A Review of HotPop Microwave Popcorn Maker

 

Last fall my husband and I started eating popcorn for a snack in the evening.  It was less calories than chips or cookies!  We started out buying microwave popcorn because we didn't have a popcorn popper.  Some brands were better than others, but one day I was going to make a bag and I took a look of the ingredients.  From there I went on the internet to investigate further.  What I found was not good:

A few reasons microwave popcorn is not healthy to eat:

1.  Oil.   Many microwave popcorns use hydrogenated oils, a type of trans fat that is bad for your heart and raises your cholesterol.

2.  Preservatives.  Most microwave popcorn use preservatives that prevent the ingredients from going rancid and to extend shelf life.  Some of these preservatives have been linked to vision, lung and behavioral problems, and while concrete proof has not been found yet, it is something to think about.

3.  The Bag.  Strangely enough one of the worst things about microwave popcorn is the bag that it comes in.  They have chemicals in them that prevent the grease from soaking through the paper.  Chemical like PFCs (perfluorinated compounds) that melt down into an acid that is a known carcinogen and has been linked to cancer according to the United Stated Environmental Protection Agency Report in 2017.

There are more reasons, why premade microwave popcorn is not good for you, but I think you get the idea.  I was very uncomfortable eating it after that, so I decided to find another way to make our popcorn that would be more natural.  I had decided to buy a free standing popcorn making machine because I thought it was the only way to go, other than cooking it on the stove, something I did not want to do.  I knew there was going to be a problem with finding counter space for the popper, as my counters were pretty full already, but I could not see any way around it.

I was shopping around on Amazon, surprised at how much the poppers cost.  Most were between $35 and $50, some as high as $70.  I had made my choice and was getting ready to order it when I saw a silicone popcorn popper that you put in the microwave, at the bottom of the page.  I remember thinking, that would be so much easier.  It even folded down so it was easy to store!.  I clicked on it and went straight for the comments.  That's where you find out the real info on anything you buy on Amazon.  

First of all, it got 4.6 our of 5 stars from 33,562 reviews, which is excellent.  Reading though the comments, I was pretty impressed, there were almost no bad reviews!  Most people highly recommended it!  The best part was it was only $12!  I was sold, and I ordered it. 

HotPop Popcorn Maker

 

When it arrived, we tried it out.  There are circles on the inside that show you how much popcorn to put in it for half a bowl or a full bowl.  It had a lid that you put on (make sure it is not fitted air tight as it needs air to pop) and easily folds down to about 3 inches tall, so it is easy to store.  You can use oil, butter or nothing when you are making your popcorn.  We use a little oil or butter because it helps the salt to stick to the kernels more easily.  So we put it in the microwave and hoped for the best......

The popcorn was delicious!

 

We were amazed at how good it was.  It was buttery, lightly salted and crispy.  I felt like we had hit the jackpot!  There were no burned pieces and at the bottom there were very few uncooked kernels.  

We have used it most evenings since then, for about two months and it has never failed to perform perfectly.  After experimenting with different oils and popcorn brands, we have found that these are the ingredients that we love best:

Pop Secret Jumbo Popcorn

Orville Redenbacher's Butter Flavor Popcorn Oil

Kernel Season's Popcorn Seasoning Variety - Pack of 8

I really cannot recommend this popcorn popper highly enough.  It's awesome!  If you fill it to the top, it makes 15 cups and that's enough for you and some friends.  It's dishwater safe, and unbreakable.  It really is a wonderful item and also makes a great gift, perfect for parents looking for a healthy snack to make for the kids!  You really can't beat it for the price!

If you would like to see this popper in action, below is a how to video you may want to watch:

 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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A Review of Old Fashion Rice Pudding

After my Mom passed, I found a recipe book in her things that was unbelievably old.  The pages were not just yellowed, but the edges were downright brown.  The print on the pages was a bit hard to read, it looked like someone had typed them on an old manual typewriter.  There were uneven spaces between the lines and some of the letters were raised higher than others.  It was easy to see that this recipe book was VERY old.  Unfortunately, it didn't have a cover or any interior pages other than the pages with recipes.  No identifying marks of any kind to show where it had come from, or the date it was made.  The only clue I was able to derive from reading through it was the fact that each recipe had a name under it. I think this book may have come from my grandmother's church and each of the church ladies must have contributed recipes.

I was intrigued, but unfortunately there was nothing I could do about it.  All of my mother's siblings, aunts and cousins have already passed long ago.  There was simply no one left to talk to about this strange little book.  It looks like I will never know where it came from.  

