Review: Potluck Survival Guide

This is a product review for Mama Buzz reviewers. The cookbook Potluck Survival Guide by Cherie Kimmons was provided for me free of charge to review.



Another Cookbook. I know what you are thinking . . .but this is a cookbook that I am actually super excited about. I will tell you why. It has recipes that you can use. Recipes that you will use. That is if you have a family that is as picky as mine. Or if you occassionally are called upon to provide a meal/appetizer/dessert/side dish for a church/school/bake sale/family in need/potluck event. The recipes in this book will get people to tell you they "need the recipe" for that great dish you brought to the function.

Sound like you? It sure sounds like me! Usually I'll flip through a cookbook, frustrated to find only one or two meals that I could present to my family without being laughed at. This one has many recipes that my picky family will eat. Normal recipes, yet yummy!

From cover to cover this book is full of information. Instructions on boiling a chicken, reflections on Meatloaf, and handy tips and serving suggestions in the margines of the recipes make this a book that will not sit on your shelf. The book includes pages of wisdom from obviously experienced sources on how to coordinate that "big event" from decorating to calculating just how much bacon to fry up for that Men's breakfast with 25 guests.

Here my kitchen friendly 6yo Jack is helping mommy break in the cookbook:



Isn't he just adorable . . .I am training him well in the kitchen . . .he'll be a hot commodity in about 15 years.
We chose to make the Cow Pattie Cookies (a favorite from my childhood), also known as "no bake cookies."






The cookbook lays flat (even though my counter wasn't, it has gift bags on it) but the cookbook still stayed open for me.



The hardest part was keeping the toddler away from them while they cooled. A mistake by me to cool them on the kitchen table, you'd think I haven't made cookies before
with children around.



I took a little holiday creative license and sprinkled some to see if these would make a good gift giving treat . . .they do!

Here is the info on how to get a copy, get some as gifts, but make sure you order one for yourself!

Price: $18.96, regularly $24.95

Put out by: Five Star Publications

Links: http://www.fivestarpublications.com/book_detail.php?recordid= 95

http://www.fivestarpublications.com/potluck/book.html

Review: Wright On Time:Arizona

This book, Wright On Time: Arizona (Book One) was provided to me free of charge for review through Mama Buzz.

Author: Lisa M. Cotrell-Bentley

Although we are commonly told not to judge a book by its cover, I was excited when I first saw this book. The cover led me to believe that this would be a great book for us all to enjoy. In no time at all we joined 7 yo Aidan Wright and his 11yo Nadia sister on their adventure in Arizona.

This story depicts the fictional Wright family, as they "Road school" in their RV. The first book, Arizona, takes them through adventures in caves, searching for minerals, dealing with bats . . .and weaves in enough education to really make it worth your while. Targeted for the 5-12 year old crowd, by 7 yo girl and 5yo boy both enjoyed the adventure. The reading was easy enough for my 7yo to do independently, but we enjoyed reading it as a family during our school day. I can't wait to see what other adventures. I have always been amazed at what a blessed nation we are, with our mountains, plains, wetlands, deserts . . .I know these books will help foster an attitude of appreciation in my children for the wonderful land our nation has been entrusted with.

In addition, the website also feature a blog by Nadia who is transcribing from her paper journal, I think my daughter will enjoy seeing what Nadia has to say about her adventures.

In conclusion, I am thrilled that I have been made aware of this series. I am eagerly awaiting the upcoming books. Being a military family that has made our own way through 3 states in the last 6 years, I think that this series will be enjoyable for us. As the books come out for the states that have been part of our lives, we will definitely be ordering them.

Currently the book Arizona is the only one available, with Utah available as a pre-order. They are easy to obtain at the Wright On Time Website Store.

