I wanted to buy a power juicer for fruit and vegetable juicing before we decided to start an organic garden of our own, and I’m thrilled with our recently purchased Breville Juice Fountain Elite 800JEXL juicing machine. After consulting with Consumer Reports juicer reviews of various brands and models and reading many other online customer reviews of juicers, the decision to buy a Breville juicer was an easy one.

While researching juice extractors, reading about the differences between a simple citrus juicer vs. a power juice extractor for fruit and vegetable combinations, and understanding the terminologies used for juicers was a great help in deciding which juicer to buy. I’ve of course heard of the Jack LaLanne juicers and seen the infomercials more times than I care to count hyping the LaLanne juicer as being the best juicer, so I was somewhat surprised to find it had the lowest ratings on Consumer Reports.

With so many types of juicers on the market today, trying to understand the difference between centrifugal juicers, centrifugal ejection juicers, masticating juicers, wheatgrass juicers, manual or industrial/commercial juicers and so on, can leave customers wanting to buy a juicer very confused. Plainly put, if you plan to juice fruits and vegetables together or by themselves, look for what you feel is the perfect juicer that meets your needs, preferences and budget.

Consumer Reports reviewed juicer brands including Black & Decker, Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, Jack LaLanne, Juiceman, Oster, Breville, Waring, West Bend, Dr. Weil and Omega brand juicers. Evaluations and comparisons were made based on overall juicing performance, convenience and noise levels. Prices of all the juicers reviewed ranged between approximately $80.00 all the way up to about $300.00, give or take a little.

CR ranked the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Pro juicer as its choice for “best buy”, receiving very good to excellent ratings for convenience and overall performance, but a fair rating for noise. It is also listed as being one of the cheapest juicers evaluated, with the Oster 3167 juicer model being the least expensive at a cost of just $70.00 on average.

Interestingly enough, my favorite Breville juicer is only given a fair rating for noise (I completely disagree), but received very good reviews and high marks for convenience and overall performance. If you haven’t yet subscribed to Consumer Reports magazine, I highly recommend you do. It’s the best money I’ve spent on a magazine yet. For me, choosing the Breville Juice Fountain Elite was a no-brainer; it works perfectly and one of the best features is the extremely quick and easy cleanup.

The Breville has a wide mouth food chute, a powerful motor with two speed settings (low and high), and most of the components are dishwasher safe. Visiting family and friends have enjoyed experimenting with different juicing recipes and have come up with some great tasting fruit and vegetable juice combinations that leaves us wanting more. The remaining pulp, skins from veggies and fruits etc do not go to waste nor are thrown away; these can and are used in salads, soups and stews, or can be recycled as organic garden mulch.

So, CR rated the Jack Lalanne PJP Power Juicer Pro the absolute lowest among all the other reviewed brands, makes and models of juicing machines, well below the Breville. I certainly didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a new power juicer, so price comparisons between the different brands was carefully evaluated in an effort to keep costs down. Looking for the so-called “best juicer” really depends on what the consumer intends to do with the machine. People who just want to juice fruits really only need a citrus juicer, whereas those who wish to juice vegetables and fruits in various recipe combinations need what is called a juice extractor machine.

The health benefits of juicing are well known, documented and highly recommended by many physicians and healthcare professionals. It’s very interesting that people who may have difficulty digesting certain fruits or vegetables, or those who don’t like eating certain vegetables or fruits, quickly discover juicing to be a great alternative and are able to easily digest and actually enjoy consuming the very healthy, fresh uncooked foods they’ve been avoiding.

It’s exciting and fun to watch young children and teens quickly consume fruit and/or vegetable juices made with a home juicing machine, who usually turn their noses up at eating fresh, cooked or uncooked vegetables or fresh fruits. I have observed very “picky” young children, toddlers even, who absolutely love drinking juices made from the same vegetables they typically would say no to. These same “picky eater” kids actually ask mom or dad to make them these great tasting juices; juices that include tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, kale, carrots, beets, cauliflower and other “yucky” veggies.

Personally speaking, I love and enjoy eating just about every kind of vegetable there is on the market, as our organic vegetable and fruit garden shows. Buying a quality juicer is a big help in ensuring we are getting our recommended daily allowance of vegetable and fruit servings, and cranking up the stainless steel “silver bullet” Breville juicer first thing in the morning means we are doing what is necessary to get all the vitamins and nutrients needed for healthy living throughout the day.

The final push that lead me to buy the Breville Juice Fountain Elite was the several hundred positive reviews by consumers who purchased theirs on Amazon, love it above all other juicers, and highly recommend this particular model juicer. The fact that the Breville is among the top listed and best selling juicers on Amazon, along with the free shipping and discounted price, told me everything I needed to know before buying a Breville juicer.

Cooking.com and Epinions.com have also accumulated many great reviews of the Breville juicer, making this particular power juicer machine highly sought after by consumers, even though it is a little more expensive than a cheap basic juicer. We love our juicer and whichever brand and model electric juicing machine you choose that best serves your intended purposes, you’ll be glad you have joined the countless number of people who are adding fresh fruit and vegetable juices to their daily diet. Carrots, apples and beets juiced together. Yum!

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As a sewing beginner, it makes sense to learn how to sew different things from easy sewing patterns, whether the patterns are free pattern downloads found online or quick and easy patterns made and bought from Simplicity and others. I’ve been making a long list of easy sewing and craft projects I want to make myself with my sewing machine, but I’m also planning on taking advantage of as many no-sew crafts and kits as possible too, for home use or to give as gifts for various occasions that come up.

