Betty Ford's Chinese Pepper Steak

DVD features
The Wizard of Oz DVD released in 1999 was loaded with extra features, but it's now safe to throw away that version in all its cardboard-package glory in favor of this new two-disc edition. First things first: All the bonus material from the earlier disc is there (with one small exception). That includes the Angela Lansbury-hosted documentary The Making of a Movie Classic; the outtakes and deleted scenes, including Judy Garland's "Over the Rainbow" reprise and the home-movie recording of "The Jitterbug"; the sketches and stills and composer Harold Arlen's home movies; the audio underscores and radio programs; the 1979 interviews with Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, and Jack Haley; and other items too numerous to mention. (Some text introductions to the features have been replaced by narration by Lansbury, for whatever reason.) Brand-new to the 2005 edition is a sharp restoration using Warner's Ultra Resolution process and an accompanying featurette on how it's done. The technicians also discuss how the sound was remixed, though that would have been more effective had it included surround-sound demonstrations (the featurette is in 2.0). Other features on the new set include a commentary track by critic John Fricke supplemented by vintage cast interviews (he offers a lot of trivia, and debunks the myth that Shirley Temple was ever close to getting the Dorothy role); profiles of nine cast members and clips of other movies they appeared in (including Toto); a lightly animated 10-minute storybook again narrated by Lansbury; 2001 and 2005 behind-the-scenes featurettes; and a 1950 Lux Radio Theater broadcast. Oh, and if you were still wondering about the missing material mentioned above--the 1999 disc included one-minute excerpts of three early treatments of The Wizard of Oz. Those excerpts are not included in the two-disc special edition, but the third disc of the three-disc collector's edition includes the complete versions of those treatments and more. --David Horiuchi

Four Soothing Sounds Winner of several industry awards, including the National Parenting Council's Seal of Approval and the iParenting Media Award, the Sleep Sheep is plush and very cuddly, so it immediately gives a restless child something pleasing and calming to hold on to. It also creates a tranquil environment with four soothing sounds, from Mother's heartbeat (a steady thumping) to the gentle rhythms of nature. You and baby will both relax as you listen to the quiet stream, spring showers, swooshing ocean waves and harmonious whale sounds, making the Sleep Sheep a kind of audio pacifier that helps take some of the stress and crankiness out of rest time. Perfect for Naptime Many babies find it hard to settle in their cribs when noises from both inside and outside the house distract and disrupt them. They crave repetitive, comforting rhythms that don't frighten them. The Sleep Sheep creates a kind of white noise that blocks out the other surrounding sounds, so babies can be lulled into sleep. This parents-little-helper also comes with a Velcro tab so you can secure the Sleep Sheep to the outside of a crib. User-Friendly Operation The Sleep Sheep features user-friendly operation that both big and little hands can handle. Select sounds by simply pressing the push button, and then choose the most comfortable volume. For added convenience and to save battery power, the sounds automatically time out after 23 minutes--enough time for baby to fall into a comfortable and restorative sleep. Compact and lightweight, the Sleep Sheep stands 12 inches tall and takes two "AA" batteries (included). The sound box removes if your child simply wants to use the Sleep Sheep as a stuffed toy, and clean-up is a snap--just wipe the surface with soap and water. About Cloud b Cloud b, the baby sleep specialist, was established by two new mothers with the philosophy that every baby deserves a sound night's sleep for healthy development. That's why all of Cloud b's products are developed in consultation with an advisory board of pediatricians and sleep specialists with a single focus: to achieve a better, safer sleep for baby. What's in the Box One Sleep Sheep and two "AA" batteries.

The Sleep Sheep offers: Cuddly plush toy that provides soothing sounds. Built-in Velcro strap for easy attachment to strollers and car seats. Timer shuts off the sound after either 23 or 45 minutes. Shown here together with smaller, on-the-go Sleep Sheep.

The construction of this book, first of all, is wonderful. The cover is hard and the binding is heavy, enameled spiral. Each page lays flat on the counter, or you can hold the book open on one arm while doing something with the other hand. This suggests that Betty Crocker wrote her bread-baking cookbook with serious use in mind. She certainly tested her recipes. A variety of bread machines were used, which means that each recipe was tested a number of different times. Betty tells you exactly what kind of flour she used, as well as salt, size of eggs, kind of yeast, etc. She leaves nothing to chance.

Bread machine baking has its own peculiarities, and Betty addresses all these right up front, the hows and how-tos (as well as the whys and wherefores) of getting the perfect loaf every time. There's a troubleshooting section, as well as a frequently asked question section. Then it's right into the recipes, all 130 of them.

There are Good and Savory Loaves (Cheese Onion Bread) and Wholesome Grain Loaves (Toasted Almond Whole Wheat Bread), Fruit and Vegetable Harvest Loaves (Dried Apricot Bread), Smaller Can Be Just Right Loaves (these are one-and-a-half-pound loaves), and then several chapters on breads you start in the bread machine, but finish in the oven. These include braided sweet breads, pizza dough, rustic-style breads, and coffeecakes.

Any bread machine owner is going to love to loaf with Betty Crocker. --Schuyler Ingle

Perfectly sized for young riders.

Key Features:

• High performance electric motor
• Can travel up to 10 miles on a single charge
• Can reach speeds up to 15 miles per hour
• Scaled-down classic scooter design
• Single speed, chain-driven motor for maximum power transfer
• Pneumatic tires for a smooth ride
• Retractable center-mount kickstand
• Storage compartment under seat
• For ages 12+
• 150-pound weight limit

On the DVD
This two-disc platinum edition features great sound and incredibly bright, intense colors thanks to the restoration process, but its most impressive selling point is the huge assortment of bonus features designed to delight children, families, and the most serious Disney fans. Kids will have fun caring for their very own puppy in the virtual Dalmatian game for television or on DVD ROM and can find out just what kind of puppy they're most like and which human Disney character they're most compatible with in the puppy profiler game. The fun with language game is geared toward the very young preschooler and teaches numbers and the names of common household items. A modern Selena Gomez music video of "Cruella DeVil" will appeal to tweens and teens. The whole family will enjoy the "101 Pop Up Facts For Families" option which prints various movie facts like the name and author of the original book and how specific scenes differ between the book and the movie right on the screen during the movie and Disney fans will love the similar "101 Pop Up Facts For Fans" feature which supplies a wide variety of film trivia about featured voice talents, famous Disney animators that worked on the film, technical devices employed like multi-pane shots and the Xerox process, and which artists directed specific scenes in the movie. Eleven separate Backstage Disney featurettes interview a host of animators, writers, historians, producers, and story men regarding the film's contemporary feel and the groundbreaking technical processes like the then-new Xerox process utilized in making 101 Dalmatians. Also highlighted is Bill Pete's amazing storytelling contribution to the film, the technical and mechanical innovations of Ub Iwerks, the songwriting process, and the animation prowess of famous Disney animators like Woolie Reitherman, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, Marc Davis, Ken Anderson, and Walt Peregoy. The 12-minute dramatization of the longstanding correspondence between author Dodie Smith and Walt Disney is intriguing and the trailers and radio and television spots provide fun historical reference for the film and its various releases. Finally, the "Music and More" feature presents a variety of deleted and abandoned songs as well as many alternate versions and takes of songs used in the final film. --Tami Horiuchi

Stills from 101 Dalmatians (click for larger image)