My Vitamix a year later...

An update to this pricey piece of equipment that Jan the Gadget Queen just had to have.  Was it just a flash in the pan or does it continue to be the most amazing piece of equipment ever.  Has it lived up to the hype, is the thrill gone???

Well, let me tell you, it’s not a flash in the pan, it is truly amazing and it was worth every single penny.  I use it all the time, not for smoothies, I prefer to eat my food rather than drink it, but I use it for all sorts of things, anything you would use a regular blender for, this one does it with gusto.  But my favorite thing to use it for is soup.  I make soup in it several times a week, and it’s so fast and easy, I precook raw ingredients, and then put all the ingredients in the Vitamix, set it to the soup setting, walk away, and a few minutes later it shuts itself off and I have hot, steaming soup with no effort.  That’s the key, no effort, so I tend to make more soup than I normally would.

Since we eat low carb, I make a lot of soup with vegetables and if I want it a bit chunky, I leave out a portion (I always precook my raw veggies) and pulse them in at the end.  When I first started making soup I had issues with it being foamy, but I quickly learned from the Vitamix Community to just adjust it to setting #1 and run it for a few seconds to finish it off and the foam dissipates.

I got mine at Williams Sonoma, they are less expensive now than they were a year ago, this model is now $599  instead of $750, but when I bought mine I got 20% off, so that helped.  It’s a huge decision buying a Vitamix, there are a lot of models to choose from, but since I only planned on doing this once I got the top of the line with all the presets and I’m glad I did.  It’s such a workhorse, rivaling my beloved Cuisinart DLC7 Food Processor that’s still going strong since 1978, my All-Clad Slow Cooker (a Christmas surprise a few years ago from my son, Ryan, another kindred foodie soul) and my WolfGang Puck Pressure Cooker.  I use all of these appliances multiple times weekly, they are my favorites and all are simply awesome.

I was a young bride when I bought my Cuisinart Food Processor, it was the first expensive piece of kitchen equipment I ever purchased.  It cost $175, that was a lot in 1978, but I obsessed over that food processor, and dear hubby coughed up the money and bought it for me.  I fell in love with it instantly, and still love it to this day.  I woudn’t dream of replacing it with a new model, he’s asked repeatedly if I would like a newer one, but this is the best model Cuisinart ever made and it works great, why would I want to update it?  That’s where my love of cooking and gadgets started, with that food processor and then when Silver Palate Cookbooks came out and Abby Mandel’s Cuisinart Cookbooks, that’s all it took for me to be a die hard foodie.  I’ve been obsessed with cooking and cooking gadgets ever since, and even though my way of cooking has changed dramatically since we no longer eat flour, sugar or processed foods, I still enjoy it tremendously and am always amazed at what I cook that is good for us.

So this morning hubby and I were out running errands, it’s rainy and chilly in Heavensville, perfect soup weather.  I came in the house, grabbed two cans of italian style diced tomatoes from the pantry, a block of cream cheese from the fridge, dumped them in the Vitamix, added a heaping teaspoon of sweet basil leaves, a teaspoon of garlic powder, a teaspoon of onion powder, and turned it on.  It took me less than sixty seconds to make soup.  Then I made grilled cheese sandwiches (using Netrition Low Carb Bread Company Bread) and I used my friend Nish’s trick, combining slices of both Swiss and American cheese, and by the time the sandwiches had grilled the soup was ready.  See what I mean, so, so easy.  And I had to give credit to my buddy V, who is a tomato soup afficiado, this woman knows her soup.  I sent her home with a quart of my tomato soup this fall, asked her how she liked it, at that time I wasn’t adding the extra basil, onion and garlic powders, and she told me that it would be a solid “10” if I just tweaked it with these ingredients.  So I did, she was right and it’s just  delicious.

If you don’t have a Vitamix, you can presoften your cream cheese in the microwave, and then simmer it with the other ingredients on the stove.  Just be sure and get the cream cheese soft ahead of time so it doesn’t clump.  You can leave it chunky, or blend it with an immersion blender, or put it in your blender to puree - It’s wonderful soup, even if you’re not a tomato soup fan, you may just change your mind.

