Thanksgiving Greetings

Thank you, God, for all the Beauty in Nature.

Today, November 24 is the day that we in the USA celebrate Thanksgiving.  It is a day when Americans take time out of their daily lives to be thankful for all that has been given to us.  

For this Thanksgiving Day review, I would like to share with you, through my photographs some of the beauty in our world for which I am truly thankful.

The Moon

I love photographing the moon.  Here is a shot I captured back in September of the full moon.

 Special Times with Family and Friends

I am very thankful for my family and friends and the special times we spend together.  We recently all got together for a bonfire at my brother's.

Birds

As any of you know that follow my reviews, I love to watch and photograph birds.  Here are a couple of my recent bird photos.

Flowers

I am always amazed by the intricacies of the many varieties of flowers God has placed on this earth.  

Photo Walks

I love to take walks just to capture the beauty around me on my camera.  Here are some of my latest photos from these adventures.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!  May you be blessed with a thankful heart.

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

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Holiday Gift Guide: Thoughtful, Affordable Gift Ideas They Will Love

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and the day after is Black Friday, when many people will be taking the day off to enjoy an extra-long weekend. Despite the growing trend toward "pre-Black Friday sales," the Friday after Thanksgiving is widely considered the kickoff to the holiday gift shopping season and making plans for the Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa winter holidays.

With retail stores (both online and brick-and-mortar) competing hard for your holiday shopping dollars, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the barrage of sales messages and holiday gift guides. But the best gifts, the ones that make both the giver and receiver feel warm and fuzzy, are presents that reflect your personal connection to each recipient through your knowledge of their individual likes and interests.

This holiday gift guide reviews a selection of gift ideas that are both affordable and thoughtful, tailored to the interests of special people on your list.

Holiday Gift Ideas by Interest

Whether your nearest and dearest friends and family members, teachers and other recipients on your list are fond of fashion, food, fancy fingertips or other interests, the affordable gifts in this holiday gift guide are sure to please!

For Women Who Love Luxury But Hate Cold Weather

One of the best presents I ever bought myself were a pair of VIKIDEER Long, Lined, Warm Leather Gloves for Women With Touchscreen Fingertips. They're made of soft, luxurious lambskin leather, have a warm, plush lining, are long enough to keep my arms as well as my hands toasty warm, and let me  use my mobile phone, tablet or Kindle to make a phone call, look up a bus or train schedule, call a cab, Uber or Lyft or listen to an audiobook, podcast or music without having to expose my fingers to the cold winter weather. Read my product review of these Long, Lined Leather Touchscreen Gloves to learn more about why they make a much appreciated gift for women.

Other cozy gift recommendations to keep her warm in the cold weather include the Warm, Oversized, Hooded Wearable Blankets recommended by Raintree Annie and the Affordable, Cozy Warm Micromink Sherpa Blanket reviewed by Barbara (a.k.a. Brite-Ideas) that keeps her family members toasty during the chilly Canadian winters. 

For Podcast, Audiobook and Music Lovers

Any audiobook or podcast lover will appreciate a Audible Premium Plus Gift Membership. A 1-month membership costs only $15 and allows the recipient to select an audiobook their choice for 1 credit and gives them access to additional listens through the Audible Plus catalog. It would make a great stocking stuffer! There are also 3-month, 6-month or 12-month gift memberships available.

Recipients with iPhones or other Apple devices can use an Apple Gift Card to buy AirPods (and other accessories) as well as subscriptions to Apple Music (as well as apps, games, movies and TV shows) in the Apple App Store.

If you want to splurge a little on someone special, a pair of comfortable, lightweight, high-quality, bone-conduction headphones makes a great gift idea. Check out my product review of The Best Bone-Conduction Bluetooth Headphones: Shokz OpenRun Pro to learn more about these awesome headphones.

For Women Who Enjoy Pretty Nails

As a former nail biter with weak nails that constantly broke or split, I used to envy women who had long, strong, beautifully manicured and polished nails. It is only in recent years that I finally learned how to heal my weak, ridged nails and ragged cuticles. Now, I love showing off my new, long, healthy nails with pretty polish colors and nail art designs!

If someone on your list also enjoys having pretty, well-groomed nails (or wishes she did), check out my product reviews of The Best Manicure Tools for Strong, Healthy Nails and put together a selection in a gift basket, along with a printout of my article 14 Secrets to Growing Strong, Healthy, Beautiful Nails and a bottle or two of good quality nail polish or, better, yet, Color Street nail polish strips, which I use and recommend highly. You can order them from my fellow Review This Reviews contributor Olivia Morris and read her Color Street nail polish strips product review to learn more about them.

