http://www.viewpoints.com/aboutme/NattScatt Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:59:57 GMT Reviews by NattScatt http://www.viewpoints.com/The-Ellen-Degeneres-review-f3ce1  The Ellen Degeneres show is about the best daytime talk show on the air.  I can't wait to watch the show on my DVR when I get home.  I so look forward to seeing good, clean, entertaining topics that I can relate to.  So many other talk shows deal with depressing or unimaginable topics, it's nice to watch something worth-while. —  Since the first show, I have been impressed by Ellen's energy, enthusiasm and genuine caring.  She is actually as excited to see the guests as I am.  She not only interacts with her audience, she encourages them and sometimes takes into account their personal situations and helps them.  She shows special kindnesses to children, charities and causes that are close to all our hearts.  Ellen also adds a human element to her show by sharing her own experiences and photos.  She even gives gifts and has contests that people at home can win.  When I watch her show, I almost feel as though I am in the... Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:59:57 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/The-Ellen-Degeneres-review-f3ce1 NattScatt 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Law-and-Order-SVU--154949-review-f0a75  I am such a big fan of Law and Order: SVU.  I love tuning in weekly on NBC 10, and, on many occasions daily on USA  to see this exciting, informative crime drama that simulates cases that we see in our local newspapers or on the news.  I especially like that when I turn on SVU I will see the characters I have come to know and love.  —  Though most of the subject matter deals with some sort of sex crime, it is totally believable, if sometimes sad, because it depicts exactly what is going on in our society.  I can't count how many episodes I've seen that reminded me of something I saw on the local news.  I am sometimes moved to tear by the content of these programs, but, I am lured back by the characters that make the program realistic, Elliot Stabler, Olivia Benson, John Munch, Fenn Tutuola, Dr. Warner and Captain Craigan. —   I look forward to seeing these people investigate crimes, arrest... Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:56:33 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Law-and-Order-SVU--154949-review-f0a75 NattScatt 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Maxwell-House-Colombian-Supreme-Coffee-review-afe07  I love coffee.  I drink at least two cups in the morning and often drink it throughout the day.  I drink it year-round but I definitely drink coffee more during the colder months.  Maxwell House Columbian Supreme is the perfect coffee for me because it is exactly that - COFFEE. —  No offense to those of you who like french vanilla, hazelnut, mocha and other flavors, but I like the taste of coffee.  I know a few people who put so much sugar and cream in their cups there is hardly any room for the coffee.  Maxwell House Columbian Supreme is a rich, slightly strong brew that brings out the great taste of 100% Arabica beans.  I like to brew mine extra strong to give it an extra burst of coffee goodness.  I like my coffee black with no sugar so I can savor the richness of the brew.  —  I even had to start bringing my own coffee, coffee pot and filters to work.  They started serving some cheap... Mon, 09 Jun 2008 23:01:40 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Maxwell-House-Colombian-Supreme-Coffee-review-afe07 NattScatt 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Johnsonville-Beer-Brats-review-ea791  I love Johnsonville Beer Brats.  They are great.  I buy them to put on the grill.  For some reason, they just seem to be the perfect grilling sausage.  I'm not sure if it's the unique blend of meats and spices or just the way they plump up on the grill.  Maybe it's because they deliver all that flavorful juiciness into your mouth from the first bite to the last.  Whatever the reason, no barbecue, cook-out or grill fest is complete without Johnsonville Brats ( regular, beer, Cajun or cheddar). —  I buy all of the favors of Johnsonville Brats.  The Cajun flavor is not available in my area but my mom buys them for me and sends them.  I like the Beer Brats best.  They don't taste anything like beer, but there is a slight hint of another flavor that isn't in the regular brats.  The Cheddar Brats are good, too, but the cheese is a little salty.  I make sure I always keep the regular flavor on hand.  They are good... Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:27:59 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Johnsonville-Beer-Brats-review-ea791 NattScatt 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Louisiana-Fish-Fry-Products-Marinade-kits-review-f4dd2  Louisiana Fish Fry Products makes a variety of dry seasonings and marinades for meat and seafood.  I bought my first jar of Louisiana Fish Fry injectable marinade at a local close-out store.  I was curious, since I had never used his kind of seasoning before.  I am always looking for something new.  —  The jar came with a free "injector" which is like a big hypodermic needle that can suck up whatever marinade you are using and then be inserted into the flesh of meat or seafood to distribute the marinade through the meat.  The jar was about $3.99 but I figured it was a good deal since it came with the free injector. They had Barbecue Butter flavor and I bought it.  After using it on, or should I say in, turkey legs and baking them I was hooked.  