I got an air fryer for Christmas. I’d heard about these oil-less deep fryers but couldn’t believe they worked. I’ve used mine several times now and am sold on it.

Before I got my air fryer I had a fry daddy kind of machine I used on those rare occasions when I deep fried things – once or twice a year when I made fried chicken mostly. The air fryer is about the same size as my fry daddy machine and it takes just as long to cook things in it, but there’s no greasy smell.

My first attempt was frozen French fries. The secret to cooking anything in the air fryer is to spray it well with cooking spray before you cook it. French fries take a while and you need to shake or stir them a few times to get all of them crisp. The result was better than baking them in the oven. They were crispy and soft inside and didn’t burn as many of them do when you bake them in the oven. I was impressed.

Next I made fried chicken. Fried chicken is a special ritual at our house and is an echo of the time we ate at the Lady and Sons in Savannah (say what you will about Paula Deen, but that woman makes amazing fried chicken and when it was served with lemonade and hoecakes it was heaven). I followed my usual recipe for fried chicken which requires marinating it in buttermilk and herbs in advance then double coating it in a flour mixture. Cooking four bone in chicken breasts took 2 hours and 15 minutes (since you can only fit one and a half in the fryer at a time). I was impressed with the results. The chicken was tender inside. The coating and skin was very crispy and crunchy. It wasn’t greasy at all like fried chicken is. The texture was almost the same as fried chicken but when you bit into it you didn’t that oily taste.

I will probably still fry chicken once a year as a special treat, but I think the air fryer is a great way to make crunchy, crispy food when you’re not looking to gain 15 pounds in a sitting.

I got an air fryer for Christmas. I’d heard about these oil-less deep fryers but couldn’t believe they worked. I’ve used mine several times now and am sold on it. Before I got my air fryer I had a fry daddy kind of machine I used on those rare occasions when I deep fried things – … Read more →

I’ve never gotten excited about toothpaste before, but Livionex has me excited. This amazing toothpaste blasts off plaque – they say it is 2.5 times more effective than other toothpastes and I believe it. After you use it, you feel like you’ve just had your teeth cleaned at the dentist’s office. Your teeth are shiny, smooth, and have that squeaky clean feeling. It is incredible. I bought a tube for everyone in my family and we are all in love with this. I’m using it once a week and am finding a huge difference in how clean my teeth are. As someone who makes a lot of plaque (or so my dentist tells me), I’m thrilled to have a way to combat it. It’s also a very good thing for members of my family with gum disease. I stumbled upon this in a little sidebar in a magazine and am surprised it’s not getting more press because it is making a very big difference for all of us. [As always, I bought this product myself and am not being paid to write about – I just think it’s incredible and want to share].

I’ve never gotten excited about toothpaste before, but Livionex has me excited. This amazing toothpaste blasts off plaque – they say it is 2.5 times more effective than other toothpastes and I believe it. After you use it, you feel like you’ve just had your teeth cleaned at the dentist’s office. Your teeth are shiny, … Read more →

While visiting the exciting Whole Foods-like new grocery story in our area, I poked around a bit in the frozen meat section. Although the store had a really fabulous fresh meat section (we bought some bison that was fabulous), there were some choices in the frozen section worth considering. I briefly considered camel burgers, but just couldn’t bring myself to try them. There were some bison burgers, but since we had fresh bison in the cart, I passed that one up also. I didn’t even consider the python or rattlesnake. I debated about some elk, but we’ve tried that before (and it was good, so I encourage you to try it if you get a chance). What caught my eye were some Piedmontese beef burgers. I’d never heard of this before. The box claims it is leaner that chicken. I paid $9.49 for a one pound box of 4 patties.

When I got home, research indicated that Piedmont cattle are raised in northern Italy. They have a particular gene that makes their meat much leaner than regular beef. Because of this, it is also lower in calories and more tender than other types of beef. You can read more about this type of cattle here.

The package we bought contained 4 patties that looked like regular burgers. They cooked in roughly the same time frame as regular patties. They tasted really great. The meat does taste leaner, but that does not mean it has less flavor. Somehow, it seems to have more. The patties were tender. We really enjoyed this meat. I would buy it again.

