Shave Time, ugh

Schick Hydro Silk^® razor,

<img src="https://img.bzzagent.com/image/schick.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=4071373358&Campaign=8549941007&Uid=1302295&token=0c52adc3f3033015617ab0c69f5a3805" alt=""/>

Ok Ladies, and some Gentlemen, summer will be hear before you know it and all of a sudden tank tops, Capri’s, shorts, and Gasp even swimsuits will be tried on in changing rooms and everyone will go through last years’ pile to see it still works.  Well how many of you in previous years dreaded this or insisted on doing it solo, even if you had a BF shopping with you?  I’ll hazard a guess and say some or most of it had to do with winterized hairy areas.  I will confess come late September that Razor just kind of hangs out in my shower.  I hated getting nicks and a cut on my legs or worse during the winter, when my skin was already so dry, it just was unbearable.

Disclosure I am a Bzz Agent and I received a free product and coupons for review and passing out purposes by Schick. 

Well I got my razor and immediately liked the feel in my hand, the handle is chunky but rubberized so it doesn’t grapple with gravity much.  Although you see Moisture strips on the razor you should still use a nice shave cream to enhance your shave.  You will also notice quite a few blades, this move in a manner that you can actually shave your knees and other curvy areas and you should be nic free.

I have found this priced very well at local drug stores and many times you get some money back for purchasing it, so it is worth keeping an eye on it. 

Mine has a mini clear adhesive hook that discreetly holds my razor high on the tile line, as not to obstruct the view of by shower area.

In case you’re wondering I have extremely sensitive skin and this when used with a shave cream that was also ok for sensitive skin, I had zero problems.

Go for it, and next time you’re in the store with your girl friends be the first to head to the dressing room.

Coffee and Dessert, Hold the Dessert

This is a shout out to all the Mom’s and Dad’s out there, who will peek into the pantry to have a treat, that you made sure it made it into the Sunday shopping card, now on a Wednesday night your feeling for a taste of that treat: if you live in my house you will find out it was quickly consumed earlier after LAX practice while the girls (only one of them actually belonged to you)  were waiting for PLL to come on.

 Before I go further into this Review/Rant, I must DISCLAIM THAT I WAS GIVEN FREE PRODUCT FROM CAFÉ ESCAPES, I RECEIVED THESE BECAUSE AS A BZZ AGENT I WILL RECEIVED DISCOUNTED OR FREE PRODUCTS FOR TRAIL AND REVIEW PUPOSES.

Ok we were back at the pantry and you just discovered that little treat you set aside for yourself to enjoy was inhaled by a bunch of teenagers that couldn’t take the time to enjoy each sip and the flavor profiles.  This is usually the part of the evening I will swipe a bunch of cookies my daughter “had to have”, not sure it’s “swiping” when I actually did the paying for said product.

So with this review comes this advice, hide these, put them behind the green tea bags that have been in your pantry for a year.  These are yours, they are your little reward for putting up with ever flowing inboxes, emails that act like a pack of rabbits, the driveway that probably needs to be shoveled..  I will review each one of these separately, as I think each blend has its own place in your coffee repitroe.

MILK CHOCOLATE FLAVORED HOT COCOA

This is one where you may be standing in the grocery aisle and you’re looking at pack of K-cup and then a familiar cardboard box of cocoa and wondering why spend the extra money.  I’ll answer that for you with a few points.  1.  The generous serving of the cocoa in the kcup gives this a varied cocoa experience depending on your water choice.  For the record I brew for myself all of these on 6 oz.  I like to have my sweetened cocoa almost like an espresso shot.  You don’t have to be a Doctorate in Food Sciences to figure out the more water you add the flavor and intensity of the cocoa will be impacted..  When I have mine the froth that comes at the last 10 seconds of the brew is like a gift.  I tend to drink all my coffee strong so that holds true with the sweetened cocoa drinks.  Now my daughter (when allowed to touch my stash) brews at an 8oz.  Also when you have the kcups you tend to be much more selective about how often you brew and do you have the time to really enjoy that cup, vs. the cardboard box filled with packets that are made mindlessly. 

