Online Shopping in General, InstaCart Specifically

Last year I did a post about online shopping. I also wrote another post that I thought I had published but... it was still there as a draft post when I was checking just now. Of course, the non-published post is the one that was most important. It was all about the perks and erks of the process. Oh well, I will recap the points I wanted to make in that post, then I will get on to reviewing the InstaCart experience.

my referral link

*use code* TCONWAY13A115

To recap the post that wasn't, I talked about the pros and cons of online shopping. Here are the highlights (and keep in mind that I am speaking from the viewpoint of someone who no longer drives.)

• PROS - convenient during inclement weather; for people without transportation; for budgeting (no loitering and impulse shopping); and can be scheduled.
• CONS - lost shipments are a hassle; broken items have to be returned; product descriptions might be deceptive, and there is a wait for delivery.

Overall, though, I prefer online shopping because it helps keep me on budget and - no car. Even though I have family that will jump through hoops to get me anywhere I might want to go, I hate having them out on winter roads any more than necessary. Keep in mind that I live in a tiny town in Iowa. Two things about that: winter and not a lot of nearby stores. The nearest Walmart is less than 10 miles away but it can be a rough 10 miles, depending on road conditions (and out-of-state idiot drivers using the highway). Also, if I am sick, there is no getting me onto a highway even for a short drive.

my referral link

*use code* TCONWAY13A115

So, yes, I am grateful for online shopping. For a long time, I was only using Amazon, Walmart, and ever now and again, Target I was even getting my contacts and some clothing via Costco until that membership fee became a problem. Even my prescriptions are delivered. Pretty sweet, right? And for the most part, I was set for most of the goods I needed. The one thing missing was perishables - meats and dairy. Then I discovered that Hyvee - via Aisles Online - delivers for a minimal fee for orders under $100 (and free for $100+ orders). Perfect except Hyvee can be a little pricey at times.

tracking it

Very recently, I noticed that if I used InstaCart I could order from Aldi. This was otherwise not an option because the store is not listed on the Aisles Online list. InstaCart, however, does list Hyvee (and oddly enough, Petco). I decided to give it a try since there were things I needed from both Hyvee and Aldi.

Since I absolutely want to get the best value, I was comparing prices from both Hyvee and Aldi for each item on my list. Aldi is basically cheaper for most things, especially produce. Then I ran into a problem trying to search for an item that I have ordered from Hyvee recently. It wasn't showing up when I searched via InstaCart.

my referral link

*use code* TCONWAY13A115

Just to make sure that I wasn't having a brain issue, I opened up Aisles Online in another tab and searched the item. It was there, like always. Hmm... I did searches for a couple more random things. Not everything that comes up in the Aisles came up in the Insta.

What I ended up doing was creating 2 carts - one for Hyvee via Aisles online and the other for Aldi in InstaCart. I don't have the time or the energy for frustrating myself.

About Delivery Fees & Other Charges

InstaCart has a cheaper delivery fee ($3.99) than Aisles Online ($4.95).

With InstaCart, customers can sign up for InstaCart Express for $99/yr and get all deliveries free, no matter how large or small the order. There is also a promotion where if you order $35 or more from certain retailers, your delivery could be free. That might be a great deal for me if there were more stores in the network in my zip code. I just don't see the value in the Express service when my choices are Aldi's, Hyvee, and Petco.

my referral link

*use code* TCONWAY13A115

My InstaCart basically included the following charges:

• Checkout Bag Tax or Fee $0.42 (but those Aldi bags are awesome)
• Delivery Fee $3.99
• Tip $1.00 (you can choose the tip amount)
• Service $2.75 (I guess this is for the shopper putting the order together)

I can't be mad a that "bag tax". Those Aldi bags are awesome and I will be re-using them for sure.

There were options for the Tip. You could select from set percentages or type in an amount. I felt that with all the other fees, a minimal tip was appropriate. However, because of the quality of service, I will tip more in the future. After all, I didn't have to get out and warm up a car, drive into town, shlep through the aisles, cart up and unload bags... Yeah. God bless that Tammi who did that shopping for me! I think she is covered by the service fee and the tip must be for the driver.

my referral link

*use code* TCONWAY13A115

Ordering from Hyvee is much more straightforward but kind of set. If you need to make changes to your order once it's been placed, you have to call the store. The fees are also right up front. You order and as soon as you pay, that amount is what is charged to your card. If something is not in stock, your card is refunded quickly. The service is also a bit more local-friendly. By that I mean your shopper sends handwritten cards and information. When I first moved used Hyvee I wanted to take advantage of the store's fuel/club card. My family could use the fuel points and I could use the coupons. Of course, I wasn't able to get to the store to pick up a card and my family was out of town. I simply mentioned this in the comment section of my next order. The shopper sent the fuel card inside a card with a kind note to always let her know if I needed anything else.

