Reviews by witchenkitchen

witchenkitchen says "Tumbleweed's Compost Tumbler makes black gold in a hurry" about Tumbleweed Compost Maker Tumbler Composter Garden

witchenkitchen — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:29:06 GMT

Over the years we've moved six times and have left six compost bins or piles behind - often with no regrets. While the rectangular bins seem popular I wonder how many people buy them a second time. We just left two on this last move. Our Tumbleweed Compost Tumbler will move with us the next time.

What I've never liked about many of commercial bins is the inconvenience of turning the plant and kitchen waste. Heaving the pile, which is always damp, with a garden fork or shovel, is hard work. It's heavy, but it's also painful when I realize my fork's tines just jabbed through some treasured worms. The Tumbleweed Compost Tumbler is easy to turn without using garden tools.

This compost maker resembles a barrel. It's an eight-cubic foot, barrel-shaped, UV-protected polyethylene tub that is suspended on an A-shaped galvanized steel frame. The frame connects with the barrel in the middle which makes it possible to turn the barrel. This turning obviously churns and mixes the contents. The churning...

...

witchenkitchen says "Magic isn't required to clean this Zyliss Silicone Basting Brush" about Zyliss Silicone Basting Brush

witchenkitchen — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:35:10 GMT

Brushes used for basting turkey or barbecue quickly become disgusting and should be considered disposable. The oily grunge never seems to wash off. You also hesitate using those brushes with really hot cooking. Even though a traditional basting brush has never had a melt-down while in use on grills or in ovens, I often worry about how the heat affects their bristles.

Although at first this didn't look like much, the Zyliss Silicone Basting Brush has become a welcome addition to my outdoor kitchen this year. This has several terrific features that set it apart from my traditional bristle basting brush.

The silicone supposedly withstands temperatures up to 600 degrees. My outdoor grill frequently reaches temperatures of 500 degrees, although while basting meats on the grill the temperature will fall into the mid-400 degrees. The Zyliss Silicone Basting Brush "laughs in the face" of these high temperatures. They're not a problem.

The bristles are easily removable and the brush...

...

witchenkitchen says "This Crystal Stemware Brush won't penetrate narrow space!" about Brushtech Crystal Stemware Brush

witchenkitchen — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:55:44 GMT

Champagne, the holidays and special occasion bubbly, if sweet might be enjoyed from a shallow saucer-shaped stemware or even a white wine tulip glass. Brut, the dry side of Champagne is best enjoyed from narrow-bowled flutes. Long, tall, trumpet-shaped or narrow and straight-sided glasses allow the champagne to remain cool longer. The shape prevents the quick escape of bubbles. Some aficionados of champagne prefer the tulip-shaped wine glass. Whatever your choice, when finished with your champagne (unless you're drinking from a single-use plastic glass - ick) the glass needs to be cleaned. My bet is that after sharing a bottle you won't be jumping up to wash your glass - that seems to ruin the celebratory moment.

Brushtech thinks they have a solution for penetrating the narrow flute-washing dilemma. Brushtech has a Crystal Stemware Brush that is 100% non-scratching and dishwasher safe. They claim this "penetrates deep to the bottom of narrow flutes where your fingers do not...

...

witchenkitchen says "Houston Barbecue Company is in it for the nickels and dimes " about Houston Barbecue Company - Houston, TX

witchenkitchen — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:14:41 GMT

Barbecue is a food to get wild about. It implies party, good times, but also tasty seasoned food. It's simple, there's not a lot of clutter around barbecue and that holds consistently across the country. There are so many styles and variations and up 'til now I've loved them all! Give me a simple cut of meat cooked to perfection with a tasty sauce and a side of slaw or ranch beans and you'll discover a happy customer. How hard can that be?

I've planned workshops close to favorite barbecue restaurants. I once traveled from Casper, Wyoming, to Gillette, Wyoming, in the winter for some fine ribs and ended getting stranded for several days by a blizzard. Chicago has its style, as does Memphis, Kansas City, North Carolina, Kentucky, Maryland, Indiana, and Texas. There's a stand in the food court at Atlanta's airport that always gets me. I'm learning Texas has several styles but there are consistencies between each that seems to hold from region to region. A "highly acclaimed" barbecue...

...

witchenkitchen says "Amcor's ALW 12000E Air Conditioner created a steamy sauna!" about Amcor ALW 12000E Portable Air Conditioner

witchenkitchen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:03:24 GMT

While selling my ancient non-air-conditioned big old house during the summer heat it seemed appropriate that some of the interesting rooms be cool. Several rooms had window units that kept the space chilled to a comfortable level; there were a few rooms that could not accommodate window units. Not all windows in 1895 were built to fit our modern air conditioners and there was no way, without spending a small fortune, that we could install central air. The concept of a portable, high-efficiency air conditioner had marketing appeal. I opted for the Amcor ALW 12000E for a variety of reasons but apparently my research had not been thorough enough.

This 12,000 BTU unit comes with a window kit that includes a five foot extendable exhaust hose. This fits through a window adapter kit designed to slide into most window spaces. The panel has a large hole and connector for the hose to fit through. Mine was a non-standard window of 20 inches. The unit is sleek in appearance, weighs approximately...

...

witchenkitchen says "Grreat Choice Healthy Treats have Lab appeal!" about Grreat Choice Healthy Treats Biscuits with Vegetables

witchenkitchen — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:53:18 GMT

All good dogs should get great treats and praise that rewards them for appropriate behavior. They should also get healthy snacks that make them want to sit up and repeat that excellent behavior. My Labradors recently finished a box of Grreat Choice Healthy Treats Biscuits with Vegetables from Petsmart. They were most pleased with the snack and they were quick to sit up and ask for more soon after they gulped down their treat.

Healthy Treats snacks are for dogs and I would recommend this more for larger dogs; either that or break the heart in half. These cookies are heart-shaped and fairly large - approximately 2 ½ inches across. As it was we still broke them in half. The vegetable ingredients include tomato, carrots, peas, broccoli, and spinach. These are made with wheat flour and there's no corn to be found. The vegetables are all dehydrated so you don't need to worry about spoilage or needing refrigeration.

They're low in fat, actually these are 95% fat free and rely upon...

...

witchenkitchen says "Good book, good wine, good nap - Montana Mission-Style Recliner" about Lane Montana Mission Style High Leg Recliner

witchenkitchen — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:33:56 GMT

Not long ago it seemed wise to add a recliner to our family room, something that worked with our existing craftsman-style furniture, and having a cat and several large dogs I was more interested in easy-to-clean leather rather than knobby "cat-scratchable" fabric. After doing a little searching, and watching sale prices, I found the Lane Montana Mission-Style High Leg Recliner online through Macys at a good price (nearly one third off).

This is a full recliner with the simplicity of the leather and wood craftsman look. The wide, dark oak wood arms literally support my many habits that include a glass of wine and a book. The high back comforts my head, or the head of guests who are considerably taller. It feels like an over-stuffed chair with ample padding in the headrest as well as supportive padding in the back and seat. The footrest manually lifts up when you push backwards while holding on to the arms. You don't use a handle to extend the foot. The footrest has two levels,...

...