Reviews by AWESOMEMOM88

AWESOMEMOM88 says "Wonderful surprise...." about The Collectors

AWESOMEMOM88 — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 04:26:25 GMT

Our office has a table in the lunchroom where people leave books that they have finished for others to enjoy. This particular title intrigued me as well as the blurb on the back cover. The author is noted for complex characters and plot lines, well researched backgrounds and history, vivid and accurate place descriptions. Well this book is no exception, and a wonderful treat. David Baldacci delivers on all counts with suspense, thrills, intrigue, mystery, and complex personalities and interactions between characters. What is exceptionally nice is that reading this book does not require having read the previous novel dealing with the Camel Club. The book is complete in and of itself and at no time does the reader feel that they are missing something important. It is a sequel or continuation, but it is a fully fleshed out storyline in and of itself. I found myself doing the "just one more page" thing until almost 4 AM.....Don't start this book on a work or school night.......

AWESOMEMOM88 says "Vintage Hollywood/Carson's Ribs what more can you want?" about Boston Blackies - Naperville, IL

AWESOMEMOM88 — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 01:53:23 GMT

I am probably one of the few people who know that Boston Blackie was a series of somewhat humorous mystery movies with a hunky actor in the starring role made during the 1930's and 1940's-and that is where the restaurant derives its name. There are several locations, but I prefer the Naperville location because it is closest to my home. The menu is an eclectic mix of beef, pork, and chicken offerings with a couple seafood choices, but absolutely everything that they make can be accented with Carson's barbeque sauce. They have a great selection of salad choices with more than generous portion sizes. Their burger list is exhaustive and should appeal to just about any taste. You can also get just about any sort of chicken breast sandwich you could imagine. They offer sides like baked beans and cole slaw, onion straws, fries, and let you mix and match your main items with the sides of your choice. The lunch prices are quite good and the portions are just about as large as dinner. ......

AWESOMEMOM88 says "Not at all what it used to be...." about Portillo's Hot Dogs - Naperville, IL

AWESOMEMOM88 — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 01:35:43 GMT

Used to be that Portillos was synonomous with Italian beef sandwiches, the standard by which all other beef sandwiches were judged. Recently, I ate at the Portillos newer location in Oswego, IL, having also eaten at both Naperville locations as well as the Batavia, IL location. In any event, I am left with the conclusion that as the chain expands and gets larger, the quality is lost and the food tastes like most fast food places -pre -packaged, pre-digested, non descript. The beef has not specific taste and the gravy which used to elevate the bread to a delicacy all in itself is pretty bland-colored salty water at best. On our most recent visit, , my daughter successfully lobbied for us to order and split the Barnelli's rib dinner. We elected to have the onion rings instead of fries which was probably the best choice of the meal. While the meat was properly cooked, moist, tender and falling off the bones....the famous sauce was almost non-existent and lacking in any sort of...

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AWESOMEMOM88 says "Ironicallly, some of the best seafood in the area" about Outback Steakhouse - Naperville, IL

AWESOMEMOM88 — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 01:15:56 GMT

I have discovered that some of the best seafood in the Fox Valley is ironically located at Outback which is ostensibly a steak house. I go there when I need a lobster tail fix as they will either steam or grill your lobster and it is always fresh, tender and sweet. The service is always prompt and courteous, although without a reservation, the wait can be excessive for a table, and even phoning ahead doesn't guarantee that you will be seated immediately. On the flip side, being crowded and busy is a tribute to food quality and portions. I adore their french onion soup, and the hot brown bread is exceptional. I have an 8 year old who has learned to love french onion soup by eating at Outback-not a usual kids menu item. Overall, the prices are a bit higher, but portions make you feel less put out. And as far as the seafood is concerned the prices are more than competitive for the type of food offered and the portions. I can get three tails made to my specifications for under...

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AWESOMEMOM88 says "This used to be THE PLACE......" about Maggiano's Little Italy - Oak Brook, IL

AWESOMEMOM88 — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 00:47:35 GMT

For probably the past 10 years, we have celebrated our special occassions, anniversaries, graduations, and the like at Maggianos. We have taken a myriad of friends and out of town relatives to enjoy the family style italian cuisine, so when my son brought home his new girlfriend from Michigan for the first time, we combined Father's Day with her visit and made reservations. About the only thing that went as planned was that our table was ready at the appropriate time. Obviously our server was new to his job, but that shouldn't have presented any problem as we knew what choices we wished, and there was no debate or confusion at the table. Our appetizers took forever and the portions were not what we were accustomed to. Then the salads arrived, but we still had not gotten our beverages, not even ice water. An obliging bus boy got us a carafe of water and glasses, and that was literally the last that we saw of our server. The mussels in white sauce literally tasted like overdone......

