As luck would have it, I found a T2 store on my travels. My latest T2 addiction is their blend of Chai. It has the perfect blend of smokiness and spice for me. My stash of tea bags are coming with me to Perth. Just in case I can’t get myself to a Perth store the moment we land.
I think it’s fair to say that quite a few of my previous kitchen appliance reviews have been hampered by a wide array of technical issues. From not being able to get lids to work to macarons that ended up looking like whoopie pies (at least I was in the ball park of trendy small cakes for that particular project), you can rest assured that if I say something works for me, it goes without saying that it will do the same for you. Well, the moment has finally arrived. Today, I’m reviewing the KitchenAid 7 Speed Hand Mixer on behalf of Kitchenware Direct. Currently, the unit retails for $99 on their site. And guess what? Today’s review is 100% drama free.
- Easy to follow instruction manual
- Hand mixer unit with lockable, swivelling power cord
- Double turbo beater attachments
- Single attachment liquid blender rod
- Drawstring fabric bag for the attachments.
As you would expect from KitchenAid, the stainless steel attachments and the mixer unit all had a very solid feel to them.
The attachments clip in easily into their designated slots and clip out when the release button is pressed.
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| Sorry I only got half the bottle of Bundie in the photo. It would have been handy for a size reference for the KitchenAids. |
There is quite a significant size difference between the stand and hand mixers, as you can see from this very casually styled photo. The trade off for the much smaller amount of bench top space that the hand mixer occupies is that it’s not suitable for the heavy duty mixing required for making things like bread doughs.
The test
At last, the real reason for all my Bundie references becomes clear. I decided to test out the hand mixer using this recipe for Rum Cake.
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| Say goodbye to sore necks and losing your way when trying to follow a recipe! |
To enhance efficiency and accuracy in executing the recipe, I stuck a copy of it to a cupboard door with some BluTak. Why didn’t I think of this earlier? It makes reading the recipe so much easier.
| The digital speed display is easy to read. Controlling the speed is simply a matter of pressing the up or donjon arrow buttons. |
- A two thumbs up, must have in the kitchen. Even if you do have a stand mixer, it’s very handy to have a small hand mixer for quick mixing tasks.
- The unit was very easy to assemble, use and clean.
- It’s lightweight and compact so you don’t need to find bench space for it. It easily fits into a drawer or on a shelf. Which is enough to justify buying it, really.
- Though powerful, the hand mixer barely bakes a noise.
- The only negatives I can think of is that it may not work as your one mixing appliance if you need a mixer capable of making dough or pasta. It could also get messy with the beaters if you were needing to add things to what’s being mixed as you went. The stand mixers have a clear advantage in both these areas.
The KitchenAid 7 Speed Hand Mixer used in this review was kindly provided by Kitchenware Direct. I thank them for their ongoing support of this blog.
ANZAC Day grows in significance for me as each year passes. Each day between one April 25 and the next seems to bring more news of conflicts overseas which see more of our serving men and women called into tours of duty. The issues more complex, the line between right and wrong increasingly blurred, the definition of peace more and more subjective. As I move from childhood, then adulthood and now into parenthood – the human cost of war is brought into even sharper focus.
I don’t think it’s possible to live in this country and not cherish the ANZAC spirit. Justice, freedom and peace are the qualities that ANZACs past and present fight for. For all of us. It’s not just a matter of not forgetting today but also remembering the sacrifices made on our behalf every other day of the year and acting towards each other accordingly.
And before you know it, we’re simultaneously halfway through the week and on the eve of a public holiday. I don’t know exactly what I’ve done to feel as busy as I have but there it is.
May I just say how beautiful this autumn has been so far? Granted there have been a fair few grey days filled with downpours but when the sun comes out, life is beautiful. There’s just enough warmth in the mid morning air and the occasional breeze to ruffle the leaves and flowers. It’s one of those simple pleasures to be able to take the time to savour it on a random working day.
More midweek cheer was to be had whilst I was doing the groceries. It’s not every day of the week that you get greeted with a Lindor ball on entering Coles. There’s a new caramel flavoured variety that’s just launched and I will be able to tell you after lunch if it even comes close to my all time favourite peanut butter version.
