Magid Lens Cleaning Towelettes review

One nice thing about being single and living alone? I can eat meals or snacks anytime I like. Anywhere I like. And I like eating while working at the computer. I have no problem multitasking that way!

But I do have a problem with smears and splashes. No matter how careful you are, you're going to get something on your keyboard and/or computer screen. It's inevitable.

I also wear computer reading glasses (which I recently reviewed for Reading Glasses Shopper Online). They too get splashed and smeared with normal use. Keeping everything clean and clear used to be a chore, and I was always afraid that whatever product I used might actually do more damage than good!

That, at least, is no longer a problem since I found Magid Lens Cleaning Towelettes. The Magid Glove & Safety Manufacturing Company is America's leading manufacturer, importer, distributor and direct supplier of hand protection, protective clothing, first aid, and personal protective equipment.

I love their Lens Cleaning Towelettes! They come individually wrapped like those finger wet-nap thingies, 100 to a box. They are pre-moistened, anti-fog, anti-static, and can be used on glass, plastic or polycarbonate eyeglass lenses, safety goggles, and computer screens.

When I cleaned my computer reading glasses with one of the towelettes, I couldn't believe how crystal-clear they were after cleaning! And since the lenses are plastic, I was a little leery of using this new product on them, but I need not have worried. The towelette cleaned the glasses beautifully and left not a single streak or scratch behind.

Next I used one on my computer screen and was very satisfied with the results. The screen is completely clean and clear, no more smudges or splashes. I will definitely be keeping some of these individually packaged pre-moistened towelettes handy for cleaning both my computer reading glasses and my computer monitor screen.

And at a price of only $7.88 for a box of 100, this is a great deal. The shipping is a little high for ordering just one box for average consumer home use, but this is definitely a product you want to get your hands on, so be creative... How about combining orders with friends and relatives? A computer club? Sports club? Or maybe your employer could use these at work and would let you purchase a box at cost?

I can highly recommend the Magid Lens Cleaning Towelettes. They come in a sturdy convenient box with a handy hanger for hanging on the wall wherever a lens cleaner would be helpful.

{Disclosure: I received a sample for review. My opinions are my own. No monetary consideration was involved in any way.}

Harmony Valley makes going meatless painless! {review}

We've all heard it over and over... eat less red meat. But that's kinda hard to do when you grab a burger on the run or want to present that perfect pot roast dinner.

So unless you are a vegetarian, the only solution is to cut back on the amount of meat you eat. Even one or two meatless meals a week is better than nothing.

Harmony Valley Vegetarian Mixes make it easy to go meatless and still have great hamburger texture and flavor.

Harmony Valley Vegetarian Mix for hamburger consists of wheat gluten and soy flour. Spices are added to enhance the flavor. Each package makes 1 lb. of "meatless hamburger" that is low in calories, fat, and carbohydrates but high in fiber, protein, and iron.

And it's so simple to use! Just mix one package with 1 1/4 cups cold water, then let it stand at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator. That's all there is to it.

This is what the dry mix looks like before adding water:

And here's what it looks like after it has hydrated in the refrigerator:

Harmony Valley Vegetarian Hamburger Mix is ideal as a meat substitute for so many recipes, but I wanted to try it as a substitute for plain ol' hamburger meat in a pasta dish.

So I fried the vegetarian mix just like I would hamburger meat, but since there is no "fat" in the Harmony Valley mix, I added about a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet so it wouldn't stick to the pan. I cooked it on medium heat and even with the olive oil I still had to stir constantly to keep it from sticking and burning. But in the end it cooked and crumbled nicely, just like you want hamburger to do.

I added it to some cooked 8-whole-grain pasta shells and pasta sauce sprinkled with grated Romano cheese.

Except for some sea salt I added to the boiling water for the pasta, I added NO SALT or other seasonings.

So how did it taste? Well... I can honestly say that even though I knew it wasn't hamburger, it could easily have fooled anyone for texture and appearance. As for taste, it tasted a bit like "vegetables"... I can't really describe it except to say that it doesn't taste like "meat" at all, but it's a pleasant taste overall and the seasonings are spot on. With the 8-whole-grain pasta, it was definitely a hearty dish!

If you find that you just can't give up meat completely, you can always mix some Harmony Valley Vegetarian Hamburger Mix with your ground beef to stretch it and make it overall healthier. In soups, casseroles, and pasta dishes, I don't think anyone would be the wiser.

