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Win -The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Power Up Edition

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Generating over a billion dollars around the world, the biggest film of the year arrives home with all-new bonus features in THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE ‘POWER UP EDITION,’ available to own on Digital, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD on June 13th in the US and Canada, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Boasting an A CinemaScore® and 96% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes, the Nintendo and Illumination-produced pop-culture spectacular of the year comes home in a next-level experience, unlocking over 30-minutes of bonus content that is sure to delight all Super Mario Bros. fans – from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Showcasing an all-star lineup to voice the iconic pop culture characters, THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE stars Chris Pratt (Jurassic World franchise), Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Lego Movie), Anya Taylor-Joy (Last Night in Soho, The Queen’s Gambit), Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), Seth Rogen (Neighbors, An American Pickle), Jack Black (Kung Fu Panda franchise) and Fred Armisen (“Wednesday,” Portlandia).

The movie tells the story of two Brooklyn plumbers who are brothers and best friends: Mario, the brave one with the “let’s-a go” attitude, and the perpetually anxious Luigi, who would prefer to go nowhere. We open with the Super Mario Brothers reckoning with their struggling plumbing business and wind up in a whirlwind adventure through the Mushroom Kingdom. Through their journey, we meet a cast of familiar, lovable characters, ultimately uniting to defeat the power-hungry villain, Bowser. The Super Mario Bros. Movie takes what millions of gamers worldwide have loved for over three decades and levels it up to a new and breathtaking cinematic experience.

The Power Up Edition includes these special features:

  • Getting to Know the Cast
  • Leveling Up: Making The Super Mario Bros. Movie
  • The Super Mario Bros. Movie Field Guide
  • Peaches Lyric Video
  • Leadership Lessons from Anya Taylor-Joy

I am giving it away.

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You must leave a separate comment in the comment fields for each entry that you make to be entered. One winner will be randomly chosen and notified on June 27, 2023. Open to the U.S. only, no purchase is necessary to enter.

 

 

5 Tips For A Stress-Free Dinner Party

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Throwing a dinner party is a great way to see friends and family, especially if you haven’t caught up with them for a while. Planning an event at home can be stressful, but only if you let it happen. If you feel it’s been too long since you’ve spent quality time with your nearest and dearest, consider these five tips for a stress-free dinner party. 

Don’t Invite Too Many People 

The most fundamental rule for ensuring you’re not stressed or overwhelmed for your dinner party is to make sure you don’t invite too many people. While the ideal number varies depending on how big your house is and the number of people you’re comfortable cooking for, you shouldn’t have more than five or six people over as well as the rest of your household. This should make it easier to keep track of portions and ensure you have enough space in your oven to guarantee a smooth and manageable process. 

Stick To Food You Know 

Dinner parties are not the time to prepare something you’ve never made before, but it could be your chance to show off some of your favorite dishes. You need something filling, but not too filling that it kills the mood because everyone is so stuffed. You should also think about dietary needs, so something like creamy pasta with Italian sausage could be an option, especially as it’s easy to replace ingredients with vegan or gluten-free alternatives if necessary. 

Prepare Plenty Beforehand 

As you improve your culinary skills, you will learn that it’s always better to prepare as much as possible beforehand. While you want to serve a fresh salad, you also need to cook the meat (if you’re going for a slow-cooked approach) early to ensure you have plenty of time to adjust the temperature if necessary. If you’re making fresh bread or even fresh pasta, you’ll need to be up early, too, as the extra time can save you from any disasters. 

Clean As Much On the Night 

As tempting as it is to worry about the pots and pans tomorrow, don’t leave dishes to soak overnight as this can damage the material and leave you with a gross, gunky mess in your kitchen sink. If you have a dishwasher, scrape all plates and cutlery and load them to clean overnight. Your guests might offer to help do the dishes but don’t feel like you have to let them. If anything, you want them to have fun, so focus on giving your dishes a quick rinse to prevent any food from crusting overnight. 

Get People to Help Out 

Hopefully, you have a supportive household who will happily help with everything. They don’t need to assist with the cooking, but picking up wine and other drinks can save you some time. Likewise, chopping vegetables or cleaning the house means you only need to focus on making the best food possible. 

The Perfect Host 

It can feel overwhelming trying to be the perfect host, but these tips should make the evening fly by and ensure everyone has fun. The only problem with that is your guests will tell others, the word will spread, and you’ll need to host again in the future. At least you’ll be prepared, though. 

 

4 Ways to Improve Your Culinary Skills

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Most people are just happy to make a meal that is edible when they’re first starting. But at some point, you’ll want to have higher ambitions. You’ll want to make meals that are more than just “food”; you’ll want to make meals that taste great! And by improving your skills, you’ll be helping yourself to unlock a skill that’ll reward you again and again. After all, you’re going to be eating for the rest of your life, so you may as well ensure that you’re eating good food. 

Not sure how to improve your culinary skills? Check out the handy tips that we’ve outlined below.

Seek Out New Ingredients

We all have those ingredients that we turn to again and again. They’re the ones that we know how to cook perfectly, and that we can use in a wide range of meals. However, while it’s a good idea to have some “go-to” ingredients, it’s also important to stretch yourself to try new ingredients from time to time. In all likelihood, there’s a whole ocean of tasty ingredients that you’ve never cooked. Once you have, you might find that you’re seriously increased the range of meals you can cook. 

And New Equipment

A newcomer to the world of cooking can think that all kitchen equipment is the same. But this isn’t the case. Different types of pans produce different results. Plus, there’s a host of equipment that many people don’t consider to be kitchen staples, so they never use them. You can improve your cooking by adding new/better equipment to your kitchen. If you have a pressure cooker, for example, you’ll be able to make this simple recipe for instant pot pork stew; you’ll have added a delicious new dish to your list of meals, all thanks to one investment. You may also consider adding a wok, which is an ingenious cooking device that’ll open up a world of Asian dishes. 

Ask for Feedback

Want to improve your cooking skills? Then ask for feedback from the people who are eating what you’re making. Some people avoid doing this because they want to believe that their dishes are already delicious, but think of it this way — you won’t improve if you think that you’ve already produced the perfect meal. There’s always room for improvement. Of course, you don’t have to take all the feedback on board. Some of it may not be relevant, or you disagree. But in general, it can be a good idea to hear what people think of your dishes. 

Focused Cooking 

Finally, perhaps the best tip we have for people wanting to improve their cooking skills is to cook consciously. It’s easy for your mind to wander when you’re cooking, but you’ll find that the result is better if you’re actively focusing while you’re cooking. It’ll also help to avoid rushing, which can be one of the primary reasons why a dish doesn’t turn out as well as it could. Give your dishes the love and care they deserve!