Reviewing Roasted Pineapple and Habanero Sauce by Robert Rothschild Farm

 Last week I was hungry for something different.  I thought I wanted salmon. No, I was certain I wanted salmon. But I wanted something different. Something flavorful. I went to my local Costco (which is where I buy my preferred frozen salmon) and happened past a large bottle of beautiful, golden Roasted Pineapple and Habanero Sauce. Initially, I walked past it. In fact, I walked the entire grocery portion of the store trying to decide what to make with my salmon. I was drawn back to the Roasted Pineapple and Habanero sauce and after reading the label, I took it home. I am so glad I did!

I really like savory food. I think heat and spices are delicious. Sadly, what my brain thinks is completely different that when my mouth can tolerate. As soon as I arrived home from the store, and had started the rice cooking, I texted a photo of the Roasted Pineapple and Habanero sauce to my sons.  

Their collective response: "Haha, best of luck!" and "Let me know how that turns out for you."

My response: "It is supposedly mild. I read the label and put the jar back several times before I decided to try it."

More skeptical responses from my sons. 

Fortunately, the sauce was truly "mild". It was also flavorful and delicious. I immediately regretted not having made more servings of salmon. And I craved it during my camping trip over the weekend.

My Roasted Pineapple and Habanero Salmon over Rice

Nothing fancy happens in my kitchen. But I love tasty food. In this case I made white rice (following the directions on the bag and cooking for 20 minutes).  

During that time the rice cooked, I thawed a frozen salmon filet in a container of room temperature water (the frozen salmon filets I buy are individual wrapped which is perfect for me).

I baked the salmon per the instructions, adding just a bit of sauce in the baking dish with the salmon (about 3 tablespoons). 

I served the baked salmon over the cooked rice, salt and pepper to taste, and added about another tablespoon of the sauce over the rice.

YUM!

Robert Rothschild Farm

I purchased my large jar of Roasted Pineapple and Habanero sauce at my local Costco.  You can be sure that I am going to purchase a couple more bottles to add to my pantry and keep them in stock!  You can also find this delicious sauce on Amazon from the Robert Rothschild Farm store.

If you want to know more about Robert Rothschild Farm, you can visit their website. I love all of the products they offer (sauces, salsas, dips, fruit spreads, savory spreads, and more) as well as a few recipes that use their products. In short, the Rothschilds moved from California to Ohio in the 1970s and were committed to their land. They produced more raspberries than they needed and that inspired their recipes and flavor combinations.

After visiting their site, I have a "wish list" of several of their items. 

Side Note:

Many years ago I had a wonderful opportunity to visit Charleston, South Carolina. During that trip, we ate at a little island restaurant. I still sometimes talk about the dish I had there; scallops, mashed potatoes, and "some kind of citrusy/spicy sauce". That was the best tasting dish I have ever eaten and have never had anything like it again. This sauce reminds me very much of that long ago dish. You can be absolutely sure that I am going to learn how to prepare scallops so that I can serve them with this sauce and try to cure that 20-something  year old craving. 

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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Review of Crib and Change Table in One - The Graco Remi 4-in-1 Convertible Crib

Crib Change Table Combination
Photo by Funkthishouse.com

Consider a crib-change-table combination for smaller rooms. This crib measures 29.53 inches deep, 35.94 inches high, by 71.77 inches wide. It offers three drawers, a drawer below the crib, a change-table, side-shelf storage, converts to a daybed and full bed.

Last week we discussed a lovely wall decal mommy selected for her baby's room, and this week we'll review the crib. 

There's a mommy-to-be in our family, and she's in the process of setting up for the precious bundle's scheduled arrival in August.

Crib Solution for a Smaller Room

The future baby's room is not large. It does feature a large step-in closet that can fit multiple dressers; however, the room itself is on the smaller side.

We love maximizing space in small rooms, so coming up with practical, useable pieces was a fun adventure. 

The first consideration mommy-to-be had was choosing a crib that would fit the room and solve multiple functional solutions. 

Crib Change Table Combination With Storage

This particular crib is a crib and change-table and comes with four drawers and a side-storage area.

Here's a photo of the full front of the crib. There are three drawers below the changing table and a full drawer below the crib.

Note that the mattress and bedding are sold separately. 

Crib Photo by Funkthishouse.com - Crib-Change-Table Combination

There's a drawer below the crib and three drawers below the change-table. As you can see from the photo below, the drawers are a good size. The drawers slide easily and are ideally located below the baby's changing station. 