I was sent one package of the Vegetarian Hamburger Mix to try, and I love pasta dishes, so I wanted to see how it does as "ground beef". But I do believe that it would probably work better as grilled patties or meatloaf. It does have a nice sticky consistency that won't easily fall apart, but frying it up in the pan like ground beef can be a bit tricky. For one thing, the color didn't change (or maybe only slightly) so it was difficult to tell if it was "done" or not. And with no fat, it does tend to stick to the pan.

So the bottom line is that I honestly don't know if I can recommend this as a "ground beef" substitute if you're using it in recipes where it needs to be fried like hamburger. But if you're just looking for an alternative meat substitute for a few meals a week, you can't go wrong with Harmony Valley Vegetarian Mixes.

They also make a Vegetarian Sausage Style Mix for breakfast! I love sausage, so I'd really like to try that. Sounds like it would be a great alternative for pizza too!

Harmony Valley may not be available in your area yet, but you can order it online. And there's a locator on their website that will help you find it locally.

Bottom line: Yes, I would heartily recommend Harmony Valley Vegetarian Mixes as a viable alternative to meat.


(Disclosure: Harmony Valley provided a product to help facilitate this review. However my opinions are my own and I received no monetary consideration.)

Getting away from it all

America the Beautiful! No matter where you live in this great country, there are sure to be a number of attractions close by that would make for spectacular family getaways.

Treating your family to a great getaway doesn't have to be expensive. You don't have to shell out for airline flights to visit outside your backyard. Stick an imaginary pin in your hometown on a map, then expand outward in a circle, like ripples on a pond. Depending on how far you are willing to drive, you will be amazed at the number of attractions and sights to see within the radius you just defined.

When I did this, I found some great places for exciting family getaways within driving distance!

The one that intrigues me the most is Hannibal, Missouri - home of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, aka Mark Twain, since the age of four when his family moved to Hannibal from Florida, Missouri, about thirty miles to the southwest.

Using Memphis as my starting point, you can see from this map (courtesy of mapquest.com) that the trip is very doable for a family getaway. Hannibal is approx. 386 miles from Memphis and would take about six hours to drive. That's not allowing for all the stops in between when you find something along the way that sparks your interest!

Hannibal fascinates me not only for the history but for the attractions it offers to everyone of any age. Children and grandparents alike will find something to do in Hannibal. And it is small enough to maintain that small town America feeling of warmth and hospitality.

Mark Twain's boyhood home

Becky Thatcher House

Mark Twain Museum Gallery

Aside from Mark Twain's boyhood home - and the house across from it where his childhood friend Laura Hawkins inspired "Becky Thatcher" - the most fascinating stop on a tour of Hannibal has to be the Museum Gallery. With scenes and exhibits from most of Twain's books and events from his life, there's definitely something for everyone here!

From Tom Sawyer, visitors can "whitewash" the fence, see Tom's schoolhouse, meet Injun Joe, and get lost in the cave as Tom and Becky's candle goes out.

From The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, visitors can step onto a raft tied at the river bank and watch a film clip of Huck and Jim on the raft.

From Roughing It, visitors can climb into a stagecoach and share the mining experiences of Sam Clemens and the characters, both human and animal, that he brings to life.

From A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, visitors travel back in time as the Yankee saves himself from burning at the stake by predicting a solar eclipse, test the "modern" inventions that he brings to the Knights of the Round Table, and view the social injustices and political inequities of the time through original pen and ink illustrations by Dan Beard, founder of the Boy Scouts.

Sam Clemens was a riverboat pilot from 1857 to 1861. Celebrating this portion of his life, there's a replica of a steamboat pilot house where visitors can view the great river that had such an influence on Clemens and his later writings, grasp the pilot wheel and tug the steamboat whistle or engine room bells. You can almost hear the call Mark Twain!

The Norman Rockwell Gallery is a special treat for visitors. In 1935, Norman Rockwell was commissioned by Heritage Press to illustrate special editions of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Rockwell donated the 15 original paintings to the museum and they are on permanent display here. The special editions of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn illustrated by Norman Rockwell are only available for purchase in the museum gift shops.

The Museum regularly hosts writers', young authors', and teachers' workshops, as well as art exhibits.

For a leisurely way to spend an afternoon or evening, try the Mark Twain Riverboat. You can enjoy one-hour sightseeing cruises, two-hour dinner cruises, and two-hour jazz/blues cruises. The whole family can enjoy the sightseeing tours and dinner cruises, but the jazz cruises have a cash bar and are for adults. Perfect way to end a day in Hannibal!

Want to catch some theater? There are several in Hannibal, each with a distinct flavor for discriminating palates. Tour Hannibal's Historic District aboard the Mark Twain Clopper, a horse-drawn carriage perfect for relaxed sightseeing. Or try the Hannibal Trolley for a different sightseeing experience.