For Current or Aspiring Gardening Enthusiasts and Flower Lovers

My mother and my sister both got the "green thumb" genes in our family. So, while my sister grows a lot of her own vegetables and herbs (and even lemons and limes) year-around, despite our cold New England climate, the only crops I have been able to grow reliably all year long are Hamama microgreens seed quilts. Hamama Microgreens Starter Kits and Seed Quilt Refills are designed specifically for indoor growing. Just fill the grow trays with tap water up to the fill line, place the seed quilts and attached coir fiber mats on top and press to soak evenly, place them near a window or under a grow light, wait for them to sprout and grow, then harvest and eat, So easy, delicious and satisfying, especially for people like me who lack natural gardening talent or savvy! I have given them as gifts and the recipients have loved them. Learn more in my Hamama Microgreens Starter Kit and Seed Quilts Review.

Outdoor gardening enthusiasts will definitely appreciate the gift of a high quality tool, such as bypass secateurs. Check out my savvy gardening expert Raintree Annie's review of her favorite Wolf-Garten ByPass Secateurs.

For someone with a deck, consider giving a City Pickers raised garden bed recommended by Tracey (a.k.a. The Savvy Age) along with some good quality potting soil.

Several of my fellow Review This Reviews contributors are talented nature photographers who have turned their photos into various products on Zazzle. You'll find beautiful flower-themed photo mugs, t-shirts, decorative pillows and other gifts on Mary Beth Granger's Beauty in Nature Zazzle shop and Raintree Annie's Raintree Earth Designs Zazzle shop.

For Cooking or Baking Enthusiasts

There are so many wonderful gift ideas for people who love cooking, baking or both! Two that I can recommend highly that are also very affordable include my pick for The Best Powerful, Lightweight Stick Blender With Versatile Attachments and an assortment of handy, easy-to-clean, nonstick pan friendly silicone kitchen tools. 

If you want to give your favorite home cook a gift they would love to own but might not buy for themselves, also check out the equally versatile Ninja Foodi Grill reviewed by Sam Monaco.

And for your favorite baker, Treasures by Brenda recommends these pretty and practical pink cupcake-themed aprons and adorable, festive gingerbread man-themed aprons that would make perfect Christmas gifts.

For Coffee Lovers in a Small Household

One of the Christmas gifts my husband requested last year was a coffee maker that could make just one or two cups of really good coffee that would taste as delicious as a larger 6-, 8- or 12-cup batch (for when we had company) and could be programmed the night before to brew the next morning, so he (or we) could wake up to a freshly brewed cup of java. 

After a lot of research, I finally chose the Ninja CE251 Programmable Brewer with 12-cup Glass Carafe and it was a huge hit. Read my product review to learn why we think it's The Best Affordable Programmable Large- and Small-Batch Coffee Maker.

If your gift recipients are the only coffee drinkers in their household or if the want to enjoy delicious, freshly brewed coffee when they travel, check out Sylvestermouse's review of the Keurig K-Mini Single Serve K-cup Coffee Maker.

For Regular and Herbal Tea Lovers

I and many of my friends are avid tea drinkers. While I enjoy a cuppa good Darjeeling or English Breakfast, I also love flavored teas, such as peach, apricot and blackberry. Although I never liked the grassy flavor of most green tea or chamomile, I have been exploring flavored herbal teas and discovered quite a few that I enjoy even more than traditional black teas. Flavored red rooibos teas, in particular, have become some of my new favorites. I love The Republic of Tea's Restore and Reset SuperAdapt Herbal Tea, which is organic, caffeine-free and infused with cocoa and reishi mushrooms, adaptogens (which the Cleveland Clinic describes as "plants and mushrooms that help your body respond to stress, anxiety, fatigue and overall wellbeing") that give it a delicious, slightly earthy chocolate flavor, and The Republic of Tea's Strawberry Chocolate Tea, which I have reviewed in detail (An Unusual, Delicious Strawberry Chocolate Tea With 0 Calories).

To enhance your gift, consider adding the pretty and practical McIntosh Van Gogh Fine China Tea Mug with Lid & Infuser reviewed by Cynthia Sylvestermouse, a perfect gift pairing with the tea of your choice for your favorite tea lover.