And that’s my Vitamix Update, actually I’ve had this for a year and a half now and I’m still as excited about it as the day I got it.

Do you think you might want one?  Buy the best, you’re worth it, and it will last forever.  Mine is Candy Apple Red, because I ‘m just that kinda girl :-)

 Here’s the link so you can see it for yourself...

~ Jan ~

Layering Fragrance

Yes, I know we all layer fragrance, but I have a new trick!  We cough up the big bucks for the parfum, then we spend even more for the lotion.  We’re women, we like to smell good, it’s what we do.

So, this holiday season I decided I needed something new, I’m tired of the samo, I was overdue for a change and I didn’t want to break the bank, so I tried on a lot of different scents, trying to find one that I really liked.  I misted myself until I would give myself a killer headache and couldn’t tell the smells apart, then I would give up and try it again another day!

But I tended to respray Jennifer Aniston’s fragrance, it was light, not overpowering, I really liked it.  I was at Kohl’s, I had a 30% off coupon, the price wasn’t hideous, it was $49, and I couldn’t decide if I liked her original fragrance or her newer J by Jennifer.  A nice little twelve year old clerk was helping me, she preferred Michael Kors, which did not smell good on me at all, she was twelve after all, she didn’t have a lot of life experience with perfume.  She was a cutey, but that Michael Kors she gushed about was really bad.  Anyway, she’s telling me that for $38 I could buy a gift set of full size bottles of both of the fragrances by Jennifer Aniston.  It was a deal, $38, instead of $100, minus 30% and I had Kohl’s cash, too.  I looked for the lotion to do the layering thing, but apparently they don’t make the lotion.

So I came home, went online, reviews were good for both scents except for the fact that the smell dissipated quickly, and since there wasn’t a lotion I was starting to rethink my good deal.  Then I stumbled upon a reviewer who said to just buy Vaseline Intensive Care Unscented Body Lotion, smear it on yourself, spray the perfume on top of the lotion and rub it in, and wahlaa, you have scented lotion and instant layering.

So I went further and sure enough, I read over and over again that this was a great trick, so I bought the Intensive Care Unscented Lotion for like $3.99, came home tore into the package, lubed up and put on the perfume.  And guess what, it works, it really works!

So there you go, I’m sharing the good stuff again, you can do this with any fragrance, it’s a really good thing ~ Jan

WAZE Navigation is AWESOME!!!!

I wish I would have thought to share Waze with all of you before your holiday travels.   It’s the best navigation ever,  it not only navigates and shows your route via voice GPS, it also shows how many miles you have to your destination and estimated arrival time.  It also tells you of traffic jams or road construction and automatically reroutes you if there are problems ahead, and it was recently purchased by Google, so you know it’s good.  And of course it’s hands free.

Waze is a community of people who share information.  It will tell you when there is an accident, whether it is minor or major, when a car is parked beside the road, and yes, it informs you that there are police ahead so you can adjust your speed.

You can input your destination, share it with friends and family and they can map you as you travel and see your ETA for your final destination.  You can also message them along the way and It even tells you what speed you’re traveling at.

Below are a couple of videos to get you started.  Download the App from your iPhone or Android device, give yourself a user name I’m CousinMinnie (I was in Nashville when I signed up, I did it on a whim (Minnie Pearl) - jeez, it was a good idea at the time, but you know how impulsive I am.

Just download it and play with it, you’ll figure it out in no time and here are a couple of tutorials to get you started.

Talk about a good thing - this is absolutely fantastic.

Enjoy ~ Jan

 

 

 

Kardashian Hair Brush and Comb

 

First of all, I’’m not a fan of anything Kardashian, and I really don’t like endorsing anything they offer, I just don’t understand the fascination with a family that does absolutely nothing to acquire their wealth.