 

Another famous resident of Hannibal was "Unsinkable" Molly Brown. She was supposedly on her way to Hannibal when the Titanic went down. There's a museum at her birthplace that is worth the visit for the history alone.

Then there's the Big River Train Town Museum, the Tom Sawyer Diorama, the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse, and so much more.

And when the kids get cranky after so much "culture", you can indulge them with a visit to Sawyer's Creek, a large complex with a Fun Park complete with miniature golf, bumper boats, arcade, bounce house, and "tootoo twain" among its attractions. There's a sweet shop, wine shop, gift and Christmas shop for all your retail therapy needs. The Riverview Cafe offers delicious dishes with a great view of the Mississippi River.

Hannibal, Missouri offers a great family getaway in America's Heartland that is accessible by car within a day's drive of just about anyone. When thinking about your next family getaway, at least put Hannibal on your list of possibilities. There is tons of information online, plus you can request an information packet through the mail.

Have you found any family getaway spots within driving distance that you'd like to share? I'd love to hear about them!

[I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Alamo blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.]

Become "Pair Savvy" in the new year! {review}

I've always envied those knowledgeable about wine, beer, and cheese. Those cool, sophisticated folks who know precisely what to order or what to serve and it is always spot on and perfect. Me? I just get lucky sometimes. :)

But one of my new year resolutions is to try to eat better, and that doesn't just mean losing weight through proper nutrition and diet, but it also means being good to myself. I firmly believe that I overindulge in "comfort food" because my taste buds aren't being challenged and satisfied. So the dishes I truly love (mashed potatoes and gravy anyone?) I turn to again and again because they are familiar and beloved. Time to step out of that...ahem...comfort zone.

If I had a better understanding and knowledge of "what goes with what", I would become not just a better hostess but also more contented on a personal level. So when I heard about this new phone app called "Pair Savvy", it was with a great deal of expectation and excitement that I tried it out.

Pair Savvy couldn't be easier to use. Take a look at this Web mock-up of the actual app for your phone. You'll instantly see just how simple and useful this is.

As you can see, you can search by cheese, by wine, or by beer. Or you can click "Surprise Pairing" for a...surprise pairing. :)  You can even save favorite pairings in "My Pairings" for easy look-up later.

This is a simple but effective tool for taking the guesswork out of what goes with what. I love Swiss cheese. So when I search by cheese and click Swiss, I get this:

In an instant, I find out that Swiss is best paired with Champagne or Riesling wine, as well as appropriate beers and fruits. Champagne and Swiss? I'll definitely have to try that combination!

I love Beaujolais wine too, so when I do a search by wine, I get suggestions for pairings that are best for Beaujolais.

Camembert and Port Salut are two of my favorite cheeses, so these are definitely pairings that I will be doing in the future. I think I'll click "Save" to save this info for later...

Well, as you can see, the concept and execution of this little phone app are just brilliant. No more searching gourmet websites or trying to decide if you trust the salesclerk's recommendations. Just refer to Pair Savvy anytime you need help and it's like having your own personal gourmand and connoisseur on speed dial.

Get the app for your phone here!

Disclosure: I am a member of One2One Network. By posting this, I am entered to win one of five gift cards. No other consideration is implied. My opinions are my own.

Merry Christmas!

Just want to wish everyone a very merry and peaceful Christmas. It's snowing at midnight in my neck of the woods in Tennessee. A white Christmas!

Want to also share this oldie but goodie with you. Remember this?



Merry Christmas!
God bless us, every one!

Love,

Pillsbury Grands Mini Biscuits and $15 Visa Gift Card {giveaway}

A few days ago I was offered the opportunity through MyBlogSpark.com to do a review and giveaway for new Pillsbury Grands Mini Biscuits. I readily agreed and was sent a nice package with a bread basket, butter dish, spreader, a coupon for a free package of Pillsbury Grands Mini Biscuits, and a $15 Visa gift card to facilitate my review.

Unfortunately, in the rural area where I live I have not been able to find the Pillsbury Grands Mini Biscuits. :(

I guess I could have purchased regular Pillsbury Grands frozen biscuits, but that wasn't the purpose of this promotion. I love trying new products, but sometimes it takes forever for those new products to trickle down to the country area where I live.

So I thought I wouldn't be able to do this review/giveaway at all, which was a little depressing, let me tell you. MyBlogSpark is one of the better promotion companies to work with and I just knew this would be a "black mark" on my record with them.

Oh well. That's life.

Imagine my surprise - and shock! - when I received a next-day delivery box of two packages of frozen Pillsbury Grands Mini Biscuits packed on dry ice!! Yes!! MyBlogSpark came through for me!!

