Pillsbury Ready To Bake Batman Shape Sugar Cookies - Review

I purchased these recently to take to a gather where there would be children as I thought they would get a kick out of them.

 The box is colorful, the instructions simple a there cutouts on the back that you could hide in the kitchen for a quick scavenger hunt.

These are the cookies out of the package - the sort of  had the Batman shape; but then again it could be 3 lemons or even abstract art - is not as well defined on the cookie they are on the box.

The lighting is not the best on the picture, but even so, the end result was you could barely make out the shape and I was surprised to have so many left cookies left over.   The taste was that of a regular sugar cookie and when I took them into work and set them in a common area they were gone within a day.

I think it might have worked out better it there was a chocolate cookie around a yellow bat signal as you might have been able to make out what the emblem is to be, but based on my experience, it is not something I would buy again.

PROS

• Fun, colorful box with Batman emblem on cookies could get children interested in baking and there are cutout for a short hide-and-seek game
• Instructions are clear and easy and even young children can place pre-shaped cookie dough on a baking sheet.
• Only takes 10 to 12 minutes to bake
• Decent flavor/textured sugar cookies.

CONS

• Batman emblem is not clear on product - is yellow emblem on white background and not as clear as what is on the box.
• While other themed-cookies I have taken to events with children were snatched up quickly, these were passed over for chocolate chip cookies - a fail like this could discourage kids from being interested in baking.

Godzilla Egg

I have made versions of this before, but I used an upside blue plastic "Easter Egg" I purchased to make a "Godzilla" egg for my 17-year old nephew for his Godzilla collection.  What teen doesn't need that eccentric Aunt to tell stories about?

A tutorial on how to make this type of egg I have posted on the craft site as Dragon Easter Eggs on Cut Out + Keep and this one is pretty much the same.

You start with a plastic egg with a flat bottom (so no need to add a display laundry detergent lid or Gatorade top) and a hot glue gun with glue and draw designs on the egg,

After that, it is time to paint the egg. I chose a brown and a dark green paint and dabbed on the egg with a sponge brush to give it a mottled look.

To accentuate the ridges drawn on with the glue, I then used a green and a maroon/brown nail polish. 

To seal the project I used a clear coat which not only protects the egg, but made is shiny and display ready.

Five Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With a Sewing Machine

Usually, when I stumble across sewing hacks they are things I have seen/used before, and although the buttonhole method at the end using a zigzag stitch is the only one I  have ever used on a machine, (although I use a multipurpose foot), the rest were new to me, so I thought I would share here.

The video shows how to:

• Use a rolled hem foot to make a hem
• Embroidery using a regular sewing machine
• '"Pouncing" - a method to transfer a pattern
• "Couching" or yarn drawing on fabric - method was used to make Scarlett Johansson's suits in the "Avengers".
• Buttonhole using a zigzag stitch 

Do you have or know of any sewing hacks to share?  If so, please post in the comments.

Dollar Tree Find - L.A, Colors - Color Craze Nail Polish - 797 - Review

This was a score from the Dollar Tree for only $1.00. It is  L.A, Colors - Color Craze - 797, which is a beautiful Rose shimmery color.   In some lighting, it appears to be a Rose Gold and others a Rose Silver color.   

Above it two coats on my nails and below one coat on a piece of white paper,  It is neutral enough that it doesn't scream for attention but with the subtle glitter it is not boring either; it is somewhere in between.

As it is a bargain brand, I would say it lasts up as well as other bargain brands - a day or so without the need to retouch, depending on how active you are. 

I love it and plan on purchasing another bottle the next time I go to Dollar Tree.

Pros:

• Price - only $1.00 + tax
• Beautiful Rose shimmery color
• Durability is on par with other bargain brands, if not better,

Cons:

• Not as durable as higher end products (but can be extended by using a base coat and top coat on your nails)

Dairy Queen - Guardians Awesome Mix Blizzard - Review

Guardians Awesome Mix Blizzard - has a brownie cookie mix they have dubbed "brookies" caramel, and choco bits mixed in a vanilla soft serve product.

They say a picture says a thousand words and in this case, I find it to be true.

Picture of Dairy Queen Guardians Awesome Mix Blizzard from my local Dairy Queen is above.  Picture of from product on Dairy Queen's website.   It reminds me of the Sesame Street Song "Which One Is Not Like The Other".

The new offering is a tie-in to the new "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" that is currently out in theaters.  It has a brownie/cookie mix that is baked together and they have dubbed "brookies", along with a little bit caramel, and choco bits mixed in a vanilla soft serve.


As you can see, my Blizzard doesn't have a plethora of bits on the top; actually, not only did I not see any on the top, I didn't see any when digging around with my spoon either.   When I did eat it I did feel little bits of the "brookie" along with caramel and some bits of chocolate in my vanilla soft-serve, so it did taste how I expected it to; it just didn't look like it.  