However, I ordered some pants a couple of weeks ago from Macy’s, and they were on sale, plus another whatever percentage off, they came to like $19 and change and I needed $25 for free ship or shipping was going to be $9.85.

Well that was stupid to just give them that money, so I started looking for what they had that would get me to the free shipping point.  And that’s where the Kardashian’s come in, I was looking at things $15 and under and they had this Kardashian nylon, boar bristle paddle hairbrush for $12.99, it had excellent reviews, so I ordered it.

They also has a Kardashian back comb for $6.99, so I got that too.

Boy,  was I pleasantly surprised when they arrived in the mail!  The brush was really substantial, a nice heavier weight, a good size and the bristles were great! The comb was good, too, not lightweight at all, a double row of teeth, it works really well.  I hate to say it, but I don’t know when I’ve bought nicer products for this inexpensive of a price.

So, even though I still detest anything Kardashian, I highly recommend both of these products if you need stocking stuffers or want a cheap treat for yourself.

They’re both a good thing ~ Jan

Brush Link

Comb Link

A stocking stuffer idea...

 

It’s winter, your skin is dry, and it’s always your back that you can’t reach with lotion.  You know the area, right between your shoulder blades, and of course where you can’t reach is where it itches the most.

I found this nifty lotion applicator on Amazon, and it was $6.01 Prime, shipped to my door.  i ordered it, and it’s wonderful!  You just put lotion on it, slather it on your back and go ahhhhhhhhhhhh.  And yes, I know the tp is in the trash can, it’s where I store my extra rolls :-)

Cleanup is easy, you just give it a quick wash in the sink and hang it to dry.

I just bet some of you either need this or know that somebody that does.  It’s those little things that do it every . single . time . . .

Here’s the link - $6.01 - simply amazing….

Get rid of wrinkles with NO effort!

Okay, you’re getting dressed and your favorite shirt, the one you just have to wear is wrinkled.  If you have a husband like mine, he’s pacing the floor or in the car with the motor running (after 44 years he knows better than to honk :)

You have no time to iron it, and it’s the one thing in your closet that doesn’t make you look like e’l porko the pig, (okay so that’s not politically correct, but that’s the way I roll) but no worries, just throw it in the dryer with a couple of ice cubes and in 5 minutes the heat from the dryer and the melting ice will steam the wrinkles away.  

Just a quick tip that will make you less frazzled.  And it works, it really works.  ~ Jan

A Tiny Favorite Things List

 

The Echo is hands down the most awesome gadget I’ve had in years.  I LOVE Echo, and gushingly  tell everyone how wonderful it is.  It’s not cheap, $179, but so worth it.  It’s out of stock at Amazon until December 15th, so if you’re interested, I would order pronto.  

And my second favorite thing is my Beauty Blender.  Oh, this is the best little sponge ever for applying makeup.  Buy it here at Nordstrom’s and it’s free shipping.

That’s it, two things I’ve told you about before, but both right up there with my favorite things.  

~ Jan

It's almost turkey day!

Wherever you are this Thanksgiving holiday, stay safe, live in the moment, eat well, enjoy the company of family and friends and most of all,  be thankful for all the good things in your life.

Happy Thanksgiving… ~ Jan

Sunbeam Faux Leopard Heating Pad

This thing is just simply amazing.  Trust me, it’s wonderful.  

I was at my friend, Angi’s house and she has one, she draped it over my shoulders and I was hooked.  Oh, how do I explain how great this is.  Well first of all, it’s pretty, it’s doesn’t scream old lady heating pad.  It has 4 heat settings, turns off after 2 hours, you can put it over your shoulders, you can lay it vertically on your back, you can wrap it around your legs, lay it on your lap, need I say more?  Are you sold, too?

It’s so snuggly warm when you’re sitting in a chair watching tv or reading.  It soothes those tense muscles, it’s just the best thing I’ve had in a long time.  The price - $37.95 Amazon Prime and worth every . single . penny !

Christmas is coming, I’m sure somebody you love would enjoy this heating pad.  Give it to your mother, your grandmother, an aunt, a friend,  trust me whoever you give this to will love it!  You can thank me later.

