Southern Recipe Pork Rinds From Rudolph Foods

Looking for a crunchy, salty snack that is delicious and gluten free?  Southern Recipe Pork Rinds are just the thing for you!  Pork rinds are a family tradition around the world. Generations of families have grown up enjoying pork rind snacks.

Southern Recipe Pork Rinds were created from a family recipe at Rudolph Foods in 1955. Since then, Rudolph Foods has grown to be the world’s largest producer of pork rinds. In blind label consumer testing in four cities, pork rinds from Rudolph Foods were preferred by a wide margin over other brands because of their taste and appealing crispness.  I wasn’t a part of those tests, but I agree that these pork rinds are better tasting than others I have tried. They don’t taste “greasy” or heavy at all. They just have a crispy, crunchiness that I love.

These pork rinds come in five flavors–Sweet BBQ,  Bar-B-Q, Salt & Vinegar, Spicy Hot, and Original. While I am not so much a fan of hot things, I love the Original and the Salt & Vinegar flavors. My friend, Rob, tried the Spicy Hot and Bar-B-Q flavors and says they are great, too!

High in protein, low in cholesterol and carbohydrate-free, a serving of pork rinds has approximately 80 calories, 9 grams o protein, 10 mg of cholesterol, and 5 grams of fat, most of which is unsaturated fat. That means a serving of pork rinds is higher in protein and lower in fat than a serving o peanuts! And, they are gluten free, which is the #1 thing I look for in snacks for myself.

You can learn more about Rudolph Foods and Southern Recipe Pork Rinds at their website.  Be sure to check out the Man Cave–a fun site to explore with a chance to win a T-shirt.

Eat Cleaner Grab-n-Go Fruit & Vegetable Wipes

In our house, we have always been pretty good about keeping food safe to eat. We wash our hands with warm soapy water before and after preparing food. We keep counter tops, cutting boards, and utensils clean by sanitizing with soap and hot water and letting them air dry. We avoid cross contamination of foods and food preparation surfaces. We even practice “when in doubt, throw it out!” But until recently, I am embarrassed to say I was one of those “rinse with water” people when it came to fruits and vegetables. Then I viewed the YouTube video Eat Cleaner: The Real Dirt on What’s Lurking on Your Plate.

Here are the facts:

• Roughly 78 million food borne illnesses are reported each year
• Mild symptoms include vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea
• Approximately 5,000 deaths occur each year
• Up to 20 sets of hands touch our food before it even arrives at the supermarket

Truthfully, I never really gave a second thought to how many people might have handled my food before I brought it home to my family. And what about pesticides? Waxy residue? Sure I knew they were there but I was washing it off with water. Wasn’t I? What could I do to ensure that everything that wasn’t meant to be eaten was actually removed from my food before I ate it?  I had once heard someone tell me to soak fruits and vegetables for a few minutes in warm water mixed with a teaspoon of salt. I was also familiar with all natural citrus based household cleaners. So when I learned that citric acid and sea salt were listed as ingredients of all natural Eat Cleaner Grab-n-Go Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Wipes, I decided to give them a try.

I tested the biodegradable wipes on two red apples fresh from the grocery store. Both were dulled from wax residue. I rinsed the first apple with cold tap water. The second apple’s surface was cleaned with a moist Eat Cleaner Grab-n-Go wipe. Just by looking at the two apples side by side I could clearly see that the first apple still looked a bit dull but the second apple cleaned with Eat Cleaner was shiny and bright. The nose test revealed a slightly citrus almost perfume like smell on the Grab-n-Go apple. I was just about to discount the Eat Cleaner odorless claim but then realized that the smell faded within a few seconds leaving behind only the smell of fresh apple. The taste test was performed by my grandson who grabbed the Eat Cleaner apple off the counter, bit down and happily walked away. No complaints of bitter aftertaste!

