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Saturday, February 4, 2023

National Chopsticks Day Review

The Mid-Winter month of February is famous for the holidays of Groundhog's Day, Valentine's Day and President's Day. But lots of other unusual, different, strange or wacky days occur in February to give us lots to celebrate.

Chopsticks Day

National Chopsticks Day is celebrated each year on February 6. It is not a recognized 'national' holiday, but somehow the national name was tacked onto the day. No one really knows why this holiday was begun as the creator is anonymous, but it can be a fun day to celebrate.

Approximately one-fourth of the world's population use chopsticks for every meal. In fact, Asian children quickly learn to use them and think forks are an 'odd' utensil.

My son's wife is from South Korea and the family uses chopsticks for most every meal. In fact, last night my darling daughter-in-law was even using chopsticks to feed leftover dinner tidbits to their poodle one bite at a time. A new-to-me use for chopsticks! LOL.

Image Source: Pixabay

Chopsticks come in many forms. They can be made of wood, bamboo, plastic, bone, fine china, or metal. Wooden or bamboo chopsticks are the choice in my son's family.

In China, chopsticks are called “Kuaizi”, which means “quick little bamboo fellows”.
In Korea, the word for chopsticks is “jeosgalag”.
In Japan, chopsticks are known as “Hashi”.

A Bit of Chopsticks History

Image Source: Pixabay

Definition: A pair of slender sticks held between thumb and fingers and used chiefly in Asian countries to lift food to the mouth.

According to research, chopsticks were developed in China about 5,000 years ago. The earliest versions were probably twigs used to retrieve food from cooking pots.

In China, chopsticks symbolize heaven and earth. The round end is the eating end (heaven) and the square end symbolizes earth. This came about because the greatest concern between heaven and earth is maintaining an adequate food supply.

Cultural hint: Never use chopsticks the wrong way round, i.e., invert them, to avoid losing face.

How to Use Chopsticks

Summary

So, on February 6, be sure and use chopsticks ~ perhaps for a Chinese meal.

National Chopstick Day
February 6

Bamboo Chopsticks available on Amazon

For more holiday reviews, check out
ReviewThisReviews: Holidays

*National Chopsticks Day Review written by Wednesday Elf

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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Friday, February 3, 2023

Women's Petite Flannel Pajamas Review

I tend to stay cold, year round. Therefore, I wear flannel pajamas year round. I only have one problem with pajamas in general. Often, the legs are simply too long and I trip over them, especially going up or down the stairs in our home. I know from experience that it hurts to trip over pajama pant legs on the brick steps at our back door. Both my body and the pajama pants sustain damage when that happens.

My mother has the same problem with flannel pajamas. The pants are too long on standard sizes. For her birthday a few months ago, I found the perfect solution: Petite Flannel Pajamas!

Mom loves her new petite size flannel pajamas. She liked them so much that I added them to my own Christmas wish list.

My daughter pulled them off the wish list and gave them to me for Christmas this year. Plus, my son gave my mother another set for Christmas. He gave her the Christmas lama pajamas, which she thinks are "so cute".

These petite flannel pajamas are now our "go to" pajamas whenever they are clean. Not only are the legs shorter than the standard size, but the flannel is soft and warm, yet lightweight to wear. The perfect combination for pajamas.

Petite Flannel Pajamas

AmeriMark Womens Flannel Pajama
Two Piece Set PJ Sleepwear with Button Front TopCheck Price

Not all flannel pajamas are available in the petite size and they are not easy to find in stores. However, they are available on Amazon in a variety of fabric patterns.

I chose the paisley for my mother's original gift and that pattern is also the one my daughter gave me. I love the blue background color. As I said earlier, our son chose the Christmas lama fabric to give to his grandmother.

There are several other designs that I like too and hope to get as gifts sometime in the future. Several of the patterns, like the blue paisley, can be worn for a few hours after you wake up without looking like you have not dressed for the day. They are clearly pajamas, but with the fabric pattern, the weight of the shirt, the shirt pocket, and the rolled edge piping detail, the shirt could pass for a pretty casual wear top.