For Healthy Chocolate Connoisseurs

As a chocolate connoisseur who has lost a significant amount of weight on a ketogenic diet and now follows a delicious, healthy low carb lifestyle, I have tried most of the no sugar added and sugar-free chocolate brands and products on the market. There are many great choices now, but my favorite chocolate candy bars are from The Good Chocolate and ChocZero. 

The Good Chocolate is expensive but has the best mouthfeel of any no sugar added dark chocolate I have tried (they also offer vegan milk chocolate treats). Check out my review of The Good Chocolate 100% Organic, No Sugar Dark Chocolate. 

I also love ChocZero's sugar-free keto bark, which contains no sugar alcohols. The ChocZero dark chocolate peppermint keto bark with bits of crunchy, sugar-free peppermint candy is my husband's favorite holiday candy. Both these chocolate bars are also high in fiber, which is a nice bonus.

No sugar added, low carb chocolate hazelnut spreads would also make a great stocking stuffer for a health-conscious Nutella lover. My side-by-side comparison of the Best Keto-Friendly Chocolate Hazelnut Spreads with No Added Sugars will help you choose. 

For People Following a Keto Diet or Low Carb Lifestyle

In addition to the healthy sugar-free and no added sugar chocolate suggestions above, you'll find loads of other wonderful presents for health-conscious recipients in my Keto Gift Guide: The Best Low Carb Keto Gift Ideas.

For Women Who Appreciate Handmade Gifts

A gift you make for someone is truly a gift from the heart. Even if you are new to making jewelry, you can quickly and successfully create a beautiful and memorable gift of handmade jewelry for a special woman on your list to cherish. Just follow my easy, step-by-step jewelry tutorial, How to Make a Stylish Beaded Coil Wrap Bracelet.

If jewelry making isn't your thing, consider getting one of the crochet, knitting, sewing, felt, quilting or other craft kits recommended by Pat Austin (a.k.a. Wednesday Elf) that come complete with all the materials and tools you will need to complete your handmade gift projects.

If you prefer cooking to crafts, homemade baked goods are always a treat. For someone who prefers savory foods to sweets, you can buy some pretty lidded glass food storage jars and fill them with a batch of refrigerator pickled vegetables recipe using Tracey Boyer's quick and easy recipe that doesn't require canning.

If your gift recipient's household includes a beloved cat or small dog owner, you can follow this Upcycled Drawer Pet Bed Tutorial by Diana (a.k.a. Renaissance Woman) to turn an old dresser drawer into an elegant, luxurious bed for their precious pet.

For Scale Model, Jewelry Making or Hand Tool Enthusiasts

My husband is both a "tool guy" and a "car guy" who loves building scale models as a hobby and doing electonics and automotive repairs. One of the best gifts I've given him is a durable, compact tool roll that keeps his many files and other precision hand tools organized, protected and easy to find. I've been tempted to buy another for myself for my jewelry making tools. Check out my in-depth product review to find out why The Best Tool Roll Organizer To Store & Protect Your Tools makes a great gift.

Consider pairing it with a Grypmat, a handy silicone tool organizer that sticks to and protects work surfaces and comes in a variety of sizes. It's perfect for automotive repairs and other mechanical work, jewelry making and DIY projects. Learn more about it in Dawn Rae's product review of the Grypmat: the Ultimate Tool Mat.

For Women or Men With Long, Thick or Damaged Hair

Drying long or thick hair can be time-consuming unless you use a blow dryer, which can damage tresses if overused, which can lead to damage. Using blow dryers or heat styling tools, such as curling irons and hot brushes, for as short a time as possible is important to keep hair healthy and prevent additional damage to colored, processed or fragile strands.

For the person on your list who has long, thick or damaged hair, a high-quality, absorbent hair towel that glides over vulnerable, wet tresses without stretching or pulling them is a wonderful gift. I highly recommend the VOLO Hero or VOLO Hero Plus (for long, thick locks), which I've written about in my VOLO Hero Premium Microfiber Hair Towel Product Review.

A good "wet brush" designed to slide through tangles without pulling, stretching or breaking wet strands after a shampoo would make a great pairing or stocking stuffer. Check out my article on The Best Wet Brushes for Detangling Your Hair Without Damage in addition to the Crave Naturals Glide Thru Detangling Hair Brush for Wet or Dry Hair, my new favorite daily brush for hair that's already damaged or fragile.