I recently came across a complete list of sewing pattern companies, with many company names I’ve never heard of. The most well-known, popular pattern companies tend to be Kwik Sew, McCall’s, Simplicity, Stretch & Sew, Butterick, Burda, Amy Butler, Vogue, etc. Since my order for fleece and cotton fabric has arrived from my favorite online fabric stores and so quickly, I’m ready to really jump-start my sewing hobby by making several easy scrub tops, since Grandpa’s no-sew throw blanket is nearly finished.

At this point, I definitely fall into the category of beginner/novice vs. intermediate, advanced or expert, so it‘s important for me to choose from the easiest sewing patterns as a sewing beginner for quick results to stay motivated and not become bored or overwhelmed. It was somewhat surprising to find Vogue patterns in the “easy” category, since much of the fashion patterns and crafts I’ve seen made by Vogue don’t look easy at all, and definitely not quick.

Easiest Sewing Patterns For Beginners

As much as I like finding and using copyright free, downloaded patterns for sewing projects and crafts, I actually prefer to buy easy sewing patterns that are not only cheap but by reputable, well known pattern companies known for making patterns with easy-to-follow how-to instructions, pictures and diagrams, as well as detailed information on the amount of fabric needed and what types of fabric to use for what I’m trying to make.

For that reason, I really like Kwik-Sew and Simplicity’s sewing patterns for dummies because of how easy it is make sewing a hobby rather than a boring chore to be avoided, and there are so many great beginner sewing ideas to choose from. Some of the easiest sewing projects anyone can make with even a beginners sewing machine are pillows, door draft stoppers, pot holders, throw blankets, flannel baby blankets, simple tote bags, homemade grocery bag holder, sachets, hats and hood scarves, basic aprons, hair scrunches, pillow cases and shams, fabric eye glass case, wraps, pajamas and nightgowns, cloth napkins and placemats, baby shoes and slippers/booties, soft toys and more.

We’ve gotten more involved with recycling than ever before, and an easy sewing project on my list is to make some cheap cloth, reusable grocery bags out of unused, leftover, recycled fabric rather than asking for paper or plastic at the grocery store or paying for the cloth grocery tote bags at the store. I found a couple quick and easy stretch and sew patterns for tote bags that would make great grocery store reusable totes, and I’ve even been asked to make a few extras for friends and family who have begun recycling coffee grounds and want some fabric grocery bags in an effort to become more eco-friendly.

Clothkits

Years ago I remember hearing about the British Clothkits company mail order business, which specialized in selling silk-screened patterns pre-printed onto fabric – clothing kits for children and adults, containing all the materials needed to cut out and assemble clothes without the need of pinning paper patterns to fabric.

I looked up Clothkits online to see if the company had resurfaced, and if by chance there might be any USA Clothkit stores online or any stores at all that might sell cloth kits, as a quick and easy sewing project for beginners, older kids, moms and Grandma’s like me. An artist named Kay Mawer bought the Clothkits brand in 2007 and relaunched the UK company in 2008, which is great for people who live there but not so great for American’s who don’t want to pay the international shipping costs to have cloth kits delivered to the US.

While browsing Facebook pages “liked” by friends, I happened upon information about a store in Columbus Ohio called Lottie Da, owned and run by Amy Routh. Amy’s online Lottie Da Baby website says she’ll soon be selling Clothkits, but there’s no information yet on exactly when that will begin or how much cloth kits will cost consumers. Considering how popular cloth kits clothes are in other countries, it sounds like a great kids sewing project and a good one for sewing beginners to check out. If the price is right.

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Many were disappointed to find their local area Walmart fabric department no longer carries any types of fabric anymore, and even a search on the website at Walmart, fabric by the yard is nowhere to be found. Even though I’m admittedly a sewing beginner for all intense purposes, finding the best prices on all fabric types for sewing and craft projects is a top priority, regardless of the current status of our economy.

Just like anyone else who enjoys sewing and making homemade crafts, finding the best discounts and deals on fabric, notions and accessories, is just a matter of knowing where to shop. There are many fabric stores to choose from, both online and offline, and the convenience of shopping at online fabric stores is especially nice and easy, even if there are brick-and-mortar fabric stores nearby.

Why buy fabric online? One of the great benefits of shopping fabric stores online is the opportunity to take advantage of the many web-only, deeply discounted sales, coupons and promotion codes for fashion apparel and novelty fabrics, sewing machines, patterns, crafts, quilting, scrapbooking, knitting, crocheting, decorating, upholstering, notions, needed sewing supplies, etc.

Many fabric stores even offer sewing lessons for beginners who want to learn how to sew a dress and make crafts, but there are also websites that teach beginners how to sew with online sewing lessons, how-to videos and podcasts, and plain and simple text instructions. I wouldn’t have known how to make door draft blockers myself if it weren’t for the easy to follow directions provided by online tutorials, free patterns and helpful videos.

Even before my beginners sewing machine was ever purchased, I made a list of the most popular online fabric stores to buy fabric from, watch for sales and discounts, subscribe to  fabric promotional newsletters by email, and it’s been one of the best things I could have done. Buying fabric online is, by far, the most convenient way of getting the supplies I need to complete crafts and sewing projects at clearance prices, versus the time it takes to shop at a fabric store offline.

