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Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Review – by Ramona

7 Oct

 

One of my very favorite past times is having coffee with my girlfriends. We love nothing more than stealing a few hours from our weekend to gossip discuss politics and other areas of interest. Our favorite hot spot? Starbucks, of course! As a person that tends to fear change, I don’t often veer away from my favorite White Chocolate Mocha. Not to say that I have never sampled other menu items, but who wants to pay $4 for a cup of coffee that they may not want to finish? During our last Coffee Canoodle, I must have been feeling a bit saucy, because something different caught my eye. They were featuring the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Signature express, steamed milk, pumpkin flavored syrup and a healthy dollop of whipped cream and pumpkin spices (nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon) Hmmm….I love pumpkin, but in my coffee? Hesitant, I asked my friendly Starbucks employee if she would recommend this (secretly waiting for the look of disapproval) and she quickly endorsed it as one of her favorites. Giving this the benefit of the doub,t I went ahead and ordered it. Moments later I carried the steaming cup to my seat, cautiously optimistic. It smelled wonderful..The first sip was like pumpkin pie in a cup. Delicious! A rich pumpkin flavor mixed with the familiar Starbucks brew and just the right amount of spice. Breathing a sigh of relief, I sat back to enjoy an afternoon of girl talk. I will admit, by the end of the cup, it got a little too “pumpkiny” for my taste, leaving me wishing I had ordered a Tall instead of a Grande, but overall, I can say that I would order this again!

I would give this 4 out of 5 cups of joe!

Vinegar – a Green Alternative To Clean by Ramona

15 Sep

A while back I ran across something on TV that warned of the dangers of household cleaners. Honestly, about 4 years ago, I would probably have skipped over that show with a roll of the eye, thinking how crazy people have gotten when it comes to all things “green.” However, having a child with health issues has certainly opened my eyes to a new way of thinking.  I absolutely loved my household cleaners. After each use, I truly felt as if I had single-handedly just spared my family of microscopic toxins and germs invading our home. The trademark of this heroic feeling? The smell of clean! Ahhh!!

I began looking at the labels of my everyday household cleaners. I had a cleaner for my bathroom, one for my kitchen, another for dusting, yet another for windows, and of course a million containers of disinfecting wipes. I began educating myself and learning just how bad these products are for the environment and your health with prolonged exposure. Not to mention, I really spent a fortune in cleaning products when I sat down and thought about it!

I began to consider the “greener” options and the results were astounding. Vinegar became my weapon of choice. I purchased several large spray bottles (from the dollar store) and a huge bottle of white vinegar ( 1 gal is about $3-$4 at Wal-mart). I made up a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water and went crazy. What I had just found was a multipurpose, inexpensive, disinfecting, green alternative to my clusters of hazardous cleaning products. I will admit the smell of it is not easy on the nose, but after it dries it is completely odorless. If you are still missing the scent of your old cleaners, you can dapple in various essential oils. Lemon, eucalyptus, lavendar….just squeeze a few drops into your bottle and the take a wiff!

Just a few of the many possible uses….

Windows – to me, works just as well as Windex

Bathrooms – Counters, mirrors, tubs….Add a little Borax (found in cleaning isle) with your vinegar solutions to have a sparkling toilet!

Floors – Just spray and mop!

Kitchen counters – replaces my disinfecting wipes (interesting enough if you read the labels, it says to wipe off with water after use! Who does that!?)

Appliances – A few sprays in the microwave and heat for 10 seconds and stuck on food wipes off with ease. Also great for cleaning out the fridge!

Weed Killer – Pour a little on your outdoor weeds in your flowerbeds and watch it work!

Wall paper remover – I would never have believed this is I hadn’t done it myself. It works better than any stripper I have ever used. Just spray on wipe over with a damp rag to distribute, wait a few moments and it literally almost falls off the walls.

The possibilities are endless! I challenge you to try this and then let me know your thoughts! You will be amazed!

I give this a 5 out of 5 Cups of Joe!!

 

 

 

 

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Black and Decker Waffle Maker Review by Ramona

9 Sep

My family is ridiculously obsessed somewhat fond of waffles…so much so, that they would eat them for every meal if given the chance. They would eat them here or there, they would eat them anywhere, with a fox, in a box (can you tell what story we just read for nap time?) …  My four-year-old asks me every time we leave the house if I am going to bring him home a waffle.  My husband will pile 6 at a time into the microwave just for himself. You can see how this adds up! I have purchased many of the whole grain good-for-you varieties but they are easily twice as expensive as the store brand ones and they don’t have a family or bulk size that I have seen. I cringe when I have to purchase the family size box with hardly any nutritional value whatsoever. I know they aren’t made with battery acid or anything, but hey, I try to get in the whole grains when I can!

