**REVIEW** Kuuk Professional 48 Blade Meat Tenderizer

You have to love the name of this product:

That's a 48 blade meat tenderizer by Kuuk

This is a great kitchen tool to have around. My niece had been wanting a tenderizer for a while and I was going to just get her something from Kohl's or Target's, but I never did! I would always forget that it was something she wanted until we were getting ready to prep some food... Yeah. Anyway, when I saw this, I jumped at the chance to get it. (Thought my niece would be just thrilled, but I actually ended up using it before she got around to it. Cos she's always like that.)

As I have said in another review of this item, it's not my mama's kitchen gadget. Of course, my mama used what her mama used...

 Talking 'bout "old school"! 

I took after my mama too, but I eventually got a little more modern. For a long time I had something like this:

Or, I went totally off the grid and just used one of these:

All of those tools will get the job done, but there are some problems. Safety is a big issue (especially for someone with my iffy motor skills) and, even if you don't end up stabbing or hammering a finger, there quality of the finished product. Who wants meat that has been ripped up with a fork or beaten into a ragged mess with one of the old-fashioned tenderizers? 

I'm depressing the handle to expose the blades here

The Kuuk tenderizer takes care of the safety issue and it does more than just tenderize whatever cut of meat you're prepping. Notice the "teeth" on the Kuuk. 

In the above photo, I have the handle depressed so you can see the blades (that I call "teeth"!). But those teeth are kept completely - and safely - stored away when they aren't in use. 

Now the blades are safely stored

I actually like "thinning out" those thicker cuts of meat (which I usually only buy when they are priced better than other cuts), but I could never keep control of the old-fashioned type tenderizer. I'd mostly end up with, say a pork chop, that was either beat all to hell or not well tenderized. 

With the Kuuk's tenderizer, you are basically depressing those blades into the meat evenly and consistently. Because the blades all depress at once when you push on the handle, you can't mess up and mangle a cut of meat the way you can with a standard tool.

Before I forget, here's a little tip that I learned after using the Kuuk a few times: if you want to get tenderize near the bone in a cut of meat,  just place the tool close to the bone and, while you are depressing the blades, kind of move the tool around. It helps "stretch" the meat out and then you can get the blades nearer the area.

In addition to this being such a useful kitchen tool, I'm happy that it cleans up easily. Though it's dishwasher-safe, I literally just swish it around in a shallow dish of hot and soapy bleach water, then rinse - cos, um, meat, germs, bacteria... Once it's clean and dry, the tenderizer tucks back into the clear plastic cover. The whole thing is small enough to fit into a kitchen drawer, but I leave ours on the counter next to the knife rack because it barely takes up any space. 

In summary: Simple to use, simple to clean, simple to store. Also, right now, the cost is under $12 with Amazon Prime or via this site that is also selling the item.

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**REVIEW** Afrofy Afro Twister

I. Cannot. Stop. Raving. About. This....

This.... - over there to the right →→→

It's a sponge. For your hair. Well, for naturally kinky/curly hair anyway. If you want twists, coils, dreads, curls, locks, This is so the thing.

Who ever would have thought that you could style your natural hair with a sponge? (I'm too lazy to look up the info but, to whoever did invent this: THANK YOU!)

As you can see, the sponge I am now loving for twisting/coiling my hair is the AFROFY Afro Twister.


First of all, what a simple concept. But one that I never would have thought of. I wasn't even convinced that it was going to work.


The trick to using the sponge to achieve twists and coils is in the design.



There are holes in the sponge. And that's the genius of this product.

To use the product, you dampen your hair very lightly, then rotate the sponge over your hair in a circular motion. It doesn't take a lot of pressure - in fact, I've noticed that the less pressure the better. The way that I have been using it (with great results) is to use a light but constant touch.

By the way, this works on hair as short as 1/8 inch and as long as 7 inches.

I have heard that some users will use the sponge to achieve the start of twist/coiling, then apply a little styling gel as they continue. I have not used styling gel yet because I get really good results without it.

Let me share some photos that I got the first time I used this.

The pic right below is the un-styled state of my hair. The photo is taken about 4 days after a shampoo and condition. I just moisturized my scalp, then combed out the hair so that you could see what it looks like without styling.

The next photo is of my hair coiled lightly with the Afrofy sponge. I only had about 5 minutes to get ready to go somewhere, so I spent very little time with the sponge. 