In news that has made me feel really ancient, Cleo magazine has just unveiled its relaunch issue. Apparently, all the sex tips and nudity that were its trademarks just aren’t what the young women of today want from a magazine. Instead less sex (but not none at all) but more fashion and lifestyle will be the new direction for what Cleo’s publisher says is a more conservative readership.
Perhaps there isn’t some deep psychosocial reason to explain this return to conservatism. It could just be disenchantment with the too much information approach to relationships that reality television, leaked videos and navel gazing celebrity news (closet Daily Mail online fan here) have given us in recent years. On the other hadnd, it could also be a yearning for fluffy, feel good fun that seems to be in short supply in other media. A sort of return to relative innocence in one aspect of life in a world that seems hell bent on pulling everyone at any age the other way.
I was curious to see what the new Cleo looked like close up, so I had a quick look whilst waiting at the check out. I didn’t make it last the cover. It looked and read an awful lot like Dolly magazine to me. The love heart graphics around a supermodel wearing a head band decorated with cats ears, the ‘so you’re single’ self help article, the new, pink font of the title…. It’s been at least two decades since I last read Cleo and another since I last read Dolly. Have their respective demographics merged?
Have you read the new Cleo? Have I misjudged the cover?
I am my mother’s daughter in many respects but the one thing I lack is her sense of adventure and love of spur of the moment vacationing. A case in point is the post holiday catch up phone call we had yesterday. What was meant to be a brief trip back to Malaysia to catch up with her brothers and sisters ended up involving an impromptu side trip to Cambodia to take in Angkor Wat. My mother reasoned that since she was in that part of the world, she might as well continue on her quest to see all the Wonders of the World. She managed to talk a brother and a sister into going with her and together they took a ‘very pleasant two hour flight’ to Cambodia and landed at an ‘interesting airport nestled in some beautiful greenery’. The majesty of the temple filled her with awe and the steep walk left her invigorated. She highly recommended that I get myself there one day.
Hearing about my mum’s little adventure made me think about my own life and how a little bit of excitement wouldn’t go astray. The soaring temples of Cambodia may be off limits for me right now but my local Cotton On is only a short drive away, nestled within the walls of a very baby and pram friendly shopping centre. As an antidote to the grey skies and rain, my mission at Cotton On was to find some new skinny jeans to add some colour and interest to my SAHM uniform of jeans and nursing tops. It takes a brave woman in her late, late thirtysomethings to go in search of jeans at a ‘youth’ label but after a particularly efficient workout, I was riding on a rush of endorphins and that reflected self confidence you get from having just shared the air and weights room with the hard core body building set at the gym.
There’s lots of good news to share about the skinny jeans situation at Cotton On:
- They have a special offer on selected styles at the moments, two pairs for $60 – online and instore
- The current cut acknowledges women with hips and waists, the waistband doesn’t sit super low
- The leg length is fine for people of ‘average’ height, I’m around 167cm tall and they weren’t swimming on me
- I’m between sizes so went up a size in the interests of public decency
- There’s a fair bit of stretch in the denim
- I found the range of colours and prints both interesting and wearable.
So, with Baby SSG guarding the change room door in his pram, I faced the difficult task of choosing the two designs I thought would get the most wear from as well as being different enough to what I already own to justify being bought.
The suspense must be killing you. Here’s what my jeans look like on actual models.
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| www.cottonon.com Maison skinny leg jeans Traveler paisley print in Robin Hood green |
I love the paisley print on these Maison style jeans. Not to mention the fact that they’re in a shade of green called Robin Hood! I might have to accessorise with a quiver of arrows or with a feathered cap.
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| www.cottonon.com Ritchie skinny leg jeans in red |
My other choice was a solid red. Though the style name is different, the Ritchies are the same cut as the Maisons.
The challenge is now on to match them with my existing winter items. And also to not go overboard and go back for the camouflage and olive green styles….
I’ve been pondering doing something about the colour of my teeth for quite some time now. Celebrity worthy perfect white teeth sound great in theory but the maintenance required is right up there with keeping your hair that shade of Bergdorf blonde. Frequent trips to the dentist (for the teeth), care with the foods you eat and drink (for both, I guess), the cost (ditto)…. It all sounded too much like hard work.
- Sturdy flip top tube in a shade of iridescent red I’m quite liking. Looks rather chic on the bench top in my bathroom.
