Are You A CrockPot Cook?

Years ago, friends were always telling me to buy a Crockpot, so when I saw a discounted Wolfgang Puck slow cooker on Overstock, I bought it. I learned 2 valuable lessons: 1) Never buy products with celebrity chef names. Mine died soon after the purchase; 2) In Manhattan, I don't need a slow cooker. I can cook everything on my stove/oven with the pots and pans I already own. So when Wolfgang Puck's space hug went kaput I said good riddance and never looked back!

Photo: iStock

That is until recently when ...

I bought a Crockpot for when I cook meals for my mother outside of Manhattan. When not in my well-stocked Manhattan kitchen, it is handy for meals I normally need all 4 stove burners and oven to prepare.

I recommend sticking with the original Crockpot brand. It gets hotter than its competitors, up to 450°F, so you can cook dinner faster than at most slow cooker speeds. Whole chicken, beef, or pork roasts fit better inside the oval-shaped slow cookers.

I think in the suburbs, a Crockpot is great for entertaining friends. You can cook hearty one-pot dinners such as a beef stew, roast chicken with potatoes and carrots, meatloaf, or hearty soups without having to leave your friends sitting on the couch while you spend time in the kitchen tending to the food. Furthermore, you can leave the setting on warm for still moist second portions. Later, the cleanup is a breeze too! The lift-out pot is dishwasher safe.

In Manhattan, we usually don't entertain a lot of people at one time.

Planning is everything. I would never host a party without enough space, food, or seats for everyone invited. I've been to some of those city soirées. As you can imagine, such a gathering isn't a lot of fun! You can't mingle or get over to the food and drink.

With this 7-quart Crockpot, you could have up to 6 people for dinner. I leave the space and a comfortable seating arrangement for you to figure out.😁

So far in the Crock-Pot, I've made my pea soup, adding 1 cup of brown rice, a 12-ounce bag of frozen mixed vegetables, and 4 extra cups of water to the recipe, turning the soup into a one-Crock-Pot meal. I ate my soup vegetarian style and topped my mother's soup with diced deli ham. With protein, carbs, and vegetables covered, it's lazy cooking that gets the job done!

You may also enjoy:

All Beef Salisbury Steak

Slow Cooker Lasagna Lite 

Stovetop Roast Chicken With Gravy

Hearty Split Pea Soup And Cornbread For Meatless Mondays

Old Navy Summer Dresses

Once again, the spotlight is on Old Navy's summer dresses. Year after year, the retailer comes through! Old Navy dresses are casual smart. The right shoes and accessories will dress them up or down, and they are suitable for women of all ages.

Fabrics, including cotton, linen, and rayon, keep you cool in summer and are machine washable and dryable. In recent years, Old Navy has expanded the color selections of its dresses. Now each dress style is offered in up to 7 colors or patterns. The most in-demand colors sell out fast!

Mass-produced dresses have never bothered me! Wearers buy different colors, accessorize the same dress differently and also just wear a dress differently. The same dress looks different on various body types.

To boot: Old Navy's promotions and customer rewards mean you can buy these dresses cheaper than you could ever sew them! A whole dress (which is as cozy as a t-shirt) costs less than a t-shirt elsewhere!

It's a no-brainer, Old Navy summer dresses are affordable, comfortable, machine-washable, and fashionable!✅✓✔and✅

Dresses for A Senior Mom

Walmart's Cheap Thrills Dresses

Pardon My Back Summer Dresses

6 Best Fabrics To Wear In Summer

Chocolate Cakes Without Flour or Sugar

Photo & recipe: Notycheese

Call me a skeptic. But, when you crave a slice of cake, I think you'll only satisfy your craving by eating the decadent cake. Why? The texture resulting from the flour, sugar, chocolate, and butter is why we like the dessert. Without the right texture, we have something else we are calling cake.:)

That said, all the flourless, sugarless, and butter or oil-less cakes floating around the internet are intriguing, and I'm willing to try the easy ones.

`

An advantage is they often require less work with fewer ingredients than baking a 2-layer cake. Also, the amount of dessert made is usually less, so I can see using the tastier recipes as a quick snack when we lack the time or people to help us eat a whole cake. I don't see any benefit to foregoing gluten without a gluten sensitivity, but maybe it's a practical way of using the apples or bananas in our refrigerators.

Today I'll select 2 recipes for Chocolate Cake, one made with apples and the other with bananas to replace the flour, sugar, and oil or butter in the batter of traditional cakes:

Flourless Chocolate Cake Using Apples (top image👆)

Ingredients: (Half the ingredients to make less cake.)