If you order $100 or more from Hyvee via Aisles Online, you get free delivery. Again, this would be great if I ever ordered that much. As it is, I don't think the delivery fee is too much. It's a bargain when you consider all the trouble I'd go through getting out in the weather and on the roads. Never mind on the days when I am sick.

my referral link

*use code* TCONWAY13A115

Now, just because I don't want to leave anything out, but I am really tired today, I am just going to list some little tidbits in no particular order.

• InstaCart has a sweepstake every month. Entry is by taking a survey that is mailed after your shopping experience. I entered to win the $200 Visa Gift Card for this month. Fingers crossed!
• InstaCart fine print mentioned that on my $63 purchase, my card would be authorized for $75 for up to 7 business days. However, when I checked, my card was only processed for the amount I spent. 
• Depending on where you live, you will have more or less choice in stores to shop your InstaCart. I do advise that you double check the available items. Remember, my Aisle Online items that were not available via InstaCart. I didn't see any price differenced though when there were items available in both apps.
• Don't limit yourself to InstaCart and Aisles Online. Keep in mind your location. I found both my delivery services by Googling for the ones available to my zip code (and I live in a tiny town 2 hours away from a major city). 

That's it and I hope that this helped someone. I personally don't know what I would do without these services.

By the way, I tried to do the "share" thing via social media to win referral money but the InstaCart page just kept glitching on me. If you do decide to use it, consider using the referral codes I'm posting all over this particular post. Please and thank you.

Peace
--Free

A Word in this New Year

I had invitations from at least 3 of my neighbors and (of course) my family to "do" New Year's with them. I turned down all invites to spend time cleaning my place and taking care of some minor writing/reviewing obligations. I'm sure no one "gets" why I ignore these special dates. I will try to explain my reasons.

1. New Year's, Valentine's, Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc - they are all seen as holidays by most social groups. I think they should be special and I think they should be observed. I just don't like how we tend to observe the dates. For some reason, we feel we ought to get together and be noisy and eat lots of food and go into excess in spending and gift-giving. The more emotionally mature and introspective I become, the more I see these dates as opportunities to get still and quiet and meditative.
2. I don't want some things limited to certain dates or times of the year. I think that we ought to spend more than one day a year focusing on being thankful; giving special attention to our significant others; getting together as friends and families for meals; taking time to send someone a note or card telling them we love them; re-evaluating and re-setting goals and resolutions and other ways we plan to improve our lives; and going to church or wherever it is that we worship.
3. Instead of buying candy and flowers for our spouses and significant others, maybe we should set some sort of financial goal with them and work together to achieve it. For Christmas, we could focus more on coming together as family and friends to do something for someone - another family or a friend or a stranger in need. I vote to stop buying and giving gifts on a schedule and start being more spontaneous and "real" with our tokens of affection and appreciation. Instead of herding into the grocery stores to make that huge meal a couple times a year, maybe we can buy ourselves some new pots and pans to make meals all year long.
4. I'm even over birthdays. Why treat someone special on that one day of the year and treat them as mediocre or non-existent the rest of the time? 
5. I'm afraid that holidays have become about gratifying inward instead of giving outward. When you celebrate these special times, is about how you made yourself feel rather than how much better you made someone else feel?

I could go on and on (some of you know I can!), but I think you get it. Let's just stop with all the organized, pre-planned, scheduled, rat-on-a-wheel behavior of doing for the sake of doing. Let's maybe start doing things with a real purpose and giving with real love and affection.

If anyone wants to do something for me, I'd love to get a phone call out of the blue or check my mail and find a letter or card. I'd give up every Christmas and birthday gift just to have more genuine, spontaneous love and attention from the people in my life.

Now that I've finished griping outward, I'm going to work on taking my own advice. From here forward, I want to do what the kids like to say and "keep it real".

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Lumify Eye (Whitening) Drops

Okay. I just had to come and do a quick post about this stuff here.

I can't remember offhand whether I got my sample of this in the Walmart box or the Target box. I can tell you this though: the sample of Lumify more than paid for the cost of the box. The photo you see above is the sample that came in the box. It's a .08oz (2.5ml) bottle that I'm sure isn't completely full. I expected sample sizes to be small but I remember thinking that this the bottle was a super-mini mini.

Thing is, the stuff works. I mean, it really works. I used to have the brightest, whitest eyes ever. This is back when I also used to be about 25 years old and could see without squinting. Things change, don't they? Now, I wear corrective lenses and still sometimes want to squint but don't because, you know, wrinkles. Also, for some reason, ever since I contracted sarc, I've had to use eyedrops to soothe my dry eyes and to brighten the whites.

At first, I thought this Lumify was going to be another higher priced version of my no-name brand "artificial tears" or Visine. Uh, no, ma'am. This stuff is like Visine on steroids and crack.

About 10 seconds after I applied a drop to each eye and blinked a couple of times, my eyes went from a dingy beige color to clean-snow-white. My brighter eyes took a few years off my face. The difference the Lumify made as almost magical.

Of course, when you find something that works so well, you want to know where you can get more and how much it's going to cost you. Then you want to know why it works so much better than whatever else you've been using. So... let's look at availability and price first.