I went back and bought all there were in the store and looked back from time to time to see if there were any more or any different flavors. —  I eventually found a Gumbo Mix... Tue, 20 May 2008 20:42:32 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Louisiana-Fish-Fry-Products-Marinade-kits-review-f4dd2 NattScatt 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Betty-Crocker-Hamburger-Helper-Four-Cheese-Lasagna-review-23863  Hamburger Helper is another one of those things that should be kept on hand "just in case".  There are so many different varieties of it that you will definitely find something your family will like.  All you need is a pound of ground beef (or turkey) and you have dinner fast.  Add a salad or a bag of frozen veggies and you have a complete meal.  It's easy to make a double batch for drop-ins and it's quick, easy and cheap.  I've fallen back on Hamburger Helper over the years and can truthfully say that I have at least three boxes in my pantry at the time of this review. —  I usually have Hamburger Helper at least once a month.  My family likes the cheesy types.  I make it when I don't feel well, if we had a big dinner the day before (like a Holiday) or if people with kids drop in unexpectedly.  Kids especially like it.  If you keep ground beef or turkey handy, dinner is just minutes away.  I usually... Mon, 19 May 2008 22:17:48 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Betty-Crocker-Hamburger-Helper-Four-Cheese-Lasagna-review-23863 NattScatt 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Dinner-Impossible-review-330d1  I've watched several episodes of Dinner Impossible on Food-Network and I must agree with the general consensus.  The show has a great pretense, but, the host is just too much.  I, too, expected a little something different when I first saw the show.  Yes, some of the challenges are interesting and the idea of the show is a winner.  Chef Irvine takes all the fun out of it with his overbearing, self centered antics and the abuse of his "volunteer" staff.  Besides, how "impossible" can it be with food, pans, money and staff available to help you?  He is what makes "dinner" impossible. —  Ask any busy, working, married mother of more than three children what Dinner Impossible is and they will tell you it's nothing like the Food Network show.  Try getting four kids dressed, fed and ready for school, the husband off to work, the dog walked and making sure you get to your eight hour a day five day a week job on... Mon, 19 May 2008 19:52:58 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Dinner-Impossible-review-330d1 NattScatt 2 http://www.viewpoints.com/Reynolds-Slow-Cooker-Liners--119028-review-b5263  Reynold's Slow Cooker Liners are a much needed addition to my kitchen, along with a food processor, electric can opener and spice grinders.  Where were these things when my Mom was using her crock pot?  I just can't get over the convenience they provide. —  I have "Slow Cooker Saturdays" at my house.  This means that I only cook dinner in my crock pot on Saturday.  I've cooked pork, beef, meatballs, chicken and stew for years on Saturdays in my slow cooker.  The crock pot is the next best thing to not having to cook at all.  How many times have you put on the crock pot and went off to work knowing dinner would be done when you got home?  It's a good feeling.  Reynold's came out with these slow cooker liners and all of a sudden our cleanup is easier. —  I now make dishes in my crock pot to take to work for lunches or pot lucks.  I take crock pot dishes to reunions or get-togethers.  I even bought slow... Sun, 18 May 2008 01:01:48 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Reynolds-Slow-Cooker-Liners--119028-review-b5263 NattScatt 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Bizarre-Foods-with-Andrew-Zimmern-review-500e4  I am surprised that no one has reviewed Bizarre foods with Andrew Zimmern.  I started watching it once I got a DVR from my cable company.  The show airs on the Travel channel and at times I would usually be in bed.  I started recording it and watching it at my convenience.  Is this guy nuts or what?!  —  I always have been the type to try anything.  I even subscribe to Andrew's motto "If it looks good, Eat It.", but I can truthfully say that some of the things I've seen him eat would not go past my tongue.  For God's sake, he's eating spiders, worms and scorpions.  He will eat anything the natives of whatever town/Provence feed him.  Albeit interesting, I can't see myself trying anything someone offers me.  I have, on the other hand, always said that if I came across a tribe whose specialty was monkeys, spiders, humans,whatever, I would at least try their dishes.  If these people have been eating them... Sun, 18 May 2008 00:11:16 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Bizarre-Foods-with-Andrew-Zimmern-review-500e4 NattScatt 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Hellmans-Mayonnaise-review-d0212  Hellman's mayonnaise.  That says it all.  When people think of mayonnaise, what other brands come to mind?  None.  I don't even know why other companies make mayonnaise.  I do know that Hellman's is the only kind I use.  That is beside Best Foods brand which is the same basic company. —   Hellman's tastes great.  It has the right flavor, consistency and accompaniment for many recipes and finger foods.  I use mayonnaise in a number of dishes and as a single Mom, I have tried to use different brands that may have been on sale at the time.  None of them even come close to Helman's.  You could tell the difference right off.  Not only didn't  the dish taste the same, it sometimes even had a different consistency.  I learned my lesson.  I stopped buying the other brands and stuck to Hellman's. —  We use an awful lot of mayonnaise in my household.  Not only do we put it in pasta and... Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:19:42 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Hellmans-Mayonnaise-review-d0212 NattScatt 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Throwdown-with-Bobby-Flay-review-ca892  I really like Bobby Flay.  