The results were so good after such minimal efforts, I had to do another set of "After" photos when I had more time to spend using the sponge. I took 15 minutes to work on my hair for the following photos. I took photos at different stages. Sorry that they are out of order, but you can see progress in the tightness of the twists and coils.

near crown of head. I loosened some coils for styling

along my side edges. I could have continued, added gel and gotten
a really nice pattern of elongated twists

was still working
on my hair that was drying out

not sure at what stage I was at here
but I really like those coils!

a collage for Instagram and such

Now that I have used this a few times, I can tell you that I'm learning some tricks for styling. While I like that I can get such nice twists in a little time, I really like the idea of putting more time into this. After all, when I do my twists manually, I'm putting in a lot of effort without promised results. I hate when I spend all that time the night before twisting my hair and tying it into place only to wake up with a bad style. Sometimes that's because the twists loosened (or, more embarrasing, I slept the scarf right off my head!) - or just that I did a rushed or bad job and the twists are impossible to style... The struggle, as they say, is real. Here are my personal suggestions:

• Work in sections. I separated my hair into sections of 4, then worked on halves of those.
• Use light pressure and go in the same direction for each section of hair
• Make sure not to over-dampen your hair with water or other products. 
• Well-maintained hair gets better results. Trim your split ends and make sure your hair is well-moisturized/conditioned. This will result in a nice shine. (Notice that the hair closer to my roots look better than my raggedy ends? Yeh. I'ma work on that!)
• I got away with wearing my sponge twists for at least a couple days the last time. That's without tying on a scarf at night (though I should). I just re-styled my hair with my fingers.

Another issue I have with manually twisting my hair is the damage to my already fragile tresses. My medications have damaged and thinned my hair. I really don't like making matters worse. I thought that might be a concern in using the Afro Sponge, but after using it a few times already, I can see that I'm still not loosing hair to the process.

You can see from this photo of the sponge that there's not a lot of hair collected. And I don't notice any tugging at all when I am actually using the sponge. Thank goodness. I don't need to lose any of this hair!

I mentioned to my niece today that, if I wanted, I could sponge for a longer period of time on smaller sections of hair and get a super-styled look. If you notice, in one of the photos, I had some really cute, small lines of twists going. I could have gone on for that look all over.

This sponge is BIG. I was worried at first that it was going to be tough to grip. No problem there. It's actually designed the way it is for a good grip. The sponge itself is pretty flexible while the lavender and orange bottom piece allows you to hold and control it easily.

I didn't have anything else handy to show size comparison, so I used a standard toothpaste tube to give you an idea of size and width.

Finally, I just want to say that I love this product SO much. I don't never, ever, ever want to be without one. At the time I ordered this (using Prime), it was priced at just under $15. Un.beat,able.  Also, there is a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee of a replacement or refund.

Now. Go get your coil on!

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**REVIEW** Spike Seasoning Gourmet Natural Seasoning

This review took a while to prep because there was so much to sample. The Spike Gourmet Natural Seasoning I received was like a deluxe package of goods!

Those of you who know me personally, know that I don't eat spicy "hot" foods. But you also know that I love spice and flavor to my food. Those who know and really love me earn extra credit for loving me after I use my two favorite seasonings: garlic and onion.

Spike Gourmet Natural Seasoning had some goodies for my taste buds and for those of my family. Those guys have mouths lined with asbestos. I am pretty much the only one in my family who can't eat flamingly spicy foods.

Since garlic, onion and tenderizer are powders that are standard in our house, I was able to compare our usual brand to Spike's. The biggest difference I noticed (in Spike's favor) is freshness. The smell of the garlic and onion was much more rich and pleasing. The tenderizer I normally use has a deeper color than Spike's but the ingredients in mine were not as varied.

I really like the "all purpose" salt-free seasoning for my snacks. I used it on some seaweed that I toasted, and on some popcorn. That was tasty. For some reason, I have to season my seaweed in order to enjoy it - no matter how good it is for me! I'm loving trying out the Spike for that reason.

There are some "Vegit" seasonings in the package, but I actually liked the all-purpose so much that it took a couple of days before I got around to using the Vegit Magic. Once I did use it (on some steamed frozen veggies), I was glad I did try it. Not only does it add so much flavor to even bland frozen vegetables, but the ingredients list was a pleaser:

Nutritional yeast, kelp, hydrolyzed soy protein (NO ADDED MSG), toasted onion, powdered dill seed, white pepper, celery, parsley flakes, beet root powder, mushroom powder, orange & lemon peel, papain enzyme, plus a delightful herbal bouquet of the best oregano, sweet basil, marjoram, rosemary and thyme.

Yep. There is nutritional yeast - first on the label - which is something I had blogged about before and still use.

