Archive for March, 2009
Federal food officials are now warning people not to eat any food containing pistachios, which could carry contamination from the same bacteria. The Food and Drug Administration said central California-based Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc., the nation’s second-largest pistachio processor, was voluntarily recalling more than 2 million pounds of its roasted nuts shipped since last fall.
The FDA learned about the problem last Tuesday, when Kraft Foods Inc. notified the agency that it had detected salmonella in roasted pistachios through routine product testing. Kraft and the Georgia Nut Co. recalled their Back to Nature Nantucket Blend trail mix the next day.
Salmonella, the most common cause of food-borne illness, is a bacteria that causes diarrhea, fever and cramping. Most people recover, but the infection can be life-threatening for children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.
For more information go to: http://www.fda.gov
March 31st, 2009
Rubbermaid recently blogged about their Rubbermaid Produce Saver but they didn’t even have to toot their own horn. Instead they let ExpoTV member, jar7519, speak for them. In the video below, he describes how using Rubbermaid Produce Saver helps him eat more veggies and save money by keeping them fresh and crisp for longer instead of having to throw them out.
Rubbermaid Produce Saver Square 5-Cup Food Storage Container Review by jar7519
March 26th, 2009
The International Home & Housewares show is the world’s largest home goods & housewares marketplace, showcasing thousands of new products and designs. It just ended which means we have plenty of new and interesting goodies to learn about.
One interesting product for all the coffee lovers out there is the Hourglass coffeemaker by Hourglass Coffee touted as “the world’s coolest coffeemaker” because brews delicious coffee without heat or electricity and instead uses a patent-pending cold water infusion process to naturally produce low acid coffee that’s smooth and rich with no bitterness.
Ha! get it!? Ok, I enjoyed the play on words.
Lab tests show that coffee brewed in the Hourglass has 69.6% less acid than coffee brewed with traditional hot brew methods. The Hourglass is made from health-safe BPA free plastic from Eastman. The Hourglass is eco-smart and requires no electricity to brew and includes a stainless steel filter that lasts a lifetime. The Hourglass is spill proof, shatterproof and completely portable, making it the perfect coffee maker for travel, college life or brewing on the go.
Once it’s brewed you have something called “coffee extract.” You then heat some water and add two shots of the extract. And then you finally have nice warm less acidic coffee.
The Hourglass is currently being sold in Whole Foods, Kitchen Kaboodle, through Solutions catalog, Hammacher Schlemmer and online at www.hourglasscoffee.com.
If this information hasn’t swayed you to the cool side of coffee, then check out some traditional coffee machines at ExpoTV like the Gevalia 85188 Coffee for Two 14-Cup Coffee Maker reviewed by Mean_Queen
March 25th, 2009
Why not celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with some traditional and fun dishes for the family?
This Irish Soda recipe found at parentsconnect.com is an easy and fun way to celebrate the holiday with everyone:
* 1 large can pineapple juice
* 1 12-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
* 1 cup sugar
* 4 cups cold water
* 2 to 4 drops blue food coloring
* 2 liters ginger ale
* 1 quart lime sherbet
Combine pineapple juice, frozen lemonade, sugar, water and food coloring in a large punch bowl or pitcher. (If using a pitcher, cut the recipe in half.)
Carefully stir in ginger ale to avoid too much bubbling.
Gently float scoops of lime sherbet on top and serve.
Why not serve it with some Shepherd’s Pie which is a casserole, lined with cooked meat and vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes, and baked. Try this recipe found at Elise.com
Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
Ingredients
* 1 1/2 lbs ground round beef
* 1 onion chopped
* 1-2 cups vegetables - chopped carrots, corn, peas
* 1 1/2 - 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)
* 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
* 1/2 cup beef broth
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice
Method
1 Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).
2 While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.
3 Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked.
4 Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add worcesterchire sauce. Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist.
5 Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, season to taste.
6 Place beef and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.
7 Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.
Serves four.
Need a good masher for those potatoes? Try this Cutco Potato Masher reviewed by ontheroad
March 17th, 2009
Free Diet Dr. Pepper! Are you a Dr. Pepper addict? I know there are many of you out there. Why not try the Diet version for free? Get the coupon here.
chemgirl09 gives you the lowdown on whether this diet soda is as good as the regular Dr. Pepper:
March 17th, 2009
According to the Associated Press -
Maytag Corp. is voluntarily recalling about 1.6 million refrigerators due to an electrical problem that could create a fire hazard. The problem has led to 16 incidents ranging from smoke damage to major kitchen damage, Maytag said.
The Newton, Iowa-based company and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said the recall involves some Jenn-Air, Amana, Admiral, Magic Chef, Maytag, Performa by Maytag and Crosley side-by-side and top freezer refrigerators. They were sold from January 2001 through January 2004 at department and appliance stores and by homebuilders.
The refrigerators, which sold for $350 to $1,600, came in black, bisque, white and stainless steel. Those with bottom freezers are not included in the recall.
The recall notice said an electrical failure in the relay component that turns on the refrigerator’s compressor can cause overheating and pose a serious fire hazard.
Consumers are advised to contact Maytag to find out if their refrigerator is included in the recall and to set up a free in-home repair. Its toll-free number is 866-533-9817.
Need to replace that faulty fridge?
Check out reviews of other refrigerators at ExpoTV
The LG LFX25960SW 24.7 Cu. Ft. French Door Refrigerator with External Ice/Water Dispenser reviewed by Arminda:
Check out more LG Refrigerators at the LG Expo!
March 10th, 2009
We should all celebrate National Napping Day today! Sleep is an important part of your health and sanity so celebrate today with a few shut eyes.
What do you need for the perfect nap?
For the dream inducing pillow try:
DreamPuff Pillow Review
Serta 3-Pound Micro Memory Foam Pillow
The perfect mattress?:
Memory Foam Mattress Review
Sleep Number 4000 Pillowtop Mattress by Select Comfort
AND a snuggly blanket:
NAP Cuddle Blanket
SlumberRest Ultra-soft Microfiber Heated Blanket
March 9th, 2009
More people are eating at home to save money so restaurants need to find ways to bring the people in. Many chain restaurants are resorting to special promotions to bring in the customers. And really, who can say no to free food now?
Jamba Juice is practically giving away their (very yummy!) oatmeal for a $1 here.
Chili’s is giving away free Chips and Queso when you sign up for the mailing list here.
Macaroni Grill is giving away a free appetizer when you sign up to their mailing list here. (I recommend the calamari!)
Starbucks has also started their breakfast “value meals” where you can pair items with coffee for $3.95. For more details on the pairing check out the website.
Check out reviews of some of these restaurant’s at Expo:
Chili’s Grilled Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Review
Jamba Juice Review
Starbucks Carmel Frappuccino Review
March 3rd, 2009
I have spent a great portion of my life searching for my keys and many other random devices so where has the Find It All Key Finder been all my life?
Unlike other systems that are either a receiver or a transmitter - the Find it All Key Finder tags are both, so if you’ve got one, it will find the others for you. Each fob is a two-way device, capable of signalling any other fob to beep and flash, helping you locate the lost item attached to it. The flat fob comes with a lanyard and double sided tape for attachment to items such as a mobile phones, wallets, purses, bags, MP3 players, iPods etc. Find It All Key Finders also feature proximity detection, whereby the rate at which the fob used to locate another fob is flashing represents the distance between the two fobs. Therefore, the closer you get to a missing item the faster the LED light flashes.
Is $39.57 worth your sanity? Then check out the Find It All Key Finder and let the ExpoTV community know how you like it!
March 3rd, 2009
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