Where you can get it and for how much:

• Target                       $11.99
• Walmart                    $11.97
• Rite Aid                    $14.99
• Walgreens                 $14.99
• Amazon                    $11.97

(those are just from a quick search done for within the last month as of today)

Now, let's just take another look at that bottle:

For what it costs, I'm sure it's also being sold somewhere on the dark web or some other nefarious place.

As for why it works so well, apparently, that has to do with an ingredient called brimonidine. Lumify is the only (or at least first) to use that ingredient for am OTC product.

Lumify works but that price will get in the way of my using it. Also, I need to check with my doctors about the brimonidine in it.

Peace
--Free

**RECIPE** Hokkaido Milk Bread (updated with photos)

**I thought I should update and add some photos of actual finished product. Since I have not made the bread yet, I am going to post photos of (and links to) those done by other folks. Please see the very bottom of this post for those photos.**

I am determined to make this bread but all the different recipes and instructions I've found so far and mega confusing. I love watching this video ...

...and am grateful for helpful comments with conversions, but... My brain still hurts from trying to sort it all out.

If anyone has a simpler set of instructions for dim-witted me, please let me know!

As someone commented on YouTube, that is some of the sexiest bread ever.

Here are some more pinups of this yumzy looking bread:

Check it out on Bake for Happy Kids

Source Taste of Asian Food (site not secure)

From Yi Reservation (site not secure)

Peace
--Fre

**REVIEW** Denman Brush

Well.

I have been hearing about the Denman brushes for years but I never tried using one. Until now.

 That is the Denman 5-Row Classic Pocket Styling Brush.


From what I can tell, most people either love, love, love, these brushes or they hate them. Out of all the reviews and articles I read, only a small percentage of people were neutral. On a scale of 1 to 10 - with 10 being the most positive - I land at 8.5.

When I read Amazon reviews, one of the things I picked up on is that some people wondered if they had gotten a faux Denman. I think I got the real deal.

Another criticism I saw was that this brush was too small, but the description does indicate that it is a "pocket" size. Personally, I like the smaller size because I had more control, especially when doing coils.

So, here goes my review:

I wanted this brush for 2 reasons. First, I wanted to use it to do coils (there are lots of vids and other Instructables for this). Second, I wanted it to better distribute products through my hair. Since I had read from some users that the brush had damaged their hair, I wondered if there was a correct way to use it to avoid damage. There is and it's very simple: your hair has to be wet - very wet - and you must work in small sections. Otherwise, yes, there will be LOTS of ripping and tearing of hair.

Since I wanted to do coils and need product for that, I was able to fill 2 birds. The brush worked amazing for creating coils - or at least it did in spots where my hair was "natural". I have a couple of patches of hair at the front of my head that, for some odd reason, lack any curl or kink. When I put product in those spots, the hair just flattens out into a stringy mess. With the brush, my coils were more even than when done with my fingers.

The best thing was the way this brush smoothed product onto every strand of my hair. Even if I don't coil my hair, the brush totally works my creams and softeners into my hair.

I have not yet figured out how (or why) to take some of the rows out of the brush. For now, I love using it as is.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Flour Sack Towels (for the kitchen)

For anyone who likes to cook or bake, towels are essential. Towels for wiping up, towels for handling dishes, towels for covering foods, towels for - well, you get what I mean.

I have been getting by these past several months with towels from the Dollar General or the discount aisle at Walmart. You can find some decent kitchen towels at both places, but I never did. Also, I didn't want to spend a lot of money.

Since I've been doing so much baking lately, I decided to try out a couple of affordable brands of flour sack towels I've seen on Amazon.

This first set from Bosubari is just under $10 and is made of a fairly thick and durable spun cotton.

The next group is from Utopia Kitchen and came in a 12-pack of ring spun towels for about $16.

At first, I was going to review these towels as to which set was better. After using and laundering both, I can't really put one over the other. They had different qualities that I like. Let's look at the Bosubari set first.

Bosubari Towels Pros & Cons

PROS

• Thick, sturdy and has a little weight
• Good for covering dough during proofing
• Can be tucked into the waistband and used for an apron

CONS

• Not as good for cleaning messes & didn't launder as well as the Utopia Kitchen towels

I find that I use these more when I'm baking. Mostly I use them for covering doughs during proofing or for keeping finished bread from drying out. They were too thick for me to use as padding for a lid when steaming some bao buns recently.

Utopia Kitchen Towels Pros & Cons

PROS

• The lighter weight makes them versatile
• Thin enough for cleaning messes and spills
• They launder better than the Bosbari towels

CONS

• Some came out of laundry with irregular shaping/didn't square up

Overall Impression of Both Sets

These are the Utopia Kitchen towels, but
the Bosubari also had a cloth tie

I am happy with all the towels. Because of the general quality and usefulness, I would have saved money by buying these in the first place instead of getting all the cheaper towels. They have held up well under washing and using so I expect to have them for a while. 

I think of the Utopia towels as very "every day" and utilitarian. The heavier Bosubari towels are, in my opinion, more "chef-like".

