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Friday, January 5, 2024

Hamilton Beach Electric Smooth Touch Can Opener Review

Many years ago, I discovered a hand-held safe cut can opener. The ability to open can lids without sharp edges has been fabulous!

Sadly, during the holidays this year, I misplaced my beloved safe-cut can opener. I have no idea what happened to it. After weeks of looking, I fear it must have been accidentally thrown out with all of the trash generated over Christmas.

I felt tremendously distressed when I discovered that my original hand-held safe cut can opener was no longer available, anywhere! I have had that can opener for almost 20 years. I spent a good bit of time looking at the different hand-held can openers that are now available and trying to select a new one. There is simply not a comparable "4 in 1" replacement. However, I did find an electric smooth-cut can opener. I decided that having an electric can opener again would be nice, so I ordered it immediately.

I love my new electric smooth touch can opener! Just like my hand-held safe-cut can opener, there are no sharp edges on the can or lids. Therefore, there are no hands or fingers cut by sharp lids when removing the lids or when they are "floating" around in the kitchen trash can.

Of course, I still hope my hand-held opener will be found, but for now, I will enjoy my new electric smooth edge, safe cut can opener.

Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch Electric Can Opener

Hamilton Beach (76606ZA) Smooth Touch Electric Automatic Can Opener with Easy Push Down Lever, Opens All Standard-Size and Pop-Top Cans, Extra Tall, Black and Chrome

This sleek design electric can opener is rather attractive sitting on the countertop. It matches my other kitchen appliances, which are all black, including my coffee maker, my toaster and my stand mixer. Having it out on the counter does make it very convenient to use.

The push down activation lever is almost effortless. The cutting mechanism easily locks into place on the can lid and holds it while separating the lid from the can, creating that smooth edge on the lid and on the can.

The can opener does not automatically stop or lift the lid off when the can is opened. The motor sound shifts to a higher pitch when the can lid is completely separated. (You can hear it in the video below when the demonstrator opens the large can of Cento Peeled Tomatoes) Then, you lift the lever with one hand while holding the can with the other and physically remove it yourself. That prevents cans from falling off the opener and making a mess.

There is also an area in the back of the unit for cord storage which is awesome. Thus far, I have not left my electric can opener plugged in. I only plug it in when I am using it, so I do use the cord storage in the back.

To clean it, you simply wipe it off with a damp cloth.

I searched YouTube and found the video below so you can see the can opener being used and hear the pitch change when the lid is separated.

Friday, December 29, 2023

A Suitable Arrangement by Martha Keyes - Book Review

Part of: Castles & Courtship Series of 8 books

I love it when a book makes me laugh! In "A Suitable Arrangement", Martha Keyes created the characters with wit, sass and just enough spunk to really bring them to life. They seemed to step right out of the pages of the book to share their thoughts, conversations and actions in my presence.

I really liked Juliana Godfrey. She held her head high and dared anyone to challenge her simply because she was not born into nobility. I especially liked the way she handled the head housekeeper who was constantly reminding her that she was not worthy of the title "countess". I could almost hear the housekeeper's fit of temper when she discovered her sleeping in an "important" place one morning.

I also liked the way Juliana defended the injured one who she thought was being bullied by his sibling. She did not hesitate to take action and stand in his stead.

Juliana respected the unique cultures and practices of the brothers of Lochlarren Castle, but after a while, she did suspect they might not be authentic. I must admit, horse races in the castle would be rather funny, but a bit hard to believe it to be a normal activity. Still, she was willing to rise to the challenge.

Synopsis of A Suitable Arrangement
Castles & Courtship Historical Fiction Series

Juliana Godfrey was very practical. Her mother had died when she was young and her father worked hard to provide for them. His hard work paid off! As a wealthy merchant, he was able to provide Juliana with a hefty dowry which would purchase her a place in society. The right marriage could open more doors for her father and his business, in addition to giving her a title which would require acceptance into the aristocracy.

A Suitable Arrangement

A marriage to a Scottish Earl that needed money was a suitable arrangement for Juliana. At least she thought it was until she arrived at his castle and was not well received. Clearly, it would take a get deal of the fortitude she learned as a child to survive the Highland Scots. She was determined to adjust and embrace their culture.

