Kitchen Gadgets: Pullman Loaf Pan

 

So What is a Pullman Loaf Pan? I had to get one when I started to make bread. The photo show the pan. It is basically a Covered Bread pan with hole in the bottom of the pan. The holes are to prevent soggy bread bottoms. The top id for a more store bought look, like Wonder Bread. I did use it a few times.. However I found that  I like the dome top better.. So, Now I do not use the top.

Here is the look of the bread.

I read today that I could put the top on for the first 20 minute of the bake then remove it for a better rise and browner top. Will try the next time.

Ninja Foodi Review

I received a Ninja Foodi for the Holidays.  Have been using it for about one month. It is a very impressive kitchen gadget.

Started out  cooking with the Airfryer. First thing I made was Mac and Cheese. An American Favorite food. Everyone love Mac and Cheese made the old fashion way, like Granny/Mom made in the 60's. the kind that is  basic noodles and cheese sauce done on stove top.Then breaded and baked in the oven. That crunchy top was the Bomb! So I made the noodles in the Pressure Cooker Cycle, then added the ingredients for the cheese mixture. Put the bread crumbs on top and AirFried it. Wow it did taste like the Old Days Mac and Cheese.

Next I tried the Airfryer for Frozen Beer Battered Fish. I was amazed! the fish was crispy on both sides and flaky fish inside. Even better then in the Oven. Which I never could get both sides crisp in the Traditional Oven. I started use the Airfryer as a finisher of my meals. To put the  pan sear  or oven baked touch on.

Now to the Bake/ Roast Cycle.  Used it to make a Pulled Pork Barbecue.  I use to sear the Roast on the Stove top. But this time I used the Sear/ Broil cycle to  brown the roast.  The temp was just right, it did a fabulous job searing the meat. I then switched it over to Bake/Roast and completed the dish. The meat turn our great.

Recently my famous NewYork Cheesecake was made in the Foodi. For this recipe the Bake/Roast cycle was use and then the Pressure cook cycle. Now this Cheesecake has a flour base, cookie like crust. So, before when I tried to make it in a Pressure cooker the Crust was not cooked and soggy. In the Foodi I use the bake cycle for the beginning to cook the crust. It cooked the crust great. the original recipe call for a high temp cook to start and then you turn down the heat. So, I did the bake first at 375°F and then Pressure cooked ( like a water Bath intensified ). The topping in the recipe is put on last the the temp turn up in the oven. For that process I used the bake cycle again.  Wow!! That Cheesecake turn out so delicious. Even better then the oven. I will be making that  a lot!!

In conclusion This Ninja Foodi will stay on my counter to be used alot. For Recipes to use in the Ninja visit my Kitchen Blog. There I have been posting the Recipes I have create for the Ninja Foodi.

I would give the Ninjafoodi a Five Star Rating, best ever Kitchen All Purpose Gadget!!!

A New Instant Pot in the Kitchen

 

I got a new Instant Pot the month. Very Impressed with it! I have always used Pressure, Slow  and Rice cookers,  and  Yogurt makers in my Life. They are the most time saving devices in my opinion.
Now I am ready to let go of the single devices. This Instant pot is amazing!!  Now you can replace all of them with this one.

First thing I made was Mac and cheese.  What a  success, all the family love it. It was ready in 10 minutes. Unbelievable! Then I  did Rice, that had a learning curve. However, I figured it out and it took about 10 minutes also. Chicken breast was next.  Cooked it from  completely frozen. It took about 25 minutes. The Chicken  was shredded for a meal.  Last night I cooked Pork chops from frozen. I found them a bit dry. I will have to work on that item. We did soft boil eggs. Wow I was surprised, they turn out perfect.

Yogurt is the next thing to try. In my opinion this is a great kitchen addition to have . Even thinking about get a 3 qt one for smaller batches.

New Tech House: Amazon Smart Devices

I love New Technology things. Gadgets for the Kitchen and Readers, computers, Surface to tablets. I seem to acquire several things. My Husband started me on  computers in the early 90's. He had been working with them awhile before then at work. However they started to appear more and more in the households. My parents had one. So I learned the DOS system and started on my Journey. Today there are over 100 smart items in our home. A Smart Home? Not yet! However my  Holiday gifts included some smart Switches and a couple more Echos.( one for each floor).

