Another new adventure...

After reconnecting with a childhood friend from elementary and middle school, I learned she had gone from a SAD diet to a RAW diet. In reading her posts about how her health and outlook has dramatically improved since going RAW, she has convinced me to at least try to go partially RAW.

Maybe I shouldn't say partial RAW, as that may a little ambitious. My goal to begin with, is simply to add fruits and vegetables into my very SAD diet. I want to have the daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables every day as opposed to one day's worth of fruits and vegetables spaced out through the week.

After deciding to try some type of RAW, I started saving up for a blender, oops, I mean an emulsifier. I don't have the money for a Vita-mix, so I did the next best thing, Montel Williams Healthmaster. I read several reviews and some of them were not that good. The main complaint was that it started leaking or broke after about 3 months. But I decided to get it anyway. It seemed that it started not working right for those who used it for heavy duty blending. I plan to start out using fruits and vegetables so I thought good or bad, at least I am starting a better diet. If I don't stick with it, at least I didn't waste $500.

But I am going to stay positive! There is no waste here regardless of the outcome! So tonight is the maiden smoothie with Montel. It will consist of blueberries, blackberries, bananas, pineapple, strawberries and a heaping helping of spinach.

Sliders, mini burgers...who cares, they were good!

Actually, I had never heard of sliders until a restaurant commercial in the last year or so. Any little burger to me was a Krystal burger. Even then, for it to be a good "little burger" it actually needed to be a Krystal. White Castle?? Umm, no. It was always Krystal's. Anyway...

My all time favorite food man, Alton Brown, did a show on "mini man burgers". It seemed easy enough and I had the required equipment (a griddle, plastic wrap, freezer paper and a cookie sheet). Tonight, on a whim, at 8:30 no less, I decided to try these mini burgers. We went to the grocery store for a pound of ground meat and a couple packs of dinner rolls. It took all of 5 minutes to roll out the meat and sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder over it. Alton the folds the meat in half and cuts 8 equal squares. Well I had 6 people to feed so I did not do this step but I will next time. He does this so all the seasonings are in the middle of the burger. I do believe by me not doing this step I left something to be desired for seasoning. BUT, I made 20 little burgers and they were soooooooo good. On my second one I added a pickle and a squirt of mustard. Yum yum yum, it was the closet thing to a Krystal burger.

Maybe Billy Mays' slider maker is a neat little deal but doing it Alton's way = free. It went quick and they tasted great. Plus Alton's are square. A perfect shape for walking down memory lane about the dozens upon dozens of Krystal burgers I have eaten since I can remember.

Retraction

After talking with T about the Smooth Away, I felt the need to give it another shot. When I used it on my face, in a stress free setting (meaning not just having flew in from a week away & it being past bed time), I will admit that it worked. I tried it on my leg but did not have the same satisfactory results. #1, on the other hand, felt it did work on her leg.

So maybe it will work just fine for you.

As seen on TV

#1 and I are always on the look out for any type of new neat hair removal product, so when we both saw the Smooth Away, we knew it was for us.

I ordered it and #1 got it while I was in Nashville. She said she used it as directed and it worked great. When I got home, I noticed the area she said she used it on was not the "smooth" and "hairless" as what was promised on the commercial.

I read the directions and tried it on my legs. It didn't work at all. So I tried the area #1 said she did it on and I had to use a lot of pressure to get it to work on her very fine hair. Now that area is sore and we have decided that it is not going to be our hair remover product of choice.

As seen on TV...not so good

I am disappointed in the fact that I must report that my banana turned to a black watery mush after 8 days. This is several days under the 11 days shown on the Debbie Meyers Green Bag website, which still shows yellow bananas. Maybe I did something wrong. I am not sure how wrong I could go with just the task of placing a peice of fruit in a bag and leaving it on the counter. I have many bags left, so I will try it again. I will scan the website for any instructions.

I had promised to post the picture of both bananas once the one on the counter turned black but it was intercepted last week as a quick after school snack. And because the banana in the bag had already started looking yucky by the weekend, it was able to avoid the ravious jaws of a 9 year old, sadly, to only meet its doom in the trash. So with one banana gone and the other making me gag...I decided to error on the side of assuming you didn't want to gag too and not post a picture.

As seen on TV...take 4

You will never guess what I purchased over the weekend. Two "As seen on TV" items that I just knew were going to work!!

I bought the Pedipaws for Jr. because, well as the commercial says, I didn't want to hurt him when I clipped his nails. I have clipped his nails in the past and have done a fairly good job. Only once or twice have I cut one of his nails too short. Last year, a friend of mine, who owns a show dog, said you are supposed to file a dog's nails. She has a dremel like tool for Fancy and so I had set out to find one for Jr. Then along came the Pedipaw. I had put off buying it for a while but since the commercial had convinced me that the Pedipaw was the only humane thing to do, I buckled and bought it. Well, I am glad I did. Even though my picture of Jr.'s foot may not reflect how nice and short his nails are now, they are nice and short. He let me file his nails without a problem. #1 helped me by feeding him bits of cheese after every nail. Now he is running all over the kitchen, despite the clicking sound.



