Wednesday, December 4, 2013

What I'm Loving Lately

It's time to delve in to what I'm loving lately.  



1.  Berbere spice from Penzeys.  I have no idea how to pronounce that so I call it my kick in the teeth spice.  I smelled it and I knew I had to get some and reading the ingredients confirmed it.  Cayenne pepper, garlic, ginger, fenugreek (maple taste), cardamom, cumin, black pepper, allspice, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon and coriander.  This is apparently an African spice and used in Ethiopian cuisine but I'm not into the exotic stuff.  I have used a light sprinkle to season my brussels and it's fantastic!  It gives them a perfect kick and I love spicy stuff.  It gave our chili an amazing kick as well and a little goes a long way!  I liken it to a "Jackie Chan explosion of flavors for your tastebuds."  There are so many different areas of the tongue that gets hit from the heat and sweet, it's almost delightfully dizzying.  The best part?  No salt!  Give it a try!

2.  Sur La Table 10 Piece Nonstick Cookware Set...a Cyber Monday deal!  When I got this baby in my inbox as a last minute add to the Cyber Monday Sur La Table deals for 50% off, I immediately chatted the Mr to see what he thought.  I'm on my second set of rather expensive (in comparison) Calphalon and I'm not impressed.  When I spend $500-600 for fancy pants cookware, I expect it to last more than 2 years before the Teflon burns off.  As a semi-serious home cook, I should be able to sear whatever the hell I want without worrying about the pan being able to handle it.  I was going to just go stainless steel since I use cooking spray anyway but at $150 for the set, I'll give non-stick one more go.  (Did I mention it came with a free bonus dutch oven AND I got $15 back by purchasing through Ebates?  Score!)  (affiliate link) While I can't yet attest to how these stack up since they just shipped, I figure I can't get much worse than the crapalon I've burned through over the past 4 years and I'll feel less ripped off if these can't handle the heat.  Fingers crossed!

3.  Old Navy Cozy Women's Reindeer Socks-  I would love to give a link to these but I can't find them anywhere on the website anymore.  I got these 2 weeks before Thanksgiving and LOOOOVE them but have no idea why they would yank them from the site in the height of Christmas shopping.  So if you happen to find yourself at Old Navy, take a look around to see if these babies are still hanging around because they're super cute and warm on da feet!

4.  Acer Aspire Laptop -  Okay, I might've griped about it when I first got it, but I'm loving my new Acer laptop.  I've acclimated to the new configuration and I love how light it is but still a full laptop.  The processor is super fast, the fan is quiet and it doesn't burn my lap like the last one did.  (Yes, I've heard of laptop desks but it would block the airflow on the old one and make the fan run so hot it would be 2 seconds from catching fire and not in a Hunger Games sort of way.)  If I had to smack someone at the factory for anything, it would be for sticking the speakers on the BOTTOM of the laptop so that every sound and all music is muffled.  Great choice, genius.

5.  Cozy Cable Knit Throw by Pottery Barn  I have had this baby on my wish list for 4 years.  It was becoming obvious no one was going to buy it for me.  I can't really blame them.  It often is on sale for $99 down from $129 but it CAN go as low as $79 the closer it gets to Christmas.  This year they released a new color called "Flagstone" which is a much darker gray than portrayed in the pic but still lovely and I had to jump on it.  I got a 15% coupon code for one day only, free shipping and I had a $25 gift card from a friend from last Christmas.  So I got it for $64.  It is SOOOO warm and snuggly!  I can be freezing cold and in 3 minutes be completely warm and toasty due to the sherpa lining.  I will say my one big complaint about it is it's not made for tall people.  At 50" x 60", it's about the same size as most cheaper blankets but I can't pull it up to my neck without my feet getting exposed and vice versa if the tootsies are cold.  For a $130 blanket, it'd better cover anyone's bod up to 6' tall.  I'm cuddled up under it right now.  Sigh.

What are you loving lately?

(This post contains a few affiliate links.  If you buy through them, I'll get a nominal kickback to keep the lights on at the blog.)

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9 comments:

  1. I can't believe the deal you got on those pans. Especially at that place! Good job! I am also excited to see that you like the new laptop. I am jealous! I also highly recommend that spice to people. And I love your socks. Your feet look so cute in socks like that.

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  2. That spice sounds like something I should totally keep an eye out for, I may even ask my mom to pick some up for me for Christmas,

    There is a pair of evil-ugly slippers that I'm practically begging for from Santa. They are the same brand of shoe (Orthaheel) that I've been wearing and have support for my feet, but they are horrible looking. I'll wear 'em anyway.

    I was looking at my boots yesterday and they are looking a little worn so I'd love to find a new pair of boots.

    I've also been eying those interlocking foam pieces for my basement floor. It's concrete under the thinnest layer of carpet and not great for floor work.

    Happy Wednesday. Stay warm.

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  3. Ooooooo that spice sounds super neat! I wouldn't have known what fenugreek was if you hadn't explained it either! And I love the fact that there's no salt in it!

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  4. Nice deal on the cookware..yeah i always hate it when u pay so much and end up having ruined pots in less than an year...have see how my new set goes, I bought them for 50% off in macys on friday

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  5. Thanks for the tip on the spice - i'm heading over to Penzeys today and will try some. That's the only place I buy my spices.

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  6. I'm going to have to look for that spice! I love anything with a kick. I just told my Mom to get my spices for Christmas so I'll have to drop this hint too. Thanks!

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  7. I went to Kohl's this weekend and got a crazy deal on a fleece blanket. They call it the big one, I guess it's bigger then most fleece blankets. On sale for $8.99 instead of $29.99 it was calling my name. Plus I had $5 in Kohl's cash and 15% off. So for under $4.00 I got a blanket I was coveting all last season but wouldn't fork over $30 bucks for. Feeling pretty good about that one. Oh and it's just about a dream to sleep under, feels like your wrapped in a cloud.

    That spice sounds amazing, I'll have to look for it out here in Cali.

    PS I love seeing your posts in my email box every morning. Have a great day.

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  8. My husband and I went to a pot party(the legal kind)when we got married.They were demonstrating miracle maid cook wear.That was 34 years ago and I still use those pans daily.I have burned my fair share in them and after a little soak,it comes right off.
    I guess other people admire them too.I checked on ebay and one sauce pan is priced at 300 to 500 bucks.We didn't pay that much for the set including bakewear and an electric skillet.

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  9. I'm digging holiday scrub tops, holiday socks (I'm not exaggerating when I say I have 3 dresser drawers full of them), ceramic pots and pans, and all Linda Lael Miller books.

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