Reviews by Friends of kerri-maree

njchicaa says "This organic chicken broth is a great addition to many meals!" about College Inn Organic Chicken Broth

njchicaa — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:16:44 GMT

The more I cook, the more recipes I try, which means the more chicken broth that I need to buy and use in my cooking. I have tried to buy organic foods for the past two years or so, but with the current state of the economy, I've had to cut back in the food budget and switch back to many non-organic products just to save money.

I've been using plain old College Inn Chicken Broth for the past several months, so I was excited to find a 32 ounce cardboard box of their Organic Chicken Broth shoved into the back of a cabinet. It costs about $3.50 per box compared to a same-size box of non-organic chicken broth for $1.79, which is why I had to stop buying it for the time being.

College Inn Organic Chicken Broth is 99% fat free and USDA certified organic. According to the information on the box, it is made by simmering free-range (but no mention of organic) chicken, organic veggies, and spices. A 1-cup serving contains only 15 calories but a whopping 510 milligrams of sodium.

I use this...

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Jolie says "buyuggsboot.net is a scam! Ugg Boots from China that are fake." about www.buyuggsboot.net

Jolie — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:22:46 GMT

Background on Buyuggsboot.net

A friend of mine at Viewpoints recently passed along a site called www.buyuggsboot.net. She found it online. www.buyuggsboot.net is a web site that sells all styles of Ugg Boots at discounted prices.

We werent certain if www.buyuggsboot.net were the real or not. But after a thorough review of the site, we thought it was legit. Buyuggsboot.net looks like a reasonable reseller of Ugg Boots. The page is designed well, the pictures look authentic and they make claim to having the real deal. They also consistently site throughout the web site having customer satisfaction commitments.

To add to the thought it was authentic, the pricing seemed good but not amazing. As you probably know a typical pair of Ugg Boots cost about $110. On Buyuggsboot.net the cost was $89.00- approximately a $20 savings. Seemed like a good deal, but they werent so cheap that I thought it could be scam. As an aside, last year Nordstrom had a similiar sale on Ugg boots so the pricing seemed...

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njchicaa says "A faithful and great adaptation of the 4th Harry Potter book." about Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

njchicaa — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:00:18 GMT

I've been a fan of the Harry Potter series of books (and movies) ever since J.K Rowling started releasing them. For some reason, I missed seeing the fourth movie in the series, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, many years ago so I added it to my Netflix list and recently watched it for the very first time.

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire follows Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione as they work their way through their fourth year at Hogwarts, the school for the magical education of wizards and witches. Aside from the usual classes, struggles with Slytherins and Professor Snape, this movie also includes the Tri-Wizard Tournament. This tournament is between the 3 magical schools (Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons), is held every 5 years, and is designed to test school champions in their magical powers, courage, intelligence, etc. Witches and wizards over the age of 17 are eligible to place their names into The Goblet of Fire and the cup selects one champion from each...

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njchicaa says "I really enjoyed Half Broke Horses." about Half Broke Horses

njchicaa — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:22:06 GMT

Half Broke Horses is written by Jeannette Walls, a former entertainment reporter who wrote a gripping memoir of her childhood called The Glass Castle. This book tells the story of her grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, and her life from childhood through adulthood and even up until she became a grandmother for the first time.

Lily Casey Smith had a challenging life. She grew up in poverty, eventually escaped Texas ranch life for Chicago, marries a man who is already married, divorces, and then moves to Arizona to start over again. She is a strong and confident woman who takes life as it comes, learns the lessons she can from it, and carries on as best she can in any given situation. It is very reminiscent of The Glass Castle in that both of the main characters refuse to be broken by what life throws at them and still manage to improve their circumstances as best they can.

I've long considered Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle to be one of the very best books I've ever read and I...