While visiting the exciting Whole Foods-like new grocery story in our area, I poked around a bit in the frozen meat section. Although the store had a really fabulous fresh meat section (we bought some bison that was fabulous), there were some choices in the frozen section worth considering. I briefly considered camel burgers, but … Read more →

I picked up a package of Carr Valley Bread Cheese at my grocery store recently ($11.79/lb.). On the package it says it is good dipped in coffee or with jam. Really? I scratched my head at this but gave it a try, mostly because it’s pretty hard to find cheese I won’t eat.

The cheese comes in a slab, about 5 inches by 4 inches, roughly an inch thick. It is slightly browned on the outside. I warmed it in a pan before serving with some jam. It’s a very dense cheese that is very mild. I think it is the combo of the density and the mildness that has brought the comparison to bread. We tasted it plain and it was just ok. I put strawberry jam on it and it was fantastic. I can also definitely see that this would be good with coffee (which I don’t drink – but I can see it with tea or even hot chocolate).  I know, it sounds completely weird, but it was just really good! It was a great accompaniment to the light dinner we had of salad and scallops.

I picked up a package of Carr Valley Bread Cheese at my grocery store recently ($11.79/lb.). On the package it says it is good dipped in coffee or with jam. Really? I scratched my head at this but gave it a try, mostly because it’s pretty hard to find cheese I won’t eat. The cheese … Read more →

I grew up using Pam to spray baking dishes, baking sheets, etc. It’s super convenient and easy to use. However, it has a long list of icky ingredients in it. One of which is silicone. I really don’t want to eat silicone. I’m not a big fan of rubbing sticks of butter on my pans or painting them with olive oil. I even tried saving my butter wrappers to use, but it always annoyed me.

Enter the olive oil Misto. This is your own easy to use cooking spray alternative. You fill the mister with olive oil. You are supposed to pump it 10 times before using it each time. Then you spray. It works just as well as Pam with no icky ingredients.

Although you are supposed to pump it 10 times, I did that the first time and since then I usually give it about 2-3 pumps and it works just fine.

I am LOVING this product. It’s also much nicer looking than cooking spray, so it sits out on the recessed shelf behind my cooktop now.

I grew up using Pam to spray baking dishes, baking sheets, etc. It’s super convenient and easy to use. However, it has a long list of icky ingredients in it. One of which is silicone. I really don’t want to eat silicone. I’m not a big fan of rubbing sticks of butter on my pans … Read more →

I’m not a big granola/snack bar person. And now that I’m gluten-free I am even less interested in this group of food.  However, I’ve found one I really love.

You’ll never believe where I heard about Kind bars. I was flipping around the TV and cruised by QVC where I like to check out the kitchen things they are selling. They were selling Kind bars. When I heard that they were gluten free, my ears perked up. I checked my grocery store’s web site and found out they sell them. So, the next time I was there, I checked them out. They are mostly nut-based. Some have dried fruits in them (like apricots, blueberries, or pomegranate) with the nuts.  Some have dark chocolate, coconut or other ingredients with the nuts. The ingredients are all non-GMO.  The bars all contain protein and some contain brown rice. They look like a granola bar, but they are much thinner, so it isn’t as heavy a snack as it looks like. I’m kind of hooked on these. I’m eating them instead of grabbing a handful of nuts – which is much easier as an on-the-go kind of snack. I used to find protein bars to be too heavy and kind of yucky in my stomach. but these don’t make me feel gross and overly full.

Every time I go to the store, the selection seems to get bigger. Last week I brought home 12 different types to try.  Each bar is $1.49. You order boxes of them online – my store doesn’t seem to sell them in boxes.

I’m not a big granola/snack bar person. And now that I’m gluten-free I am even less interested in this group of food.  However, I’ve found one I really love. You’ll never believe where I heard about Kind bars. I was flipping around the TV and cruised by QVC where I like to check out the … Read more →

I stumbled upon these in the grocery store. They look like mini kiwis, minus the fuzz. They’re about the size of a big grape. They taste just like a kiwi, without the big seeds. They are very grape-like in texture. They are easier to eat than a kiwi. No peeling. Just pop them in your mouth. My daughter loves these!