If mommy and daddy-to-be are into a simple, modern look and feel, this crib checks those boxes with its crisp lines. There are no dips, groves, or curves, except for the slight curves on the top rails and the pullout handle areas. The barely visible curves add a little pizzazz to this contemporary design. 

Plenty of Storage Inside Each Drawer of This Crib Change Table Combo
Photo by Funkthishouse.com

Three Drawers and a Change Table

Plenty of Storage with This Crib-Change-Table Combination
Photo by Funkthishouse.com

Check Out the Extra Side-Storage

Not only do you have four drawers total in the front, but you also get two deep storage areas on the side of the crib. This spot is ideal for whatever you want; diapers, creams, lotions, and more. 

If your room is small, this crib provides a lovely place for the baby to sleep, plenty of storage, and a changing station. This crib also works for those who live in small apartments or prefer to add a crib to mommy and daddy's room.

Extra Side Storage for this Crib Change Table Combination
Photo by Funkthishouse.com

With extra side storage, you can place changing supplies in two spots giving you the option of diapering the baby from two angles, either from the front or the side. 

This Crib Changes Into a Daybed, Then The Railings Can Be Used for a Headboard and Footboard for a Full Bed

This crib will last the baby for several years. When it comes time to change the crib into a full bed, you'll need to get the mattress and another piece to hook the mattress on. We've yet to get to that stage, so we're unable to attest to that particular feature.

Great Choice For Mom's Who Aren't On the Taller Side

I'm Nana, and I'm 5'6.5" tall, and this crib is a good size for me. Mommy is 5'2" in height, and it's ideal for her as well. 

Back "in my day," the crib I had was higher, and you had to drop the railing to reach the baby. It did provide an option to raise the mattress very high up, so lowering the railing wasn't necessary for those newborn days. 

This crib is designed lower, so there are no railings to be lowered and no need for that option.

Extra Tips

Grandpa put this crib together while mommy-to-be read some of the comments in the reviews about the trouble a few people had putting it together. Grandpa had no trouble; however, he did offer up this piece of advice; don't skip any steps, take your time, and follow the instructions carefully as written.

The crib comes in various colors and is in and out of stock from time to time. We purchased via Amazon Canada since that's where we live. 

Available on Amazon:

By the way, it's a girl!

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Reviewing Sidney Sheldon’s Mistress of the Game by Tilly Bagshawe

 

As a teenager I read Sidney Sheldon’s Bloodline, I was hooked on his books from that time onwards.   When he passed away in 2007 I thought we would never hear anything else about the Blackwell Clan.   Enter Tilly Bagshawe...

I had read a couple of Tilly Bagshawe's books and thoroughly enjoyed them (if you like the chick lit genre then give her a read).  So when I was in a local bookshop quite a few years ago (after Sidney Sheldon's death) and saw that Tilly Bagshawe had written a sequel to Master of the Game I just knew I would love it.   For some reason didn't end up buying the book (Mistress of the Game) then and managed to forget all about it until earlier this year.

I was on a weekend away and discovered a lovely little shop that had used books in the back, old records in the middle, and served takeaway coffee at the front!   As I'm looking at the books I came across this book again and this time I was not going to let it get away, I was determined to read it!

I am so glad that I got it and it was easily read on a Sunday afternoon and I have to say I loved it.   Tilly Bagshawe may have written it, but if her name wasn’t on the cover I would’ve thought it was Sidney Sheldon himself.   I felt she captured the characters really, really well.

Whereas The Master of the Game was centred on matriarch Kate Blackwell, the Mistress of the Game is her great-granddaughter Lexi Templeton.  Breathing life into the Blackwell clan Tilly Bagshawe allows us once again to get caught up in the twists and turns of the Blackwell family and the massive family company Kruger-Brent.

Fans of Sidney Sheldon will really enjoy this book and if you enjoy following family sagas then maybe you should read it too.   Although I did read Master of the Game (it was many, many years ago) I believe that you could easily enjoy this book as a stand-alone book.  There were so many twists and turns that it will make you grateful for your own family!

This book includes manipulation, kidnapping, murder, deception, and mental illness.   I haven’t read a family saga in a while, but this book has me feeling like reaching for a few more of this style of books.   I may even have to revisit Sidney Sheldon’s books, I definitely have to read a few more of Tilly Bagshawe’s books (her sister Lousie Bagshawe is also an author in this vein).