So, the other night while making a mad dash trip to the grocery store for a few forgotten items, my four-year-old screams and bolts through the aisles as if he has just seen Chucky Cheese passing out free tokens. Following him, quite curious as to what my tube-fed child would be so excited about in a grocery store, I found him standing in the aisle with small appliances and utensils. Really? Kroger now sells small kitchen appliances? Who knew? With a smile the size of Montana and eyes like saucers he showed me … the waffle makers.  We had talked about a waffle maker in the past but a few that we saw were crazy expensive and because we don’t get out much, we haven’t run across them since that time. The model in front of us now was the Black and Decker WBM500 Belgian Waffle Maker. From the picture of the box, it appeared to be easy to use, small enough to store, and displayed a beautiful fluffy waffle that was neatly divided into four sections when removed from the maker. Knowing that there was no way I could now leave this store without said waffle maker, I glanced down at the price expecting to laugh out loud. Shockingly, it was only $18. 97! Being a believer that you get what you pay for, I was a little skeptical, but we went ahead with our purchase. On the way home, my four-year-old and I began discussing which creations we would attempt first. My excitement was mounting. I could now make delicious homemade waffles in any flavor I wanted.

Later that evening I took the waffle maker out of the box (with great force, I might add. It was really hard to get out!) and began examining it and reading the directions. The next morning, the boys and I threw together our first waffle recipe. I used  buckwheat pancake and waffle mix, 1 egg, oil, and milk (which the box calls for) and we threw in cinnamon and blueberries. The directions say to plug the waffle maker in and wait a few minutes for it to preheat. We did so and after about 4 min, the light on top went from orange to green, indicating that is was ready. I opened the top of the maker and carefully poured in a little over 3/4 C of mix, spread it out with a spoon and shut the lid. The directions say that the light will again switch from orange to green when it is ready. This took 4 minutes exactly. When I saw the light switch, I immediately wished it had a buzzer, or timer, or something to indicate with sound that this process was complete. Otherwise, you have to stand there for four minutes, waiting for the light to change. Not sure about you, but I usually have ALOT going on in my house at any given time. A lot can happen to distract someone in four minutes! It would be nice to have an audible reminder when my waffle is done. Aside from that, when I opened the lid, I was pleasantly surprised to see a fluffy brown waffle, neatly divided into four sections. A success! I was easily able to lift it out with a fork. Clean-up is as easy as wiping it down with a damp rag.  I made a huge batch of waffle mix and just stored it in the refrigerator so we could have waffles again the next day. The following day I froze the leftover waffles to save for another day when I didn’t have quite as much time. Now, I can totally see the need for a larger waffle maker in the future when the budget allows, but for now this will do just fine. I can’t wait to make more waffle creations! Next on the list is pumpkin waffles! Look out Aunt Jemima, there’s a new girl in town!

Overall, a great product for the price, and it will save me a ton of money in the long run. Although not quite as convenient as frozen packaged waffles, in my mind, a much healthier option for just a little extra effort!

I would give this (based on the lack of audible timer) 4 cups of Joe!

 

 

Green B.E.A.N. Delivery Review By Ramona

7 Sep

To me, summer means more than warm weather and water skiing; it means fresh organic produce, farmers markets and gardening (of which I am a habitual failure at). There are few things in life that make me happier than perusing the isles of brightly colored seasonal fruits and veggies. The scent of a juicy cantaloupe as it is being cut is enough to send me into instant euphoria.

When I first heard about Green B.E.A.N. Delivery from a good friend, I was cautiously optimistic. Upon first mention it seemed too good to be true. Fresh, organic produce of my choice delivered right to my door every week? Hmmm … how fresh would it actually be? Can I trust someone else to select only the most perfect grapes? Would every grain of sweet corn be perfectly aligned? If I have anxiety when I send my husband to the store alone, how could I trust a complete stranger!!!!

This company is based out of Indianapolis and has a delivery area that includes the greater Indianapolis and Fort Wayne areas in Indiana, Dayton and Cincinatti, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky. Green B.E.A.N. promises to deliver your customized bin of seasonal fruit and veggie goodness (approx. 40 to choose from) as well as other natural grocery items either weekly or bi-weekly. There are 5 different bins to choose from, each varying in price and size. You can customize your order each week according to your needs. You are also able to see exactly which farm your produce comes from. The website also offers great education sources, food storage tips, and recipes. The company truly prides themselves on customer satisfaction and clearly states if you receive a product you feel to be of poor quality, they will happily offer you a prompt credit.

I eagerly started my membership process and selected a produce bin for my standing order (which you can also change at any time) and waited with baited breath for my first delivery, which was the following week. On my very first “Green B.E.A.N. Day” I could not have been more excited if Santa himself was coming for dinner. I opened the door to a big green bin (looking exactly like a recycling bin, only green … Duh) full of my weeks choices. The contents truly lived up to my high expectations. What I was most impressed with was the size of everything! Often when I chose to buy organic in my local supermarkets, the selections are somewhat lacking in luster. Each item was carefully selected with hardly any imperfections, neatly wrapped in brown paper bags and encased in Styrofoam with a freezer pack on top to keep it cool for delivery! The taste was amazing! While the prices do tend to be a bit above what I would pay my local grocer, I would say the service and quality of the products and the company far exceed the price difference.

Green B.E.A.N. offers more than just front door produce, they are truly dedicated to promoting health and wellness through non-profit organizations and aim to help hunger relief. Their website details their contributions and partnership with each of these organizations. Could this get any better?

You should totally check out their website, even if you have no interest in purchasing,  just to see how much these people rock! Go on now … greenbeandelivery.com

My rating for Green B.E.A.N. is an easy 5 cups of joe!

**Please note that I am in no way contracted with Green B.E.A.N. and they did not ask me to write this review. I did not profit from this and will not benefit in any way if you choose to sign yourself up.**

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