One important thing before you order, I recommend going up a size in these flannel pajamas. If you are normally a medium size, go up to large. You will find them more comfortable to wear, especially while sleeping. They are 100% cotton and cotton tends to shrink when washed. I have not noticed mine shrinking, but they could have shrunk a bit and I simply haven't noticed it because I did select a size larger than I normally wear.

I will also note that while this article is written for those of us who need petite sizes, these pajamas are available in standard sizes too.

Check Price

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Delicious Sugar-Free Keto Cookies That OREO Fans Will Love

If you are following a sugar-free, low carb or ketogenic diet or just trying to cut down on sugar and empty carbs, either for overall health and wellness or for weight loss, there are certain comfort foods from childhood that you may crave but try to avoid in favor of healthier options.

Fortunately, there are now several brands of low carb chocolate sandwich cookies available to OREO lovers who want to eat healthier. Today, I'll be reviewing HighKey Sugar-Free Sandwich Cookies, which have the best clean ingredients for someone on a low carb, gluten-free, sugar-free or keto diet.

Gluten-Free HighKey Sugar-Free Sandwich Cookies 2 Net Carbs Per Serving!

My husband no longer misses his OREO cookies as much, now that I found these delicious low carb, gluten-free, sugar-free keto sandwich cookies for him.

Who Loves OREO Cookies?

Before we switched to a low carb way of eating for health reasons, one of my husband's favorite treats were OREO cookies. In fact, "Double Stuf" OREO cookies (filled with twice the amount of vanilla creme filling) and mint Oreos were extra-special treats for him. But two Double Stuf OREOs have not only 140 calories but also 21g of carbohydrates (my entire daily carb allowance when I was following a keto diet for weight loss!), including 13g of added sugars. Even two classic OREO cookies have 110 calories and 16g of carbs, including 9g of added sugars. So, both Double Stufs and classic OREO cookies were no longer an option as a sweet treat for both my husband and me.

So the answer to "Who Loves OREO Cookies?" is our taste buds and our emotions but, sadly, not our bodies or our health.

What's a Health-Conscious OREO Cookie Lover to Do?

In order for our low carb lifestyle to be sustainable, we look for alternatives to our favorite treats that support our health and nutrition goals or, in the case of treats, at least don't sabotage them. That's why I got so excited when I started seeing low carb and sugar-free cookies similar to my husband's beloved OREOs. Then I started reading the ingredients and nutrition labels...and I got less excited.

Thanks to the popularity of the keto diet, the term "keto" sells. Unfortunately, since there is no universally agreed-upon definition of a "keto diet" or a "keto" food (my post on Preparing to Succeed on the Keto Diet discusses this topic in more detail), marketers slap the "keto" label on anything that is low in net carbs, regardless of the quality or nutritional value of the ingredients. So, for those of us who are looking to make healthier food choices, it's up to us to educate ourselves about ingredients and nutrition and read packaged food labels carefully, and to experiment to find out which low-carb ingredients spike our insulin levels, cause gastric distress, etc., since each of us has a different metabolism and a different reaction to the same foods.

Three Low-Carb OREO Cookie Alternatives

I found three vanilla-filled chocolate sandwich cookies that looked similar to OREOs and claimed to be "keto" or "keto-friendly" and started reading and comparing the ingredients and nutrition labels. The three contenders were:

Here's how they compare vs. each other and vs. classic OREO cookies:

