't totally agree with me.