This review is on the Amazon Echo's. First one received one year ago it was a Alexa Echo. There was a learning curve to it. Did not appear to be a plug it, turn on and go, as sold. We had to log into the Amazon account and add it to an account. Dad didn't have an account so we had to create one. Next thing was to set up a list of things though the Alexa App. You have to have a  Amazon Kindle or IPhone/Pad product to load it. the App does not work on the Microsoft Operations or Androids Phones. The Alexa App is downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple Store.

Once we downloaded the app to his Kindle fire, we were able to set up his desires. From News groups to Music. We also were able to activate  Fire TV  control. Now For an aging adult ( 83) this was a good thing. He could just tell it what he wanted to see. Dad had a Stroke over a year ago and suffers from Aphasia. So it is hard for him to remember sequences to work a remote. Speaking is much better. So as you can see these items are a good thing.

Over the Summer I found out I could link the Alexa Echo Device to my account. We could change accounts on the device by a simple phrase " Change accounts" This a great cause there is a lot more one can do  with a Prime account.  This allowed me to play more with the device. I enjoyed asking for drink recipes and stay up with the News. Also listening to music. Although I really did not like the Amazon Music in the early stages.

So, I purchased anTap and Echo Dot . Love them both! This time they were Purchased through my Amazon and they both came set up to my account! I did not have to link them. Just turn on and play. A lot better than before. I also purchased Amazon Music for the Tap/Echo/Dot. Just to try it out. I have to say I liked it! I was able to make my a stations and listen to music choices of my choosing. We have Sirius XM, Pandora Plus, and Spotify. Listened to Pandora more than the others. With that said, now in the home the Amazon has become the music of choice. just might upgrade soon.

The Tap is a 360° Speaker, Blue tooth. It does not require a Name Shout Out first and works with a tap  button on the device. You can ask it anything like the Alexa Echo and Echo Dots. It responds in the same voice. I have a Bose mini speaker, which I love. However the Taps speaker is great also. You can link any Blue Tooth speaker to the Alexa or Dot. I use the Bose upstairs link to the dot there. Use the Tap on the main floor. Found that the sound is better if the Tap is use directly not through the Echo dot. Just something about the linked sound quality. Might have to experiment more with that.



The Echo Dot is a small device. Sets nicely out of the way. Not in your face. Folks do not even see it. So, I like that! Just wake it up with a Name and she is ready to go. The sound on her for music is not great. Talking is okay. So Getting the New is great on her. I like that.




I have not set up the light Switches  yet. I will post later on that service.

Overall I like the Tap, Alexa Echo and Echo Dot. I think they have done a great job in updated the devices programs. Look forward to more things added in the future.

Samsung Galaxy Camera

Purchased this camera earlier this year.  I wanted a new SLR camera, However most of them are so big and I really needed one that was small and easy to use. Decided to try the Samsung
Galaxy Camera. It is a smart camera, with WIFI and a user friendly view pad. Similar to a I pad. Found that I could easily load apps through Google Play. that makes it very easy to pair all my google play  devices. this camera allows one to upload to several social medias. Facebook, twitter, e-mails, Dropbox, OneDrive and many more. How easy this was to send photos to my blogs or friends. Sharing photo to other devices is easy also. One thing I notice after signing in and starting the camera up, all the photos I had put online media and photo storage programs all appeared on the camera gallery icon. Love this, make is a cinch to show photos to folks.

There is a HDMI connector for viewing thing through a Monitor (HD TV). Love it. Had a bridal shower  and used the video on the camera to video the groom. Was then able to use the HDMI cable to play it on the Large HD TV.  The Video was crystal clear. It really amazes me how this new technology make it really hard to tell what kind of camera one uses.

The Samsung Galaxy  Camera also has a SLR setting area on it, with a 4.1-86.1mm 1:2.8-5.9 23mm lens. I have use it and found that it works very well for  telephoto shots as well as macro views. At a wedding I was able to telephoto to get great shots from the audience. One the other hand I was able to get great shots of Bees feeding on the  Flowers.  Both were crystal clear and the images sharp. Very nice to use.

there is also a edit app that one can use right away. Love, Love that! What a great way to edit the photo and post right away.  So user friendly there was very little user curve on it. for uploading photos there is no cord needed. It is all down through the WiFi. Notice that the picture remains sharp and the picsal  did not change.