Chocolate Vanilla Sandwich Cookie Ingredients and Nutrition Comparison*
* Ingredients and nutrition data obtained from Amazon product pages on 01/30/23
	HighKey	Catalina Crunch	Rip Van LEOs	OREO
Serving: 2 cookies
Calories	60	90	100	110
Total Fat	4g	6g	6g	4.5g
Saturated Fat	1g	3g	3g	1.5g
Trans Fat	0g	0g	0g	0g
Cholesterol	0g	0g	0g	0g
Sodium	130mg	95mg	80mg	85mg
Total Carbohydrate	17g	12g	13g	16g
Dietary Fiber	7g	3g	6g	0g
Total Sugars	0g	2g	3g	9g
Added Sugars	0g	2g	2g	9g
Sugar Alcohols	4g	0g	0g	0g
Allulose	4g	2g	2g	0g
Net Carbs	2g	5g	5g	16g
Protein	<1g	4g	3g	<1g
Ingredients	Resistant Cassava Fiber, Erythritol, Allulose, White Rice Flour, RSPO Palm Oil, Non-GMO Canola Oil, Cocoa Powder (Processed with Alkali), Egg Whites, Natural Flavors, Sunflower Lecithin, Oligofructose, Baking Soda, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Psyllium Husk, Water, Stevia Extract, Monk Fruit Extract.	Palm Fruit Oil, Allulose, Pea Protein, Cane Sugar, Cassava Flour, Tapioca Flour, Inulin, Cocoa Powder, Cocoa Powder (Processed with Alkali), Xanthan Gum, Natural Flavor, Sunflower Lecithin, Baking Soda, Sea Salt, Stevia Extract.	Palm fruit oil, Vegetable fiber, sugar, milk protein, wheat flour, allulose, sugar cane fiber, cocoa processed with alkali, wheat starch, oat fiber, sea salt, baking soda, chocolate extract, sunflower lecithin, vanilla extract, stevia leaf extract.	Unbleached enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate {vitamin B1}, riboflavin {vitamin B2}, folic acid), sugar, palm and/or canola oil, cocoa (processed with alkali), high fructose corn syrup, leavening (baking soda and/or calcium phosphate), salt, soy lecithin, chocolate, artificial flavor. Contains: wheat, soy.

Plate of HighKey Suger-Free Sandwich Cookies

This plate of HighKey Sugar-Free Sandwich Cookies makes my husband miss his OREO cookies much less, now that we follow a more health conscious, low carb but still delicious approach to eating.

Why I Chose HighKey Sugar-Free Sandwich Cookies

Here are a few of the reasons I decided to order HighKey keto sandwich cookies as a healthier alternative to OREO cookies.

Only 2g of Net Carbs

As you can see, the HighKey Sugar-Free Sandwich Cookies have only 2g of net carbs, compared to 5g each for the Catalina Crunch Keto Friendly Chocolate Vanilla Sandwich Cookies and Rip Van LEOs Sandwich Creme Cookies.

Lower in Calories

Two of the HighKey Sugar-Free Sandwich Cookies have 60 calories, compared to 90 calories for two Catalina Crunch keto sandwich cookies and 100 for the Rip Van LEOs.

No Added Sugars, Gluten-Free

The HighKey sandwich cookies use low glycemic sweeteners that don't spike blood glucose. Other than the white rice flour, which is gluten-free but can spike blood sugar levels, the ingredients are surprisingly clean for this type of low carb sweet treat.

By contrast, cane sugar is the fourth ingredient in the Catalina Crunch sandwich cookies. Since cane sugar spikes insulin and is something my husband and I try to avoid completely, that pretty much knocks these out of contention for us.

Similarly, the Rip Van LEOs sandwich cookies contain not only (cane) sugar but also wheat flour, neither of which ingredients are considered keto-friendly, although people who follow a "dirty keto" diet may not be bothered by this.

Not a Perfect OREOs Dupe, But a Good, Healthier Option

HighKey Sugar-Free Sandwich Cookies taste good, especially to those of us who have kicked our food addiction to cane sugar and wheat flour. However, they are by no means an exact dupe of classic, sugar-laden OREO cookies.

The chocolate cookies are harder and don't soften as readily when dipped in regular or dairy-free milk. They are also more brittle and the filling is firmer, so you can't twist to separate the two chocolate cookies and lick off the creme filling, a favorite part of the experience of eating classic OREO cookies.

For us, and probably for many people who must eat gluten-free or sugar-free, the trade-offs are well worth it.

Healthier Packaged Foods With Clean Ingredients Cost More Than Their Conventional Counterparts

I compared the Amazon prices on January 30, 2023for classic OREO cookies, HighKey Sugar-Free Sandwich Cookies, Catalina Crunch Keto Friendly Chocolate Vanilla Sandwich Cookies and Rip Van LEOs Sandwich Creme Cookies (Cookies & Creme flavor). Here are the price comparisons per package and per cookie.

