money

Coffee And The Maker

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Coffee makers seem to be a problem for me.    I recently purchased a Cuisinart coffee maker.  Actually this is the second Cuisinart coffee maker I bought.  My first coffee maker had a stainless steal coffee pot, I loved the look.  I have to say I copied my girlfriend.  The pot just looked so nice, and she said it also kept the coffee hot, this was good.  So this coffee maker was displayed on my kitchen counter.  Every morning I would brew a nice pot of coffee.  One day, without warning, the handle breaks off.  So I call Cuisinart.  No problem, they say, we will send you another coffee pot.  Good!  But when the pot came it had a white handle, I had a pot with a black handle.  Ring,ring,ring, I call back.  You sent me the wrong colored coffee pot, I tell them, no problem, they say again, we will send you the right one.  So again, good.  This time the right color handle was sent.  Hooray!  Well that celebration ended quickly.

This darn coffee maker now begins to brew coffee all over my kitchen counter.  At first I thought it was me, I made a mistake or something, but I quickly realized it was not me it was the coffee maker.  Of course I just kept brewing in it, and watching it with a careful eye.  Then one morning it just stopped working.  Time to buy a new one.

 So I order another one, from JC Penny catalog, of course another Cuisinart, but this time with a glass coffee pot.  I wanted a change.  I was so excited, a new coffee pot on my kitichen counter.  This is good, real good. Was it?

Eight months from purchase and guess what, coffee maker stopped working.  WHAT!  This is ridicoulous.  Now I have to call Cuisinart and tell them that the  coffee maker just stopped working.  I have no doubt that they will send me another coffee maker.  Cuisinart is good like that.  But, my questions is how long does a coffee maker last?  And what brand is  worth buying?

Actually, I am a tea person, but drink coffee only in the morning after my tea.  Oh, and you know my girlfriend that I copied from, she still has that same coffee pot, experienced no problems with it.  I guess it is just me.

The coffee maker just knows that I am a tea loving person.

 

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recipe

Black Pepper–Raspberry Sorbet with Prosecco

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black pepper raspberry sorbet with prosecco .  This dessert is a great one for any celebration.  Save the toast for the end of the meal.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
  • 1 pint(s) raspberry sorbet, softened slightly
  • 1 bottle(s) (750-milliliter) Prosecco, chilled

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, sprinkle the pepper all over the sorbet and fold it in with a rubber spatula. Cover and freeze for about 3 hours, until firm.
  2. Chill 8 champagne saucers. Using a 1/2-ounce ice creamscoop, place 3 scoops of sorbet in each saucer. Pour about 1/3 cup of Prosecco into each saucer.
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www.delish.com
Did You Know

Sticky Situations

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Thanks to Home Digest here are ways to solve 5 sticky situations:

To get rid of various  door to door solicitors at your door –“I appreciate your committment to your job/candidate/religion  in going door to door and spreading the word.  I’m sorry I don’t have the time right now to give you what you deserve”.  To get rid of robocalls – press the pound key (#) or the star. pound and zero keys at the same time (*#0).  That’s what commenters at the lifehacker.com and a New York Times blog suggest you do to foil annoying calls.  To get rid of clogged drains – The Family Handyman recommends a “cheap, fast, chemical free” unclogger called ZIP-IT, a jagged plastic wand with teeth you insert to bring up hair and goop.  To unstick glue caps that refuse to budge – dab petroleum jelly on the threads of the bottle when you first open it, one reader suggest in This Old House. 

To get rid of dirt and add a seasonal scent – Ashley English of designspongeonline.com suggest this recipe for floor cleaner – 1 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup baking soda, 6-7 drops of essential oil (pine, lavender etc) – mixed in a pail with hot water. Swish – Mop – Inhale.

Please do not put your tongue on a icy pole.

 http://www.rd.com/

product review

Pevonia Botanica – Propel Media Event

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Got a chance to try out the Holiday Gift Collection 2011 from Pevonia Botanica – a collection of award-winning Pevonia bestsellers. Pevonia Botanica is an elite natural skincare brand that addresses your every concern to maintain healthy, youthful-looking skin.

The 4 products – peel & reveal on the go –  came in a beautiful white make-up bag , which I madly  love.  You get outstanding results, convenience, eco and budget friendly and they are travel ready.  Take mine with me to work.

Enzymo-Spheirdes Peeling Cream , Phylo-Gel Cleaners , Age-defying Marine Collogen Cream  and Marine Collagen Concentrate.  Everything you need in one beautiful package.  Throw it all in my overnight bag when I babysit those dollies.

www.pevonia.com

Did You Know

How Not To Clean Your Home

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Top 5 Cleaning Faux PasHere are some don’ts on cleaning your home, according to shelter pop.com.

 

Boy, was I surprised to find out that you,

Don’t clean with Air Conditioning on. It’s summer and it’s hot out. We’re much better about ice-cold winds than we are about humidity. But as hard as it is, turning your air conditioner on while you clean means you’ll have to keep the windows shut to keep the heat out. This means that all the dust and chemicals that are floating around in the air stay in the supposedly “clean” room, and you’ll be breathing in it. Instead, bear the summer heat and crack open the windows when cleaning. Natural air is the way to go. – OK, I am all for fresh air, but when I am cleaning without the a/c I sweat more, and did you ever try wiping glass clean in humidity.  The results is streaks galore.  So this will be a hard one for me to do.

Don’t use Heavy-Duty Scrubber Sponges. It makes sense when you think about it, but heavy-duty scrubber sponges can easily scratch surfaces, which then allows for stains to form. (This is especially true for dishware, but also for metal pots and pans.) If you’re confronted with serious caked-on messes, let the dirty dish, pot or pan soak in soapy water for an hour. Then, use the smooth side of a sponge to wash the dish. – I have to agree.  Here comes the but,  but I have little patience to wait an hour or more to get pots and pans clean and out of the way.

Don’t Trap Fumes in Microwaves. While there are fancy cleaners just for the microwave, the best way to ensure your microwave is clean and odor-free is to use lemon and water. Wipe down the inside (including the roof!) with a damp cloth. Scrub as needed and make sure that all the food bits and stains are cleaned off. Then, wet a piece of paper towel and place it on the center plate. Turn on the microwave for 30-45 seconds. This will steam clean the vents. Then slice a lemon in half and put one half in the oven with the door slightly ajar to get rid of lingering smells. –   I put a glass of water with vinegar and microwave it for a minute or so.  This helps form moisture and then I would wipe the microwave clean.  I like the lemon idea, that’s because I like the fresh smell of lemon.

Don’t clean Windows During a Heatwave. Most of us are used to cleaning during the day, but if there’s one thing you shouldn’t tidy up in sunlight it’s your windows. Window cleaners evaporate extremely fast in intense sunlight, which is where those annoying streaks come from. – Now I know what is responsible for those unsightly streaks, Mr. Sun.  I sometimes use newspaper to help prevent steaks on the windows.  

PS -Who would clean windows during a heatwave?

 

Don’t attack Textile Stains. Whether it’s from dirt or a cocktail, don’t try to sop up a stain on a textile by repeatedly pressing a paper towel against the mess. This will just push the stain further into the fibers. Instead, blot from behind. Turn the textile over, place it on top of a few paper towels, and blot the backside of the stain using the cleaner of your choice. – Reverse, reverse.  Good idea.  I always blotted from the front.  Now I know blot from behind.

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http://www.shelterpop.com/2011/08/05/avoid-top-cleaning-faux-pas/?ncid=webmail3