Socal Stuff: Reviews by Donna Schwartz Mills

My Near Meet with Bobby Flay

More check-ins at bobby flay video shoot Powered by Whrrl

I've published a new product review statement on the site - but I think I left out one important detail: I brake for celebrities. If you've got a famous person looking for a blogger to talk to, I'm your gal. And after our delicious afternoon with Wolfgang Puck, I had decided that my favorite celebrities to visit with are chefs. I'm easy. Feed me and I'm yours. On Monday, I was invited to the set of a series of new cooking webisodes for Hellmann's/Best Foods mayonnaise, featuring Food Network star, Bobby Flay. The purpose of the series is to provide tips and strategies to help busy moms (like me!) serve more "real food" (uh... I think that means less frozen mac and cheese).

I've actually been doing a better job of this recently - ever since we finished work on our new kitchen. But there are days when serving a freshly cooked meal is HARD, and I expect I'd benefit from a few pointers from a superstar chef.

My husband had other ideas.

"You've got to ask him about disrespecting Kitchen Stadium," he said.

I'm not sure that's the kind of question the man would want to deal with, so it's probably just as well that the shoot ran long and I had to get home to an anxious dog. I had a great time hanging out with Yvonne in LA and Rockin' Mama Caryn (whose beautiful baby daughter had me feeling all broody).

And they're sending me an autographed copy of Flay's cookbook, "Burgers, Fries and Shakes" - just in time for barbecue season. Not a bad consolation prize.

DISCLOSURE: I received no compensation for writing this post, other than the cookbook I mention above. The link to the cookbook is NOT an affiliate link (i.e., I do not get any kind of commission from people who purchase it). I have no relationship with Hellmann's, Best Foods or Unilever.

Blockbuster's $25 Cheap Date Challenge

More check-ins at 99 Cents Only Stores Powered by Whrrl

So here was the challenge: Dinner and a movie for under $25. The folks at Blockbuster Express helped out with a free DVD rental. The rest was up to me. "Blockbuster? Are they still in business?" my husband asked. Yes, they are. New technologies may have forced a change in their business model (i.e., all of the retail stores in our area have shut down over the last year), but the company is still around. They've quietly shifted their business to a subscription plan... ...and a new network of kiosks, allowing you to pick up a DVD in the same store where you're already shopping.

My daughter didn't understand.

"Why are you renting a DVD when you haven't watched the one you already have?"

She had a point. We do subscribe to a DVD rental service and I have a bad habit of keeping the titles around for months before I get around to seeing them. I'm afraid I waste more money with the DVD subscription than I ever did in late fees. Perhaps I should go back to renting my movies one at a time. Maybe finding a nice, convenient, store-based kiosk would be the answer.

I just wasn't sure I would like using a kiosk. For one thing, I didn't trust that I'd find a good selection at one. How do I know it will have the movies I want?

Those questions were answered with a quick visit to the Blockbuster Express website, where I was able to view the entire available inventory at my own local kiosk (with plenty of new and popular movies). I reserved my film ahead of time and then picked it up with a swipe of a credit card. Easy Peasy.

I noted that the cost of a DVD rental for new customers is only $1. And if that's not enough, I have a code that will allow anyone to rent two DVD's for the price of one (through the end of this month): 145G13B*.

So that part of the challenge was pretty easy. Coming up with a special date night dinner was a little bit tougher, especially since I wanted to be able to sit back and enjoy the film...

...and the fact that my husband and I have foodie tendencies. We don't consider a meal special unless it's accompanied with a glass of wine.

I took care of the latter issue by picking up a bottle of "Two Buck Chuck" at Trader Joe's. And I started feeling downright smug when I settled on a meal of roasted chicken, potatoes and broccoli - which meant all I had to do was stick the food in the oven and wait for the timer to go off. (We love Jamie Oliver's recipe for roast chicken and potatoes - it's simple and tastes just as good as what you'd be served in a fine restaurant.)

But I blew it when I made the decision to purchase organic chicken and vegetables. Along with the wine, the cost of my cheap date came to $25.88 - just over the $25 limit.

If I'd gone with a conventionally raised bird and produce, there would have been enough in the budget for dessert. But then again - I'm better off without those calories. Dinner and a movie for just over $25 isn't bad at all.

DISCLOSURE: This was a compensated post. In addition to the free DVD rental, I received a gift card from Collective Bias. There were no guarantees made regarding what I would write. The experience recounted in this post is true and the opinions are my own. The rent one, get one free code in this post is valid until 3/31/10 - more information is below.

*Rental Code is valid thru 3/31/2010. When you rent a movie at the regular price, you'll receive the first night's rental on a second movie FREE. Extra night charges and taxes apply. May not be combined with any other offer. Rental terms and conditions apply. Not valid at Blockbuster store locations.

SVMOMSVBITMOMS Quick Look: The Tassimo Home Brewing System

UPDATED March 4, 2010 with NEW information about Recycling Tassimo T-Discs - SEE BELOW

After finishing a long kitchen renovation, I was faced with a new dilemma: What kind of coffeemaker did I want to place on the counter?

In the end, I ended up with the traditional kind that brews your drink by the pot, and overall, I'm happy with my purchase. But I can't help being a little bit seduced by the single-cup machines currently on the market.

And now that I've had a taste of Bosch's Tassimo brewing system, I'm feeling a teeny bit of buyer's remorse.

That baby brews up a fine caffe latte.

This sleek beauty of a machine has the smarts of a professional barista. The Tassimo will make your latte, your husband's decaf drip coffee, your daughter's chai and a hot cocoa for your son; quickly and expertly - with no measuring and no mess to clean up.