By Samsung making this Camera an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS it opens a whole new world to Cameras. One is able to make deposits in Banks, use it for grocery shopping by using a Scanning program for products and being able to scan scan bars for shopping info on line. Yes you can shop on line with the camera. There is really no limit to what one can do with the Android part of the camera.

I could go on about  this Camera due to every day I learn a new thing it offers. One thing is  this is a very good choice for me. It was a good purchase and will be a great addiction to my collection.

A New Reading Tool-The Nook

It was time to try out a new tablet. I was going back and forth between the Kindle Fire and the Nook. The cost for both was around the same. However, the Kindle does not support Google play and I had several apps from Google Play. Like my Cable TV app, Hulu Plus and Catalogues. The Nook also has a SD slot, which allow me a way to store more movies and things. Giving me about 96 GB on the Tablet. 
Even though I am a  Kindle fan, the Nook has giving me some different options. One thing I have notice is that the books and magazine in the nook store are pricier then Kindle store. I still use my Kindle and thinking of getting a Fire HD at some point.
Nooks also has a mic, which I do like. One thing I am missing is the camera. Can not Skype with it. Kindle Fire HD does have the camera. I also get Amazon Video which I can not get on the Nook. For now I will use both. Still deciding if I will invest in the Fire HD.
I did get a book that was the same cost as the kindle. Just to see which one a enjoy reading on. Will have to let you know about that. I am enjoying the magazines and catalogues. Love the way I can snip and scrapbook things. Buying items from the catalogues is easy also. All the catalogues are free. I enjoy looking and reading them. Just think no more paper bulky ones. On the Nook you can jump around easier and find the things you are looking for. Information about items online straight from the catalogue with one click.
Today I downloaded a Entertainment magazine and was able to view some movie clips from with in the magazine. Loved it!
 Believed I made a good purchase until hubby told me that Nook is not going to continue putting out the Nook! Wow is that true, I need to investigate that. One thing I wish the Nook had is 3G or 4G. It only has WIFI and found out that when on the road in the car I can not log on. That is one thing I like about the Kindle being able to log on in the car. So I might just have to get a Kindle also.
Yes the two do have some differences and as you can see the difference are worth having both. I haven't taking the Nook to a BN store yet to experience the in store  mode. That I will need to do.

Book: Stop the Wedding by Stephanie Bond

Now with my daughter away at college, I have started reading again. My Love for books is still alive.
Not too long ago I joined the Amazon Prime. The subscription included a lender library with I get on the Kindle. Decided to  borrow a Comedy Romance book titled  "Stop The Wedding". The reviews seems to be highly favorable.

I started reading it and could not put it down. Sat in the Solarium in my PJ all day and read it to the end. Now I haven't done that for years! The Book was that good.

My Review: The story is about a Widow who has met a Movie star of man  from her youth and they are getting married. She calls her daughter to be her witness. The Daughter lives in another state. She is very concern about this move her Mother is making. Feeling that he is a gigolo and will bleed her mother dry and leave her. Not only that but also Her father has not been gone that long. How could her mother love another man so fast? So she feels she has to hurry home to Stop the Wedding!

Now the Man has a son, he works out of country. Learning that his father is going to marry again from a friends of his father. He also feels this is a gold digger girl and he is heading back to buy her off and send he on her way, away from his father. Without his father finding out! He has done this before and feels this is the way to control his fathers shenanigans. So he too is headed to Stop the Wedding!

The comedy was mixed in the book. I read some reviews where folks said they did not get the comedy part. Well my take is the comedy is subtle and dry. The kind one has to be in the frame of  mind of the writer and characters. I did pick up the humour in her writing. However if you are not formilar with the Americana slangs of old or the Americana old humour, one might not read into it and miss the humour of the situations. My advice is to allow yourself to be in the writer shoe. Try to imagine you know the story and the characters are just finding out.  The Two children are really trying to achieve the same thing. Although they do not know it. They are tripping over each others feet. Both think they know the other, but truly do not. So the humour is in the acts that they do and the things that they think.