Click here for the link

Angi’s is grey fox, but the only one they’re showing on Amazon is from a third party seller, it’s not Prime and it’s $81.68  No, no, no, that’s too spendy, but I’ll give you the link, surely you can find it cheaper.

Click for the link here

And finally, it’s also available in micro plush brown.  Kinda boring, compared to the others, but hey, whatever floats your boat.  It’s a bit cheaper.

Here’s the link for it

Treat yourself, spend a little of your stashed mad money and go for it.  You won’t be disappointed, pinky swear you won’t.  ~ Jan

Michael Kors Puffer Vest

 

I bought this vest yesterday at TJ Maxx.  I really like it, even though it does make me look like Poppin Fresh.  Just what I need, more bulk!  

Now I’m having issues, it’s that darned cat, Boo-Boo Kitty!  She’s obsessed with it, I’m talking seriously obsessed.  We came home, hubby put it on my bed, still in the sack, and  kitty, who is the nosiest cat I’ve ever had, apparently got in the sack, pulled the vest out and came dragging it by the fur into the living room.  She was making wild big cat jungle noises, apparently thought she had scored a major kill and I was horrified.

I just bought it, I didn’t want her chewing it up.  I took it away from her, put it back in the sack, and hung it on my linen closet door in the bathroom.  Why didn’t I just hang it up, oh who knows why I do the things I do, I have no logical thought process.  Anyway,  I’m sound asleep this morning, and you guessed it, more jungle noises with her lunging at the sack!  I threw a pillow at her and she just gave me the stink eye and kept on lunging.

Am I going to have to keep the darned thing under lock and key?   Return it?  Nah, LC just needs to handle this, it’s his feline after all!

Cats, sheesh!!!

Mio, it's a REALLY good thing...

I’m not a water drinker and I’ve tried everything to make it more palatable.  I’ve added every fruit and veggie I can think of, nothing really helps but I chug it down because my body needs it, not because I enjoy it.

Until now, adding Crystal Lite was my option of choice, and those powdery chemical packets make me cough.  But there is a better way and I’m a little late to the ballgame with this one.  I only discovered Mio because my friend, Trish, brought me some over to try.  

Okay, so this isn’t perfect, because it also has the dreaded chemicals, but let’s face it, what do we actually put in our mouths that’s really pure. Mio has no sugar, no calories, it’s portable, you can carry it in your purse, all you need is a bottle of water and you’re in business.

Here’s the nutritional breakdown for my favorite flavor, the Orange Tangerine:

Allergens
None

Ingredients
Water, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Gum Arabic, Sucralose (Sweetener), Contains Less than 2% of Niacinamide, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Natural Flavor, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate, Yellow 6, Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (Preservatives).

And now for the good stuff, the flavors:  There are lots to choose from and you can squirt more than one flavor in your water.  My favorites so far are the Orange Tangerine (tastes just like Tang, remember Tang?) and the Cherry Blackberry.  I’m looking forward to trying the Cranberry Raspberry and the Berry Pomegranate when I go to the store.  I tried the Mango Peach and wasn’t a fan, but the Orchard Apple also sounds good and hubby is a Fruit Punch guy, so that’s on try list, too.

Okay, so if you’ve been under a rock and aren’t familiar with Mio either, it’s at your grocery store, with the drink mixes.  It comes in these little containers, you just flip the lid and squirt it in your water, as much as you want to get the desired flavor.

They have different types, original, energy, fit, the ones I’ve tried are the original.  You can read more about them here

Here’s a flavor list, pick some up the next time you’re at the market and see if you’re a fan as well.  It’s good stuff!

• Orange Tangerine
• Berry Pomegranate
• Fruit Punch
• Strawberry Watermelon
• Lemonade
• Blueberry Lemonade
• Mango Peach
• Sweet Tea
• Cranberry Raspberry
• Cherry Blackberry
• Berry Grape
• Orange Vanilla
• Orchard Apple

Honey Helps You Get A Good Night's Sleep

I was skeptical, but it's now two nights later and both hubby and I have slept really well by eating honey before bedtime.