I'm telling you this because it's my way of thanking Chris for going out of the way to facilitate my review and giveaway. Thank you Chris!! You deserve a raise... and you can tell them Shady Lady said so! :)

I couldn't wait to heat up the oven and try the Pillsbury Grands Mini Biscuits. They are tiny when frozen - they are not much bigger than, say, a poker chip. And quite flat. Huh. "Mini" they certainly were, but how in the world would they live up to the name "Grands"??

Boy, was I surprised when I took them out of the oven! They had nearly tripled in height (not circumference - they were still about the size of a poker chip around) and were baked to golden brown perfection.

They were cooked perfectly, and I have to say they tasted nothing like "canned biscuits". I daresay these minis can rival even homemade! Just a little crispy on the outside and tender and flaky on the inside. I spread some butter on a couple and couldn't resist tasting them. Delicious!

They were even more delicious when I spread some of my sister's homemade blackberry preserves on them!

I'm very pleased with Pillsbury Grands Mini Biscuits and will definitely be buying more. If you are a single or 2-person household, you will see the savings of buying the minis in the resealable frozen package. They are small, yes, but just the perfect size for one or two people. And the perfect size for tiny hands, too!

One other thing I like about them? They are small enough that I can still enjoy a biscuit every now and then and not blow my whole carbohydrate allowance for the day! Yay!! If you're on a low-carb diet and crave a biscuit once in a while, these are perfect for you! There's still a place in this world for the "regular" size biscuits, of course, but these Minis definitely fill a need that... well, maybe that we didn't even know we had. :)

I'm going to try them as dumplings in stew later this week. I figure I can halve or quarter the Minis and drop them into bubbling stew for instant dumplings. And there are oodles more recipes that you can find here.

~~GIVEAWAY~~ One lucky Shady Lady reader will win the same Pillsbury Grands Mini Biscuits package I received, including a $15 Visa gift card! Lucky you!! This giveaway is open to US residents only please.

Entering is easy. Please do the mandatory first step before doing the extra entries. Winner will be determined by using Random.org. Entries will be verified before winner is contacted, so please make sure you use the same username, name, and/or email address for each entry, or tell me how to identify you. And PLEASE leave an email address in your comment if it is not publicly visible on your blog! Thank you for adhering to these giveaway rules.

~~Mandatory~~You must follow my blog with Google Friend Connect. That's it! Just leave a comment below saying that you follow. Not a follower yet? It's not too late! See the gadget on the sidebar? Just click "Follow" and you can be entered into this giveaway too! Easy! This step is required before extra entries will count.

Extra entries - please leave separate comments for each:

*One extra entry if you follow me on Twitter @tnshadylady Leave your Twitter id. Current followers qualify also.

*One extra entry if you friend me on Facebook. Current fans/friends/followers qualify also. Get a bonus extra entry if you share this giveaway on your Facebook page.

*DAILY ENTRY - Tweet this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet. Feel free to copy and paste:

#Giveaway at Shady Lady: #Win Pillsbury Grands Mini Biscuits gift pack incl $15 Visa GC! @tnshadylady http://bit.ly/dADRW0 ends 11/14 PL RT!

*One extra entry if you follow with Networked Blogs. (see sidebar) Current followers qualify also.

*One extra entry each if you are a subscriber to my email updates and/or rss feed. (see sidebar) Tell me what email address and/or reader you use. Current subscribers qualify also.

*One extra entry if you visit the Pillsbury recipe website and tell me a recipe you found there that these Minis would be perfect in.

*FIVE ENTRIES - Help me spread the word! Post this giveaway on your own blog or giveaway site or linky. Leave me a link so I can verify. Be sure to leave five separate comments.

*FIVE ENTRIES - Post my button on your blog. It must be on your main page. Leave a link so I can verify. Be sure to leave five separate comments.

Giveaway closes midnight CST Sunday November 14, 2010. Giveaway open to US residents only please. Winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be chosen.

Remember to leave separate comments for each method of entry! This is the only way to be sure that you get all your entries. And if you are already a subscriber or follower, you still get those entries! So be sure to get all the entries you are entitled to.

Disclosure: I received a Pillsbury® Grands!® Mini Biscuits prize pack which included a VIP coupon good for a free package of biscuits, a $15 gift card to purchase recipe creation/experimentation needs, a biscuit basket, a butter dish, and spreader. The prize pack and information were all given to me from Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark. My opinions are my own.

I don't do mornings...so bite me! {review}

I'm an absolute slug in the mornings. Until I've had my coffee, don't even talk to me. I won't respond. Or if I do respond, you might not like what I have to say.

