Philips Avance Pasta Maker with Integrated Scale

I’ve always wanted to make my own pasta but the process seemed a bit too much for me – lots of time and patience was needed.   Even when my husband got me a KitchenAid mixer which also has attchments to make pasta I decided against it.

So imagine my delight when I saw the Philips Avance Pasta Maker available for review on Amazon Vine Voices. I did not hesitate one second and decided to take the opportunity to review this kitchen appliance.

While waiting for the delivery, I proceeded to look at some videos on how to use it.  The more I watched, the more I was getting excited.  I mean this machine was looking absolutely perfect in many ways.  Not only could you decide the type of flour you will use but you could also be original in the liquid to incorporate as well.   Want orange pasta?  Use carrot juice.  Want green pasta?  Use spinach juice. Want pink pasta?  Use bee t juice.   You could even obtain black pasta with squid ink.  You can incorporate spices to make your pasta more interesting.    And in 15 minutes you will get a plate full of delicious pasta for your family.

The HR2358/05 model possess an auto-weighting which weighs the flour and indicates the correct amount of liquid for the perfect texture.   The model also comes with eight shaping discs to make spaghetti, fettucini, penne, lasagna, angel hair, thick spaghetti, tagliatelly and pappardelle.   You will also found in the box a flat scrapping and cleaning tool, a flour cup and water cup as well as a free recipe book with over twenty different recipes to make.

The process is quite easy to follow.  Plug your machine and decide the type of pasta you want to make (basically you choose between regular pasta or egg pasta).  We decided to make egg pasta.  Pour the flour in the machine, close the lid and the machine will indicate how much liquid you need to incorporate.  Note that the liquid cup already contains two eggs because we were doing a double recipe for our family of six.   The book indicates that a double recipe would be enough pasta for 3-4 main meal or 8-10 side dish.  Seeing we are a family of six, I was wondering if I needed to make a double recipe followed by a single recipe.  We decided to stick with only a double recipe.

Once the machine starts, you will have to pour the liquid slowly in order for the pasta to mix equally.

Then for about 2-3 minutes the machine will mix the flour with the liquid. 

Once that time has passed, the pasta already comes out.  We have selected the spaghetti disc for our lunch.

Every once in a while you take the pasta in your hand and proceeded to cut it using the scraping/cleaning tool.  It is so easy to do that my nine years old daughter could do it.

 

Once the bulk of the dough has gone through the disc, the pasta maker will reverse in order to collect the leftover dough and then proceed to push the dough back in to make more pasta.  This happened twice in the 15 minutes it took to make the pasta.

And seriously, we had enough pasta for the whole family.   All we needed to do now was to boil the pasta in hot water.   It took about 4-5 minutes to boil it.

Lunch was super delicious too!   We knew exactly what was in the pasta we made and it was quick to do.

The fact that we can choose the type of flour, the ingredients as well as the liquid makes the Philips Pasta Maker a versatile kitchen appliance. Here’s another advantage to own the Philips Avance Pasta Maker – you can make cookies too!   You can purchase two extra discs which will allow you to make low fat healthy cookies for your family.

This machine is definitively a keeper in our family.   Everyone really like the texture and the taste of the pasta it made and the process was very easy to do.  To top it off, the pasta made with this machine can be store in ziploc bags and put in the freezer for future use.   This is definitively an huge bonus for our family.   We plan to make pasta in advance and freeze it.   My oldest kids also plan to make pasta for a challenge at youth called Master Chef.   Having fresh pasta for a meal they cook during a youth night that will be judge by the leaders would definitively give them an advantage.   

The Philips Pasta Maker is a great gift for a wedding, a birthday, or Christmas. 

The Philips Avance Pasta Maker with Integrated Scale is available for purchase at amazon.ca.

 

You can also get a model without the scale too!

 

And do not forget the extra discs for the cookies.

Disclaimer: This product has been provided courtesy of Amazon.ca Vine Voices for review purpose. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by Amazon.ca or the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Oral-B Power Genius 8000 Electric Rechargeable Toothbrush

I always contemplated the electronic toothbrush but never could justify the price tag on them.   However, Amazon Vine Voices had the Oral-B Genius 8000 recently on the products offered and I decided to take the plunge in order to try it out.  Oh. My. Word.   The first time I tried the toothbrush my teeth felt so clean that I had the impression I just came back from the dentist – the feeling of having the teeth no so clean after spending time in brushing them was gone.  My teeth would squeak of joy if I passed my finger quickly on them. I am not kidding you that was how clean the teeth were.