10 Best Online Fabric By The Yard and Crafts Stores

• Fabric – Discount fabrics at Fabric.com

• Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts store at joann.com

• Hancock Fabrics – see the Hancock Fabrics Homepage at hancockfabrics.com

• Robert Kaufman Fabrics (wholesale) at robertkaufman.com

• Fabric Depot at fabricdepot.com

• Amazon Fabric and Crafts at amazon.com

• Etsy Fabric shops at etsy.com

• Vogue Fabrics at voguefabricsstore.com

• Hobby Lobby at hobbylobby.com

• Michael’s at michaels.com

Another very popular online wholesale fabric store is Alexander Henry Fabrics at ahfabrics.com, but since I’m not a wholesaler or fabric store owner, I stick with finding fabric for sale at online retail stores.

Quick and Easy Sewing Projects

It’s not hard to find quick and easy sewing projects for beginners like me, to make homemade crafts we can be proud of having made ourselves. Sew and no-sew crafts, crafts kits, free patterns and tutorials etc to make your own clothes, dress, shirts, t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, jackets, hand tie fleece throw blankets, baby clothes, baby blankets, pants, holiday costumes, etc.

One easy sewing project I’ve been researching for awhile is how to make your own uniforms, like medical/dental/nursing scrubs (tops and pants), and I’m anxious to begin making my own scrubs now that I have an easy to follow simplicity scrubs pattern I found on Amazon while shopping online for fabrics.

There are many (Many!) sewing blogs and craft blogs online for beginners and kids, and even more advanced crafting and sewing enthusiasts can learn how to make just about anything you could possibly want to make yourself. Just do a search online for “sew mama sew blog”,  “sewing blogs”, “craft blogs”, “easy kids crafts”, “fun kids crafts” etc, and you’ll find more cheap grownup crafts and free kids craft ideas than you’ll know what to do with. Spring, Summer, Fall and Wintertime boredom will be nonexistent once you get started.

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Kids luggage, specially designed suitcases for kids, babies and toddlers are very popular for children of all ages for travel or when going to Grandpa and Grandma’s house for a visit. Children enjoy having their own luggage to call their own and put their clothes and toys in when traveling out of town, and since Grandpa and I have grandchildren that enjoy visiting, we thought it would be a great idea to look for kids suitcases for sale that are age appropriate and in colors or designs the kids would enjoy.

Kids luggage come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Children’s suitcase styles include backpacks, duffel bags, kids rolling luggage with wheels attached and are the right size as carry on bags when travel requires flying on an airplane. With a new grand baby on the way, we’ve of course looked for baby luggage as well. When our soon-to-be born granddaughter is coming to visit or spend the day/weekend with Grandma and Grandpa, the cute little baby girl will come supplied with everything she’ll want or need for a fun stay.

The toddler suitcases we found for sale are so cute, from popular luggage brands like Samsonite, and the Disney suitcases and polka dot luggage sets for kids or babies are not very expensive at all. To make it easy for young children to lug around their suitcases, luggage makers have fortunately made rolling luggage for kids, toddlers and even babies in the cutest styles.

Melissa and Doug Trunki Kids Suitcases

Since there is a new grand baby on the way, we were happy to find specially designed baby luggage by Child to Cherish in pink or blue colors that says Ready or Not, Here I Come Grandma on the outside of the suitcase. The very popular brand Melissa & Doug luggage called Trunki, part luggage and part riding toy, is prefect for little kids and toddlers who might otherwise grow tired pulling their suitcase or walking through the airport.

Older kids might be happy with solid color luggage or any number of character themes, patterns and styles of kids suitcases, but after seeing how cute the Melissa and Doug Trunki suitcase is for girls and boys, our grandchildren will have fun riding on their suitcase as a scoot toy and have the benefits of very own luggage all rolled into one.

While I’m sure there are many suitcase brands for kids of all ages available for sale to choose from, Melissa and Doug toys and wooden toys, puzzles, toy kitchen and play food, kids crafts, train sets, drawing easel, puppets and blocks for kids, and the extremely popular Melissa and Doug dollhouse for little girls are all high quality, trusted products. It only makes sense that Melissa & Doug’s luggage for kids on wheels, that little girls and boys can ride on and play with, would also be a high quality product parents and grandparents can fully trust.

Our toddler size granddaughter is almost two years old now and she has fun playing with all of the Melissa & Doug toys she has received so far and will continue to receive for Christmas, birthdays or as just because gifts, and the same goes for our yet-to-be born granddaughter when she makes her appearance into the world. Melissa and Doug’s Trunki comes in several colors for boys and girls, including Trixie pink, Sunny orange, Ruby red, Terrance blue, Jade green and Iris purple.

Disney Luggage Bags For Kids

Disney bags and Disney luggage sets and sleeping bags for kids are also very popular suitcases, with a variety of Disney character themes that toddlers and kids love. Some of the best known Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Tinkerbell, Minnie Mouse, Little Mermaid, Disney Princess and the Frog, Winnie the Pooh and others are amongst the list of very popular kids rolling luggage, tags and backpacks.

With so many luggage options for little girls and boys, it’s sometimes hard to choose one over the other choices, especially when kids get a little older and become a tad picky. We’re nowhere near that kid stage with these little grandchildren being babies and toddlers, so until the children get old enough to voice their own preferences for a specific suitcase style or their parents choose their favorite, we’re going to go with Trunki by Melissa and Doug in pink and purple. Once the Trunki’s are received and tested out, maybe I’ll do a blog review about it.