The tale  has so much drama and humour that I was on pins and needles the whole book. Even to the end. Really did not want it to end. It is truly a Romantic Comedy book. I think you would enjoy the read.

Let me know if you read it and what you think.

New Reading Devices and Technology Wars

I have had a Kindle now for about 2 years. Really like it, Now thinking of upgrading to  the new Fire.  Does any one have one? I am interested in the color aspect of it and also love the ability of having one account that I can tap into.

With technology one has to decided whether to stay up with it or stay in the past. Recently I started getting the daily Reuters  paper on my Kindle. Reading up on all the technology wars and the new inventions, got me thinking it is time to upgrade. The cost will go down as more Power tech Wars happens.

This War between Samsung and Apple is getting to out of hands. I do not want to get either one. The  fear I have is that the courts will decided that one company will not be able to service  a device. I do not know how most people feel but, It seems to me the there just could be other developers learning things at the same time. This is a world of Smart and Tech Savvy people. Now I fear Apple will start going after more developers just trying to corner the market. In the USA we have a  monopoly law. I think Apple is trying to became a Monopoly in the Tech World. I am one that is against this.

One last word of thought.....I do not see the TV makers doing this and there are a lot of them that are the same.

ReadingTime Magazine on Kindle

Time magazine has been delivered to my Kindle for a year now. It first wasn't sure I would like it. However I have really enjoyed reading it. Getting the magazine on my Kindle has turn out to be a joy. It arrives one week prior to the release date. I read it every Sunday. That's the day it arrives.

Have been thinking of getting a couple more. Just figuring out which one I would like to read is the hardest. Now I know there is a new kindle called Fire. Just not sure about getting that one yet. Heard it has a monthly fee. My Kindle do not have one and I can decided on what I want to pay for. Not ready to have another monthly bill add to my life.

Now with the Time magazine, they give a web page to go to for more info on certain articles. I like that part of the program. Really do not miss the photos. They still show the cover and some of the photos. Although it would be nice to see it in Color, I do not mind the B&W form.

Do you read magazine on line? Which ones? What magazine are you interested in?

A New Book for my Kindle

I have been enjoying my kindle. Have upload a few books. On the the books is Titled "The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lesson from Extraordinary Lives" by Katie Couric.
When I first received the book I was not a fan of Katie. However learning about her younger life and her upbringing I saw I different side of her. This change my few of her. Sometimes first impression does not portray the persons true self.

I was surprised as I read to come across the a person that I knew just by reading his advice. That made me laugh because, I never thought one person would make a impression on me that I would recognized just by reading something. The book is a easy and enjoyable read. It has a lot of advice from various folks. Some stories have a great deal of humor and some are serious in nature. Katie add her view on some of the subjects. This is a great book and worth the cost.

My Kindle- A New Way to Read.

Well that's right I got a Kindle for Christmas. It is white with a ruby case. I really like it. Take it with me everywhere. When my daughter is at cello lessons I can read the New book on it. Even on Sunday before church begins I can get it out to read it. I was really surprised at how much I like it. When it first came out a few years back, the orthodontist asked if I would get one. I remember saying no I do not think I would like it.

The first day I purchased a book on it. Really wanted to read this book however I didn't want to pay 25 dollars for it in the stores. I was waiting until it came out in the library. Well It was only 9.95 on the Kindle so, I purchased it.

Oh the name of the Book is "Decision Points" By former President George W Bush. The first few chapters were really funny and I enjoyed learning about his life before presidency. Now I am in the fourth chapter and it is getting down it the years in office. I really didn't know how much humor he had. Isn't is amazing when we learn something about a person that we thought we knew?

He has a wit about him and it comes out in his writing. These kind of books I seldom read. However I really am liking this one. I will do a proper review later when I finish it.

Back to the Kindle...Learning a lot about this E-reader. It seems I can load my Facebook and twitter accounts on it. I can tweet as well as view my blog. Some time ago some other bloggers I visit, mentioned they are on Kindle and we could subscribe to them through Amazon. I looked them up, very interesting indeed.

I also learned I could pay for the newspaper and get it before the printed version is out. Now that I might like. Magazines was another possibility. All of these I would love to have at my finger tips.