I read about this on Facebook, and it said to take two tablespoons of raw, unprocessed honey and mix it with a teaspoon of salt and then eat a dab of it before bedtime.

My honey was local, so I’m “assuming” it was unprocessed, but now that I’ve read more about it, unprocessed is always the preferred method, but you can try supermarket honey.  They warn you that supermarket honey is not always 100% honey and it’s been pasteurized, therefore killing off the good stuff.

I don’t know why the salt is necessary, and haven’t been able to find out why I need to add it, so I’m going to try discontinuing that, it doesn’t taste bad with the salt, but I would rather just eat the honey by itself.  From what I’m reading suggestions are to eat between a teaspoon to a tablespoon, so if any of you try this, just play with it and see what works for you. So far so good for both of us, I only woke up once last night, normally I’m awake 5-6 times a night.  Here’s an article that explains how honey effects the liver enabling us to sleep better.

Does this really help us sleep or is it a fluke?  There's a lot of positive information about this online and only time will tell whether we continue to get a good night’s sleep after eating honey at bedtime.  Worst case scenario, we’ve ingested something yummy. :)

It’s worth a try, and worth passing along the information… ~ Jan

The Grands are growing up...

Ben is three now, he loves anything Thomas the Train.  He’s taking Karate lessons, mimics everything his big sister does and is just a bundle of giggles.

 

 

Lexi is eighteen months old, talks non-stop, runs instead of walks, and is a little ray of sunshine.  Lexi is the happiest little girl you will ever see, and like the other two, just adores her Pa-Pa.

 

 

Abby is six now and is our little equestrian.  She’s taken horseback riding lessons for a year and a half, and does a great job controlling her mounts.  She’s a reader, and wants to know everything about all things science oriented.

 

 

All-Clad Dutch Oven at a Great Price!

Sur La Table has this on sale for $79.96, suggested price is $220.

Christmas is coming, this would be great for a foodie gift.  I have several dutch ovens, including a Le Creuset Orange one that Ry gave me, I use it constantly and love it, this would be in my shopping cart, but I just don’t need it.

But maybe some of you do.  Free Shipping with code, too.

Here’s the link, check it out...

So this is the patio...

 I’m running a little late posting patio pictures.  A little late????  This picture of our patio was taken in April.  The plants all grew to jungle height, it was shocking how big they grew, they were gigantic!  LC and John dismantled the gazebo last weekend, and I brought some of them inside, others I gave away, I just couldn’t stand the thought of letting them die.

 

 So now the jungle is in my sunroom.  Will they live through the winter or will they die?  LC does the watering, so they do have a chance, time will tell...

Joanna Gaines is One Special Lady...

Amazon Echo is AMAZING!!!!

 

I’m absolutely ESTATIC about Amazon Echo. It’s so much fun, performs flawlessly, sounds great and it’s easy to use.

Here’s what it looks like up close and personal. 

Amazon Echo came to reside in my sunroom via my youngest son Ryan in a roundabout way.  Ry turned forty in September and I wanted to buy him something special for his milestone birthday.  Being the techkie mom I am, I thought this would be the perfect gift.

I was at a girl's lunch a few weeks ago with V and Patti in New Harmony.  I was talking about Echo and Patti told me her mom had one and loved it.  So we all visited her mother, and what a delightful lady she was, anyway, Patti showed us the basics, and I decided that’s what I would get for Ryan.

Fast forward to his birthday, I was so excited about his present, he unwrapped it and was immediately skeptical, first because his internet connection isn’t the fastest, he lives in the country and doesn’t have a lot of provider options, second, he travels every week and didn’t think he would use it that much and third, he didn’t know how the kids would act with it.  We stayed with the grands while he and Lindsay went to Chicago for his birthday weekend, and the kids, while enthralled with “Alexa” (the voice you use for Echo) were constantly changing the streaming music.  Ben, at three wanted to constantly listen to Thomas the Train, and Abby at almost six was interested in other venues, and they kept interrupting each other and changing Echo to reflect what they wanted to hear.