The main test of a product is whether users would purchase again. Would I buy more? Absolutely. I decided a couple of months ago that I will only be giving the most useful things as gifts. These towels are on my list to give to the cooks and bakers in the family.

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** GoWISE USA 5.8-Quarts 8-in-1 Electric Air Fryer XL

While I do love my Instant Pot and am so very glad that I got it, it does not crisp foods. If I want to fry something or put a crust on chicken or fish, I have to move them to the oven. Or just fry them in a skillet. (There is a Saute function that browns some foods, but I have to figure out how much oil I can use...)

Until I figure out how to use the IP for shallow frying some foods, someone suggested using an air fryer for a healthier diet. This is the one I snagged on one of the recent Lightning Deals.

looks like something out of a sci-fi movie

That, my friends, is the GoWISE USA 5.8-quart Air Fryer. I'm not thrilled at the "8-in-1" label they slapped on this thing. The 8 they mention is just for the 8 presets on the control panel. What this could correctly be called is a 4-in-1 because it will fry, bake, grill, and roast. So. Yeah.

Let me just say right off that this thing is a lot bigger and -heavier than I thought it was going to be. A LOT. ** On the other hand, the one thing I liked right off was how attractive the unit is. I didn't appreciate this fully until I turned it on.

It's pretty, but so are most "bimbos"

Okay, so with that out of the way, let me go over the Pros and Cons I see after having used this on 2 items today. I cooked fresh cut potato fries first, then I attempted to crisp a game hen that I had already cooked in the Instant Pot.

PROS -

• The basket is rather large and roomy. I was able to fit a whole cornish game hen inside - one a small metal rack - and had room for a second hen if I'd wanted.
• The unit runs fairly quiet. I was able to hold a phone conversation easily while it was running.
• It's attractive, especially when powered up. For someone with enough counter space, it looks nice enough to leave out when not in use.
• Air frying certainly seems safer than pan-frying with oil.
• If cakes turn out well using the fryer, that will be another Plus.

CONS - 

• I was not thrilled with the results of my fries when cooked to the suggested time and temp. I will probably adjust to a lesser time to get the crispiness I want without drying out the potatoes.
• The hen did crisp up but didn't look very appealing. I am hoping that battered chicken with come out better. Again, I think the results might be better with adjusted time and temps.
• I don't think that the presets are very useful and I will need to come up with my own or look to other users for better ones.
• The control panel can be a bit confusing, especially as to the ones for setting the cooking time and the alarm time. Some buttons seem, in my opinion, to be completely useless. That could be user idiocy.
• The unit is large, which is a good thing for those with room for it. Because the air vents need to be kept away from walls and things that melt, that adds to the space needed when running the machine. I had just enough space to safely use it. Storage is also an issue for small-space homes.
• Getting the basket out took a little bit of hand strength. This could be a good thing because I know now that it won't just pop loose when I am shaking food in it, but it was also a bit annoying.
• The normal price of the unit is, again in my opinion, a bit high for something of a single-function. An oven can replace the fryer in most instances for those that want healthier options to pan-frying.
• Clean-up is not fun. I even lined the bottom of the pan with foil (which helped) but still had a time maneuvering the big pan around in sink to clean it.
• I expected better from the fryer as far as appearance and textures of food. 

I'm not sure why appliances that do basically one thing are so expensive. I snagged this one on a deal, but today the price shown is $79.00. Unless I can do get more day to day use from this, I would not spend that amount for the fryer.

You can see that I found more negative than positive about the fryer. However, I have not fully tested all it's supposed to be able to do. I might have to update this when I've tried cooking more foods in it. If this works well on cakes, that might be a huge positive.

And, if I have to be stuck with it, at least it's a quiet thing...

Again, I don't see a huge advantage of using this over using a stove - other than the fact it might cut back on heat in summer months. Frankly, this is not an appliance I am that excited about. I am considering sending it back but that means forfeiting $15 for a return shipping fee... ~sigh~

Peace

--Free


P.S.: I fried some chicken cracklins (seasoned skin) and some gizzards. These turned out pretty good so I am a little happier with the product.

** NOTE about the size of the product - this is about the same size as the 8-quart Instant Pot, as you can see. However, it is a great deal heavier to lift and store on top of my fridge.

**REVIEW** Eco Friendly Machine Washable Reusable Bamboo Towels

As with the milk powder I tried, this is another item that I am counting on to save waste and money.

That is a roll of Bamboo Towels - Heavy Duty Eco Friendly Machine Washable Reusable Bamboo Towels (my emphasis)

I was a little skeptical about these washable and reusable bamboo paper towels. Basically, I wondered if they would work without falling apart. I also wondered if they would really work as claimed.

My first test was to wet a towel and clean one of the kitchen counters. I used soap for the first wipe-down, then I used a spritz mix of alcohol and water. The towel held up really well. It didn't shred or leave any fuzz/residue on the surfaces.

The next test was to rinse the towel out with some soap and let it dry. I wanted to see if it retained its original strength and cleaning properties. It did.