For People Who Love to Smile

I recently treated myself to a new sonic toothbrush that works as well as my previous Philips Sonicare and Oral-B brushes that cost much more. The bristles are gentle on the gums and clean very effectively, and the brush comes complete with a travel case and lots of extra brush heads, all for a remarkably low price. Unlike my previous ultrasonic toothbrushes from the big-name brands, the brush head refills are also delightfully affordable. 

Read my product review of The Best Dentist Approved, Inexpensive, 5-Mode Electric Toothbrush to learn more about why this set makes a wonderful gift for yourself or a loved one with a beautiful smile.

Have You Made Your Holiday Gift List (and Checked It Twice)?

I hope this holiday gift guide helps you choose thoughtful, affordable presents that will continue to delight both you and the recipients long after the holidays are over.

Happy holidays!

Holiday Gift Guide: Thoughtful, Affordable Gift Ideas They Will Love by Margaret Schindel

Read More Gift Ideas From Our Review This Reviews Contributors

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The Best Lego Gift Ideas That Aren't Building Sets

A GIFT GUIDE FULL OF FUN 'N FABULOUS LEGO MERCHANDISE

My children clamored for Lego sets when they were growing up and, somewhere along the line, they turned me into a Lego enthusiast. Each year at Christmas my sons picked a special set that they dreamed of owning and, of course, hoped that Santa Claus would leave under the Christmas tree. They generally picked reasonable sets and discovered them under the Christmas tree in the morning.

Now that my children are grown up, Lego still appeals to them and Santa still likes to leave them a small Lego set at Christmastime. However, Lego gifts can even make an appearance on Valentine's Day, at Easter time or on a birthday and sometimes those gifts are Lego themed but not necessarily Lego sets. The popularity of Lego has ensured that there is plenty of merchandise to choose from so that gift giving is not limited to building sets though of course no Lego fan would ever say no to another Lego kit.

I have gathered on this page some of the best Lego-themed gift ideas that I could find in 2022. It was while looking for just such a gift that I decided to create this page. The "best" is used very loosely and is based solely on what appealed to me, partly by my sense of what my Lego lovers would love to own and partly by what appeals the most to me. I hope you find this list useful.

A BOOK - FANTASTIC: A LEGO ADVENTURE IN THE REAL WORLD

Within the pages of Penelope Arlon's Factastic: A LEGO Adventure in the Real World the reader will find real photographs with Lego figures and interesting facts and statistics about an eclectic variety of subjects including flying to Pluto, the invention of my favorite snack (the humble potato chip), the playing of the first video game and more. It is a fun, non-fiction Lego-themed book by Scholastic recommended for ages seven to eleven but, of course, of interest to anyone who loves the Lego brick. 

Find your copy of Factastic here on Amazon.

A CALENDAR - LEGO BRICK CALENDAR SET 40172

I am not in the least surprised that there is such a thing as a Lego calendar. This Lego Brick Calendar seems like a natural choice for someone who loves to play with Lego or who remembers fondly playing with Lego in his or her youth. The calendar is set 40172 and comes with everything you need to build the four blocks as well as a mini-figure and the display rack. It is a perfect gift for the year 2022 that will be equally useful for years to come. Personally, I would trade out the mini-figure for one that suits my interests more but that is no problem if your gift recipient owns a collection of Lego.

Find Lego's Calendar Set 40172 here, on Amazon.

A STORAGE UNIT - LEGO ICONIC RACK SYSTEM SET 5005875

This Transparent Blue LEGO Iconic Rack System (5005875) is not particularly big but it is perfectly designed for young builders having three drawers for him or her to sort and organize Lego bricks. The drawers are semi-transparent drawers and have baseplates to build on. The unit measures 14 inches tall by 12 inches wide by 13 inches deep.

I am not sure if this storage unit will save you from the pain of stepping on the Lego bricks of younger Lego fans but it will help them sort and organize their bricks and even the youngest will now have a home to put all of their Lego bricks away when they care to or when they are instructed to. Available in red as shown, in blue or in gray.

Click here to find this Transparent Lego Rack System on Amazon. 

A MOVIE - LEGO'S EXTRA AWESOME 2-FILM COLLECTION 

The Lego Movies were a huge hit with fans and the critics. This Extra Awesome set is one that your gift recipient should own. Whether or not he or she has already seen the movies, they'll likely watch them over and over again.  Click here to find The Lego Movie 2-Film Collection on Amazon. It is an extremely affordable gift idea.