The next thing I purchased was Debbie Meyer's Green Bags. Yes, I am one of those unfortunate souls who has to throw out spoiled food on occasion. My sister-in-law had mentioned she had some and they did work, so needless to say, I had to have them too. I am now conducting my own experiment with bananas. I will update you when the banana that is not in the green bag turns black.

As seen on TV...again

Ok, I think I have made two converts to the Ped Egg, maybe three. And as I have used over the last several weeks, I think my opinion may have changed to a more favorable review.

I introduced my sister-in-law to the Revo Styler and unfortunately it is out of production. Mine lasted for over five years and I am still not sure how I got along with out it for the previous 18 years. I bought my second one on eBay and so far so good. I heard a few bad reviews on it but if you didn't use it for at least a full week maybe two then you did not give it a proper chance.

I have now seen the InStyler on TV and I am almost sold on it. I think my sister-in-law would really enjoy it. Right now, it is a two-for deal and I am not sure I could go wrong for only $15 plus S&H.

Who has not heard of mineral makeup? I tried a hint of one of the main brands they are selling on TV and was not sold at all. Then my friend suggested the version of it from Loreal. I preferred the sheer cover finish powder since I really don't wear makeup (but don't worry to much about my face, my lips have permanant lipstick and my top eyelids are permanantly lined thanks to Min!). At any rate, loose powder is about the only thing I use and therefore have used several bottles of it over the course of the last six months or so. I had ran out of it by Spam's wedding and notice she had the Mary Kay version. Well, let me say, I wear base now! I have not been this happy with makeup since a friend introduced me to the Merle Norman powder base years ago. So, if you are interested in my vote for mineral makeup, Mary Kay is the way to go.

Stay tuned for the next segment of my "As seen on TV" product review.

As Seen On TV...take two

Ok, as some of you read earlier, I love "as seen on TV" products. They can sell me anything. But as a consumer who thinks about other consumers with who can't help themselves with "as seen on TV" products, I thought I would give you my take on a few other items I have tried.

1. Ped Egg
It works but not as good as I would like it too. I know several other people who use it regularly and they love it. For a buy under $10, I would say ok.

2. Urine Gone
I think it worked ok. The blue light was fun to use! Just don't use it in the bathroom if you have little boys because you will be scrubbing like a mad woman when you see the bathroom start to glow! The glowing stopped when I use the Urine Gone or when I just scrubbed the area that glowed. So if you have pets, I would say try it.

3. Craft Lite Cutter
If you "scrapbook", then this is the product for you! I don't "scrapbook" but I do some crafts and have use this neat cutter to produce fun edges very easy! I have even been known just to sit and cut paper with it because it was fun. The kids enjoy it and it gives a nice neat straight cut. I would say yes to this just for cutting out school pictures!


*Disclaimer* Please note that I do not endorse these products for any type of compensation. They are products I have tried and the opinions I have written are just that, opinions. I do not guarantee any of these products. I have given the link to www.asseenontv.com because it is a website I enjoy browsing. You may be able to find these products on another website or store for a different price. They may have their own website.

As seen on TV

I am a sucker for "as seen on TV". I saw an infomercial for airbrush makeup. It comes with an airbrush hicky-do and you spray the water base makeup on your face for a flawless youthful glow. I am sold! But I really don't wear make up. But I might if I could airbrush it with only a drop of base and with the direct spray which goes directly where you want it. I guess for now, I will hold off on youthful glow and continue my regimen of a blemish free face using my favorite TV buy, Proactiv.

I do, though, dream late at night, of the slim body from easy crunches or from the use of a ballet bar or tone muscles from any array of resistance machines, the flawless easy look of clear youthful skin (if I used all of them at one time, time and age would be meaningless), the secrets to wealth, how to buy a house with only $150, the machines that will make me into the next Food Network Star and how to keep my car cool while parked in the scorching sun in this burning pit of never ending heat...I'm sorry, in the summer I'm always ready to move to Alaska.

Anyway...

Since I have no money to make myself into a flawless toned rich mom who can cook up a storm with lots of houses to rent, I purchased the Auto Cool. I saw it at Walgreens for under $10! Yes, the solar powered fan that you place on your window which is supposed to suck out the horrible stagnant heat in your parked car. I will try anything in the summer.

How is it working? Well let me say this, it came with this handy dandy holder for cell phones and pens that fits into the cup holder (a free gift mind you) and I think that is neat. My cell phone sits comfortably next to the cool drink I need when I get into my car!

Well that is all for now folks. I just wanted to warn those up watching and dreaming not waste to much time on the thought of a cool car for under $10.