Anyway!  Reading though the recipes, I could tell that these recipes were written long ago, like in the 1900s.  There are strange ingredients like "sour milk" and "fat" and "salt pork."  It made for some interesting reading!  One recipe that I saw I knew I wanted to make right away......rice pudding!  I have always loved it and I remember that my grandma made some really delicious rice pudding when I was little.  I am pretty sure this is the recipe she used.

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked rice

1 quart milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup raisins

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees

Wash the rice, put in a mixing bowl and add milk, salt, brown sugar and nutmeg and mix thoroughly.

Grease a glass baking dish and pour in mixture.

Bake for 2  hours, stirring occasionally with a fork.

Add raisins and mix, then bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Serve hot or cold with heavy whipping cream.

I have made rice pudding before, but it never was exactly right.  It seemed too thick and had a custardy taste.  This rice pudding did not.  It was light, fluffy and tasted like rice and sugar and raisins.  It was yummy!  I compared the recipe to the one I had used previously and I found out the difference.  My recipe, like most recipes for rice pudding had eggs in it.  This is what gives it the heavy, custard like texture that i did not care for.  

I was elated!  I had not only found a great recipe for rice pudding, but I had a whole recipe book full of "lost in time" recipes for me to try out.  I will be sharing more of them on Review This Reviews so please come for another visit and more great old recipes!

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A Review of Water Bottle Dog Toys

 

Dogs Love That Crinkle Crinkle!

I was visiting my niece this past weekend. We were drinking coffee at the kitchen table and I noticed her yellow lab was out in the yard tossing and pouncing on some kind of toy. He was having big fun! This went on for quite a while, so I asked her what the dog was playing that was keeping him so entertained.

She went to the patio door and called the dog inside. The dog grabbed his toy and came trotting into the kitchen. The toy was some kind of fuzzy stuffed animal, but when he dropped it and started biting it and pawing it, it made a crinkling noise. It was not the kind of noise I had ever heard coming from a dog toy, so I was intrigued. The noise seemed to egg the dog on to play.

I asked her what toy it was. She laughed and said, it was a good thing she had another, as she could never get the one he had away from him, he played with it all the time. I laughed as she went to the cupboard and pulled out a cute, plush, pink pig. She handed it to me and I looked at it and then squeezed it. It made no crinkling noise. I looked up at her, puzzled.  No noise?  She picked up an empty water bottle and opened the Velcro at the end of the toy and slipped in the bottle. She handed me the toy and said "squeeze it."  When I did, it made the familiar crinkling noise!

The dog heard the noise and came running over and dancing around, wanting to play. She said that she had seen her friend's dog playing with one at the dog park and her dog fell in love with it, so she bought a couple off Amazon.  From the time it had arrived her dog had not stopped playing with it.

I was pretty impressed. I don’t have any dogs, but I have several friends and relatives that did. They are like my foster dogs, so I always get them gifts for holidays.  I knew their dogs would love these toys!

Zippy Paws Otter Toy

Of all the ones I saw on Amazon, I like this cute otter the most, so I ordered it for my girlfriend's dog.  I liked the fact that it did not have eyes or a nose that could be torn off and swallowed. I was surprised at the thickness of the material and the fact it had two layers to help protect the bottle.  I also noticed it had a different type of closure with a loop instead of Velcro.  It came with a regular sized water bottle with a reusable cap that squeaked!  When you change the bottle, you just take off the cap and replace it with the squeaker cap and slide it in.  Your dog is ready for a squeaking, crinkling good time!

While browsing these toys on Amazon I ran across another one that I absolutely loved!  A toy shaped like a wine bottle that says "Paws Off My Wine!"  I have a friend that loves wine and I know she will get a kick out of this dog toy for her Husky.  They also come in beer bottles.

Prime Pets Wine Bottle Toy

I highly recommend these toys!  They encourage play not only between you and your pet, but also play by themselves, which helps them stay healthy and entertained.  They are also so many choices, you are sure to find something your family will love.....tacos, hippos, doughnuts, frogs, bones, the types of toys are almost endless!   Buy one for your pet, I am sure you or they will not be disappointed!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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A Review of My Three Favorite Personal Defense Devices

 

Self defense items are very important to have if you spend time in dark parking lots, parking structures, at ATMs, bars or in high crime areas.  There is such a huge selection of these types of items, you can buy them anywhere:

• Big Box Stores like Walmart
• Army Surplus Stores
• Hardware Stores
• Sporting Goods Stores
• Online Retailers like Amazon

Most of these items are not very expensive, there is no reason not to have at least one.  Some of them are less than $10 and when you are out or even at home you never know what could happen!  Remember......

