Cutie Booty Cakes

Review: Health Master Blender and Fusion Juicer

2013-06-12T22:47:00.000-04:00

When I was asked by Walmart if I wanted to review the Fusion Juicer and the Health Master Elite Blender I immediately responded with a yes. I am a lover of smoothies and they are a staple in my diet. I have been using my restaurant grade blender for smoothies and was considering purchasing a juicer. I have been hesitant about purchasing one because I didn’t want to deal with the clean up. In the past when I’ve owned juicers the cleaning was a headache and therefore the juicers didn’t get much use in the long term. Here are my thought after using the Fusion Juicer.

Appearance: The juicer is fairly compact and is very aesthetically pleasing. I would have no problem leaving it on a countertop. The pulp collector sits neatly behind the machine.

Usage: I decided to try making one of my favorite juices - lemonade made from the juice of one apple and half of a lemon. I also added some mixed greens to get my veggies in.

The chute is very large so it isn’t necessary to cut the fruit you are juicing in small pieces. Both the apple and the lemon provided a great amount of juice. The booklet that comes with the juicer gives tips on the order to juice things that is very helpful. It also provides a number of juice recipes. I however forgot the order and tried to juice my leafy vegetables last. MISTAKE! They are in the category of least juicy and I should have juiced them first followed by juicer items. Lesson learned - have booklet handy!

Overall thoughts: I really like the Fusion juicer. I am more likely to make fruit juices with it and continue making smoothies using my blender because I like having the fiber in my drinks. I did eat the pulp so nothing was wasted but again, I prefer smoothies. The clean up was SIMPLE! I was able to wash it out quickly and easily. I did not have a brush as suggested to clean the blades but I was still able to manage without one. But a brush is on my list for the next shopping trip. I really enjoyed the ease of use and clean up with the Fusion Juicer and I recommend it if you are in the market for a juicer.

Price: $119.00

Health Master Elite Blender

One of the things I immediately noticed about the Health Master Elite Blender is that it can be used to make dough and mix flour. This capability fascinated me so I decided to put the Blender to the test by making a coffee cake. The recipe book included with the Health Master Elite Blender included an easy recipe and I had all the ingredients on hand so I made it for breakfast. I made the coffee cake wheat and gluten free flour and I promise you would never know it. I also substituted almond milk instead of dairy. With simple modifications I was able to use the recipe in the book and stay within my dietary constraints.

Appearance: I love the look of this unit. It has a digital window for selection of speed and time. The pitcher is lightweight and includes a taper for pushing down hard items. I have the black and silver model and like the juicer, I could easily leave this out on the counter.

Usage: To make the dough I needed to blend the dry ingredients first. I followed the directions in the recipe but realized that I might have done better with mixing using the pulse feature. I tried to simply blend on a high setting and overheated the unit. It has an automatic shut off if it gets too hot. I kept it off for a few minutes (I admit, not the recommended 25 minutes) and used it without a hitch. And the coffee cake itself? ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!

Overall Thoughts: I really like the Health Master Elite Blender. After seeing it in action making dough for my coffee cake, I am convinced that it will also be great for my smoothies. My old blender may be getting the boot! I really liked the light weight of the pitcher and the taper was easy to use. I also was impressed with the recipe book that included recipes for smoothies, soups, desserts, and adult beverages! I look forward to trying some of them soon. When compared to similarly powered blenders on the market like my old one, I think this is a great price. I highly recommend this blender.

Partying like a Rockstar at the Omni and The Package Tour!

2013-06-11T14:43:00.000-04:00

There are few things that make me smile wider than remember music from my youth. And next week I am going to be smiling from ear to ear because I get to party like a Rock Star at the Omni Hotel and attend the Package Tour concert! What is the Package Tour? Just the next best thing to sliced bread. No, seriously!

The line-up includes Boys to Men!

98 Degrees!

and headlining....................................

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK!

I have to admit that I am much more familiar with Boys to Men than I am with the music of the other groups but trust me when I say I am looking forward to ALL of it.

In addition to the concert, what will make it even more entertaining is that I will be enjoying the Rock Star package at the Omni Hotel in downtown Atlanta! With the Rock Star package I will have access to:

Deluxe Accomodations
Valet Parking
A Swag Bag
VIP check -in AND
Pre-Concert Party!

To say I am looking forward to the experience next Thursday night is an understatement. And of course, I have to enjoy the experience with my partner in crime - Lorraine! WE are going to have a blast and I can't wait to tell you all about it.

In the meantime, if you are interested in the RockStar package at the Omni there are some GREAT concerts coming up!

Saturday, August 10, 2013	Justin Bieber
Thursday, August 22, 2013	Bruno Mars
Saturday, October 19, 2013	Rod Stewart with Steve Winwood

I am sitting here contemplating Bruno Mars because really? Bruno Mars? Swoon!

Disclosure: I am receiving the Rock Star Package and concert tickets courtesy of the Omni Hotel. All opinions as usual are my own.

Shopping for Father's Day with my son

2013-06-09T18:18:00.002-04:00

It is hard to believe Father’s Day is next weekend. Somehow this year is flying by and since time stops for no one, the time to honor fathers is fast approaching. But seriously? It feels like we JUST celebrated Mother’s Day! Anyhow, when Walmart asked me to do something for Father’s day I was more than willing to oblige. My son is truly a daddy’s boy and I knew he’d enjoy the experience of shopping for his father.

Before I went to Arkansas to visit Walmart headquarters last week, I asked my son if he wanted to shop for his dad. Not only did he say yes but he told me he wanted to buy his dad a tie. I have to admit I had no idea if Walmart actually carried ties because I rarely visit the men’s section because I’m a single mom and have no man in my life to shop for. I was pleasantly surprised when I checked the Walmart website and not only found ties but discovered that they are silk and reasonably priced at $10.00!

For clothing items I generally shop at Walmart.com but in this instance I wanted my son to choose the ties so with my fingers crossed in hopes that there would be a good selection, we took a visit to Walmart today. Not only did we find ties, but there was a selection of accessories that a dad would like. I admit the tie selection was fairly limited but my son immediately found what he was looking for - a purple tie! I suggested he choose an additional one for variety and we purchased the purple narrow tie and a blue regular sized tie.

Next we hit up the card section and my son chose a very nice card for his dad. Overall, I found the shopping experience effortless and we were quickly in and out of the store. Although my son’s father will be receiving the “traditional” gift of a tie this year for Father’s Day, I know he will pleased to learn that his son picked out the gift on his own and will proudly sport his gifts!