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njchicaa says "This is delicious and really inexpensive Extra Virgin Olive Oil!" about Trader Joe's Extra Virgin Olive Oil

njchicaa — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:59:36 GMT

As someone who is interested in cooking and always attempting to improve, I've been cooking more often with extra virgin olive oil. The problem is that it is so expensive at the local grocery store--$20 for a 1 quart bottle. I had been reluctantly buying it and sparingly using it due to the cost. When I saw 1 quart bottles of Trader Joe's Extra Virgin Olive Oil for just $5.99 each during a recent visit to the store, I picked up two and now wish I had bought several more.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made from the first pressing of the olives which means that it has the most color and flavor of all of the various types of olive oils. EVOO, as it is sometimes called, is full of heart-healthy unsaturated fats and lots of fruity flavor. Due to the strong flavor and expense, Extra Virgin Olive Oil is usually used for sauteeing, marinades, salad dressings, etc. You don't want to use it for baking due to the strong flavor or for frying due to the low smoke point. I use Trader Joe's...

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njchicaa says "Add flavor to steaks and burgers with the Steakhouse Grinder!" about McCormick Steakhouse Seasoning Grinder

njchicaa — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:59:05 GMT

My husband loves to try different seasonings and rubs that he finds in the spice section of the local grocery store which is how we wound up with the McCormick Steakhouse Seasoning Grinder. It is sold in a 1.3 ounce glass bottle with a grinding apparatus at the top.

This McCormick Steakhouse Seasoning Grinder contains a blend of spices and herbs including black/pink/green peppercorns, red pepper, sea salt, garlic, onion, parsley, and paprika. I've always liked the various McCormick steak and burger seasonings that I've tried in the past, so I figured that I'd like this Steakhouse Seasoning as well... and I was correct.

The big selling point of this Steakhouse Seasoning is the fact that the jar has a built-in grinder so you can add freshly-ground spices to your beef, chicken, etc. To dispense them, you simply remove the top, turn the jar upside-down, and then twist the "base" to grind and sprinkle the seasonings onto the food.

I've used the McCormick Steakhouse Seasoning Grinder...

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njchicaa says "Omaha Steaks Burgers are mediocre pre-made hamburger patties. " about Omaha Steaks Burgers

njchicaa — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:17:29 GMT

We recently placed a couple of Omaha Steaks orders and wound up with a package of 6 free Omaha Steaks Hamburgers as a "free gift" with purchase. We've had them for dinner twice now and, while they aren't horrible, they aren't something that I'd go out of my way to buy in the future.

These Omaha Steaks Burgers are four ounces each and contain North American beef. Each one contains about 290 calories and a whopping 23 grams of fat. There are no seasonings mixed into the ground beef which means that, although the Omaha Steaks Burgers are very juicy, they don't have any real flavor.

A package of six of these 4-ounce hamburgers costs $21 plus shipping. Seriously, I can buy twice as much ground beef at less than half of the cost at the local grocery store, add some seasonings, and make a much tastier (and leaner) burger. Omaha Steaks Burgers aren't totally awful, in fact they are pretty juicy though without much flavor. In fact, they are probably better than your typical pre-made...

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njchicaa says "Ziploc Evolve Gallon Bags: kind of the Earth but very thin." about Ziploc Evolve Gallon Food Storage Bags

njchicaa — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:42:45 GMT

I'm always looking for environmentally-friendly alternatives for the products that I usually use. When I saw Ziploc's Evolve series of plastic storage bags, I decided to try them out despite the fact that they were more expensive than the regular ones. Ziploc claims that their Evolve Food Storage Bags are "better for the environment" because they are ultra-light bags that use 25% less plastic and are made with wind energy.

I typically use gallon-size food storage bags for two things: marinating meat in the fridge and storing meats in the freezer. Ziploc Evolve Gallon Storage Bags work well for soaking beef, chicken, pork, and even fish in a marinade for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. They hold in the food and liquid marinades without the leaks that I've experienced when using other brands of plastic storage bags.

As for long-term use in the freezer, the jury is still out on that one. There are only 2 of us in the house and I usually buy meat (chicken breasts/thighs,...

