JeanC Reviews...

When I first heard about Oreos with popping candy in them I thought it was an internet joke, but it turned out to be true. Firework Oreos with pop rock equivalent. That to me was a challenge I had to accept, even tho it is not the wisest thing for me to do (gluten intolerant). But I had to. Picked up a package at Winco when I stopped to pick up a few items I needed for dinner. The package is 10.7 oz (303 g) for a bit less that $3.00, so price isn't too bad since it is a limited edition cookie flavor. Waited a day before trying them, so brought them to work to try them when I went to lunch. Opened the package and slide out the tray (yes there is an easy open on the front, but I like sliding them out of the package the old fashioned way LOL! At first look they look fine, with little teeny, tiny specks of the popping candy. Tho they do look a wee bit too small. I wondered if there would be a satisfying pop at all. Twisted off one cookie (it was the filling I was goi...

The one really nice thing about cutting the cable is we have a LOT more time to watch movies on Amazon, Netflix, and AcornTV. We have Amazon Prime , so are able to watch a lot for free and we take advantage of that as much as possible.  Last night we watched The Relic with Tom Sizemore and Penelope Ann Miller, based on the book by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I have read all the Agent Pendergast novels, of which The Relic is the first in the series, so I had some serious doubts about a movie adaptation that didn't have Aloysius Pendergast as the main character. Not too mention all the interactions between various characters along with getting to know Agent Pendergast. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they did with the basic story line.  They rolled the character of Pendergast in with that of Lt. Vincent D'Agosta, but kept D'Agosta pretty much as is and just gave him most of Pendergasts' lines when needed. Tom Sizemore did a pretty good job at playi...

With the unreliability of the battery in the truck we picked up a Stanley J5C09 1000 Peak Amp Jump Starter with Compressor to keep in the truck. I have found it has come in quite handy on several occasions, including yesterday. Usually we can get a jump from someone (either some nice person driving by or call the service the University has that is very handy), call a friend or one of us brings the other car, but there are times when it is just me and there isn't anyone available and I really don't want to call road service. If the battery is flat at home, I could take the car and leave the truck with hubby to throw the battery on the charger. The day Thanksgiving break started this last year the battery was flat when I got off work (of course it did, I was starting a weeks vacation). Hubby had taken some medication that said he wasn't driving and I didn't want to call a friend to come in from out of town. So I called the service the U has and they showed up. I e...

A couple of years back I decided to invest in a good v-slicer. I'd been using some cheap ones, but they only sliced one thickness and I wanted more flexibility. So I picked up an OXO Good Grips V-Blade Mandoline Slicer and have been very happy with it ever since. The slicer comes with 3 different blades that change in and out easily. You can make straight cuts, crinkle cuts or julienne and the slicer can adjust to 1.5mm, 3mm, 4.5mm and 6mm thicknesses, so you could make potato chips thick or thin. I like to make scalloped potatoes and used to slice the potatoes by hand. I would end up with slices of various degrees of thickness and a cramp in my hand from holding the knife. The slicer makes quick work of the potatoes. The food holder is comfortable in my hand and the only time I have ever sliced my self of the VERY sharp blades was when I wasn't paying attention while dismantling it for cleaning. There usually is a small bit left on the holder when done that needs to...

So, we got one of our tax returns back and decided to splurge on a gadget for the kitchen. I have been looking at the Instant Pots for a while now, a lot of my online friends and fellow foodies have been getting them. I had originally looked at the DUO60 when it was on sale, but we didn't have the money at the time. Seriously glad we waited. Hubby was going to surprise me, but realized he wasn't sure which pot I wanted, so had to ask.  Like I said, looked at the DUO60, but it wasn't on sale, but the IP-LUX50 was and I had decided the LUX was just what I needed (no intention of doing yogurt and such, so don't really need the low pressure setting). The I noticed there was a new model that not only had everything I wanted, but some new extra setting AND was a 6 qt, rather than the 5 qt. And only $1 more in cost. So went for that one. Am so glad I did. The cooker came with a very nice quick reference guide, a manual and a recipe book to get you started: I do RTF...