The flavor itself of the Milk Chocolate is a hearty milk chocolate feel.  The experience starts just as it hits your lips you feel like you’re a little kid again safe and warm at home.  This is just a great cup of cocoa.  Rating: Family Freindly

DARK CHOCOLATE FLAVORED HOT COCOA

Now this was an absolute pleasure for me to drink.  Again I brewed on a 6 oz.  I didn’t bother sharing with my teenager, as I didn’t think she would apprieate the almost smoky flavor of the dark chocolate.  I think she would enjoy the milkier flavor more.  This was like have a molten lava cake in a cup, I think it would be worthy of a dollop of fresh whipped cream.  This is truly a grown up hot cocoa, where you can taste the slight bitterness of the dark chocolate and how it blends with the milk so nicely.  Again I love the last few seconds of the brew cycle when the frothy good stuff comes out.  Rating- Adults only, or very experienced pallet of younger.

Café Vanilla

Again brewed at a 6 oz.  This is a nice sweet treat; I used it as a substitute for dessert last night after dinner.  It was sweet, aromatic, sensory speaking it was a total pleasure.  Note- drink this hot to warm, as it cool tastes turns a bit flavored milk.   I enjoyed this and would buy it if it were part of a pack of kcups that were flavored, I don’t know if I would buy a whole box of this.. ***With one exception:  My daughter is now in High School and your allowed to bring in your coffee and drink it in class, well the  local coffee bar charges so much that a week’s worth of her coffee drinks rival a week’s worth of my gas in the car.  But I got the to go thermal cups with the raised coffee shop quality lids and she brought in an 8 oz and loved it.  It was a win win, I looked like good mom, she was happy, and my wallet was as well, plus we didn’t have to get up and fight with the entire freshman to senior class.  Rating: Family Friendly.

Chai Latte

Making a decent Chai has been an ongoing battle for me for years.  Many of my friends would bring in samples of the latest and greatest Chai, and I just can’t seem to do anything with it.  I’m always convinced that I make it too light, so next times I over compensate and it over chai’d.  So I brewed it at my usual 6 oz., and it came out lovely.  I see the attraction to having this as an alternative in your coffee, tea reptiore, I wouldn’t replace my coffee with it, but certainly would enjoy this.  Now I let my daughter try it and she really enjoyed it.  So maybe it is like a gateway drink to stronger coffee.  Rating: Very Family Friendly, (must like cinnamon)

Café Caramel

This is definitely another drink I would offer up as a lighter alternative to dessert.  It is delicious, the experience starts before the cup hits your lips you can smell the caramel, and then while you drink it it just is so yummy.  This is another one that you will want to drink on the warmer side; I find the taste is a bit boring when it is not warm enough.  I think the tempeture being at that just the right high brings out the taste of the caramel, but also the Café, (coffee).  It is easy to forget you are drinking a coffee product, but that is what we are doing, and I am assuming because we enjoy our coffee.  I brewed this at no surprise 6 oz.  I made some for my daughter at 8 oz. and it was another hit to bring to school.  I don’t know if I would hit this with whipped cream, maybe some biscotti instead.  Rating: Family Friendly.

Café Mocha:

Now this is my tied for second favorite, because it is where this idea of mixing coffee and chocolate began, Mocha.  This was always my favorite flavor in ice cream; early on I knew I would have two vices and friends Coffee and Chocolate.  I would like to tell you how my daughter liked it, but I didn’t share.   This one was all mine.  It was/is delicious, its old school and it would be worthy to finish off any meal on any day of the week, or to start off any cold morning.  Sometimes in the morning I don’t quite feel like making something, but I have to drive my daughter to school so I want something with some type of flavor and this is great.  Rating (Mommy’s and Daddy’s only, just kidding, Family Friendly, but you better have made that bed and fed that fish).

 <img src="https://img.bzzagent.com/image/cafeEscapes.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=5454718464&Campaign=9622084068&Uid=1302295&token=10aab91b9f24b4a724a4ea59f1fe2086" alt=""/>

Ok so for the record my official rating of the flavors

1.       Dark Chocolate Flavored Hot Cocoa

2.       Milk Chocolate Flavored Hot cocoa tied with Café Mocha

3.       Café Caramel

4.       Café Vanilla

5.       Chai Latte

A meatless alternative

<img src="http://img.bzzagent.com/image/morningstar.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=7368929400&Campaign=5354578095&Uid=1302295&token=992e69f0d8713fc54f616b27164cee55" alt=""/>

*Disclaimer, I am a Bzz Agent, and I received a coupon to purchase this product for free from Morningstar, for trial and review purposes.

Ok, it’s that time of year when the practicing and non practicing Catholics (who live with practicing Catholics), give up meat for Fridays.  So often I’ll bite into something only to realize that it contains some type of meat product.  Then I immediately feel shamed then I have a split second decision to either say oh well I already broke my promise, I may as well just eat the rest.  Or the most unlikely is that you put down what you are eating and go and buy another meal.  For non Catholics out there this does not include the “thing” we “give up” during lent. 

So I picked up the MorningStar Grillers and was really unsure about this, I have had some veggie burgers in the past and there is no way you can pretend that they are anything other than a dried out veggie burger.  This time I took a different approach.  I bought some nice rolls a bit hardier than a hamburger bun.  Then I cut a nice piece of cheddar, a hearty slice of a tomato, some fresh lettuce leaves, a slight slather of mayo, a bit of mustard and ketchup, and if I am adventurous I’ll have some onion as well.   I made this with some homemade oven cooked fries with some seasoning on tem. 

I will happily brag that these were delicious.  The roll held up and the real fixings added to the taste of the burger.  Would I take a blind taste test and not be able to tell the difference between this and a whooper? ;  probably not.  But that is not what I believe the Morningstar is striving for.  A whopper is loaded with so much fat and things that are bad for your body to achieve that taste, which no company should be striving to taste like them.  Instead Morning Star is putting out an assortment of products that offer an alternative to the consumer who is making a committed descion to not eat meat for a meal or as a way of life.  There are hot dogs, corn dogs, buffalo flavored wings, many versions of the hamburger, and many more products offered. 

MorningStar Farms® Grillers® Original

Every bite of this meatless masterpiece is chock-full of classic burger flavor.

• 130 calories, 15g protein, 57% less fat*

*MorningStar Farms® Grillers® Original (64g) contain 6g fat per serving, compared with regular ground beef (64g) containing 14g fat per serving.

Now I am on Weight Watcher so as you know they count your food in terms of points so in case you are curious this burger alone, not the fixings is 3pts.  This is giving me a lot of protein, and is low enough in points that I can spurge and make it into a nice sandwich without feeling deprived.  Again Morningstar has a great concept, offer non meat items to people who it’s a way of life for, but also for the person who on Friday’s can’t eat meat,  or something looking to eat healthier without feeling deprived.

How my nails look FABOULSOUS when we have sub arctic weather?

<img src="http://img.bzzagent.com/image/neutrogena-hand-cream.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=2088085882&Campaign=1107899099&Uid=1302295&token=816646fd02a187a45d6f3bb18684d97c" alt=""/>

**Disclosure- I received free samples for testing and review  purposes from Bzz Agent.
 

Ok, well I guess my title kind of spoiled what this post was going to be about.  We in New England are suffering through a cold spell that makes each breath you take outside feel like a dagger inside you.  But Hells Bells if I can get my daughter to wear a coat to school.  I digress, we in New England, have enjoyed our fair share of mild winters, we have dare I say becoming accustomed to it.  No longer do I put the ice scraper in the car on Halloween and match all the mittens in the mitten tub.  It seems Mr. Snow Miser is kicking his brother Mr. Heat Miser’s booty, because it is freaking cold out.  I went to start my car to drive my daughter to work and may car said it was 2 degrees out,  2…. (no she still wouldn’t wear a coat).  

Now I am a Fair Haired and Fair skinned Irish Lass.  So when it is 2 degrees outside and the house is heated with forced hot air, I wake up to a face sporting ruddy cheeks, that are on fire just enough to make me wonder if I will make it worse by washing my face.  My legs are reptilian.  My hands are…..FABULOUS.  You heard me FABULOUS.  Now for those thinking ok the hands  are FABULOUS, but I bet she can’t keep any polish on her nails, WRONG, WRONG, WRONGITY, WRONG, WRONG.  

