Reviews by MaryInCO

MaryInCO says "Easy, delicious meals - Rival SCE600 6-Quart Slow Cooker" about Rival SCE600 6-Quart Slow Cooker

MaryInCO — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:56:08 GMT

I have owned many crock pots. Cooking for a large family doesn't need to be a big job. I purchased this Rival SCE 600-EF crock pot about a year and a half ago. Beside the fact that the price was great, this is a really attractive appliance with a removable crock for serving purposes.

I use my crock pot at least once a week. There are three heat settings of HIGH, LOW and WARM. Depending on what time of day I am starting my meal, I usually use the LOW setting. With this, I am able to add all the ingredients and go to work or out for the day, only to come back 8 - 10 hours later to a delicious and perfectly cooked meal. The HIGH setting usually cooks the same meals in about half the time, 4 - 6 hours. I really like and use the WARM setting, especially if I am making something that gets done before I can get the French bread heated or the garlic bread toasted.

This crock pot holds six quarts which is big enough to feed the whole crew! I usually make a full crock of whatever I'm making. Six...

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MaryInCO says "Knock-knock..Who's There? Knocked Up!" about Knocked Up

MaryInCO — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 05:26:32 GMT

I definitely know that comedies are my favorite movies. "Knocked Up" is not only a comedy, it also has some seriousness to it and mush as well. It's an entertaining movie that I could and have watched more than once.

"Knocked Up", written and directed by Judd Apatow, has a great cast and soundtrack. It won the 2007 Teen Choice Award for Comedy and also People's Choice Award in 2008 for Favorite Movie Comedy. It was nominated for several other awards as well. Judd Apatow also directed "The 40-Year-Old Virgin".

The cast includes: Seth Rogen as Ben Stone, Katherine Heigl as Alison Scott, Paul Rudd , Leslie Mann, Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Martin Star, Charlyn Yi. You may have seen Katherine Heigl on "Grey's Anatomy" and in my opinion, she is an excellent actor. Several of the actors here were also in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin". Great comedy cast!

The soundtrack includes such artists as: Enya, Little River Band, Lil Kim, Ambrosia, The Clash, Sublime, B-52's. All the songs are very...

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MaryInCO says "My feet: They're ugly but I love them!" about Yves Rocher Relaxing Milky Oil

MaryInCO — Tue, 26 May 2009 03:08:45 GMT

I am convinced that no matter how ugly my feet are, they are one of the most important parts of my body. I have come to the conclusion that I need to take care of my feet the best way I know how. And I am convinced that paying for salon pedicures is completely out of the question. Here's my story:

After being off work for over a year, I went back to a full time job where I spent the entire eight hours on my feet. Needless to say, I could barely walk after that first week. I had huge blisters on the bottom of my feet and unbelievable pain. Lucky for me, my thoughtful kids gave me an electric foot bath for Christmas that year and I was on a mission to find the best foot care products I could, in order to take care of my poor little tootsies!

Enter Yves Rocher Lavande Essentielle Relaxing Milky Oil. I have been a loyal Yves Rocher customer for several years. After much money spent on other foot care products, I finally found this Relaxing Milky Oil. All I can say is Yves Rocher has proven...

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MaryInCO says "They really are "MAGIC"!" about Mr Clean Magic Eraser

MaryInCO — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:57:23 GMT

MR CLEAN MAGIC ERASER CLEANING PADS! I cannot believe I have found something that does most every cleaning job I have ever had without chemicals and without a mess. The uses are endless. The cost is minimal. The results are impressive!

I first discovered these miracle erasers several years ago when they were first introduced. Wanting to complete my cleaning tasks with as few chemicals as possible, I searched the cleaning products at the local grocery store and found the Mr Clean Magic Eraser Cleaning Pads. I remember them to be sold in a single pack but now I purchase them in a two-pack and pay roughly $1.50 per pack. What a steal!