This rechargeable toothbrush comes with a charger, 3 brush heads, a refill stand, a travel case, and a smartphone holder.  Wait what?  A smartphone holder?  But why?   That’s the beauty of this specific model because the toothbrush is bluetooth smart and will connect to your phone using the Oral-B app.  This app will monitor daily your habits and personalize the brushing routines.   The app will allow you to brush every area of the right amount of time so that you do not miss a zone.   Literally, you will brush for over 2 minutes without realizing it.   And your teeth will be sparkly clean in the process.

Also the app will allow you to customize the multifunctional 360 degrees smartring by modifying the color of it.   In all, you will be able to choose your favorite color from twelve choices.

Throughout your brushing, the toothbrush will also provide feedback on your brushing habits and you can implement your dentist’s recommendation via a customizable brushing plan too.    The brush itself rotates, oscillates and pulsates in order to break and remove the plaque that a regular toothbrush would not be able to do.  

The toothbrush offers numerous modes of cleaning as well: daily clean, gum care, sensitive, whitening, pro-clean, and tongue cleaning.  You are really taken care of when using the Oral-B Genius 8000.

The smart travel case will charge you brush as well as your smartphone with 1 plug.  Which is ideal for people who limits their luggage when on a trip.

Though I adore this toothbrush, there is one thing I would like to change in the app/toothbrush connectivity.   I think it would be fabulous to be able to track two people instead of just one.   My husband takes the sensitive teeth brush and I take one of the other ones.  However, when connecting on the app, it downloads all the tracking from the toothbrush – which is two people in our case.   I think it would be fabulous to be able to differentiate who’s who…

If you have been considering getting an electric toothbrush, I would like to suggest that you consider the Oral-B Genius 8000 because it will give you the best cleaning that you ever had in ages for your teeth. 

The Oral-B Power Genius 8000 Electric Rechargeable Toothbrush is available for purchase on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: This product has been provided courtesy of Amazon.ca Vine Voices for review purpose. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by Amazon.ca or the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Philips AVENT uGrow Smart Ear Thermometer

Last week, I have received a Philips AVENT uGrow Smart Ear Thermometer from Amazon VineVoices to review.   Contrary to what the title of the thermometer might suggest, it is not specifically designed only for babies and children.   You can use it for teens and adults as well.

One of the main reason why I decided to review this ear thermometer is because it was much smaller than the one we had purchase back in the days when our oldest son was a baby.  He is turning 16 in a month and I can hardly believe how time flies.   As you can see the new Philips AVENT uGrow Smart Ear Thermometer fits nicely in our hand.  It won’t take any place in your purse or bag when you travel.

The second main reason why I picked it is the fact that you can link your ear thermometer to an app on your phone in order to track the temperature of your child.  Why to this?  So that you can share the information when going to the doctor or the emergency if the temperature stays elevated for a long period of time.  I find that this function alone will give piece of mind to parents with children of all ages.

The use of it is very easy – simply put the thermometer in the ear and press the button.  You can switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius rapidly if you prefer one specific measurement.   Personally, I am still on the Fahrenheit measurement because I grew up with it.   I suppose I should try to adapt myself and turn to Celsius…

I think that any parents should own an ear thermometer because it is the easiest way to take the temperature on a child.   This specific model would make a great gift for a baby shower.

The Philips AVENT uGrow Smart Ear Thermometer is available for purchase at amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: This product has been provided courtesy of Amazon.ca Vine Voices for review purpose. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by Amazon.ca or the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

CorLiving TSL-303-T Santa Lana Black Matte TV Stand

Recently I had the privilege to receive the CorLiving Santa Lana Black Matte TV Stand through Amazon Vine Voices.   We literally debated about selecting this item because we didn’t thought we had a place for it.   But my mother-in-law, in all her wisdom, suggested that we use it for the basement area and honestly we hadn’t thought of that part of the house.   The kids go there to play video games together or to watch their math lessons when someone else is on the television upstairs and that’s about it.   But come to think of it, the idea made perfectly sense because we did not have anything per say to put the dvd player, the Wii and the antique Atari console on it.  

Let me tell you that the box in which the item arrive was long and very heavy.   But once we brought it downstairs it was just a matter of a couple of weeks before we had time to put it together.  

This TV stand will accommodate a television up to 70 inches.   Our television is anchored on the wall so we didn’t have to put it on the stand.  Three shelves made of tempered glass are included.   As you can see we have decided to put our devices on the top one and the games on the second shelf.  We will also put the controls next to these.