Chocolate Vanilla Sandwich Cookie Amazon Price Comparison*
* Prices on Amazon on 01/30/23
	HighKey	Catalina Crunch	Rip Van LEOs	OREO
Quantity	3 packs (4.27 oz packs), 10 cookies each = 30 cookies	2 pack (6.8 oz boxes), 16 cookies each = 32 cookies	2 pack (6.77oz), 16 cookies each = 32 cookies	60 Snack Packs (2 Cookies Per Pack) = 120 cookies
Item Price	$17.99	$17.63	$14.39	$29.40
Price per Cookie	$0.60	$0.55	$0.45	$0.25

My Recommended Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free Alternative to OREO Cookies

If you or someone you know is on a sugar-free, gluten-free, low carb or ketogenic diet, these keto friendly HighKey Sugar-Free Sandwich cookies would make a great gift or something to keep on hand for when they visit. They're a sweet treat both kids and adults will appreciate!

Delicious Sugar-Free Keto Cookies That OREO Fans Will Love by Margaret Schindel

Posts About My Keto Diet Journey

My First Year on The Keto Diet

Preparing to Succeed on the Keto Diet, Part One

Preparing to Succeed on the Keto Diet, Part Two

Low Carb Muffins & Cupcakes: Treats to Enjoy on a Keto Diet

Low Carb Keto Chocolate Yogurt Granola Chip Pudding Recipe

Good Dee’s Keto Cookie Low Carb Baking Mix Review

Hamama Microgreens Growing Kit Review & Success Tips

My Favorite Hamama Microgreens Seed Quilt Accessories

Keto Cheddar Cheese Biscuits With Chives Recipe

The Ultimate Keto Hot Chocolate Recipe

The Best Low Carb Keto Gift Ideas: Keto Gift Guide

The Best Low Carb Keto Cinnamon Muffins

Wholesome Yum Keto Bread Mix and Yeast Bread Recipe

The Good Chocolate 100% Organic No Sugar Dark Chocolate Review

The Best Advice to Maintain Your Keto Diet Weight Loss

My New Irresistibly Delicious Keto Cheese Crackers Recipe

Luscious Low Carb Keto Triple Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies Recipe

Quick & Easy Livlo Blueberry Scones Keto Baking Mix Review

Snack Better With The Best Healthy Keto Cookie Dough Bites

The Best Quick and Easy Low Carb Keto Pizza Recipe

The Best Quick and Easy Low Carb Keto Shortcake Cupcakes Recipe

Comparing the Best Keto-Friendly Chocolate Hazelnut Spreads - No Added Sugars

The Best Low Carb Keto Sandwich and Burger Buns Mix

Blueberry Biscuit Scones — New, Easy, Low Carb Keto Recipe

The Best Keto Pizza Crust Mix With 0 Net Carbs

An Unusual, Delicious Strawberry Chocolate Tea With 0 Calories

Delicious Sugar-Free Keto Cookies That OREO Fans Will Love

Healthy Pistachio Cherry Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cereal Treats Recipe

Easy, Decadent, High Protein, Sugar-Free Rocky Road Cottage Cheese Ice Cream

The Best Quick & Easy Low Carb Sausage and Ricotta Calzones

How to Make Refreshing Vanilla Italian Soda (With or Without Cream)

Reviews of the Keto Diet by Barbara C. (aka Brite-Ideas)

My Personal Keto Testimonial

How I Stayed Committed to the Ketogenic Way of Eating

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

What Sold on eBay? The Best eBay Sales of 2022

Check out my best eBay sales of 2022 in this the fifth installment of my What Sells on eBay series.

Next up in my What Sold on eBay series, is a review of the five best sales that I had last year, 2022. The word best has many definitions so I will make it clear that these are my five largest dollar value sales. If you are curious about what is valuable on eBay and what you might sell or even if you are just curious as to what people are selling, you will enjoy my review of 2022.

GEBRUDER BING GERMAN TEDDY BEAR

A sweet little previously loved Gerbruder Bing German teddy bear from the 1920s.