The Kindle fits in my purse or travel bag. Has WiFi built in, Stores my books and subscription on the device as well as on an Kindle account on Amazon. That is nice because it makes it easy to delete it off the hand held Kindle and still have it on my account. That way I can download it again if I desire.

This really beats packing all those books to take on vacation. So, as you can see, I was wrong about this E-reader Kindle.

Photo above, courtesy of Amazon.com
Disclaimer: I have not received any compensation for this review. It is solely my own opinion.

The Holiday Books Are Here!

That means time for holiday story reading. I have a few on my shelf I have started to read. Reviewing will be following soon. I love Santa and all the stories that have to do with him. The Autobiography of Santa Claus books by Jeff Guinn are one of our favorites to read. It is his first book, there are three in the series. Each one builds on the other, giving a different insight through the eyes of Santa and Mrs Clause. The history in them are great. Although this is a Historical fiction it is an enjoyable read. In my opinion, Jeff uses his great writing ability to transcend one to the era of the beginning of Santa's journey. Not to mention the people who inspired him along the way. I will guarantee you will never look at history the same way after this read. As well as it will be hard to put down this book.

I will be reading Mary Higgins Clark's "Dashing through the Snow" this week. It is also co-written by Carol Higgins Clark. Carol lives in New York City and is an actress as well. She is the daughter of Mary. They have co authored several books. This one I am reading the setting is in New Hampshire. In a small Old fashion town. A group of folks have just won the Lottery and a second winning ticket is in the neighboring town. A mystery begins just before the towns "Festival of Joy" gets started. A Private Eye begin to do some investigation and the small town is awaken to new secrets hidden within the so called tranquil old fashion town. Well that is all for now. My reading begins tonight. More later.

Why not pick up a Holiday book to read. It can make the season more enjoyable.

Lions, Tigers and Bears, OH MY!

At times I feel like Dorothy in OZ. Everywhere I look there's new unsure things popping up. Some are just out of site, just around a corner. There are too many to see at one time, some come at you are the same time. Making it hard to choose, will I chose the wrong one, will it give me nightmares, Does it make any sense and Can I figure out what the meaning of it is. By now you are wondering what am I talking about.

Well it's the Fall line out on the networks. They started this week and not just one network but all the networks. Competing with each other on the popular days. So let's look at some already aired.

Monday there were several airing. The Event, Molly and Me and Lone Star. Castle competed with Hawaii five O and Chase.
Tuesday was a little better on the line up this week. NCIS, NCIS-LA, Detroit 187,Glee, the Good Wife, Rising Hope and Running Wilde. There are more however these are the ones I liked to watch.
Wednesday we viewed the new seasons Undercovers and The Defenders. Of course Hellcats , The Whole Truth as well as Criminal Minds also aired.

I thought I would give my take on these shows this week. It was hard to watch all of them at the same time. With today's technology there are several ways to catch up on the ones missed.One can DVR them, go on line to the networks, and On Demand network has them within the 24 hours of airing time.So I didn't miss out on the one I wanted to watch.

Eat, Pray Love- the Movie

Hubby and I went to see the movie "Eat Pray Love". When we walked into the theater I notice mostly women there. I saw some of the previews and really wanted to see it. Hubby surprised me and took me. Now I will tell you this was truly a Click Flick.It was great for my hubby to take me and sit through it.

Julia Roberts plays Liz Gilbert who after years of marriage finds herself lost in knowing who see is. All her friends tell her to just go with the flow and through her marriage she will develop her identity. Marriage has its ups and downs and she is just in the downs now. You have a good man who loves you and that should be enough. However that is not enough for Liz. She see it as a personal problem that she is unhappy. Needs to find herself and in order to do this she must separate from her marriage life. Trying to do this in her own town is not working. She is a writer of plays and books. Her writing is suffering due to her self-searching.

The decision is made by her to travel to find herself and what she is to become. It is explained that she had been in relationships since high school and never on her own. With out being on your own, living by yourself and just enjoying life by yourself one can not real know who they are. Their self being is molded by others, how they are expected to be in this world.

I found the former statement so true. Liz's travels take her to Italy where she learns about herself and eating to enjoy the food and not just for health or looks. Then to India to learn about her inter-being and how to look at herself through Prayer and Meditation. Onto Bali where she is learning who she really is and about Love and how to enjoy Life and Love too. There are many profound thoughts that are mentioned. As well as a truthfulness in the journey.