Designed to be used not only on fruits and vegetables, the Grab-n-Go wipes can also be used on countertops, cutting boards, utensils, and even hands. But at roughly 65 cents per wipe, I’m not sure they are they most cost effective method for cleaning foods and surfaces in your kitchen. Perhaps the Eat Cleaner Fruit & Vegetable Wash containing the same ingredients would be a better option. But for on the go clean eating, the Eat Cleaner Grab-n-Go wipes are a perfect solution. A single wipe kept in you purse or workout bag can make you feel better about biting down on that juicy pear just picked up at the fruit stand.

Want to try Eat Cleaner products for yourself? Visit Eat Cleaner online.

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This reviewer is not compensated for purchases made from links in this review.
Disclaimer - Sample product(s) were provided for testing and reviewing purposes.
Please see my FTC Disclaimer for more details regarding this review.

Wellgate for Women Braces

When I was asked to try out a  Wellgate’s for Women Ultra Lite Knee Support, I gladly said “YES!”  I have trouble with my knees when I walk or stand a lot, so this was something I have been thinking about for a while. With spring coming up, there will be more opportunities to get out and exercise, and this knee brace will help me keep at it.

Wellgate’s Ultra Lite Knee Support is more than functional. It is made for women, and is somewhat attractive for a product of its type. It is made of a soft, breathable fabric that makes wearing it more comfortable. The Queen size is truly a fit for larger women like me, and fits women up to six feet tall and 270 pounds.

The Wellgate for Women Ultra Lite Knee Support has a control top for a smooth fit on the upper thigh, and has a non-slip band on the inside so it doesn’t slide down like some other braces do. It doesn’t feel constrictive or too tight like some other braces I have tried. I was able to wear it all day without feeling uncomfortable.

In addition to the Women’s Ultra Lite Knee Support (available in regular and Queen sizes), the line includes Women’s High Performance Knee Supports, Women’s Slimfit Wrist Supports, and Women’s Slimfit Ankle Supports. The Women’s Ultra Knee Support retails for about $17.

If you would like to try one Wellgate for Women product of your choice, you can win one!  To enter the give away:

1. Go to WellGate for Women to read about their products, then come back here and make a comment to let us know which of their products would be best for your needs. You can also pick up a $2.00 off coupon at their website.
2. Tweet about the give away, and make a comment here to let us know you did.
3. Subscribe to MomGadget’s RSS feed, and comment that you did. That’s a total of three chances to win.

The give away will be open for entries until March 1, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. United States residents only, please.

Soirée: Wine Aeration with a Touch of Elegance

A Wine Connoisseur I am not. You might even say I am somewhat intimidated by wine and the wine culture. While I do enjoy a glass of wine now and again, I tend to rely heavily on the knowledge of my friends to choose the wine. I play it safe when purchasing wine for home and stay within my comfort zone gravitating toward the sweeter, lighter wines and sticking with a few tried and true favorites. My dining experiences with darker wines caused me to avoid them for fear I wouldn’t enjoy the stronger tasting flavors.

When I was given the opportunity to review the Soirée bottle top wine aerator, I thought this would be an excellent opportunity to expand my horizons. The Soirée promised to help improve the aroma and flavor of any wine. Maybe it could help me develop a bit more confidence when selecting and enjoying a darker wine.

My first stop was the Soirée website to read a bit about the product and the importance of aerating wine. Two sections, Why Decant and Soirée Science, provided me with valuable information. I learned that oxygen actually stimulates wine bringing out flavors and smells that are lying dormant. Did you know the aroma of wine actually changes as it sits in your glass? The longer it sits, the more oxygen it is exposed to, the better it smells and tastes. A few swirls in the glass actually aerates the wine even more. The Soirée eliminates both the wait time and the need to swirl. Pouring wine through the Soirée aerates the wine and infuses it with oxygen as it pours into your glass.