So, maybe for his family it will work when the kids are older, but right not it doesn’t, so they brought it back to me, and did I send it back to Amazon?  Are you kidding me????  Echo is the best thing sinced sliced bread.  I love it! 

Below is a brief synopsis of how it works, and since Amazon allows third party apps, it will be constantly upgrading.  Here’s how Im using it.

News, all you say is “Alexa, what’s the latest news?”  She then gives you flash briefings from NPR.  You can set alarms and timers, too, she alerts you, just by talking to her.

Echo has access to everything in Wikipedia.  For instance if you want to know about hydrangeas just say “Alexa Wikipedia Hydrangeas” and she gives you a synopsis of the flower.   If Alexa doesn’t give you enough information, you can then refer to your smartphone for a complete rundown of the entire Wikipedia link.

You can listen to the local police/fire scanners if you’re interested in that kind of thing, not my cuppa but it we ever hear sirens, whether it be police or fire, we can find out from Echo what’s going on.  You can access audio books on it and listen to them, it’s amazing what Echo is capable of.

Echo also has Smart Home features, which enables you to control your lights, thermostat, coffee pot, even your electric blanket.  This entails buying WeMo or Hue devices, which I know nothing about, yet…  

It’s super for weather, current and forecasts from local to International and you can use it for to-do lists which sync to your smartphone.  It’s perfect for when you’re out and about and need to pick up items from the grocery or drugstore.  I know, I know, you’re all saying you already make lists on your smartphone, or you just write it down, but here’s what’s really good about Echo. 

The best part of Echo, It’s . hands . free !  You . just . talk . to it !  Period!  You don’t have to find your phone, push a button and type or text, you don’t have to look for a pencil and paper, you don’t have to put anything into your computer, you just say “Alexa, do so and so and she does it.”  Voice recognition is great, too, she understands what I’m saying 99% of the time.

Hubby says I love Alexa because I can boss her around, she doesn’t talk back and she always listens and he’s probably right.   I’ll give him that, but far and away the best part of Echo is music.

There are so many choices, Amazon Prime, Pandora, IHeartRadio, TuneIn, and Audible.  You simply tell her to play a Pandora station for instance and she starts streaming.  I’m a jazz girl, so I say “Alexa play Pandora Smooth Jazz” and she does!  If you need to pause the music, just say “Alexa Pause” and then say “Alexa Play” to have Echo start playing again.  If volume is too soft or too loud, just say “Alexa turn volume up or down” and she does that too.  I also have a remote control to use from other rooms, but she has a 30 ft. range and seven microphones, so she can hear you from another room without the remote if you aren’t too far away.

She plays all the local radio stations through TuneIn, public radio, talk radio, there are countless stations you have access too.  Well, except for Sirius Radio, it doesn’t sync to that yet, but maybe someday.  Holiday’s are coming soon, I bet Amazon sells a ton of these for Christmas.  

Here’s a video, watch it and see if it intrigues you as much as it does me.

 Echo, definitely a good thing… ~ Jan

Ali MacGraw, stunning at 76

 

Isn’t she beautiful?  She embraces her age and it’s wonderful.  Her years show, she’s hasn’t caved to the Hollywood obsession to try and recapture youth, and in the process, just look ridiculous.

At 76 you shouldn’t have taut skin and plump lips.  This is the way 76 is supposed to look.  Hats off to you, beautiful Ali, what an inspiration you are to aging women everywhere...

The Perfect Bathroom...

I really need to stay off Pinterest.  

I love this bathroom, it’s so pretty, a little fussy, but oh so special…  That’s all, just wanted to share in case somebody has the space for a redo and is as enamoured with this tub area as I am...

Peace and Tranquility

This is everything I love in life.  Meandering down a country lane, seeing where it leads to.  Just looking at this picture gives me serenity.

Doesn’t this just flip your skirt?  Sure does mine...