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Making handmade Christmas decorations, Christmas tree ornaments, diningroom table and fireplace mantel xmas home decor is just one of the many reasons why I’m anxious to receive my new sewing machine for Christmas this year. Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday, not because of all the festive Christmas gift-giving or receiving gifts that goes with the holiday season, but because of what Christmas means to me personally.

To me, Christmas means spending time with those you love and who love you, remembering that Christmas is all about Jesus and all He did for us, not about Christmas presents. Christmas is a time of sharing and being with family and close friends, helping those in need who are less fortunate than ourselves, like people living in shelters or homeless people living on the street or those who don’t have enough food to eat. You don’t have to be a Church-going attendee to understand the true meaning of Christmas.

Decorating for Christmas, indoor and outdoor, can get very expensive. I’m not really interested in decorating every room in the house for Christmas, but I’ve gotten quite a few great ideas on ways to decorate for Christmas from online pictures and sewing patterns of things I can make myself, at a much cheaper price than simply buying decorations at retail or online stores. As a self-proclaimed sewing beginner, finding simple, quick and easy craft projects that I can make with my sewing machine or by hand, gives me so many Christmas decorating ideas that I don’t know where to begin.

I’ve made my own Christmas wreaths before and the wreaths turned out quite nicely, so much so that I’ve been asked a few times to make Christmas wreaths for others, and I was happy to oblige. A few years ago I was asked to make several wreaths of varying kinds and styles that would be sold at a church craft sale and the proceeds donated to charity, and I fully intend on making and selling other Christmas decorations and crafts where the profit proceeds are once again donated to charities.

I enjoy handmade and commercial Christmas decorations and ornaments of all kinds just like everyone else does. Angels, gingerbread houses, snowmen, reindeer, Santa’s and elves, they’re all beautiful and unique in different ways. Indoor and outdoor animated Christmas decorations make us laugh and smile, but I have no lofty plans of making animated decorations or wooden outdoor Christmas yard art whatsoever. I’ll leave the animated stuff and lawn décor to the skilled and experienced professionals.

To make Christmas decorations that are homemade, made by hand or with my sewing machine, will be a long-term project of making a variety of crafts to display throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season at home, to give as inexpensive gifts or to adorn Christmas presents with homemade Christmas tree ornaments rather than using typical cheap ribbons and bows sold in stores.

I become a kid-at-heart during the Christmas holiday season, especially during our annual visit to a relatively expensive Christmas decoration store where I get some great ideas for decorating at Christmastime without actually buying much of anything at the very high-priced store. Virtually everything sold at the local Christmas décor store is handmade, including artificial Christmas trees, ornaments, stockings, tree skirts, countdown calendars, garland, home decorations, tablecloths, wreaths etc, but buying unique handmade Christmas decorations there comes at a very high cost that will drain your wallet dry rather quickly.

With my adoration for reindeer and snowman Christmas decorations being at the top of my list of craft projects to start making, besides the usual Santa’s and elves and sleighs of course, decorating the front door, fireplace mantel, kitchen, bathroom, living room and dining room areas for the Christmas season is going to be a lot of fun. It will also give me plenty of time and opportunity to greatly improve my sewing and crafting skills in order to feel competent and good enough to sell (or give as gifts) the homemade Christmas decorations I decide to make.

I’ll of course be watching closely for after-Christmas sales, discounts and clearances on exterior Christmas decorations to save for next year’s lawn displays. Finding unique and inexpensive blow up outdoor decorations shouldn’t be too hard, except at retail stores that have already been picked over and the only yard art left is stuff no one else wants either. I have no intention of turning the inside or outside of our house into a Santa’s village or “winter wonderland” at all, but it will be a lot of fun to at least have a few rooms decorated nicely for Christmas parties and family gatherings and not look so primitive and bare.

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We’ve been planning on going to Vincent’s Restaurant to enjoy the seafood menu items for some time now, and finally did. Vincent’s Seafood Restaurant is located in the Towne Crossing Shopping Center on Preston Road in Plano, just north of West Park Blvd.

Officially called “Vincent’s Restaurant Seafood & Steaks” since 1898, the first Vincent’s restaurant opened in downtown Dallas between Commerce and Main Street. That original location closed after seventy years in 1968, when the “One Main Place” project was developed, but Vincent’s restaurant opened its second home on Mockingbird Lane in Dallas, across from the old Dr. Pepper Company.

Now Vincent’s Seafood is serving seafood lovers from their Plano location, and Vincent’s longevity speaks for itself. Return customers love Vincent’s menu of delicious seafood and steaks! Cuisine at Vincent’s Restaurant is a combination of American and Seafood, and based on customer reviews and fellow diners, Vincent’s is sure to stick around for a long time.

Vincent’s full lunch and dinner menu of fresh seafood and steaks could make Vincent’s restaurant a favorite place to go for seafood lovers, but we’ll have to go back again to try the steaks for the first time before I can review or recommend the steaks or Prime Rib at Vincent’s restaurant.

Vincent’s Restaurant – Menu

Vincent’s seafood restaurant offers a wide variety of choices, starting with the appetizers, which include: Stuffed Mushrooms ($7.00); Oysters Rockefeller ($7); Calamari ($6); Crab Cake ($7) or Crab Claws ($15); Stuffed Shrimp or Shrimp Cocktail ($7); Oysters on the Half Shell (half a dozen $6, or $10 for a dozen).