At this point, I was feeling pretty impressed. I don't know how long these will last but I'm going to treat them exactly as the packaging suggests and update this review down the road. If they last longer than a month, that would be saving my use of at least 3 rolls of these Viva paper towels I have preferred - and which cost about $9.50 for 8 rolls (with 88 1-ply sheets per roll).

Here's a little more info about the reusable towel:

• There are 20 sheets of 11x12 perforated sheets to a roll.
• They are made of a sustainable "bamboo source" (made into a type of rayon material, apparently)
• For concerned folks, these aren't made of wood from "normal" trees.

What about the "rayon" in "bamboo rayon"?

Some Amazon reviewers noted that there is actual rayon in the product and when I checked my package, sure enough, there was a note about rayon.

 Did you see it? Me either. Until I squinted.

Now, I myself am not troubled by using rayon to clean items in my home. Also, for those who are concerned, I found an article that somewhat clarifies the issue of bamboo rayon fibers. What does bother me is that the rayon part seemed to be hidden. This is a copy/paste of the product description on the product page:

Our heavy-duty bamboo towels are stronger, more absorbent and durable than regular paper towels. They are made from sustainable certified organic bamboo source with each roll can save up to 60 conventional paper towel rolls and fits in your regular paper towel dispenser. These 11" x 12" perforated tear off sheets are machine washable and reusable up to 120 times before discarding. Use these bamboo towels just like how you normally use conventional paper towels. Hand or machine wash and air dry for best results and longer life. They are soft enough to be used on skin and tough enough to be used as shop towels, our bamboo towels can be used almost anywhere. Perfect for household cleaning, travel, car, bathroom, pets, camping, personal care, daycare and more. Unlike normal trees, bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world, growing up to 3 feet or more day and is grown without pesticides, fertilizers or irrigation, making it an eco-friendly and sustainable choice over cotton and other plant materials. (emphasis mine)

The positives of bamboo and lack of certain items are played up but the rayon is not mentioned. That just seems sneaky. Notice the emphasis I made in showing the listed product name at the head of this post.

Care and Upkeep

Because these are reusable, I wasn't expecting them to be totally easy to care for, but I am glad I paid attention to the packaging. My instincts would be to toss them in a washer/dryer, then iron them. That would be wrong.

These are to be machine or hand washed but with no fabric softener. They must be air dried and not ironed. 

Bottom Line

PROS - 

• Softer and more pliable than I expected, making them great for cleaning and drying items
• The size is large enough that one is adequate for most cleaning
• They are quite absorbent and thick
• They are tough and don't tear or shred easily (at least not after my first use)
• Will replace a lot of traditional paper towels
• They rinse out well - even after wiping stain-like messes
• There isn't a lot of shrinkage after wetting or drying

Top - dry towel
Bottom - wet towel

CONS -

• They have to be air dried so need a place to hang
• The sort of hidden rayon issue bothers me

Honestly, I really like these a lot. I am going to mention to the seller that the note about the rayon shouldn't seem so hidden. At any rate, I will most likely purchase these in the future - maybe from another seller.

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Hoosier Hill Farm All American Whole Milk Powder

When you have a tiny household sans kids, it's hard to keep certain foods and staple items on hand without them going bad. I can always freeze vegetables (and some fruits) and I have learned to vacuum seal a lot of other things (flours, meals, mixes) to keep the bugs and other critters out. The one thing I waste the most though is milk and cream. I've tried freezing them but their texture (and, in my opinion, taste) are affected. I like shelf-stable - or UHT - milk and it's pretty tasty but I can't find a good price for the whole fat that stores will ship. Also, for some reason, once opened, it seems to lose freshness quicker than does "regular" milk.

Anyway, I wanted to try a whole milk powder. This is one that I now have:

That is a whole milk powder from Hoosier Hill Farm via Amazon ($15.15 at time of this review).

What I was looking forward to before anything else was taste. Also, I wanted something that was mostly or only milk. I didn't want a bunch of additives and such. The Hoosier Hill Farm milk is simply powdered whole milk. NOTE: One Amazon reviewer makes note that the product is "packaged in a facility shared by treenuts, peanuts, dairy, soy, and wheat products". Good to know.

Taste is the next and equal criteria. This one passes the test, It's really pretty yummy. I drank some straight (and not cooled) and liked it. I really liked adding it to my coffee. It had a slightly sweeter taste, in my opinion than my usual refrigerated variety gallons.

Now here is where it might seem like the powdered milk is way too expensive:

• Walmart store brand whole milk is about $.03/ounce
• Hoosier Hill powdered whole milk is about $.12/ounce (cheaper on site)

Ouch, yes? Not really.

When I spend that 3 bucks and change on "regular" whole milk and end up having to toss out some - sometimes as much as half the bottle and usually as much as the last third - I'm not saving a cent. I have saved slightly soured milk for baking but that was just so I didn't have to throw it out. With the Hoosier Hill, I can use the milk by the teaspoon if I want. Or, if I happen to need more, there are instructions for mixing it by 1/3 gallons. I will most likely be mixing it up by the cup since that's how I use for baking things or having the random bowl of cereal.