My largest and definitely most interesting sale of the year was of an antique teddy bear that I listed in April and, after generating quite a lot of interest, sold in June. It was a German bear manufactured in the 1920s by Gebruder Bing. Even though she was much-beloved and showing it the fact that she is antique made her sought after and valuable despite her condition. click here to see the Bing bears available on eBay now.

If you are interested in reading more about my bear, click here.

BOUCHER PEACOCK BROOCH AND EARRINGS SET

This beautiful Boucher set was my next highest priced sale and was worth more because it was a set rather than individual pieces and, of course, because it was in perfect condition. I sold it for a friend who thinks that her mother would have been quite surprised at the value of her vintage costume jewelry set. Sought after, it is available from time to time from sellers on eBay. Click here for a Boucher Peacock set for yourself on eBay.

MONTREAL OLYMPICS POSTER

I sold quite a few Montreal Olympic-themed posters over the course of 2022. The most valuable one showed the Canadian beaver with rainbow stripes across the middle of his body. It was worth the most because it is one of the rarer posters from the series and because it was large in size. If you are in the market for such a poster, do beware that there are two sizes. The 33-inch poster is much harder to find and, as a matter of fact, when I looked on eBay today, there were no large ones available with the beaver on it. If it matters to you, be aware also of reproductions and of new posters.

Click here to see the Montreal Olympics posters available today on eBay.

LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE SET 70632

Next up was the Ninjago Lego movie set number 70632 called Quake Mech. With 1,202 pieces, it is a large set that is now retired and harder but not impossible to find. Fans do have to pay more for new, sealed sets, that are no longer in production.

Click here to see what Lego's Ninjago Set 70632 is selling for on eBay.

If you are really curious about Lego value, check out this page of Rare and Hard to Find Lego sets.

BERG CAT TILE

Love this Berg, Danmark (Denmark) mid-century modern art tile! So pretty.

This final sale was the most eye opening one for me. This pretty cat-themed wall tile was manufactured by Berg in Danmark or Denmark in a lovely glossy blue color. The cat versions of Berg tiles seem to fetch a higher price and I think that this tile was especially popular because of the current craze for all things Mid-Century Modern (MCM) and, of course, because of the popularity of cats.

Click here to check out the Berg Danmark tiles on eBay but note that today, I can see none!

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I hope you enjoyed this peek into the best of 2022 in my corner of eBay. If you would like to see more, visit my store, Treasures By Brenda, by clicking right here.

You never know

what I might have

in store for you!

Brenda

QUICK LINKS:

What Sold on eBay Fourth Edition.

This edition included Steiff, movies, bugs, pewter, Play-doh and the royal family.

What Sold on eBay First Edition.

This edition included quilts, bowls, chimney sweeps and cheese boards.

Find more eBay stories from my blog, Treasures By Brenda.

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Monday, January 30, 2023

Cookbook Review - 5 Ingredients by Jamie Oliver

I recently purchased a cookbook that I'm very excited about. It is 5 Ingredients Quick and Easy Food by Jamie Oliver.

Sometime during the past year I have seen Jamie Oliver on his cooking shows on television. He was a new name to me and I only had the show on as background noise. But he caught my attention during one episode when he ran tomatoes across the shredder leaving behind a seedless, skinless tomato pulp. He added his resulting tomato sauce to small pieces of crusty bread. I don't recall now what else he added to his tomatoes, perhaps cheese and herbs but I had to try it. I used the tomatoes as a dip for my bannock bread. It was so easy, fresh, and delicious that I looked forward to more new ideas from Mr. Oliver.

5 Ingredients Quick and Easy Food Cookbook

5 Ingredients Quick and Easy Food is exactly that; a collection of recipes that require only 5 main ingredients. I am adding the word "main" because it ends up that you still need things like salt, pepper, cooking oil. But the shopping list truly consists of 5 ingredients.

For example, I had the Sausage and Apple Bake this morning for brunch. The shopping list was apples, red onions, parsnips, small pork sausages, and honey. The prep was exceedingly easy, the aroma coming from my kitchen was wonderful, and I had a delicious one skillet meal.