A LUGGAGE TAG - BANANAS, HOT DOGS AND MORE, OH MY!

These Lego tags are fun, declaring, as they will, your recipient's love of Lego to one and all and I don't think you have to be a traveler to appreciate them. They could also be affixed to a backpack, purse or other bag, not just your suitcase. I have shared a couple of mini-figure food-themed tags but Lego has also produced tags in themes that include Star Wars, Batman, Ninjago and Batman. Find them all on Amazon by clicking right here. 

A T-SHIRT - CUSTOMIZABLE LEGO BRICK HEAD BY TEEZ 2 GO

I cannot think of a more practical or affordable gift idea for a Lego lover than a t-shirt like the ones shown above from Teez 2 Go on Etsy.  They are available in a host of colors, designs and sizes for men, women and children so that you can pick the one that you think is perfect for your Lego enthusiast.  You will find these t-shirts on Etsy by clicking right here. If the whole family loves Lego, why not dress them all in one of these? That would create a fabulous photo opportunity.

A LIMITED EDITION POSTER - TOM WHALEN'S THE LEGO MOVIE POSTER 

Tom Whalen's Lego Movie art poster makes a unique gift for your Lego fan that can take pride of place on his or her bedroom wall. Heck, don't limit it to the bedroom. It would be fabulous on a family room or play room wall or absolutely any wall at all. 

Whale is a deviant artist who has produced many movie-themed prints, including this limited edition The Lego Movie one, which was issued in a limited numbered run of 475. You can source it now on eBay from the original buyers who are now wanting to sell their copy of the fun print.  Find it on eBay by clicking right here.

A MINI-FIGURE - PERSONALIZED & BUILT IN YOUR LIKENESS

Finally, here is a truly unique Lego-themed gift idea. Brick Creative on Etsy creates personalized minifigures of you and/or your loved ones. They do them in many themes including but not limited to Christmas, Halloween, birthday, anniversary and thank you. You can select the number of figures, theme, etc. that suit you. See for yourself all of the choices in Brick Creative's store on Etsy by clicking right here. 

So there you have it, a page full of interesting and less usual Lego-themed gift ideas. Which items were your favorites?

See you 

at the Lego store!

Brenda

MORE READING:

New, retired, used & vintage Lego in my eBay store.

Lego fans will enjoy checking out the retired sets in my eBay store.

Two Great Books for Lego Fans.

True enthusiasts, young and old, will love perusing the pages of these great books.

Lego's Beatles' Yellow Submarine Set.
Know someone who loves Lego and the Beatles? This will be the set for them!

Lego's Carousel Set

Another adult set, perfect for those who are expert builders and love a beautiful carousel.

Lego's Typewriter Set

A throw-back to another time, adult fans who remember typewriters will enjoy this set.

Lego's Big Bang Theory Set

Perfect for fans of the iconic television program, the Big Bang.

Lego's Green Grocer Set

An adult-level set for those appreciate grocery stores or markets of the old-fashioned style.

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Reviewing Why the Sitivien ST139 Knife is a Great Gift Idea

 I recently gifted myself with a Sitivien ST139 knife and immediately wondered why I let "knife" languish at the bottom of my to-buy list for so long. I know little about things such as blade material (what makes a knife sharp versus durable) so I finally accepted help and recommendations from others who know knives. As soon as I began sharing my experience with this knife there were others that said this would be a great gift; hint-hint.  

As I said, I am not a knife afficiando. Quite the opposite.  I only recall owning 3 or 4 folding knives before this. Most recently, two of those were Kershaws that I really liked. And two others prior were really cheap knives - one of which I kept clipped to my kayak life vest because I had a terrible fear of capsizing and becoming entangled in some underwater mess.  I know, I know, a somewhat irrational fear and yet I felt better having a blade handy in case I wanted to cut myself from my vest or my 'yak leash. Since that specific knife was junk, it didn't take more than 2 seasons to corrode.

The Sitivien ST139 Folding EDC Knife

In order to educate myself about knives, and stay within my very low budget, I began listening to people who know much more than I about the subject. Of course, being knife collectors and daily users, they have their eyes on high quality knives and carry knives with a smaller price tag than their "next" knives. That smaller price is still out of my range. One day I was brave and asked point blank for a recommendation for someone with with a very tight budget. Sitivien was the answer. 