4 medium apples, peeled and chopped into chunks
4 large eggs
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder

Butter or cooking oil spray to grease the baking pan

Directions: 

1) Blend the apples and eggs in a blender until smooth.

2) Add the coca powder and baking powder.

3) Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan.

4) Bake for 45 minutes or until done in the middle. Cool before slicing and eating.

🎂🥮🎂🥮🎂🥮🎂🥮🎂🥮🎂🥮🎂🥮

Flourless Chocolate Cake Using Bananas (bottom image👇)

Photo & recipe: yummyy

Ingredients for the Cake 

2 ripe bananas, sliced

2 eggs

8 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

Cooking oil spray for the dish.

Directions for the Cake:

1) Toss the bananas and eggs into a blender and mix until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the cocoa powder and baking soda.

2) Pour into a nonstick or cooking oil-sprayed microwave-safe dish. Smooth the top with a spatula.

3) Bake in the microwave for 5 minutes. Let cool.

Ingredients for a Topping: 

1/2 cup of chocolate chips

3 - 4 tablespoons of milk

Directions:

Melt the chocolate and milk in the microwave, incorporate, and pour over the cake.

A similar recipe on my Facebook feed using oatmeal:

Feel free to try this Grand Culinary Experiment along with me. I'm also skeptical that eating flourless, sugarless, butterless cakes will help us lose weight. Still, these "cakes" could be worthy chocolate desserts in and of themselves!

You may also enjoy:

All About Cocoa Powder

A Classic Dark Chocolate Cake

A Sugarless Chocolate Milkshake

Overnight Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding

Faces Love Ultra Violette Sunscreen

Photo: SkinRocks

Ultra Violette Sunscreen is a cult favorite manufactured in Australia, where wearing sunscreen daily is a must due to the continent's close proximity to the sun. Not only does sunscreen shield faces from developing cancer, it shields them from premature aging.

Ultra Violette Sunscreen formulas are hailed for their dewy, hydrating, and luminous finishes. They contain some skin benefits like vitamin C and panthenol, ingredients that smooth and brighten the skin. An application leaves no white cast and works well under makeup as a primer to smooth out skin texture.

Queen Screen is lightweight and serum-like, while Supreme Screen has a creamy texture with a satin finish.

Ultra Violette Sunscreens are on the pricey side. Recently a similar product I use, L'Oreal Miracle Blurr, has been discontinued. So I'll need a replacement.

It's great knowing about popular cult sun protection like Ultra Violette Sunscreen both to stay up-to-date on skincare and to grab one should we see the product at a good price at T.J. Maxxx.

Here are 2 face primers below with SPF 30 from NYX and Neutrogena ... I'll have to try when my tube of Miracle Blur is empty.

Do you have a favorite face primer with SPF 30 or higher?

You may also enjoy:

Protecting Your Skin

Planet Eden Organic Skin Care

Vichy Skincare Is Available At CVS

Cosmeceutical Skin Care ... Say What?

Rosec Jewelry For Customized Handmade Fine Jewelry

Rosec Jewelry is an independent online fine jewelry retailer with headquarters (at 64 West 48th Street, Suite 1406) in the diamond district of Manhattan and stores in London and Jaipur. Its manufacturing facilities are located in India. America, Canada, and the United Kingdom make up its customer base. Rosec sells its jewelry on its own website and platforms like Amazon, Etsy, eBay, and Walmart. This gives Savvy Shoppers a comparison of prices among platforms and awesome opportunities to catch sales and discounts when buying a piece of jewelry!

There are several reasons to consider Rosec Jewelry. The company specializes in homemade fine jewelry including certified diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, pearls, and semi-precious gemstones at not cheap but affordable prices. Their skilled artisans have been jewelers for 15+ years and they only work with hallmarked gold, 925 sterling silver, and certified and ethically sourced gemstones.

Most of Rosec's jewelry can be customized to fit a customer's budget. Therefore a ring, earrings, bracelet, or necklace can be made with either natural or lab-grown gemstones and comes in a choice of precious metals: 18k gold, 14k gold, or 925 sterling silver. You select how your gemstone was grown, and in a precious metal with the design and craftsmanship staying the same. It gives everyone the chance to buy fine jewelry instead of settling for costume jewelry!

Rosec likes to describe its jewelry as: Luxury Meets Affordability. I like the jeweler's focus on design, craftsmanship, genuine silver and gold precious metals, certified gemstones, and fabulous customer service. Potential buyers can book a virtual meeting if they need guidance. Nice! The website is well-designed and easy to navigate to help consumers understand the inventory. To boot, 20% promotions are offered on holidays!! 

What great gifts for family and special friends! Rosec has a wide selection of everyday jewelry that is especially fitting as a young girl's first piece of fine jewelry for her special birthday, confirmation, or graduation.