AWESOMEMOM88 says "Don't present much of a challenge to little engineers" about Safety 1st Outlet Plugs

AWESOMEMOM88 — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:08:16 GMT

I am a big fan of most safety first products. I bought them to childproof my house when my son was born 20 years ago, and many of the latches and locks are still in use today (I just got used to the darn things being there and it never occurred to me to remove them when he got older. I also didn't have to re do the childproofing thing when my daughter came along 12 years later. ) In this one area though, the outlet covers are just mediocre compared to other safety first products. Those little fingers seem better able to manipulate the covers than big, fat, grownup hands. I was forever picking them up off the floor or running over them with the vacuum cleaner. I didn't necessarily see them as a choking hazard, but then neither of my kids were into pacifiers and other such items that you can chew or suck on for comfort. And I can't say that they are necessarily any worse than other products of their type. It seems once kids see you remove one of them to plug in an appliance,......

AWESOMEMOM88 says "Don't be prejudiced...." about Ocean Spray - Craisins

AWESOMEMOM88 — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:59:38 GMT

Anything you can do with a raisin, you can do with a craisin....its that simple. Snack on them, put them in a lunchbox, bake them into cookies or bread or muffins, or cake...You can add them to a salad to give it an extra punch of sweetness. You can rehydrate them by steeping in warm water and then use the water to make a wonderfully naturally flavored cup of tea. I have also used them to glaze ham by mixing them with orange juice, and some clove and basting. I have used them in marinades for pork or poultry. They go great in yogourt, and try them mixed with cottage cheese instead of pineapple. Dress up a boring bowl of canned fruit with some of these little pops of flavor. And certainly go ahead and mix them into the oatmeal or pancake batter or waffle batter...I have also put them on top of the french toast and then drizzled it with sugar glaze instead of maple syrup. They have a phenomenal shelf life if kept in a properly sealed container. They are tart and sweet......

AWESOMEMOM88 says "A poor substitute when you crave the cheesy crunch" about Frito-Lay Baked Cheetos

AWESOMEMOM88 — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:43:05 GMT

Baked Cheetos are about as wonderful as those fat free potato chips-(you remember, the ones linked to digestive distress because of olestra?) I realize that companies are trying to cater to our more healthful nature, and provide snack foods that aren't damaging, but you also don't particularly want to snack on them very much. In a side by side taste comparison with my kids....everyone was able to pick out the baked ones over their traditional counterpart without even tasting. Even the coloration is less intense, the crunch less satisfying. The orange fingers are actually worse, because the powdered cheese additives don't stick as well when the product is baked and therefore alot drier and grainier. The politically correct, food police seem to have even reduced the sodium-either that, or with less cheese clinging to the baked items, you lose the saltiness of the snack. The package has lesser ounces for the price than the traditional Cheetos, which is OK, because had it been......

AWESOMEMOM88 says "Way back in time...in a world far, far away" about Miller Lite

AWESOMEMOM88 — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:29:56 GMT

I won't indicate how many years ago, but when I was in college, the light beer thing was really hip and cool, because you could drink more of it with less impact on the waistline (or so the theory went), and I remember Miller Lite being one of the early and very popular brands ( perhaps more for the fact that they had such an aggressive marketing campaign than the others). I also remember that I didn't really like it very much at the time. I believe that I ranked it somewhere in the same genre as dishwater with generic label suds-seriously lacking in any sort of punch, and certainly no foamy head. Decided that I would drink less and enjoy more.............Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when my company hosted a picnic outing to the ballgame and graciously provided meal and beverage (among which was, you guessed it, Miller Lite), so what the heck, time has passed, technology has improved, the beer market is extremely competitive, and surely, it wasn't as bad as I remembered it to......

AWESOMEMOM88 says "Its better than Miller Chill?" about Budweiser Bud Light Lime

AWESOMEMOM88 — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:20:09 GMT

The idea of lime and beer seemed refreshing, cooling...and I had sampled Miller Chill at a backyard celebration earlier in the spring (and was seriously less than impressed with it), but decided that perhaps Bud could do it better....they did- a little bit- it was passable, acceptable, but certainly not memorable or exceptional. Save your money, and take your favorite beer, and invest about $1.50 at the local produce market for 15-20 fresh limes. Mix to taste. I expect that this all started because of Corona Commercials....It doesn't seem to be a good pairing with American beer. If you like the combo, you like it. The lime actually overshadows the light beer...you actually lose the beer flavor, and at that point it isn't much different than a bottled water with lime. And I have a problem with the whole concept of light beer. Considering what components make up beer, what can you take away to reduce calories and carbs without seriously disrupting what makes beer flavorful? ...