The building of the TV stand is easy to do.  The instructions were clear and my 13 years old son was able to built by himself.  It took him about 1 hour to complete the task but already the TV stand look stunning in the basement.  And to make it even more interesting is that area of our basement is now well organized. 

If you are looking for a great TV stand for your living room or your basement, I think that the CorLiving TSL-303_T Santa Lana Black Matte TV Stand would be a great choice.

The CorLiving TSL-303-T Santa Lana Black Matte TV Stand is available for purchase directly from amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: This product has been provided courtesy of Amazon.ca Vine Voices for review purpose. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by Amazon.ca or the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Smithsonian The Elements Book

Smithsonian The Elements Book – A Visual Encyclopedia of the Periodic Table
Published at DK Canada

About the book

Kids can go on a visual tour of the 118 chemical elements of the periodic table, from argon to zinc, in this one awesome volume packed with incredible images and fascinating facts.

Cataloged by type, each element's properties and atomic structure is explained. More than 1,000 full-color photographs showcase the natural forms of each element, as well as a wide range of unexpected everyday objects in which it is found, to make them relevant to a child's world. How does a motorcycle utilize nitrogen? Which element can absorb harmful chemicals in water? Which famous landmark is made of copper? From hydrogen to sodium to nickel, kids will learn fun facts and be amazed.

My Thoughts

As our homeschool year is wrapping up slowly but surely, you cannot help to start planning for the next year – especially if you attended a homeschool conference in the previous month.   Our homeschool coop has been in planning mode for quite some time because some moms are writing the units we will cover during the year.  One of these units will be “Introduction to Chemistry” for kids ages 9-15.  I have three kids participating in that group age and honestly I am excited about introducing them to the world of chemistry (even though I struggle in that subject in high school).  

One of my goal in our homeschool is to provide amazing books for them to explore ahead of the units in coop.  Sometimes these books are historical novels that we read together, other times it is books that will provide information on a specific subject- like the one today!   The Elements Book is essentially a visual encyclopedia of the periodic table.   What I mean by this is that for each element found in the periodic table (known at the time of printing this book), you will be visualize the form and uses of the element as well as discover its position in the period table.

Through the pages of this book, you will be amaze of how certain elements are used in life today.  For example, let’s take potassium.  Did you know that it was first found in the dust of burnt plant by Sir Humphry Davy?  Potassium can be found in bananas, root vegetables, and avocados.   But potassium is found in fertilizer, carbonated water, saline drip, gunpowder, liquid soap and even a rebreather which is a machine used by expert divers so they can stay underwater for long period of times.

This book is definitively a great reference to go to when you want to learn more about the elements of the periodic table.

Smithsonian The Elements Book is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for allowing me to promote these books. I was not monetarily compensated for this post . Please note that the post was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

The Bible Explorer’s Guide

The Bible Explorer’s Guide
Published at ZonderKids

About the book

The Bible Explorer’s Guide lets children come up close and personal with everyday life during Bible times through photos, maps, and illustrations illuminating, people, places, objects, and buildings of the Bible. What did Noah’s Ark really look like? Who was David and whom did he fight? How did 1st century citizens of Jerusalem live? Each two-page spread is filled with images that bring history alive and drawings that help bring life to people and places that we can only read about. With fascinating, brief text and full-color captivating images, this is a reference that kids will come back to again and again. A great addition to any home or school library.

My Thoughts

It is always nice to find a book that will help your kids to visualize the Bible from cover to cover.  The Bible Explorer’s Guide is exactly that book… With over 1000 facts and photos within the pages of this book, your kids can visit and explore the history written in the Bible from the comfort of your home.  At the end of the book you will also find a timeline as well as a glossary of who’s who in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The pages are packed with information on various time during the historical events mentioned in the Bible.   It is refreshing to see images of the area today mixed with maps, painting, drawing as well as models of what places looked like during the biblical times.

The book is definitively a great resource to own in your personal library where you can use it for research, reading or to supplement your Bible curriculum.   Churches could also use it for Sunday school or Awana program.      Personally, it makes me want to go on one of those trips where you go visit biblical places with a group.  Maybe one day I will be able to do so… in the meantime, I will enjoy explore history through the pages of this book.

The Bible Explorer’s Guide is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Nelson for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Ziploc Space Bag

 

I recently received a box of Ziploc Space Bag to review from Amazon Vine Voices.   This specific box contains 2 medium flats, 2 large flats, 1 extra large flat and 1 suitcase bag.