Did you ever have kids write all over your walls with crayons? Did you ever spill something on your kitchen or bathroom counter that did not get wiped off before you could get back to it? How about ink pens that slipped off the paper and wrote on the table or counter? Soap scum, grease and grime in sinks, plastic waste baskets, fingerprints on door frames,...

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MaryInCO says "Hell On Heels" about Devil Wears Prada

MaryInCO — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 02:50:26 GMT

"The Devil Wears Prada" (Hell on Heels) has an excellent cast, is full of humor and is a movie that I have watched several times and will watch again. I'm a sucker for chick-flicks and this one takes the cake!

Anne Hathaway plays the part of Andy Sachs. She's young, full of dreams, educated and doomed once she is hired as assistant to Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), magazine editor for one of the top fashion magazines in New York. If Miranda says, "Jump", Andy says, "How high?".

Andy Sachs so wants to be a success in her new job but starts from day one, being treated indifferently by Miranda Priestly, Emily (Emily Blunt) who is Miranda's first in command, Nigel (Stanley Tucci) who is Miranda's partner in crime. After all this oppression, a transformation takes place and Andy virtually turns into a "robot" for Miranda Priestly.

Even though she feels like a success, Andy loses sight of the important things in life. This is the story of how she makes it to the top and then has to find...

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MaryInCO says "Sleepwalking" about Sleepwalking

MaryInCO — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 02:45:34 GMT

Every once in a while I like to watch a good drama. Browsing through the video store, I came across this movie, SLEEPWALKING. I had never heard of it but seeing the cover of it sparked my interest. You can hardly go wrong with a cast that includes Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson and Dennis Hopper. Plus the picture on the case shows a young girl, fully clothed, wearing roller skates and at the end of a diving board of a swimming pool full of water. Needless to say, this movie is good enough that I have watched it four times. This is my take on it:

Charlize Theron plays the part of Joleen Reedy. It never says how olds she is in the movie, but she has a precocious 11 year old daughter and appears to be worn out and used up. The movie starts with her in the police station because she has been thrown out of the house she and her daughter were living in. Her daughter, Tara, is played by AnnaSophia Robb. And what a brilliant young actress this girl is! Raw emotion spills all over her face. Apparently,...

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MaryInCO says "DELICOIUS, HEALTHY, LOW FAT MEALS" about George Foreman Grill - Indoor GRP4P

MaryInCO — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:12:28 GMT

My oldest son recommended this after he purchased and used one himself. I have owned this grill for over a year. Having been on the Atkins diet, it was important to me to cook healthy and tasty meals that were allowed on the diet. If I am recalling correctly, I paid about $75.00 for this grill.

This grill holds at least five chicken breasts. The grills on top and bottom both heat up so you get even cooking in less time. The bottom grills are also removable for easy cleaning. Just wipe the top clean. I also like to put wet paper towels between the top and bottom while it's still warm. This steams a lot if not all the stuck on food. Then it just wipe it clean.

I have cooked vegetables on one side and meat on the other. Bacon comes out great since all the fat runs down the slanted grills into a drip tray. Lemon pepper chicken is a favorite and I won't even use the BBQ anymore after cooking it on this grill. Burgers come out great too. Since both top and bottom grills get hot, it cooks evenly...

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MaryInCO says "I am NOT a techno freak...or geek!" about Kodak - EasyShare SV811 Digital Picture Frame

MaryInCO — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:08:50 GMT

I got this very cool Kodak EasyShare digital picture frame for a late Mother's Day gift. I told myself I was not going to rely on anybody to get it up and going. I was going to read the directions and do myself! Ha!

What was in the box: The frame, the power cable, USB cable, remote control, remote control holder, software CD, "Getting Started" guide.

So far, so good.

I followed the directions of first installing the software and connecting the power cable. Not having a spare memory card, I thought I could get away with taking pictures off my hard drive and putting them in the frame. I also saw in the instructions that you can take pictures directly from your digital camera using the USB cable. But I didn't have any pictures on my camera. I usually transfer them directly to my computer. You can't take pictures right off your computer. You have to have a memory card with pictures on it or transfer from your camera. A memory card is not included. GRRR!