He is a great grill-master, a serious southwestern chef and I'm sure a wonderful person.  I love to watch Boy Meets Grill, Barbecue with Bobby Flay and Iron Chef America when Chef Flay is a contender.  I watched a few episodes of Throwdown with Bobby Flay and said "What The $%&#?"  This is not a show for him.  —  Chef Flay has established himself as a serious chef, well known for his Southwestern cuisine.  He uses different and innovative ingredients in spice rubs and grills thing that some people may not think of.  On Iron Chef America, he combines his grilling, Southwestern style and use of unusual ingredients to create dishes that are appealing and apparently tasty enough to win the judges favor ninety percent of the time.  Throwdown with Bobby Flay is making a mockery of this man's talent. —  The object of the show is for Bobby to challenge someone who is an expert in his/her field to a... Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:37:21 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Throwdown-with-Bobby-Flay-review-ca892 NattScatt 2 http://www.viewpoints.com/Hormel-Compleats-Microwave-Meals-review-2c551  If you go to school or work and have to take your own lunch or dinner, may I suggest you try Hormel Compleats.  These are small meals packaged to cook quickly in the microwave and they travel well.  They require no refrigeration so they can sit in a desk drawer or locker until time to eat.  With several different varieties, all you'll need is a drink and you've got lunch or dinner. —  I first tried Hormel Compleats when they were on sale at my local grocery store.  At the time, they were three for seven dollars which caught my eye automatically.  Where can you get three meals for seven dollars these days?  I grabbed them and figured if I didn't like them, one of my kids would eat them.  Guess what?  I loved them.  I buy them every time they are on sale. —  My favorite is the Swedish meatballs with noodles but there are others such as beef stew, chicken and dumplings and Salisbury steak, to name a few.  They... Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:29:26 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Hormel-Compleats-Microwave-Meals-review-2c551 NattScatt 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Iron-Chef--136921-review-65c01  Iron Chef and it's US counterpart, Iron Chef America is a refreshingly different addition to the Food Network's usual cooking shows.  This is not just a cooking show, it is a competition.  On both shows, two chefs are pitted against each other in Kitchen Stadium.  One is an Iron Chef (a well known, popular chef) and the other is usually a lesser known, up-and-coming restaurant chef.  The chefs and their teams have sixty minutes to make at least five dishes from appetizers to desserts using a menagerie of ingredients available in the Stadium.  The one stipulation is that they MUST use a pre-determined "secret " ingredient.  Here is where it gets interesting. —  After the Chairman unveils the secret ingredient, which can be something as mundane as ground beef or as exotic as spiny sea urchin, the chefs have to be very creative.  I've seen some very odd dishes prepared.  I've... Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:07:46 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Iron-Chef--136921-review-65c01 NattScatt 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Kraft-Zesty-Italian-Dressing-review-83422  Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing is one of the best condiments to have on hand.  Not only is it inexpensive, but it is economical in that it can be used in so many different ways.  A bottle of this gives you all the ingredients you need for every part of your meal.  I use it on so many things that I can't imagine NOT having it on hand.    —  Not only is Kraft Zesty Italian an obvious salad dressing, it is an excellent marinade.  Chicken, chops or steaks marinated in Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing come out with so much flavor whether they are baked, broiled or grilled.  Brushing vegetables with it before grilling or roasting brings a little more to the table than plain olive oil.  I've even brushed it onto toasted Italian bread as an addition to the classic roasted garlic.  If you are baking bread or rolls and want to make them a little different, add Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing to the recipe instead of the required... Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:26:18 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Kraft-Zesty-Italian-Dressing-review-83422 NattScatt 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/30-Minute-Meals-with-Rachael-Ray-review-5a2b3  Working full time and cooking out of necessity, it is often difficult to create new and exciting meals that not only are easy and quick to prepare, but also tasty and can fit into my budget.  After watching Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals for the first time, I thought, wow, this can be done with a little organization and planning.  I was just so glad to see someone who cooks like me.  She doesn't make the hoity- toity fancy foods that won't fill you up. She doesn't even really measure.  She cooks regular things like you and I and she does it in under thirty minutes.  —  Not only does Rachel make meals that we eat like pasta dishes, burgers and salads, she even makes nice desserts and sometimes cocktails.  All within the same thirty minutes.  What I like best is that she offers variations on the dishes she makes.  She suggests healthy alternatives as well as fun additions for the kids.  She even says we can add this instead of... Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:59:32 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/30-Minute-Meals-with-Rachael-Ray-review-5a2b3 NattScatt 4