I was unable to find parsnips. After a quick internet search I found the recommended parsnip substitutes and chose carrots. The recipe also used salt, pepper, olive oil, and a tablespoon of red wine vinegar (which I did have but in previously years I wouldn't have had on hand and I would have been irritated that this item wasn't listed more prominently in the ingredients list). Other than the parsnips (which are available here at certain times of the year), I can easily find all of the ingredients in the recipes that I've bookmarked for later.

Tomorrow I will make the Peachy Pork Chops which includes adding bourbon and lighting it. This will be my very first attempt at flambe. Wish me luck! Fortunately, Mr. Oliver gives a super easy meal to try which includes only garlic, rosemary, porkchops, a can of peach halves, and bourbon which gives me the confidence to try.

The book itself is beautiful. The recipe is on one page and a photograph of the finished dish is on the facing page. It is full of recipes (approximately 300 pages of recipes) and a gorgeous photo for each dish.

The introduction states:

"Quick & Easy Food focuses unapologetically on genius combinations of just five ingredients that work together to deliver an utterly delicious result, giving maximum flavor, with minimum fuss. These are dishes you can get on the table in 30 minutes or less; or that are ridiculously quick to put together with just 10 minutes hands-on time, while the oven or stove then does the rest of the work."

There is no false advertising in that statement. The meals are quick and easy. Just my style. Yet, flavorful enough to feel as though I am eating something completely new from my usual weekly menu.

I was fortunate to find my copy on deep discount at a discount store. But the book is widely available on Amazon and in book stores. Personally, I would not have spent the original $35. However, now that I own the book I believe it is worth every penny. If you are on a budget I think you can find it in your price range.

As I mentioned above, the "5 ingredients" seems to include the main ingredients. You will also need salt, pepper, oil, and other small items that seem to be in most pantries. This is addressed in the brief introduction.

Are these meals as complex and flavorful as the multi-star, multi-course restaurants I've been to? No. And that's not the goal. But they are different and delicious flavors that are super easy for the most busy home cook.

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Sunday, January 29, 2023

15 Ways You Can Decorate Your Home for Valentine's Day

15 Fun Ideas on How to Decorate for Valentine's Day

Hey there! Are you getting excited about Valentine's Day? I don't usually go overboard, but lately, with the stress in the world, a little extra love around the house may not be a bad idea.

If you're looking for inspiration on decorating your home for the occasion, you're in the right place. There's nothing like adding a touch of love and romance to make your home feel cozy and inviting.

From candles and flowers to homemade crafts, there are many ways to make your home feel festive for Valentine's Day. So, I've got some great ideas to try out if you're planning a romantic night in with your significant other or want to add love-inspired decorations. Let's make your home the perfect place to celebrate the year's most romantic day.

Here are 15 Ideas on How to Add a Little Valentine Funk to Your Home:

Romantic ambiance is always calming, so how about using candles, soft lighting, and dreamy music.
Add red, pink, and white accessories throughout your home.
Fill vases with red and pink flowers, such as roses or peonies.
String and fairy lights look beautiful all year 'round; place them in a setting with other love-related accessories.
Use heart-shaped decorations, such as garlands or balloons.
Create a romantic photo wall with pictures of you and your significant other.
Make or purchase a homemade Valentine's Day wreath for your front door.
Set the table with a romantic tablecloth, candles, and flowers.
Cook a romantic dinner for two and set a special table setting.
Add romantic accessories in your bedroom in red and white.
Create a spa-like atmosphere in your bathroom with candles and rose petals.
Make a homemade dessert, such as chocolate-covered strawberries.
Put some love notes around the house for your loved one to find.
Make a romantic gift basket filled with your loved one's favorite things.
Create a movie night setup with romantic films and snacks.

If I had to choose which of the 15 ideas would be my personal favorite, it would be to put up a Valentine's Day wreath on the front door. A wreath is simple and delivers a positive message about love.

After scanning the above 15 suggestions, which would be your favorite? Or add another idea in the comments!

