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I noticed this year that the stores' Christmas decorations came out a week after Labor Day. One of these years, it's going to start right after 4th of July. Just wait and see. So with the holiday spirit in mind and an itch to do some shopping (the itch appears between hunger pangs, hehe), here are some things I recently purchased. A couple of these things have not yet arrived since I ordered them online. Actually, I do about 80% of my shopping online.
For several years now, I have been pining for a top of the line KitchenAid mixer. The Mister had kind of hinted that he wanted to get me one for Christmas this year so I started my research. (I'm a bit OC about researching products before buying.) Well, I was so surprised when I read all the latest reviews on just how bad KitchenAid mixers have gotten. Not your grandmother's KitchenAid is right! All you have to do is read some of the 1 and 2 reviews on Amazon on any given model to know that the bad reviews weren't just flukes. So why do some of the biggest names on Food Network use KitchenAid mixers? Probably because they get them for free.
So now what? I had a few names to research and after reading reviews and articles, I landed on the Bosch Universal Mixer. It was the comparison video from everythingkitchens.com that sealed the deal for me. Even KitchenAid's top of the line Professional 600 Series (which was what I was eyeballing) at 575 watts couldn't beat the 700 watts of the Bosch Universal Mixer and its mixing mechanism. Also, Bosch had just released its latest mixer, the Universal Plus, which means the older model was coming down in price! But the newer Plus model with a whopping 800 watts and some really good new features, spending an extra $60 was worth it for me. With this mixer, there will be no cookie dough or batter that I can't tackle!
BTW, if you're in the market for a new mixer or know someone who is, take a look at Costco's latest sales. They have the Bosch Compact mixer for $60 less than any online store I found out there. That's including tax and shipping. It's a great all-around package with a 450 watt motor. Email me if you have questions on it.
Technivorm Thermo KB741 Coffee Maker - A coffee aficionado's dream!
If you drink Folgers or Taster's Choice, this won't mean a thing to you. I would even dare to say if you buy Starbucks coffee, this won't mean a thing to you, either. Why? Because Starbucks coffee taste like crap no matter how good of a coffee maker you have. There are so many reasons why Starbucks coffee sucks. These are some of the more important ones: beans' quality is highly suspected, burn the crap out of the beans to hide the quality (or lack thereof), grinds are old, use tap water for brewing, and who knows when was the last time they cleaned out the maker?? And people pay money for this. (I do have to admit that I enjoy their mocha frappuccinos.) For those who order those fancy schmancy type coffees (double double carmelato low fat high foam extra whipped), it doesn't matter what the coffee taste like cuz you can't taste it!
But if you're like me, can't stand Starbucks coffee, buy only the best beans (Kona Peaberry in our case) that you grind yourself (and hopefully with a burr grinder), you'll understand and appreciate this purchase.
The reason why we finally broke down and shelled out the money for a Technivorm is because our low-end, dual heating element coffee maker broke on Monday. Aficionados will understand the importance of the heating elements and the need for the perfect water temperature. Not thrilled with the prospect of shelling out $90 for a crappy coffee maker with a thermos that makes so-so coffee, will most likely crap out in a few years, it wasn't too hard for me to convince the Mister to just let me buy this baby. Boyd Coffee Company is an official Technivorm distributor so you can check out all the specs there. I won't bore you with all that.
Why did I get the thermos version? Because I didn't want to deal with a hot plate. There's 1 primary reason why you don't want your pot of coffee sitting on the hot plate: the hot plate will burn the coffee. Now with a model that has a thermos and no hot plate, I won't have to worry about it and my coffee stays hot!
Scene It?® Lights, Camera, Action for Xbox 360 - Do you know, I mean really know your movies?
We enjoy playing the original dvd board game but the new version for Xbox 360 is way cooler! This was just released this week and I picked it up my copy during lunch today. The reason why it's cooler than the regular version is because it comes with 4 wireless remotes. The Mister and I broke it in when I got home and the play is different from the original. Rather than each person going around a board taking turns, this version is more like the NTN Buzztime games you see at bars and restaurants. The quicker you answer, the more points you score. In some cases, you lose points for guessing the wrong answer. If you consider yourself a movie buff or just like watching movies, then check this game out, even if you don't have an Xbox 360. For the board game, there are various themes available too. I think there's even a sports version.
I still have the Janome 350E embroidery machine on my wish list, along with a sewing table but those will have to wait for another Christmas. Hmm, I'll have to start planning my cookie baking list, and how about some Parmesan herb rolls to go with that brined turkey? Yummmm! Go and eat well. I'm off to dinner.
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