The ST139 was my choice because it looked like the handle would be the best for my weak hand grip. And I chose the yellow and black handle so I could find it more easily if I drop it in the woods.

In the description online it states:

• Knife dimensions: Overall length: 7.48" inches(19cm); Blade length:3.15" inches(8cm)
• Handle length: 4.33” inches(11cm); Weight of Knife: 4.37 Ounce OR 124 grams
• Blade: Sandvik 14C28N Steel Knife : Durable 14C28N steel blade hardness 60-61 HRC, provides a perfect balance of edge sharpness, edge stability and corrosion resistance. 
• Handle: Micarta Handle Ensures a secure and confident grip during use and comfortable in-hand feel.
• Ball Bearing knife can open extremely smoothly on its ball bearing pivot,
• Lock: has a simple and reliable Liner lock [that] is resistant to dirt and prevents unexpected closure.

I did NOT verify the dimensions but overall length sounds right.

I do know that the Amazon description was wrong about 2 things; a leather sheath was not included and the clip isn't (in all the research I've done since getting my knife) interchangeable from right-handed to left-handed.

I am a lady in my late 50's who just moved to my land and is homesteading. I need a knife for many reasons.  Just a few I can think of at this moment are:

• I could have used it with garden plants, pruning, and cutting tomato stake ties.
• Harvesting... if I had veggies to harvest this year (it wasn't a good gardening year for me).
• Building my chicken coop and similar projects (cutting paracord and zip tie ends).
• I needed a good knife to cut that Black Gorilla tape I needed to use (that was a nightmare with dull scissors and tin snips).
• I've used it for opening boxes. 
• I've used it for cutting up meat (it was FANTASTIC for that purpose as the handle did not become slippery).
• I desperately needed a sharp knife last year when I installed my water line heating cords under the house.

I think that others who could use this would be people who:

• do simple or emergency household and/car repairs
• go hiking
• go camping
• live/work on a farm or homestead
• people who hunt and fish
• are crafters or artists (whittling, trimming, sharpening, and who need a sharp cutting tool larger than an Xacto blade)
• collect knives
• and people who have the skills to use it for self-protection and/or emergency situations
• perhaps in medical kits - I imagine it would be good for cutting those large band-aid wraps

Why Did I Choose to Review a Knife on Review This? 

I believe that our readers are more females than males. So why would I review this here?  I almost didn't. Then I changed my mind.  Women also need quality tools that suit their needs. I think we tend to overlook that. Also, buy gifts for our fathers, husbands, and sons. I'll never forget when my dad had started to down-size and he had many new shirts to get rid of. And I wondered if that pile of shirts were many of the shirts that he had received as gifts over the years. And that it was too bad we didn't have a better idea of what to get for him.  When he was elderly and in an apartment he might not have appreciated the knife but when he was a builder and a farmer he sure would have put it to good use (if only for cutting bale twine).

If you'd like to see more, you can see my personal video review and how the knife fits in my hand you here:

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

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Don't Buy This Fudge - It's Too Good!

 

Warning! If you're a fudge-a-holic, this fudge will be completely impossible to resist!

My Mom's Homemade Fudge Was the Best! Store Bought Fudge Couldn't Come Close to Her Fudge

Until now.

I rarely enjoy bakery fudge, or any store-bought fudge for that matter, because it doesn't taste right to me. 

After having my mother's homemade fudge for a lifetime, store fudge just lacks something.

The other day, my hubby showed up with a box of fudge. My first thought was, nope, it's going to suck. 

Well, I ate those words and the whole box of fudge too! So much for my low-carb life last week!

It was so good that I told my husband to NEVER buy it again because I could not resist it.

He Purchased This Fudge at Costco, But It's Also Available via Amazon Canada (I Can't Locate it on Amazon USA, Though)

You Can Find it Via Amazon Canada Here

This fudge is the closest to my mother's homemade fudge I've ever tasted. Being French Canadian, she called her fudge as per the box above; Sucre a la Creme; we just called it fudge. 

My mom's fudge was so good that my friends would request her to make it or ship them a box! So to my friends who loved her fudge, try this one.

This Laura Secord Fudge has a buttery, brown-sugar flavor. 

Mom would make her fudge two ways, either hard or soft. I preferred the hard fudge. 

The creamy fudge above is more on the soft side (medium texture). Each piece is individually wrapped, so you'll absolutely eat six at once (lol) ... it's that good!

If you're looking for a nice treat to bring to someone's home, I recommend this incredible Laura Secord Fudge.

