Hillside Self Heating Hot Cocoa

I haven't published in a while. I apologies. Here is a little review to tide you over!

When I asked my mother if she had any hot chocolate, I was thinking of mix to which you add water. Instead, she produced a mug of self-heating hot cocoa from Hillside which is a bit confusing at first sight. Indeed, Mom first tried to open the top of the can which is like a soda can to no avail. After looking at the directions which are on the back of the can (not to mention a big arrow on the front which tells you to push the button on the bottom) we are well on the way.

Hillside's self heating products come in several styles and flavours ranging from tomato soup to french vanilla coffee to hot chocolate with marshmallow, which is what I tried. It's really not as hard to make as it seems. flip over the can and peel off a metal cover from the bottom. Push the white plastic button in the center and the "green liquid" will drain. wait a dozen seconds, flip the cup back over and let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes. There is a dot on the side of the can which will turn from pink to white when the drink is ready.

It worked perfectly, once we understood how to do it. And Hillside's hot cocoa tastes pretty good. It wasn't the best hot cocoa I have ever had but I would likely say it was in the top 25%. I like it because it's really convenient and I think it would make a great hot drink for any outdoors activity like hunting, fishing or camping, especially because it doesn't need any external heat or water. However, for an at-home treat, I would stick to regular cocoa mix.

I would warn that this drink gets extremely hot. I'm not sure if you can open it before the 8 minutes and it will be cooler but I would let it cool off a bit. The can gets quite warm which would work well to keep your hands hot. However, the drink cannot be poured in another container because it is so hot. The can is created to manage the heat comfortably.

I also though that it took a bit long to make. In 8 minutes, I could make a dozen traditional hot cocoas out of the powdered mixed. This is a drink you'll need to plan for.

Nevertheless, this is a tasty treat I would try again, especially if I were outside in the cold.

Helpful Hint: Hillside self heating drinks can double as hand warmers!

Do you feel secure?

When I was younger, we didn't lock our doors let alone have a security system. Of course, the need for home security systems is much greater in today's world. It wasn't until sometime last summer when I first experienced anything to do with a security system and I thought the set up was really interesting but couldn't quite figure out how it worked. I always pictured alarm systems working something like how they show it in the commercials - with electronic data streaming through the walls. After some research, I realized it wasn't anything like this at all and is really a lot simpler once you understand how home security systems work.

A Method in This Madness

Method products are an eco-friendly alternative to using harsh chemicals to clean your home (and self!) while reducing the amount of trash and plastic which end up in the landfills. I'd heard about the products a while aog but wasn't in a rush to buy them.

When we needed more hand soap in the bathroom, I did what I usually do which is to sniff about a million different bottles before I find something I like. I saw that Target had Method products in stock and they came in some really cute teardrop shaped bottles. I chose the Water Flower scent which is a pretty shade of pink. The website boasts that these hand washes are "non-toxic [and] triclosan-free."

What I think is unique abut these products is that instead of buying a replacement bottle when it runs out, you buy replacement soap in a pouch. Method describes their refill pouches with the following:

It turns out this pouch uses 83% less plastic than a rigid PET bottle. Not only that, but it takes less energy to produce. And that's better for the planet and you. Plus, a pouch makes refilling your hand soap more fun. So go ahead, hug me, squeeze me, never let me go.

Which means not only that I'm doing a favour for the earth but for my trash as, unfortunately, I do not have readily available recycling.

To top it off, Water Flower is a great floral scent which is not overpowering. The hand wash itself isn't drying and has not other ill effects. Overall, I think this is a great product and I will definitely look into other Method products.

Helpful Hint: Method doesn't just make hand wash (although you can also get it in foaming). Try their body washes, fabric softener, lotions, omop with biodegradable wet and dry pads and home scents including aroma rings and icnense.

On the Hunt!

I like to check the dates on my change to see if anything is old. Not that I know what is worth anything what it's just interesting to realize something has been around for decades, possibly older than myself. Of course, some people dedicate a lot more time to locating and acquiring coins which actually do have some value. My mom had a friend whose husband actually worked in a coin collecting shop for some time. And it's not just searching through circulated money; there's a big business around selling coins which have never been on the market (although you should be careful as some companies will try to trick you into thinking this is the case). This has been really popular with the advent of state quarters, which my parents collected in those "books" and the new presidential dollars.

The process of collecting coins is called roll hunting and Coin Roll Hunt is a website dedicated to the hobby. While hunters search their homes and cars and even the pavement, they also head to local banks to buy coin rolls of coins to search for those with some value, hence the name of the hobby.

In blog format, this site gives the basic of roll hunting as well as suggests tools you need to get starting in this cheap hobby and how you may go about it and the types of hunters out there. Several hunters show coins in their collection as well as advice on the types of collectible coins are out there. The blog even warns of scams where companies try to sell coins at ridiculous prices.

Coin Roll Hunt is a good resource if you're interested in coin roll hunting, and I would recommended it to anyone just starting out.

Stouffer's Garlic Chicken Skillets

I am a big fan of Stouffers products. From meals which can be made in the microwave, in the over or on the stove, I have been universally impressed. The quality of products has always soared over other brands and there has rarely been a time when I thought the product looked much better on the package than it tasted with Stouffers. So when I saw Stouffers Garlic Chicken Skillets meal, I tossed it in the cart and away I went.

I tend to make a lot of meals which are heavy in sauces and gravy and the Garlic Chicken skillet meal seemed to have a lighter garlic butter sauce, if not a light flavour. In this meal are chicken, pasta and vegetables including carrots and broccoli.

This skillet meal is so easy to make. You cook covered for 8 minutes, then cook another 8 minutes uncovered. Fortunately, it's also very forgiving. As this cooked in my skillet, it smelled delicious.

The final product certainly passed the test. There was a perfect proportion of tender bites of chicken, delicious noodles and vegetables. I must admit I'm a picky eater so the broccoli was segregated to the side of my plate but I loved everything else. The garlic butter sauce was flavourful without being too heavy and this meal really could have passed for restaurant quality.

Stouffer's Garlic Chicken Skillets meal meal is delicious!