______

As his father was dying, Sandy Duncan learned more about the deep debt he was inheriting as the new Earl of Lismore. He also found out that he was no longer considered an acceptable suitor for the woman he had always thought he would marry. Even though the family liked him, once her father discovered he could not bring money to the marriage, he was informed that he would not be considered, even if he did bear a title.

Sandy is also informed that his father has made a marriage arrangement for him that would provide the money Lochlarren Castle, and it's dependents, required. Sandy's days of freedom ended with his father's death. He now had to shoulder the full weight of the Earldom.

When his bride-to-be arrived at the castle 2 days late, he was in no mood to greet her with a hardy welcome. Neither he, nor his brothers or household, stepped outside of the castle to give her a proper welcome. This lack of courtesy set the tone for the minutes, days and weeks that followed.

_______

When an earl needs money to pay ancestral debts, restore his castle and care for family & staff, he marries for wealth instead of equality. However, Sandy Duncan, Earl of Lismore, has met his match!

My Recommendation

The humor in this book gave a wonderful balance to the antagonism between the characters. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Books by Martha Keyes Previously Reviewed on ReviewThisReviews.com

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Friday, December 22, 2023

A Brush With Christmas (2022) - Great American Family Movie Review

If you are looking for an easy Christmas movie to sit back and watch, I recommend "A Brush With Christmas". It doesn't require intense concentration or a great deal of emotional investment, it is simply pure entertainment that provides a welcome distraction from the holiday stresses in your own life.

This is the first movie I have seen starring Jillian Murray or Joseph Cannata, and I found them both adorably endearing. Murray is the perfect choice to play the part of a sweet, devoted & self-sacrificing daughter and Joseph Cannata makes an excellent concerned friend/boyfriend who tries to be helpful.

___

I watched "A Brush With Christmas" on PureFlix.com. My husband gave me an early Christmas gift this year as soon as we discovered the site. We signed up to the streaming service and he gave me a 1 year subscription. It was the perfect gift for me! Great American Pure Flix is dedicated to offering "the best in quality faith, family, and hometown-values entertainment". I have already watched several movies on PureFlix and I love it!

A Brush With Christmas Synopsis

Charlotte (Jillian Murray) is an artist, a painter to be more precise, but she works alongside her mother in the restaurant that was her father's dream. She loves the family legacy and embraces being head chef, but her heart is really in painting.

It is not unusual for an artist to work to pay the bills and "create" in their off time. However, Charlotte's mother requires more of Charlotte in the restaurant than a normal job would demand. That responsibility is even greater during the holidays when business is booming.

A Brush with Christmas

Charlotte is torn between the restaurant and her own desire to paint a Christmas picture to submit for the local art festival. Time is limited, which makes it impossible for her to do both things well. Under additional pressure from her mother, Charlotte makes the difficult decision to literally trash her half finished Christmas picture and focus on the extra seasonal demands at the restaurant.

______

Wyatt Graham (Joseph Cannata) is very successful and well known in the art world, but he is taking a much needed break from his job. While business offers him a way to use his artistic ability, computer generated art is not as fulfilling for him as holding a pencil and drawing. He is happy to be visiting his friend, David, who just moved to Bayside and he hopes to spend time back with his "drawing board".

When David enters him in the city Christmas art festival, Wyatt is pretty excited to gather supplies and start creating, but finding the subject to draw proves to be a little more challenging. Plus, he finds himself distracted by a lovely local artist.

More Great American Family Movie Reviews

Twas the Text Before Christmas (2023)

A Dash of Christmas (2023)

From Chicago With Love (2023)

Accidentally Engaged (2016)

Check Out More Movie Reviews at
ReviewThisMovies.com

A Brush With Christmas (2022) - Great American Family Movie Review by:

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Friday, December 15, 2023

Presto GranPappy Electric Deep Fryer Review

When my husband requested beignets this past week, I realized it was time to purchase a new Fry Daddy. After all, my original Fry Daddy was over 40 years old. It served me well for decades, but the time had arrived to retire it. The last few times that I have made beignets, I fried them in my electric skillet. Of course, that works just fine, but I prefer the deep fryer that a Fry Daddy offers for beignets or french fries.

My husband's parents were born in Louisiana and we still have relatives living in Louisiana, including my own sister. Beignets have always been a part of our lives. After all, one cannot hail from New Orleans and not be familiar with the fabulous Cafe Du Monde and their delicious beignets. In fact, you cannot visit New Orleans without visiting Cafe Du Monde. It is just not done!