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njchicaa says "Celebrate Christmas with Mrs. Meyer's Peppermint Soy Candle." about Mrs. Meyer's Peppermint Scented Soy Candle

njchicaa — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:53:32 GMT

I love candles and always have them burning throughout my house. I change the scents to match the seasons and one of my absolute favorite holiday scents is peppermint. I didn't buy any this year, though, because I was already overloaded with Christmas-type scents. My sister surprised me, however, with a Mrs. Meyer's Peppermint Scented Soy Candle and I've been burning it ever since.

This 7.2 ounce candle is made with vegetable wax, fragrance, essential oils, and a paper core with cotton wick. It is opaque white in color and has a festive minty scent. The suggested retail price for these candles is $9.99, but my sister found it in Home Goods for about $3.

Mrs. Meyer's Peppermint Scented Soy Candle has kind of a medium scent. It is less intense than your typical Yankee Candle and is best suited for smaller rooms like bathrooms, offices, or even bedrooms. I first tried burning mine in our living room, but the scent was so mild that I felt like I was wasting the andle. I then...

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njchicaa says "Trader Joe's Spanakopita has yummy filling but mushy filo dough." about Trader Joe's Spanakopita

njchicaa — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:28:04 GMT

I'm not usually one for pre-made appetizers or meals, but when I saw Trader Joe's Spanakopita sitting prettily there in the freezer last month, I remembered how good the Barefoot Contessa's version looked when I saw it on Food Network and tossed 2 boxes into my cart. I didn't get around to actually trying them until today...

To prepare Trader Joe's Spanakopita, you simply open up the box, remove the plastic wrapping, and bake the pieces (straight out of the freezer) in their foil pan at 375 degrees F for 20-22 minutes. After they are cooked, you are supposed to let them cool for 10 minutes before serving. I followed the directions while preparing the Spanakopita and was somewhat disappointed. Yes, after 22 minutes the filling of the little pockets was warm, but the phyllo/filo dough was still very soft and doughy. I tried to cook one of the trays for an extra 10 minutes or so, but that just resulted in the phyllo dough cracking, splitting, and otherwise self-destructing rather...

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njchicaa says "I'm very happy with this Depo-Provera generic birth control." about Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (Depo-Provera generic)

njchicaa — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:42:29 GMT

At 32, I'm pretty sure that I don't want children. I already take a fair amount of medication daily for my asthma, so I didn't want to use birth control pills. I had used Depo-Provera injections successfully in the past, so that was what I chose to go with again on my last visit with the OB/GYN.

Medroxyprogesterone Acetate is the generic version of Depo-Provera and what the pharmacy has been giving me for the past year. It is basically a derivative of progesterone, that prevents ovulation and thickens cervical mucus. It is 99.7% effective which means it provides more pregnancy protection than pills and condoms. It is worth noting, however, that Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Injections do not provide any protection from STDs, including HIV and HPV.

You receive these birth control injections intramuscularly every 11-13 weeks. The needle is rather large but, I promise you, you won't feel it if you can stand to drop your pants a bit and have the injection in your upper butt. ...

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njchicaa says "It isn't Christmas in my house without WickIt Good's Noel Candle" about WickIt Good Noel Candle

njchicaa — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:08:15 GMT

I really enjoy candles and am always looking for new brands and exciting fragrances. One of the lines that I keep returning to is WickIt Good Candles, a local candle company that has 3 New Jersey shops and an online store. Each Christmas I buy several of their Noel Candles and enjoy every minute of the fragrance that they spread throughout the house.

WickIt Good's Noel Candle is opaque white in color and has a fragrance described as a "true tanenbaum". I'm not sure what "tanenbaum" is supposed to smell like, but I can say that this Noel scent is simply Christmas. It seems to be a blend of evergreen, mint, and a hint of sweet berries. WickIt Good Candles contain 10% fragrance oil as opposed to the competition's 4-5%, so these are very strongly-scented candles that don't contain fillers, hardeners, or stabilizing chemicals. Basically, they are wax and fragrance.

I bought WickIt Good Noel in the 18 Ounce Double Wick Jar Candle for $22.50. It is a bit more expensive per ounce...