_______________________________________________

More Valentines Day Love:

A Fun Valentine's Word Scramble Book for Adults

The Evolution of Valentine's Day - A Bit of Interesting History

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Saturday, January 28, 2023

Book Review of An Enemy Like Me

I found this book to be totally captivating on many levels. First of all, the author made the characters so believable that you couldn't wait to turn the page and find out what was going on in their lives. Secondly, for me the storyline and characters sounded like they stepped right out of my family history. The similarities include: my father growing up in a German Lutheran community, my parents eloping, and my father and uncles going off to fight in World War II.

The Characters

An Enemy Like Me is seen through the characters that make up the book. There are three main characters that bring the book to life.

Jacob Miller

Jacob Miller is a second generation German American. He was brought up by his mother, a widowed immigrant. Although they were poor they had each other and she instilled into Jacob a strong sense of patriotism for America.

Jacob meets Bonnie Phillips and they work to make ends meet after the depression. They are starting to get comfortable and buying their first home to bring home their son William. Then the unthinkable happens, the country they love is drawn into the war in the Pacific and in Europe. Jacob is torn, he is very patriotic and feels he must help the war effort and yet he has a new young family that he loves and does not want to leave. Add to that part of the war is being fought against people from his parents homeland and he is even more torn.

Bonnie Phillips

Bonnie's family were once very wealthy and that is the background she brings to her marriage with Jacob. During the depression her family loses much of their wealth. Bonnie falls deeply in love with Jacob and they elope and begin their live together. What they don't have in money they make up for in their love and desire to carve their place in America. Although Bonnie is also a strong patriot she does not want Jacob to leave. She can't imagine life without him.

William Miller

William is Jacob and Bonnie's son, who is 4 years old when Jacob feels the call to join the fight. The story is told through alternating chapters of Bonnie, Jacob and William. William's chapters are also told in the present time where we find him on Veteran's Day 2016 visiting his father's grave and reminiscing about his memories of the war. We see how those years when Jacob was gone made a difference in William's life.

This book brings to life the joys and perils of German Americans during WWII. It made me think of my own family and how their time during WWII shaped their lives.

The Book on Amazon

About the Author

I always find it interesting to learn more about the author on books that I enjoy. Here is a bit about Teri M Brown taken from her media kit. Take a few minutes to also look at her website where she recommends other books of historical fiction.

Born in Athens, Greece as an Air Force brat, Teri M Brown graduated from UNC Greensboro. She began her writing career helping small businesses with content creation and published five nonfiction self-help books dealing with real estate and finance, receiving "First Runner Up" in the Eric Hoffman Book Awards for 301 Simple Things You Can Do To Sell Your Home Now, finalist in the USA Best Books Awards for How To Open and Operate a Financially Successful Redesign, Redecorate, and Real Estate Staging Business and for 301 Simple Things You Can Do To Sell Your Home Now, and Honorable Mention in Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award for Private Mortgage Investing. In 2017, after winning the First Annual Anita Bloom Ornoff Award for Inspirational Short Story, she began writing fiction in earnest, and published Sunflowers Beneath the Snow in January 2022. Her second novel, An Enemy Like Me, launches in January 2023. Teri is a wife, mother, grandmother, and author who loves word games, reading, bumming on the beach, taking photos, singing in the shower, hunting for bargains, ballroom dancing, playing bridge, and mentoring others. Learn more at www.terimbrown.com.

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Friday, January 27, 2023

Disposable Powder-Free Nitrile Gloves - Uses & Review

Nitrile Gloves are an essential product in our home. Long before the pandemic, my husband and I always used disposable powder-free nitrile gloves for a variety of jobs.

Because Nitrile gloves are made of thick vinyl, they are more durable, puncture resistant, and more resistant to chemicals than plastic gloves. They are almost like wearing a second skin since they stretch over your hands.

I wear nitrile gloves for any housework that requires the use of cleaners or chemicals. I wear them when I clean bathrooms, cleaning the kitchen sink or spots on rugs & carpet, changing linens when someone has been sick, cleaning my stove top, cleaning inside my refrigerator, and many other daily tasks.