All you need to do is pop a pre-measured "T-Disc" cartridge (containing your favorite drink) into the machine and press the button. A barcode on the cartridge tells the Tassimo exactly how much water to use for the drink. If your drink includes steamed milk, the Tassimo knows how to do that, too.

This is not a machine for those on a budget. On the surface, buying your coffee by the T-Disc is a lot more expensive than getting it by the pound at the supermarket. That is, if you make a pot at a time and consume it all, too. There's little to no beverage wasted with these single-serve machines. You can also keep a vast array of choices on hand to please every taste in your family. So I could see where someone might want a machine that brews a pot for a dinner party... while simultaneously keeping a Tassimo in the kitchen for personal use.

That someone would have more disposable income than I.

However, I do have concerns about the environmental impact of single-serve packaging, and judging from these comments on Tassimo's own community site, I'm not alone. At this time, it looks like recycling the packaging is kind of hit and miss, depending upon where you live. I am hopeful that as the single-serve machines gain in popularity, there will be recycling programs like the ones the big office supply chains offer for ink cartridges. This is the kind of thing that might point me in the direction of single-serve the next time I'm in the market for a new coffee maker.

In the meantime, I can sit back and admire.

UPDATE: I heard back today from Heather Gordon, who represents Tassimo's parent company, Bosch:

I noticed your concern about recycling the packaging. In fact, we did some research and found out that if you remove the tinfoil cover and the left over coffee grounds (makes great compost material), tea leaves or milk, you can recycle the plastic container with your recyclable plastics. This question actually came up a few times while at the event, so I’m glad that we were able to find the answer.

That's good to know and I'll keep it in mind the next time I'm shopping for a coffeemaker.

DISCLOSURE: I was not paid to write this post, nor were any promises made to write this. This post is based upon my observations of a product that was displayed at a mom blogger marketing event and reflects my own opinions, based upon a brief demonstration. I was not given any product samples but did receive a sample beverage and promotional travel mug.

Snapple's New Water a Nice Hydrating Option

As a dieter who just lost 56 pounds, I know that there's nothing better for my body than plain old water. During the weight loss phase of my diet, I was encouraged to drink 80 ounces of water each day -- and while I've slacked off a bit on maintenance, I've found that I've become accustomed to keeping myself pretty hydrated.

And then, there's my daughter, the gymnast, who trains for 16 grueling hours per week. Between my daily aerobic workouts and her crazy routine, we both guzzle up a lot of liquid.

I was surprised to learn from a nutritionist who spoke to the team parents at my daughter's gym that athletes who work out as intensely as Megan (expending as much as 600 calories per session) really DO need more than plain water. They need to replace their electrolytes, and consuming a little sugar in their drink can help them replenish their energy.

(Gosh - so there's something to those Gatorade ads? Go figure!)

After hearing that, I became less insistent on giving Megan a plain bottle of Arrowhead, and allowed her to indulge her taste for fancy flavored waters -- at least, during her workouts. So I was jumped at the opportunity to test the new Antioxidant Waters from Snapple -- and was curious to hear what she thought of them. I'm personally kind of wary of the claims that these products contain enough nutrients to make a difference in a body's defenses... but I also think that drinking them can't hurt anything but your waistline and teeth (if you overindulge). And if drinking something that tastes good makes you drink more, that can only be good.

"These are pretty good," Megan announced when we did our tasting. Later on, when she drank one during her workout, she proclaimed them as "very good."  Her favorite flavor is the Agave Melon (the Dragonfruit was a little bit too sophisticated for her 12-year-old palate, although I liked it a lot).

Unfortunately, my 30- to 60-minute workouts are not as intense as my daughter's, and I can't help but think I have to run on the elliptical machine for a good 15 minutes before I use up the calories in just one bottle of Snapple's water (or the ones by rival makers Glaceau and Sobe). Maybe when I'll be able to enjoy the benefits of the Antioxidant Water without guilt when my weight stabilizes (in another four to eight months). Or maybe I'll work myself up to the point where I'll be brave enough to train for a marathon (like my friend Karen Sugarpants). In the meantime, I'll stick with plain water for myself...

...but will be purchasing more Snapple Antioxidant Water for Megan.

Not Quite Ready for the 12-Step Program

For the last three months, I've been on a very restrictive weight loss diet. It's low cal, low fat AND low carb, and dairy is among the foods that are on my "no-no" list.

This has finally put a stop to my three-grande-a-day latte habit.

For the most part, I'm doing surprisingly well without my daily Starbucks fix -- but I still have days when I need some caffeine to jump start my day. Too bad I'm not crazy about most black coffee. I've tried it brewed drip-method, as an Americano and as espresso... and most of the time, I'm not enjoying it.

So I was feeling desperate when a PR friend of mine sent me a sample of a new kind of instant brewed coffee. After all, I'm a coffee snob - I don't do instant.

But RK Express Coffee is different. For one thing, it's a liquid concentrate, made from dark roasted arabica beans (the Breakfast Blend I sampled was made of Columbian coffee). It only contains two ingredients: coffee and water. And making it is as easy as pouring one ounce into a mug and adding hot water. (I like my coffee strong, so I tend to use more concentrate to make my cup.)

But what surprised me the most about this brew was that is tasted so good. I honestly didn't expect to like it. I especially didn't expect to like drinking it black.

I had been considering investing in one of those coffeemakers that only brew one cup at a time, but I've shelved that idea now that I've found RK Express.

According to their website, one bottle of RK Express coffee will make 16-20 cups of fine, gourmet coffee. I think mine yielded somewhat less, but that's because I tend to fill the little coffee cup measuring thingie past the line and up to the brim. However you use it, it's still cheaper than Starbucks!