Because my package from Spike contained so many seasonings, I think it's best to let you check out info on them individually. There really is something for each one of your taste buds!

Here is what all was included in my Spike package:

• Original
• Hot 'n Spicy
• Vege-Sal (more for seasoning stuff, - see the Vegit below)
• Onion
• Lemon-Pepper
• Salt-Free (herbs and spices - think "amped up" Mrs. Dash)
• Vegit (this has vegetable in the seasonings, including beet root...)
• Garlic
• 5 Herb
• Tenderizer  (love that this has spinach powder in it!)

When you look at the names of these seasonings you might, like me, think that they are same as what you find on any shelf at the grocery store. However, when you look at the different herbs and spices that Spike blends, you can see a big difference. Like I said before, the first thing I noticed was freshness and smell. Plus, I love how they use some things that just aren't found in a run of the mill jar of seasoning. I'm talking about things like spinach, beet root, mushroom powder, tomato powder... Lots of yummy stuff in blends that I never thought about before.

Spike's is great for any kitchen or cook, but I kept thinking that they are especially good for some particular types of people:

• "Non cooks" or someone who isn't familiar with a variety of spices and seasonings. You can jazz up even simple dishes (baked meats, steamed vegetables and salads, etc.) without being a gourmet cook.
• Someone who has to be careful of sodium in their diet will appreciate the salt-free products offered. 
• Anyone who is interested in trying different blends and twists on common (and uncommon) herbs and seasonings...
• This mention from the Spike page speaks to the origins of the seasonings:

 "SPIKE® MAGIC! Seasonings were created by world-renowned pioneer nutritionist, author and speaker GAYELORD HAUSER in his beautiful test kitchen in Taormina, Sicily."

• Modern Products, the company that produces Spike, has some more information and FAQ's for some specific health and nutrition concerns on their site.

So, there you go. If you are interested in spiking things up with your food, give Spike a try.

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one of more of the above-mentioned products via Giveaway Service in exchange for a fair and honest review. When reviewing products, whether sponsored or not, my main goal is to inform my blog readers of my honest and personal opinions.

**REVIEW** Neem Oil by Oleavine

This is Oleavine's Organic Neem Oil...

This oil is pure and organic and not extracted with chemicals, which is really important to a lot of folks. I've used products from Oleavine before and I've never had problems with quality or service. (By the way, you can sign up for discounts, samples, and more at their site.)

As someone who loves using oils (you guys all know this by now), I had heard lots about the benefits of Neem oil for natural hair care - and other uses...

• 14 different daily uses here
• For hair loss
• For scalp psoriasis (video)
• To help your pets skin/hair issues, or their
• Flea and tick problems (who knew?)

What I did not know for myself was:

1. It is great for hair and skin, and
2. That it has a distinct smell all its own

I'm probably being a bit dramatic, but the smell is something I had to get used to. I can't even really think how to describe the smell. Close your eyes and imagine the scent of really fresh dirt mixed with old, wet, wood mixed with ground seed nuts of some kind. Or used cooking oil, like old fried-meat grease... I dunno.

The thing is, while the smell is not nicely fragrant, it's not particularly "stinky" in the way we think of stink. It's just an unusual odor. And it's strong.

After I smelled it for the first time (and by "smell" I mean opened the bottle top and was hit by a waft of "whew boy!"), I was hesitant to even use it. But to not use it at least once would be unfair to the business who sent out the product for review. I figured the least I could do was try the oil in private so that I could give some feedback.

So.

Around bedtime, I ran a bath with some lavender oil so that I could dive in and wash away the Neem oil smell after experimenting with it. Then I applied some of the oil directly and undiluted to my hands up to my wrists. 

Wow!

The feel of this oil was so nice that I started massaging in more on my arms. As much as I disliked the smell, I was fascinated with the feel of the oil on my skin. It feels very lotion-ey and is highly absorbent. Once it is massaged in, my skin is soft and feels like I have applied a really good lotion. 

My skin felt so amazing that I had to grab the bottle and do a double take. I wanted to make sure that I was using an actual oil, and I wanted to read the product info from Amazon again. There are the indications of being beneficial for skin, hair and scalp, and - when I reached the last sentence, I almost broke a rib laughing:

KEEP BUGS AWAY - Commonly Used as a Natural Bug and Mosquito Repellent or to add to Pet Care Shampoo...

I checked the bottle label and, yep, I was warned:

click & enlarge to read

The smell might not be what provides pest relief, but I'm thinking that it's key!

All kidding aside, though, I will put up with the smell for the wonderful benefits. That might tell you just how good this oil is.