SO, I continued to activate the remote...

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MaryInCO says "Perfect rice every time." about Sanyo EC-510 10-Cup Rice Cooker

MaryInCO — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:57:21 GMT

I am a kitchen gadget freak. The easier I can prepare a good meal, the better it is. I received this Sanyo EC-510 rice cooker and steamer as a gift. It was to replace another brand I had to leave behind when I moved.

Let me just say, I love steamed rice. I try to be a healthy cook as well and making fresh stir fry vegetables to go with steamed rice is a family favorite. I find so many uses for steamed rice as well. It stores easily in the freezer or refrigerator and I don't mind making extra because of this.

This steamer holds 10 cups of cooked rice. It has a non stick inner pot that holds the rice. The top is glass so you can see just what's going on. The outer holding chamber has a white enamel finish and is easily wiped clean. Once the rice is done, the steamer automatically shuts off but it goes into a warming mode that keeps the rice or veggies warm until it's ready to be served. I don't usually make 10 cups unless I'm planning to keep some for a different recipe.

One safety issue...

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MaryInCO says "I really do have GREEN eyes!" about Almay Intense i Color Powder Shadow

MaryInCO — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:29:16 GMT

I have always been told that I have a very unique eye color. Also considering my eyes are my best facial feature, I strive to use products that compliment them. Almay has always been a favorite brand of mine and this "intense i-color" powder shadow has proved itself to stand up to the Almay quality that I count on.

First off, I will tell you that when I was young, my eyes were a defined brown. When I got into my teen years, they started changing colors, going from a dark brown to every shade of green and then even to gold. Now in my adult life, my eyes are an olive green with brown and gold specks in them. They change color subtly but tend to stay in the green range.

I have used expensive eye shadows. I have had expert artists do my eye make-up, I am sure, trying to sell me their line of products. I have used cheap eye shadow. I have used every color imaginable. I have used creams, powders, wet, dry...you name it, I have tried it.

My most recent purchase has been for this Almay intense...

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MaryInCO says "SOUP, SALAD, SAUCES, ICE CREAM!" about Black & Decker FP1510 10 Cups Food Processor

MaryInCO — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:25:45 GMT

My kids gave this Black & Decker FP1510 food processor to me for Christmas two years ago. I am the cook of the family, not just in my own household but for my entire family for big meals and parties. Good choice, kids! They paid less than $50.00 for it.

Being a kitchen gadget freak, this gift was ideal. For starters, this food processor holds 10 cups of whatever you are chopping, shredding, slicing, mixing or blending. It works great for mincing and making crumbs. Big enough to make your food processing job quick and easy.

This Black & Decker FP1510 stands approximately 22" tall when fully assembled. The top attaches to the holding compartment with a slight twist that locks it into place. The feeding tube has a top loading chute and came with a plastic plunger for safely pushing food into the processor. This reduces the chance of "slicing or shredding" your fingers. In fact, this food processor will not even operate unless all pieces are in place. It has continuous feed on it so you are...

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MaryInCO says "EXCELLENT Frigidaire FRT17G4BW " about Frigidaire sidekick refrigerator/freezer

MaryInCO — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:08:58 GMT

I purchased this refrigerator approximately 3 years ago. Our old refrigerator decided to move to the garage to be a secondary fridge. We spend a lot of money on groceries and needed something more efficient. This refirgerator opens from the side, left to right. It has a top freezer with two shelves/racks in the door. Another shelf inside the freezer makes it great for fully packing the freezer out. We opted for no ice maker because of the space it would take up. The refrigerator itself has two clear crisper drawers, a smaller under the shelf clear deli drawer. The shelves are glass and easily removed for cleaning or putting in another place in the refrigerator. The crisper and deli drawers are aslo removable for easy cleaning. The door has two racks that can accommodate full gallons of milk, two liter soda bottles. There is a butter compartment on the door as well that is not removable. Under the butter compartment and running the same length as the other shelves, is another shelf. The...