Another great thing is the shelf life of 7-9 months and that is if kept on the shelf. I have read various sources about shelf life. One states 3 years at best taste if properly stored, but safe to drink for a longer time. Another source states that if stored properly (sealed and in a freezer) the milk will last indefinitely. Now that means vacuum sealing it and freezing - not just closing up in a bag. Most sources go with "indefinitely".  I'm not stockpiling (yet) or looking to keep the milk forever. I just need it to last until I finish with it.

This is how I packaged mine for storing:

(Once again, folks, I have to tell you that Next Shine Food Sealer has paid for itself three or four times over.)

I kept out one slightly smaller quantity for the fridge so I can pull it out and use by the spoonful. I'm kind of excited that I won't be pouring any more chunky milk down the drain. When I can afford to, I plan to try some of the other powdered dairy products from Hoosier Hill Farm, especially the Premium Heavy Cream.

I do suggest that you use a blender and/or warm water for obtaining a good consistency, then refrigerating for taste. For baking, I will stick with warm or room-temp liquid.

Let me add another observation about mixing this product: I think that you can use slightly more or less powder depending on what you need the milk for. When baking, I plan to stick strictly to the suggested measurements. For my coffee and cereal needs, I will probably skimp a bit.

All in all, I think that I picked the right brand for my first try at powdered milk.

Peace
--Free

Family News and Upcoming Reviews!

Posting has been slack because... I ran out of all the scheduled posts I'd set up and... I have been visiting my family. We have a new member of the crew:

   

That is my darling little grandniece. Isn't she just the loveliest little person?

Also, I got so see my little man DJ Boo.

I have missed that kid SO much the past year and a half. I have to share a little story from our reunion...

He did not know that I was coming to town. When I got to his house, he was in his room playing or cleaning up. His mom and older cousin went in before me and told him that he has a big surprise and saying "Guess who's here, DJ?"

When he stepped into the hallway and saw me, he just stood about 5 feet away staring like he just couldn't believe his eyes. He looked at me like that for a good half a minute before he ran over and hugged me.

"Booboo! You came back to me!!!"

That is what that kid said. Then he started bawling and I started bawling. Oh man. How I do love that kid.

Meeting his newest cousin
and making sure the nurse is careful!

I don't know WHY we look so slow

Yeah... We are a bit "special"

cuzzins 

It's really true #familyiseverything

All the excitement and kind of early Christmas with this part of the fam has worn me out. I will be down for a minute because I got a bit ill, but will be catching up on the reviews as soon as I can. Once I am back up and running, this is what will be coming:

• Target Beauty Box (Holiday)
• Hoosier Hill Farm All American Whole Milk Powder 
• Bosubari Flour Sack Tea Towels
• GoWISE USA 5.8-Quarts 8-in-1 Electric Air Fryer XL 
• 8QT Stainless Steel Stackable Steamer Insert Pans (for Instant Pot)

And if you are wondering about the 8 quart Instant Pot pans, that's because I traded up from the 6 quart IP. Since I actually use the device so much, I decided to go for it in a larger size. I told you guys, I may never use my stove again. And, yeah, I can't wait to review that Air Fryer.

I will also be doing a review of America's Best Eyewear. I had a little seeing problem when I lost my last contacts and realized my RX was outdated. Had to run over to the cheapest place and... well, you can read the review soon. In the meantime...

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Marrakesh Hair Care Original Skin Butter

Let me start this review by saying that the seller I got this from on Amazon is The Beauty Box. It's important to know the seller because, well, some sellers might not be as good as others. Recently, I was extremely unhappy with the Marrakesh Hair Care Argan and Hemp Styling Oil that I got from a particular seller. (The review for that will be up soon. I wrote it a while back but messed up the scheduling of the publishing... My bad.) Anyway, keep track of sellers you do an don't like! Now, on to this review.

If you love the smell of Marrakesh Oil (in the original scent) and I have never met anyone who does not love it, then this is a nice product to have.

Marrakesh did an awesome job on this skin butter which, on the product page, has this full title: Marrakesh Hair Care Original Skin Butter.  You can tell they know that people are buying the skin butter for the scent of the hair products!

It has that amazing soft and sultry and kind of sugar-musk scent or the hair oil and it's surprisingly more moisturizing than I expected. Because I love the Marrakesh scent, I would probably loved this as a lotion anyway, but thankfully, it is highly moisturizing. I used to rub some of the hair oil on my cleavage just because of the scent. Now I have the lotion and don't have to waste the more expensive oil just for the fragrance.

While I can only ever buy the oil ($22.99) when it's on sale or when I have a gift card or something, the $12.99 Skin Butter is more in my price range. And it will last a lot longer. (By the way, I also tried the Marrakesh Leave-in and will not be buying it ever again because, well, what a waste. It only does a so-so job and only if you use a LOT of it. No thanks.)