So far, I have been using the Neem oil every day (or, rather, every night). The smell dies down after a few hours. As long as you don't get it on your clothing, you can mask the scent with perfume or scented water. Someone suggests using Tea Tree Oil to mask it. I've been rubbing in some vanilla-grapefruit oil or spritzing on some rosewater (which I will be reviewing here on the blog at a later date) and it works nicely. Ways that I have used this and the results I've gotten -

• On my hair and scalp - I love it on my scalp because it penetrates and soothes after I've washed my hair. On my dry hair, it was highly absorbing and felt good, but I haven't used it long enough to notice a lof of benefits. However...
• As an additive to my conditioner - this is amazing! I washed my hair with a moisturizing shampoo bar, then conditioned with about 1/2 Tbls of Neem oil mixed into about 3 Tbls Aussie Moist 7-in-1 Conditioner. I rinsed with cool to lukewarm water. I cannot tell you how soft and de-tangled my hair was afterwards. It was pretty awesome.
• Added to other oils for overnight skin conditioning - after long baths, I like to soak my skin with oils (added to an inexpensive lotion) to keep it from dying out. I tested the Neem oil by adding it to some regular no-name brand lotion with a little bit of Camelina oil and Avocado butter. (NOTE: You will want to protect your sheets and pillow cases from the Neem oil with towels.) The Neem oil  is just really good on the skin. Really good.
• As a lip moisturizer - it worked great when I had chapped lips after a little bit of fever the other day but, again, the smell might not be something you want helping to repel any kisses. Also, the taste is extremely bitter and icky. I probably won't use it on my lips again except in the worst kind of emergency.

So, what I can tell you is that Neem oil is unique from a lot of other oils I've tried. I especially love that the skin softening effects lasts so long. The oil itself appears to have a grainy texture, but those "grains" melt on skin contact. Maybe I get that granular looking result because I keep the oil in the fridge (?). 

By the way, while I've noticed that a lot of other reviewers hate the smell, I have one friend who said that she sort of like it after it faded somewhat. Maybe you will be okay with the smell (like my friend), or hate it (like me). Either way, I will continue to use it. It works too good not to.

Before I forget, as far as how much use I will get from the 12-ounce bottle, I'm thinking it will last me 2 or 3 months. For one thing, I will definitely be mixing it with other products (lotions, oils, shampoo and conditioner) and, also, it's one of those a-little-goes-a-long-way kind of products. And not just because of the smell. Next time that I add it to my hair conditioner, I will probably use a half the amount to condition and just a few drops as a leave-in oil.

dry hand

By the way, to give you an idea of the way the oil absorbs, I took a photo of my "dry" hand and my other hand right after applying the oil:

 You can see that the oil is not slick/greasy-looking. The skin feels very supple and moisturized though.

with Neem Oil

Finally, I want to say that I found some warnings for using Neem oil excessively. Here is info I found via WebMD. You must always be responsible for yourself and do your research before using any kind of product. If any of you have used Neem oil, please let me know here or on Plus what your results have been.

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

***REVIEW*** Tamanu Oil (Foraha Oil) by Puressant

This latest review is for an oil that treats conditions I don't normally have problems with:

• Acne
• Eczema
• Scaly skin
• Sunburn
• Psoriasis
• Rheumatism
• Diaper Rash
• Skin eruptions
• Abrasions
• Burns
• Insect bites
• Scrapes

Tamanu Oil (or Foraha Nut Seed Oil) is a "traditional healing oil". This one is from Puressant via Amazon. I've always received good products and great service from Puressant, by the way. However, as many oils as I have used, I had never heard of Tamanu oil before.

What caught my eye was that this is supposed to be "ideal for use in creams, ointments, lotions and other cosmetic products". That's because I have been making some products for myself from various natural oils and other ingredients.

aka: Foraha Nut Seed Oil

When I took a closer look at the product, I saw that it's also good for reducing foot and body odor.

Hmmm...

Since it takes a while to review products' results for certain things - like help with alleviating certain skin conditions - I took the direct route and tried this for a couple of uses:

• Insect bites 
• Foot odor
• Scaly skin

Though we are closing out on the worst of our insect season here, there are still a few pests around (like spiders and whatever it is that bit my on the foot the other day). Also, there is no shortage of stinky feet with a 3 year old in the house (and, okay, my feet aren't lovely after a day in sneakers). Then there is the issue I sometimes have on my left elbow. It gets scaly from leaning on it while reading or watching TV in bed. Usually, my other oils keep things smooth, but I did a 3 day period of avoiding them on just that one elbow for this review.