It can also be obtained at Amazon.com

Review: The Ultimate Cloth

**This is a Mama Buzz review for The Ultimate Cloth, It was provided for me free of charge for review**

Price: $6

Link: http://www.ultimateclothamerica.com/index.html

Media Blurb:

The Ultimate Cloth is eco-friendly solution for homes as well as a money and time saver. The Ultimate Cloth is a brand new technology – in fact, it is the only cloth to receive a new patent in the last 25 years. The Ultimate Cloth is a simple, green and effective one-step cleaning process. The Ultimate Cloth cleans any hard surface – glass, wood, granite, stainless steel and many more – with just water! No longer do you have to use harsh chemicals in your home, nor do you need spend hundreds of dollars per year buying them. The Ultimate Cloth has been lab tested to remove 96% of bacteria, without the use of chemicals. And, can cut 50% off your cleaning time. The Ultimate Cloth is truly the ultimate in green cleaning."


My Blurb:

I really like this cloth. It resembles a very rugged paper towel, and it has been used primarily in my kitchen since it arrived in my mailbox. Clicking on the link above will take you to their very informative website with many, many suggestions for usage. I tried it out on the following:

1. My stainless steel kitchen sink. I love it. I am an occasional follower of the FLYLady (and her goal of the shiny sink). Keeping this cloth handy made for a great finishing touch to a clean sink, especially by getting rid of the water spots and leaving a shine that I love. I also used it to wipe down my stainless steel bowl on my Kitchenaid mixer, again, great results.

2. I used it to scrub my stove. I was almost hesitant at first, since I did not want to damage the cloth . . . but its durability impressed me as I got some rather tough spots cleaned.

3. Windows/Mirrors. My small children like to leave fingerprints on my windows, and toothpastey water splashes on my bathroom mirrors. This worked well on those jobs, but I did have a small learning curve on the level of dampness that the cloth should be at for these jobs. Not a big deal at all for me.

4. I didn't realize it until I read it on the website, but it can be used as a flat mop refill. I have the swiffer model that takes both wet and dry refills so I ran to try it out. I like how quickly I could give my kitchen floor a cleaning without worrying about what chemicals I was leaving on my floors. I would mop, remove it, rinse/ring it out, and replace. No sick feeling in my stomach trying to calculate how much each of those refills was eating out of my grocery budget!

I love that it can be bleached, although I have not tried that yet. It can also go into the washing machine. I usually let it air dry on my kitchen towel rack (aka stove handle) and then fold it away in the towel drawer for its next use. Be careful to advise husbands, house guests, and if you are so lucky . . . your maid . . . that this is not a disposable towel.

I like to get my children involved in the household cleaning, and I feel very comfortable with handing them The Ultimate Cloth and letting them clean what they can. (usually they are armed with spray bottles and some paper towels) I believe the $6 price tag will save lots for our family in the paper towel department!

FREE OFFER FROM THE MAKERS OF THE ULTIMATE CLOTH

Want to try it out for yourself?

Become a fan on Facebook (Click on Facebook link)
or Twitter (Click on Twitter Link)

Those links will provide you with the info you need to obtain YOUR free ULTIMATE CLOTH!

Review: Copper Bookmark

This is a review that I a conducting for Mama Buzz. The bookmark was provided by Five Star Publications for this review.

FiveStarPublications.com gives this statement about these bookmarks:

High-end, custom-designed Five Star Copper Bookmarks are made exclusively with quality copper and Swarovski crystals and pearls, making them ideal for avid readers and gift giving. They come in three 3-1/2-inches-tall designs: a serene angel made with a divine crystal and opulent pearl; a paw print, which sports a teal or amethyst crystal; and a crystal-packing star. Retail: $11.95. www.FiveStarPublications.com.

I was excited to have the opportunity to evaluate these bookmarks. As you can see from the photo they are charming. They are just as cute in person. I was sent the star bookmark. I requested that one in particular based on the versatility I felt it would have. The star bookmark is fabulous as it is gender neutral, making it a great gift for men, women, boys or girls.

Their statement of high quality is spot on! I would be proud to give this as a gift, or to have it mark the place in a book on my nightstand. It is a smaller size bookmark, 3 1/2 inches like it states, and I found it to be a perfect fit for small thinline Bibles, but sturdy enough for larger books as well. It has a delightful southwestern style which I liked.

I feel the star and the angel bookmarks would be an excellent gift for teachers or neighbors at Christmas time. They can be ordered directly from the website and at the time of this posting they are offering a special price.

I would like to thank Five Star Publications for the opportunity to review their product!