You may also enjoy:

Yellow vs White vs Rose Gold

Sterling Silver In Fine Jewelry

10 Top Designers Of High Jewelry

Macy's For Fine Jewelry ... Yes or No?

A Milk Cake

A recipe on Facebook that found me is from the page, N'oven Foods. Called a Milk Cake, it's very similar to a Buttermilk Cake. Both are sponge cakes. I'm posting the recipe because I think it solves the problem of too much cake without enough visitors to eat it!

The only cakes worth the calories are either homemade from scratch, or made by a good bakery, not from a box of cake mix, but sometimes a 2-layer cake is too much of a good thing. The following recipe is for a 6-inch single-layer homemade cake ... and you can either bake it in an oven or on a stovetop!

Milk Cake by N'oven

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup milk (Bump it up to condensed, half and half, or cream if you wish.)

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar (I use 1/4 cup sugar.)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

I add a tiny pinch of salt

Directions:

1) Mix the butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and set aside.

2) In a mixing bowl, crack 2 eggs and using an electric mixer blend for one minute.

3) Add 1/2 cup of sugar and continue mixing until foamy.

4) Next use a strainer to shift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour in the vanilla extract. Continue mixing either with an electric mixer, a whisk, or even a spatula. 

5) Into the bowl, incorporate the hot milk and butter with the dry ingredients and continue mixing.

6) Pour the batter into a well-greased 6" baking pan, The video places the pan on top of a metal trivet inside a bigger pot with a lid to cook on a stovetop for 30 minutes. I'll bake mine inside the oven at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. But if we're ever somewhere (camping?) without a stove, there's an alternate way of "baking" it!

A-ha, the original cooking method on a stovetop explains why this cake is 6" and one layer. I bet you could make the cake without using 2 pans and a metal trivet by simply pouring the batter into a buttered cast iron skillet covered with a lid. Cast iron skillets get very hot and cook evenly on a stovetop or inside an oven. I think since cornbread can either be baked in an oven or cooked in a skillet on a stovetop, the same would work with a Milk Cake. Like pancakes, only slower and higher.

The recipe ended here on Facebook, but not in Debra's kitchen where dark chocolate and a little bit of milk get melted in a microwave and then poured over the finished and cooled Milk Cake. A  ganache topping is France's contribution to the desert world.:)

Clearly, a Milk Cake is editable plain; sprinkled with powdered sugar; or frosted. Icing with shredded nuts, or chocolate sprinkles would work too. You do you!

I've made cakes when a friend was coming over for coffee. My friend eats a slice and I eat a slice and then I have the rest of the cake I no longer want that ends up in the freezer.

This delicious recipe is a coffee hour or tea time keeper! It solves 2 problems: no oven (but you can bake it in the oven) and unwanted leftover cake. Sometimes all we crave is a single day of cake.

You may also enjoy:

Carla Hall's Caramel Cake

Easy Homemade Strawberry Cake

Buttermilk Layer Cake: Vanilla or Chocolate Icing

Swedish Cardamon Cake With Caramelized Topping

Half Day's Garment Duffel Bag

Half Day's Garment Duffel Bag is a game changer! It's the most versatile travel bag we didn't know we needed. The duffel is durable, water-resistant, and lightweight, yet it hangs a business suit, dresses, and shirts wrinkle-free while also carrying shoes, folded clothes, and accessories. There is lots of room and pockets to separate a wardrobe for travel! After you get to your destination, you can unfold the bag and hang the whole bag up on a closet or shower rod if you wish. (After the bedbug invasion of 2010, I'd suggest not using hotel closets.)

Only having discovered the bag, I'm unaware of how to score a discount on Half Day's full retail price of $108 or $168. A search doesn't pull up any department stores that sell it. Major department stores always have promotion days, yet it isn't listed on Macy's, Nordstrom's, Bloomingdale, Saks, or Dillard's websites.

Amazon carries the Haf Day bag + less costly similar designed duffels so start your search there to find a proximate bag for less. If a frequent traveler, you may decide that paying the piper for the original is worth it.

The Moulyan Garment Duffle, at $39, is one of Amazon's cheaper alternatives I like because it is alike but has the 3rd way of wearing it as a backpack and not just as a tote or shoulder bag. If you're looking for a duffel garment bag, you should compare the two to decide which price tag best fits your budget and needs. The less expensive bag is good enough for weekends away or biyearly vacations. A salesman whose job is to travel might need the $100 - $200 bag. Read all the customer reviews to know. The majority will usually guide you correctly.

Certainly, the design is genius and super functional! What do you think of these 2 garment duffel bags? Do you carry a favorite garment duffel bag brand?