The soups and salads at Vincent’s are a little expensive in our opinion, but we both chose to order a small Greek salad for $5.00 each. The chicken entrees were also a bit pricey, and considering the fact that entrees do not come with even a small dinner salad like other local seafood restaurants, paying $15-17 for a chicken entrée plus the price of a salad simply costs too much. Entrees do come with one vegetable side dish, and diners are provided Vincent’s “cheese bread”, which are so hard and crusty you might be afraid of breaking a tooth.

Our calamari appetizer was very good and priced right, for the amount of calamari and sauce included. The fresh grilled salmon and rice entrée was tender, flaky and delicious. Grandpa, the family food critic expert, thoroughly enjoyed the grilled halibut dinner entrée and broccoli he ordered, although he felt the prices were too high. The “Vincent’s Specialties” menu items, like the Alaskan King Crab Legs and Australian Lobster Tails, were among the most expensive things on the menu, so we chose from the “cheaper” areas on the menu.

Angelo, owner of Vincent’s Restaurant, obviously takes great interest and pride in his seafood place, as he was regularly seen visually checking on his seated customers from afar. Vincent’s restaurant is a small place, with a “family owned” atmosphere, and is nicely decorated throughout for ambiance.

White linen tablecloths and linen napkins for a “casual” attire restaurant seemed a tad strange, especially since virtually every customer was wearing at least business casual, if not suits and ties or dresses. Jeans, T-shirts and tennis shoes are okay to wear at Vincent’s, but be prepared to feel under-dressed and out of place amongst a restaurant full of nicely dressed patrons.

Our Italian-looking waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu, always pleasant and courteous, while never hovering around our table too much. Overall, we like Vincent’s restaurant and will most likely return again, sometime. As nice a place Vincent’s Seafood Restaurant is, we were surprised the restaurant was not completely full of customers, even during the busiest time of day for restaurants – the dinner hour.

Vincent’s Restaurant

There were plenty of available tables waiting for customers to drop in, and we couldn’t help but wonder if part of the problem might be that Vincent’s restaurant hasn’t yet gotten involved with modern social media like Facebook and Twitter. Given the tremendous popularity of businesses creating Facebook Fan Pages and Business Twitter accounts to create buzz and attention, Vincent’s should give serious consideration to updating its website (www.vincentsseafoodplano.com) with a more appealing look, along with restaurant photos and menu/food pictures (currently on yelp.com), more detailed information about the restaurant.

Plus Vincent’s restaurant really needs to get involved with social media networks, build a fan base of Facebook fans and Twitter followers who have eaten at Vincent‘s and enjoy the food, who will then pass on to friends and family and online acquaintances information about Vincent‘s Seafood Restaurant. Plano residents, Dallas and/or Collin and Denton county area residents will be lined out the door waiting to get in to Vincent’s. Standing room only sounds just about right for this quaint little seafood restaurant called Vincent’s.

Vincent’s has a full bar and extensive wine list. Full menu, including their famous coleslaw, is available for Takeout to-go orders. Reservations are allowed but not required. All major credit cards are accepted. Gift certificates are also available. Vincent’s Seafood restaurant is open Monday – Thursday (11:00 am to 10:00 pm), Friday (11:00 am to 10:30 pm), Saturday (5:00 pm to 10:30 pm) and Sunday (11:00 am to 12:00 am). Vincent’s Restaurant’s address is 2432 Preston Road (at Park Blvd), Plano TX, 75093. 972-612-0969. Enjoy!

[img credit: yelp.com]

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Antivirus and Firewall software is must-have protection against computer viruses, Trojans, spyware and malware that can infect and harm your computer. Consumer Reports side-by-side reviews and tests on free and paid antivirus detection and removal software programs reveals which anti-virus and firewall protection programs meet the criteria as being the best Windows antivirus software in 2010.

Based on online reviews and personal experience, McAfee antivirus software is listed among the WORST virus protection programs, and McAfee’s software program is not recommended. Some online antivirus and firewall protection program comparisons, articles and reviews, are either outdated or give consumers a false sense of security about the differences between free and paid-for antivirus software.

Everyone needs antivirus and antispyware software to protect their computer, but not everyone wants to pay for them. Free internet security suite programs have their place in the market too, but virtually all reviews of antivirus software and spyware programs say the paid-for versions are the best. What is the best Windows antivirus software for consumers, to detect and remove known and unknown viruses, spyware and malware?

Consumer Reports Antivirus Software and Firewall Protection Programs

Consumer Reports magazine June 2010 issue rates the top free and paid antivirus and firewall protection programs so consumers can make the best decision for themselves. Compare antivirus software reviews, prices, features, benefits etc listed among the top rated internet security products this year according to Consumer Reports, to secure and protect your computer from advanced viruses and internet security threats.

Consumer Reports takes antivirus protection very seriously, and CR recommends running a firewall AND an anti-malware program on your computer. Recommendation is also made to “run an anti-spam program if the filter on your e-mail program from your service provider allows too many unwanted messages to get through.”

Top 4 FREE Anti-Malware Protection: CR’s overall recommendation for free anti-malware programs lists Avira (Antivir Personal 9) as one of the best free programs, listed as number 1. CR says the differences between Avira 9 and Avira Personal 10 appear to be minor and should not at all affect their recommendations. A downside to Avira, according to Consumer Reports, is protection against “net threats” only received a Fair rating and the program persists in trying to sell consumers its untested $27.00 pay version, with added features.