- Is more expensive than regular Colgate toothpastes, around $3 more from my research. It’s also at the pricier end of other supermarket whiteners.
- Definitely has a different taste to regular toothpaste but not as unpleasant as I thought it would be. It tasted a little chalky and less ‘minty’ than what I usually use. In the scheme of things, I’m more than happy to live with this if it will give me lovely looking teeth.
- The key ingredient in Optic White is hydrogen peroxide. Colgate clams this is successful in both removing surface staining as well as deeply whitening teeth. The brand’s research promises teeth three shades whiter after four weeks of use.
- I’ve not experienced any sensitivity of my gums in the weeks that I’ve been using Optic White twice daily.
- It’s too easy! All you have to do is use the toothpaste. No additional treatments, no food restrictions, no appointments.
- It’s fine to use with both electric and standard toothbrushes.
- I’m impressed. It’s been just over a week and I’m already seeing results. My teeth are normally strained and probe to yellowing. At the moment, they definitely look cleaner. Not a perfect dazzling white (yet), but much better than usual. It will be interesting to see how good they’ll look in a few weeks’ time.
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| Bristle comparison. Colgate Slim Soft on the left, my regular Colgate toothbrush on the right. |
The unique selling point of this toothbrush is its size. The bristles are softly tapered and 17 times slimmer than those of a standard toothbrush. The toothbrush head is also noticeable slimmer than those of others on the market. The aim of these modifications is to provide a gentle and more through clean.
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| Toothbrush width comparison. Colgate Slim Soft on the left, my regular Colgate toothbrush on the right. |
I was a bit sceptical that Slim Soft would have any advantages over current toothbrush but I was pleasantly surprised. By jingo, it’s a toothbrush that can really clean! The finer, softer bristles actually did clean my teeth more thoroughly than my firmer toothbrush with its fancy bristle arrangement. If you have sensitive teeth, the Slim Soft toothbrush is definitely worth considering.
And there we have it, all the latest on my dental goings on.
The products discussed in this review were provided to SSG by Colgate-Palmolive and Magnum PR. I would like to thank both parties for their support of this blog.
Hazelnut Moccona, how I love you.
Let me count the ways.
You’re like toothpicks for my eyelids, only less painful.
You’ve single handedly (and deliciously) kept me awake since my 2am wake up call.
You smell so good first thing in the morning.
It’s so much more satisfying sipping at you from a mug than battling with a jar of Nutella or the wrapper of a Kinder Surprise with one hand for a hazelnut fix.
I’m very much team hazelnut but what about you? Are the vanilla or caramel flavours more your thing? Or is flavours instant coffee even more of a travesty than the regular stuff?
When the skies are grey and there’s no chance of the laundry drying on the line anytime soon, there’s only one thing to do. Bake. With large amounts of chocolate and butter.
After pouring the batter into the prepared tray, I pimped up the top surface like chocolate and sea salt were going out of fashion. And yes, the Lurpak tin was the perfect size for the amount of brownie batter I had.
I baked my brownies for 55 minutes at 160C in a fan forced oven. Whilst the brownies turned out to be chewy and moist, my excessive brownie pimping proved to be fortuitous because the extra chocolate added a bit more depth to the chocolate flavour which seemed a bit subdued in comparison to other brownie mixes and recipes I’ve used. The caramel pieces baked to a chewy, gooey stickiness and the addition of some sea salt gave the caramel a recommended for mature audiences kind of finish.
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| www.news.com.au |
I’ve been watching clips of Rebel Wilson hosting this year’s MTV Movie Awards and wondering whether she landed the show an MA rating too. Rebel took the hosting gig to places it’s never been before and she did it with flair and talent. Aussie cliches, self deprecating quips and double entendres came thick and fast as she sang and danced her way through the show. She owned each element of her performance and that’s what made it such great viewing. Rebel was as much fun hosting the show as she is in her movie roles. Which doesn’t happen as often as you’d hope in Hollywood.
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| www.fanpop.com |
I got another dose of Rebel with ‘Pitch Perfect’ on DVD. It felt like Glee’s slightly edgy older cousin whose off at uni. The singing and dancing had me tapping my feet and singing out loud. And you’ve got to be happy with that on a rainy Tuesday afternoon.