This was a great Movie. My rating will be a 7 out of 10. This rating is based on it being a Click Flick. My thouoghts are the movie, although well put together, was a bit slow in some areas. Felt that the storyline could have been a little more detailed. This was a long movie over 2 hours and at a time I felt myself saying.... Boy this is dragging on.... Make that decision and let's go..How long have I been here?

I love long movies but if that feeling of this is a long movie happens, it doesn't encapsulate you and transport you to a different world, where one says "Is it over already" and it's been over 2 hours. Now hubby says he didn't get it, but he was happy to take me there. So, that means is it not intended for Men. Therefore take a girlfriend and go. It is worth the ticket.

Now I will have to read the book!

The Expendables-My Review

This Movie is truly an action packed one! Hubby wanted to go see it, I thought it would be a good one. Well, there really wasn't a good story line.
The story line (I got out of it) was as follows;

There was a Rogue CIA agent who decided to control a country. He thought he would get richer. It became clearer that the CIA wanted him taken out. Contracting a group of Militants, known as the Expendables, to do the Job.

If you love real shoot-em-up and graphic movies, then this one is for you. Personally we thought it was too violent and way too much blood flying. Noticed a few folks leaving the theater early on. I too would have, however I wanted to see it through in order to do a good review.

I would give this one a three out of ten on my scale. Mostly because the content was lacking in my opinion. Felt there could have been a better story line with the Characters. One other thing is, there was way too much gun shooting, appendages being cut off and killing. During the movie there was a sense to theater cheering going on. This I understood completely, we always want to see the good guys win. However my stomach had a sick feeling in it. Cheering the killing hundreds of people just doesn't sit well.

On a positive note, As Stallone movies go this was a good one. Stallone loves action pack films. He is good in them and knows how to keep it flowing. There was very few down times in the action pack of this show. The action parts moved along quickly and kept your heart rate up. One could really get into this one, if you are a Stallone fan. Some of the audience was yelling and cheering, as to be giving support to the characters actions.

Therefore the three rating I give is according to how the audience reacted as well as my view on the over all Movie content.

One last note, Hubby gives this a one of of ten. His view is too much blood and violence as well as he was disappointed in the movie content. One slow part was when a character reflected back to a time. Hubby felt this part lasted a little too long on a thought. The tears were totally out of place for the characters. "The only positive thing is the ending when we walked out!" was the statement made by hubby. That's my mans short review for you.

This is not a kids or teen movie at all. If you have a weak stomach, you need not to view this one. I would not see this one again and it will not be on my Library shelf .

Photo icon courtesy of the Official expendables Movie site.

Inception- the Movie

Ever had a dream and in it you want to control the outcome? This is what this movie is about. Cobb, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is in the business of controlling dreams. He is great at it, that is getting in and out of the dream state and getting into another persons dream. Now there is this theory that one might be able to change a person mindset by planting a thought in their mind while in a dream state.
Sometimes it is hard to realize if you are in a dream or not. However in this movie you know when the dream state starts and ends. Or maybe by the end of the movie you will question that thought.

I like this movie and would rate it a 7 out of my 10 scale. You see at times the movie seen too long and a thought comes to mind...How long have I been here, it seems like all day....wasn't this movie only 2 hours? Therefore the... I'm bored let's move on thought is present. There is a lot of action and some of it is just mind blogging. Where did these people come from and why are they trying to kill the group and Cobb. The confusion causes a mind warp and it takes away for the movie line and your ability to stay focused.
Now there was some things that where great. Like some of the scenery and special effects. Just like a Dream things just didn't make sense. You know what I mean, When you dream things pop in that your mind says... What is that? or how did that get here?
The Movie is based on Dreaming so that is why I give it a 7. I think it portrayed ones dream well, with a little control in it. The thought of one being able to implant a thought to change ones direction in real life, is a little scary. One leaves to theater with a sense of can that really happen? Oh... the thoughts I thought!

Follow me Friday-A little about this blog.