Microsoft Security Essentials is listed as number 2, and is less obtrusive. Even though Microsoft received a lower score overall, it worked a little better at identifying websites that host malware and offers email support, unlike Avira. CR mag says either program used with a firewall (like the one built into all Windows operating systems), and perhaps a browser security toolbar (especially with Avira), would provide “decent protection” at no cost.

AVG (Anti-Virus Free Edition 9.0) is placed at number 3, with a POOR rating for “net threats”. Alwil (Avast Home Edition 4.8) is number 4, receiving a Fair rating for ‘ease of use’ and a POOR rating for “net threats”.

Free Security Suites, protection against malware and includes a firewall: Comodo (Internet Security Free 2010) and Fortinet (FortiClient Endpoint Security Suite, Standard Edition 2010) are both listed as having received only FAIR rankings for performance and net threats. Neither of these free software programs were given any further mention or recommendation by CR.

The Best Antivirus Software Programs

Consumer Reports top 10 list of the best antivirus, pay security suites protection against computer viruses, malware, spam and includes a firewall.

1. Symantec Norton Internet Security 2010. Norton costs $70.00, with an annual renewal fee of $55.00. Norton rankings range from Excellent to Very Good, across the board. CR says Norton Internet Security is one of the best products tested for detecting Web sites that host malware, its speed in scanning a hard drive for threats, and also directs users to help. You must download separate software to activate its parental control child and privacy filters. See www.symantec.com to buy and download Norton.

2. BitDefender Internet Security 2010 costs $50.00, with an annual renewal fee of 50.00. BitDefender is a little cheaper than Norton, with ratings ranging from Very Good to Excellent, but only received a Fair rating for Net Threats. BitDefender costs less and can work with non-Microsoft e-mail programs such as Thunderbird. Both of these internet security programs offer the best combination of performance and value, says CR, and both are recommended. See www.bitdefender.com to buy and download.

3. Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 costs $80.00, with an annual renewal price of $80.00. Ratings for Kaspersky range between Excellent to Very Good, but is more expensive than its top two competitors. See www.kaspersky.com for further information.

4. G Data Internet Security 2010 costs $40.00 to buy and for its annual renewal. Rankings are from Good to Very Good, but is given only a Fair rating for net threats. See www.gdata-software.com for more information.

5. ESET Smart Security 4 will set you back $90.00, with an annual renewal of $62.00. Ratings for ESET range from Good to Very Good (Excellent for Anti-Spam), but received a POOR rating for net threats. Visit www.eset.com for more information.

6. F-Secure Internet Security 2010 costs $50.00, with an annual renewal of $46.00. F-Secure received only FAIR ratings for resources, scan speed and net threats. F-Secure doesn’t appear to be very secure at all. It also only received a “good” rating for overall performance and its firewall protection. Visit www.f-secure.com for more info, if you dare.

7. AVG Internet Security 9.0 costs $75.00, with an annual renewal fee of $56.00. AVG received a rating of Very Good for ‘ease of use’, Excellent for its Anti-Spam protection, but all other categories under review and tests were only given a ratings placement of “Good”. Visit www.avg.com if you wish.

8. McAfee Internet Security 2010 costs $50.00 to buy and for its annual renewal. McAfee reviews (including my personal experience) tend to agree that McAfee SUCKS! Consumer Reports review of McAfee only gives a FAIR rating for its Net Threats and Firewall protection, so buyer beware! Consumers are much better off paying a little more money for antivirus software and firewall protection etc than wasting their money on crap like McAfee. Don’t visit www.mcafee.com/us for anything.

9. Trend Micro Internet Security 2010 costs $50.00, and then $40.00 for its annual renewal. Trend Micro’s anti-spam performance received a POOR rating by Consumer Reports, and only a FAIR rating for its Firewall protection. Other ratings for Trend Micro range between Good to Very Good for ‘ease of use’ and ‘scan speed’, plus a surprising Excellent rating for its net threats/anti-malware protection. www.trendmicro.com

10. Check Point ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2010 will set you back $80.00, with an annual renewal fee of $60.00. ZoneAlarm’s internet security program isn’t very impressive at all, receiving only a FAIR rating for its so-called anti-malware and anti net threats program. Scan speed received a Very Good, while all other test results show a mere Good rating. Is “good” good enough for you? Visit www.zonealarm.com if you dare.

Interestingly enough, the bottom two (#11 and #12) on Consumer Reports list are Panda Internet Security 2010 and Norman Security Suite 2010. That should tell consumers enough. Panda costs a whopping 80 bucks to buy and to renew annually. Panda’s low FAIR rating for anti-malware protection and FAIR rank for net threats speaks for itself. Norman Security costs $60.00, with an annual renewal fee of $50.00, but also received only FAIR ratings for anti-malware and internet security threats.

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McAfee virus and firewall protection keeps switching itself off without warning, turning off all protection against trojans, hackers, viruses, computer worms etc, which does not make McAfee customers like me very happy. Popup computer messages saying the McAfee Real Time Scanner is turned off, then suggesting to click “Fix” to get McAfee to turn back on, only leads to McAfee’s so-called enabled virus and firewall protection to turn itself back off once again.

Getting the balloon computer message that says “your computer is not fully protected” is not a message computer users want to see. It means your computer is not protected against dangerous activity like viruses, and anyone who uses the McAfee SystemGuard protection and are getting such a message should not ignore it.