I stumbled upon these in the grocery store. They look like mini kiwis, minus the fuzz. They’re about the size of a big grape. They taste just like a kiwi, without the big seeds. They are very grape-like in texture. They are easier to eat than a kiwi. No peeling. Just pop them in your … Read more →

Let me first be clear: no one asked me or paid me to write this post and I bought the product myself at full price. I don’t get any kickback and have no relationship with this company other than being a customer.

I have been waking up in the morning with a sore neck. A few weeks ago, it was so bad that I was in agony for days, with limited range of movement. I have tried every pillow we have. I’ve gone to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and stood in front of the pillows, clueless about what would work or what to buy. It was deeply confusing for me because I sleep in every position: stomach, side, and back within each night and most of the higher end pillows seem to be geared to one type of sleep.

I was just resigned to the fact that my neck was going to be a problem. A writer friend mentioned she had bought My Pillow and that it changed her life. When I saw how much it cost ($99 for king size), I dismissed it. Then I hurt my neck again sleeping and I was ready to try it.  There’s lots of explanation on their site about this, but basically it is filled with small pieces of foam (medical grade they say), so you can move it around and change its shape to mold to your head and neck. The best part is that it does not compress. You arrange it, lie down, and it stays that way all night long. Since I started using this (over a month ago) I have not woken up with a sore neck once. I also had been waking up with a sore ear. Whichever ear I slept hurt when I woke up. This problem is also now gone. I love, love, love that I can adjust it as needed and it stays put. When I roll over in the night, I can change the pillow to support my head in that new position.

There are instructions on their site about what pillow to buy for your size and needs.  I’m just crazy about this product and am so, so happy to be sleeping well and waking up without pain!

Let me first be clear: no one asked me or paid me to write this post and I bought the product myself at full price. I don’t get any kickback and have no relationship with this company other than being a customer. I have been waking up in the morning with a sore neck. A … Read more →

Frozen yogurt bars are all the rage. We first tried one on Amelia Island, Florida this winter. We loved it so much we went two nights in a row. If you aren’t familiar, the concept is simple. There is a wall of self-serve soft frozen yogurt machines. You take a cup and put in as much as you want of any flavor. Then there is a toppings bar with candy, fruit, syrups, cookies, even cereal. You pay by weight. It is the ultimate do-it-yourself sundae.

We next encountered this in Naples, Florida and after we got back, discovered one had opened up near us and now there is a second one in our general area. We’ve been to one a few times and my daughter has been to the other. Each time the flavors are different (cookies and cream, white chocolate macadamia, chocolate, mint, mango, strawberry, vanilla, tart, watermelon, peanut butter, and more).  We also love that they use compostable spoons (made of cornstarch).  You decide how much yogurt you put in the cup and you can mix and match any flavors you want. I love the topping bar because I can add two M&Ms, 3 mini peanut butter cups and two dabs of hot fudge – I get lots of different tastes without getting more than I want.

Have you tried a frozen yogurt bar?

Frozen yogurt bars are all the rage. We first tried one on Amelia Island, Florida this winter. We loved it so much we went two nights in a row. If you aren’t familiar, the concept is simple. There is a wall of self-serve soft frozen yogurt machines. You take a cup and put in as … Read more →

Sunchokes, also called Jerusalem artichokes, are something I had never tried before. I ran across them in the grocery store recently and brought them home. They look kind of like a round ginger root when raw. I researched how to use them. I ended up quartering them and tossing with olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper and roasting at 400 for about 45 minutes. When I served them, I tossed them with some fresh chives.

These taste surprisingly like potatoes, but just a tad sweeter and the tiniest bit crunchier. We really liked them. They are actually healthier than potatoes, so that is a big plus for this veggie. I’ve got big plans to do lots of other dishes with them if they appear at my store again. Have you ever tried these?

Sunchokes, also called Jerusalem artichokes, are something I had never tried before. I ran across them in the grocery store recently and brought them home. They look kind of like a round ginger root when raw. I researched how to use them. I ended up quartering them and tossing with olive oil, garlic, and salt … Read more →