Since we reside 400 miles away from New Orleans and Cafe Du Monde, we must settle for the next best thing. A box of Cafe Du Monde Beignet Mix and a deep fryer!

Preparing to replace my beloved Fry Daddy, I ventured over to Amazon where I discovered the GranPappy! Oh, yeah! Now we're talking!!!

This larger version of the original Fry Daddy is awesome! I can cook approximately 10 beignets at a time in the GranPappy, which means I am eating them much sooner. Okay, well, it really means I am sitting down to eat them much sooner. I always "snack" on them as I am cooking. They are simply too hard to resist!

By comparison, the Fry Daddy holds 4 cups of oil and the GranPappy holds 6 cups of oil. The GranPappy deep fryer is taller and wider as shown in the photo below.

Presto GranPappy Electric Deep Fryer

Presto 05411 GranPappy Electric Deep Fryer

I love the larger size! It makes me wish I had purchased a GranPappy years ago.

I cook in my electric skillets a few times each month, but when it comes to deep frying smaller items like french fries, beignets, hush puppies, fried okra, etc, I prefer the FryDaddy or my new GranPappy deep fryer. Because of the taller, more narrow designs, they simply do not pop or splatter oil out as much as the shorter sides of an electric skillet will. I don't enjoy being popped by hot oil, but we do love our fried foods. Therefore, I consider the GranPappy deep fryer an essential appliance in my kitchen.

It takes 15 minutes for the oil too heat in the GranPappy deep fryer. Keep in mind, you are cooking with hot oil. I highly recommend using the slotted spoon that comes with the GranPappy to lower your food into the oil. "Dropping" food into hot oil causes the hot oil to splash back on you and trust me, it burns.

When you are finished cooking, be sure to allow your oil to completely cool (I allow a few hours) before you remove the oil and clean the deep fryer.

Since the GranPappy has a detachable electric cord, I wash the deep fryer after each use. I have a separate pot with a strainer for storing the oil for reuse. The lip design allows you to easily pour the oil from the unit without making a mess. Alternately, you can store cooled oil in the GranPappy itself. It comes with a plastic lid just for that reason. Just be sure to wait for the oil and unit to completely cool before you put the lid on.

Cafe Du Monde Beignet Mix, 28 Oz (Pack of 1)

The GranPappy has only one temperature, therefore there are no controls to adjust. It maintains the proper frying temperature automatically.

It comes with a frying timetable to help you determine how long you need to cook food. For instance, fresh cut french fries take 6 to 10 minutes, but raw, battered shrimp only takes 3 to 5 minutes. Chicken will take longer (up to 18 minutes) depending on the size of the piece. Personally, I cook fried chicken in my electric skillet since I am cooking 8 to 10 pieces at a time, but I wouldn't hesitate to cook chicken in this deep fryer if I was only cooking a few wings or legs.

The beignets only take a few minutes to fry to perfection!

Friday, December 8, 2023

Twas the Text Before Christmas (2023) - Great American Family Movie

A romantic Christmas movie review & recommendation, just in time for Christmas!

Have you ever dialed a wrong phone number and unexpectedly ended up talking to a nice person you don't personally know?

These days, phone calls are often replaced by emails or text messaging. Sending a text to the wrong person is not unheard of. Usually we send text messages to someone on our saved contact list, but it would certainly be possible to send a text message to the wrong person if you are trying to remember a phone number off the top of your head. Especially if you have a new phone without your contacts added.

Thus is the premise of the movie, "Twas the Text Before Christmas".

When a grandmother inadvertently sends a text message meant for her granddaughter to a stranger, she ends up making friends with the kindhearted woman who replies to the text. This is just the beginning of what ends up being a chance for fun, family, and romance.

Twas the Text Before Christmas Movie Synopsis

Twas the Text Before Christmas

Addie (Merritt Patterson) has a good job, a loving father and brother, and an ex-boyfriend. Christmas this year is expected to be a rather lonely time for her because her father will be spending Christmas in Australia with her brother. Even though she is invited to join friends in Florida, that trip would be too expensive since she is trying to save for her own vacation in Australia.

When Addie receives a text message from an unknown person, she decides to respond to let them know that they have the wrong number. After exchanging a few messages with a sweet grandmother who meant to be texting her granddaughter, she receives a phone call from "Nana" who opts to call her instead of continuing the texting. After talking a few times, Nana invites Addie to join her family for Christmas. Since it would only be a 4 hour drive to Vermont, she decides to accept and makes a reservation for 1 night at the local Inn.

