Reviews by researchkimmer

researchkimmer says "A treat not to be missed!" about New Mexico Pinon Coffee Company New Mexico Pinon Coffee, Regular Whole Bean

researchkimmer — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:51:08 GMT

When we left Albuquerque to move to Chicago in 2000, we were sadly leaving many of our favorite New Mexican foods behind. New Mexico Pinon Coffee was one of them. When chance encounter while shopping for coffee at Trader Joe's, I spotted the familiar red back with the Zuni sun in the middle of the lable, my jaw dropped and I grabbed two bags for my cart! I don't know what it is about the New Mexico pinon trees that enhances the flavor of this coffee, but it's no more expensive than any other ground coffee (at least at Trader Joe's), and the smooth body and only mildly acid finish is a treat not to be missed. If you're from New Mexico and you miss this coffee, you can order it online at http://www.nmpinoncoffee.com....

researchkimmer says "FINALLY - I don't have to worry about breaking the carafe!" about Williams Sonoma - Stainless Steel French Press

researchkimmer — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:36:22 GMT

I can't count how many carafes my husband and I replaced when we bought our first French Press. We found one made of plastic but it didn't hold up well and would make the coffee taste funny after a while. We finally found this one by Frieling at Williams-Sonoma a few years ago, and have loved it ever since. Now I don't have to cringe and pick up broken glass out of the sink because I accidentally banged it against the faucet!...

researchkimmer says "Great for portion control if you're cutting back." about Philips Senseo HD7810/95 5-Cup Coffee Maker

researchkimmer — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:25:47 GMT

We've had ours for 4 years now and it's one of the best appliance investments we've ever made. Between my husband and I, we'd go through two pots of coffee a day easy (that's close to 20 cups of coffee!), mostly consumed by him. When we bought the Senseo, our consumption was cut back dramatically, yet we still enjoy coffee when we want it. No more wasted pots of coffee that sat on the heater for too long!...

researchkimmer says "Why buy it when you can make it at home?" about Homemade! Steak sauce recipe from About.com

researchkimmer — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:21:37 GMT

I downloaded a recipe from About.com because we were out, and my grocery budget was tight that week. With the exception of the ketchup having high fructose corn syrup in it, and the anchovies in the worchestershire sauce, it would be suitible for vegans and omnivores alike. It tastes almost like A1 sauce, without the price tag. I can't wait to try the next batch with organic ketchup and vegan worchestershire sauce! I also bet it would make for a great marinade!...

researchkimmer says "I'll miss this when I've completed the transition to veganism." about Trader Joe's Black Angus Top Sirloin

researchkimmer — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:16:03 GMT

Trader Joe's steaks are just absolutely wonderful. It's cheaper than Whole Foods/Wild Oats, yet you still get meat that's hormone and antibiotic free. It made for a great final hurrah to eating beef....

researchkimmer says "The perfect size for a two-person household." about Weber Smokey Joe Gold Charcoal Grill

researchkimmer — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:11:02 GMT

I bought ours in 2007, and it has served us well. It sat outside on the front patio all winter and hardly rusted at all! The size is perfect for two people, it's very portable, and will most likely still be useable should we have to move to smaller digs anytime soon. The perfect size to take to the park....

researchkimmer says "DSL is just as fast as Comcast, and no stupid turtles!" about SBCGlobal (AT&T Yahoo!)

researchkimmer — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:06:46 GMT

Sorry Comcast, but cable internet service slows down as more people in the area start to use it. At full capacity, it's the same speed as DSL. Plus, if you need a boost program, you're not that fast to begin with. All a boost program does is reload a web page in your history faster. New pages will not load faster. With a Dedicated Service Line, there's plenty of speed for our desktop and 3 laptops in this house (when friend visits and uses our wireless network). Finally, I'm ready to take those two derned turtles and make soup out of them! DSL is fast, reliable, and not subject to satellite interruptions when there's weather problems!

This is the only aspect of ATT services that I have no complaints over.
...

researchkimmer says "I FINALLY can use my cell phone inside my house!" about AT&T

researchkimmer — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:59:50 GMT

After previously being a customer of T-Mobile for several years, we were tired of not being able to use our cell phones indoors at our home. It didn't matter if we were renting a basement apartment or were up on the first or second floor, we could not get enough signal strength and would CONSTANTLY be dropping calls while inside. I'm sorry, but if it's a hot, muggy summer day I'm NOT going outside just to talk on the phone (especially with my asthma!) Even texting, which is what we primarily use our phones for, was a problem. Messages would arrive late - and the sports updates would sometimes be DAYS late!

My main gripe is that we have to pay an extra $30 a month to have unlimited texting capabilities (yes, we text that much, excluding sport scores updates). At T-Mobile, that was standard on our last plan and I think it still should be no matter whom the provider is. I will be looking around again when my contract is up. If I can still get reception in my home and unlimited texting without......

researchkimmer says "For TV service, it's the best kid on the block." about Comcast - Cable Company

researchkimmer — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:50:39 GMT

My only beef with Comcast is that if you don't want digital cable, the price is only $10 cheaper to lose the box. If you're trying to save money and watch less TV, you're still paying a premium for no premium service. In Chicago, it's virtually impossible to get any LOCAL channels in clearly with just a set a rabbit ears. As a renter I don't have the option of considering a dish company of some sort. So until someone invents a better pair of rabbit ears, I'm stuck paying for more channels than I can possible watch in a week - including the stuff on my DVR!...