When you open the box you will get the bag neatly folded inside.   Out of the six bags included in the box, five of them possess a vacuum valve in order to remove the air from it.  The suitcase bag possess a one-way valve which you will use to roll the air out of the bag.   Instructions are clearly indicated on each of the bags.  The flat bags will allow you to expand your storage area by 3 times while the suitcase bag will provide 2x the storage.

So for the purpose of this review I have decided to test the suitcase bag.  My goal this morning is to “shrink” the size of this quilt to see if I can bring it to a retreat early June.

It took me seconds to put the quilt in the Ziploc Space Bag for travel.

Then I pressed on it to remove the air out of it.   It was easy to do and the air quickly left the bag.  However, I felt there was not enough air remove from it yet.

So I decided to fold the bag in two and proceed to press on it in order to remove even more air.   And voilà!  The quilt is at a size that I would have no issues to insert in a carry-on for the retreat.

Needless to say that I am very pleased with the Ziploc Space Bag (suitcase bag).    In fact I am so impressed that I would highly recommend them for storage at home or for travels.  The travel bag is so easy to use that you can pack in smaller suitcases when going on a trip or mission trip.   It is very useful in my point of view.  It is well worth the investment.

As for the other bags that are included in the box, I am planning to use them in order to reduce the space taken in the cedar chests that we have at home.  Numerous quilts and other items will take less space in the trunks.

The Ziploc Space Bag – 6 Bag Variety is available for purchase at your favourite store, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: This product has been provided courtesy of Amazon.ca Vine Voices for review purpose. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by Amazon.ca or the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Sony MDRXB950B1 Extra Bass Wireless Headphones

Recently, I have received new headphone to test – the MDRXB950B1 Extra Bass Wireless by Sony.  

These headphones provide high quality sound when listening to music or a television show on Netflix.  The extra bass will enhance all the low-end frequencies for deep power on every track.

Let me list for you the things that I really like about these headphones. 

• The battery life will last you for 18 hours which is very nice.  Charging it is quick too though it will take about 4 hours or so to do it.  
• The headphones possess a special button at the bottom of one side for the extra bass.  Having the ability to put the extra bass or remove it depending on how you feel is a nice touch.  Personally, I am not seeing the difference but my two teenagers told me without a doubt that the bass was more predominant when the button is pressed. Mind you I know that I have issues with low frequencies sound so that might explain why I cannot make a difference.
• These headphones are wireless and gives you freedom to move around without having to carry your device with you.  
• The hand-free calling and the voice assist function permit you to answer phone calls or to use Siri without taking your device our of your pocket or purse.
• The extra cable which allow you to use the headphone wired instead of wireless.   Great option for people who prefer to have it wired.
• Very visual instructions that are easy to understand.  
• The ability of controlling the sound level on the headphones.

The major disappointment for me came when I started wearing these for an hour or so.   The earpad is very soft but I find the circumference a bit smaller than the other Sony headset that I have.   Consequently, when a woman who wear earrings that have butterflies in the back after a little while the back of the earrings will press in the back of your ear and cause a bit of pain because the sharp part of the earring is sticky out.   If the circumference would have been slightly bigger this wouldn’t be a problem.  

Another thing that could be annoying for some people is the fact that the headphone will tell you when it is on and when it is connected.  Personally I didn’t mind it but one of my teenagers said that it was annoying to hear it every time you press on the start button and it connects to the device. 

This model comes in three color – Black, Red or Blue – what ever the style you have.   I have received the black one but there is a touch of red on it which I really like.

These headphones are particularly made for the following devices: iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone SE, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPod Touch (6th generation).  However, I have an iPad mini 2 and it worked fine with it as well.   Something that I find funny is that the app Headphones Connect is listed for iOS and Android.   So I suspect that the headphones could be used for other types of devices.  Also note that I didn’t have to download the app to be able to connect the headphones to my device.  

In all, these headphones are fabulous and can make a great gift for a teenager who enjoy more bass in music.   When you purchase Sony, you can be certain that there will be quality in the product.   There is only slight disappointment for me when it comes to wearing earrings and have these headphones on.   I suppose that will time maybe you won’t feel the back of the earrings anymore and some people are less sensitive than others.   These headphones are definitively great if you are looking at getting some wireless ones.   You won’t be disappointed.

The Sony MDRXB950B1 Extra Bass Wireless Headphones are available for purchase at your favorite store, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: This product has been provided courtesy of Amazon.ca Vine Voices for review purpose. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by Amazon.ca or the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.