How Did Tilly Bagshawe Come to Write Sidney Sheldon Books?

Tilly has written two other books based on Sidney Sheldon's and from reviews I've read it seems as though she has again captured his characters really well.   There is a very good reason for that - she was a massive fan of Sidney Sheldon and actually wrote to him when she had finished her first book and he wrote back (she still has the letter).   

When Sidney Sheldon passed away the Sheldon family thought it would be a great idea to get someone to keep his characters alive.   Tilly Bagshawe and Sidney Sheldon actually shared a publishing agency (his agent was the father of hers).   The family was really happy with Mistress of the Game and the way in which Tilly has definitely written it in his style as opposed to her own.

How to Best Enjoy Mistress of the Game

This book is best enjoyed when you have time to kick your feet up and read without interruptions, accompanied by a lovely big mug of tea and something yummy to snack on.  I enjoyed Chamomile tea and homemade chocolate mint cookies, but here’s some other suggestions:

 

Peppermint Tea
A refreshing tea that is perfect for drinking while reading a good book on a lazy afternoon. There's just something about the smell and taste of mint that is pretty special.

Aveda Tea Reviewed
Aveda tea is a herbal tea that combines licorice with peppermint, I haven't actually tried this brand before but I have had other teas that combine these two and would imagine that like them this would be a refreshing and sweet tea to enjoy

Arbonne Essentials Herbal Tea
I enjoy a cup (well actually a mug) of this tea every single day, it is really delicious while also having a lot of great health benefits to drinking it so why not enjoy a healthy tea while reading?

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
If you love carrot cake then this cupcakes are a great idea as a snack while reading - being cupcakes you could hold them in one hand so that you don't have to put your book down and being carrot cake .... well you just know they'll be delicious!

Dream Bars Cookie Recipe
Tea, cookies and reading really go well together and these dream bars sound like a great alternative to whipping up a batch of choc chip cookies or opening a packet of custard creams. With coconut, nuts and brown sugar in the ingredients you just know this will be moorish.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
If getting time to read a book uninterrupted is a rare occasion then why not plan well and bake some cinnamon rolls ahead of time for an indulgent snack as you eat, my mouth is drooling just thinking about them!

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CorningWare 20-ounce Pop-in Mug with Vented Plastic Cover Reviewed

There is nothing better for lunch than a cup of hot soup, especially on a cold or rainy day! These Corningware Pop-In Mugs make heating soup in the microwave fast, easy, and without any mess.

We received a set of the Pop-in Mugs several years ago as a gift. At the time, I had no idea how much I would end up enjoying these Corningware microwavable mugs.  Not only are they microwavable, but they are dishwasher safe.  Therefore, the entire meal from beginning to end is easier.

If I make a pot of soup or stew, I can fill and store the mugs in the refrigerator or freezer.  When I am ready to reheat the soup, I simply pop the vent on the lid, stick it in the microwave, and heat.  That plastic vented lid is the only cover needed to keep my microwave clean and clear of splatters or overflows. 

At 20 ounces, it is also the perfect size for a can of soup. I enjoy Campbell's Tomato Soup.  The mug would be large enough for the entire can contents as well as water.  However, I don't add water to my tomato soup. I heat the soup in the microwave for 3 minutes and I'm ready to go. Because the mug handle is not hot, I can "drink" my tomato soup while continuing to work at my computer.  I know it is best to take a real lunch break, but that is not always possible.  It is nice to have a good hot lunch that I can easily eat/drink while working.

If I still worked outside of the home, it would be a very easy and practical way to carry soup, stew, chili, etc to work for lunch, ready for the microwave.  The lid is tight enough that liquid will not spill, although I wouldn't test it by turning it upside down for a prolonged period of time. 

 CorningWare Colours Pop-Ins
20-oz Soup Mug with Lid - 2 Pack (Tomato)Check PriceFeatures of the Corningware Pop-in Mug

• Comes with a vented lid for easy microwaving
• 20 Ounce size 
• Stoneware - Available in a variety of colors
  
• Freezer Safe
• Oven Safe
• Dishwasher Safe

The only downside that I have found to these mugs is that my tomato soup has stained the inside of one of our lids.  No big deal for me.  I know it is clean, but I suspect that would bother some people.  I have tried baking soda, vinegar, soaking, and several stain removal suggestions, but none have removed the tomato soup stain on the lid.