Is a virus turning off McAfee?, and if a virus turns McAfee off, why isn’t McAfee’s virus protection doing what it’s supposed to do and provide…PROTECTION? Because, frankly, McAfee sucks. Anyone who runs any version of Microsoft Windows Operating System and uses McAfee’s so-called antivirus software is likely in for a very rude awakening, and should immediately begin searching for information on the best Windows antivirus software products available to protect their computer from harm.

Virus turns off McAfee?

Running McAfee scans for malware, spyware, viruses etc did not solve the problem and McAfee virus scans found no virus or adware etc on my computer, but knowing that the virus protection and firewall software by McAfee was not protecting my computer and was actually turning itself off was extremely frustrating.

Doing an online search (while McAfee was still turned on) for information about why McAfee’s virus protection program was continuously turning off brought me to McAfee’s communities support message board (and other computer tech sites talking about how McAfee sucks).

McAfee’s total virus and firewall protection program has apparently been having problems for a long time, as anyone doing a quick search for “McAfee keeps turning off” will find discussions going back as far as 2005 (possibly further back), and this year 2010. Why McAfee is turning itself off for no reason is what users are asking the tech support team but aren’t getting the answers hoped for, with customer replies saying their problem continues. Typical responses like “McAfee is aware of the problem” and is working to fix the issues as soon as possible is not good enough. Not even close.

Suggestions on how to fix McAfee’s problem of turning off include uninstalling McAfee and then reinstall the program, being sure to run program updates. Others recommended running System Restore but users were getting a message saying System Restore will not allow prior dates; downloading and running a completely different anti-virus plus anti-spyware program, and others said to make sure McAfee protection and updates are set to “Automatic”.

I typically run more than one anti-spyware and/or anti-virus program at the same time, in order to ensure my computer is safe and secure from any and all intrusion attempts, and have never experienced compatibility problems. I take internet security very seriously, and considering the fact that I regularly maintain a few online websites/blogs, having the best and highly ranked computer protection software available is extremely important to me.

McAfee’s virus protection didn’t appear on any recommended review lists of virus protection programs, but several other software programs received high ratings, including Norton 360. I don’t remember anymore why I switched from Norton to McAfee in the first place, perhaps because Grandpa used it, but it was bad move for sure.

The type of computer operating system being used by people using McAfee, with its problem of turning itself off, included Windows 7 or Windows XP, and the computers are said to be only a couple years old. To fix the real time McAfee VirusScan turning off and System Restore “will not allow prior dates” problems, one commenter said malicious programs have infiltrated and infected the computer operating system being used. Recommendation was made to uninstall McAfee altogether, kick it to the curb so to speak, and download one of the top rated anti-virus and anti-spyware programs available now and run a full, complete system scan.

Finding comments saying McAfee is NOT a recommended antivirus program to catch and remove dangerous infections pretty much synched it for me to uninstall McAfee completely from my computer, install Norton 360 and SpySweeper and run complete scans. Before deciding on Norton, I read reviews on what anti-virus programs are considered to be the best rated, and interestingly enough, McAfee was not even listed on any of the reviews I found.

Just as I expected, Norton’s antivirus program quickly found not one virus, but three viruses on my pc, something that McAfee’s program was supposed to do all along. I’ll say it again: McAfee SUCKS! Consumer Reports gives McAfee Internet Security 2010 black marks (only Fair ratings) for “net threats” and firewall performance. One very cool thing about purchasing and downloading Norton 360 is the program protects and operates on three different computers, so Norton is now running on my pc, my laptop, and on Grandpa’s computer too.

McAfee real time virus protection users, who find the software keeps turning itself off and are unsure how to fix the problem, should download and install a different virus protection program and run a full, complete scan. Most likely there will be at least one or more viruses or worms etc on your computer that McAfee’s program didn’t catch. Online complaints about McAfee say that McAfee’s virus protection software is one of the WORST anti-virus programs available, and my personal experience tells me that is true.

Buy or download an online virus protection program that actually performs like it should, and be sure to prevent McAfee’s automatic renewal from charging your credit card or bank account for another year subscription. Consumer Reports lists the best anti-virus programs for 2010, with raving security suite reviews for Symantec Norton Internet Security, but it’s not free.

The two best free anti-malware programs, according to Consumer Reports, are listed as Avira and Microsoft Security Essentials, but seeing black marks (fair rating) in the “net threats” category for Avira doesn’t make that program very appealing. The second best recommendation by CR for paid security suites is BitDefender Internet Security 2010, but it also has a black mark (fair) in “net threats”, whereas Norton get very high ratings (Very Good to Excellent) across the board. Goodbye McAfee, you suck.

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Making a homemade chicken pot pie is quick and easy, if not downright simple. Chicken and turkey pot pie recipes are so easy that even a beginner cook can easily make any kind of pot pie and quickly realize it’s not impossible at all.

The Bisquick chicken pot pie is quick and easy too, but Pillsbury and Betty Crocker also have their own recipe for chicken pot pie, and both recipes are easy, yummy and super fast. Marie Callender’s chicken pot pie tastes a lot better than the Banquet chicken pot pies in the grocery store, but beef or turkey pot pies are nowhere as good as the chicken.

Banquet recalled all of their frozen turkey pot pies and chicken pot pies a couple of years ago, after a salmonella outbreak caused 100 people to get sick, so Grandma’s Kitchen hasn’t had Banquet brand pot pies for awhile now. After reading the Marie Callender and Banquet chicken pot pie nutritional chart and seeing the astounding amount of sodium, fat and other unhealthy facts in both, the decision to make our own turkey or chicken pot pies was easy.