When she arrives for Christmas dinner, she is introduced to Nana's family which includes the granddaughter Nana originally intended to text, as well as her son, James.

After 3 years, Addie, Nana, and the whole family are close friends and Christmas together has become a new tradition. It is not really surprising when Addie & James discover a they have deeper feelings for each other.

Where to Watch "Twas the Text Before Christmas"

I watched "Twas the Text Before Christmas" on Frndly TV, however the Great American Channel now has their own streaming service available at PureFlix.com which thrills me! When I told my husband about the new streaming service, he happily gifted me with an annual subscription to PureFlix for Christmas. I am guaranteed a year's worth of wonderful movies and I am pretty excited to start watching them.

You can also subscribe to PureFlix through Amazon or directly at Pureflix.com.

More Great American Family Movie Reviews

A Dash of Christmas (2023)

From Chicago With Love (2023)

Accidentally Engaged (2016)

Check Out More Movie Reviews at
ReviewThisMovies.com

Twas the Text Before Christmas (2023) - Great American Family Movie Review by:

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Monday, December 4, 2023

White Beans and White Bean Soup Recipe Review

Making white bean (Great Northern Beans) soup is a holiday tradition in our home. I don't just make white bean soup during the holidays, but it is a part of the holiday week menu of recipes that I look forward to making and eating.

Every holiday, whether it is Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter, I bake a big ham for the family. I can hardly wait for the ham to be devoured so I can use the bone in a big pot of white bean soup. The ham, itself, is usually served at least twice over the course of a few days. I admit, sometimes (like this past Thanksgiving) I don't wait for all of the ham to be gone before I claim the ham bone for soup.

I love the holidays and cooking for the holidays, but after several days of heavy feasting, I am always ready for a lighter fare of soup for a few days. For some, white beans are exclusively a side dish. For me, they make a fabulous soup! And, just so your know, I do make white beans as a side throughout the year. I make the side dish exactly the same way as I make the soup, but with less water.

White Bean Soup Recipe by Sylvestermouse
ReviewThisReviews.com

Camellia Brand Dried Great Northern Beans, 1 Pound (Pack of 2)…

I use a package of dried white beans. I do have a preferred brand, but I have been known to use different brands if I can't find the Camellia Great Northern Beans in the store. I have found that the Camellia brand has less beans that I need to throw away before cooking.

I use the entire package of beans in one pot of soup. I start by inspecting the beans as I rinse them in small batches in my colander. I toss any shriveled, dark or broken beans, as well as any bean loose or floating "skin".

All whole, white beans that pass inspection are placed in a large dutch oven size cooking pot, covered with water, and left sitting out on the kitchen counter to soak for 8 hours, or overnight.

Directions for White Bean Soup

Rinse the Beans & Soak for 8 hrs. or overnight (water should be 2/3 up the pan since the beans absorb water while soaking)
After 8 hours, Rinse the Beans again and put them in a dutch oven pot with Ham (Ham Bone Preferred) OR (2 T Bacon Grease if a ham bone is not available)
Bring to a Boil, then turn the heat down to a low boil (on my stove top that is 3½)
Add a generous amount of salt and pepper and stir the seasoning into the beans
Cook covered (tilted lid or Pampered Chef Boil Over No More cover) on low simmer for 1½ - 2 hours

*Note: I normally check the cooking beans a few times to add water as needed to keep the water from boiling down too low

Pampered Chef Boil-Over No More Pot Cover Splatter Guard

Wisconic 2 Pack Mini Colander Berry Baskets - Plastic, Durable Kitchenware, Dishwasher Safe - Made in the USA - Prussian Blue & Light Teal

Cooks Standard Dutch Oven Casserole with Glass Lid, 6-Quart Classic Stainless Steel Stockpot, Silver

Bacon Grease

I mentioned bacon grease in the recipe above because I season white beans with bacon grease if a ham bone is not available. Bacon grease is exactly what it sounds like. It is the grease that is rendered when cooking bacon. I cook bacon in the microwave on a bacon tray or rack that allows the grease to settle below the bacon. I literally pour the bacon grease from the tray into a bacon grease jar to use as needed, whenever needed. You will find a partly filled jar of bacon grease in my kitchen at all times.