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njchicaa says "Yum! I love Trader Joe's Cafe Pajaro Whole Bean Coffee!" about Trader Joe's Cafe Pajaro Whole Bean Coffee

njchicaa — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:33:19 GMT

I'm a big fan of organic and fair-trade products, but the main reason that I bought Trader Joe's Cafe Pajaro Whole Bean Coffee was because it was nicely priced and had a cute picture of a bird on the container. I'm not kidding.

According to the Cafe Pajaro container, this is a whole bean arabica coffee that is full-bodied and has an extra-dark roast. It also consists of organic coffee beans that have been fairly-traded, which means that the growers are given a fair price for their product and don't have to sell at cut-throat prices. I paid about $7 per 13 ounce can of Trader Joe's Cafe Pajaro Whole Bean Coffee which is cheaper than the usual brand that we buy that *isn't* organic, fair-trade, or the rest...

We really enjoy this Cafe Pajaro coffee. It is an extra-dark roast which produces a robust and flavorful coffee which is the perfect way to perk us up at 5am each morning. The price is nice and this product also has the benefits of being organic and fairly-traded. For someone...

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njchicaa says "Ocean Potion Moisturizing Body lotion isn't moisturizing. " about Ocean Potion Moisturizing Body Lotion Aloe Lotion

njchicaa — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:05:02 GMT

Every spring a large group of my family heads south for a spring break vacation at Cozumel, Mexico. My birthday is usually a few weeks before the trip, so it wasn't surprising last year to receive a beach tote filled with a new towel, a bottle of tequila, sunscreen, aloe, and a bottle of Ocean Potion Moisturizing Aloe Lotion.

I didn't get around to using it until just the past month or so (6+ months after receiving it) because I had quite a stash of lotions already in the house. I don't get much sun exposure in November/December these days, but I decided to use this stuff as a daily moisturizer. Ocean Potion Moisturizing Lotion contains ingredients like rapeseed (canola) oil, sunflower oil, glycerin, aloe leaf juice, vitamins C/E/A/B6/D, tea tree oil, etc.

Ocean Potion Lotion is an opaque, white, and fairly thin product that spreads easily across and absorbs quickly into skin. The scent is strong and somewhat fruity, though I'd be hard-pressed to name exactly what fruits are combined...

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njchicaa says "What a horrible film adaptation of Confessions of a Shopaholic." about Confessions of a Shopaholic

njchicaa — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:35:35 GMT

When I first read Confessions of a Shopaholic, I was completely charmed by Becky Bloomwood and her spendthrift ways. This first book in the Shopaholic series is one of the best examples of what is now called "chick-lit". The story follows a twenty-something woman who is doing her best to keep her head above water financially while working, ironically, as a financial journalist. The movie version of Confessions of a Shopaholic is a bizarre, twisted, and weak adaptation of the original and brilliant book.

The Confessions of a Shopaholic movie has turned Becky Bloomwood into a humorless, weak, and simple girl who spends more than she earns on clothing, shoes, scarves, etc. In the book she had much more character and strength and her relationship with Luke Brandon was a much more interesting and believable connection. Even Becky's roommate, the supposedly wealthy and very sophisticated Suze, has been completely altered. In the book, Suze rides horses, wears plaid and flannel, and has a...

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njchicaa says "Looking for a non-antibacterial hand soap? Check this one out!" about Softsoap Black Raspberry and Vanilla Hand Soap

njchicaa — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:56:26 GMT

Hand soap is just one of those things that you have to buy. I usually stick to environmentally-friendly products like method or Mrs. Meyer's, but I sent my husband off to the store with the shopping list, so I wound up with a 7.5 fluid ounce bottle of SoftSoap Black Raspberry and Vanilla.

This is basically your typical hand soap: inexpensive, easy to find, mostly unpronounceable ingredients, and pleasant fragrance. Softsoap seems to make the same hand soap in 50 different scents, but their Black Raspberry and Vanilla one is a winner. I normally don't like raspberry or vanilla scents, but the combination along with some other fragrance notes seems to be an unoffensive fruity, floral, and fresh scent.

I wash my hands dozens of times a day... and that is only during the hours that I am not at work! I was worried about drying out the skin on my hands with all of the repeated hand-washings, but it all was fine. This is a lovely and moisturizing hand soap that also has the bonus benefit...

