I keep apologizing for being behind on reviewing products I receive. It’s time to make some decisions about how I handle things going forward. In the meantime, I am getting toward empty shelves. Here are some of my latest favorite products.  This post contains affiliate links. If you are looking for more, check out these links. Not only will you find some unique things, but you’ll help me out as I get a commission on these. It’s always time for ice cream…                                          I love ice cream any time of year and I had a lot of fun making some with Hijinx . No ice cream machine is needed. Just use a blender to put your favorite ingredients together for your preferred flavor. The only requirement is milk and the best part of Hijinx is that you can use any milk you want. I put together low-fat milk (the mix does have a high 11-gram fat content), peanut ...

I know the last few years have been very strange for all of us. I hope that things start to normalize soon, whatever the “new normal” may be. I’m trying to catch up on the products I have for testing, but also wanted to write a bit about a not so new bargain brand of cosmetics I fell in love with. As usual, there are affiliate links in this column and I always appreciate earning a little when my readers click on them. Spread the fruit… A selection of jam is something that’s always in my house. Whether it’s on an English muffin or a waffle, with peanut butter, cream cheese, or on its own, I love spreadable fruit. The only problem is that many brands are filled with tons of sugar and additives. I was more than happy to try Crofter’s Organic in three of my favorite flavors: cherry , raspberry, and peach. Crofter’s is a family business that not only makes organic fruit spreads that are low in calories and sugar, and don’t cost a fortune.   I loved all the flavors. You can purc...

With things so slow in the travel industry right now, I’m receiving more samples than ever and many are quite unusual. I especially love when I have ingredients to create recipes with and am trying to do at least one of those a month. Cocktail in a bottle… It’s always nice to keep it simple in the summertime. There are times when I like to fuss with cocktails when sitting outside with friends, but most of the time I just want to pour a drink. Alize has a selection of fruit vodkas, a few of which I’ve tried before . The latest is Alize Mango . Forget the words “flavored vodka,” Alize makes it taste more like fruit with vodka. The mango is subtle and I almost taste a little peach in there. It’s fruity without any phony or super sweet taste. This is a bottle you want to keep in the fridge and, depending on how strong you like it, just add a little ice, water, or soda. If you want to fuss a little more, put it in a blender with the ice and you’ve got an instant frozen drink. SOS...

Hello, Everyone! Yes, it’s been awhile. I apologize, but I’ve been recovering from what I hope will be my last back surgery! I have been staying home for months, since I have a compromised immune system and needed to go off my meds for surgery. Now, I am feeling better and back on my meds and everyone is told to stay home! I’m confident we’ll get out of our houses eventually. I can tell you, from someone who has been social distancing since December, it can be done. Hang in there. One thing that has kept me entertained is the selection of products that have come to my door. There have been some really good ones these past two months. As usual, there are links to them, and you can find anything sold on Amazon on my influencer page. I always appreciate the support. It’s helpful to earn a little from these items – and I only put what I like on there. My favorite discovery this year… Since receiving samples of bNutty , I hardly go a day without having some. I alway...

It’s the height of the summer and I’m ready for to enjoy. That includes quick recipes and summer drinks. A rare release by Sailor Jerry… I spent a weekend with the crew from Sailor Jerry a few years ago. It was a fun exploration of the brand’s connection to tattoos . I also learned a lot about this delicious spiced rum. One of the things that has made is so unique is the fact that they haven’t introduced various flavors, as so many rum brands have. Sailor Jerry finally decided to change that when they found something that had the characteristics to represent their brand. Sailor Jerry Savage Apple is as exceptional as the original brand in that it takes a simple recipe – Sailor Jerry Rum and apples – and turns it into something you an enjoy all year round. It’s a hard apple cider, with emphasis on apple and a touch of cinnamon, and a clear peak into Sailor Jerry’s spiced rum, with its vanilla undertones. Sailor Jerry Savage Apple is something you’ll want to chi...

It’s the start of the holiday season and I’ve been receiving some interesting spirits to enjoy during your celebrations. Eggnog Vodka? Worth a try… I was a bit leery when I heard about Eggnog Vodka from Three Olives, but I agreed to give it a try. As expected, it did nothing for me as a straight shot. I decided to bring it down to my clubhouse, where the bartender, Lionel, played around with it a bit. Lionel loves creative challenges when it comes to spirits. His first thought was a hot chocolate, with a bit of half and half and a shot of Three Olives Eggnog Vodka. It was quite delicious, but the big hit was this: Eggnog Vodka Martini: 2 ounces Three Olives Eggnog Vodka ½ ounce amaretto ½ ounce Whipped cream vodka Splash of half & half Sprinkle of nutmeg Pour ingredients into a mixing gup filled with ice. Strain into a martini glass. For another twist on Eggnog… shout out to Sugarland’s Distilling Company, who sent me another bottle of thei...

I have some really unique finds to suggest this month. I hope you like them as much as I did. Going wild for Beetology… This definitely qualifies as unique! When I was first approached by Beetology to test out their juices and make cocktails, I was a bit apprehensive. I love beets, but couldn’t imagine drinking them. Even borsht, a well-known Russian soup my father loved, was not my thing. I took the case of Beetology to my favorite bartender, Lionel, along with the recipes I was given. It was a cold night so there were just a half-dozen of us there. We did some experimenting with the juices, making the Beety Bloody Mary, Tropical Beet-a-colada, Berry-Beet-a-rita, Bourbon Beet-It, and the Beetology Zinger. A couple people liked the Berry-Beet-a-rita and Beetology Zinger, but we couldn’t say we’d go out of our way to make them again. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we all LOVED the juices on their own. They are very healthy, 100% natural juice with no add...