Well I thought I would do follow me Friday here on this blog.
I love doing reviews. Sometimes it reminds me of my High School days. You know the English 11 & 12 days, when you had to write reviews. I also took theater class and have to write one on Plays, mostly Shakespeare ones. One time it was on one that had Danny Kaye in it and then there was "A Street Car Named Desire". I love to read and watch movies so to have a site just dedicated to that was my desire.
Now there are a few more movies out there we will be viewing this weekend. So my reviews should be up next week.

Oh, one interesting note... I received an award from the International Blogging Recognition Council (IBRC) for this blog. Now I am not sure what that means. However some group of judges viewed my blog and articles and decided it was worthy of this award. I was honored that someone saw fit to enter this blog. The company is a Green supporter and if you read my other "Living Healthy with Auntie E" blog, one would know I like that. I just might have to join and support their site.

Now this Follow me Friday post is to bring more traffic and followers to your site. You too can join in just follow this link to "Still on the Verge" and enter your Blog URL.

"SALT" the Review

This Movie came out on the 23 of July. I read it was compared to James Bond, to my mind it is not a James Bond type show. I love all the James Bond films and do not think this can be put in with that group. Now with that said.....
I loved this Movie, the intrigue and suspense was put together nicely. Evelyn Salt has been captured by the North Koreans and she is believed to be a spy by them. They torture her pretty good. After some time she is released into the Americans hands and begins her life as an Agent for an American Intelligence Agency. She is now married to a German Scientist and they are about to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Upon Leaving the job for the day, she is informed that a Russian defector has been detained and they need her to interrogate him(she speaks Russian). This one action starts a roller-coaster of events. The movie does not slow down from then on. It will keep you on the edge of the mind, no time to figure things out. The Pace and events outcomes surprise you each time. It truly is a roller coaster of a movie. We enjoyed it, even the ending was a shock! We just sat there stunned.

Photo taken from theater Poster I have and cropped

Movie Reviews. Two Popular Ones Out Now

We have seen several movie these past weeks. The first one I would like to mention is:
The Last Airbender.
This one was seen both in regular format and 3D. I loved this movie! Wasn't too sure I would, however it has a great story line and keeps one on the edge of your seat. It's Graphics are great, they carry you away to the places and makes your mind believe you are there.
Here is the story line:
It has been over a century, since the Avatars have been able to keep peace in the world. Killed off by the Fire Nation and now the Fire Nation wishes to rule the world. They have killed off all the airbenders and are working on controlling the Earth-benders. Now there is also Waterbenders. This nation is still very powerful. The fire nation is working on a plan to eliminate them. Only there is a problem they have not anticipated, One Airbender is still live!

This movie is great in both Formats. I would give it a 10 on my scale. Will diffidently be purchasing the DVD when it comes out. A great Movie for the whole family.

The next one was:
The Sorcerer's Apprentice --- A Disney movie.
I so wanted to see this one. Seeing the previews made my desire great. Hubby and I went.
Now the story line is;
It has been centuries since the sorcerers ruled the kingdoms. During the last days some of the great ones were bottle up in a nest doll. All of their powers contained in that vessel. There was one sorcerer, instructed by Merlin to protect the vessel and keep it safe until the time came for the a New Powerful Sorcerer to come up. We are now in the 21st century and the Sorcerer has emerged only he does not know he is it. Now the Century old Sorcerer must convince him and train him to fight using his powers.

Over all The movie was okay. It had some great moments and a okay story line. I was disappointing in the amount of detail and animation used. With Disneys abilities in creating a great imagination into the unknown, I found they missed the opportunity in this film. I will give it a 6 on my rate scale. I think this is a good one to take younger kids to. It is not that Scary and would be a great family choice. As for the older child, the one who loves the intrigue and action pack, this is not the one for them. That is my opinion.

A Great Addition to the Kitchen Library.

ICE POPS
by
SHELLY KALDUNSKI


Do you love Popsicles? If so, this is a great book. It has over 40 recipes for all kinds of Ice Pops. You can make ,Creamy, chocolaty, fruity, and even some creative ones. There is even a section on different containers to use, some every household things like cups and pans, or maybe things most only bring out during holidays. The "How to" section is a great tool, it will help involve the kids in the making and deciding what container to use. I love all the recipes and ideas.
Hey the summer heat is on here and if in your neck of the woods it is Winter, there's always room for an ICE POP!