You may also enjoy:

Gifts For Travelers +

3 Best Travel Jewelry Cases

Stylish Sun Protection: Hats

Booking Cheap Airfares Like A Pro

Commence By Brooke Shields

Commence, the brand developed by actress and Princeton graduate Brooke Shields, is top-notch haircare. The products target hair concerns for women over 40. The 3 most popular products in the line -- a 2-in-1 instant shampoo, a 3-in-1 leave-in conditioner, and a root serum -- are formulated to promote healthier, thicker, and more voluminous hair.

Let's take a closer look at each one:

The 2-in-1 Instant Shampoo - Cleans and balances dry hair, adds volume and leaves the hair more squeaky clean, lifted, and full. Cost: $21 for .75oz/21 g.

The 3-in-1 Leave-in Conditioner - Hydrates, tames frizz, adds shine, and contains ingredients like alfalfa extract and quinoa peptics to protect hair from the heat of blow dryers, straighteners, and curling irons. It is a lightweight formula that supports hair growth and thickens hair strands. Cost: 26 for 5  Fl oz/150 ml

The Root Serum - Is designed to nourish and support the scalp microbiome. It calms, hydrates, and strengthens hair from its roots to its ends. The result is softer, smoother, and stronger hair. Cost: $30 4 fl oz/ 120 ml.

While testers are pleased with how the products improve the texture of their hair, the products are costly! You could probably splurge to try them, but you must decide how much you can afford to continue using them. Ask what sum you are comfortable spending on your hair over the course of a year. The Commence haircare line adds up to a pretty penny!

I won't lie, I'll spend more on skin products than hair products. Over time, I've found budget-friendly drugstore brands to match expensive luxury brands, and T.J. Maxx stocks amazing shampoos and conditioners containing botanicals. Enter T.J. Maxx in the blog's search box to read about some of those.

On Commence's website, look for coupon codes and the kits to lower costs. If using the whole line isn't in your budget, I'd zero in on the hair serum. The brand really delivers!

You may also enjoy:

Trendy Rapunzel Hair

Difeel Shampoos And Conditioners

Garnier Hair Honey Repairing Serum

The Beauty Products I Use Right Now

6 Canned Produce I Like

Most of us would agree there's no comparison of taste between farm fresh fruits and vegetables and canned or even frozen produce. Living in a city, I buy plenty of frozen vegetables because food experts tell us they are frozen soon after picking and retain their nutrients. It's a compromise I make since frozen is more convenient though less scrumptious than farm fresh.

But guess what? There are canned foods I don't mind or like better than their fresh, or refrigerated, or frozen versions. I'll list 6 of them below.

6 Canned Produce I Like:

1) Sauerkraut - Canned sauerkraut isn't as raw as it is bagged and refrigerated at the supermarket. Still sufficiently sour yet not as intensely sour or crunchy as unblanched bagged sauerkraut.

2) Refried beans - I see little difference in taste or texture between canned beans and dried beans you soak and tenderize yourself. With refried beans, I like the convenience, and unless you cooked a huge amount, the extra cost of buying them canned is minor. For soups or sometimes chili, I will use either canned or dried beans depending on how much I'm making.

3) Pumpkin, puree - Who in their right mind would unseed, clean, cook, and scrape the flesh out of a fresh pumpkin to use in a dish? Oh, the many steps and mess!😳

4) Tomatoes, whole plum, diced, or crushed for cooking - Cheap and you have the same consistency every time when making sauces.

5) Pineapple, diced - Since pineapples don't grow outside of Hawaii or South America, it is doubtful I have ever eaten a fresh one, so I opt for the convenience of canned pineapple. I don't detect enough of a difference after cleaning and cutting up a whole pineapple that may (or may not) be fresh after it arrives at the supermarket.

6) Spinach - This one is debatable. I do prefer fresh spinach and buy it to use as a dip, pizza topping, part of a salad, or to add to soup, but since a 10-ounce bag of fresh spinach cooks down to nothing in seconds, I also buy canned spinach to eat as a side dish. The taste and texture of canned spinach is fine, plus there seems to be more of it in a can than in a bag. In Manhattan you can't buy a bushel of fresh spinach, or grow it sans a plot of soil, so it's another compromise I make.

So there you are, my list of 6 foods I buy and like canned. Often our sense of taste is subjective. Is there any produce you would add or subtract from my list as unedible? Let's discuss... it's all in fun.🌴

You may also enjoy:

Skillet Chili Con Carne

A Dream Pumpkin Cake

9 Ways To Save Money At The Supermarket

Greenmarkets, Community Gardens And CSA's