It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!

I used to have a job that would sometimes take me into some pretty iffy neighborhoods.  We were not allowed to carry guns, so I set about looking for something I could defend myself with.  It had to be fairly small so I could carry it in my pocket or briefcase.  The first item I bought was a personal safety alarm.  I wanted something that didn't look like what it was, so I settled on this blue bear rechargeable alarm.  No one ever suspected what it was!

Rechargeable Personal Safety Alarm with Strobe Light

Click here for more information on this device

Product Information:

1. Rechargeable, comes with a USB charging cable and there is a low battery light that flashes red when you need to recharge the battery.
2. 130 decibel alarm, set off by pulling the body from the head.  Alarm will continue for up to an hour or until you rejoin the body and the head.
3. High Intensity LED strobe light also is turned on when the body is pulled off the head.  There is also a smaller LED light you can use as a flashlight.
4. The Bear model comes in black, blue, and white.  There is also a dog model.

I used the keychain to hang it on my purse strap or my brief case handle.  I only had to use it once, while working.  I just grabbed his body and pulled it away from his head and it immediately began wailing like a banshee!  Trust me, no one will ignore this siren, I pretty sure they heard it blocks away!

Though I really liked my bear, i decided I wanted something with a little more protection for me physically.  After shopping around for a while I happened to be at a hardware store and I saw a display of a pepper spray cannisters that also had a personal alarm and a strobe light.  I felt like I had hit the jackpot.  I could have pepper spray without giving up my alarm or having to carry two separate items!  

3 in 1 Personal Safety Alarm Keychain with Pepper Spray, Siren, and Strobe Light

Click here for more information on the keychain     Click here to buy a pepper spray refill

Product Information:

1. Rechargeable with the included USB cable. (stays charged for up to a year if not used)
2. 130 decibels siren alarm. 
3. Extremely bright strobe light.
4. Pepper spray is good for 23 to 30 squirts of up to 12 feet and is a liquid gel that adheres to skin.  Pepper spray is refillable, cartridges are about $6 each.
5. Safety cap to prevent accidental triggering.

The two things I liked the most about this item was the fact that the pepper spray cartridge was replaceable, you didn't have to toss out the entire piece if the spray ran out or expired.  I also love the fact that it is rechargeable and holds a charge for a really long time!

Once worked as the manager of store in a shopping mall, and every night I had to take the day's receipts to the bank after work.  The trip from the back door of the store to my car and from my car to the bank drop box was a really scary.  I worried about getting robbed because the bank bag usually had quite a bit of cash in it, sometimes as much as $10,000.  I decided I needed some protection a bit more heavy duty than just pepper spray and an alarm.  This time I went to a specialty self defense store and this is what they recommended to me:

Tactical Stun Gun with LED Flashlight

For more information or to buy, click here

Product Information:

1. Flashlight is very bright at 130 lumens.  Nothing on the exterior to give away it's anything other than a regular flashlight.
2. Stun gun delivers a 2.517 microcoulomb charge.  Very painful!
3. Has a safety switch to prevent accidental discharge
4. Rechargeable
5. Comes with a small holster
6. Item comes with links to free training videos that show how to use the device safely and more effectively.

If you are wondering if stun guns are legal, the answer is:  it depends on where you live.  They are legal in most states.  Hawaii and Rhode Island are the only two states that outright ban them.  In Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, you must get a permit to have one.  In all the other states you can buy them as you would pepper spray.  It is always wise to check locally to make sure they don't have any ordinances against them.

You cannot bring a stun gun on an airplane in your carry on luggage, but you can pack them in your checked bags.  Again, I would call the airport to make sure, you never know when an airport might change their rules.

A stun gun works by sending an electrical shock into the body's neurological system, usually knocking them to the ground and temporarily incapacitating them.  The effects of being shocked by a stun gun are temporary muscle immobilization, loss of balance and confusion.  These effects last anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour.  The effects are designed to be non-lethal, but if the attacker has pre-existing medical conditions, there is a chance of death.