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AWESOMEMOM88 says "overpriced and overrated" about Kong Red Tuffy

AWESOMEMOM88 — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:08:52 GMT

I bought these because they are advertised everywhere as virtually indestructible and rated for heavy chewers....and I was even fair about it, and didn't quibble when my GSD made itty bitty bits out of it in approximately 2 hours (This was the pricey Giant size). My GSD seems to be able to bite through anything man made...but I had gotten toys for each of my dogs, because it is the only sane thing to do, and was surprised that despite taking them a bit more time than the GSD, the coonhound, and the wolfhound were able to break the Kongs into little rubber sections fairly quickly as well. In fact, a week after purchasing the Kongs, they looked like they had been run through the chipper/shredder, and I was noting that while on poop patrol, a goodly amount of rubber bits passed through the digestive systems as well, which caused me some concern due to the idea of bowel obstruction...I won't be buying them again. Can anybody tells me who tests this stuff. I accepted a long time ago......

AWESOMEMOM88 says "Lives up to the reviewers raves....Thanks" about Planet Dog Orbee-Tuff Balls

AWESOMEMOM88 — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:00:44 GMT

My GSD has actually been able to destroy the same said balls that are used at the zoo to entertain the bears....that being said, he doesn't often get balls to play with, because he is so rough on them...In fact, he has worn down his fangs completely even in height with his other teeth with his insatiable need to chew, and also the bite strength of a great white shark...so after reading these glowing reviews-particularly the part about the guarantee, I was on board. And as George M Cohan once said...."I thank you, my mother thanks you, my father thanks you, my sister thanks you.", and (this is an insertion from my GSD, Peyton) Bark, bark Bark bark-doggie thank you....He can play, play, play, which makes him happy, happy, happy, and I am not breaking the budget to keep him in round things to fetch...Oh Happy day...Even if he does destroy them, I am not concerned. By the way, he really doesn't care about them floating (although they do), because he is not a great fan of water.

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AWESOMEMOM88 says "Scary, Scary Stuff-especially if you are a pet...." about Mycodex Pet Shampoo with Carbaryl

AWESOMEMOM88 — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:48:47 GMT

Mycodex....well, it sounds pharmaceutical, and it sounds like it has alot of pharmaceutical grade stuff to cure what ails the pooch or the cat ( namely skin and coat distress) And I was in desperation to stop the endless licking, biting, scratching, oozing, scabbing, and hopefully avoid an expensive trip to the vets office for an even more expensive bottle of stuff that I couldn't hope to pronounce. Mind you, I had alread tried the tried and true remedies containing pine tar, and salycylic acid, and tea tree oil.....basically, we had run the gamut. So into the tub, one by one, three dogs got dragged and sudsed and rinsed (And I am a manaic about rinsing cleanly) By halfway through the second dog, I noted that my hands and forearms were really quite pink, but I was also sweating trying to keep a rather unhappy and foamy German Shepherd from departing the tub prematurely. But into the third and final dog-my skin actually felt warm where the suds had touched, even with constant......

AWESOMEMOM88 says "Family friendly fruit snacking" about Flat Earth - Baked Fruit Chips

AWESOMEMOM88 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:13:29 GMT

Snack food fall into the category of minimizing negative impact. Kids want things that are sweet, and crunchy, and fun and portable, and parents want to minimize excess sugars and preservatives, and fried food, and empty calories....Flat Earth has actually brought something to the table that makes both sides pretty happy. The Berry crisps were a big hit at our house flavor wise. A little bit sweet, a little bit tart and defnitely crispy. I found it kind of pricey to be offering on a regular basis-especially when my son can down a bag in what seems like seconds. It does make a nice change of pace treat, and an alternative to more harmful snack choices. Mom and Dad like them too........

AWESOMEMOM88 says "Good, but the fruit varieties are better...." about Flat Earth - Baked Veggie Crisps

AWESOMEMOM88 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:07:21 GMT

I love crispy types of snacks, and find the veggie variety to be a great alternative to potato chips (and ever since the British court case which excluded Pringles from the potato tax liability because it only has 40% potato-nobody is saying what else is in those little uniform crisps-I have really decided to cool the whole potato chip thing.) I didn't find the veggie flavor distinctive or reminiscent of a particular favorite veggie, it just tasted different than potato chips. The crispiness is great-so it does satisfy the need for a noisy crunchy snack. When I went back to the store to investigate other products in this line, I found a berry based crisp that I really adored, it combined crisp with sweet and tart and all the great things you would associate with fresh berries. There was also an apple cinnamon variety that had real baked apple flavor. My reason for preferring the fruit varieties over the vegetable is that the veggie left a kind of grainy aftertaste. And I kind......