It's hard to tell from a photo, but the butter is medium thick but has a lot of slip on the skin. I kind of wish it came in a glass jar instead of the plastic one, but...

There is not much else to tell you about the Skin Butter. Like I said, I can tell that it is going to last a while because it only takes a little dab to moisturize both my hands. I can also rub my palms across my hair for a nice fragrance. The downside is that the scent is not long-lasting. That might totally be my fault. Since I've aged, my body chemistry kills perfumes like crazy.

Bottom line is, the price is good and the quality (from this particular seller) was good. Also, I don't have to buy the hair oil just to get that lovely fragrance.

Peace
--Free

UPDATED **REVIEW** Marrakesh Oil from Amazon Seller SleekHair

*UPDATED** I finally found a candle-fragrance oil that mimics the smell of this hair product. I don't think that the producers of Marrakesh Oil would appreciate my sharing that info. I can tell you that if you shop for fragrance oils containing various Amber blends or Egyptian-African-type scents. I think that if you can find some of these fragrances separately, you could come up with your own Marrakesh-type fragrance. I have been mixing my oil into my lotions and hair products.



Ugh.

Nothing worse than getting a bum product. Well, maybe it's worse when you needed the product asap and when it arrives, it's a bum product.

This right here is what I am talking about

I LOVE Marrakesh Oil, but I am not happy with this seller. And, yes, since I review so many Amazon products, I am going to start calling out poor seller performance. I got this particular oil from Amazon seller SleekHair. They seem to have a good rating but there are a couple of complaints. Anyway, on to the product.

Marrakesh Oil and I are old friends. It's great stuff for 2 reasons: it smells delicious and it does a good job on my hair. Of course, like so many things I like, the oil tends to be pricey. I only indulge myself every blue moon.

When I got the oil (I also ordered another Marrakesh product from a different seller), I was so happy that it arrived on time and intact that I went ahead and gave the seller with a 5-star rating. That was a mistake.

As soon as I opened the oil and I should have known something was wrong. It felt like Marrakesh Oil and the bottle looks legit. The giveaway was the scent - or I should say lack of scent.

Anyone who has ever used (good) Marrakesh Oil knows what I mean. The oil has a unique, smoky, musk-ish fragrance that I'd love to have in a perfume. I was so busy treating my hair that it took a moment before I realized that I wasn't being soothed by that lovely aroma. Matter of fact, there was no aroma at all with this oil.

Now understand that a small 2-ounce bottle of the oil goes for around 22 bucks - no matter where you buy it. In the past several years, I've gotten it from Sephora, Ulta, beauty supply stores, and Amazon. I think that at one point some years ago, I got a bottle for around $17. Times change.

At any rate, this oil lacked the distinctive fragrance and that scent is a big part of why I splurge on the product. Since I had it though, I decided to go ahead and try using it as a part of my moisture sealing routine.

It looked normal.

My hair was freshly washed and towel-dried. I worked in a little bit of leave-in conditioner - the Marrakesh that I will review in another post - and then applied the oil in sections. It looked and felt a lot like legit Marrakesh but... something just wasn't right. I checked in the mirror and saw that the oil had added none of the usual shine.  First, no smell, then lackluster performance. I pulled out my magnifying glass and flipped the bottle around.

Huh.

That's odd. Most labels like this on Amazon-purchased products are very clear. I couldn't see an expiration or sell-by date or anything. And my feeling was that this bottle was either old and expired or just not the real deal. Most likely, the former. I want to think that I probably smeared the label when I was using the oil, but it doesn't matter. I'm not happy with the product.

I finished applying the oil to the rest of my hair, wrapped it for the night and awaited results. Next morning, no shine and none of the sealing I am used to.

Of course, I got in touch with Amazon and they refunded my money. I'm scared to buy any more of the oil online so I will wait until I go to Arizona and look for some in a beauty supply or (if my family is feeling generous) a Sephora or Ulta.

By the way, I deleted the Seller rating and am waiting to be able to update it. If nothing else, they need to be better about quality control.

Peace
--Free

P.S.: For those who just love the smell of (a legit) Marrakesh Oil Orignal Scent, I found a whipped body butter. The scent doesn't last as long as I would like, but the butter is actually very moisturizing. I use it as a body cream and as a light hairdressing.

**RECIPE** Amish Sweet Bread (SOOO easy!)

I recently stunned myself by baking a wonderful loaf of bread. I can cook and I can do a cheesecake when the moon is right, but I'm not generally a baker. I've never been patient enough. However... I found a recipe for an Amish sweet bread that is so easy even I can't mess it up. It helps that the people at Big Family Homestead. This link is to the YouTube channel where I found the recipe but they also have a website with a bunch of other recipes and stuff.