As you can see, there are many different types of personal protection devices.  They range from simple siren alarms to items that can actually hurt your attacker.  Which of these you should use is really up to you, however, if you feel that you need some advice, a specialty store may be the best place for you to go, though you will pay more for your device in a store of that type, it is the best place to obtain experienced knowledge and advice.

Many people don't think that self defense items are necessary, or that they are overkill. Everyone has the right to an opinion but I feel personal safety is very important.  I know I felt a lot safer when I had my stun gun on those dark nights at the bank.  You can also use them to ward off dog or other animal attacks.

Please think about it, it could save your life.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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A Review of Three Lower Calorie Thanksgiving Recipes

 

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and if you are like me, you worry that all that luscious food will be taking up residence on your hips after the event.  Over the years I have found a few recipes that help reduce this possibility, and are just as delicious as their full calorie counterparts.  I even started sneaking them into potluck events around the holidays, and not a single person has ever noticed that the calories have been trimmed.  

Substitute one or more of these recipes at your family feast, and see if anyone notices.  I can practically guarantee they won't!

  

Low Sugar Cranberry Relish 

 

Ingredients:

12 ounce cranberries - fresh or frozen cranberries. 

1 whole orange with skin  If you are not a fan of oranges, they can be changed out with any crispy, tart apple that is cored, peeled and sliced.

1/2 cup almonds, chopped medium. If you aren't partial to almonds, you can use walnuts or if you prefer softer nuts, use pecans.

1/2 cup to 3/4 cups sweetener. I use Splenda, not in packages, but loose.

Instructions:

1.  Wash the orange and cut it in half.  Peel one half and discard the peel.  Peel the other half and put the peel into the food processor or blender.   Separate the orange sections and cut each in half and set aside.

2.  Turn on the food processor or blender and chop the orange peel as small as you can without pureeing it.

3.  Wash and drain the cranberries well. Make sure they are all firm. Put in the food processor or blender.  

4.  Put the almonds and 1/2 cup sweetener in the food processor or blender.  

5.  Pulse the food processor or blender until the pieces of the mixture are smallish chunky, and the sweetener is well mixed in.  

6.  Add the orange pieces and pulse a few more times till the oranges are well mixed in with the other ingredients.

7.  Try the relish for sweetness and and add more if needed.  

8.  This relish should be stored in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for 8 hours before serving.

Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

1/3 cup chopped onions

1/3 cup bread crumbs

4 slices turkey bacon

1 can (10 ounce) of 99%fat free cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup plain fat free yogurt

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (I use Stubbs Hickory Liquid Smoke from Amazon)

3 9 ounce packages of frozen French cut green beans, frozen

Instructions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2.  Lightly spray a cookie sheet with no stick spray

3.  In a small bowl, stir together the onions and bread crumbs.

4.  Evenly spread the mixture on the cookie sheet and bake about 12 minutes until golden brown.

  

5.  Remove from oven and set aside.

6.  Cook the the turkey bacon (I use the original Makin Bacon Microwave Dish to make mine)

7.  Chop the bacon and set aside.

8.  In a large bowl, stir together the condensed soup, yogurt and liquid smoke.

 

9.  Then stir in the beans and bacon.

10.  Lightly spray a glass baking dish (11" x 7" or 9" x 13") with no stick spray.

11.  Transfer the bean mixture to the backing dish.

  
12.  Top with the onion mixture to the glass dish.

13.  Top with the onion mixture and back for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Makes 6 servings, 103 calories per serving.

Pumpkin Pie

If you prefer, you can make your pie shell from scratch.  I always use a premade pie shell to save time.

Pumpkin Pie Filling:

15 ounce can of pure pumpkin - Not pumpkin pie filling

12 ounces of fat free evaporated skim milk

2 eggs or 1/2 cup of Egg Beaters 

1/2 cup granulated sugar - I substitute Splenda for this

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp powdered ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves - this is optional, as some don't like the taste

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2.  Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in a small bowl.

3.  Beat eggs lightly in a large bowl.  

4.  Stir in pumpkin and spice mixture. 

5.  Gradually stir in evaporated skim milk.

6.  Pour in to a pre-prepared pie shell.

7.  Bake pie in the oven for 15 minutes.

8.  Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a  knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

9.  Remove from oven and let cool for at least two hours, serve immediately or refrigerate before serving.  DO NOT chill before the pie has set, if you do it can begin to weep moisture on the top of the pie.  If this happens, blot the top lightly with a paper towel.

Makes 8 servings, about 150 calories each.