AWESOMEMOM88 says "Definitely leaves you wanting more...." about Nabisco - Ritz Snack Mix

AWESOMEMOM88 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:51:14 GMT

What is not to like....Ritz crackers are the best snacking cracker around, regardless of how you choose to top them or not, and then combined into a (lets face it, these are all kind of a new spin on the old Chex Mix standard) a wonderful snack medley...and yes, I do like the idea of portion control packages to limit the damage I can do to my diet with snacking, but...lets face it, crunchy snacks are like an avalanche picking up speed as it rolls downhill...I don't find the 100 calorie portion very satisfying. It is almost a tease. I found myself wanting to eat multiple packs which kind of defeats the purpose of portion control. So I can't fault the quality of the product in any way. Crispy, crunchy, with different textures and flavor variety along with the smooth buttery type of taste that we have all come to expect from Ritz crackers...And it would make a good lunch box stuffer for kids or adults. The individual portion packaging makes it a more costly snack than I usually buy. ......

AWESOMEMOM88 says "Just what the Dr. Ordered-clean and fresh" about Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap

AWESOMEMOM88 — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:42:00 GMT

For an exhilerating, all over, body experience, it makes a great bath and body wash (dilution rates are actually printed in itty bitty print on the bottle along with alot of other information about ingredients, and that fact that everything in the bottle is natural and fair trade. You even find out where the botanical elements were harvested. The bottle reads like war and peace if you happen to have a magnifying glass....or you can take my word that it is a great cleanser, all natural, harkens back to things that our grandparents and great grandparents used. I have used it in pump bottles on the bath sink for quick touch ups...Kids love the scent, so I think that soap is actually used in the handwashing process. And a little bit goes a long way in terms of lathering. The peppermint is so cooling in the shower on a hot day....and you feel so squeaky clean afterwards. It is gentle enough to use daily. My son even uses it instead of shampoo and says that it prevents the dry skin...

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AWESOMEMOM88 says "The Ian Fleming Books came alive with the casting of Connery" about James Bond 007: The Sean Connery Years

AWESOMEMOM88 — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:09:47 GMT

I remember as a kid, my Dad anxiously waiting for his next James Bond installment from the bookclub. And I remember his avid anticipation of the early Bond movie releases, but being a youngster, not yet in grade school...it was a safe bet, I wasn't going to directly discover what all the fuss was about...until this collection. All that followed, all that lampooned, and everything spy related, cold war related harkens back to the original portrayal of Bond. I almost resented seeing the other incarnations of the great Bond. I thought Roger Moore too much a pretty boy and lacking in brilliance. I had no use for Timothy Dalton...Piers Brosnan made a decent run at it, but didn't quite hit the mark. Connery is, was, and always will be James Bond. Some things shouldn't be messed with (Kind of like Yul Brenner as the King in the King and I) It is a bit campy, but for the time was pretty darn high tech and pretty risque too. The Bond girl standard was set in these films, and at...

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AWESOMEMOM88 says "Backyard fun is affordable, and easy" about Intex Inflatable swimming pool above ground

AWESOMEMOM88 — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:05:10 GMT

We elected to spend our meagre entertainment/vacation budget on a backyard swimming pool. Prices for park district passes have become costly and there is still driving back and forth to facilities with no guarantee on a hot day that you will get in. We bought this nifty pool that has an inflatable top ring and then you fill...the top ring floats upwards with the water level until the pool is full. The box comes fully complete with a filter, a strainer, one filter motor, and even a vacuum attachment and hose along with a ladder. The kits come in varying sizes and depths and prices adjust according to size, but the entire enterprise, pool, chlorine tablets, even some floating inner tubes set us back less than $350 which according to our calculations is basically a couple family outings to places like the zoo or amusement parks or museums, especially with gas prices what they are. And we certainly expect to get more than two days use out of this. The set up was really as easy as...

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AWESOMEMOM88 says "Not just for coffee lovers" about Caribou Coffee - Chocolate Mocha Granola Bars

AWESOMEMOM88 — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:44:33 GMT

Surprise....these caribou granola bar treats have a much wider appeal than just among coffee drinkers. My son, who detests drinking coffee, even though he is a sleep deprived college student, loves these things. Particularly the ones with the mint chocolate element. And as he isn't a huge fan of granola bars (they kept returning unopened in the lunch box while he was in grade school and high school) I found his affection for these quite surprising, but his comment was that they weren't the usual raisins and sawdust type of affair like alot of healthy snacks, they actually taste like a candy bar. They are not diet food, but a good energy pick me up with alot of chew and flavor to offer. There are a variety of flavors to choose from, but the mint chocolate combo is the biggest hit in our house. I find them price comparable with other coated or filled granola snacks. Most of the grocery stores in our area have started carrying them, but at first they were tough to find. So,......