Some might say that this homemade chicken pot pie recipe isn’t really homemade because it calls for a ready-made pie crust vs. a pie crust make from scratch with dough, but to each his own on that regard. Quick and easy is best for our schedule, so a ready-to-bake crust fits perfectly with our busy schedule, but if you have the time and desire to make your own pie crust, by all means go for it. Just follow these easy instructions and you’ll be enjoying homemade chicken pot pie in no time flat.

Easy Yummy Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, boiled

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup

• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of potato soup

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

• Line a 9 inch pie dish with pastry.

• Blanch frozen mixed vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.

• Dice chicken and place in a large bowl. Add vegetables, thyme, celery soup and potato soup. Stir together.

• Pour filling into pastry lined pie dish. Arrange top layer of pie crust, seal and flute the edges. Cut slits in the top of the crust to allow for steam to escape.

• Place pie on cookie sheet. Put aluminum foil around the pie crust edges to help prevent burning.

Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes and then serve. Quick, easy, homemade chicken pot pie that is yummy too!

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Since I’m turning 50, for my 50th Birthday cake I decided to have homemade Strawberry Shortcake, made from the recipe off of the Jiffy Mix biscuit box instead of having a more traditional birthday cake. We’ll still have a traditional, homemade birthday cake for my birthday party too, for putting all the candles on, but I‘m more interested in the strawberry shortcake myself.

In many families, every year for someone’s birthday, whoever’s birthday it is gets to choose the kind of cake they want to celebrate the occasion and I am no exception. This weekend, we are celebrating my birthday with what is often referred to as old-fashioned strawberry shortcake, an American classic dessert loved and adored by young and old. While strawberry shortcake is typically considered a summer dessert, we enjoy this moist and delicious strawberry dessert all year round.

Using the Jiffy Mix shortcake biscuits recipe makes for an easy, inexpensive, delicious, homemade strawberry treat. Some stores don’t carry Jiffy Mix for some unknown reason, and people sometimes choose to substitute Bisquick for the Jiffy Mix biscuit recipe, but the taste and texture is not the same. We actually had to search online to find what stores carry Jiffy Mix all purpose baking mix in the blue box by going to the Jiffy Mix website at www.jiffymix.com for store locations near us, since the three or four most well-known grocery stores nearby don‘t carry the product.

While mixed berry or raspberry shortcake are a popular recipe for some, strawberry shortcake is by far my favorite thing dessert-wise, and brings back wonderful childhood memories of when mom made it and topped it off with homemade whipped topping or Cool Whip. After so many years of enjoying the Jiffy mix version of strawberry shortcake and its sugary sweet biscuits, the store-bought, ready-made sponge cakes or pound cake slices just don’t do justice for my favorite strawberry dessert.

How to Make Jiffy Mix Strawberry Shortcake

Deciding on how many fresh strawberries to use for the shortcake recipe depends on each individual’s likes and preferences. For my 50th birthday party, we bought two 32 oz containers (two pounds) of strawberries, and an additional one pound container for a total of three pounds of fresh strawberries. That’s a lot of strawberry shortcake, for something tells me there won’t be any left over, not after the guests taste the delicious Jiffy Mix shortcakes that go with the strawberries and whipped topping.

Wash the strawberries, remove the stem, and cut the strawberries into slices into a bowl until you have as many strawberry slices as you want for the recipe. Sprinkle sugar on top of the strawberries and gently mix with a large spoon until well coated. Put the strawberry mix in a covered, airtight container, or wrap the bowl of strawberries with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and leave in the refrigerator a few hours or overnight (if possible). This allows the strawberries and sugar to mix thoroughly, creating delicious strawberry juices that soak into the warm biscuits when ready.

Jiffy Mix Shortcake Recipe for Strawberry Shortcake

The list of ingredients and directions on the Jiffy Mix box on how to make Jiffy Mix shortcakes makes this recipe incredibly easy. The basic shortcake recipe says it makes 6 shortcakes per these instructions, so we will definitely be tripling or quadrupling the recipe, if not more so. Even doubling the recipe wouldn’t make enough shortcakes for this birthday party group of family and friends.

2 cups JIFFY Baking Mix
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. shortening, melted
½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine ingredients to soft dough. Turn onto surface dusted with Jiffy baking mix and knead 20 times. Pat or roll dough ½ inch thick. Cut with 3 inch floured round cutter to make three-inch, circle-shaped biscuits. Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 8-10 minutes.

Split warm shortcakes in half (if desired), and place into serving bowls or cereal bowls. Spoon sugary strawberry mix with juice on top of warm, just out of the oven, baked shortcakes. Top with homemade whipped topping or Cool Whip, if desired. I have made homemade whipped topping many times before, but for my birthday party this year, I prefer to just use Cool Whip to make things easier on myself.

Homemade Whipped Topping

If you prefer to make your own whipped topping, here is a good homemade sweetened whipped topping recipe I’ve had for years.

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Using an ice cold whisk in an ice cold bowl (for best results), whip cream until almost stiff. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until cream holds peaks. Spread or dollop whipped cream/whipped topping on top of strawberry shortcake, cooled pies, bread pudding, pound cake, gingerbread, peach cobbler, or other favorite desserts. Enjoy!

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