Posted by Joni

iCooler was kind enough to let me review their new cooler. Now I know that there are many brands of lunch or snack coolers to choose from in the stores. BUT trust me....iCooler is not like anything you have 
seen. 

Normally, I take my cooler with 3 freezer packs and then add the lunch packs for my lunch. Then I need to remember to bring home the bag and put the freezer packs in the freezer each night. Well sometimes I'd forget so the next day, I would have to run out and buy a lunch. 

Well iCooler has solved that problem for me! The iCooler has the freezer packs built right into the bag itself!  When you first pick 

Posted by Jason

One of the perks of this job is to try out new places and their menus.  Granite City of Northville gave us a complete tour of their restaurant, brewery, and menu.  

Granite City is an excellent place to meet up after work for Beer:30, have a night out with friends or just that special someone.  There are all types of seating including some private areas for parties, work or otherwise.  There is the main eating area around the bar with tables, booths and bar seating; a side area with high windows and tables off the bar that can be closed off for private events, but even when it is not, the sounds of the other room does not overwhelm; and a closed off area to the side of the restaurant close to the kitchen that can sit a large party.  Most of the tables and seating areas have wall plugs with USB charging ports built in so you can charge your devices while you are there.

Posted by Joni

Magisso gave me the opportunity to test the new Magisso Tea Cup. It is a wonderful design where you can steep your favorite tea to get the perfect cup of tea. I don't own a tea pot so I can't use a tea ball. But I do like to have a good cup of tea. Using the old pot on my stove that I use when I want hot water, I couldn't wait to try the cup. While it looks different, it is easy and a joy to use.

To use the cup:

1. First you easily slide the tea filter into the slot in the cup. 
   
2. Next add your favorite loose leaf tea. Mine was Treasure of the Incas!
   
3. Then pour in the hot water and let the tea steep to your taste. 
   
4.  Finally, just tip the cup to the other direction and drink. 
   

Posted by Joni

Last week I was fortunate enough to go to the International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago. It was an overwhelming long weekend of seeing new items and meeting amazing new people. One of the people I was lucky enough to meet and allowed to interview was Cathy Mitchell. Cathy Mitchell is the author of Dump Dinners and other cookbooks. 

Cathy was so down to earth and open to our questions that it was just like sitting around your own kitchen table with a favorite aunt or grandmother. I expressed my frustration when cooking and modifying recipes because of my husband's lactose allergy and with him being pre-diabetic. She encouraged me to try some of the recipes and told me how easily modifiable they are for allergies. Cathy was not a chef who would never want a recipe changed, in fact, she told us to "play" with the recipes.

Posted by Jason Underwood

Recently, I had a meal at Dickey's Barbecue Pit.  I am not huge on BBQ places.  The sauce is almost pure sugar, the cuts of meat are suspect and service is usually lacking.  These are not problems for Dickey's.