The contrast in the different textures of chewy brookies was more prevalent than the caramel and chocolate against the cold but less creamy than ice cream soft serve had a nice contrast and overall was an enjoyable product, but with the chewy bits, I wouldn't serve it to kids under 3.

Also have to note that this, like any product of its kind, is high in calories, not to mention sodium, and should be a "treat" to only be consumed occasionally.   

I was surprised to see how high; as large is 1230 calories, so it can easily put you over the daily recommended allowance as half or more of the allotted amount for the day, so you might want to go with a smaller size if you want to try one.

Photo:  Source

Photo:  Source

Red Robin Promotion - Buy a $25 Gift Card, get a free ticket to Disney's "Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales"

Red Robin Restaurants currently had a promotion where you can purchase a $25 gift card and get a code for a free ticket through Fandango Rewards.

I had previously successfully gotten a free ticket during their "Termination Salvation" ticket offer and there are some restrictions so here are are some suggestions:

• Purchase the gift card/code at least a day in advance of using gift card at Red Robin and as least 3 days before you want to see the movie

The fine print on the website indicates that the promotional gift card cannot be used  until 6 hours after purchased and when we inquired about purchasing a card in store we were told on the physical cards it is 24 hours, 

          Reward codes for the movie ticket can take up to 72 hours to receive.

• Watch your email for your "Here's Your Movie Ticket Reward Code"

After purchasing the gift card or registering a purchased card, you should receive and email title the above with a gift code and a link to  http://www.redrobin.com/pirates.

• Reward code will be emailed within 72 hours of registration.  

You will receive a email title ""Here’s Your Movie Reward Code!" along with another code to use on Fandango's Reward site www.activaterewards.com/RRPirates.   You enter the code along with your name, email and address then will be taken to a screen that shows theaters within at 30 miles radius of your zip code (you can revise area to search if needed) then purchase a ticket to the show you want to go to and print it out and show it at the theater.  

• The movie opens May 26th and you must register for reward code by 7/2/17. Reward code and movie ticket void if not used by 7/9/17.

To purchase online go to Red Robin.

The also have some free downloadable wallpapers:

For Beatles or Paul McCartney fans, it was confirmed that 74-year old Paul McCartney has at least a cameo in the movie and is credited as "Jail Guard 2" on IMDB,

Photo:  Source

Below is the official trailer for the movie:

Bear Creek Country Kitchens - Darn Good Chili - Review

I had purchased this after my son's then girlfriend fixed a packet for him and he loved it,
It is currently at Walmart is $3.48 per pack, but I think I picked it up on sale at Kroger on sale recently at $2.99 and might be at Sav-A-Lot at for $2.50 a packet.

It contains dried ingredients that dehydrate when cooked.

I put it in my crockpot the night before on the medium setting. The package advised to add a can of tomato paste, but I also added a .65 cent can of diced Tomatoes and Jalapenos from Kroger for .65 cents and several cups of water from my tap,  which still put the price at under $5 or 8 servings.  It is low in calories, but like with many pre-packaged foods, is high in sodium.

Personally, I am not a fan of Chili with rice and it is prevalent as a filler in this package instead of the standard that I grew up with, which is beans.  Still, not bad for being under .60 cents a serving,


Before cooking with tomato paste and can of tomatoes with chilis and 7 cups of water.

After cooking overnight in the crockpot on medium (on the stove top would be 25 minutes)

Pros:

• An inexpensive way to feed a crowd for under .60 cents a serving or less.
• Flavor is decent for being an inexpensive product.
• The main ingredient is water, which is free if from your tap.
• A bowl will fill you up,
• Low in calories - around 150 calories 1 cup of prepared soup.
• Doesn't take up much space in a cabinet or drawer.
• Is vegetarian as there is no meat in the mix.

Cons:

• Not an all in one - must add tomato paste and might be a good idea to add diced tomatoes or other ingredients to improve the flavor.
• Contains rice instead of a lot of beans, and might be an acquired taste.
• High in Sodium - 1 cup prepared has over 25% of the recommended daily allowance,

It is something I will purchase again to keep on hand, but I prefer to make my own Chili from scratch.

Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino - Review

I had mentioned to that I had planned on going to Starbucks after work recently and a fellow co-worker asked if I had tried the Java Chip Frappuccino; I advised I had not.  He advised if I liked chocolate chips, I would probably like this drink.

I ordered on and I loved it; it is is a frozen coffee and cream slushy full of tiny chocolate bits topped with whipped cream and a bit of chocolate syrup that will make you feel like the Energizer Bunny as it is highly caffeinated (but you can order a decaf one if you are sensitive to caffeine).

Pros:

• If you like chocolate chips and frozen drinks, you will probably love this drink.
• If you need a late afternoon pick me up, love the above and not sensitive to caffeine (although you can order decaf on the coffee) you will probably love this drink.

Cons:

• Cost - is expensive - over $5 for a Venti-sized. 
• Like any frozen drink, might give you brain-freeze.
• If you don't like chocolate chips, this is not the drink for you.