Before addressing the actual testing of the Soirée, I want to talk a bit about the product itself. First, it is stunning. Elegant hand blown glass is not something that you would typically associate with the term “gadget.” While beautiful to look at, it is a fragile object and care must be taken in the use and cleaning of this product. An included stand doubles as a drying rack so this helps to avoid breakage while storing and drying your Soirée. Unlike traditional wine aerators where the wine is poured through the aerator, the Soirée actually fits directly into the opening of the wine bottle. It does come with two sizes of gaskets which fit most bottles, but it does not accommodate all bottle openings. A larger size or a more universal gasket would be a nice addition.

My experience has always been pour the wine, drink the wine. Perhaps this “from bottle to glass to lips” method contributed to my apprehension towards dark wines. The wine was never given the opportunity to win me over with its true flavors.

To test the Soirée, I selected a 2008 Alamos Malbec from Argentina. After reading up on the 100 point system for evaluating wine, I chose this wine as it consistently rated 87+ and earned a 90 from Wine Spectator. I also selected it because of its reasonable price and availability. Using my customary pour and drink method, my first sip was a little too bitter and aggressive for my liking. Despite the bite, I expected more taste and depth from such a dark wine.

I then fitted the bottle with the Soirée and slowly inverted the bottle above my glass. I loved watching the Soirée in action as the wine swirled within the glass ball and tumbled into my glass. Surprisingly enough, I did not experience any splash effect. Every drop went into my glass and when I finished pouring, the wine in the Soirée slid right back into the bottle. My second sip of the Malbec was much more satisfying than the first. No longer did I detect the bitterness from the first sampling and there was a lot more flavor and depth to the wine.

My overall impression of the Soirée is that it lives up to its claims and delivers on its promises. While I may not be completely in tune with the science of wine and what makes one wine rate higher than another, as a novice wine drinker, I can truly appreciate the fact that wine tastes better when aerating with the Soirée.

To learn more about the Soirée, please visit the Soirée website.
Or to purchase a Soirée for yourself or as a gift, visit the Soirée online personal shopping cart.
This reviewer is not compensated for purchases made from links in this review.

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Disclaimer - Sample product(s) were provided for testing and reviewing purposes.
Please see my FTC Disclaimer for more details regarding this review.

Newcastle DraughtKeg: A Smart Choice

Newcastle DraughtKeg

Back in 1928, in Northeast England, if you heard a man say he was “Going to see a man about a dog,” you could be fairly certain he was off to the pub to have a pint of Newcastle Brown Ale. Known by Newcastle locals as “Dog” or “Broon,” Newcastle Brown Ale is America’s No. 1 imported ale. Now with the Newcastle DraughtKeg, you don’t have to leave your own kitchen to enjoy the deep bodied, crisp taste of this fine draught ale.

If you are a stranger to Newcastle Brown Ale or if you aren’t a fan of darker beers, you should really give this ale a try. I thoroughly enjoy the refreshing taste with no bitterness or unpleasant aftertaste. You will be pleasantly surprised by the unique flavor. With just a hint of sweetness, Newcastle Brown Ale offers a smooth drinking experience and it goes perfect with your favorite pub fare.

The Newcastle DraughtKeg brings home the pub experience by dispensing a cool draught beer. Easy to follow directions allow you to tap the recyclable steel keg in just two easy steps. It’s small enough to carry to a neighborhood party or over to a friend’s house to watch the Super Bowl. Holding five liters of ale, the DraughtKeg is just the right size for a small group gathering or the perfect size for one. Of course, I am not going to drink five liters of ale in one sitting, but with DraughtKeg’s patented technology, I don’t have to. Once tapped, the DraughtKeg keeps beer fresh for up to thirty days, giving me a cool draught beer anytime I want one.

