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Frustration Free Packaging at Amazon.com

Last summer my sister purchased one of those Nerf surf guns from Amazon.com.   It must have taken me thirty minutes to get it out of the package, because it had about 20 plastic clamps anchoring it to the box.   And working all those clamps loose didn't help my arthritis.  The box wouldn't have protected the gift from the package handlers either, since it had no lid.   I've purchased some items in Amazon's new Frustration Free Packaging, and it's so much easier to get to the product!   Amazon has a whole list of items available in Frustration Free Packaging.   Check it out!

Weight Watchers New System

Weight Watchers unveiled the new system this week.   Instead of figuring your points based on Calories, Fat and Fiber, they are now using Protein, Fat, Carbohydrates and Fiber.   Some foods are higher, some are the same and some are lower.   Especially fruit, which is now zero points.    Instead of a points finder that I called my WW Slide Rule, we have to purchase a calculator.   Most of the food at the center has gone up too.   One Point Bars are now two points.  Two points bars now three points.   Weight Watcher shakes have gone from one to three points.  

I took my calculator to the store to re-figure my favorite foods.   Unfortunately, I'd gotten into the habit of bulk buying then storing in Tupperware or Lock-n-Lock, so I'd lost all the nutritional information.   Cell phone to the rescue!   Snap the nutritional table, send the picture to my email account, then figure it once I get home!

Shoelace Update at Resole.com

I emailed customer service last night, and had a response this morning.   We'd assumed they'd just replace the new laces, but they put them inside the shoes.   My husband hasn't gotten around to wearing them yet.

Get Your Shoes Fixed at Resole America

 

I sent off my shoes to www.resole.com and had them fixed up.   It's a really easy procedure.   You can print out the pre-paid mailing label than pack your shoes and drop them in the mail.   Resole America will fix many brands of shoes:  MBT, Rockport, New Balance, Clarks, Fine Italian Leather, Birkenstock, Footprints, Havana Joe, Vasque Hiking Boots, Military Boots and Bostonian.   If you don’t have anything suitable to ship them to www.resole.com, you can send off for a pre-printed label and mailer.   That’s what we did this time, and it arrived quickly.

They access them, select replacement parts that closely match the original materials.  Many services are available:  Full Soles, Half-Soles, Combo Soles/Heels.   They'll even put in lifts.  You can also have your insoles replaced.   Which I did this time, because my orthotics tend to tear up my insoles.  I started using Resole America several years ago when shoe repair stores locally would not repair our Rockport shoes.

Resole.com also does a good job cleaning up your shoe.   While they usually replace our shoe laces too, it got overlooked this time.  I’ve sent them an e-mail, and I’ll post their response here.

Still, it’s a great way to get more wear out of your shoes!

How to Make Good French Toast

My French Toast was always inconsistent until I saw a demo on Alton Brown's "Good Eats" show.

You start the night before, by putting your bread out on a rack to get stale. (So your toast doesn't fall apart when you add the egg batter.) The next morning, you mix up your favorite egg batter, Mr. Brown says to use only half and half with eggs, but I use skim milk with egg beaters if on hand. I also make my french toast with reduced calorie bread. Fill a 6 inch cake pan with your egg batter. I like to use this size since it fits my regular bread well. Then dip your bread in, 30 seconds on each side. And put on a cookie rack for two minutes to let the egg mixture seep toward the center. Next cook in your pan. The less you move your toast at this point the better. I lift up a corner to test brownness. When it's brown on both sides, move it to your oven set at 375 Degrees F (to cook the center), and fry the rest of the toast. Alton Brown suggests moving your fried toast to a cookie sheet lined with a cooling rack, but I simply use a Oven Crisper Sheet. By the time the last of my french toast is fried, the first slices are ready to come out of the oven.

In our house Maple Syrup is the only thing we pour on our french toast and waffles.

Deep Fried Turkey Safety

Let's have a safe Thanksgiving.

If you're planning to deep fry your turkey this year, I suggest watching these two short videos first. The second video is from the show that made me an Alton Brown fan.

Deep Fried Turkey Explosion Demo

Deep Fried Turkey Mini-Tutorial