I especially love the relish.  It is so sweet and crunchy!  I always had eaten regular jellied cranberry sauce until about 10 years ago when my sister brought some relish to our Thanksgiving dinner.  I tried it and just never looked back.  It is YUMMY!!

The pumpkin pie is a recipe that I made myself when my husband developed diabetes and could not have sugar anymore.  While I was tweaking the recipe I decided to try to cut some calories too which is why I started using fat free evaporated skim milk.  I really cannot taste the difference.  

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I have and you and yours have a

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photos by Pixabay and eatloveeats

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A Review of the Movie The Wild Robot

 

The Wild Robot opened in theaters this past weekend and my husband and I went to go see it.  Yes, I know it is a kids movie, but we have noticed that these days, kid's movies are some of the best to be seen......and we were right when it came to The Wild Robot.  It was a fun romp which also taught good lessons and sweetly showed the power of love and friendship in the face of adversity.

The movie starts with a crate smashed on a beach.  A family of otters, their cute heads sticking up out of the water see the crate and run to investigate.  One of them, while running around inside the crate, hit a button and bright blue eyes light up, and the life of ROZZUM unit 7134 begins.

The only thing that this poor robot wants is someone to help and a task to perform.  Unfortunately, all of the animals are terrified of her and run away the minute they see her.  She tries very hard to make friends but has no success at all until an accident leaves the robot in custody of a goose egg which she saves from a fox and then it hatches.  Roz, being the first thing the gosling sees, imprints on her as his mother and insists on following her wherever she goes.  

Over time the two form a bond, which happens to include the grumpy fox that tried to eat the egg earlier, (voice of Pedro Pascal) and a friendly mother opossum with a large group of babies who likes to give out parenting advice.

  

All the other animals on the island still think of Roz as "the monster" and don't want anything to do with her.  The gosling tries to make friends with other geese, but they all make fun of him and run when see who he considers his mother.  Due to this, Roz decides to teach him how to fly herself.  Some pretty funny shenanigans result from this plan that are very fun to watch.  To see the bond of the tiny gosling and the big robot grow is truly heartwarming.  As the gosling, now known as Brightbill, grows up, both he and Roz learn many things about the world, and about trust, compassion and love.

Before you know it, it is time for migration.  Roz and Brightbill have made friends with an old goose named Longneck, who asks Bright Bill to fly with him on the migration.  They all take off and head south and Roz is left with nothing to do but activate her homing beacon and go back to the factory.  She starts the beacon, but changes her mind, deciding to stay on the island and wait for Bright Bill to return.  Winter comes and it is much harsher than usual and the animals on the island are in danger of freezing to death.  Wanting to save them, Roz forces her friend the fox (Fink) to go out in the snow storm and sniff out all the animals so she can save them by bringing them to the house that she built for her and the gosling.  

Placing all the animals in the same one room house turned out to not be the best idea, as some were predators and some prey.  Somehow Roz and Fink talk them all into being friends as long as they are in this house.  These scenes were truly humorous and lovely, some of the best of the movie

Unfortunately, though Brightbill does come back to the island, so do the people from the Factory that Roz came from.  They are looking for her to take her back. Thus begins another adventure for Brightbill and his animal friends to save Roz.

I don't want to give away the whole movie, you really need to see it for yourself.  It was really beautiful and one you will walk from feeling warm and fuzzy.  I highly recommend this movie for both adults and children.  I believe people will love it regardless of their age.

All photo credits:  The Wild Robot/Universal Pictures

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A Review of Sock It To Me Cake

 

I was looking through recipes over the weekend and I saw a recipe that brought back some great memories from when I was a teenager.

Sock It To Me Cake

Back in the 70's, (yes, I was a teenager in the 70's!) Bundt cakes were a huge thing....you remember the round cakes with a hole in the middle? The pans were pretty funny looking:

Bundt Pan

Back then, my Mom used to make this really delicious Bundt cake that she called a "Sock It To Me Cake."  I used to laugh at the name, she said she got the recipe out of a magazine and decided to try it because my dad was a fan of cinnamon and nutmeg.  It quickly became one of my father's favorite desserts.

This cake doesn't have the consistency of most Bundt cakes.  It is more coarse and heavy, but still moist and soft.  It also had a different flavor than most cakes, the sour cream and brown sugar, along with the spices just makes it different.  It doesn't taste like any other cake I've ever had.  It also makes great coffee cake!

This cake is made from scratch, no cake mix here, and it has a lot of ingredients.  It is not inexpensive to make but the good news is, most of the ingredients are things you probably already have in your kitchen.  