The Newcastle DraughtKeg fits nicely on the shelf inside the door of my refrigerator and I don’t have to remove it until it’s empty. I just open the door, place my glass under the spout, and pour. After pouring, I make sure to give the dispensing spout a couple taps with the glass to catch any ale remaining in the spout. I also keep a folded paper towel under the spout to catch drips and avoid a sticky mess on the shelf. I have heard if you pair the DraughtKeg with the Beertender by Krups, you no longer have to store the DraughtKeg in the refrigerator. Although I have not tested the Beertender myself, I would be interested in hearing from my readers who have tried it. The thought of enjoying a cool draught beer right from my kitchen countertop is intriguing!

Overall, the pairing of Newcastle Brown Ale and the DraughtKeg is a smart choice. It allows you to enjoy a superb draught ale while drinking responsibly from the comfort of your own home. Off to the kitchen to see a man about a dog!

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Disclaimer - Sample product(s) were provided for testing and reviewing purposes.
Please see my FTC Disclaimer for more details regarding this review.

Black Helmet Apparel…Casual Firefighter Wear

Just recently I was introduced to Black Helmet Apparel.com- –an online store founded by a Fireman for Firefighters.   “Black Helmet Apparel is the future of firefighter casual wear and has is a clothing line  firefighters can be proud to wear.”  As far as I know, it  is the only one of its kind and a great way to represent  while off duty.

I had the opportunity to review a couple of their items and I was quite impressed. All the designs are hand drawn, and unique. The images you will find relay the fearless, but frightening side of a firefighter’s job. The sayings on the shirts are simple and straight to the point –Smoke Showin’. Aggressive Attack. Adapt and Overcome. Fight Fire. Fire Out.  You have your choice of a T-shirts, Hoodies, or Polos, which ever suits your style.  They also have apparel for women and kids too.

The shirts I received were for males so my husband played a part in helping me with this review.  

The first shirt was the Adapt and Overcome Classic Fit Firefighter Tee. The artwork and design on this shirt was great and the message even more—It read: “Sometimes you have to think outside the box. You can’t game plan for everything. All you can do is Adapt and Overcome”.

Next up was the Black Helmet Polo Shirt. Nice and sporty for the more dress up occasion. This one was a complete winner.  The perfect color, fabric and style.  It was also very comfortable.  According to him, the best aspect of this shirt was the ventilation panels and the ultra-dry technology of Dri-Mesh.

In general, the shirts were done with great style, comfort-ability and good quality in mind.  I must say, the website does no justice, they are a lot better in person. These would make a great Valentine’s Day gift for the Firefighter in your life, the Wife of a Firefighter, Mom, Dad, or Kid of one.

Don’t worry if you don’t know someone personally who would love this gift. Grab one for yourself in honor of the many fire fighters who put their lives on the line each day. Black Helmet Apparel is committed to supporting the firefighter community and contribute a portion of all profits to not for profit charities and foundations. See the list here.

Sansa® slotRadio

I recently received a SanDisk Sansa® slotRadio to review.

Reading the literature the slotRadio doesn’t appear very impressive.  The website says It’s a small, stylish music player that comes bundled with a slotRadio™ Mix card preloaded with 1,000 full-length songs featuring artists from the Billboard® charts, and professionally arranged into a variety of genre-themed playlists.  To be honest my first thought was “what’s the point”  I mean you can get an MP3 player and have music you choose not just a genre of pre-mixed music.

When the slotRadio arrived I had to eat those words.  It’s well made, sturdy and small.  It uses a micro SD card which you can purchase pre-loaded or you can download your own music to a disk.  In addition it’s an FM radio.  That was a surprise to me.  The bundle comes with a protective cover, earbuds, USB cord with AC adapter for charging.  The unit also has a belt clip on the back.  The sound quality from the slotRadio was above what I was expecting and I was very impressed with this unit and felt it was well worth the price.

As mentioned above the slotRadio comes with a pre-loaded disk with a mix of top 100 songs from the Billboard® charts.  Additional disks in your genre of choice can be purchased.