On second thought, don't buy it! Resist it!

Happy Holidays :)

P.S. I haven't enclosed my mom's fudge recipe because fudge is all about boiling, stirring, timing and cooling - it's more of a technique. After making her fudge a few times, I managed to get the technique down. Not sure I could even explain it!

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Happy Thanksgiving – A Holiday Menu Review

From the days of the Pilgrims Harvest Festival to today's modern celebrations, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated throughout America each year.

Thanksgiving became a National Holiday in 1863 when President Lincoln issued a proclamation. But actually, it wasn't until 1941 that Thanksgiving officially had the set date as the fourth Thursday in November. President Roosevelt officially changed the date of Thanksgiving in 1941 to be the second-to-last Thursday in November.

Thanksgiving Menus

Source: Pixabay

The First Thanksgiving was actually a Harvest festival held in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. It was to celebrate a successful growing season and the menu included all the fresh vegetables harvested at that time.

History tells us that the menu included freshly killed deer, assorted wildfowl (including wild turkey), fish, and flint, a native variety of corn harvested by the Native Americans, which was eaten as corn bread and porridge. The harvest vegetables included onions,  peas, beans, squash, cabbage and carrots. 

*Note: Not served were potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet corn or stuffing. 

Source: Pixabay

Today, our modern Thanksgiving menu traditionally consists of turkey, gravy, stuffing, potatoes, veggies, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pie. Although, many dishes are ever-changing because of current food trends and different dietary requirements. 

A Thanksgiving Menu from World War II Days

Photo By: Army Staff Sgt. Caitlyn Byrne

A "Thanksgiving Dinner Menu," dated Nov. 26, 1942, included roast young turkey, chicken a la princess, cranberry sauce, oyster dressing, Russian salad, mixed candy, assorted nuts, pumpkin pie, cigars, cigarettes and café noir.

The menu even included a poem for inspiration:

"This is the table, lads, grab you a seat, 

Thanksgiving this year is Uncle Sam's treat;

The café noir

Is not rationed by far

And neither, my lads, is the meat!

So eat!"

Summary 

Favorite Thanksgiving traditions, menus and recipes are shared by many of the contributors on Review This Reviews in a number of interesting and delicious reviews. Click here for a fun list of articles and recipes to read. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

*Thanksgiving Review written by Wednesday Elf

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Catering Christmas (2022) Movie

When scanning the current Christmas movies, I came across Catering Christmas starring Merritt Patterson and Daniel Lissing. It is a great romantic movie to add to your "must see" Christmas movie list. As a matter of fact, I plan to watch it again.

I was not previously familiar with Merritt Patterson, but after seeing this movie, I really like her.  I have seen Daniel Lissing in other movies, notably When Calls the Heart series where he played the part of Jack Thornton.  He was extremely popular on that series because of his gentle and caring demeanor.  That personality trait shines through in Catering Christmas as well.

While this movie may be predictable, it is still entertaining.  Both main characters are adorable and several times made me laugh. It is always nice to find an uplifting movie to watch and I highly recommend this movie.

Catering Christmas (2022) Review

As the owner of a catering business, Molly Frost (Merritt Patterson) is working hard to succeed in her community, but she needs clients.  All to often, she loses bids to cover events to her competitor.  When she is approached by Jean Harrison to cover the local Christmas Gala sponsored by the prominent Harrison Foundation, she is over the moon, until she finds out she will have to compete to get the job. Jean requests that she come to her home and prepare a meal for her evaluation and comparison to the other caterer.  

Molly is in need of a sous chef to help her prepare the meal and quickly hires her employee's friend.  She doesn't know him, but she trusts her friend/employee.  The "friend" is to meet her at the Harrison estate.  When the unknown man enters the Harrison kitchen, Molly assumes he is her sous chef for the day.  Intrigued, Carson Harrison (Daniel Lissing) plays along, until the real sous chef shows up!

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Jean Harrison is ready to pass the torch of the Harrison Foundation to her reluctant nephew, Carson.  He is a successful photographer and is not ready to accept full responsibility of the foundation, but he does agree to help his aunt by taking over this year's annual gala.  His first task will be to set the menu for the evening.  He doesn't really care and is content to pass that off onto the caterer, but Jean does not approve of the dinner selections.

There are big adjustments and changes for everyone involved.  It is rather entertaining to watch the various relationships evolve. I even found myself laughing a few times.

 

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