Cake Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

6 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 8-ounce container full fat sour cream

1 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans

3 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Glaze Ingredients

2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons whole milk

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

1.  Preheat the oven to 325° F. 

2. Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan 

3. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. 

4. Cream butter and sugar - to do this put your softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium for one minute.  Slowly pour in the sugar and continue to beat for 6 to 7 minutes or until the combination is light and fluffy.

5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add the vanilla extract and continue to beat on medium until just combined.

6.  Reduce the speed to the lowest setting. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the sour cream, in three additions. Mix until just combined, DO NOT overmix.

7. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and pour half of the batter into the Bundt pan.

8. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of the chopped pecans, the brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Then, sprinkle the brown sugar and nuts evenly over the cake batter.

9. Pour the remaining cake batter over the nuts and brown sugar. Smooth the top.

10. Bake for 60-70 minutes, until a butter knife stuck deep into the center of the cake comes out clean.

11. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

12. Use a butter knife or small spatula to go around the edges of the pan. Then, invert the pan so that the cake comes out. Let the cake cool to room temperature.

13. In a clean bowl whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and maple syrup until creamy. Drizzle the glaze over the cake before topping with the remaining ¼ cup chopped pecans. 

14. You can leave Sock It To Me Cake unrefrigerated on the counter for several days as long as it is in an air tight cake cover.  If you need to store it for more time, place in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to six months.

This is what it looks like on the inside from putting the pecans and brown sugar in the middle.

This cake is pretty special to me, it always reminds me of my Mom, and eating with my family.  Those were happy times.  Why not try making this cake and creating some special times with your family?  It's also a great cake to take to holiday gatherings that will be coming up before you know it.  When they ask you why you made a Bundt cake.....just tell them it's "that 70's cake!"

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A Review of Laundry Detergent Sheets

 

The older I get, the harder I find it to lift that heavy container of laundry detergent to put it in the machine.  I wondered if there was a better way one day while doing laundry.  I was tossing in a dryer sheet when the thought occurred to me:  if there are dryer sheets, could there be detergent sheets?

Hmmmmm.......so I sat down at my computer and pulled up Amazon.  I typed in laundry detergent sheets and was amazed to see there were many of them.  I browsed through them because there were specific things I needed in laundry soap.  I ran across a brand that had everything I was looking for and more:

The box I ordered from Amazon

Laundry Detergent Sheets by Zimwin

1.  Safe for Pets and Kids 

2.  Hypoallergenic - perfect if you have sensitive skin like me

3.  Eco Friendly and Biodegradable including the packaging, no plastic!

4.  Light to pick up and portable - great for traveling!

5.  Takes up very little space for all the laundry that it does.

6.  Free of many nasty chemicals and other things that you will find in many other detergents like:  dyes, bleach, phosphates, paraben, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene.

How to Use Detergent Sheets

I was also impressed with the price, less than $10 for 200 sheets.  But I wondered, do you just use one sheet per wash?  The answer for that was right on the box.....probably in case you are rather forgetful, like me!  

Photograph off my own box

I decided to give it a try, so a ordered a box.  When it arrived, I loved the fact there was no plastic, and the box can be easily pulled open and pushed closed.  It's so small I just place it on a small shelf over my washing machine.  But the proof is the the washing, (so to say) so I started out with a hard test:  my husbands gardening clothes.  They would be a job for any detergent, but I didn't want to go soft on the first test.

My washing machine!

I used two sheets, and I was impressed with the job that it did.  It took out the sweat stains and the dirt and other stains that were on his t shirts and jean shorts.  It did a great job.  I also tried it on my own lighter and more fragile clothing and it did an equally good job using only one sheet.

Great for All Kinds of People

Carrying these small, light boxes is a blessing, but not just for me, they are also great for:

• People with disabilities
• People that live in an apartment buildings with washers in the basement
• People that have to use a laundromat 
• People that travel, either for business or with the family to a cabin for vacation
• People that have to take public transportation or walk to the store to shop.

Think of how much easier it would be not to have to carry that big container of detergent around!  These sheets only weigh ounces, not pounds!

The box I ordered from Amazon

Recommendation

Zimwin's Laundry Detergent Sheets are a winner and something I will be using from now on.  They are so light and simple to use.  Just slide open the small box, take out a sheet, drop it in and you are good to go. They also do a great job cleaning clothes.  I highly recommend this product.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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