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njchicaa says "Finally, a LUSH massage bar that melts enough to use!" about LUSH Sexy Boy Massage Bar

njchicaa — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:48:09 GMT

I've bought several LUSH massage bars over the years (Each Peach, Soft Coeur, Strawberry Feels Forever, Nutts, Mange Too) and, while I found some of them to work well as a basic skin moisturizer, none of them were actually "melty" enough to replace a true massage oil for a full-body massage. I received a very generous sample piece of LUSH Sexy Boy Massage Bar in my latest order and I must say that I am impressed!

The idea behind LUSH massage bars is that they are solid blocks of butters and oils that will melt when exposed to skin's heat and provide the lubrication necessary for a good massage. They are "naked" products in that they don't require plastic packaging which is good for the environment. LUSH Sexy Boy is a holiday product that contains cocoa butter, shea butter, extra virgin coconut oil, lime oil, cocoa absolute, etc. and has a gingerbread man shape. Personally, I don't consider gingerbread men to be sexy, but to each his/her own.

My husband simply doesn't do massages...

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njchicaa says "Not impressed with LUSH Gnome Name Bubble Bar." about LUSH Gnome Name Bubble Bar

njchicaa — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:59:34 GMT

I passed on buying most of the LUSH Christmas items this year because they simply didn't dazzle me as I browsed the company web site. When I had the opportunity to check everything out in person a few weeks ago, I again passed on almost everything, but decided to buy 2 of their Gnome Name Bubble Bars.

As the name implies, these solid pieces of bubble bath are shaped like gnomes. LUSH describes them as "fruity, spicy, and soda-scented". To my nose, they smell more like a combination of Necco wafers and Red Hots candy. The Gnome Name moniker is kind of silly because every LUSH store calls this particular product something else. I think the NYC store I bought mine in called it something like "Aikko"... don't ask me what that's supposed to mean.

To use your LUSH Gnome Name Bubble Bar, you simply crumble it under running water as you fill the tub. The eyes on this guy are chocolate chips and won't melt in the tub, so I suggest just removing them and throwing them away before putting...

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njchicaa says "Laura Ingalls becomes a young lady in Little Town on the Prairie" about Little Town on the Prairie

njchicaa — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:37:33 GMT

Little Town on the Prairie is the 7th book in the Little House series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It follows Laura and her family as they recover from The Long Winter. The town is growing, the family is improving their situation, and Laura becomes friends with other young women and men her age. It seems that little Half-Pint is growing up!

Basically, Little Town on the Prairie encompasses the two years following the winter of blizzards that cut the town off from supplies and saw the residents almost starve to death. Laura and her sister Carrie attend school daily now, make friends, and soon become comfortable with "town" life. The residents of DeSmet do what they can to spice up prairie life by sponsoring Fourth of July gatherings and horse races, sociables, New England suppers, literary society meetings, a school exhibition, church revival meetings, etc. This book also has Laura meeting and being escorted home several times by Almanzo Wilder, her future husband.

Little...

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njchicaa says "Don't bother with this Neutrogena Deep Wrinkle Eye Cream. " about Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle Moisture (SPF 20)

njchicaa — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:09:54 GMT

As any other 30-something woman, I am concerned about the fine lines and wrinkles that seem to pop up daily around my eyes. I've tried almost every one that the local Target stocks, with the most recent test-run including Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle Moisture Cream.

Basically, with an under eye cream, I'm looking for hydration and possibly some minimizing of the fine lines. I don't expect miracles or for the lines to completely disappear or the occasional dark circles to be absolutely hidden. I was hoping at a cost less than $5, Neutrogena Deep Wrinkle Moisture Cream could get the job done.

This is a fairly thin cream that spreads easily across delicate skin and absorbs quickly. A little goes a long way which is always good to see. It seems to moisturize skin, but I've never noticed any improvement in fine lines or the "deep wrinkles" that this Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Moisture Cream claims to minimize. In fact, not only does it *not* really do anything...

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