Can't help it. Been that way all my life.

Don't like it? Bite me.

I might even tell you that too. But now I don't have to actually say it. I can give you a graphic illustration.

No, not that, silly! I mean this:

That's a piece of toast, in case you can't tell from the picture. And it has "Bite Me" burned right into it.

Perfect.

Now I don't have to actually talk in the mornings until I'm good and ready (which may be a while, so pack a lunch).

PopArtToasterStore.com has this fabulous thing called the

Morning Bytes Gift Set that would make the perfect gift for someone you know who doesn't do mornings either.

Vintage toaster with 7 heat settings, 3 toasting functions, and a slide-out crumb tray comes with 2 stencil art plates: Bite Me and Ugh.. Also included is a 2-compartment melamine breakfast tray and a USB cup warmer that plugs into your computer. Price only $44.99

PopArtToasterStore.com sent me this amazing toaster set to review and I have to tell you, I haven't had this much fun in the morning in a long time!

Love the soothing retro color and look. And so easy to use. It's a regular toaster, only better.

The secret to the design is interchangable metal plates like the one I'm holding below.

These plates simply slide down into the toaster in metal slots and the rest is automatic. Nothing could be easier!

When you engage the toaster (just like a regular toaster, by pushing down the lever on the end) the bread slices are toasted like normal on one side, but the side next to the center of the toaster - next to the special plates - comes out with the fabulous design on them.

Yep, that's me in the morning!

The toaster comes with two design plates, "Bite Me" and the "Ugh.." un-smiley face. You can also easily remove the plates in case your in-laws are coming for breakfast. Or not. Your call. Just don't come crying to me when you serve your mother-in-law toast that says "Bite Me".

The toaster also has seven heat settings, but the recommended setting is between 3 and 4, which is what I used for the above pieces of toast. You can adjust to your preference, of course. I happen to like mine almost burnt, really crispy. This toaster does a wonderful job. Don't let the design and special plates fool you, this is still a toaster and it works beautifully.

It also has this really handy slide-out crumb tray that makes cleanup a breeze. You know how some toasters have a little door/latch on the underside that you swing open to release the crumbs and hope you're holding it over the sink or garbage can when you do? Forget that. This tray does the job so much better.

Another thing I love about this Morning Bytes Gift Set is the cup warmer that is powered through a USB cable. Yep! No more hunting for an electrical outlet to plug in your cup warmer. Just plug the cable into your computer USB port and keep your coffee warm while at the computer. Love it!

All in all, this is one fantastic package for that special person on your gift list who can relate to the "bite me" and "ugh.." sentiments.

Like me.

As a consumer reviewer, I love showing you products like this, but I am also aware of my responsibility. There is one small design problem that I want to make you aware of with this toaster.

This is the back of the same toast. See the triangle-shaped indents? The way the toaster gets the graphic impression on your bread is by pressing a spring-loaded metal bar (triangular, just like the shapes above) against the bread slice to hold it firmly against the graphic plate. This bar only engages when you engage the toaster by pushing down on the lever on the end.

Problem is, we all know that bread slices often are not perfectly square or perfectly flat. So the first batch I toasted almost burned up because the bread slice got hung on the bar because it was not perfectly flat. I had a slight moment of panic as I saw smoke rising and didn't know what to do to stop it. (now that will wake you up in the morning!!)

But all I had to do was push the "cancel" button on the end and the process stopped, cutting off the heating elements and releasing the bar off the bread slice so that I was able to easily remove it. (love this feature! wish all toasters had a "cancel" button instead of having to manually raise the lever)

Okay, so maybe "problem" is not the correct word to use here. Let's just say I want you to be aware of this and not leave the toaster unattended, or watch your little ones when they use it, because the bar will continue to hold the bread against the heated plate as long as the toaster is engaged... and if the bread slice is "warped" and preventing the toast from popping up when done, well... you can see my concern.

But overall that's a small thing when you look at the benefit of this wonderful toaster. Wouldn't it be great to put a smile on the face of that grumpy non-morning person in your life?

And just so you know, there are interchangable plates if "bite me" and "ugh.." aren't quite your cup of tea. There are lots of different ones and each is only $3.25!

PopArtToasterStore.com has much more fun in store for you! Go take a look at all the great things they offer. I'm sure you'll find something perfect for yourself or for a gift.

Disclaimer: I was provided a sample Morning Bytes Gift Set gratis in exchange for providing an unbiased review of the product. (Thanks Dana!) No other monetary consideration was involved, and my review was not influenced in any way.