This would make a great gift for those that are not computer saavy and not able to download music or those who don’t have a computer. It is also a good gift for those who can download music but want the option of a radio without having to carry 2 units with them.

slotRadio is available from SanDisk for $79.99 with pre-loaded cards for $39.99.  The slotRadio can also be purchased from Radio Shack and Best Buy.

Brother P-Touch PT-90 Labeler Review

I am an organizational freak! I used to own and operate a Professional Organizing business and my labeler was my right hand man, er, machine. I always loved the look on my clients’ faces after we had their room all organized and some things labeled.

I’ll never forget this one man’s reaction after we had spent hours sorting through their family photos, putting them into photo boxes and then labeling them. He just stood there in front of the shelf staring at it forever. I think I saw a small twinkle in his eye.

I do have one labeler, but there are some functions it is missing. I can only do one font and it doesn’t have the option to put a decorative border around it. Well, in came the Brother P-Touch PT-90 Labeler into my life. We are a match made in heaven for sure!

The Brother P-Touch PT-90 labeler is a personal handheld labeler that is a part of the new Simply Stylish product series, which includes an easy-to-use Deco Mode application that prints extra-stylish labels. The PT-90 has a sleek new design and includes 3 interchangeable Face Plates to customize your labeler to fit your personality. It can be used for creative or organizational labeling projects in the home or at school.

Here are the features of the Brother P-Touch PT-90 Labeler:

Hardware

* New, sleek white color
* 3 interchangeable colorful face plates for personalizing your machine’s look
* Easy view, 12-characer LCD display
* Handheld design with Typewriter style keyboard
* Uses non-laminated “M” series tapes in 3/8” and 1/2” widths
* Operates on 4 “AAA” batteries (not included)

Software

*8 Deco Mode Patterns for extra-stylish labels
*8 Type Styles and 7 Framing options
*Select up to 173 Symbols
*Prints 1 or 2 lines
*1 font

My daughter, who is 12, has inherited my obsession with organizing products and I knew as soon as she saw this, it would be a fight to the death! We have agreed to share it and she has used it to label her school folders, put her name on some of her electronic products and her next plan is to use it for a photo album she plans to put together.

The uses for labels, especially ones that have decorative borders, are endless. If there is someone on your holiday gift list who loves organization, this might be just the perfect gift for them. And it is great for tweens and teens too!

Image Credit: Brother

EasyBloom Plant Sensor – A MomGadget Review – Just in time for Mother’s Day

One of the most exciting and fun gadgets I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing this spring has been the EasyBloom Plant Sensor.

I’ve often joked about this brown thumb that I sport – that has been known to kill cactus plants – but the older (and wiser) I get, the more I realize that it’s not so much a brown thumb as it is a lack of knowledge of what plants grow and thrive in certain soils and light.

The EasyBloom Plant Sensor is a wonderful gadget that takes the guess work out of gardening, be it flowers, vegetables or any type of plant for that matter.

Determine which plants will thrive in specific spots of your yard or home
Diagnose an ailing plant so you can restore it to good health.
Assess detailed plant information on over 5000 plants
Create a custom plant library of your favorite plants

It’s really very simple to use too!

Plug EasyBloom Plant Sensor into your USB port. You’ll then be wisked off to your EasyBloom Dashboard. This is where you select "monitor" or "recommend" mode.

Place your sensor in a spot you would like analized

Allow 24 hours for your EasyBloom to gather enough data to provide you with all the information you’ll need to determine what, if any, plants will do best in that particular location.

It’s truly as simple as THAT!

This year, instead of giving mom or grandma a bouquet of flowers, why not give them the gift of healthy flowers all summer long?

EasyBloom Plant Sensor is available at Amazon and retails for $59.95

Keeping the Date – Playdate Cards

What a cute way to keep up with your tiny tots friends and their play date schedule.

Felix Fu offers up several designs and formats to choose from.

20 illustrated play date cards on medium card stock with rounded corners will run you about $30.

Visit FelixDoolittle.com for this and other fun family stationary items.

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