 CorningWare Colours Pop-Ins 20-oz Soup Mug with Lid - 2 Pack (French White)Check Price Tomato Red Pop-Ins 20 oz. Mug with Vented Plastic CoverCheck Price CorningWare Microwaveable Soup/Meal/Beverage Mug w/Vented Plastic LidCheck Price Corningware Pop-Ins 20-OzMug w/ Blue Vented Plastic Cover, Blueberry (Pack of 2)Check Price

 

Old Versus New Corningware Designs

I am a huge fan of CorningWare!

The current day line of products are not always the same as the Corningware of 30 years ago.  However, the items I have replaced with the newer version have been fine. I understand the new Pop-in Mugs have smaller handles than mine.  Also, it seems manufacturing has moved to China.  Mine were made in Thailand.   
If you prefer the older versions, I recommend searching eBay for the older versions of CorningWare.

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CorningWare 20-ounce Pop-in Mug with Vented Plastic Cover Reviewed"  written by:

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How to Etch Copper - DIY Review

 

Have you ever found yourself admiring a gorgeous piece of etched copper jewelry?  I know I have.  A few months back I decided I wanted to learn how to create my own custom copper gifts.  As a maker, I crave opportunities to pursue new avenues of artistic expression.  

After exploring various techniques for etching copper, I chose to try a method that appeared to be one of the very best for beginners.  Having just experienced a successful first experiment, I wanted to share the process for the benefit of other aspiring copper artisans.  Here's a list of the supplies you will need:

1. Small sheet of copper (or copper blank).
2. Ferric chloride (I used Radio Shack PCB Etchant Solution).
3. Rubber stamp (a link to the bee stamp featured here).
4. Ink pad (I prefer the StazOn Solvent Ink Pad).
5. Black permanent marker.
6. Clear shipping tape.
7. Two small plastic containers.
8. Water.
9. Baking soda.
10. Chemical-resistant gloves.
11. Eye protection.
12. Brillo pad.
13. Fine steel wool.

Step One: Prep the copper.  It must be clear of fingerprints, tarnish, etc., to make a good etching.  I used fine steel wool to clean up my copper blank.  You will want to wear gloves during this step (to ensure you don't leave prints on the surface of the metal).

Step Two: Select your design and transfer it to the copper (either freehand using a fine permanent marker, or with the use of a rubber stamp).  Allow adequate time for the ink to fully dry.

Step Three: Using a permanent marker, completely ink over the back of the copper blank (and the side edges).  Anything that is not protected with an ink resist will etch.  Once the ink has dried, overlay it with clear packing tape.  Then, tape a piece of styrofoam to the back side of the copper ( to help it float and to provide you with a handle for safely lifting the copper out of the etching acid).

Step Four: In a well ventilated area (outdoors is best), pour an inch or so of the ferric chloride solution into a shallow plastic container (wearing chemical protective gloves and eye protection).  Carefully set your copper (design side down) on the surface of the etching solution.  You want it to float on the surface.

Step Five: Depending on how pronounced you want your etched design to be, you will leave the copper in the etchant solution for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.  Gently stir the solution every 15 minutes.  I went the full hour for my etching and was really pleased with the result.

Step Six: In a clean plastic container, mix warm water with two tablespoons of baking soda (I used about a cup and a half of water).  Wearing protective gear, carefully remove the copper from the acid solution and gently set it into the water bath.  It will start bubbling as the acid is neutralized by the baking soda.  This step takes less than five minutes.

Step Seven: Remove the copper from the soda bath and rinse with clean water.  When dry remove the packing tape from the back side.

Step Eight: Using a Brillo pad, rub off the ink residue on both sides of the copper.  

Step Nine: Use fine steel wool to brighten up the copper and reduce minor scratches.

Step Ten: You may wish to apply an optional patina to the copper and/or a protective seal coat to keep the copper from tarnishing.  Some copper artisans like the darker antique look achieved using liver of sulphur.  

As you can see, with the right supplies and just a few hours of effort, it is fairly easy to produce a very satisfying result.  I am pleased with this copper etching method and will most definitely take it to the next level with a more advanced project.

If this has stirred an urge to create something unique, you may be interested in my article about painting on copper with fire.  No matter what you decide to do, the important thing is to find your own outlet for creative expression.  There is so much beauty just waiting to be released into the universe.  Let the beauty of who you are be what you release into the world.

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