Book Reviews and Money Saving Tips

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First thing I noticed when I got this toaster oven was the size of the box.  When I opened it, I realized the size of the box was so big because the toaster oven is pretty darn big.   Height  11.81 inches   Length 14.49 inches Width  19.38 inches I didn't realize it was that big.   The good news is that it is an excellent size for a family.   It is a touch large for a twosome but a family will love the size.   It has a nifty little handle that latches on the tray so you don't need a pot holder to get a hot tray out of the oven.   I was surprised that the convection fan was not louder.   It makes a very low hum that I literally had to put my ear  down to the unit to hear it.   The convection aspect will speed cooking and the size makes it ideal for an active family.  This is a nice unit.   From the vendor: Convection rapid cooking Large capacity No...

I don't usually blog about something in the heat of the moment but for this dreadful sandwich I am willing to make an exception.   Ugghh!  That could suffice for a description.  The turkey bacon patty in this sandwich made the worse jerky I have ever had suddenly much, much better.  I have chewed rubber bands with far less resistance.  The supposed cheese did not melt as much as crumbled.  The "egg" wasn't as chewy as the bacon but it wasn't far off.   I did end up scraping it all off and eating the insipid so called English muffin.  It was, at least, palatable, to be fair the English muffin was ok.  Note it comes in a two pack.  I followed the instructions on the box precisely and the first one was just as dreadful.  Following the same procedure with the same ingredients led to the same abysmal results. Yuck!  I'm shocked I was even surprised but I thought I must have mis-remembered, it coul...

My initial reaction was this was a DYI vacuum cleaner.   I opened the box and found a snap fit vacuum cleaner.   After reading the documentation I discovered it was really only 4 Phillips head screws to assemble the cleaner.  The assembly was quick and easy although the instructions were a touch confusing as they have multiple languages together for each step.   I prefer keeping the languages separate but realize this version probably saves some trees. The vac is very light and wouldn't be a burden carrying.  The hose is long and easily removed to use the cleaning wands or brush.   I vacuumed a very dirty carpet in my garage where I assemble stuff like this.  It did a nice job and picked up grass and leaves as well as normal dirt.   I tried the smooth surface selection on the concrete floor and it worked well there too.  Overall a favorable impression on a very inexpensive unit.   Durability is ...

These are heavy thick gloves to be used handling hot items.   I tested them by holding a hot skillet after grilling a ham and cheese.   No problem, no skin left on the frying pan which is always a good thing.   I then unloaded the dishwasher during the heated dry cycle.  I don't know about your dishwasher but you do NOT want to grab the dishes out of mine while it is in the heated dry cycle.  Again no problem, no burns and no dropped dishes.   My final test was to put a 200 watt incandescent light bulb in a lamp and let it cook for 30 minutes.   I then removed the bulb using the glove.   I have no way of measuring the temperature of the light bulb but I absolutely would not grab it without protection.  The glove allowed reasonable dexterity with apparently fool proof protection. My negatives are that they are cumbersome however not nearly as cumbersome as pot holders.   If your hands are da...

I laughed out loud LOL when I turned this toy on.  The cats are crazy over it.  The erratic motion and the lack of a loud noise encourages them to play.   They  run into each other going after it.   This is a great cat toy and I may enjoy it as much as the cats do.  This would be a good cat Christmas gift. If reviewing a product, it may have been received free of charge. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Frankly when I got this as a gift I thought it was dumb but since then I have realized what a terrific tool it is.  This is the swiss army knife of package openers.  I mostly use the shears to cut those obnoxious military grade clamshell cases that don't deter shop lifters but certainly fund the bandaid consortiums nefarious deeds.  It has a little snap off box cutter and philips head screwdriver as well as the durable shears.  I have never used the screwdriver but the box cutter does well with the cardboard box sealing tape the usually precedes the frustrating military grade clam shell.  This is a great tool and every kitchen should have one. 

Opening this kit I heard the haunting tune of déjà vu'.  It reminded me of my childhood chemistry set.   This is a toy demanding a steady hand and a level of concentration beyond some adults but well within the ability of a talented 10 year old.  Eight might be pushing it but with adult supervision the kit would probably be useable. The kit is well thought out.   I like the labels for the markers and the boxes for the finished product.   The color chart is simplistically sophisticated.   Most kids I know like markers due to the bright colors and depth of color with minimal effort as opposed to the multiple layers demanded by traditional crayons.   Making there own markers with the ability to create both unique colors and with the wacky tips to create unique styles, I think this kit should be a hit.  I can't wait to share it with my grandkids.   $24.00 at Amazon. If reviewing a product, it may have b...