Disney's PROM - Movie Review

The days leading to prom is an exciting experience for a highschooler's life while for others, it is extremely stressful. For Nova Prescott (Aimee Teegarden), it is both. As class president and organizer for the graduating class' prom night, she has worked overtime to plan the perfect evening only to have her dream go up in flames when a fire destroys all the decorations only three weeks before the big night. With all her friends now busy with their schoolwork, the principal assigns school rebel, Jesse Richter (Thomas McDonell), to help her rebuilt from scratch. At first the two despised each other and found every opportunity to clash heads but as the weeks pass, they eventually come to understand each other. Meanwhile, other classmates are desperately trying to find prom dates, dealing with betrayal and change. Friendships and close relationships will be tested before all converging on that one special night. This film is told in the typical Disney-style with the good guys getting the girl and the bad guys getting burned and everyone except the bad guy gets a happy ending. How realistic is it though? The movie makes it seem that prom is the most important night of your life and everyone, with the exception of a few, seem too excited about it. However, the film does teach some important lessons: don't judge a book by its cover and stop waiting for life to happen, make the change yourself! Prom is a nice light movie that pre-teens and teens will enjoy, no matter how unrealistic the story seems. Prom opens in theatres tomorrow, Friday April 29, 2011.

Top Food Predictions for 2011

The Food Channel has weighed in with what it thinks are going to be the hot "in" foods for 2011.

I'm intrigued by some of their selections, but frankly most of these items are part of my regular eating patterns already.

What do you think?

1. Small Pies. Pie, of course, has been around forever, but 2011 could be the Year of the Pie. Some are already calling it the “next cupcake.” We say, yes, pies will be hot in the coming year, but look for smaller pies to make it big—in both sweet and savory varieties. 2. Sausage. Look for a leaner, better quality sausage, sourced locally at farmers markets, to take on the role as the “new bacon.” Home butchery and the charcuterie trend that has led to renewed interest in cured meats are additional factors here as well. 3. Nutmeg. Researchers have discovered that nutmeg’s reputation as an aphrodisiac—especially for women—has some merit. Need we say more? 4. Moonshine. Moonshine has gone legit. Tennessee’s first legal moonshine distillery opened this summer, and the clear corn whiskey hootch can now be found in many liquor stores and even purchased online. It still packs a wallop. 5. Gourmet Ice Pops. Ice pops in exotic flavors like bacon, mango chile, and peanut butter are the latest to get the artisanal treatment. They’re known as paletas in Mexico. Watch for them to go mainstream north of the border in 2011. 6. Grits. Could this old southern favorite become the “new grain”? We see it moving beyond the breakfast menu and above the Mason-Dixon Line. 7. Sweet Potatoes. These super-nutritious tubers will be orange-hot in 2011. They’ll be especially molten as the alternative, better-for-you french fry. 8. Fin fish. We are still discovering so much about the benefits of fish. After all, it wasn't that long ago that we found out about Omega 3's, and we know that obtaining these nutrients directly from food is the best way to get them into our system. We're banking on more acceptance of farmed fish as it becomes more important to have a good supply of this lean protein. 9. Cupuaçu fruit. This is quite possibly the next superfruit, following in the footsteps of the acai fruit. Both are from the Brazilian rainforest. Cupuaçu has a number of antioxidants and minerals, and is considered a natural source of energy. We tasted it in a Brazilian candy that had us craving more. Speaking of candy, you might also watch for Brigadeiro. This sweet Brazilian candy is made by mixing sweetened condensed milk, butter and cocoa powder. It's usually rolled into ball and coated in granulated sugar, but it can also take on other flavors. It's the national truffle of Brazil. Look for it to come to our shores in 2011. 10. Beans. The lowly legume will step up to the spotlight in 2011, as a great source of protein and a versatile ingredient in appetizers like white bean & rosemary bruschetta. And, yes, it’s still awesome in chili.