We love animals and our dogs have always lived indoors. With pets, come accidents. While these are rare incidents, it is necessary to be prepared for the inevitable. Pets can't always get outside when they have upset stomachs. Thus, we keep a ready supply of Nature's Miracle and nitrile gloves for the cleanups.

We also use them for applying ointments or creams on humans or pets. The nitrile gloves protect hands and help prevent the inadvertent spread of a rash.

Plus, my husband wears Nitrile gloves when he is picking up after our pups in our backyard or on walks. That is a job he has primarily taken on, but I certainly perform the task as needed. It is definitely unpleasant, but would be exponentially worse without the Nitrile gloves.

Once we use the gloves, we throw them away.

Uses for Powder-Free Nitrile Gloves

There are so many uses for Nitrile Gloves around the house that I doubt I will be able to list them all, simply because I might not recall them all as I am writing this article.

Starting with the uses above, here are some of times we reach for our disposable Nitrile gloves.

MedPride Powder-Free Nitrile Exam GlovesCheck PriceCleaning Bathrooms
Cleaning Kitchens
Cleaning Appliances (not to be used when appliances are hot)
Cleaning Floors, Carpets & Rugs
Changing Linens (especially after illness)
Picking Up After Pets
Applying Ointments or Creams
Attending to Cuts or Wounds
When Pumping Gas into the Cars
Changing Oil in Cars
Cleaning Glass, Windshields in Cars & Home
Cleaning Outdoor Furniture
Painting
Picking Up Litter, especially from unknown sources

Whatever has a potential for germs or exposure to chemicals, we use the disposable Nitrile gloves. Because skin is absorbent, we choose to protect it from anything we would not willingly ingest.

Can you think of other ways you would use disposable Nitrile gloves?

One more note: They do come in sizes. My husband wears the X-large and I wear the small or medium, depending on which is available. I am wearing a medium size glove in the introduction picture. You can see it doesn't fit my hands quite as well as the small, but it works!

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Thursday, January 26, 2023

Book Review of Reckoning

An FBI Thriller by Catherine Coulter

Catherine Coulter is an American author who has written 89 books in the genres of romantic novel, historical romance, and contemporary suspense thrillers. Her suspense genre includes her bestselling FBI Thriller series. Reckoning is #26 in that series.

The Plot of Reckoning

FBI Agents Savich and Sherlock are back. This time they are enlisted to help a woman and a twelve-year-old prodigy with traumatic pasts, both of whom are now in mortal danger.

Two plots are intertwined throughout the book.

First we have Kirra Mandarian whose parents were murdered when she was just 12, and she barely escaped with her life. Her uncle takes her back to Australia, where he leads challenging treks into the Outback for his company Extreme Australian Adventures. Uncle Leo adopts Kirra and keeps her safe a world away from those who wanted her dead.

Now it is fourteen years later and Kirra has returned to the United States where she is a commonwealth attorney in the Virginia town she grew up in. She is determined to find out who killed her parents, as the case has never been solved. She begins to gather information and secretly turns it over to law enforcement in the form of Lieutenant Jeter Thorpe, the young detective in the local police department who saved her life all those years ago. She also enlists the aid of Agent Savich, who brings in Special Agent Griffin Hammersmith.

Meanwhile, Emma Hunt, a twelve-year-old piano prodigy, the granddaughter of powerful crime boss Mason Lord, also has a traumatic past. She was abducted when she was only six years old and later saved by her adoptive father, federal judge Ramsey Hunt. When Emma saves herself from another abduction attempt at Davies Hall in San Francisco after a rehearsal, the would-be kidnapper escapes.

Emma is scheduled to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Even though her family is worried for her safety, they still decide to travel there with promised protection from their friends, Savich and Sherlock of the FBI, plus protection from Metro.

But.... things don't turn out as planned.... nothing turns out as planned.

Summary

Reckoning is another suspenseful and exciting novel in Coulter's FBI Thriller series. Two plots which flip back and forth with two interesting main characters and multiple supporting characters. The plots have surprising twists, and even includes a sweet romance. Coulter fans will find this latest Savich and Sherlock mystery a fun read.

Links to More Coulter Book Reviews: