If you need a good laugh, check out her website to watch all 7 episodes of “My Drunk Kitchen”!

You crack me up little multi-lingual drunk cooking girl! Thank you.

Basically, what you get is a bag of pure potato chunks (choice of white or sweet potato) that you toss in the microwave for about 11 -13 minutes, season to your own taste preferences, and mash into a quick and easy side dish. It certainly does cut down on a lot of prep/cooking time. Quite convenient if you are in a hurry to throw a meal together.

I chose the white potato chunks because the hubby doesn’t like sweet potatoes. Always a big hit around here, I tried making my good old fashioned garlic mashed potatoes. They weren’t the best and seemed a bit thick and dry, though I am hopeful if I’d gone ahead and added more milk and butter they could have been better. Not sure if I’ll ever find out… neither myself or the hubby finished what was on our plate and we didn’t bother keeping the leftovers. Not a good sign around these parts.

Would I buy them on my own dime? Considering a 10lb bag of potatoes (10+ meals) costs $1.97 on sale and McCain Purely Potatoes®  (1-2 meals) costs around $2.49 on sale, I’d have to say probably not. I enjoy cooking and am fortunate to have plenty of free time to do it at the moment.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to try out Aquafina Plus+ Vitamins 10 Cal™ Enhanced Water for a BeautyEditor.ca product testing panel. Yay!

I have had the Aquafina Plus+ water before in a variety of flavors and absolutely loved it. Of all the other vitamin enhanced waters  I’ve tried before, I think it’s  most closely comparable to SoBe Lifewater. When my product testing box showed up there were 6 full 591mL bottles to sample: 2 x Fuji Apple Pear, 2 x Black and Blue Berry, and 2 x Strawberry Lemonade, the newest flavor in the Aquafina line up (and one I had yet to try – it’s delicious!).

Each flavor has a different vitamin combination (ie: Black and Blue Berry contains vitamins c, b, and e) to aid in maintaining good health. All are sweetened with Reb A, PureVia™ brand natural pure stevia extract. Since I am pregnant and avoiding sweeteners as a general rule, I was a little concerned at first about the Reb A but Stevia is deemed safe during pregnancy by the FDA.

I am a big fan of this product for several reasons:

• When I was consciously watching my weight, it was the perfect low calorie alternative to juice when I was craving something more flavorful than regular water.
• It’s VERY refreshing and delicious (unless it gets warm, after which the taste becomes very tart. It’s like night and day on the taste buds).
• I like the bottle. I know that one sounds silly, but I really do. It’s easy to hold on to.
• I know it doesn’t replace a good multivitamin, but the fact that I can get that extra health benefit without having to choke down a horse pill that makes me feel sick to my stomach is a huge bonus in my world. Vitamin enhanced water = genius.
• It often goes on sale for $0.99 a bottle at various retailers (I like to stock up at Shopper’s Drug Mart for the Optimum points ) making it a much better deal than comparable vitamin enhanced drinks.

I plan on keeping my fridge well stocked with it (especially during hot summer days!) and I would definitely recommend Aquafina Plus+ to others.

As you all know, I love contests and thought this one was worth sharing. Teambuy.ca is giving away two Apple iPad 2s. Sweet!

One entry per person. Canadian residents only. Contest closes March 21, 2011. Good luck!!

It’s a sign that spring is on its way. I, like most in Ontario, have absolutely had enough of winter. And snow. And cold. I am very ready to see flowers forcing their way up through the non-snow-covered soil, to smell wet grass and rain, to walk outside dressed like a normal person rather than someone who appears ready to embark on an expedition to the Antarctic.  Yes, indeed. Plus, March hosts the time change for Daylight Savings, NCAA March Madness and St. Patrick’s Day if you like those sorts of things.

Know what else excites me about March? The Freakin’ McDonald’s Shamrock Shake! It has come to my understanding that it’s back and greener than ever! OOOhhhh how I love that minty, creamy, calorific yumshake in a cup. MMmmmmmmmHhhmmmmmm.

]]> http://www.savingpallas.com/2011/03/03/happy-march/feed/ 0 http://www.savingpallas.com/2011/02/25/new-pinkcherry-ca-promo-code/ http://www.savingpallas.com/2011/02/25/new-pinkcherry-ca-promo-code/#comments Fri, 25 Feb 2011 18:34:15 +0000 savingpallas http://www.savingpallas.com/?p=389 Hey folks!

I have decided to post all new  pinkcherry.ca promo codes here. I will keep this post regularly updated. Enjoy!

*CURRENT*

Save 17% off your total purchase (excluding Fleshlight). Use code IRISH at checkout. Expires March 23, 2011.

*RECENTLY EXPIRED*

Save 20% off your total purchase (excluding Fleshlight). Use code SAVINGS at checkout. Expires March 16, 2011.

Save 20% off your total purchase (excluding Fleshlight). Use code FEB20 at checkout. Expires March 2, 2011.

Tupperware is fascinating. It’s very expensive. Their limited lifetime warranty, which I am sure only a fraction of owners bother with since they still have to pay for shipping and taxes on their replacement item, is…well… limited. Sales pitch says superior quality, blah blah blah. $41.25 for three plastic bowls… $67.50 for a SALAD SPINNER…. REALLY? Not in my world, friends. Don’t get me wrong,  they definitely have some pretty cool stuff. The problem is that it’s no longer stuff you won’t see anywhere else for a fraction of the price.

There was one thing that really caught my eye, though: the Tupperware Squeeze-It Decorator. Oh, yes. It looks like a round plastic accordion that you fill with icing to decorate/fill your baked goods and treats. It has five different tips for both decorating and filling needs. Beats the hell out of the flimsy plastic, mess-making Wilton bags I’ve been using for years!  I hmmmed and hahhhed over this thing almost the whole party. At the end of the day, I just couldn’t justify spending $29 on this thing. Thankfully, one of the lovely hosts knew I was eyeballing it and thought it would make a good Christmas gift. Yay!

Yesterday, I decided I wanted to bake some cupcakes and try out my new decorating toy for the first time! Nothing too fancy, just something to entertain myself. I used a Betty Crocker cherry chip cake mix to make 12 large cupcakes and 450g container of Duncan Hines vanilla icing, both of which I’d picked up on sale for $0.99 each. Bargain. Here’s what I  thought of my genuine Tupperware decorator:

Pros:

1. The icing fit in the Squeeze-It with just a little room to spare and because of the nice wide opening was super easy to transfer and totally mess-free.
2. One of the nicest things about the Squeeze-It is that is does not leak! Unlike cheap, plastic icing bags, you can set it down and pick it back up without any fuss or mess.
3. The tips are very easy to switch, even during use. No more having to start a new bag just to use a different tip!
4. Dishwasher friendly and easy to clean.
5. If you have extra icing, it can be stored right in the Squeeze-it for next time.

Cons:

1. Given the size of the Squeeze-It, I thought it was going to be very awkward to hold while trying to ice the cupcake, but it wasn’t too bad. However, you do have to duck your head around a bit to see passed it and make sure you are icing properly in a full circle.
2. If you have carpal tunnel, neuropathy, or any other condition that affects your ability to grip/squeeze/etc. don’t even bother with this thing unless you have an abundance of icing or someone to assist you once you get it down to about 1/4 full as it becomes increasingly difficult to squeeze. You have to apply a lot  of pressure to continue icing consistently.
3. Waste! The icing gets stuck in the folds of the accordion shape and sticks to the lid leaving a great deal to be wasted. 11 cupcakes in and I couldn’t squeeze another drop out of it if my life depend ed on it. Once I got a knife out to scrap out the excess, there were at least 3 tablespoons of icing – more than enough for my last lonely cupcake.

Overall Opinion: I liked it. It was fun to use and (until it started to get low) made it very easy to ice my cupcakes. With some practice, I think I could make my baking look a lot jazzier using this tool. With the exceptions of writing or small detailing while decorating, I don’t think would choose a thick icing again unless I had a lot to spare because of all the excess that gets stuck in the container. Refrigeration permitting, I’d definitely opt for a whipped cream based icing. I’ll be sure to get some use out of it, but I am glad I didn’t shell out the $29 for it.

Wolverine! SABERTOOTH!

Allan! Allan! Allan!

I love the BBC