Grandma Stories» Reviews

Kids Luggage Suitcase Sets – Melissa and Doug Trunki – Disney Suitcases For Kids and Babies

Grandma — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 22:45:48 +0000

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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Handmade Christmas Decorations – Indoor Christmas Decorations to Make

Grandma — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 19:21:01 +0000

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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Vincent’s Restaurant in Plano TX – Vincent’s Seafood Restaurant – Review

Grandma — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 01:53:48 +0000

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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Windows Antivirus Software – Consumer Reports Best Antivirus Firewall Protection Programs

Grandma — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:34:32 +0000

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 Keeps Turning Itself Off – McAfee Virus Firewall Protection Turns ME Off

Grandma — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 05:43:53 +0000

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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Easy Homemade Chicken Pot Pie – Easy Yummy Quick Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Grandma — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:00:04 +0000

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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Jiffy Mix Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits Recipe for 50th Birthday Cake

Grandma — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 22:53:54 +0000

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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Napa Valley Spinach Salad with Pinot Noir Vinaigrette and Goat Cheese

Grandma — Sun, 16 May 2010 15:23:25 +0000

If you have never tried any of the variations of Napa Valley Spinach Salad, you are really missing out on a delicious salad option. We eat a lot of salad, with a meal or as the main dinner meal all by itself. Typical “dinner salad” that consists of the basics many people include in their salads can get boring real fast, so we always try to come up with healthy recipes that offer different ideas of fruits and/or vegetables to add to our salads for variety and taste.

I recently enjoyed a version of the Napa Valley Spinach Salad with chicken at one of my favorite lunch spots, and couldn’t wait to make the salad at home for my family and visiting friends. To say that the Spinach Salad was a hit for everyone would be an understatement. There are many different ways of making the Napa Valley Spinach Salad, but the differences only amount to what fruits and/or vegetables you like or don’t like, as most of the ingredients are optional according to your tastes and likes.

I use Feta cheese as a topping on some of my own salads, while others may like goat cheese in one of its variations. The goat cheese or feta cheese topping is of course optional as well, so it doesn’t “ruin” the salad if you choose not to use either of the cheeses. Making the Napa Valley Spinach Salad is fast and easy, and most of the ingredients are those we usually buy at the grocery store anyway and almost always have on hand.

Grandpa sometimes makes a fresh spinach salad with just spinach, strawberry slices and balsamic dressing lightly tossed, and it’s been a family favorite ever since. The Napa Valley Spinach salad has a lot more ingredients added to the fresh spinach, and now our salads are as if we’re enjoying our own salad bar at home.

Napa Valley Spinach Salad with Pinot Noir Shallot Vinaigrette Dressing

Even though the spinach salad I enjoyed so much at my favorite lunch restaurant included finely diced shallots, I opted not to use shallots when I made this recipe at home. Given the fact that most salads make very healthy meals, I wasn’t the least bit concerned about the specific “nutritional value” amounts, and just added each vegetable or fruit ingredient to taste rather than following some rule about “a cup of this, or cup of that”.

To make the Napa Valley Spinach Salad with vinaigrette dressing, purchase the following ingredients (those you like) and toss them all together in a large bowl. For the vinaigrette dressing, I bought the Red Wine and Vinegar dressing by Marie, which I found in the refrigerated produce section of the grocery store. There are recipes online on how to make Pinot Noir Vinaigrette dressing, with or without shallots, but I was thrilled to find what I believe to be the perfect dressing for this salad to buy rather than making it myself.

Fresh spinach (I purchased two 9 oz. bags of fresh spinach) and the salad was enough for four people, as the main meal.
Grilled chicken – thin slices or chunks
Crisp bacon – “Real Bacon” bits in a jar is fine too
Fresh mushrooms – thinly sliced
Fresh strawberries – sliced or chopped
Sun-dried cranberries (or sun-dried raisins)
Julienne red onions
Granny Smith apples – thinly sliced or chopped
Candied pecans – (I used cinnamon pecans found in small bags in the produce section)
Fresh tomato – wedges, slices or chopped
Goat cheese – lightly crumbled as a topping, or Feta cheese
Pinot Noir Vinaigrette dressing – or Red Wine Vinegar dressing (Marie’s version is great for this salad!)

The restaurant where I often go for lunch had the thinly sliced granny smith apples and sliced tomato around the edges of the plate, to add color and visual appeal, rather than everything within the salad itself. Keep in mind that these ingredients are optional, so if there are ingredients listed that you don’t particularly like, leave it out of the salad. If there are other “salad bar” type ingredients you or your family like, such as chick peas, go ahead and add them to your Napa Valley Spinach salad.

Eating salads is of course a healthy meal option, whether the salad is the main meal or as a side dish, but having a variety of healthy salad options to change things up at the dinner table sure helps in keeping salad from becoming boring and dull. No one wants to feel as though they “have” to eat salads that are boring and monotonous week after week, so finding a variety of healthy salad recipes that are fun and enjoyable for the whole family has been a priority that tastes great.

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Key Lime Bundt Cake – Oprah’s Favorite Things Recipe

Grandma — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 17:12:21 +0000

Oprah’s 2004 favorite Gourmet Florida Key Lime Bundt Cake recipe is incredibly delicious and has become a family favorite in Grandma’s kitchen. The Oprah Winfrey Show had an annual segment called Oprah’s Favorite Things, or “The O List”, as it is sometimes referred.

Typically aired during the Thanksgiving holiday season, Oprah shared with her audience a list of things she believes are great gift ideas and products, and audience members participating in the taping of the segment receive free gifts to take home from her favorite things on that year’s list.