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MaryInCO says "CANON - Quick, easy, low maintenance." about Canon i350 Printer

MaryInCO — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:32:41 GMT

I got this Canon i350 printer as a freebie with a computer I bought about 4 or 5 years ago. I use it almost daily. Other than changing the ink cartridges and refilling the paper, there is absolutely no maintenance on it. Since it was free, I can't comment on the value for the dollar amount. But I do know that most "free with purchase" printers run reasonably under $100.

I have a better Canon printer/scanner that I use for my photo printing. This i350 printer is one that I use for every day printing. It measures approximately 15" x 5" x 8". I have it sitting on a small storage drawer next to my computer desk where I keep my extra paper and ink cartridges. The top of the printer folds down and the out-put tray slides in so it stays compact and tidy when not in use. I also use the cheapest paper in it. I don't recall EVER having a paper jam.

I have used this printer for school papers, for tax returns, for mailing and address labels. I use Microsoft Home Publishing for my small business. I often......

MaryInCO says "YUMMMM....FRESH BREAD!" about Oster Bread Machine ExpressBake 5838

MaryInCO — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:16:15 GMT

I got my breadmaker! I decided to write this review because I've "tried" to make four loaves of bread with it. I'm not giving up on it yet because I did lots of research on it, now that I own it. So let me just tell you my experience.

I love Oster products. This is more expensive than some other brands but this is the one my kids gave me for Mother's Day. I believe that they made a good choice....with ulterior motives!

This breadmaker can make 1 lb., 1 1/2 lb. and 2 lb. loaves of bread. I tried all three. The one loaf that came out good was with the 1 1/2 lb setting.

There are 18 settings for different varieties of breads. I chose three different ones and tried the regular white bread to repeat, which was my sucessful loaf. Three crust settings for light, medium and dark. I tried all three of those as well. Again the one loaf that came out good was on the light setting. There is a good sized glass window on the top that I used and is handy to see exactly what was going .... wrong, as the...

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MaryInCO says "Off the Counter, Definitely Spacemaking!" about CFM JVM1850DM 1100 Watts Microwave Oven

MaryInCO — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:07:38 GMT

Recently the in-laws decided to remodel their kitchen. One thing they were replacing was their over-the-range microwave oven. Since the one we have at our house didn't match the other appliances and was wearing out, we jumped on the offer they gave us and are now the proud new owners of a GE JVM1850CH Spacemaker over-the-range microwave oven.

First off, it matches our other appliances perfectly and fit right in over the range. It was very easy to install. It looks great with easy to read controls and settings.

This microwave has a two speed (Hi-Lo) vent fan. Very cool! It also has a surface light on the bottom of it that can be set on Bright or Nightlight. It actually is brighter than the last microwave oven we had as far as lighting the cooking surface of the range goes. We frequently use the nightlight setting on the light for exactly that - a nightlight!

Another great feature is that it has a setting to turn the turntable on and off. This comes in handy for reheating more than one thing....

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MaryInCO says "My dog, Molly." about Black Labrador Retriever

MaryInCO — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 20:02:54 GMT

Not sure I have any tips or advice about my dog for you. I just wanted to share with you what a great dog she is and tell you a little bit about her. Her name is Molly.

Molly just turned 8 years old on October 15, 2008. She is a black lab and we got her at just 5 1/2 weeks old. She was the runt of the litter of TEN puppies. Her mother is a yellow lab and a beautiful girl herself. Molly's dad is a headstrong black lab who found his way into the yard by breaking down a chain link fence! Of the ten puppies, there were six yellow and four black. I knew in a heartbeat that the tiny little ball of black fluff was meant for us the second I saw her.

Molly was a gift to my youngest son for an early Christmas present. He was nine years old at the time and I though this would be a great way to start teaching him some responsibility. I've never seen such an instant bond as I did on the day we picked Molly up to take her home. She rode on my son's lap all the way to Pet Co. where we spent my son's hard......