What is the secret to this surely it must involve expensive sessions with a manicurist and all kinds of time and treatments.  (Refer to the Wrong statement above).  I am using Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream.  That’s it.  Do you know it is so concentrated and you need such a small dab that a tube has about 200 applications in it?  Let me take you on a a mental tour of my hand routine.

I take a dab of Neutrogena Hand Cream, I prefer to take the tube directly on the back of my hand and squeeze out some, it almost looks like a tear.  I repeat with the other hand, now I rub the lotion onto my hands and fingers and nails and cuticle beds.  Immediately you see a difference in dry scaly hands.  Once you have a healthy nail bed, prep for some color.  Clean up those cuticles, I like to use the Neutrogena again for this rather than cuticle cream because it’s so gentle on my hands.

Use a base coat- Wait for it to dry!!!!!  If you apply a second coat of anything over not dry nails you polish will peel off. 

Now we are going to have some fun here, pick out two complementary nail shades or two that are dramatically different but look good together.

I am using Butter’s Knackered and Julep’s Renee.  Now we will paint four fingers on each hand one color, leaving the ring finger out.  Knackered is a bluish color with  light sparkle and Renee is a flat lilac.  Once the main color is on your nails and dry apply you top coat or a drying coat.  Now you paint the second color on each hand.  Now here feel free to add the little bubbles you see giving a “caviar” effect.  Or just enjoy the two colors as they are.  It’s a nice way and fashionable way to draw attention to your smooth hands and well cared for nails courtesy of Neutrogena Hand Cream.

Frozen Pizza that tastes like Pizza and is freindly on the wallet

 Well the holidays are over the streets are lined with discarded Christmas Trees, (who else other than me drive and judge the different trees?)
For many January means resolutions and weight loss programs, products and never used gym memberships that have contracts harder to get out of than a parking ticket.

Well I am among the many who need to lose weight, Ive done it all, I remember spending a small fortune on ready made shakes, bars, and frozen meals- and declare to all "I am just eating thee products nothing else"- Well what ends up happening is I end up eating the week's worth of products in a couple of days.

Now at this point you may be thinking this girl lost her mind and forgot she is writing a review of frozen Pizza, but no I have not forgotten.

In my previous post I reviewed the Mozzarella and the Quattro Formaggi

This time I will review the Spinaci, and Speciale, I could not locate the Funghi or the Vegetable in any of my grocery stores.

First up the Spinaci- I know if I say the word spinach to either my daughter or my husband they say in a dip? If the answer is no forget about it.  Well I cooked up this pizza, again at 10 minutes instead of the 12 minutes on the box.  The
Spinaci Pizza is: Savory leaf spinach, mozzarella, hearty garlic sauce, so it's a "white pizza", and let me tell you it tastes like spinach dip on pizza but much healthier for you.  The Garlic sauce and the spinach work so well together neither overpower the other.  The crust is just crisp enough.  A serving of this is 1/3 of the pizza and this with a salad or some fruit, would make a very satisfying meal for anyone on a diet or just looking to eat healthier.  You get real flavors and the highest quality of ingredients.

The next and last pizza we taste tested was the Speciale: Pepperoni, cooked ham, spicy herbs- now this is the best tasting meat pizza out in any freezer container and a few take out places as well.  This one I cook to the 12 minutes to make sure the meats are heated well and get that crisp to them, also this crust lends to being a bit more crispier. The pizza has a delicate red sauce on the base, and I say delicate because it didn't ooze pizza sauce when I cut it, then a layer of cheese that gets that firmness and snap to it when you eat it, then on top of that you have med sized pieces of ham slices, not chunks of ham, then you have high quality peperoni.  The flavors just melt in your mouth, it is a great meal when your in your "carnivore" mood.  Each serving is very satisfying, and easily pair up with fruit and salad for a meal.

don't tell anyone but I've been know to cook one of these up for lunch and somehow it's gone by bedtime.  Shhh
<img src="https://img.bzzagent.com/image/ristPizza.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=5502699803&Campaign=4073133023&Uid=1302295&token=37d29734f010e4fea3fb7df96f269b47" alt=""/>
I received free pizza and coupons to try and reveiw this pizza for Bzz Agent.