If you like key lime pie, you will love this key lime pound cake with the cream cheese glaze. Just be sure to use Nellie & Joe’s Key Lime Juice to make this tangy, lime, gourmet cake in a bundt pan.

O, The Oprah Magazine includes a similar feature that some refer to as Oprah’s Favorite Things, but the term for that feature in the magazine is actually called “The O List”. Oprah’s magazine is one my favorite things to browse through, check out the recipes and decorating ideas, as well as the stories.

It’s no wonder why Oprah’s favorite things was the most watched episode in the history of the show, that is, until Oprah canceled her popular favorite things show in 2009.

Gourmet Florida Key Lime Bundt Cake

Key Lime Bundt cake directions and ingredients:

*Nellie & Joe’s Famous Key Lime Juice

Cake:
2 Cups extra fine sugar (C&H Baking Sugar)
Zest of three key limes, (2 if using limes) finely minced
1 Cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 eggs
2 yolks
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons key lime juice
1/2 Teaspoon lime oil or lemon extract
1-1/3 Cups heavy cream
3-3/4 Cups all purpose flour
4 Teaspoons baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
1/4 Teaspoon salt

Key Lime Syrup:
3/4 Cup water
1/2 Cup key lime juice
1-1/2 Cups sugar
1/2 Teaspoon lime oil or lemon extract

Cream Cheese Glaze:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon key lime juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon each, lemon and lime zest, finely minced
1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix together sugar and zest for 2 minutes to help release the oils. Add butter to the sugar and zest and cream mixture. Blend in eggs, yolks, and extracts on low to blend, scraping bowl. Add in remaining ingredients and blend into a smooth batter.

Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 1 hour or until cake tests done. Cake will be lightly golden brown and firm to the touch when you press your fingers on it.

While cake is baking, make Key Lime Syrup:
In a small sauce pan, bring all syrup ingredients to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.

When cake is done, remove from oven and pour all but approximately 1/3 cup of the syrup over cake while still in the Bundt pan. Pour so syrup goes down sides and around the center tube. Set reserved 1/3 cup syrup, set aside. Let cake cool for 15 minutes and invert onto serving dish. With pastry brush, coat the top of the cake where glaze didn’t reach, with the remaining syrup.

Let cake cool completely and glaze with Cream Cheese Glaze.

Cream Cheese Glaze directions:

Soften cream cheese and cream with butter. Stir in lime juice, vanilla, and lime zest. Fold in confectioner’s sugar to make a soft, drippy glaze. If glaze is not the right consistency to drizzle, thin by adding 1 teaspoon at a time of hot water and stirring to mix well until glaze reaches the desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake. Allow to set. Yield Serves 12-16. Enjoy!

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Sony Trinitron Troubleshooting TV Repair – Sony TV Sound, No Picture

Grandma — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:31:00 +0000

A little over a week ago, our Sony Trinitron TV shutdown, with no picture but the sound was ok. We’ve been pretty happy with Sony TV’s, although we have other brands of TV’s too. The Sony Trinitron, model number KV-32S15, was working fine until suddenly the picture went completely black, but we could hear sound as normal coming through the speakers.

We thought it was kind of strange that we never noticed any signs that the TV was about to shutdown like that. No error messages, no flashing or blinking lights that are meant to indicate something is wrong with the TV. We’ve had this 32-inch Sony TV (not a flat screen) for so many years that we have no idea where the manual disappeared to, so we could at least attempt to find the troubleshooting codes to help find out what was wrong.

Then again, the codes wouldn’t help us fix the problem if we can’t get the picture screen to show anything.

Troubleshooting Sony Trinitron TV’s

The only thing we noticed was how the TV seemed to take longer to warm up than in the past. As soon as we turned on the TV, we could hear audio sound for about two minutes before we could any picture image on the screen. Grandpa said he figured it was because the TV was pretty old and we might have to start shopping for a new replacement television and just get rid of the Sony.

I started asking around about flat screen TV’s, plasma TV’s and the different kinds of televisions that have come out in recent years, to get an idea what brands of televisions are considered to be the best and how much they cost. The new 3D technology TV’s look really cool and people who have seen Avatar swear by 3D technology, but we haven’t seen that movie yet and may not.

Since we’ve stayed focused on getting out of debt once and for all, the thought of spending a lot of money on a new TV didn’t sound very appealing. We really don’t watch that much television, so the idea of spending several hundred dollars or more to buy a new TV just didn’t make much sense. At least not right now.

We did some online research for troubleshooting a Sony Trinitron TV with sound but no picture, and was surprised to find so many people with the same or similar problems with their Sony television. Some couldn’t get their TV to turn on at all, while others were desperate to find where to find a replacement manual, and still others trying to figure out the meaning of the flashing or blinking LED lights on their Sony TV.

We decided it was worth it to us to take the Sony to a local TV repair shop to find out what was wrong, and if the Sony could be fixed for a reasonable price, or if it was better to replace the TV altogether. For just $27.00 the repair shop diagnosed the problems and found the problem with our Sony Trinitron was the high voltage transformer needed to be replaced. For a total cost of $165.00, including the cost of the diagnosis, our Sony TV was fixed for a very cheap price and we won’t need to buy a new television after all.

The discount sales on new TV’s, especially the large 50-inch flat screen TV’s, are pretty enticing. Maybe we’ll reward ourselves with a fancy new 42-inch Sanyo LCD TV once we’ve paid everything off, but for now we’re content with our 32-inch Sony Trinitron.

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