Okay. So for the insect bite I had on my foot, I can't say that it instantly took away the itch, but it worked as well as the stuff you can buy at the store. Maybe it depends on the bite. I think my was a spider bite.

For seeing how this worked with stinky feet, I added some of the Tamanu oil with the argan oil I usually put in my feet in the morning. As long as the weather is warm, I tend to wear my slip-on trainers without socks. That time of year is coming to a close, but I was able to test this product for a couple of day. Result? I like it! Usually, at the end of the day, I do have some foot odor. It's not so bad for a couple of days after I have washed my shoes. The odor is not as bad as, say, a teenage boy's shoes after a rough day, but even faint foot odor is not pleasant. The Tamanu oil did work really well for that. I ended up adding a couple of drops to my shoes for overnight and I will probably make a habit of that, as well as applying directly to my feet. With winter coming, I will be wearing my boots and socks a lot more, so....

The most interesting thing about this oil is how it worked on my elbows. Because of the way it did soothe and smooth that rough patch of skin that was there, I think there must be some sort of natural exfoliating properties to the oil. I will have to look into that. I got good results after one application, but I have been using it on my elbows (almost) every night for about a week and I really do like the results.

Now, that's all the Pros. There is something I have to mention: the smell. It's... unique. I can't really even describe it now, but I'm glad that it fades pretty quickly after application. (I have loaned the oil out to a friend for a couple of days and can't take a fresh sniff to describe it better.)

I have not tried it yet as an additive to my other creams and potions, except for using it with argan oil on my feet. I want to try it out on my scalp, just to see what happens.

The price is up there but, since this can be mixed in with other oils and lotions, I don't think that I will be using it up fast - even using for a couple different issues every day. It takes the smallest amount for my elbows and shoe/foot applications.

Check it out. If anyone has used it for the other skin issues that are mentioned, do let me know what results you got.

Peace
--Free



DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above in exchange for providing a fair and honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

And Now for Some Smiles

Usually, I put all the funnies over on my other blog, but this one could use something light after the past few days. This is from an email I got from my aunt...

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

 SARAH PALIN: The chicken crossed the road because, gosh-darn it, he's a MAVERICK!


BARACK OBAMA: Let me be perfectly clear, if the chickens like their eggs they can keep their eggs. NO chicken will be required to cross the road to surrender her eggs. Period.


JOHN McCAIN: My friends, the chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to ENGAGE in cooperation and dialogue with ALL the chickens on the other side of the road.


HILLARY CLINTON: What difference at this point does it make WHY the chicken crossed the road?


GEORGE W. BUSH: We do NOT really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road or not. The chicken is either with us or against us. There is NO middle ground here.


DICK CHENEY: Where's my GUN?


BILL CLINTON: I did NOT cross the road with that chicken.


AL GORE: I INVENTED the chicken.


JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it!  It was the WRONG road to cross, and I was MISLED about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.


AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens WHITE?


DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken will NOT realize that he must FIRST deal with the problem on this side of the road BEFORE it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he is acting by not taking on his current problems before adding any new problems.


OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having PROBLEMS, which is why he wants to cross the road so badly. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a NEW CAR so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.


ANDERSON COOPER: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, BUT we have NOT yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.


NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.


PAT BUCHANAN: To STEAL the JOB of a decent, hardworking American.


MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to WARN me which way the chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. NO little bird gave me any Insider Information.


DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, BUT why it crossed I've not been told.


ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To DIE in the rain, alone.


GRANDPA: In my day we did NOT ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough for us.


BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heartwarming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its Lifelong Dream of crossing the road.


ARISTOTLE: It is the NATURE of chickens to cross the road.


BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2014, which will NOT only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken2014. This new PLATFORM is much more stable and will never reboot.


ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, OR did the road move beneath the chicken?


COLONEL SANDERS: DID I MISS ONE?

Laughter really does the heart good!

Peace
--Free

Sharing Views of the Valley

Life is full of highs and lows.

The past couple of months have been rough and necessary. I managed to hit rock bottom emotionally and get to a peak in my faith. I could not have survived the bottom without the peak or reached the peak without hitting the bottom. Life is odd, painful, beautiful and crazy.

These are some thoughts that came out of my recent ups and downs. I tend to deal with most of my feelings through a sort of creative and passive-aggressive use of my words.  There is a story behind every one of the photo-texts but I don't have the energy or ability to focus long enough to get them written. Good thing about it is, I've come out renewed and re-motivated.

Feel free to use any of these for non-commercial use as long as you credit/link to www.freebeingfree.blogspot.com

Peace
--Free