This is the video but, for those of you like me who want the thing written out, here is my transcription:

INGREDIENTS (for 4 loaves)

• 4 cups water (almost too hot to touch)
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 Tbls active dry yeast
• 3 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup oil (I used canola)
• 10 to 12 cups flour (I used all purpose)
• and a bit of oil, butter or lard to grease pans

EQUIPMENT

• 4 loaf pans (mine were about 5 x 9 - or 1.5qt)
• A large bowl for mixing the dough and letting it rise (or "proof")
• damp towels or some plastic wrap to cover the dough
• a surface to be floured for kneading the dough
• a knife or dough cutter for sectioning dough (and for scraping/cleaning kneading surface)
• Cooling racks (I used one of the racks out of my oven)

NOTES:

• It's currently cold & dry where I live so I warmed the kitchen and raised the humidity by keeping a couple of pots of water simmering on the stove.
• Do be patient. My dough needed a little bit more time to rise than the recipe calls for.
• If you do substitute self-rise flour for the all-purpose (I did in one loaf), cut out or cut back on the salt. I cut the salt out and everything was fine, but I might have lucked out.

STEPS:

1. Flour the surface where you will be kneading your dough on later.
2. In the large mixing bowl, dissolve the sugar into the warm/hot water.
3. Add the yeast to the water mix and stir just very enough to wet the yeast. Wait until the yeast begins to foam a bit. This took longer than I expected.
4. Add the oil to the mixture and stir lightly.
5. Add about half of the flour. (NOTE: This is where I blended the salt into this half of the flour to incorporate it well. That way, if I don't need all the flour, I won't have forgotten to blend in the salt.)
6. The first half of the flour (and the salt) will make a soup-like mix. Start adding more flour and stirring, a little at a time until you have a sticky thick dough that you can turn out onto your floured surface.
7. Add some flour to the top of the dough so that you can begin kneading it. You will keep adding flour until you have a dough that is no longer sticky. It took me about 7 minutes(not just the 5 to 6)to get my dough right.
8. Pat or tuck the dough into a ball and put it back in the bowl to rise (or proof) for about an hour - or until the dough has doubled in size. This is where you want to cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a warm damp towel. (The damp towel worked best because of the drier air in the apartment.)
9. While waiting for the dough to rise, clean the kneading surface and re-flour it for later.
10. Take the risen dough and turn it out onto the freshly floured surface and knead it into a smooth ball. Flatten the ball of dough out so that you can divide it into 4 equal parts.
11. Make the loaf shapes by rolling each section of dough into a thick log. Tuck the sides under the bottoms so that it sits nicely into the loaf pan.
12. Cover the loaf pans with your towel or plastic and let the loaves rest for about 45 minutes. (Remeber to pre-heat your oven at about the 35-minute mark.)
13. While waiting for the dough to rest, it's a good time to clean up all the flour where you kneaded.
14. After the 45 minutes, put the loaf pans in the heated oven and bake for about 30 minutes.
15. While bread is baking, set out your cooling racks.
16. As soon as you take the bread out of the oven, turn them out of the pans and onto the cooling rack. (This keeps the hot bread from getting soggy in the pans.)
17. You're supposed to wait for the bread to cool to be easier to cut, but... I sliced mine after about 15 minutes and it was fine!

That's it. It's super easy and most of the time is taken up waiting for the dough to rise and then bake. I hope these directions aren't tedious but I need step-by-step instructions so this is how I transcribed the recipe. I think I had to pause and rewind a thousand times before I got it all down. 

I actually pulled this video up on my tablet in the kitchen while I was making my bread! Here you go:

BENEFITS OF BAKING

It's a mood-lifter
Like I said, I am pleased with myself that the bread came out so delicious. The other thing I discovered is that baking is a great reliever of anxiety and depression. I was having a severe bout of anxiety and couldn't sleep for over 20 hours. The baking gave me something to do that I could do without getting frustrated by the tasks. Later,  the smells of the bread in the oven soothed me a lot. Once I finished those first loaves, I was able to settle down and get some sleep. It was all very therapeutic.

It tasted healthier
I don't want to forget to mention another important benefit to making my own bread and that is the calorie factor. I'm not going to say that eating 5 slices of this bread was the best breakfast I could have had but it sure was better than eating bread loaded down with preservatives. At least I know exactly what went into my own bread and I did not feel bloated and stuffed (even after 5 slices with butter) after eating it.

The more expensive breads are touted to be healthier but they still have lots of ingredients I may not want. My own bread was made with only SIX ingredients - including the water. Here is an article from Naturally Savvy that discusses some typical store-bought bread ingredients.

It was cheap to make
I can get a loaf of bread here in my town for $0.99 - $5.00. The cheaper bread is not always the freshest or tastiest. When I got ready to make my bread, I didn't need to purchase anything in addition to the staples I always have on hand. Now, I don't normally have yeast on hand, but I did this time and it's not something I find too expensive to make a staple item. Not only can I get huge bags of flour and sugar on the cheap, but oil and yeast are not too pricey. Basically, this bread cost me very, very little to make.

I hope some of you get to try this recipe. I love the Big Family Homestead YouTube channel and just saw their recipe for cinnamon rolls... Transcribing takes me a lot of time, but I will work on that recipe when I can.

Here is how my bread turned out the very first time!

Peace
--Free